Part 2 (if you have not yet read part 1 below, you might want to do so first)
Secondly, our greatest motivation for giving the gospel should be love. It will taint our message if we are motivated by anything other than love. We should not give the gospel so we can check that off our daily list or so we can put another notch in our belt or so we can report to others our great successes. We need to look at others the way that God sees them- spiritually emaciated and needing sustanance. Paul writes, in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” If we love others and see a need we should be want to fill it. If the need is the gospel, the want should be urgent.
Thirdly we need to be honest, even if we are asked something we do not know. Our message does not have to be one of perfection because our message is about the One Who is Perfect. The substance is more important than the delivery. A signpost might be old and ragged or bright and new. It doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it gives a truthful direction. The same goes with us. If we point true, we will have more success than if we look good but point wrong. If we don’t have an answer, we are better saying that we don’t. rather than making something up. Trying to fool people makes us fools and few fools can positively affect other peoples’ lives in a positive way. Paul reminds us that the message of truth is what seals us in the spirit, so it does us no good to be anything but honest. “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13)
Fourthly, we need to be humble. In Proverbs we see that humility will result in success and pride results in defeat. When giving the gospel, we must set aside pride. “A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23 ) As much as we like to think it, we do not have a handle on everything. One of the main reasons we should be patient with the foolish or angry or prideful or doubting is because we have, sometime during our lives, been those same people. We should empathize with those who are not saved because we were once not saved. We need not talk down to people because any heights we have reached are because of Christ, not our own intellect or efforts. When we think we are superior to others, they will sense it and be incensed. Everyone we talk to about Jesus can teach us something, so every encounter should be a positive one- even if it seems not to be. If we look at who we are, who they are, and who God is, we will do the right things, for the right reasons, at the right time.
Finally, it is very important for us to be respectful. Some people feel that evangelizing is yelling, pointing fingers, or holding up condemning signs. Even John the Baptist, as fiery as he was, spoke to those who came to him. He was tough on his listeners, but he did not accost them. He told the truth. Truthfully, however, we are not John the Baptist. His approach was unique and in our case it might be if we tone it down, our words can be heard better. Too many evangelizers are so obnoxious that the people they turn off may not tune into the message for a long, long time, if ever.
The Good News is too important to the world for us to keep it to ourselves. But we can never forget the key to evangelism which can be summarized in one word- Jesus. If we tell people who He is, in humility with love, others will want to become His. Although presenting Jesus is our greatest duty, it is also our greatest privilege. We cannot neglect it or deflect it. We just need to point to Jesus and He will take it from there.
I read once about some miners who found a great vein of gold. They promised not to tell a soul and went into town to get more supplies. By the time they returned their camp was overrun with miners. One of the men asked one of the invaders whohad squealed. “No one,” he said.” Your faces showed it!” That should be us. We have discovered a richness more precious than gold and our faces should show it. Our steps should reflect it. Our voices reveal it. When we can reveal Christ without any words at all it is the first step in helping others to find the rich vein that now belongs to us.