Pray. Jesus said: «No one can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.» (John 6:44) Salvation is God’s work, so we must ask Him for it.
Ask questions and provoke introspection. Ask good questions that make people think about their lives, their beliefs, and the statements you make. And listen to their answers! This will help you better understand them and their concerns.
Use the Bible. When we evangelize to our friends, we need to show them that we are not just offering our personal ideas—we are sharing with them what God has revealed about Himself, our sin, and His Son in the Bible.
Be clear. When we use words like «God» or «sin,» people can have very different ideas about what they mean. So define important terms like «sin» and «faith.» Make sure your listener understands exactly what you are telling them.
Use the church. Be sure to invite the person you are evangelizing to come to your church so they can hear the Gospel. But the church has so much more to offer for our evangelism. Jesus said, «By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another» (John 13:35). And in Ephesians 3:10, Paul says that the church is a manifestation of the manifold wisdom of God even to the heavenly powers! The church should be a living representation of the message you are preaching, so invite your non-Christian friends to take a close look at it.
About Марк Девер
Doctor of Divinity (Cambridge University), senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., author of numerous books and articles, and honorary president of the 9Marks organization.
