How Door Knocking Can Change Eternity

Since becoming the executive director-treasurer for the Kentucky Baptist Convention in August 2019, I have had a long list of things to be accomplished. Given the challenges of our times, that list has changed some, but serving Kentucky Baptists remains the greatest joy of my ministry experience.  

One of my personal goals during my tenure is to knock on doors in each of the 120 counties in Kentucky. I am somewhere around halfway finished with the goal and have been to several counties multiple times.  

I have knocked on doors from west Kentucky to the west end of Louisville to the farthest points in the eastern part of our state. I come away each time surprised at how open people are to having conversations about the most important information there ever was — the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of sinners.

Evangelizing the lost by going door-to-door is not the only way to share the gospel, but it is one way. Here are five reasons you should consider this practice:  

1. The obvious reason: International Mission Board President Dr. Paul Chitwood reminds us that the world’s greatest problem is lostness and that we have the solution to the world’s greatest problem — the gospel. The gospel is good news for lost sinners, but as Carl F.H. Henry reminded us years ago, “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” The obvious reason for door-to-door evangelism is that every person everywhere needs to hear the gospel. 

2. The surprising reason: I have discovered — in nearly 30 years of sharing the gospel this way — that the people I met seldom, if ever, came to the church I was pastoring or the places I was preaching. But I also discovered that those places had new visitors show up that we did not seek out and that many of these did come to faith in Christ. The surprising reason for door-to-door evangelism is that God honors the work of personal evangelism and sends people to us. 

3. The personal reason: It is good for me personally. There are few spiritual disciplines that feed my soul more than standing on a front porch and talking with another person about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Sharing Jesus with lost people on their own turf not only helps them, but it also helps me.  

4. The discipleship reason: There is no better way to train a disciple than to take him along with you to do personal evangelism. The image of you sharing Jesus with strangers will challenge his own faith and set an example that will remain with him for years to come. You may even double your own efforts by taking someone along.  

5. The practical reason: Jesus taught us about evangelism using farming metaphors. The gospel is a seed, and the seed must be sown. Going to homes and sharing the gospel is one way among many to get the good news of Christ to those who most need to hear it. 

Recently I had a preaching assignment in the far end of eastern Kentucky. The pastor of the church had arranged for one of the members, a former school principal, to go along with me to do front door evangelism. He and I knocked on about a dozen doors and talked to six people about Jesus in the span of about an hour. I do not know what will come of our time, but I do know we shared the good news of Jesus with people who needed to hear it, we enjoyed life-giving fellowship, our own hearts were strengthened and that God will honor that work.