--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evangelism is not simply looking at…" description: "\"Evangelism is not simply looking at someone and saying, \"Look, you have to become a Christian\". Instead, an evangelist tells us the truth about who God..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/mark-dever-3175_christian_evangelism-is-not-simply-looking-at-some_2677293.png" --- # Evangelism is not simply looking at someone and saying… ![“Evangelism is not simply looking at someone and saying, "Look, you have to become a Christian". Instead, an evangelist tells us the truth about who God is, and explains where we stand as a result of that. People can ignore us - indeed, they have every legal right to do so.” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/mark-dever-3175_christian_evangelism-is-not-simply-looking-at-some_2677293.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/mark-dever-3175_christian_evangelism-is-not-simply-looking-at-some_2677293.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/mark-dever-3175_christian_evangelism-is-not-simply-looking-at-some_2677293.png) > “Evangelism is not simply looking at someone and saying, "Look, you have to become a Christian". Instead, an evangelist tells us the truth about who God is, and explains where we stand as a result of that. People can ignore us - indeed, they have every legal right to do so.” [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evangelism should reveal God's character and our position, not force conversion. **In simple terms:** Share truth, not pressure. Key Takeaway Speak truthfully, respect freedom. Themes faith communication respect Mood reflective hopeful Type theological motivational When to use this quote - church outreach - interfaith dialogue - personal testimony Key Concepts theology personal conviction Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance truth and persuasion? - What does respectful evangelism look like? A Different Perspective People may reject the message despite respectful approach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) [Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelist/) [Evangelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelists/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [If you are not offending people, then you are not an evangelist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/if-you-are-not-offending-people-then-you-are-not-an-evangelist/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [A true evangelist is almost as great a rarity as a true pastor. Alas! Alas! How rare are both! The two are closely connected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-henry-mackintosh/a-true-evangelist-is-almost-as-great-a-rarity-as-a-true-pastor-alas/) [Charles Henry Mackintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-henry-mackintosh/) > [Deep within the heart of every evangelist lies the wreck of a car salesman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/deep-within-the-heart-of-every-evangelist-lies-the-wreck-of-a-car/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The word "evangelist" means someone who spreads good news. Studying the impacts of climate change as I do, it's hard to come up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/the-word-evangelist-means-someone-who-spreads-good-news-studying-the/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [When a consumer derives value - especially from something that was given to him for free - he becomes the best kind of evangelist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-joel/when-a-consumer-derives-value-especially-from-something-that-was/) [Mitch Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-joel/) > [The evangelist is the world's hopeless romantic, and just like a hopeless romantic, he must hope for the miracle of God more than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-evangelist-is-the-world-s-hopeless-romantic-and-just-like-a/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [The job of the evangelist is never easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chifley/the-job-of-the-evangelist-is-never-easy/) [Ben Chifley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chifley/) > [EVANGELIST, n. A bearer of good tidings, particularly (in a religious sense) such as assure us of our own salvation and the damnation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/evangelist-n-a-bearer-of-good-tidings-particularly-in-a-religious/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [The sticks break, the stones crumble, The eternal altars tilt and tumble, Sanctions and tales dislimn like mist About the amazed evangelist. He stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-sticks-break-the-stones-crumble-the-eternal-altars-tilt-and/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [I sound like an evangelist or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plotz/i-sound-like-an-evangelist-or-something/) [David Plotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plotz/) > [Nature is God's greatest evangelist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/nature-is-god-s-greatest-evangelist/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [There is no better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/there-is-no-better-evangelist-in-the-world-than-the-holy-spirit/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [It was my duty to give them the best show possible. Say you've got a timid little preacher in North Carolina or somewhere. He'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjoe-gortner/it-was-my-duty-to-give-them-the-best-show-possible-say-you-ve-got-a/) [Marjoe Gortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjoe-gortner/) > [A believer is an evangelist primarily by who he is and how he lives-not by what he says. What he says is important; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sittler/a-believer-is-an-evangelist-primarily-by-who-he-is-and-how-he-lives/) [Joseph Sittler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sittler/) ## More by Mark Dever > [“not the writings that come from prophets inspired by the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ, then why do we find those passages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/not-the-writings-that-come-from-prophets-inspired-by-the-one-true-god/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I think it's unhelpful to suggest that the task of evangelism is essentially the responsibility of ministers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-think-it-s-unhelpful-to-suggest-that-the-task-of-evangelism-is/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [What really concerns me is for Christians to understand the fundamentals of evangelism in a way that is helpful in the contemporary scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-really-concerns-me-is-for-christians-to-understand-the/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Prayer is the preview of God's action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/prayer-is-the-preview-of-god-s-action/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I assume that normally the Lord will be bringing people to himself through the instrumentality of the preached word. However, we have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-assume-that-normally-the-lord-will-be-bringing-people-to-himself/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“The motive for discipling others begins in the love of God and nothing less. He has loved us in Christ, and so we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/the-motive-for-discipling-others-begins-in-the-love-of-god-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [If joy or urgency are missing from our presentation of the gospel, then our testimony to Christ will be missing that sort of fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/if-joy-or-urgency-are-missing-from-our-presentation-of-the-gospel/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“Yet the Bible teaches that the local church is the natural environment for discipling. In fact, it teaches that the local church is itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/yet-the-bible-teaches-that-the-local-church-is-the-natural/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Sin claims to free but in fact it kills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/sin-claims-to-free-but-in-fact-it-kills/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Some believers are faithful in the way that they live, but at the end of the day, they will not share the gospel with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/some-believers-are-faithful-in-the-way-that-they-live-but-at-the-end/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/we-do-not-fail-in-our-evangelism-if-we-faithfully-tell-the-gospel-to/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Once we see more of our need and understand more of what Christ has done for us, he will become more precious to us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/once-we-see-more-of-our-need-and-understand-more-of-what-christ-has/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Unfortunately, many of our churches calibrate their life to these nominal Christians. The predictable result is that you get fake, hypocritical churches that confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/unfortunately-many-of-our-churches-calibrate-their-life-to-these/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) [Explore all 137 Mark Dever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More Christian quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Evangelism is not simply looking at someone and saying, \"Look, you have to become a Christian\". Instead, an evangelist tells us the truth about who God is, and explains where we stand as a result of that. 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