Before ascending to heaven, Jesus left His followers with an assignment: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
But that was over 2,000 years ago. Now some Christians are wondering if that command is still relevant.
In a recent Barna study, nearly half of millennial Christians (ages 20-34) responded, “It is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith.”
That’s the definition of evangelism—and young believers are no longer buying into it.
Do you?
If Billy Graham had taken that survey, he likely would’ve responded quite differently.
“The church is always only one generation away from extinction,” he once said. “In every generation the world needs to be evangelized.”
If you’ve wondered if evangelism is still effective or politically correct, find guidance in these Bible-based answers.
1. What is evangelism?
“An evangelist is like a newscaster on television or a journalist writing for a newspaper, except that the evangelist’s mission is to tell the Good News that never changes. The primary responsibility is to preach God’s Word, telling people simply and clearly what God says concerning His Son Jesus Christ and what He has done for all. This is done with urgency because the souls of people are at stake.”
>>Get a longer explanation.
2. Is evangelism still necessary in a modern world?
“Because of technology, this generation is the most critical in modern history, not just for world events but for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. And that should give us a sense of urgency greater than anything the church has ever experienced before. … Yet at the time when the harvest is the ripest and the grain is the thickest and the instruments are the sharpest, the church many times flounders in confusion concerning evangelism.” >>Hear more from Billy Graham.
3. Are only certain people called to be evangelists?
“Evangelism is the offering of the whole Christ by the whole church to the whole man for the whole world.” >>Read more from the writings of Billy Graham.
4. Where do I even start when it comes to sharing my faith?
The Gospel can be summed up in four simple steps. But sharing your faith isn’t just about what you say, but also how you live your life. >>Get more tips.
5. What does evangelism look like in 2021?
“We live in an interconnected society. Without ever leaving the house, we can use social media and online communications to reach each other in a way that is unprecedented in human history.” >>Read more from Will Graham.
6. What if I’m not passionate about sharing the Gospel?
The power to proclaim the Good News was not given to the angels—it was given to redeemed people. We do this by telling what Christ has done for us. There is a wonderful passage that sums this up: “Come and hear, … and I will tell what he has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). >>Find motivation in this devotion.
7. What if people respond negatively when I tell them about Jesus?
“We’re not called to be cool or trendy. We’re called to preach the Gospel! Jesus is the One that dispels our fears and gives us hope.” >>Get more tips for staying committed to the Gospel.
“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” —Romans 10:13-14
