Making Evangelism Personal
by Tobias Hatchett

If we are going to learn how to make evangelism personal, then we need to learn from the Master Evangelist Himself – Jesus, Who often engaged in personal evangelism. For example, His conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-26). By observing Jesus in action, it is possible to learn some principles of personal evangelism that we would do well to remember in our own efforts to teach others. One such principle is to contact people socially. Many Jews, because of their animosity for Samaritans, avoided Samaria. Jesus chose to pass through Samaria, assuring contact (John 4:4). A similar example of Jesus making social contact is found in (Luke 5:29-32). When people are not coming to Christ, it’s because we are not going to the people! We can’t be fishers of men by fishing in a barrel; if the fish won’t come to the barrel, then we must go where the fish are! The problem with sowing the seed is not that there is not good ground to be found, but that the seed is still in the barn (Haggai 2:19). Do not confuse separation with isolation. Yes, we must be separate (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), but this does not mean we are to isolate ourselves. Notice the prayer of Jesus in John 17:15, and the command of Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. Remember, withdrawing ourselves from those who have not heard or obeyed the Gospel is contrary to the Will of the Lord! Some opportunities for social contact include: (1) At school with
fellow students. Don’t think you are too young to be involved in personal evangelism. Young Christians often possess the greatest opportunities to teach others. How you serve now will likely be an indication of how you will serve later in life. (2) At work with fellow employees or employers. We spend much of our life
with these people. We have the greatest potential to influence them, especially by example. (3) At home with neighbors, friends, and family. Do we even know our neighbors? Those closest to us can be difficult sometimes, but they are indeed reachable (see Matthew 13:54-58; and John 7:5; then Acts 1:14). Remember, Jesus said “Go into all the world…” (Mark 16:15). We must go where the people are!

Another principle we can learn from Jesus’ conversation with the woman is to establish a common interest. Notice Jesus’ first words to the woman (John 4:7). She had come to draw water and He was thirsty. His first words centered around their common interest – water. Meaningful dialogue is not easy, especially involving spiritual matters. A common interest allows opportunity for meaningful dialogue. Once a bridge for communication has been established, it will be easier to discuss God’s Word with another person. Some examples of common interests include: (1) Family, such as spouse, children, and grandchildren. (2) Activities, such as work, community projects, and hobbies. (3) Shared experiences, such as travel or even tragedies. Don’t feel that you must immediately begin talking about spiritual matters. We must take the time to cultivate those common interests, yet at some point we want to reach the next stage, which leads to our third principle. We must learn to build spiritual interest through our actions. Jesus built her interest by simply speaking to her (John 4:9). As a man He speaks to her, a woman. As a rabbi He speaks to her, an immoral woman. As a Jew He speaks to her, a Samaritan. Some ways to build spiritual interest through our actions include: (1) Showing kindness and compassion to all, even the evil and wicked. (2) Not harboring racial or social prejudices to those who are different. (3) Conducting ourselves as Christians in the sight of others (1 Peter 3:1-2; Matthew 5:16). We must also learn to build spiritual interest through our words. It was Jesus’ statement that shifted their conversation to spiritual matters (John 4:10-14). He led them into a discussion on a common spiritual interest – living water. Some ways we can raise questions or make statements that shift conversations to spiritual matters include: (1) “Why do you think our world is in such a mess?” (2) “Why do you think there are so many churches in the world today?” (3) “Would you be interested in learning about what the Bible says about [fill in the blank]?” The discussion should first involve matters of common agreement. Start with things upon which you agree, to build interest and instill confidence. Paul also gave us an example of this in Acts 17:22-23.

Another principle we can learn from Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman is not to go too far too fast. She wanted Jesus to give her that “living water”, but did she really understand what she was asking for? (John 4:15-16). Jesus saw the need to slow her down and provide the proper ground work. She needed faith in Him as the Messiah, so He provided evidence. Instead of giving her the “living water” He told her to go get her husband, which led to her conviction of Him as a prophet. We must learn to give a person only what they are ready for. Sometimes people don’t realize what they need first. They’ll want to talk about a particular subject, but they really need something else first. For example, some want to study the Book of Revelation when they need to be grounded on the rest of the Bible first. Some want to discuss issues related to church organization, work, worship, etc., when they ought to focus on the “first principles” of the Gospel. It is important that a person not choke on the “meat” of the Word (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). As we move from common to uncommon ground, we must learn to take it one step at a time. We must remember not to go on until agreement at each step has occurred. If our objective is simply to obtain consent for a personal Bible study, we should avoid getting into a detailed biblical discussion at that time (Proverbs 15:28). Remember, he who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30)!

The result of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman was the conversion of many people in the city of Sychar (see John 4:39-42). This demonstrates the potential of what can happen when we make evangelism personal. Who knows if that one person we teach may, in turn, bring many others to Christ? That one person may be like a seed from which many other seeds may come forth. Someone has said, “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.” This saying carries a profound meaning and highlights the idea that the potential within a single seed goes far beyond what the human eye can perceive. Realizing this potential, we can better appreciate the words of Jesus in John 4:35. By following the example of our Lord, we can be more personal in our evangelism and more useful in His service