Three Biblical Motivations for Evangelism
Real Problems & Poor Solutions
Evangelism is kind of crazy. There’s no other way to say it. Evangelism involves announcing the most radical message in the history of the cosmos. It means telling someone that (1) they are utterly dependent on the God who made them, (2) they are thoroughly in rebellion against that God, (3) they are desperately hopeless apart from the atoning death of God’s Son, and (4) they must respond by trusting in Christ and submitting themselves to him. If all goes well, the person’s life will be completely turned upside down. So it’s at least a little crazy.
Another challenge with evangelism is that it has a distinctly negative reputation. In our tolerance-obsessed world, telling people about Jesus is viewed as pushy at best and prejudiced at worst. But equally negative connotations also exist among Christians–the very people who should be doing evangelism! There’s fear–it’s intimidating. There’s discouragement–it’s hard. And there’s cynicism–we’ve all seen some really corny examples of it. These reasons and more have made many of God’s people sour on sharing their faith.
Despite these problems, a simple fact remains: evangelism is biblical. It’s not reserved for some special class of Christian extroverts or theological experts. It’s not varsity-level Christianity whereas if you’d rather play JV then that’s fine too. It’s not optional. It’s something every Christian should be doing.
Many attempts have been made to encourage Christians to conquer evangelistic inhibitions, but some of them have created more problems than solutions. The main aim of this blog is to identify the right motivations. How does God compel His people to spread the gospel? There’s three answers to that question. You can remember them by the simple acronym NOW: The need of lost people, the obedience Jesus demands, and the worthiness of God to be praised. It’s important, here at the start, to recognize that those come in ascending order of importance (i.e. the last motivation is the best one). We’ll consider each of them in turn and note how some of them have been misused. By the end I hope you’ll see that the biblical motivations for evangelism far outweigh the challenges that hold us back.
Three Biblical Motivations for Evangelism:
1. Their Need
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit… immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. - C.S. Lewis
You might be aware of the dire statistics on global poverty, famine, and healthcare needs. These can be heartbreaking and they represent real problems that Christians should care about. But there’s one need that surpasses them all: the spiritual need of those apart from Christ.
The Bible describes the problem of sin with dramatic imagery. By nature, human beings are dead (Eph. 2:1), lost (Luke 15:32), blind (2 Cor. 4:4), enslaved (John 8:34), evil (Matt. 7:11), enemies of God (Jas. 4:4), and vessels of wrath destined for everlasting punishment (Rom. 9:22, Matt. 25:46). These are devastating descriptions. But in the comforts of Western society, they can be easy to miss. You can’t always see the shackles of sin-slavery around someone’s wrists. It’s not just the feral pagans and hateful atheists who need the gospel. It’s those who think their semi-moral suburban lives endear them to God. It’s those who think their traditional values merit divine approval. It’s those who put their trust in wealth, work, and worldly comforts instead of Christ.
Every human being – regardless of morality, ethnicity, political orientation, or socio-ecomonic status – needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are some lost people who think that they are Christians, and they’re in for a horrifying wakeup-call. They are the Rich Fool of Luke 12:13-21, and one day their souls will be required of them. If we love them, we’ll give them that call before it’s too late.
Concern for people’s spiritual needs clearly motivated Jesus. Matthew tells us “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Immediately after this, Jesus sends his disciples out on mission. Why? Because he was stirred by the desperate need of the people.
We also see this motivation play out in the mind and heart of the Apostle Paul. Reflecting on the unbelief of his countrymen, Paul writes,
I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh… My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved… How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 9:2-3; 10:1, 14-15)
Clearly, Paul was heartbroken by the need of unbelievers. It motivated his ministry. It’s important to recognize, however, that Paul is talking about the Jews! These weren’t the pagans engaged in child-sacrifice or the mystics lost in their drug-induced dreams. The need of those people is obvious. But the Jews had the Old Testament! They had biblical morality! They were as close to God as an unbeliever can be! And even for them, Paul saw that they were dead in their sins. So, his heart was stirred to compel the church to start sending and preaching so that the lost might believe and call on the name of the Lord. Like Paul, we must open our eyes to the desperate need of those around us and tell them the wonderful news of salvation in Christ. The stakes could not be higher.
While recognizing the legitimacy of this motivation, we must also say that it is insufficient on its own. It remains man-centered. The focus is on the need of people. People are valuable and worthy of honor, but their need is simply not enough to sustain the difficult work of evangelism. I remember in college I heard a missionary from Japan share about his ministry with a small group of missions-minded students. After his presentation, a young woman in the group raised her hand and shared that she was so excited to one day go to Japan as a missionary. She explained how much she loved the Japanese people, that she found their culture fascinating, that she earnestly studied their history and language, and that she connected naturally with Japanese people she met in the States. The missionary (who was part Japanese himself) paused for a moment, and then told her very directly, “Please do not come to Japan. The people of Japan are wicked sinners. If they’re the reason you want to come, you’re going to be really disappointed.” The need of those around us is real–but we need a better reason than that if we’re going to be faithful in evangelism.
Furthermore, an over-emphasis on the need of the lost has produced a myriad of problems in church history. It’s often been leveraged to shame people into sharing their faith. Some zealous proponents of evangelism have even made it sound like it’s your fault if your neighbor goes to hell because you sat on the couch instead of knocking on their door. That’s not only a mistaken understanding of God’s sovereignty, it’s also inevitably ineffective. Guilt might motivate you to do something once, but it will eventually wear off. The need of lost people matters, but we need a better motivation than just that.
2. Our Obedience
The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.
