God usually exerts that power in connection with certain prior conditions of the human mind, and it should be ours to create, so far as we can, with the help of God, those favorable conditions for the reception of the gospel. False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there, if we permit the whole collective thought of the nation or of the world to be controlled by ideas which, by the resistless force of logic, prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion. ("Christianity and Culture," Princeton Theological Review 11 [1913]: 7).
The gospel will not instantly make sense for people with a completely different worldview or with genuine intellectual obstacles. (Consider the momentous response to pre-evangelized Jews at Pentecost in Acts 2 with the lesser response of pagans in Athens in Acts 17.)
5. How many of us came to trust in Christ because a stranger told us that we were sinners? While this certainly occurs, we more likely turned to Christ through believing friends or relatives who modeled an attractive, redeemed life. Statistics reveal that up to 90% of those who have come to Christ and faithfully continue in their discipleship were introduced to the Christian faith through believing friends and relatives. This personal connection to the gospel came through love, acceptance, and a patient modeling of the Christian faith. (See, for example, the Arns' The Master's Plan for Making Disciples.)
A more recent piece of research comes from Bridge Builders' David Bennett. He describes how adults become Christians -- which, we should remember, is typically more of a process than it is for kids at a Christian summer camp! His survey shows that times of crisis/felt needs (death, illness) present an open door for Christian friendship; in his research, this has been the most effective means of seeing people respond to Christ. Ninety-two percent (92%) of those surveyed first had a Christian friend before they responded to the gospel. The research showed that those who found Christ did so through a gradual process.
6. The concern that "this may be the non-Christian's only chance to hear the gospel and she may not hear it again" often becomes self-fulfilling. Becky Pippert observes that Christians and non-Christians have one thing in common: they're both uptight about evangelism! That is, we may actually create an awkward, confrontational situation (I've done this before!), and the non-Christian is put off by it all. As a result, the non-Christian doesn't want to hear "the gospel" (or "whatever that was!") ever again.
Sometimes well-meaning Christians take the entire burden of another's salvation upon their shoulders and fail to trust in a sovereign God who may use us to be a stepping-stone in another's life. In John 4, Jesus reminded his disciples that they were "reaping," thanks to the faithful labors of others who had gone before them -- and who never saw the fruits of their labors.
7. The "what if the person dies tomorrow?" worry raises concerns about our own view of divine sovereignty. While we are called to be responsible witnesses, we need not diminish God's sovereignty on this score. Will God put people into hell just because of our human failure? Too often the "what if he dies tomorrow?" concern leads to a forced "witness" that merely creates relational (not spiritual) awkwardness and turns people against any Christian witness for the longer term. Relationships that respect the process, trust the Holy Spirit, and allow time to think through the implications of the Christian faith are (empirically speaking) more effective and long lasting than the "now or never" approach.
Those touched by Jesus knew that he was genuinely interested in them. Perhaps that friend-of-sinners approach has something going for it after all! The confrontational method diminishes the listening and unfolding process involved in evangelism. The gospel should be expressed in a holistic and relational manner. Otherwise, our attempted "gospel presentation" more often than not appears to be a judgmental sales pitch.
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