Romans 12:6-8: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
We don't all have the same giftings, but we have all been called to tell as many people the Gospel as possible.
So, God did make us all different. Some he made to be ears, some he made to be hands, some he made to be a mouth and some he made to be feet.
If you are an ear, listen to people's problems and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a hand, mow someone's lawn and weed their garden and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are a mouth, teach people and then tell them the Gospel.
If you are feet, walk to the parks or down the street and then tell people the Gospel.
We have different giftings and abilities; with these, we should bring Glory to God.
We should not use our gifts as an excuse not to give God glory.
I am a foot. I often choose to go to the parks and give God glory. Sometimes I am a hand, and I share the Gospel. Sometimes I listen to people, and then I tell the Gospel.
We are not all called to be street preachers, but we should all have a desire to say the Gospel to as many people as possible.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 was specifically given to the eleven disciples, who then did fan out to tell the story to the world. I think it is an interesting consideration whether that admonition was a mission specific to the eleven disciples or to all believers.
It seems prudent to point out that Jesus' instruction to preach the Gospel to all Nations was to His 11 disciples, and Paul was added later.
Jesus said that the one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And Jesus, also commanded, that we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves. And we would hate for ourselves to not be saved. So therefore, if we love our neighbour too, we will warn them of the condemnation that they are under. So, our love for Jesus will drive us to obey Him and our love for our neighbour will drive us to speak. To not do this would be unloving.
I think the famous atheist Penn Jillette summarised it really well when he said
"If you know of everlasting life, and you know of everlasting death, how much do you have to hate somebody to not tell them of it?"
So, the question is, how much do believers truly love to obey Him and how much do they truly love their neighbour?
When we receive His Holy Spirit we then spread that love to others. This is the Gospel.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8
Yes. We who have the Spirit will show love, but we will also speak. This is seen in Acts 1:8. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they would be His witnesses. A witness is someone who testifies to what they know. So they speak. Witnessing is not merely holding a belief privately; it involves communicating that truth to others.
Imagine if I said that I was going to take a stand against abortion. I go downtown, stand among the crowds, and genuinely believe that abortion is wrong, but I never say a word. Nobody would know why I was there. My conviction would remain hidden until I opened my mouth and spoke. In the same way, Christians are called not only to believe the Gospel, but also to proclaim it.
The Greek word "witnesses" in Acts 1:8 is "martys", from which we get our English word "martyr." A martyr is someone who suffers or dies because of his testimony. But if he never testified, if he never spoke of Christ, he could never become a martyr in the first place. The very idea of a martyr or a witness assumes that a spoken message has been given. That is why receiving the Spirit in Acts 1:8 results in believers becoming witnesses, not just silent spectators.
A great quote about this came from a pastor called Brother Yun, who was persecuted for his faith in China. He said
"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 that couldn’t talk became preachers. They received power, clarity and boldness and they started preaching the Gospel."
So, I do wonder how many people who prefess to be Christians actually have the Holy Spirit within them. It sadly seems very few.
Most Christians like myself, are turned off by the 'salesmanship' type of evangelism on offer today.
When Christians speak of "salesmanship evangelism," they often lump together faithful proclamation and manipulative techniques as though they are the same thing. They are not.
However, if by salesmanship you simply mean earnestly persuading people of something you believe to be true, then Scripture is full of it.
Jesus Himself publicly called people to repentance. He preached in synagogues, on hillsides, in towns, and in the streets. He reasoned with people, answered objections, warned of judgment, and urged people to follow Him. Was that salesmanship? If not, then neither is a Christian lovingly proclaiming the Gospel today.
The apostles did the same. Peter preached at Pentecost. Paul reasoned in the synagogues and marketplaces. They did not merely live godly lives and hope people would figure out the Gospel on their own. They spoke.
Sometimes I wonder whether "I don't like salesmanship evangelism" can become an easy way of dismissing any evangelism that actually involves opening our mouths. The New Testament repeatedly commands proclamation.
After all, if Jesus had only demonstrated love but never preached, how would anyone have known why He came? And if the apostles had only lived good lives but never spoken, how would the Gospel have spread beyond Jerusalem?
And even if someone does use a technic that you choose to lable "Salesmanship Evangelism", I think, good on him. At least he is speaking the word of God in the hope that others would turn and glorify God. 1 Cor 9:22 says that by all means we should save the lost.
Another problem is that most methods of evangelism are suited for extroverts. We introverts can't cope with this type of method.
Please tell us you method that you speak to people?
What I have found is that those who are critical are normally those who do not speak. But the Holy Spirit was given that we would have boldness. Even those who are shy will change and become bold.
Now saying this, I do understand that we are not all called to be street preachers. But we should all have a strong desire to share the Gospel with the lost and this desire will drive us to speak.
I think you touched on one of the possible reasons. Which is that some are afraid to stand up for the gospel. In an age where the gospel and God are seen as trouble making and even hatred there is a lot of pressure to conform with the world.
In Jesus time when He told people to go preach, those people were often looked upon as troublemakers. So, not much has changed except it has got much easier. We don't get killed in this day and age unless we are in a comminist or muslim country.
I believe one reason is that too many Christians seem to regard spreading the gospel as the task of people like pastors, evangelists and missionaries.
Being able to preach the gospel effectively to crowds is a gift and a skill. Many probably are not gifted and equipped to do so correctly. However many who aren't out in the streets or up on a platform, probably share the gospel in other ways.
Many will say that they do not have the gift of evangelism and so they do not go out. They leave it up to someone else who may have the gifting. But these people do not understand what the gift of evangelism is. The gift of evangelism is not where someone can go out and preach and people come to Christ. We are all called to do that.
The gift of evangelism is a gift where someone can teach others to go out and share the Gospel and therefore building up the body of Christ. The gift of evangilism is a teaching gift so that others can also become skilled in the speaking of the Gospel.
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" Ephesians 4:11-12
So we are all called to go out but someone with the gift of evangelism will also be able to teach and encourage others to do the same.
In saying this, we are not all called to be street preachers, but we are all called to love our neighbour enough to warn them and love them. And also, preaching the Gospel, be it in public or private, some are blessed with better skills in speaking. And good on them. This does not mean we who are not great speakers should just keep quiet. Everybody that God has blessed with a mouth and vocal cords can speak.
I often go to the city of Christchurch here in NZ and down there they have many people who preach publicly. Some of them are really good but a lot of them are pretty poor at doing it. But even though they are not good at preaching, they still go and do it. They know the cost of staying silent. People's lives are at stake.
Also, even though they are not blessed with great speech, you can see that they truly believe in what they are saying. They believe so much that they are willing to be scoffed at. What a great witness they are.