- Hudson Taylor
Last words are important. The last words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew are some of the most famous in all of Scripture:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:18-20)
This second motivation is profoundly simple: Jesus has given us a job and it’s not finished yet. The Great Commission is the governing command of the Church Age – our central task between Christ’s ascension and his return. We have our marching orders – so let’s get marching!
The Great Commission charts the story of the entire New Testament. The Gospels provide its foundation, Acts tracks its progression, the epistles address its implications (e.g. what has Jesus commanded of the church), and Revelation promises its fulfillment. Jesus told his people to make disciples, so that’s what they went and did.
Why should you care to share your faith with others? Part of the answer is because your King told you to. Striving to obey Christ’s commands is just part of what it means to be a Christian. Why should you kill sin in your life, serve your brothers and sisters, give to your local church, and be devoted to prayer? Well, for lots of reasons but one big one is because Jesus says so. At a certain point, that should be enough.
Obedience is important, but, as with evangelistic motivations based on human need, it can be overplayed in unhealthy ways. By itself, a call to obey can become a demand for rote duty and obligation. At its worst, it could lead us to imagine that our acceptance before God is dependent on our evangelistic efforts – as if Jesus is watching with crossed arms and a tapping-foot, waiting to see if we’ll do what he said. This mindset can lead to shame at failure, or (worse) pride at success (Look at me! See how many people I’ve shared the gospel with!). While obedience is indeed one of the marks of Christian maturity, obedience alone is not. There must be a deeper reason behind the obedience.
So where does this leave us? Need and obedience are legitimate motivations for evangelism, but they are also insufficient by themselves. Both are necessarily man-centered. Need is about the lost. Obedience is about us. But no motivation that’s founded on finite and fallen man is sufficient to compel us to engage in the “crazy” work of evangelism. So what is? What’s the ultimate, best, supreme, and all-sufficient reason to make the gospel of Jesus Christ known? The answer won’t be found in creation – we must turn our eyes to the unseen and immortal Creator.
3. God’s Worth
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
If you’ve been at Parkway awhile you’ve probably heard me talk about two of my favorite things: Lord of the Rings and Raising Cane’s chicken fingers. I talk about them over lunch. They show up in sermon illustrations. Sometimes I wear t-shirts so that I can literally wear my passion for them on my sleeve. It’s generally known how I feel about them. But here’s the thing: I never planned to make my love for Tolkien so obvious. I never decided to affect a persona as the pastor who loves fried chicken. It just happened. Why? Because it’s natural to talk about what amazes you. God has designed us to declare what we delight in. The more joy you find in something, the easier it is to talk about. That’s true for books and food, but it’s especially true for the fountain of all joy: the God of the gospel.
The prophet Isaiah’s call to ministry begins with a vision. He’s taken into the courts of heaven and sees the Lord on His throne. He sees burning angels surrounding the Lord and singing his praises. He feels the foundations shake at God’s voice. In view of the awesome majesty of the Lord, Isaiah despairs at his own sin and cries, “Woe is me! For I am lost!” (Isa. 6:5). But God meets this need. He sends an angel to cleanse the prophet and cover his sin. Then, God asks a question. He inquires, “Whom shall I send?” In response, Isaiah jumps out of his seat: “Here I am! Send me!” (Isa. 6:8).
Notice, the prophet’s ministry did not begin with the need of lost people. Neither did it start with a divine injunction for Isaiah to go and preach. It started with something better. God gave the prophet a vision of Himself – in all His resplendent divine glory – and combined it with a personal experience of salvation. In response, Isaiah volunteered. He went from being scared and hopeless before the throne of God to enlisting in His service at the first opportunity he had. The Lord knew that Isaiah’s ministry would be difficult (cf. Isa. 6:9-10), so He gave him the only motivation that can last through failure and frustration. He showed him a God of infinite beauty and worth. He captured Isaiah’s awe. After that, it was purely natural for the prophet to go and tell people about Him.
Isaiah’s call to ministry is much like our call to evangelism. It does not begin with the need of those around us or even our own duty to obey – it begins with the glory of God and a personal experience of His salvation. When those realities are blazed into your mind, volunteering for the mission of God is instinctual, natural, obvious. When you’re amazed at God and you’ve feasted on His gospel, you’re going to be excited to talk about Him. God has designed us to declare what we most delight in – and God is the fountain of infinite delights.
So should you make a plan, be strategic, and intentionally share the gospel with others? Yes! But all the plans in the world won’t be worth a thing if Jesus isn’t worth everything to you. There is one – and only one – supreme motivation for evangelism: the infinite worth of God. The most important thing you could do to stir your heart to tell others about Jesus is for you yourself to be utterly amazed at Him. Cherish Him. Love Him. This is better than the dread you might feel at desperate human needs. It’s better than the duty you might feel in response to Jesus’ command. It’s a white-hot delight in God that will spur us forward and sustain us to the end in the mission He’s given.
We should care about human needs. We should care about our own obedience. But we should care most about God’s endless worthiness to be praised. Long for Him and you’ll love telling others about Him.
Real Solutions
Evangelism isn’t really that crazy. What’s crazy is remaining silent while others suffer from a deadly disease for which we have the only cure. What’s crazy is hearing the command of a mighty King and treating it like a mere suggestion. What’s crazy is tasting the sweetest joy in the cosmos and keeping it to yourself. We’re not begging people to eat their vegetables, we’re inviting them to try the steak. In that light, fears, doubts, and cynicism will fade away. As those who’ve been rescued, may we obey our King’s command until He calls us home to feast on the joys of His presence forever.