Evangelism and the risk of failure

August 12, 2010  David Murray   5 comments

Here’s a summarized paraphrase of Seth Godin’s blog on Exploration and the risk of failure. The changes are in italics.

Evangelism and the risk of failure

People seem to be in one of two categories:

Those who seek stability, affiliation, work worth doing and the assurance it (whatever it is) will be okay.
Those who evangelize, need to know that failure is an option and quest to make a dent in the universe.

Hint: there is no category of: “does risky evangelism, never fails.”

————————————————————————————–

God’s Technology DVD: Training our children to use digital technology for God’s glory.

  • Nathan W. Bingham

    I agree that we need to be encouraged to speak of Christ and to put aside any fears of failure. However, I’m not sure I’d agree that failure is a real option. If you have been faithful to the Gospel proclaimed — testifying of what Christ has done — then have you failed? Granted, you may not see fruit, but are fruit and success one and the same?Thanks David for your continual encouraging, practical, and thoughtful blog posts.

  • gloria Dyet

    Nathan I am with you. Sometimes we think we have failed when we have not. Not everyone accepts Christ the first time they hear. Leave the results with Christ.

  • HillsBC

    I think the real risk is not the outcome of our evangelism, but our failure to evangelise.

  • Brian Johnson

    It helps to go out in pairs. That gives you confidence you don’t have on your own. It’s also how Jesus taught the 12 and 70 to do it, so ignore Jesus at your peril!It is also a great confidence builder when we know what the gospel IS, and this is where many churches fail to train their people.

  • David Murray

    Nathan, I take your point…and your encouragement. Thanks. Yes, Brian, it makes such a difference to have someone with you, even if they don’t say a lot.