Is Evangelism Useless?

joymercy said:

"While the Holy Spirit is indeed essential for salvation, evangelism (sharing the gospel) is not useless, but rather a vital and divinely ordained means by which people are led to faith. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to share the message, and God uses both the message and the Spirit's work to bring about salvation."

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Amen! If we don't do it, the rocks will cry out. And that would be kinda embarrassing, huh?

1 Corinthians 9:16 NIV
"For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"

joymercy said:

Thank you so much.

I'm being attacked left and right for sure.

I'm Being told that living a good Christian lifestyle is a silent witness, and that is good enough.

ouch

And that was being preached straight from the homily too.

"We're not door knockers" was another one.

Not a door knocker, lol, but I'm finding myself being drawn into serving others with mercy and compassion for the least of these

This seems to really ruffle a lot of feathers, because it involves telling others about Jesus and His love for them.

It really does seem preferable to most to just give out bags of food instead, as the "Holy spirit does all the work", not us, or at least we don't need to be doing anything else above works of mercy like donating food or giving out mittens from the "mitten tree."

I feel a powerful pressure to just shut up and stay in my lane.....

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You are not alone by any means! I have old friends in the Lord from 35 years that are all pulling back from me because I just can't stop talking about Jesus. Not to mention family that have completely cut me off. But I just don't care anymore. There is just too much joy to be had in obeying Jesus - amongst which includes drawing closer to our Father, and just looking on in awe witnessing Him doing His work and bearing fruit. I know you know what I'm talking about, huh? Keep at it - don't let the devil get away with shutting you up. He's already defeated!

God doesn't choose the worthy, He chooses the willing...

joymercy said:

I'm Being told that living a good Christian lifestyle is a silent witness, and that is good enough.

ouch

And that was being preached straight from the homily too.

"We're not door knockers" was another one.

Not a door knocker, lol, but I'm finding myself being drawn into serving others with mercy and compassion for the least of these

This seems to really ruffle a lot of feathers, because it involves telling others about Jesus and His love for them.

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Well, I rarely find myself speechless but I'm on the verge on this one. I've got to know, whose homily taught this? Not necessarily the person but which denomination. I've been to a dozens of county fairs and at least that many tent revivals and have never heard such a thing. As for door knocking, there are many avenues for evangelizing or sharing the Gospel and one's faith. Door knocking is certainly one although I'm not convinced of it's effectiveness. (The Jehovah Witnesses sure believe in it so maybe they know something that I don't).

You talk about living a good Christian lifestyle is good enough as a silent witness. So, exactly what is a good Christian lifestyle? Shouldn't a good Christain lifestyle include following the teaching of Christ? In the Great Commision in Matthew 28:19-20 we read; 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:..." and Mark 16:15 where He says; "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Not to worry, it sounds like you've got your priorities straight. Mercy, compassion and service to others are cornerstones of Christ's teachings and are in themselves a form of evangelism so long as you give the glory to God. When you talk of ruffling feathers, again, I wouldn't really worry about it in general, as Christ ruffled a few feathers Himself. Just thank God that they're not as ruffled as the those of the Sanhedrin were with Stephen. I'm curious also, as to exactly what you mean by "ruffled Feathers". What are the comments or actions that you see as "ruffled feathers"?

At any rate if you are sharing the Gospel or your faith with a humble heart, then if feathers get ruffled it's possible that it's the Holy Spirit working and the devil causing those ruffled feathers as a defense. All in all, it seems to me that the advice you heard at the homily was ill advised and not in line with what Christ (or anyone else in the Bible) taught.

Interesting the gospel mentioned here is not the one Jesus said to forward, HIS Gospel of the Kingdom. So indeed, is doing so useless?

Matthew 24: 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

"How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" -- Romans 10:14.

You are right, it certainly isn't useless and we are called to do it, to give others the Gospel and to proclaimed the glory of God!

joymercy said:

"While the Holy Spirit is indeed essential for salvation, evangelism (sharing the gospel) is not useless, but rather a vital and divinely ordained means by which people are led to faith. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to share the message, and God uses both the message and the Spirit's work to bring about salvation."

