Cass: Share Jesus with friendliness and authenticity ‘as you go’

By Jerry Pierce
December 12, 2005
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Of all the modes evangelism can take, SBTC Evangelism Director Don Cass says none is more crucial than personal evangelism. To be effective witnesses, Christians must seek to share the gospel “in the normal traffic patterns of your life.”

Simple math shows that if every church member could lead one person a year to Christ, the church would double annually. But many believers are either fearful or not equipped to witness in everyday discourse, Cass said.

Believers should pray that God would give them a burden for specific people, then “let that person know you desire to be their friend,” Cass said. “You don’t need to say it, but the way you treat them should make it obvious that you desire to be their friend.”

“Witnessing has a two-fold aspect: One is relational and the other is intentional,” Cass noted. “I like to tell people up front who I am and what I’m about. If an opportunity does not arise from that, then I’ll work to establish a relationship, a friendship. With some people you can develop a relationship in a few minutes. With others it might take you a year.”

An important aspect of building trust with unbelievers is authenticity, Cass said.

“I really try to communicate with them that Jesus Christ is real?and I want to be. I think Christians need to work on being the real deal. That means that you’re transparent. You’re not perfect; none of us are. And I don’t want to come across as a person who makes no mistakes because that would be a lie. I don’t want to come across like I deserve to be on a pedestal in their eyes. That also is false. Nobody deserves to be on a pedestal except Jesus. It’s interesting that he who is perfect came to this earth to identify with those who were not.

“We must never forget what it’s like to be lost ? and what it’s like not to have one good Christian friend. And real friends, in my opinion, do everything they can to keep their friends from going to hell.”

Evangelism should be more a natural habit than an event, he said.

“That how we witness. Jesus said ‘as you go.’ In the normal traffic patterns of your life, share Jesus. Be a witness as you go, whenever you go, wherever you go, to whomever you go,” Cass stated.

“Dwight L. Moody said, ‘Every person I meet I picture them with a big L on their forehead that stands for “Lost.” And I leave it there until I know for sure whether they know Jesus.’ That’s not being cruel; that’s being kind, loving, caring.”