10 Lessons Jesus Teaches Us About Evangelism

By Kevin Harney • September 12, 2016

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Kevin Harney: “Like the Master, we need to meet people where they are and not impose our agendas on them.”

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Jesus was a leader in every way. With humble acts of service, profound insight and piercing love, the Savior met people where they were and led them to the glory of heaven. If we want to do effective outreach, we must let the Master mentor us. If we want to see lasting kingdom fruit, we must walk in the dust of the Rabbi and listen, watch and learn. This is how Jesus taught the first disciples and it is how he still instructs his people today.
In chapters 3 and 4 of the gospel of John, we find a perfect setting to learn from Jesus, the ultimate leader. I encourage you to read these two chapters closely. In this article I will not give specific verse references, but we will look at the whole narrative together. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see, hear and experience the evangelistic leadership of the Master in these two accounts.
You will find Jesus encountering two radically different people. First, in John chapter 3, a wealthy, powerful, educated, influential, Jewish leader named Nicodemus. On the heels of this encounter, in John chapter 4, we see Jesus in an intimate theological conversation with an outcast, powerless, thirsty, Samaritan woman. In both accounts, if we pay close attention, we can be mentored by the Master and grow in our ability to reach out with the gospel and teach others to do the same.

Lesson 1: Start where people are.

Nicodemus came seeking Jesus under the cloak of night. Jesus encountered the woman at the well in the blistering heat of the day. We need to be ready to share the love and message of Jesus when people are ready and when the Holy Spirit opens the door. Day or night, at all times, we should meet people where they are and be ready to walk with them toward Jesus.
Both Nicodemus and the woman at the well were spiritually open and curious. Nicodemus was a religious leader and hungry for the truth. The woman was a Samaritan and was thinking about the religious questions of her day. Jesus was perfectly comfortable starting with what was on their mind and heart, not his own agenda. Like the Master, we need to meet people where they are and not impose our agendas on them.

Lesson 2: Love.

It is impossible to read John 3 and 4 and not sense the authentic love Jesus has for these two people. The Savior longed for them to have their spiritual eyes opened. He wanted Nicodemus to be born again and move from empty religion to a vital relationship with God. He desired the woman to drink living water that would quench her soul for the rest of her life and for eternity. He wanted her to stop throwing the bucket of her heart down relational well after well. Jesus wanted her satisfied with his heavenly love. All of our outreach must be driven by a love for God and for the people who need to know his amazing grace. Outreach is not a chore or a duty. It is an outpouring of the undeserved love we received freely at the cross of Jesus.

Lesson 3: Listen.

In both accounts, Jesus listened to the words and hearts of the people he encountered. Nicodemus and the woman had questions and Jesus not only listened, but he heard them. As we help people move toward God, we need to listen, invite questions and really hear what people are wondering about. Defensiveness is never helpful. Focused listening is essential.

Lesson 4: Talk life.

Jesus talked with each of them about what was on their minds. Nicodemus was interested in who Jesus was. The woman was interested in water. So, this is where the conversations began. Christians who reach out naturally, like Jesus, will take time to talk about whatever is on the minds and hearts of the people in their life.

Lesson 5: Talk theology.

The conversation moved to deeper places as Jesus dug into the rich theological questions that were just under the surface. Neither Nicodemus nor the woman knew fully the questions that were percolating in their hearts. Jesus naturally went deeper.
One shocking fact is that no Rabbi in Jesus’ day would have engaged in a robust theological discussion with a woman, and certainly not in a public setting. But Jesus pressed through cultural norms for the sake of changing lives with the gospel. We need to be ready to talk with people about deep things of faith. We must be comfortable engaging in the theological implications of what people say, think and believe.

Lesson 6: Ask the hard questions.

Jesus was not rude, but he was blunt. He did not dance around tough issues. The Master looked at Nicodemus and asked, “You are Israel’s teacher, and do you not understand these things?” Ouch! The last thing a religious teacher wants to hear is, “You don’t get it.” Jesus gently asked the woman, “Can I meet your husband?” The truth was, she had been married five times and now she was living with a man outside the covenant of marriage.
In both cases, the hard questions moved the conversation forward and deeper. We need to ask tough questions, but do it with a gentle heart. Hard questions are not meant to trap people, but to help them look deeper into their own heart and upward toward the only one who has answers that will satisfy.

Lesson 7: Speak the hard truth.

Jesus told Nicodemus that unless he was born again, he would not see the kingdom of heaven. He told the woman that she would never have her thirst quenched until she came to the source of living water. Both of these tough truths needed to be spoken. Both helped the listener face deeper spiritual realities. As we listen and talk with the lost people God has placed in our life, we need to gently, but clearly speak the truth.

Lesson 8: See the felt need and address the real need.

Nicodemus thought he needed theological clarity and more information about Jesus. This was true, to a degree. But what he really needed was to be born again. Jesus was clear that a few minor spiritual adjustments would not be enough. Nicodemus needed a spiritual rebirth. The woman came believing she needed water. This was true, but she was satisfied with water for a day and Jesus wanted to give her water for eternity.
Every person we engage with has specific felt needs. We must engage with people’s longings, desires and dreams. But under the surface, we see that we were made for more. As we learn about people’s felt needs, we should see the real needs that God wants to meet. As we do, we can help others see the God who offers more than they imagine or dream.

Lesson 9: Nothing is off-limits.

In these two encounters we see that the arms of Jesus are open very, very wide. The whole of humanity is represented in Nicodemus and the woman. One is a man, the other a woman. One is an insider, the other an outcast. One is Jewish, the other is a Samaritan (seen as a half-breed and traitor to the Jewish nation). One is powerful, the other powerless. One is wealthy, the other poor. The contrast could not be more vivid. Jesus touched people with leprosy, he dined with sinners, he befriended tax collectors, he loved the outcast and he opened his arms to all who would come … including you and me! We need to be ready to joyfully engage with whomever God brings into our lives. Nothing off-limits.

Lesson 10. Watch for fruitfulness.

Nicodemus became a follower and was present after the crucifixion, helping prepare Jesus for burial. The woman was transformed by Jesus and immediately became an evangelist and helped start a revival in her hometown. We must pray for lives to be changed. We should anticipate that God will bear fruit through our lives when we walk in the steps of the Master and are mentored by Jesus. When we reach out organically, as Jesus did, the Holy Spirit will move in power, Jesus will draw people to himself and God will be glorified.
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Kevin Harney is the lead pastor of Shoreline Church in Monterey, California, the founder and visionary leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International, and the author of the Organic Outreach series and many other books, studies and articles. For more information: KevinGHarney.com