Say what you will about Jesus, but he was clearly a world leader unlike our current world leaders. He never clung to power or refused to step aside. He never became an isolated old man obsessing over legacy. At his moment of greatest triumph, he walked away, leaving his small movement in the hands of a few scared and bewildered teenagers and twenty-somethings.

In the final three verses of Matthew’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples the following:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This passage, known in Christian circles as “The Great Commission”, has given rise to perhaps the dirtiest word in Christianity: evangelism.

Evangelism, the “spreading of the gospel”, is a word mired by abuse and atrocity. But what does evangelism really mean or why has it veered so far from that meaning?

Evangelism is not…

Evangelism is not a game of Risk, where you conquer lands and cities and neighborhoods. It’s not a way to expand our color on the map. Examples of this from church history are too numerous to list. But safe to say that expansion of power is evangelism being appropriated by the secular world’s methods.

Evangelism is also not our opportunity to feel like we’re better than everybody else. That we possess some special knowledge or special status. Too much evangelism focuses on the “there and then” instead of the “here and now”. It’s often future oriented, obsessing about where you’ll end up after your passing. Evangelism is too often selling a get-out-of-jail-free card for the afterlife, a free pass for all our misdeeds (and refusal to grow out of them). This “free gift” has become our spiritual 401k, allowing us to rest easy knowing we’ll be covered after we retire from life.

But evangelism is not this.

Evangelism is not coercive or manipulative. We’re not pressuring people into buying a timeshare. We’re not tricking them into a deal they can never get out of. We’re not pushing them to sign on the dotted line: say the Sinner’s Prayer, Receive the waters of Baptism, partake the elements of Communion.

We don’t deprive teenagers of sleep for a week at a conference then ask them to make a life changing decision at the end of it. We’re not motivating people by fear and anxiety.

And to be clear, there is tremendous value to making an explicit and public commitment to Jesus and his Way. It’s the equivalent of when you’re going on dates with someone but you finally start telling people “we’re together now”. And there are tangible benefits to baptism, the spiritual equivalent of a marriage ceremony.

But just like marriage, we don’t come to these decisions in a rush. It’s a major covenantal contract. We deliberate and choose soberly, knowing that it’s a lifelong relational commitment, not a strange weekend at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas.

So evangelism leaves space for people to count the cost beforehand.

Luke 18: 28-30

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

Evangelism is…

Evangelism is something you’re proud of. Because even with all the lamentable actions of the Church, the Way of Jesus is still a compelling vision for the world and life. Here are the main tenets:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you remain teachable, you will find your slice of heaven. Don’t be stubborn, arrogant, or all-knowing. Be humble, curious, and open minded.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

If you don’t spend your whole life numbing your pain and insulating yourself from the pain of others, you will find true comfort.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Power hungry old men will not have the final say. Rather, it will be those who step aside, relinquish control, and pass along what they have to the next generation.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

The word ‘righteousness’ means ‘generosity’. If you are deeply motivated to live a generous lifestyle, rather than by a constant accumulation of wealth, you will find satisfaction in this life rather than disappointment.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

If you show grace to people when they need it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find they show grace to you when you need it.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

If your mind, body, and emotions are not filled like a landfill - with media, junk food, negativity, lack of community, etc. It will be easy to see God’s presence in life.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The most prominent mark of a Jesus follower is bringing peace to conflict. They resolve fights successfully, don’t stir up controversy, apologize when needed, confront when necessary, and are a calm presence in the midst of high anxiety.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Don’t be discouraged when you face pushback for doing the right thing.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

If you do all of the above things well and people still don’t like you, you can be comforted by knowing you’re not the first person to experience persecution. Don’t let it get you down.

If you experience persecution because you HAVEN’T done one of the above things well, you may want to work on that first before claiming you’re a victim.

This list is exciting. So why would you tiptoe around a blueprint for life that is so beautiful and noble?

Evangelism is something that should be easy to explain. You don’t need to adequately address every doubt of the world’s smartest atheists. Tell your testimony like you’re a witness in a courtroom - this is what I’ve seen, this is what I’ve heard, this is what I’ve experienced. You can tell a short life story - here’s how my life was, here’s what happened, and here’s how my life is different now. There’s no need to over complicate or over intellectualize.

Finally, evangelism should make the world a better place. Jesus’ brother (James) wrote:

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

In other words, don’t let this sick world get you down and do kind things to people in need. This is the religion we should be spreading.

It’s become the dirtiest word in Christianity: evangelism. Are we demonstrating the goodness of a Jesus lifestyle or just trying to get people to come to a church service?

For if the whole world went to church things probably wouldn’t be very different, we’d still attack each other, cheat each other, lie to each other. Everyday around the world churchgoers still kill each other socially, relationally, financially, literally.

If we all went to church we’d probably still be power hungry, expanding our maps and obsessing over legacy.

But if the whole world acted like Jesus, what a wonderful world that would be.

The Dirtiest Word in Christianity

Evangelism is not…

Evangelism is…