How to do effective evangelism the way Jesus did

Say the word “evangelism” and most Christians think it means memorizing a technique to use on victims! But the truth is, the best evangelism relies on building authentic relationships.

A Christian lady once said to me: “I didn’t know I was supposed to develop compassionate relationships with unbelievers. I thought I was supposed to keep my distance.”

You might think that sounds ridiculous! Yet she raises an important point. How do we get authentically involved in the lives of unbelievers and not compromise our walk with God?

To do evangelism Jesus’ way, we need to radically identify with others and yet be radically different.

What this woman needed to hear—and what all Christians need to hear—is that, to do evangelism Jesus’ way, we need to radically identify with others and yet be radically different.

Radically Identified

Think of the stereotypes the world has of Christians: stand-offish and judgmental—the last person you’d ever invite to a party! Yet Jesus was delightful! He went to weddings and parties. Children adored him. His love was extravagant, not timid. The people of Jesus’ day thought that holy men could only be found in the synagogues. But Jesus’ work was mostly in the market place.

Think about it—in the incarnation, Jesus radically identified himself with humanity. Jesus understood our human experience from the inside out! Jesus came from heaven into a particular place and culture. He learned their language; understood the values and desire and pain of those he met. Jesus moved into the neighborhood and established relationships!

And so must we… We must take time to understand the doubts and spiritual questions our friends wrestle with. We aren’t to shout the gospel at a safe and respectable distance and remain detached. Jesus shows us that we must open our lives in authentic loving ways to others. Jesus never treated people as merely evangelistic projects. He established real relationships with real people.

Jesus never treated people as merely evangelistic projects. He established real relationships with real people.

Here’s the challenging question to ask yourself: Are you involved in authentic friendships, and sharing not only your faith but your life with at least one seeking friend? Are you radically identified with them?  Or do you spend most of your time as part of a “Holy Huddle”?

Radically different

Jesus was also radically different. Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. He was holy, and calls his people today to be holy as well. Jesus shows that to identify with others isn’t the same as being identical. If we are identical, our witness will be ineffective. But if we’re Christians, the gospel has made a radical difference to us—and our lives should show it!

So how do we demonstrate radical difference?

1. We display Christ’s love. One of the greatest detriments to outreach is when unbelievers can’t see God’s loving presence in us. We must look like the Christ we are proclaiming—both through acts of kindness on a personal level, and through our church communities. If people do not see practical evidence of the love of Christ, they will be reluctant to listen to the message we share.

2. We declare God’s truth. The good news is that God has broken into our silence. He has spoken through his Word—the living Christ. There is much talk today about our need to be cutting-edge and relevant. But as Simone Weil, the French philosopher, has said: “To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.” In other words, true relevance lies in speaking eternal truths, because God’s truth transcends culture.

If we’re Christians, the gospel has made a radical difference to us—and our lives should show it!

Here’s why declaring God’s truth will make us radically different: By and large, the world hasn’t a clue what Jesus was really like. Unbelievers don’t realize how radical, how beautiful, how extraordinary Jesus is. I’m a perfect example. I didn't come from a religious home. But if I’d been asked what I thought of Jesus in my agnostic days, I would have said Jesus was nice, kind. The kind of person everyone loved but especially your grandmother…

Then one day I looked at the New Testament: Instead of a mild, meek man that I expected—I found a man of profound passion who said, I’ve come to set the earth on fire! Isn’t it a profound irony that the Son of God visited our planet and one of the chief complaints against him was that he wasn’t religious enough?! Do you realize the appeal Jesus will have to skeptics? He is irresistible!

My big fear

Do you know what I fear? I fear the world looks at us from the outside and concludes that Jesus’ primary task is to help us read our Bibles every day and to keep us from swearing. But when we invite non-Christians to look at the biblical Jesus… they begin to understand that Jesus wouldn’t walk away from someone struggling with a sexual addiction; or an eating disorder; or depression. He also has a great deal to say to the people who feel they have no problems or needs. And he doesn’t ask us to come to him once our lives are “tidy.”

People struggle to imagine a God who gets deeply involved in messy, needy lives. It’s our job to point them to the living Christ—to allow them to see the real radical Jesus who alone offers us the living water that quenches our thirst. To do that, we must both radically identify with them—but also live lives that show we believe in a Savior who is radically different.

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