According to a LifeWay Research study conducted in 2012, 80 percent of American Protestants who attend church at least once a month believe they have a responsibility to share their faith. Of that same group, however, 61 percent have not shared the gospel in the past six months. The research also found that 48 percent of church attendees have not invited an unchurched person to attend a church service or a program at their church over the previous six months. Although statistics are not the ultimate guide for how we respond to culture or the church, they can show us where the church is and where we need to grow.
Most of us are probably not surprised by these statistics, but we should be. Knowing that we have the greatest news on earth should motivate us to get up and share, invite, and engage those who may not know Jesus. I don’t share this to guilt you; I, too, sometimes struggle with evangelism. But if we believe the gospel we profess, then it is dreadful if we don’t share it. I think there are several reasons why we don’t share. But perhaps one of the greatest reasons is that evangelism seems complicated.
Most articles on evangelism tend to focus on how we overcomplicate sharing the gospel with our words. We overthink the presentation, fear forgetting something, fear looking stupid, or wonder if we even know the good news. So, as a result of our muddled mind, we don’t say anything at all. And what about the when, where, and how of sharing our faith? This aspect of evangelism seems to stump people just as much as, if not more than, what they should actually say. Perhaps we want an angel to appear and tell us that now is the time to share the gospel. Or wouldn’t it be much easier if someone simply asked you, “How do I become a Christian?” It happens, but not often.
One way to simplify evangelism is to make it a part of your everyday life. One place you can begin is in your home.
Hospitality is not only a wonderful means of sharing the love of Christ in a practical way, but it also provides an opportunity to build friendships and share the gospel. To be clear, though showing the love of Christ to others through good works is important, it is not sharing the gospel. To share the gospel means that we open our mouths and use words. For we know that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). But hospitality can be one means to that end. So, having people in your home is a simple way to provide an opportunity to share the good news.
Hebrews 13:2 gives us a beautiful picture of hospitality: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Though this passage is most likely referring to the needs of other Christians, there is no doubt that the call to be hospitable applies beyond our Christian circles and church walls.
The early Christians were hospitable to those who were traveling, and it is likely that the travelers they hosted were all followers of Jesus, but there’s no guarantee. In my context in the South, it can often be assumed that your neighbor is a Bible-believing Christian, because in the South, “everyone is a Christian.” But the reality is that that is not the case. All around me are people who need to hear the gospel—yes, even in the suburbs of Middle Tennessee. Invite your neighbors over, show them love and hospitality, and boldly proclaim the good news at the dinner table.
We overcomplicate things, but we don’t need to. We have a treasure—a great treasure. We are jars of clay who won’t get it right 100 percent of the time. But God is the One who does the work of conversion; we simply must be faithful to share. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Love your neighbors, the friends you meet at the park, your fellow PTA members, and whoever else would enjoy a friend and a meal. Those around you are people made in the image of God, not projects, and you have the best news you could ever share. So, out of love, share it with boldness, and entrust the rest to God.