Is "Friendship Evangelism" a way of being ashamed of the gospel
Posted : 1 Aug, 2018 10:12 PM
It’s been said that most people are introduced to Christianity through a friend, and this was, in fact, how I eventually came to visit a church. I had a friend named Bill who invited me for many years before my wife and I finally took him up on the offer. As I was training students at a recent evangelism camp, we talked about the fear that many of us have related to sharing our faith with strangers. If most people are introduced to Christianity through a friend, shouldn’t we focus our efforts on reaching our friends rather than people we don’t know? This approach to evangelism is sometimes called “friendship evangelism,” and it sure sounds like it would be a lot less intimidating than approaching strangers with the message of Salvation.
But there is an important fallacy underlying the concept of friendship evangelism. The reason friendship evangelism is statistically dominant is simply because we, as Christians, are so uncomfortable sharing our faith with strangers. We have created this statistical reality. We typically only share our faith with people we know, so it shouldn’t surprise us that these are the people who come to know something about our faith! But does it have to be this way, and more importantly, is this approach consistent with what the New Testament teaches?
“The reason friendship evangelism is statistically dominant is simply because we, as Christians, are so uncomfortable sharing our faith with strangers.” Share on twitter Share on facebook
In order to answer this question, we needn’t go further than the words of Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus commissioned seventy-two of His followers to travel from town to town, announcing, “The Kingdom of God has come near” (Luke 10:9). Were these disciples told to engage only people they already knew? Hardly. In fact, Jesus warned these budding evangelists that they would be in unknown, often dangerous territory; He told the group they would be “lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). Later, after the Resurrection, Jesus commissioned His apostles with a more sweeping directive: “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). It’s clear that the expansive geographic parameters described by Jesus would require the apostles to move quickly beyond the limits of their friends and acquaintances.
And that’s exactly what the apostles proceeded to do. Paul repeatedly entered unfamiliar synagogues to announce the Good News to Jews who were strangers to Paul (i.e. Acts 13:13-42 and Acts 18:4-5), and he frequently evangelized “on the streets” from town to town to Jewish and Gentile groups he did not know (i.e. Acts 13:44-52 and Acts 17:16-21). In fact, there are very few examples of friendship evangelism on the pages of Scripture.
“See strict friendship evangelism for what it truly is: a natural, fallen, human response to the fear of discomfort and worldly judgment.” Share on twitter Share on facebook
I gently reminded the students that they needed to see strict friendship evangelism for what it truly is: a natural, fallen, human response to the fear of discomfort and worldly judgment. Most of us are more concerned with how we will be perceived (and the discomfort we might feel) than our godly responsibility to share the Gospel. Jesus has a message for us: Get over it. Get comfortable with discomfort. The more we talk about Jesus and reflect His nature and mission, the more likely the world will hate us (John 15:18-16:14). The more we stand up for the truth, the more likely the world will put us in a tough spot (Matthew 10:17-23). And the more we are ostracized by the fallen world around us, the more joy we ought to feel to have been given the opportunity to stand up for something more than our own immediate personal comfort (Luke 6:22-23).
So go on out there and share the Gospel with your friends, but remember to do what Jesus commanded: Conquer your fears, trust God, and share the truth with anyone who has ears to hear.
J. Warner Wallace
J. Warner Wallace
J. Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective, Christian Case Maker, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and the author of Cold-Case Christianity,
Is "Friendship Evangelism" a way of being ashamed of the gospel
Posted : 1 Aug, 2018 11:59 PM
Hi Dave,
Christianity is a man made religion just like the religions around the world.
Christianity has its rules, laws and regulations to follow lime the other world religions.
People follow the examples of the self proclaimed pastors/ministers who do not proclaim the GOSPEL themselves. It is very hard to proclaim the GOSPEL when you do not know what the Gospel is.
Where is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit Messiah promised in Acts 1 To be WITNESSES of Messiah.
Most people share something they say GOD had done for them, but never proclaim who He is, or what He is like.
Yesterday the 1st of Aug. 2018 I started a conversation with a Christian man, I was acting as though I had no idea about Messiah or His Word. The man never shared the GOSPEL with me, nor did he tell me who Messiah is, or what He is like. This man only said to read the Bible.
He is as almost every person I have met called a 'christian', The same can be said for the people on this site.
Is "Friendship Evangelism" a way of being ashamed of the gospel
Posted : 2 Aug, 2018 05:49 PM
**WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE COME TO KNOW HIM IF WE **KEEP HIS COMMANDS**!! I John 2:3
Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and **ON EARTH** has been given to **ME**! Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to **OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU**!! And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age!"
Hebrews 5:9 Jesus became the source of salvation for **ALL WHO **OBEY** HIM**!
James 1:22-25: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.**DO WHAT IT SAYS**! Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do!
Luke 11:27,28: As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave You birth and nursed You." Jesus replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and **OBEY IT**!"
I John 2:1-5: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him **IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDS**! Whoever says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone **OBEYS HIS WORD**, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him!
John 14:21,23,24: Jesus says, "Whoever has My commmands and **KEEPS THEM** is the one who loves Me... Anyone who loves Me will **OBEY MY TEACHING**, My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching.
I Corinthians 9:21: I am not free from God's law but **AM UNDER **CHRIST'S LAW**!!
John 15:10,14: Jesus says, "If you **KEEP MY COMMANDS**, you will remain in My love... My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do what I command!!"
Acts 5:32: God exalted to Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses to these things and so is the **HOLY SPIRIT**, **WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN TO THOSE **WHO OBEY HIM**!
I John 3:24: The one who **KEEPS GOD'S COMMANDS** lives in Him, and He in them And this is how we know He lives in us. We know it by the Spirit He gave us!!
John 5:2,3: This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and **CARRYING OUT HIS COMMANDS**. In fact, this is love for God: to **KEEP HIS COMMANDS**! And His commands are not burdensome!
Acts 22:14,15: Ananias said to Paul, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard!"
There are about 400 New Testament commands which God's saints should all strive to keep with the hope of countless eternal **REWARDS** for faithful and loving service!!
Revelation 22:12 Jesus says, �Behold I am coming soon! My **REWARD** is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done!�
Matthew 16:27: Jesus says, �The Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels and THEN He will **REWARD** each person according to what he has done!"
John 16:12-14: Jesus says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own, he will only speak what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what he will make known to you!" {The Holy Spirit inspired all the words written in the New Testament by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude!}
John 17:6,8: Jesus says, "I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were yours, You gave them to Me and they have **OBEYED YOUR WORD**... For I gave them the words you gave to Me and they accepted them!
Luke 6:46-49: Jesus says, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?? As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and **PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE**, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete!"
John 12:48: Jesus says, "There is a judge for the one who does not accept My Words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the Last Day!"
Romans 6:17,18; But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to **OBEY FROM YOUR HEART** the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness!
I Peter 1:22-25: Now that you have purified yourselves by **OBEYING THE TRUTH** so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply from the heart. For you have been born again through the Living and Enduring Word of God... And this is the Word that was preached to you!
