Following on from Jesus’ illustration of what it looks like to be committed to good-news-sharing even though it is hard, three more Hs to ponder…

Evangelism is Hospitable

In the years we have accounts for, Jesus lived life regularly surrounded by other people. He shared meals. He shared journeys. He went to where people were, making specific trips to go where he knew his message would be welcomed (think of him stopping at the well, passing by Levi’s booth, walking under the Zacchaeus’ tree…). He welcomed people when he was tired or had other plans (eg Mark 6:30-34). Why? Because he was concerned with the business of building God's kingdom.

Two thoughts occur – a challenge and an encouragement. Firstly, I wonder how much of a barrier to real hospitality (a life held open to others and lived for them) is the fact that often my time and energy are given over to building my family's kingdom. Where might I be at risk of using my time and money to try to make heaven here and now rather than spending them for the kingdom? How much of our schedule is given over to activities that either only we do or that we only do for us? Have we left time to invite spontaneously, to stop and enter into conversation, to go to places where people know their need? Do I welcome people in to my space regardless of the state of the house or the standard of drink/snack I can offer? Do I welcome them into my life regardless of how ‘together’ I’m feeling? 

Secondly, I am encouraged that hospitality is the very picture of what God himself is like and of his invitation into his kingdom. When Jesus welcomed social outcasts he was extending an invitation of grace. When he dined with others he was foreshadowing the greater banquet he invites people to. When he gave Zacchaeus no time to make preparations but announced, “I must stay at your house today”, it reflected the fact that no spiritual tidy-up is required, just a willingness to welcome Jesus as Lord. When he multiplied bread and fish, he said I will meet your needs. 

When we are hospitable people, ready to welcome all people, any time, in all circumstances, without making demands of them, when we invite people into our family circle, when we meet people’s relational and/or practical needs, we are showing people something of the character and purpose of Jesus who issues an invitation in to the family of God. 

Evangelism is Humble

I suspect that in the talk I referenced in the last blog post, Rebecca will have spoken about humility in our interactions with people: the tone and manner with which we answer questions; what it looks like to give the reason for the hope we have with gentleness and respect; what it is not to want to win the argument but to want God to win the person. And Jesus does show us what patience and compassion in conversation look like. Yes, he had stern words to say too, but think how often he asks a question that gently but inexorably pricks pride or subverts assumptions without just going in for a full-frontal assault. 

However, where my thoughts went on the notion of ‘evangelism is humble’ was to the fact that Jesus shows us good-news-sharing that is humble because it submits perfectly to the will, priorities and power of the Father. Some ideas:

• We do not know who God has called. There is no such thing as an unlikely person. We were certainly no more ‘likely’, having been saved purely by grace. So we are humbly ready and willing to share the good news of Christ with anyone.  

• If the way of kingdom-growth looks costly we say, “Not my will but yours”.

• Jesus went where no-one would choose to go because he trusted his Father to take him through and out the other side, and on the way accomplish his saving purposes. We can trust the same Shepherd to lead us into and through dark places for the sake of the Kingdom.

• Humility means submitting not just to God’s priorities and purposes for our time on earth – that is God’s ends – but also to God’s means for doing so. This might mean moving, going, leaving; sacrificing time, money and energy; taking risks – all with a view to making Jesus known.

• Humility in evangelism involves depending as Jesus did on prayer and on God’s power at work through his Spirit, both for his equipping work as we seek to make Christ known and his saving work in those we seek to share him with. 

In short, evangelism that is humble seeks God’s will and God’s work at every turn. 

Evangelism is Hopeful

The problem with acknowledging that evangelism is hard is that we can hear ‘hopeless’. But in the gospels we see Jesus walking resolutely towards and through what is hard because he knew with certainty that God was at work to call and to save. He has made the way to kingdom entry. He has made us to hold out the invitation. 

So there is no other commission we will undertake in life that is more suffused with hope of success than making Christ known, because in it we are doing the very will of God for our lives and for the lives of those he will call. It’s something he saved us for, it’s something he’s ordained history for, it’ssomething he equips us for.  Therefore, here are some reasons for certain hope as we focus on making Jesus known:

• In the podcast that prompted these musings, someone referenced the plentiful harvest (Matthew 9:37)) and the miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5, John 21). There are people out there chosen by the Lord, men, women and children ready to be brought into his kingdom, ready to be ‘fished’. Go out with hope! 

• Jesus knows who the Father has called and that nothing can snatch them out of his hand (John 10:27-29). Go out with hope! 

• We’ve been given gospel seed to sow. There is good soil out there (Matthew 13:1-23). Be a hopeful sower: sow widely and liberally and go out with hope! 

• God knows people’s hearts and we don’t. As Jesus ministered and preached, some underwent instant, dramatic changes of heart. Some disappeared from the narrative and reappeared (Nicodemus). What looks like disinterest or rejection now doesn’t necessarily mean forever.Go out with hope!

• Through the Spirit working in him, Jesus went to times and places where he would come into  contact with just the right people who were ready to hear the good news of the Kingdom. Wehave that same Spirit. Wherever we go, we are ambassadors for Christ. God has appointed people to times and places according to his purposes (Acts 17:26). So go out with hope!

As we focus on sharing the good news of Christ, we can think about how Christ himself proclaimed the kingdom and the good news as he walked on earth. He worked hard, he endured hardship, he held out the hospitable hand of welcome, he walked humbly before his Father, and he moved forward with certain hope. 

Jesus makes known what it looks like to make Jesus known!