In John chapter 4 we see Jesus get into an evangelistic conversation with a Samaritan woman. The woman’s life is greatly impacted and as a result many other Samaritans are become believers in Christ (John 4:39). There is a kingdom domino effect that took place through Jesus evangelizing this one Samaritan woman. And in the middle of this work that Jesus is doing his disciples come up to him and urge him to eat something assuming that he must be hungry and this is the response of Jesus:
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:34-38 ESV
Here are a few things we can learn from the evangelistic work & words of Christ here in this passage of Scripture:
Evangelism is the will of God.
It is God’s will for every Christian to be involved in the work of evangelism. Jesus said that this is one of the reasons he came (Mark 1:38). And Jesus described the will of God as food. What does food do? It gives nourishment, pleasure and sense of being satisfied. This is what the Christian should experience in doing the will of God because we are fashioned and designed for the will of God much like God designed food for the human body. There have been numerous times that I have engaged in an evangelistic conversation about God and before that I was having a mediocre day and after sharing the gospel with someone my day turned into a great day, marked with sense of purpose and excitement. Sharing the gospel with people shouldn’t be merely a duty for the Christian it should be a great delight, something that we are eager and ready to do on a daily basis. Sometimes it just takes one or two good experiences in evangelism to get you hooked. Much like it may have been for you when you discovered your favorite restaurant. You went and tasted the food and now you’re sold on going back there (if your budget permits). John tells us before Jesus even had that encounter with the Samaritan woman that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4). It seems that John is giving us some insight here as to God the Father directing the steps of his Son. The Net Bible commentary notes says this about that statement: “Although some take the impersonal verb had to (δεῖ, dei) here to indicate logical necessity only, normally in John’s Gospel its use involves God’s will or plan (3:7, 3:14, 3:30, 4:4, 4:20, 4:24, 9:4, 10:16, 12:34, 20:9)”. It is God’s will and God’s plan for you to share the gospel with others.
Evangelism can seem awkward & feel uncomfortable.
Jesus was sold out to the will of God and was willing to press through any barriers that might get in the way of him doing his Father’s will. And in the context of John 4 we see him so committed to doing the will of God that he was willing to talk to a Samaritan woman. First of all Jews didn’t spend much time having any peaceful conversations with Samaritans. There was much hostility between the two groups. Secondly, Jesus was a male Jewish Rabbi speaking with an immoral Samaritan woman. If Jesus was concerned about image before man he wouldn’t have been talking with this woman, even the disciples of Jesus marveled and questioned why he was talking with this Samaritan woman. Evangelism will require you to get out of your comfort zone and let go of how you want to be perceived by people. Jesus took the risk of being viewed as an ungodly sinner by spending time with such people as tax collectors, sinners and this Samaritan woman. So much so that he gained the reputation of being a “friend of sinners”. Would that be said about you? Are you willing to befriend sinners in order that you might win them to Christ?
Evangelism is to be done through conversation not just giving a presentation.
Jesus initiated and engaged in a conversation with this woman who was even surprised herself that Jesus would talk to her. The conversation started around a common interest, namely water and then Jesus directed the conversation from the natural to the spiritual, that is “living water”, which is what the Samaritan woman really needed. She had sought fulfillment through immoral relationships in which Jesus seemed to prophetically call her out on. Remember to address the issue of sin when you are evangelizing and don’t beat around the bush being afraid to talk about sin. Jesus talked about it and he called people to repentance of their sin. Evangelism is incomplete if you don’t address sin and the need for repentance. And most important of all, talk about Jesus the Messiah, the Savior, the one who saves His people from their sins. Talk about the eternal life that he provides through faith in him. Talk about the reality that he is the only one who can satisfy the deepest longings of the soul (John 6:35), because we are created from Him, to know Him and be known by Him, to love Him and be loved by Him.
God is alive and at work in the lives of many people that you and I come across daily and we may not even recognize it. There are many opportunities that God gives us to participate with Him in reaching the lost with gospel. The work of evangelism is all about partnering with God, to speak the good news of what Christ has done for us at the cross and call people to repent and place their trust in Christ. Henry Blackaby said in his book Experiencing God “Find out where God is working and join Him there”. This is what the life of Jesus looked like when He walked the earth as a man. Jesus said that he only did what he saw the Father doing (John 5:19). He was always in step with the will of the Father and the work of the Father. The Father had ordered the steps of Christ while he was on the earth and Jesus followed everyone of them.