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I can relate—I faced the same issues in my church when I first began sharing the Gospel. Some told me that by going out and proclaiming the Good News, I would scare people away. Instead, they said we should simply come alongside others, bless them, be their friend, and invite them to church.
At one point, I was even told that because I wasn't submitting to the church leadership, I must not have the Holy Spirit. One person actually rang me, yelling over the phone that I didn’t have the Spirit. (That person has since apologized and now believes I was doing the right thing.) A leader even asked me to leave the church but later retracted what he said. This leader is actually a very kind man who once helped save my marriage. But sadly, he does not support the idea of Christians publicly proclaiming the Gospel.

Unfortunately, persecution can happen even within the church. And I believe that many of the people who do this are genuine believers—they just lack understanding of the urgency and importance of sharing the Gospel. Even Peter, a devoted disciple, was used by Satan to try to discourage Jesus from His mission. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan.” Likewise, even our closest Christian friends can unknowingly discourage us.

But the Gospel is of the utmost importance. How will the unbeliever come to know our glorious God unless someone tells them?
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” — Romans 10:14

As believers, we should all desire to share the Gospel with as many as we can. That doesn’t mean everyone will be a street preacher—but we should all be intentional in creating opportunities to share the Good News with those we know, and even with those we don’t yet know. To withhold the Gospel is unloving—not only toward our neighbour, but also toward God, who commanded us to go and preach. In fact, to fail to warn people is deeply wrong. Love should compel us to speak.
Imagine seeing a blind person walking toward a cliff. Would you simply watch them fall without warning them?
There’s actually a legal term for this in human courts: “Depraved Indifference.”
It describes a situation where someone has the opportunity to prevent harm or death but chooses not to act. This shows a blatant disregard for life. If human courts recognize this kind of neglect as evil, how much more would a holy and just God?
“So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.” — James 4:17

The Bible teaches us:
-Obedience is the evidence of our love for Christ (John 14:21).
-Jesus commanded us to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15).
-Failure to warn others is condemned (Ezekiel 3:18–19—where God says the watchman who does not warn the wicked will be held accountable. Paul also viewed himself as a watchman, and I believe that we should also. Jesus told us to go and preach. To go and warn. To go and be watchmen, warning people.
-Fear is not an excuse for silence (Revelation 21:8 warns against cowardice).

Those of us who believe have the Holy Spirit, and He gives us power to share the Gospel.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” — Acts 1:8
The Greek word for "power" is dynamis, meaning "power, ability, strength, mighty work." When we have the Spirit, we are empowered and driven to share the Good News.
The Holy Spirit also brings clarity when we speak. On the day of Pentecost, those in the upper room spoke with such clarity that people from other nations understood them.
And the Spirit brings boldness: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” — Acts 4:31
Some believers, sadly, suppress the Spirit and shrink back.

Here’s something else worth noting: in John 14:16, Jesus says: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.”
We often think of a “comforter” as someone who soothes. But the original meaning of the word comfort was to strengthen or fortify. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just soothe us—He strengthens us to go and proclaim the Gospel.
“The church today lacks this. The Holy Spirit descended as a tongue, and it is the Spirit that transforms our tongues. The disciples received a message, and those who couldn’t speak became preachers. They received power, clarity, and boldness—and they preached.” — Brother Yun

So, how long have you been sharing the Gospel?

Most of it is, because most churches and the people that attend these churches. Evangelize a works based eternal life salvation message.

My hope is that at least some of the people exposed to these work based messages. With the help of God's grace, will see the error and besides what they have been told, will believe in Jesus for God's free gift of Eternal Life salvation.

joymercy said:

Thank you so much.

I'm being attacked left and right for sure.

I'm Being told that living a good Christian lifestyle is a silent witness, and that is good enough.

ouch

And that was being preached straight from the homily too.

"We're not door knockers" was another one.

Not a door knocker, lol, but I'm finding myself being drawn into serving others with mercy and compassion for the least of these

This seems to really ruffle a lot of feathers, because it involves telling others about Jesus and His love for them.

It really does seem preferable to most to just give out bags of food instead, as the "Holy spirit does all the work", not us, or at least we don't need to be doing anything else above works of mercy like donating food or giving out mittens from the "mitten tree."

I feel a powerful pressure to just shut up and stay in my lane.....

Click to expand...

