What Jesus has done for me

Harold Percy

In my work as an evangelism consultant, I have discovered that many people of deep faith and conviction are made uneasy by conversations about evangelism. It frequently turns out that these people have been intimidated by hearing or reading about the exploits of highly extroverted and gifted evangelists who, it seems, can hardly venture out the door for a walk without leaving a trail of new converts behind them! "If that's what it takes to be an effective evangelist," they think, "I'll never make the grade. I'm just not cut out for that kind of ministry; I'd best leave evangelism to those who are."

The key to overcoming this form of intimidation lies in understanding the difference between a witness and an evangelist. Both have an important but distinct role to play in the ministry of evangelism. As I understand it, the basic difference between the two is that an evangelist has been gifted with a particular ability to present the Christian faith in such a way as to result in a decision for Christ. On the other hand, witnesses are simply asked to describe what they have experienced--in other words, to be willing and able to speak clearly about what Jesus has done for them.

The New Testament teaches clearly that some Christians have been specially gifted and called as evangelists. This gift is absolutely vital to the mission of the church, and whenever we see it in action, we should thank God for it. However, the New Testament also teaches quite clearly that not everyone has been gifted in this way.

But all Christians are called to be witnesses. The desire to share the Good News of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives is an essential aspect of a vital faith. Christians who witness to their faith joyfully and faithfully, prepare the way for the evangelist who eventually brings people to Christ.

This requires some careful thought and preparation of what we would like to say about our faith when the opportunity arises. As an aid to such preparation, Michael Green suggests that we practise telling our "faith story" in terms of three chapters. Chapter one deals with my life before I met Jesus; chapter two relates the story of how I met Jesus; and chapter three describes the difference in my life since becoming a follower of Jesus.

For people who do not remember a time in their lives when they were not followers of Jesus, the chapters are changed slightly so that chapter one expresses gratitude for a Christan home in which Jesus was always present; chapter two describes the period (ususally in the teen years) where the decision had to be made about whether or not I would own this faith for myself; and chapter three tells of what Jesus means to me today.

If you were relating your faith story in this way, what would you want to include in each of these chapters? Who among your present acquaintances would you like to share this story with? Do you have a Christian friend with whom you could practise telling this story? Don't be intimidated by the effective work of highly gifted evangelists. Thank God for them, and resolve to be a faithful witness to the work of Christ in your life.

Harold Percy is director of the Institute of Evangelism of Wycliffe College and rector of Trinity Anglican Church in Streetsville, Ont. This article is reprinted with the permission of Harold Percy and the Anglican Journal.

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