This past Spring Break of 2013 a group of students from Valley Creek Church came to Dallas for an inner-city mission trip. I took them out on the streets to do evangelism and invite people to a basketball tournament we were hosting. There were two young ladies who began to feel a bit discouraged after they had knocked on about 7 doors and got no answer. Then they had a divine appointment. The Lord directed them to this woman named Regina who was ready to come to Christ. Regina was weary, distressed and in despair. She had lost her children to CPS due to her drug addiction and had experienced some devastating events. The father of her children had committed suicide right in front of her children. She too had been contemplating suicide. But in her pit of despair God sent two of His daughters to share His love and the hope of the gospel. These two young ladies came and told me about her and I also was able to share the love of Christ and hope of the gospel with Regina. As we spoke words of life and hope over Regina tears were streaming down her cheeks. We prayed for her and we began to sing the song How He Loves Us over her. As we were ministering to Regina I was reminded that Jesus came not only to preach the gospel to the poor but to heal the broken hearted (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18). And this precious woman was brokenhearted and God brought healing and hope to her heart when she seemed to need it the most. That evening Regina showed up for the outreach event we were hosting and she got loved on by all the students from Valley Creek and heard a message about the blessedness of being being forgiven out of Psalm 32.
Two days later on Sunday morning she showed up at City Church and we happened to be doing baptisms that morning. During the service when I asked for those who were getting baptized to come forward she came up to the front of the congregation. Now I took eight people through a baptism class a week prior to that and she was not one of those eight people. Nevertheless I felt great about baptizing her because it was obvious that God had drawn her heart and brought her to a place of dependence upon Christ. Regina had heard the gospel and she responded publicly to declare her faith in Christ. So we baptized her there on the spot. It felt like something out of the book of Acts. Indeed God was at work in the early church as we see displayed in the book of Acts. And He is also at work in our day drawing people to Himself for salvation. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). 
For many Christians the hardest part of sharing their faith with others is breaking the ice and initiating a conversation. They feel intimidated & awkward going up to a stranger saying “do you know Jesus”. Well, there are many ways to overcome this intimidation & awkwardness of breaking the ice with strangers, in order to share the gospel with them. First of all, you don’t have to start with a statement about God, Jesus, the Bible, Heaven, Hell or sin. Actually a simple greeting, such as saying “hello” works just fine. Or “hello how are you doing today”, “Hi my name is…” or “Howdy”(if your in the south). I have made it a habit to greet strangers everywhere I go. I often make eye contact with strangers, giving a wave and a smile. And I’ve found that it is great way to break the ice and often lead to a conversation.
The Love of Christ is another reason that every Christian should share the gospel with others. The Apostle Paul wrote “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV) 
May we be those who are compelled by the love of Christ to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. May the love of Christ move us out of apathy concerning the lost and into active evangelism.
account. We know that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31 ESV). This holy reverence and fear of God moves the people of God to action, namely the action of persuading others of gospel truth. This was something that Jesus exhorted and commanded of His disciples before sending them out on a mission trip. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. 
Another reason Christians should share the gospel with others is simply that Jesus has commanded us to do it. “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15 ESV) Evangelism isn’t something that God has merely called some Christians to do. Every redeemed saint has the responsibility to share the good news of how they became forgiven, free and brought into right relationship with God. Simple obedience to this clear command must be put to practice by every person calls Jesus their Lord. Our obedience to Christ displays our love for Him and His lordship in our lives. Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV). And he said “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (Luke 6:46-48 ESV).
gospel. …it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.(1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:14-17). It is a glorious privilege and responsibility that we have been given by God to be able to share a message that brings eternal salvation to those who believe and receive it. Let us not neglect faithful stewardship of the gospel message. Beware of getting weighed down and distracted by good activities while forgetting the God-given task of evangelism.
One reason every Christian should evangelize is Jesus did it. He is our example of how each of us ought to live. After Jesus evangelized the woman at the well in John 4, his disciples urged him to eat some food, because they knew he hadn’t eaten anything. But Jesus told his disciples that He had food they didn’t know about. He said “my food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, to finish His work” (John 4:34). Jesus was nourished from doing the will of God and namely the work of evangelism. He found fulfillment, pleasure & satisfaction in doing the will of God just like one does in eating a delicious meal. Christ lived every day of His life pursing the will of the Father and pleasing Him. He knew what He was here for and didn’t waste any time. Before He died Jesus was able to say “I have finished the work you have given me to do” (John 14:4) Consider these passages:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
For The Gospel's Sake 