{"id":30790,"date":"2022-09-10T15:04:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/how-to-stoke-your-fire-for-evangelism\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:04:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:04:38","slug":"how-to-stoke-your-fire-for-evangelism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/how-to-stoke-your-fire-for-evangelism\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stoke Your Fire for Evangelism"},"content":{"rendered":"
Patrick Hendry photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

Our fire for evangelism will not fade as we live in awe of Jesus, with eternity in mind, and expecting divine encounters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Catherine Renfro<\/em> <\/p>\n

In 2016, someone gave my husband, Chris, and me one of the coolest experiences of our lives. It was a 24-hour trip to New York City to see a basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden. We traveled to the city on a Thursday morning and had all day to explore the city before going to the tournament that evening. Then we jumped on a return flight home the next day. When we returned home, we told everyone we knew about our experience. We shared with those who gifted the trip to us, our families, and every friend who wanted to listen. For months, we relived every moment, and it was awesome.<\/p>\n

It’s been nearly six years since we went on that trip. And today, we rarely talk about it. As Christians, it\u2019s easy to treat our salvation from Jesus like Chris and I treat this trip to New York City. We received this gift in the past. And while we\u2019re still thankful for it and look back on it at times with great memories, it didn\u2019t change our lives. And it\u2019s certainly not something we still talk about all the time.<\/p>\n

A dwindling fire for evangelism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to recent research from Evangelism Explosion by Lifeway Research, the longer we\u2019re followers of Jesus, the more our passion for telling others about Him wavers. Maybe this happens because we start hanging out predominantly with Christians and find ourselves around fewer and fewer non-Christians. Or maybe it\u2019s because our relationship with Jesus is something we\u2019re still thankful for but has become a distant memory rather than something that impacts every moment of every day we\u2019re given.<\/p>\n

The longer we\u2019re followers of Jesus, the more our passion for telling others about Him wavers, according to recent research from @EEvangelism and Lifeway Research. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

I was 13 years old when Jesus saved me. And I remember wanting to tell everyone what He had done in my life so they too could be saved. In a world that\u2019s broken, hurting, and in search of hope, it\u2019s imperative that we not lose our passion for sharing the hope we have in Jesus. So how can we do this? How can we maintain our fire for evangelism?<\/p>\n

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1. Live in awe of Jesus<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We talk most about the people and things we\u2019re in awe of. Chris and I spoke about our trip to New York City for months. But when our awe began to fade, so did our conversations about it. The gift of salvation through faith in Jesus is, by far, greater than anything or anyone we\u2019ll encounter on this side of heaven. <\/p>\n

To lose our awe of Him is to lose sight of what He\u2019s done for us. If we ever get over what Jesus has done for us, we\u2019ll stop telling others what He can do for them. Psalm 96:2-3 says, \u201cSing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples\u201d (CSB). When we\u2019re in awe of Jesus and all He\u2019s done, we can\u2019t help but talk about Him with others.<\/p>\n

2. Live with eternity in mind<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When we leave this world and stand before Jesus, we won\u2019t wish we had more time in New York City or made more money. But we may wish we would\u2019ve told more people about Jesus. The same Lifeway Research shows 42% of Christians say it\u2019s scary to share with a non-believer how they can become a Christian. I think we can all relate to that. Fear is one of the many tactics Satan uses to keep Christians from telling others about Jesus. We fear how someone will respond, fear messing up, or simply fear the awkwardness of the conversation. There\u2019s freedom in the words of Jesus in Luke 12:12, \u201cFor the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said\u201d (CSB).<\/p>\n

To love people the way Jesus loves people is to care about where they\u2019ll spend eternity the way Jesus cares about where they\u2019ll spend eternity. \u2014 @CatherineRenfro Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

To love people the way Jesus loves people is to care about where they\u2019ll spend eternity the way Jesus cares about where they\u2019ll spend eternity. Caring about someone\u2019s eternity will lead you to confidently share the gospel with them, knowing Jesus will give you the words to say, no matter the fear that may arise.<\/p>\n

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See also  Is It \u2018Ministry Failure\u2019 To See a Counselor?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Are there people in your life who you care so deeply about that you can\u2019t imagine being in heaven without them? Living with eternity in mind will stir up a passion inside us to not only go quickly but to go often to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people around us.<\/p>\n

3. Live expecting divine encounters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every day we walk out of our homes, we encounter someone who\u2019s hurting and searching for hope. Whether it\u2019s a neighbor, a family member, or a server at the local restaurant, every person is carrying a burden. And every person needs Jesus. It\u2019s amazing how Jesus sees someone who needs Him and crosses their path with someone who points them to Him.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite examples of this in Scripture comes from Acts 3\u2014the story of the beggar at the temple gate. As Peter and John walk by the beggar, he asks them for money. Rather than ignoring the beggar or letting him know they didn\u2019t have any money, Peter and John stopped and engaged the man in conversation. They took an everyday conversation with an everyday man and turned it to Jesus. Peter said, \u201cI don\u2019t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!\u201d (Acts 3:6, CSB). This was a divine encounter in which God intentionally crossed the beggar\u2019s path with Peter and John so they could point him to Jesus.<\/p>\n

Fueling your fire for evangelism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s nothing like getting an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. There are times when we\u2019ll start gospel conversations and find out the other person is a Christian. Other times, we\u2019ll start gospel conversations and find out the person is not a Christian. In either divine encounter, we\u2019ll see Jesus using us to encourage other believers or point non-believers to Himself. Be expectant for encounters, and be willing to share.<\/p>\n

Being a small part of what God is doing to change lives and eternities is one of our greatest gifts. \u2014 @CatherineRenfro Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

When Jesus changes our lives, He gives us stories to share. It\u2019s not a story that begins with excitement and fades over time. It\u2019s a story that continues to transform our lives day by day. Today, and every day, He calls us to share this story as we share the hope of the gospel. Try sharing today. Being a small part of what God is doing to change lives and eternities is one of our greatest gifts. It\u2019s not something we have to be a part of; it\u2019s something we get to be a part of. Our fire for evangelism will not fade as we live in awe of Jesus, with eternity in mind, and expecting divine encounters.<\/p>\n

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Catherine Renfro<\/h2>\n

@CatherineRenfro<\/p>\n

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Catherine serves as the Director of Evangelism at the North American Mission Board (NAMB). She is married to Chris Renfro, the lead pastor of Hope Church, a church plant in Alpharetta, Georgia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n