When Peter stood up to preach in Acts (you can really choose any of his sermons), he spoke with confidence and conviction. Peter spoke with boldness. One of the hallmarks of effective evangelism is boldness in the declaration of the gospel.
However, boldness may not be exactly what you think it is. For example, in Matthew 5, the section of the Sermon on the Mount that we call The Beatitudes, Jesus says these words:
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Matthew 5:2-12
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
When we think of boldness, we normally think of brashness or even arrogance. And yet, the expectations of Jesus is that his followers would be the exact opposite of arrogant. The problem is not that boldness is wrong, but that we have a wrong definition of boldness.
Bold people are courageous and confident. Our evangelism is never called to be arrogant or boastful, but rather courageous and confident. Peter could be confident because he had strong convictions. He knew that the message he preached was true, and he preached it confidently because he knew the power of the gospel.
An argument about the Bible is not the same thing as evangelism. But, bold proclamation is not seeking to win an argument. Bold proclamation of the gospel is simply evangelism with confidence in the ability of the gospel to do all that it says it is going to do. Confidence in the gospel doesn’t lead to an argumentative attitude, but humble heart filled with gratitude for all that God has done.
Effective evangelism happens when the gospel is presented in a way that is easily understood and applied. How can the gospel be presented that way? When you are confident in the message you proclaim, when you believe in the message you preach, and when you have experienced the life-giving power of Jesus Christ, you can communicate the gospel clearly. And, when you do that in your own circles of influence, you have a natural way of helping people to apply the gospel in their own lives.
Few people have ever come to Jesus because they lost an argument. Millions have come to Christ because they met another person who was willing to share the gospel of Jesus that had changed their lives. Go. Tell others about Christ without shame or apology. Offer them hope and healing. You don’t have to argue. You don’t have to fight.
Just give them Jesus! He is enough.
Photo by Stillness InMotion on Unsplash
