Evangelism. The word may overwhelm you with joy, strike fear in your heart or make you thankful that it’s not your gift.
An agreeable definition of evangelism is the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the public preaching and personal witness. Some Christians are gifted as evangelists, many are not. Evangelism is not a spiritual gift, but the loving responsibility of all Christians.
Here are some powerful quotes to stir up compassion and conviction:
“You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most… It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance.”
- John Wesley
“When we share our faith, it is a win/win situation. If people accept what we say, we win. If we plant the seed of God’s Word, we win; and even if we are rejected, we win. The Bible says that when that happens, the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us (1 Peter 4:14). When we contend for the faith and are rejected, we are to rejoice and leap for joy, for great is our reward in heaven (Luke 6:22,23) It is a winning situation every single time that we share our faith!”
- Mark Cahill
“Even if I were utterly selfish and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose, if God allowed to be a soul winner, for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order till I first heard of one who had sought and found a Savior through my means.”
- Charles Spurgeon
“I can tell you that there is no greater joy than leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ. Even if they reject your message, it still feels great to obey Christ. Yet regardless of how we feel, we need to remember that this is what He has commanded.”
- D. James Kennedy
“Why does the Church stay indoors? They have a theology that has dwindled into a philosophy, in which there is no thrill of faith, no terror of doom, and no concern for souls. Unbelief has put out the fires of passion, and worldliness garlands the altar of sacrifice with tawdry glitter of unreality.”
- Samuel Chadwick
“Each person we meet on a daily basis who does not know Christ is hell-bound. That may make some folks bristle – but it’s a fact. When we refuse to warn people that their actions and lifestyles have eternal consequences, we’re not doing them any favors. If everybody feels good about his or her sin, why would anyone repent?”
- Franklin Graham