Book Review: The Sacrament of Evangelism

The Sacrament of Evangelism by Jerry Root and Stan Guthrie; (c) 2011, Moody Publishers.

I read a lot of books about spiritual stuff.  I started when I met Jesus as a teenager. I read books on Bible study methods, prayer, small group skills, and sharing your faith. Most of them had steps to follow, goals to set, and acronyms to remember.   Those are great tools.  They help me stay focused, and theologically sound.  So, if I use the formula, follow the steps, I should have a great prayer life, right?  I should share Jesus with all kinds of people and they all get saved, right?

Wrong.   I confess, in the evangelism department I should get an F.  I can count on one hand the people I shared  Jesus with who said Yes to His invitation.  I have never felt comfortable walking up to some stranger and asking, “If you died today where would you spend eternity?”  Or leaving a little booklet on the restaurant table with my tip.  It’s not that I don’t love Jesus.  I just feel like a used car salesman. Reading all those books left me feeling guilty. Did I mention I have been walking with Jesus for more than 20 years?  Seems like I should have more saved souls to show for it.

I’ve been missing something.  The Sacrament of Evangelism helped me see what it is.  Relationship:  My relationship with God, my relationship with those around me, and God’s relationship with them.

The book starts by explaining what sacrament means. God is already present and working around us.  When we are taking communion, He is present.  When we pray for those who are lost, He is present.  He wants to have a relationship with us.  So…as I nurture my relationship with Him, some things happen:

As my understanding of God’s love for me grows, and my love for Him grows, that love overflows into my relationships with other people.

As my understanding of God’s love for the lost grows, my love for the lost grows.

As I remember that God is already present and working in my life and the lives of those around me, I become more aware of His presence.  I start to recognize the work He is doing.  I recognize the brokenness in other people as an invitation to lovingly tell them about Jesus.

See, evangelism, like prayer and reading the Word, is not intended to be a “good deed,” or something to check off my do-list, or part of a magic formula to have a more rewarding walk with Jesus.  It’s not a chore, not an obligation, not something that makes God love me more.  These things are about nurturing my relationship with God and joining Him in the work He is already doing.

The Sacrament of Evangelism isn’t heavy on theology.  I’m a seminary student, but I think this book is readable for anyone who loves Jesus.  There are a few tips on starting conversations and being discerning.  There are some suggested Scriptures to use in conversation.  There are some touching stories.  In one inspiring story, a man shares Jesus with a college student and then mentors him, and the fruit that resulted over the years.  It occurred to me that if a mature believer had come alongside me in the early days of my faith, “evangelism” might not have seen so scary.

So, if you are looking for another book on Evangelism that gives you a program to implement, this is not the book for you.  If you are looking for something refreshing and different, then I highly recommend The Sacrament of Evangelism.