Bill Hybels - Greatest Obstacle to Evangelism Today?

Article from interview by Outreach Magazine in Christianity Today.

Then what keeps people from engaging? What do you identify as the greatest obstacle to evangelism today?

Bill Hybels: Fear. The average Christian in today's churches is afraid she won't get something right or that someone will ask her a question she can't answer and she'll blow the whole thing.

And I say to people, "OK, then let's talk about fear!" If you could hear the voice of God prompt you to walk across the room and start a conversation and you obeyed—even if, by your standard, it didn't lead anywhere—if that hearing and obeying constituted success, could you do that? Most people say, "Yes, I could do that."

Then what if the conversation progressed to you asking him about his spiritual background? If that conversation goes nowhere, would you still be OK, knowing that you heard God and obeyed? What if he asks you for a book or CD, and that doesn't go any further, would you still feel like you succeeded spiritually because you heard and obeyed?

The idea of doing only what the Spirit prompts and not being responsible for necessarily leading someone to Christ or correctly answering a ton of questions just boggles people's minds. When you break down evangelism to small interactions, people tend to relax a little.