I was blessed to speak to a group of college students and athletes today on the topic of "Overcoming fears of Evangelism." Such a privilege to encourage young people to be involved in the wondrous redemptive plan of God in the earth.
I wanted the students to divorce the words "fear" and "evangelism" and marry evangelism with "rejoicing."
Here are a few highlights from the message
Your world wants you to believe that evangelism is a strange thing. The very idea that you claim to know God, a God who has a name, whose name is Jesus, who calls himself the Capital T truth – is offensive to some people. If you believe that sort of thing – keep it to yourself. Part of this is our fault – we have made evangelism a fearful thing – an event kind of like a Christian Super Bowl in which only the truly spiritual participate. An exhortation to reject fear in favor of rejoicing...Don’t waste your life – Mature in your faith, be equipped to give your life away – do not hoard your life, do not hide it from the ugliness of the world, but to give yourself away to it…radically give yourself away!!! Out... --------
- Rejoice – the gospel is the power of God unto salvation
- Rejoice – God will use you in his glorious task of evangelism
- Rejoice -- You are secure in him, loved completely
- Rejoice – You may be present like a “mid-wife” in the new birth of life in others
- Rejoice – God is not defeated, never has been, never will be - he will accomplish his purposes in the gospel
- Rejoice – Others will taste and see that the Lord is Good
- Rejoice – Your are an ambassador of the most wonderful and glorious God
- Rejoice – God is using you to seek out his worshippers
- Rejoice – Christ died not in vain – he will save sinners, seeking out his lost sheep using you to do so
- Rejoice – You labor in the Lord is never in vain
- Rejoice – You have a future rendezvous with your Father – well done, well done, good and faithful servant – enter into the joy of the Lord