As a person not evangelizing, I find the idea of not actively doing so to be wrong also. We may not all be individually capable as we should be but we should at least have evangelism in our minds. It is clear that evangelism should at least be in our prayers ( for ex. Matthew 9:36-38, 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Matthew 6:9-13 etc.). Acts of charity are important and a sense of evangelism should be included in them. I believe James tells us this in the 2nd chapter of his letter and his greater emphasis is actually on faith. We can still support evangelism ( if we are able to of course).There are groups that address matters like homelessness, drug addiction etc. and evangelism at the same time. One such group where I live is Keystone Mission:



Do I think I am doing enough? No nor am I complacent on this but I am thankful to be blessed to at least do something.

Hello @joymercy, here's an interesting article that you may be interested in reading.

From: The National Catholic Register

What St. Francis of Assisi Didn’t Actually Say​

Albert Chevallier Tayler, "St Francis" (1898) (photo: Public Domain)

Last Sunday, our faithful deacon in the midst of his excellent homily used a quote that most of us have heard, perhaps many times.


It is always attributed to St. Francis of Assisi—founder of the Franciscan Order—and is intended to say that proclaiming the Gospel by example is more virtuous than actually proclaiming it with voice. It is a quote that has often rankled me because it seems to create a useless dichotomy between speech and action. Besides, the spirit behind it can be a little arrogant—which I’m sure our deacon didn’t intend—intimating that those who "practice the Gospel" are in reality more faithful to the faith than those who preach it.

But here's the fact: Our good Francis ~never said it or anything close.~

None of his disciples or biographers have these very quotable words coming from his mouth. It doesn't show up in any of his writings. Not even close, really. The closest comes from his Rule of 1221 on how the Franciscans should practice their preaching:

No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been permitted by his minister . . . All the Friars . . . should preach by their deeds.

Essentially, make sure your deeds match your words. While there's a nice and good sentiment in the statement—be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel—the notion as it is typically presented is neither practical, nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ.

It does not align with St. Francis' own practice.

His first biographer, Thomas of Celano, writing just three years after Francis' death, quotes him instructing his co-workers in the Gospel thusly:

The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold.

Our man clearly spent a great deal of time using his words when he preached, “sometimes preaching in up to five villages a day, often outdoors. In the country, Francis often spoke from a bale of straw or a granary doorway. In town, he would climb on a box or up steps in a public building. He preached to . . . any who gathered to hear the strange but fiery little preacher from Assisi.” He was sometimes so animated and passionate in his delivery that “his feet moved as if he were dancing.”

We must know that it's simply impossible to proclaim the Gospel without words and of course our good Francis knew this as well as any. The Gospel is inherently verbal, and preaching the Gospel is inherently verbal behavior.

St. Paul was quite clear in this, asking the Church at Rome (Romans 10:14):

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

The New Evangelization is ~not~ a silent evangelization. So next time you hear one of your brothers or sisters in Christ use this quote to encourage or challenge you in the labors for our faith, gently guide them from the land of misinformation and into truth. ~What St. Francis of Assisi Didn’t Actually Say

God bless you!!

--David

joymercy said:

"While the Holy Spirit is indeed essential for salvation, evangelism (sharing the gospel) is not useless, but rather a vital and divinely ordained means by which people are led to faith. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to share the message, and God uses both the message and the Spirit's work to bring about salvation."

Click to expand...

Sharing the good news is really important. If your words can reach people's hearts, that's a gift in itself.

This is in the front window of the building i own, right there working 24 hours a day.

d taylor said:

-​

Most of it is, because most churches and the people that attend these churches. Evangelize a works based eternal life salvation message.

My hope is that at least some of the people exposed to these work based messages. With the help of God's grace, will see the error and besides what they have been told, will believe in Jesus for God's free gift of Eternal Life salvation.

Click to expand...

I also believe that we are saved by faith alone—and true faith will naturally lead a person to turn away from sin as a result of genuine belief.

Unfortunately, many church leaders today are concerned about scaring people off. They worry that if we speak openly about how people have broken God's Law, so they are guilty, it will be seen as too offensive and push people away. But when someone hears both the Bad News (our sin and separation from God) and the Good News (what Christ has done for us), and truly understands it, they will want to know more about the God who gave Himself in their place.
Those who are truly repentant will be drawn in—while others, who take offence at the truth, may walk away. And yes, many will walk away.

Jesus Himself said that the world hated Him because He exposed its evil deeds. Even the religious leaders of His day rejected Him for this. If we’re following in His footsteps, we shouldn’t be surprised if some church leaders today don’t welcome this either.
Like Jesus, we must help people see that they have fallen short of God’s standard—and then share with them the incredible news of what He has done so they might have eternal life.

