“You are the Light of the World”

Chapter Five: Misconceptions, Obstacles and Excuses

By Pastor Stephen Kurtzahn

In the past few lessons we have seen what the word “evangelism” means from a Scriptural viewpoint. We examined how evangelism fits into the total framework of the church. The Message we are to proclaim was considered. And we spoke about how we should share that Word with people we are in contact with every day.

What we have covered so far could be called our “Biblical foundation.” We have seen for ourselves what God, in His Word, has to say about the “who, what, why and when” of evangelism. All we have left to consider is the “how.” Holy Scripture has a great deal to say about this, too. How do we witness? What tools can be used? What advice can be offered?

Before we dig into the answers to such questions, we should look at several things which might hinder us in our work as evangelists. After we realize what kind of misconceptions, obstacles and excuses might cross our way, it is very possible that we can avoid them.

•   “THE PASTOR IS TO DO ALL THE MISSION WORK.” You would not believe how many people actually think this. If you yourself have thought this way, you couldn’t be more mistaken! It is true, a pastor is to be about doing mission work, but his first concern is in serving the congregation to which he has been called by God. In large churches there are meetings several nights a week. And whether it is a large church or a small one, the pastor has sermons to prepare, Bible classes to get ready, sick calls to make, counseling sessions to arrange, visits to members and shut-ins, mailings to prepare, Bible instruction classes to conduct; and if there is no secretary, bulletins and mailings to produce. The average Lutheran pastor puts in 50-70 hours per week at his work. Plus he needs to spend time with his family. And then he alone is expected to go out and do all the mission work?

•   “THE UNCHURCHED CAN COME HERE.” Lazy pastors put it this way: “If someone wants to see me, or come to church, he knows where the door is!” The only way we can respond to such an attitude is to ask, “Who’s going to come and see the pastor? Who’s going to step through the doors of the church?” Unbelievers are “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). They do not realize their lost condition until their consciences are prodded by the Law, and they don’t know their Savior from sin until they taste the sweetness of the Gospel. Why would a person, who does not recognize such things, want to spend an hour or two on Sunday morning in church when there are so many other things to do?

•   “WE EVANGELIZE IN ORDER TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP.” You could put this statement another way: “We evangelism to increase our Sunday school enrollment.” Or, “We evangelize to boost our offerings.” Such an opinion is selfish as well as dangerous. It is selfish, because then we would be looking for people to serve the congregation, instead of the congregation looking for people it can serve. It is also dangerous in two very serious respects: 1) It makes us think that membership in the visible church is more important than membership in the Holy Christian Church. We tend to feel that having our names recorded on a church membership roster is better than having them written in heaven in the Book of Life. 2) Such a thought is also dangerous because it can so easily lead to gimmickry. Our overriding concern then becomes more members and we end up catering to all sorts of social needs just to fill the pews of the church. Now there is nothing wrong with having fellowship activities among believers, but if we use such things to gain more members, we must ask ourselves if we have lost the Gospel and are trying to offer cheap substitutes.

What are some of the barricades which prevent us from doing mission work as the Lord wants us to? The first obstacle may be not praying enough. A great deal can be accomplished through prayer, and how might things go better for us all, if we would take our concerns to Jesus first, rather than saving prayer as a last resort?

When it comes to prayer, let’s recall our Savior’s words, “I will do whatever you ask in My name” (John 14:13). Let’s also remember Dr. Martin Luther. When asked how he could accomplish so much in one day, he responded by saying that he spent several hours each morning in prayer. Several hours! How long do we spend?

Another obstacle which prevents us from doing mission work as we should is this opinion: “We don’t expect or plan to grow.” Also tied in with this thought is pessimism. We may not feel good about ourselves. We may not honestly believe that our church and church body will grow. We become pessimistic when we remember the controversies and religious battles of the past. The pessimistic person looks only for more unhappy things to come, and has no vision or plan for the future. In truth, the pessimistic person shows a weakness of faith in our Lord who says in His Word, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

•   “IT JUST ISN’T DONE IN OUR CHURCH.” The person who says this quite possibly was turned off by the outreach efforts of the sects or the fanatics. But such an attitude makes us then ask, “What is church for?” Is it a local club, whose membership is limited to only a certain select few? Or is it a social group, to which people come to be entertained? Or is church an opportunity where even the worse sinners can come and hear God’s Word and find rest for their burdened souls? The way we look at OUR church will influence greatly our opinions about evangelism and how we assimilate new members (more on this in the final chapter).

•   “WE DON’T SPEAK TO OTHERS ABOUT RELIGION.” Some put it this way, “When I talk to people, there are two subjects I avoid—politics and religion!” If we have no hesitation to speak to our neighbor about where to get the best buys on lettuce or motor oil, why can’t we tell them about the greatest “bargain” of all—free salvation in Jesus Christ?

•   “I DON’T HAVE THE GIFT.” This is the real “cop-out.” Has this individual really tried? We don’t discover God-given talents in our children until they have been in school for many years. Are we going to give up after witnessing only once or twice?

•   Continue to pray for your pastor, your congregation, your church body, and your own evangelism efforts.

•   Continue to pray for those unchurched people on your personal responsibility list.

•   Analyze your own inhibitions and hang-ups when it comes to evangelism. Do they fall into any of the categories listed above?

•   Speak to someone you know about the Savior. Try at least once every week for the next month. See if you can begin to feel more comfortable with witnessing.

Note: This study was prepared by Pastor Steven Kurtzahn and was used at Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew.

If you would like more information about this study,
please contact Pastor Mayhew