- Am I excited about what God is doing in my life at the moment?
- Is God the most precious person to me at the moment? Am I cherishing him?
- When I talk about being a Christian, are other people likely to think I am excited about it? Why, or why not?
Note that none of them are about maturity or knowledge. The newest Christian can answer all of those very positively - and usually do!
The biggest hurdle to fired up mission is non-ignited Christians. And a big hurdle to ignited Christians is non-ignited churches. If they can't answer those questions positively they will do evangelism grudgingly if they do it at all.
For anyone in that category my top tip is not to get involved in outreach. Its OK not to: sort out your walk with God first. God told Gideon to let anyone who is in his army who was scared go home, and 22,000 went. They didn't see God work in power, but it wasn't implicitly shameful.
Sort out your relationship with God first. Evangelism that is merely reciting some facts you have learned because you think someone else expects you too is usually dreadful. Non-Christians know there isn't any real joy, any delight in God, any being gripped by God’s grace, any current experience in your life of the value of the blood of Christ, because you know there isn't any. And far from attracting people to Christ, that smells really bad.
It is the joy of the Lord that is the strength for mission, as for everything in matters of God. No joy in the Lord, no strength.
When people are rapt with the following you won't be able to stop mission
- that they are loved unconditionally by God
- that he has poured his love into their hearts by the Holy Spirit
- that he has made them sons of God and co-heirs with Christ, no longer slaves to the Law and to sin
- that he has declared that they are perfect forever because you they in Jesus
- that he has given them spiritual gifts for building the church, serving others in love and extending God's kingdom
- that he has given them a new home, a new heart, a new hope, a new family of God
- that their sins are completely forgiven because of the cross and resurrection of Jesus
I don't want people to do evangelism unless they are clear about most or all of those things. Because those things are the gospel. The gospel is not just a message of sins forgiven. It is also a message about God giving you every spiritual blessing in the beloved. It isn't just about being able to go free. Forgiveness, while amazing, is not the biggest benefit of the gospel. The biggest benefit is being adopted into the family of God. Being able to come freely to his throne of grace. There is only one really good reason for doing evangelism: because Jesus commands it and you love him.
(one counter-example for you. Three Asian girls once came to a meeting I was speaking at and asked "please tell us who is Jesus?" We told them. At the end of the meeting we were all going to do door to door evangelism and they asked if they could join in. When we pointed out that they weren't Christians yet they replied that Jesus sounded wonderful, and they could at least say that if they were allowed to come! I think God likes that a lot. Its apparent Christians who aren't sure if he is wonderful that I worry about)