It’s Missions Emphasis month at Faith Family Church; a time when we purposely emphasize our obligation to worldwide evangelization. It’s not just about supporting those who take the gospel to other countries, but also about our responsibility to be witnesses for Christ. The Bible is clear that all believers are commanded to proclaim the gospel. Yet, according to a recent report by Barna, faith-sharing is in serious decline.

The Report is entitled, “Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong” and identifies the culprit as “a spreading apathy toward spiritual matters and a growing cultural suspicion of people of faith.”

You can find the report here

To address the dwindling enthusiasm toward evangelism, I would ask you to consider three important aspects of this issue.

1. Cultural Pressure

Personal evangelism is difficult for many Christians for various reasons. Some are afraid of what people will think of them, while others don’t feel equipped to share their faith. That’s not the problem with millennials. According to Barna, “Three quarters say they know how to respond when someone raises questions about faith, and that they are gifted at sharing their faith.”

So, why aren’t they doing it? To quote the Barna report: “Younger Christians tend to be more personally aware of the cultural temperature around spiritual conversations. Society today also casts a negative light on proselytization, and three out of five Christian Millennials believe that people today are more likely than in the past to take offense if they share their faith.”

While being sensitive to others’ feelings is commendable, it’s not a good reason for not sharing your faith. Refusing to obey Jesus’ command because it may offend someone means you place a higher priority on people’s feelings than on Christ’s command. You need to recognize that behind the cultural pressure to keep us silent is the “god of this world” who seeks to “blind the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

In the book of Acts when the disciples were pressured to be quiet about Jesus they responded, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) Later when they were dragged before the council and threatened again, they said, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) As Christians, we must not allow our faith to be restricted by cultural pressure.

2. Spiritual Motivation

Guilt is a lousy motivator, and I’m not trying to guilt you into sharing your faith. What should fuel our evangelism is a love for God that translates into a love for others. Considering what is at stake should spur us to action. Do we really believe those who die without Christ spend eternity in hell? Isn’t the Bible clear on that?

Penn Jillette is a famous American illusionist, comedian, musician, and best-selling author known for his work with fellow magician Teller in the team Penn & Teller, one of the big shows on the strip in Las Vegas. He is a huge advocate of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free market capitalism. One night after a show a man gave him a New Testament and openly said he was proselytizing. Jillette’s response is incredibly telling. He said this:

“I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe eternal life is possible and not tell them?”

You can view this here.

3. Personal Experience

It’s easy to get discouraged if your witness is rejected. I’ve had some bad experiences in personal evangelism. I’ve been screamed at and cussed out for sharing the gospel. What I have to keep in mind is that it’s not about me. What I’ve discovered is that when my walk with the Lord is in good order it’s much easier to share the gospel. The more I come to see the awesomeness of our God and the beauty of Jesus Christ, the better prepared I am to open my mouth for him.

The Bible says that if we’re ashamed to share Jesus with others, he will be ashamed of us when he comes again. (Luke 9:26) The old hymn says it well:

Jesus, and shall it ever be, a mortal man, ashamed of thee?

Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise, whose glories shine through endless days?

Ashamed of Jesus! empty pride! I'll boast a Savior crucified,

and O may this my portion be, my Savior not ashamed of me!

If you struggle sharing your faith, I would ask you to reevaluate your relationship with Christ. It’s my belief that nominal Christianity is a silent religion. Are you sure you have embraced the Savior in true faith? If you are convinced you are a Christian, is your walk with Jesus truly meaningful to you? Do you find Christ to be deeply satisfying and glorious? In his book “Let the Nations Be Glad,” Dr. John Piper wrote: “No one will be able to rise to the magnificence of the evangelistic cause who does not feel the magnificence of Christ.”