Basketball And Evangelism

Jan 31, 2023

remember in college, there were street preachers who would yell out: “Jesus loves you! Repent, or you will go to hell!”

Now, they did it respectfully and lovingly. And I believe God can use various ways to bring people closer to Himself. And during the 90s, this was a popular mode of evangelism. It would stir spiritual conversations, and for fellow Christians, their boldness would challenge you. I would think to myself, “Man, they really love Jesus and do not care about what others think of them….” It would bless me.

Today, I want to talk about evangelism. We know the Bible encourages us to share our faith and evangelize. Many do not want to do it, but we know God desires us to do it. So what does it look like in 2023?

In 1 Peter 3:15, it says:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

- 1 Peter 3:15

When it comes to evangelism, there are three things to consider: aptitude, attitude, and character.

First is aptitude: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you.”
To evangelize well, we need to prepare. We need to study the Bible. We need to rehearse how to share the Gospel. In other words, we have to do our homework.
The Second is attitude: “But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Some of us have no problem giving answers, but we may struggle with how we say them. How do people feel when they hear us evangelize? Does it seem forceful or gentle? Now, it is important that we have confidence and are sure of what we believe. But the Bible makes it a point to say that our posture matters.
The third is character: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.”
When we have a deep reverence for Christ in our hearts, it will reveal itself through our character. Meaning it’s not about when we evangelize or who we evangelize to. Rather, it is something we are always doing.

How does this work?

For example, the other day, I was at the gym playing basketball. And we were on the sideline waiting for a game. And one Christian guy screams out: “Sean is a Christian too!” To be honest, I was like in my head: “Bro, why you gotta be screaming that out!” But interestingly enough, this other guy that doesn’t go to church says, “Oh, I can see that. He is honest and has integrity when he plays.” Wow! I was humbled and challenged.

Like many folks, I go to the gym to exercise and be healthy. And to be honest, I don’t necessarily go to evangelize. But I realized evangelism is, yes, being a street preacher, but also having a christ-like character. God uses it all!

Now, I am flawed and imperfect in so many ways, but God taught me that even when I’m playing basketball, I am evangelizing as I try to have character.

How are you evangelizing these days?

I want to encourage you that you do not have to be a street preacher to evangelize for the Kingdom of God! God will use your work ethic in your job. God will use your patience toward others. God will use you as you strive to be a good parent. God will even use your messiness and failures. God will use it all to evangelize who Jesus is.