Barnabas Missions

Aug

The Fear Factor in Evangelism

Rev. Brian Kelly, Ph.D. Newsletter 2006-08-30

by Dr. Brian Kelly

Ιs there a four-letter F word besetting your church?

In more than 20 years of working with ordinary folks to be more effective in sharing the Christian faith, I have found one factor above all others to be the most difficult to deal with—FEAR.

In order to overcome this major hurdle to personal outreach, we need to analyze the sources, the results, and the answer to our fear when it comes to sharing our faith.
The Sources

Most fear is grounded in ignorance. We fear the unknown. We can’t predict the future, we can’t control what’s happening, and that makes us anxious and apprehensive. When we share the Gospel with others, we’re not at all sure what their response might be—and for that matter, we’re not sure what we’re going to say either.

Believers and unbelievers alike fear what others might say about them when they’re obedient to Christ. After all, following Christ entails a certain amount of persecution from the world; fear of that persecution can be a powerful deterrent to sharing and receiving the Gospel.

Ignorance of God’s word is the ultimate problem—it’s the basis of both our fear of sharing, and others’ fear of hearing. We often don’t know enough about what the Bible says about personal outreach to others. The others don’t know what the Scriptures say about God’s love and grace for them, so they fear his wrath, and the death that all we humans must face.

Fear rooted in this sort of ignorance is ultimately rooted in doubt. We doubt whether we’re really able to articulate our faith, or whether God’s word is true—so we’re afraid. Unbelievers doubt whether Scripture really is God’s word, and whether it’s really for them, so they’re afraid—afraid of dying, afraid of what their friends might think, and afraid of looking ignorant.

Do we really believe God’s word when it says that he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance? Or that God’s word, like his message to Isaiah, will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it?
The Results

Ignorance, doubt, and unbelief concerning God’s word results in a lack of motivation and activity when it comes to personal outreach. Our ignorance of the truth of hell—that it’s the destiny of those without Christ; our ignorance of the need to share the Gospel—because it’s the only means to salvation; (Romans 10:13-15) our ignorance of what it takes to cultivate a genuine Christ-like burden for the lost… Both of these cripple our motivation to overcome the hurdles of fear in our lives.

This lack of motivation freezes us in a state of inactivity, especially when it comes to reaching the lost. The only gatherings less attended than the prayer meetings in the church are the outreach efforts! (That is, unless they don’t challenge lost people to commit to Christ. Christians frequently offer to serve the public, but rarely are willing to share their faith in Christ with them.)

Fear is the number one tool the evil one uses to immobilize the church. We have an adversary who knows the power in the name of Jesus, and who will do everything he can to intimidate us from stepping out in faith to tell others about God’s love and forgiveness. But the Holy Spirit is more than able to break down these barriers when we step out in faith, and crush the demons of fear, doubt, and unbelief. We don’t need a Ph.D. in the Bible or evangelism; we need a Ph.D. in the Holy Ghost!
The Answers

God’s word provides the answer to our dilemma. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. We receive power through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Lord gave us his Spirit as an advocate and counselor, the parakletos, to overcome the evil one in our witness to the world. (John 16.15ff) He gave us the words of truth to share with those in need of the Savior.

The love of God, exemplified by Christ’s death on the cross, has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit he has given us. It’s this love that overcomes all the power of the evil one, for perfect love casts out fear. When our motivation is true love and concern for the state of the lost “their destiny of eternal damnation” this bears witness in the heart of the unbeliever. They become convinced of the love of God for them. It becomes the stumbling block that is the cause of their humility and subsequent salvation. (1 Peter 2:8)

Finally, Paul wrote that sophronismosâ a sound mind (KJV) or self-discipline (NIV), an understanding about practical matters and the ability to act sensibly*—is needed as well to overcome fear. We can overcome fear through learning what God has to say about the matter, through living a life led by the Spirit by having the mind of Christ, so to speak. Discipline, or right discernment, implies a level of training or education. The more we can learn from the Spirit’s wisdom, applied to our own experience and circumstances, the more we are be able to overcome the fear that holds us immobile in the face of the daunting task of leading others into full relationship with Christ.

We appreciate your prayers for us at Barnabas Missions as we endeavor to combat our own fears, and become better at winning the lost, preaching the Gospel, and teaching others to do likewise.

Together with you for a Greater Harvest,
Brian Kelly

*Louw & Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, vol. 1, p. 383 (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996)

Address: http://barnabasmissions.org/blog/2006/08/the-fear-factor-in-evangelism/

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