Overcoming Fear in Evangelism
Last week, I began a series that is taking a look at the decline of evangelism in the American church. The first article in the series laid out what people said were the the biggest factors that they felt were holding them back from sharing the gospel. The top three responses that people gave were fear, lack of discipleship and complacency. Today we are going to look at fear in evangelism and how we can face that fear head on.
There are some who worry that the fear they feel when they think about evangelism is something that it is a bad thing. Some think that fear automatically disqualifies them from pursuing an evangelistic opportunity – which it certainly should not. Fear is not something that disqualifies someone from ministry, it is the evidence that someone understands the gravity of the situation at hand.
Take the Apostle Paul for instance. He was a man that God did tremendous work through. He had an extensive number of gifts and abilities, but when he came to the Corinthian church to serve them and lead them – he was afraid.
“And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
Paul was not trying to approach the Corinthians with any sort of self-sufficiency. He understood that would only demonstrate how awesome Paul was. In the midst of his fear and trembling, it was God’s power that shined brightest. Paul’s fear and inadequacy placed the Spirit of God front and center, letting the Corinthians see how amazing God is.
The fear of Paul paints the picture for all of us that fear does not have to shut us down to gospel opportunity. We just have to trust God with each moment and opportunity that He gives us. We can quell the limitations and lies that fear feeds us by answering it with the truth of God’s own words.
What if I don’t know what to say?
The majority of responses I received on social media revolved around this question. Many people just don’t know what to say when they are put in a situation that they can share the gospel. It is such a meaningful and high-pressure situation that many of us don’t wan’t to blow it and say something stupid or something that will offend. We want to make sure we get the gospel right. Yet, God knows that worry that pops into our heart in those situations.
“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” – Matthew 10:19-20
Jesus says here in Matthew 10, that event in the soul-crushing fear of persecution – God will give you exactly the words you need to respond to the situation. God gives great gifts by way of His amazing grace, which includes the very words that we need to say. He may not ease the fear of an evangelistic opportunity, but He will give you exactly what you need when you need it. Don’t assume you have to be an evangelism expert to share the gospel, you just have to pursue the opportunity for God to give the words that people need to hear.
What if I mess it all up?
One of the great fears we have around evangelism is that we will turn people off to the gospel altogether. We could say something that comes across as ignorant or offensive to someone’s tightly held belief. We are afraid that the worst of who we are will keep others from knowing the best of the grace of God. It is a fear that sound similar to what Jeremiah feels when God calls Jeremiah to be His prophet.
“Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 1:6-8
Verse 8 can literally read “I am with you to save you.” God knows Jeremiah is just a kid and God will do what it takes to save Jeremiah from himself. God gives both the words and the authority to His people. We don’t have to stand on our credibility, we stand on God’s. We speak His Word and it will accomplish His purpose. (Isaiah 55:11) We don’t have to fear screwing up he situation or another person because God will accomplish His purpose when we are willing to share His Word.
What if they don’t get saved?
This is a real fear of all of us. What if I do my homework and put the gospel out there – only for someone to shut me down or give me the cold shoulder? What then?
“5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” – 1 Corinthians 3:5-7
God isn’t asking you to go out there and be Billy Graham. He’s just asking you to “Go.” He doesn’t need you to be fruitful, that is His working to bring fruit about. God is simply asking you to be faithful to go and tell.
If the gospel was inconsequential, there would be no fear involved. The gospel is the greatest news the world has ever known and sharing that great news feels incredibly weighty to all of us. Trying to bear that weight alone will always keep us at a standstill. Trust the strength, words and grace that God gives in order to accomplish God’s mission.
He’ll take care of the rest.
Post by DRITCH9
I am a speaker and author from Raleigh, NC. I was born without arms but I do not allow that to define me - I use my disability to empower and give hope to others.
