Here’s a thought experiment: How many Christians does it take to reach one new person?
As Christians, we are called to evangelize and make disciples of all nations. However, reaching out to new people can often feel like an uphill battle, especially when the statistics seem to be against us. In fact, recent studies have shown that the average church in America has only one new conversion for every 85 members. This means that if a church has 200 members, they may only be reaching one or two new people per year. This can be discouraging, but we cannot let it stop us from sharing the gospel.
Keith Green, a famous Christian musician and evangelist, once said, “This generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls.” This quote is a powerful reminder that we have a responsibility to share the gospel with those around us. We cannot rely on others to do the work for us; we must take up the mantle ourselves and share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who are lost.
So, how many Christians does it take to reach one new person? The answer is simple: as many as it takes. We cannot become complacent or discouraged by the statistics. We must keep pressing forward, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to work in and through us as we seek to make disciples of all nations.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his witnesses when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. This is still true for us today. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with those around us. But how can we become more effective in our evangelism efforts?
One way is to focus on the people who are not yet in the room. When we make decisions about our worship services, our website, or our outreach programs, we need to consider how these things will be perceived by people who are seeking after God but may not yet be a part of our church. We cannot simply cater to the preferences of those who are already a part of our congregation; we must consider how we can reach out to new people and make them feel welcome.
This means that we need to be intentional about our evangelism efforts. We cannot simply wait for new people to walk through our doors. We need to actively seek out opportunities to share the gospel with those around us. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and share the love of Christ with those who need it most.
And we cannot forget the power of prayer. We need to be praying for the people in our communities who are not yet saved. We need to be praying for opportunities to share the gospel with them, and we need to be praying that the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts to draw them to himself. Prayer is a powerful tool in our evangelism efforts, and we should never underestimate its impact.
Ultimately, the key to effective evangelism is to remember that it is not about us. It is not about our church, our programs, or our preferences. It is about sharing the love of Christ and trusting the results to the Holy Spirit. We are his witnesses. He’s simply asking us to be faithful in that role. Are you ready? Let’s go!
Listen in on the full sermon to learn more:
