When it comes to evangelism, the scariest part is often getting the conversation started, noted author, speaker and seminary professor Matt Queen. During the 2024 Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference at First Baptist Church Pelham, he outlined some practical ways to spark opportunities to share the gospel.
Queen is the L.R. Scarborough chair of evangelism and associate dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. On Jan. 29, he shared how it’s not about whether people are willing to hear the gospel, but whether or not Christians are willing to share it — obedience to Christ.
“In our everyday lives if we wanted to talk about sports or politics or our family, nobody has to teach us,” said Queen, who has developed a training called “Getting to the gospel.” “So why is it so easy for us to do those things, but so hard for us — if we love Jesus as much as we say we do — for us to talk about Jesus?”
He added, “We’ve got to be willing to show people that hope that lies within us, Jesus Christ, whether they are interested in hearing it or not.” There are three questions, he said, Christians need to ask themselves if they want to be able to get to the gospel in their conversations.
First, what is the main thing standing in the way?
For many people, Queen noted, the fear of rejection is a key issue.
“When it comes to evangelism, you are going to be rejected,” he explained. “You will not only have rejection when you share Christ, you will have more rejection than you have acceptance.”
“If Jesus himself — God in the flesh — was rejected, what makes you think you’re not going to get rejected?”
But failure is not rejection, he emphasized. Failure is not sharing the gospel at all.
“Success in evangelism is actually doing it,” said Queen, who noted, “We’ll never see someone come to faith in Christ if we never share the gospel.”
Don’t know what to say? Queen offered a simple response to that concern. “Friends, if you know enough of the gospel to be saved by it, then you know enough of the gospel to share it.”
Second, what does an opportunity to share the gospel actually look like?
Opportunities to share the gospel develop more often than we realize, Queen said. “Find someway with God that you say, ‘God, when this happens, I want to take that as an opportunity for me to share the gospel.’”
Those opportunities may include when you have extended time to talk to someone on a plane or during an interruption in your day, he explained. Maybe, that opportunity happens when someone comes to your house to sell something or repair a broken appliance.
“You’re paying them for their time,” Queen said. “You should not feel guilty to share the gospel. … What if it’s a Jehovah’s Witness or a Mormon? That might just be an opportunity for you to share the gospel.”
For some, Queen added, it may come down to an “inner impression,” where you feel a strong push to share your faith with a specific person.
“Whenever you’re with somebody and you have that inner impression, it’s never the devil,” he said. “You don’t ever have to worry about it being the devil wanting you to share the gospel. It’s always the Spirit.”
Those opportunities usually happen on public transportation for Queen. “I always try to share the gospel when I’m on a plane with somebody and somebody is beside me,” he said. “There’s been at least two Uber drivers I’ve been able to lead to the Lord through public transportation.”
Third, what are some specific ways you can get to the gospel into conversations?
Looking for a specific way to get to the gospel? Ask a leading question or make a comparison of something to a decision you’ve made for Christ, Queen said.
If a Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door, Queen noted, ask them a question about who they think Jesus is. Or identify someone’s need and use it as an opportunity to share how Christ filled the spiritual emptiness in your life.
Queen said he has specific “catchphrases” he’ll ask people like, “Have you heard any good news today?” Or something like, “Has anyone told you today that God loves you?” He noted holidays like Easter, Christmas and Memorial Day also provide good opportunities for a person to share their faith.
“Maybe when it comes to Memorial Day, ‘Hey, aren’t you glad we have soldiers for our country who died to set us free and keep us free?’ But you can say there was greater sacrifice that gave us eternal freedom through Jesus.”
The key is to start the conversation. Starting a spiritual conversation is always easier than trying to turn a conversation into a spiritual one, he said.
“Here’s the facts, friends. People are dying and literally going to hell,” he said. “…If we don’t share the gospel, you know whose responsibility it is? It’s not the church down the street. It’s not the State Board of Missions. It’s yours. And it’s mine, and we’re responsible. So let’s get to the gospel in our conversations.”
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