Pastor Robbie began with one of the foundational convictions of the Reformed tradition: God is sovereign in love. God is in charge, and God loves us. That changes the starting point of evangelism.

We certainly don't deny the reality of sin. Scripture doesn't. But instead of beginning primarily with fear, we can begin by showing people the goodness, mercy, freedom, and overwhelming love of God. Sunday gave us several biblical pictures: I was lost, and now I'm found. I was blind, and now I see. I was enslaved, and now I'm free. I was an orphan, and now I have been adopted.

In each image, something important happens: God acts. God finds us, opens our eyes, breaks our chains, and welcomes us home. The Gospel isn't ultimately a story about how successfully we found our way to God. It is the story of the God who came looking for us.

We Don't Have to Change Anyone's Heart

Sometimes sharing our faith can feel as though someone's salvation rests on our ability to say exactly the right thing. What if I don't know enough Scripture? What if they ask a question I can't answer? What if I say something awkward? What if they don't believe me?

But our Reformed understanding reminds us of something freeing:

We aren't the Holy Spirit.

God acts first. The Holy Spirit works within people in ways we cannot manufacture or control. Our responsibility isn't to force someone into belief or, as Sunday's sermon put it, shove information into someone's mind until they are convinced. Our calling is to bear witness—to tell the truth about the God we've encountered, live in ways that reveal God's mercy, speak about the grace we've received, and demonstrate God's love. Then we trust the Holy Spirit to do what only the Holy Spirit can do.

That changes evangelism from “I need to convince you” to “I want you to see the goodness of the God I know.”

More Than Getting to Heaven

Sunday's message also widened the picture of salvation. The goal of God's work isn't simply for me to get to heaven—or even for me and the people I love to get there. God's vision is much bigger.

Scripture points toward a renewed creation: a world where suffering, sickness, tears, broken promises, injustice, and death no longer have the final word. God's Kingdom is coming in its fullness. But Christians don't simply wait for that day. We begin living toward it now.

When we feed someone who is hungry, care for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely, welcome someone who feels forgotten, work for what is good, or show mercy to a neighbor, we offer small glimpses of the Kingdom that is coming. Pastor Robbie used the Presbyterian phrase “exhibit the Kingdom of God.”

That means evangelism isn't limited to the words we say about Jesus. Sometimes the Gospel becomes visible before it becomes verbal.

Near the end of Sunday's sermon, the conversation about evangelism moved somewhere especially personal. What if one of the most meaningful ways we can bear witness to Christ is simply learning how to stay with people when they are hurting?

That's harder than it sounds. When someone is grieving, frightened, angry, sick, overwhelmed, or walking through something we can't fix, we often don't know what to say. Sometimes we avoid the conversation. Sometimes we change the subject. Sometimes we rush toward solutions because sitting beside pain makes us uncomfortable.

But the Gospel frees us from needing to fix everything. If God is sovereign in love, then we don't have to be. If the Holy Spirit is already working, we don't have to manufacture a spiritual moment.

Sometimes we can simply stay. We can listen, grieve with someone, make the phone call we've been avoiding, sit beside a hospital bed, or simply show up when there are no good words.

Pastor Robbie pointed out that this is already happening within the life of FFPC—people loving one another, sitting with one another, and doing the same for neighbors and the wider community. Then came perhaps the simplest description of evangelism in the entire sermon:

“When we love each other and love Jesus, we end up evangelizing.”

Evangelism doesn't have to be a separate program added to Christian life. It can become the natural result of faithfully living it.

This week, don't begin by asking, “Who can I convince?” Instead, ask: “Who might God be asking me to be present with?”

Think of one person in your life who may be carrying something difficult. You don't need a perfect Bible verse. You don't need to solve their problem. You don't even need to turn the conversation into a theological discussion.

Call them. Sit with them. Listen. Offer practical help. Pray for them. And when the opportunity naturally comes, don't be afraid to tell them about the hope that allows you to stay present even when life hurts.

Trust that God is already at work.

Sovereign and loving God, thank You that Your grace does not depend upon our ability to say everything perfectly. You are already at work before we arrive, and Your Holy Spirit can reach places in the human heart that we never could.

Free us from the fear that sharing our faith means forcing, convincing, or fixing. Instead, make our lives witnesses to Your goodness, mercy, kindness, and love. Teach us to exhibit Your Kingdom in the way we treat our neighbors, care for those who are hurting, feed those who are hungry, welcome those who are lonely, and remain beside people in their suffering.

Give us courage to speak about Jesus when the opportunity comes, humility to listen when words aren't needed, and faith to trust You with what happens next. May the way we love You and love one another tell the story of the Gospel.

Amen.

If you're looking for a church in Fenton, Michigan, or searching for a welcoming Christian community where you can grow in faith, ask honest questions, and experience meaningful worship, we'd love to welcome you.

At Fenton First Presbyterian Church, we seek to know Jesus Christ and grow, share, and serve as His disciples. Whether you've attended church your whole life or you're exploring faith for the first time, there is a place for you here.

Join us this Sunday as we continue discovering God's Word together and learning how Christ meets us in every season of life—even in the midst of the storms.

Come as you are. We look forward to welcoming you.