3 Reasons Why Evangelism is Hard
Something has happened. There was a time when a vast majority of the people in our lives could be changed by Scripture. But in the 21st Century, it is very difficult to have any success among the masses with the gospel.
Think about it. Search your heart and ask yourself if you really believe you can influence a large number of people through your personal evangelistic efforts. See? You know exactly what I am talking about. You have not produced much in this area of your spiritual life recently.
There are several reasons why evangelism has become so difficult.
1. You are not allowed to tell anybody they are wrong anymore. Whip your kids and go to jail. Tell someone their lifestyle is sinful and lose your employment. Take a stand for God and be taken to court. Besides all of the legal implications of being a true Christian, the media has impressed upon the minds of our society that we are to clap for everyone in every situation and give everyone a participation trophy. Well, guess what? John came preaching repentance. So did Jesus (Matt. 3:2; 4:17). They told people they were wrong. Thousands came confessing their sins and were baptized.
2. There is too much confusion concerning the Bible. The Bible is no longer held in the same esteem it once was in our country. Even among those who claim Christianity, a respect for the absolute authority of the Bible is seldom found. Worship the way the church did in the First Century and you will be labeled a fundamentalist. Seek to be the church of the Bible and you will be called judgmental to those who want the church of consumerism. Everybody has been drinking from the punchbowl of postmodernism for so long that people literally believe that the Bible is open to individual interpretation. If this is the case, unity is impossible and there is no standard by which we must live.
3. People are too busy for God. It’s time for practice and your kids are expected to be there. Weekends in good weather are spent in recreation and God often has to wait for a convenient Sunday to receive worship. You might make it to one night of your own congregation’s gospel meeting or VBS – it’s the playoffs. I would ask when you last conducted a Bible study with someone, but that would be a moot point. Because the reality is that it has probably been a while since you even studied on your own. And you may have never even studied with anyone before and it seems too late to start that now. That’s the preacher’s job. And what about social media? When you have Facebook, and Instagram, and Twitter, and Snapchat, it’s hard to find time for God.
Maybe these words seem blunt, even harsh. But they are true words. Evangelism is not easy. But it is even harder when we won’t do it. If the church of tomorrow were up to you, would it have a fighting chance?
Study. Believe. Work. Care. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. And you will give account of your stewardship.
“Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” – 2 Timothy 4:2
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