One of the great fears that practically any Christian has in sharing their faith with others is the nagging question, “Will they believe what we say or not?” We live for acceptance, and unless we feel relatively certain that what we say will be accepted then we are much less likely to initiate the conversation to begin with.
But there’s no way to guarantee success. Even the most capable personal workers at times meet an impenetrable force. And so in many ways evangelism isn’t about guaranteeing success – it is about minimizing failure. For instance, take a brief glimpse into the ministry of Jesus. One might assume that surely no one could see what the Savior did, hear what the Savior taught, and yet at the end of the day still reject Him. Yet that happened so many times. Most notably to me is the occasion in Matthew 19 when a young man came to Jesus pursuing eternal life but after his conversation with Him “went away sorrowful” (vs. 22) because he refused to accept what Jesus said.
I take some personal comfort in the reality that if Jesus didn’t reach everyone with whom He spoke then it isn’t reasonable for me to assume that I will. But when you look at the ministry of Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians you see some marvelous successes too. What did they do to touch the hearts of so many? They showed them their hearts. In other words, they put passion in what they preached.
I can’t help but read the sermons and private conversations of Jesus and His disciples without feeling that they displayed a certain spirit through their words. They were on fire for the Lord and that fire was seen in their conversations. Whether it was Peter breaking down the simple formula of Jesus’ Divinity to thousands of people in Acts 2 or Paul’s passionate plea to King Agrippa (Acts 26:24ff) – there was a passion stirring the spirits of the early Christians that contributed to their success in soul winning.
We have got to develop that same passionate spirit within us. But how? If we would just keep a few things in mind about God and eternity I don’t know how we could not be passionate about what we preach:
- Remember who God is. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:6-11).
- Remember what we have done. “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:9-12,23).
- Remember what we deserve. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
- Remember what God has promised. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:6-9).
Can we possibly look back to who God is, what we have done to Him, what we deserve because of what we have done, but the reality of what God has promised anyway and not come away with a sense of passion? If so we need to examine our hearts and our relationship with Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). But if these realities stir us up then that passion will not only be heard in what we teach, it will be seen. And nothing, outside of the power of the gospel itself, can have a greater impact among the lost of this world than to know our passion for what we preach.
-Andy Brewer