Lukaris said:

As a person not evangelizing, I find the idea of not actively doing so to be wrong also. We may not all be individually capable as we should be but we should at least have evangelism in our minds. It is clear that evangelism should at least be in our prayers ( for ex. Matthew 9:36-38, 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Matthew 6:9-13 etc.). Acts of charity are important and a sense of evangelism should be included in them. I believe James tells us this in the 2nd chapter of his letter and his greater emphasis is actually on faith. We can still support evangelism ( if we are able to of course).There are groups that address matters like homelessness, drug addiction etc. and evangelism at the same time. One such group where I live is Keystone Mission:

Gospel - Keystone Mission

THE SIMPLE GOSPEL a project by Keystone Mission The word “gospel” literally means “good news” and specifically has to do with the good news about our relationship with God because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The heart of the gospel is that God sent His son Jesus into...

www.keystonemission.org

Do I think I am doing enough? No nor am I complacent on this but I am thankful to be blessed to at least do something.

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Well said.
I don't think any of us really do enough. So, we all fall short on this and one day we will look back at this and think, "Oh, my heart grieves. If only I told more people."

Gregory Thompson said:

Sharing the good news is really important. If your words can reach people's hearts, that's a gift in itself.

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Because every person's heart is different, we do not know how the seed will grow. Some may hear and understanding may go into their hearts, but many will not understand. They are all different soils, and we do not know what soil they are, or how the seed of the Gospel will grow in them. A person could look as though they are the hardest man ever, but when they hear the Gospel, they may have soft soil in them, and there could be much growth.
What we need to do is to trust in the quality of the seed, the Gospel. Plant this seed in as many places as possible. We are merely the labourers who plant, and then it is God who creates the growth. And a good labourer will work hard for his master. He will not just hold onto the seed himself.

1Tonne said:

Because every person's heart is different, we do not know how the seed will grow. Some may hear and understanding may go into their hearts, but many will not understand. They are all different soils, and we do not know what soil they are, or how the seed of the Gospel will grow in them. A person could look as though they are the hardest man ever, but when they hear the Gospel, they may have soft soil in them, and there could be much growth.
What we need to do is to trust in the quality of the seed, the Gospel. Plant this seed in as many places as possible. We are merely the labourers who plant, and then it is God who creates the growth. And a good labourer will work hard for his master. He will not just hold onto the seed himself.

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Yeah, it's been almost two decades since God appointed me to a form of labor that I never would have imagined.

The current form of it is like this "the words of God being written on hearts through prayer"

Gregory Thompson said:

Yeah, it's been almost two decades since God appointed me to a form of labor that I never would have imagined.

The current form of it is like this "the words of God being written on hearts through prayer"

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It is definitely good to pray for the lost. But do not forget to tell people the Good News. Romans 10:14
Also, be careful that "prayer" is not a hiding place where you feel you excuse yourself from sharing the Gospel. Many people will pray and pray and pray for revival but then they keep their mouths closed, hoping that the world will hear the Gospel.
"We need to pray for our nation like never before, and then put legs to our prayers and preach the gospel to a sin-loving and Hell-bound world. To pray for America and at the same time ignore that command to preach the gospel to every creature, is nothing but empty hypocrisy." Ray Comfort
NOTE: Not being rude here. Just making a point. Blessings and keep praying.

1Tonne said:

It is definitely good to pray for the lost. But do not forget to tell people the Good News. Romans 10:14
Also, be careful that "prayer" is not a hiding place where you feel you excuse yourself from sharing the Gospel. Many people will pray and pray and pray for revival but then they keep their mouths closed, hoping that the world will hear the Gospel.
"We need to pray for our nation like never before, and then put legs to our prayers and preach the gospel to a sin-loving and Hell-bound world. To pray for America and at the same time ignore that command to preach the gospel to every creature, is nothing but empty hypocrisy." Ray Comfort
NOTE: Not being rude here. Just making a point. Blessings and keep praying.

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I speak words when necessary, for sure.

In order to come to faith, one must first believe that God exists, and that God rewards those who earnestly seek him.

In speaking messages, these two things are very important.

If the message preached depicts a God who makes the world not worth living in, then they will not come to faith even if they lose the argument.

If the message preached depicts a God who is not good, who does not reward but only punish ... then they will not come to faith, even if they lose the argument.