“Why are you here?”
It is probably one of the most powerful evangelism questions that anyone can ask. There have been other questions that have been asked through the years.
“If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity?”
“If you were to face Jesus today, and He asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?
“If what you believe was actually wrong, would you want to know?”
All of these questions have generated great conversations, but they are all directed at an unbeliever by a believer. The most powerful questions, however, are the ones asked by the unbeliever because they have experienced a supernatural love from the service of a Jesus follower.
It seems like every time I have been on a mission trip or traveled across the world to take the message of the gospel, the curiosity of those I am serving is stoked and they ask questions. The evangelism questions of tomorrow will most likely be by unbelievers directed at believers who have loved well. “Why are you here?”
Peter said it best when he wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).
So who is questioning your faith? When was the last time a neighbor or colleague asked you why you were so different? Have you loved and served others so well that it leaves them wondering what in the world is wrong with you?
In a time when our country is so divided and jaded, people are searching for hope. They are looking for people who are more focused on loving than correcting. Those who are far from God are longing for people who are willing to genuinely listen and care about what is going on in their lives.
When they notice and ask, give them an answer, not a cliché. Tell them about how wrecked you were, and how Jesus has saved you from your broken life and has given you something to live for. Tell them that the kingdom is much nearer to them than they might think, and there is a king who reigns that loves them to death.
Give the neighbors something to talk about. Look for a way to love them in such a way that makes them scratch their heads and wonder. When they question, give them hope.