My evangelistic fame

Have you ever spoken a word of the gospel to anyone at my workplace? In my imagination, I see an interview about my evangelistic fame. I REALLY saw my past coworkers respond, “Huh?  PC? Famous for WHAT?  Well, I don’t know….PC was a great guy.  I mean I knew he was a Christian, but he didn’t come in here preaching or anything.  He was pretty cool about it.  He knew I was an alcoholic, and he still laughed with me.”  “You know,” says another, “now that I think about it; I can remember times when the store was crazy, and PC kept working hard to help where he didn’t really HAVE to.  I don’t know how many times he helped us in a bind.  I never noticed it then, but in retrospect, that guy really did work hard.”  “Yeah,” chimes another.  “He knew my husband was killed in a car accident last year, which left me to raise 2 teenagers alone, and PC listened to me every time I was stressed by kids, pained over my loss of companion, or just tired of work.  You know what?  I really think he cared about what I was going through, and I think he shared the joy somehow.”  Similar stories go around in this hypothetical interview of my coworkers.  Then the journalist goes to the coffee shop I ALWAYS go to.  He talks to ALL my friends and family…Christian and NON-Christian.

After its over the imaginary article reads, “PC Walker was an evangelist.  PC writes in his book, “Christians are so devoted to speaking the gospel (God's love) to or at people instead of living the gospel toward people.” (pg. random #, see footnote).  His living out of the gospel reached more people than all the sermons he ever preached, more than any book he has ever written."

I hope that, in reality, I will be remembered by everyone I will have moved on and left in my past as a man who lived the gospel better than he preached or wrote it…..

The Evangelist in You

I have been asked what my evangelistic style is, and while I am not one to stand on the street corners preaching the word of God from the rooftops, that may be partly because I think there are better ways in which to preach the gospel (more effective ways). It may also be due to my understanding of evangelism as more relational than a force-fed rant or learned intellectual pathway or "road" written on a restaurant napkin. Now I am a firm believer that some people have the spiritual gift of evangelism, and those people should absolutely teach and preach the gospel at all costs.  But where there are some of us with this gift of evangelism, we are ALL called to relational evangelism.  If you are a Christian; a disciple of Christ, you absolutely must evangelize.

There is a common misunderstanding among Christians today that says, "Well I'm not really into evangelism as much as I am discipleship."  As if they are exclusive of each other!  You cannot be a disciple and not have a desire to evangelize.  Disciples, followers of Christ are called to GO and make disciples of all nations.  Evangelism is a part of discipleship.

Though you may not be one of those who have the gift of evangelism as a teacher or preacher, you are absolutely and inescapably called to relational evangelism.

As relational evangelists, our job is to treasure and cherish relationships with other people.  As relational evangelists, we have to be mindful of these treasures at all times and everywhere we go.  Relational evangelists realize that building sincere relationships with people means simply being involved in people's lives...intentionally.

As these relationships are built, you are always devoted to your growth in your most important relationship, with God, and as that primary relationship bleeds out into all others, you begin to break down all the destructive stereotypes people have of Christians, and thus, Jesus.

We know that Jesus is diametrically different from the stereotypes our culture has of him and his followers, and that if HE is really seen through an authentic relationship, even the most resistant people are drawn by authentic and sincere love.

As disciples and followers of Jesus, we are all called to be evangelists, and though you may not have the gift of teaching and preaching evangelism, no Christian is exempt of the call to relational evangelism.