Personal evangelism is the person-to-person sharing of the gospel of Christ with sinners with the aim of leading them to salvation. Study: Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8; John 3:1-7; 4:5-29

The primary purpose of Christ coming into the world was to die for the salvation of man (John 3:14-18; 1 Timothy 1:15).

He came to seek and to save the lost. He could not allow any other thing to becloud His vision of saving the lost. He came for that purpose and died for it (John 6:15; 19:37; 1 John 3:8).

Christ preached to great multitudes who came from many regions to hear him (Luke 15:2; Matthew 4:23-25). He also used the personal evangelism strategy to reach individuals and families.

He used different approaches to reach different people.

• With Nicodemus Christ used a direct approach: “Ye must be born again” (John 3:1-7).
• With the Samaritan woman, He used an indirect approach: “Give me to drink” (John 4:5-7).
• With the woman caught in adultery by the Scribes and Pharisees: He used a situational approach (John 8:2-11).
• He applied the same approach with the informants who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. “Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-3). Jesus reached out to His twelve disciples, whom He called apostles, through personal evangelism (John 1:29-51; Matthew 4:19-22; Luke 6:13).

For a local church to grow, the members must go and preach the Word right where the sinners are. Many sinners do not go to church, therefore, the church must go out to meet them where they are: in their houses, offices, town or village square, civic centres, playgrounds, hospitals, prisons, schools, marketplaces etc. (Acts 20:20; 17:16-31; 16:20-34).

No other business should thrill the heart of a New Testament believer than personal evangelism. Winning the lost is a task that must be done; failure to carry it out carries great consequences.