Is Your Evangelism Half-Full Or Half-Empty?

I saw this photo yesterday, and that got me thinking:

When I was about to start my PhD, I got an email from a guy I knew from when I lived in Leicester. And he suggested I meet a friend of his, Christa.

Christa is a Brethren, and she tracts.

She tracts in the morning and the afternoon. She tracts when it's sunny and when it's raining. She tracts when it's summer and when it's winter.

Do you know when we should share Christ? In season and out of season (II Tom 4:2).

Some might snigger at Christa's methods, and I wish I had the cojones to say to them-

When you are out in all weathers making an attempt to proclaim Christ, when you are facing ridicule day-in day-out, then, and only then, can you snigger at Christa.

Ultimately, Christa is an evangelistic opportunist. No strategic planning, just sees an opportunity and whoosh, she is in there with her tracts talking about God.

Now, there is a place for strategic planning, don't get me wrong, after all the arrival of the Gospel in England involved missionaries bringing Christianity to the influential people- especially Kings- first. But be careful when it turns into a numbers game- if we target X because she has influence, but don't worry about telling Y as she doesn't, then there is a danger when we concentrate on the people who the world says are important. Whenever I hear the comment that we should share the Gospel with international students as they can go on to hold positions of influence in their own countries, part of me wants to scream "Nooooo! We should share the Gospel with them as they're humans made in the image of God."

Who are we to decide who is influential in God's eyes anyway? Who led Billy Graham to Christ? Who led to Christ the person who led him to Christ? Who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led him to Christ? Who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led him to Christ? Who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led to Christ the person who led him to Christ?

Well, somebody had to. An unbroken chain of evangelism, of sharing the Gospel, which dates back to the Apostles. This is our Apostolic succession- not men in pointy hats laying hands on men who are about to be given pointy hats.

A long list of names forgotten, the unimportant people, but people who mattered to God and who served Him, who might one day, when Jesus returns, be told about those great evangelistic rallies and events such as Mission England and learn what part they played in making them happen, even though they had been dead for centuries.

That cleaning lady you didn't bother to share Christ with because she's not important- maybe her grandson would have been the pastor of a church which raised up and sent out one of the great evangelists of the 22nd century. You never know what impact sharing the Gospel will have.

Don't neglect sharing Christ because you're not sure whether it'll work, or whether there are better methods. Just Do It.