What Not to Do When Sharing the Gospel: Lessons from the Book of Acts

When we think about how not to share the gospel today, many of us look for formulas, slogans, or strategies that “work.” But the book of Acts offers something far better: a living, Spirit-empowered example of what faithful gospel proclamation actually looks like.

We’ve already explored how the apostles shared the good news in Acts—but what’s equally important is noticing what they didn’t do.

Modern presentations of the gospel often add layers that either distort the message or dilute its power. These may be well-intentioned but can actually do harm. If we want to understand how not to share the gospel, we must pay attention to what’s missing in Acts as much as what’s present. Here are some of the things we don’t see in Acts that we might need to unlearn if we want to reclaim a more faithful, Spirit-led approach to evangelism.

1. Don’t Lead with Guilt, Shame, or Fear of Hell

The sermons in Acts don’t rely on fear-based appeals. While Peter and others do confront sin (Acts 2:23–24, 36–38), they do it as part of a larger story of hope, restoration, and resurrection.

• There are no fire-and-brimstone threats.
• There’s no talk of eternal conscious torment.
• No one says, “Get right with God before you die or it’ll be too late.”
• There is zero mention of hell in the sermons.

Instead, the tone is one of invitation: “This promise is for you and your children…” (Acts 2:39).

Why this matters today: Fear-based messages may produce quick reactions, but they rarely lead to transformed, Spirit-filled lives. The apostles didn’t try to scare people into heaven—they lifted Jesus up as the risen King who conquered death. Their focus wasn’t on where you go when you die, but who reigns now and what God is restoring. Knowing how not to share the gospel helps us refocus on resurrection life rather than afterlife anxiety.

2. Don’t Preach a Gospel of Legalism or Rule-Keeping

Acts shows us a gospel rooted in grace, not performance.

• There is no long list of do’s and don’ts.
• In Acts 15, the early church rejects legalism when some try to impose the law of Moses on new believers.
• Salvation is not about behavior modification; it’s about receiving new life through Jesus.

Modern trap: Many gospel messages today sound like “Clean up your act and maybe God will accept you.” But Acts proclaims: “God has acted—repent, believe, and receive” (Acts 10:43, 13:39). Understanding how not to share the gospel includes recognizing the dangers of legalism disguised as holiness.

3. Don’t Exalt Sin or Satan Over Jesus

While sin and spiritual darkness are real, they are not the focus of Acts sermons.

• The sermons center on Jesus’ resurrection and reign, not the power of sin.
• Satan is only mentioned a couple of times, and never as the centerpiece.
• The emphasis is on victory, not victimhood.

For instance, Peter says, “God raised him up, releasing him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24).

Why this matters: When we talk more about what’s wrong than what Jesus has made right, we reduce the gospel to bad news. Acts proclaims that death has been defeated, and Jesus reigns. Learning how not to share the gospel means de-centering fear and re-centering Christ.

4. Don’t Reduce the Gospel to “Personal Salvation”

The gospel in Acts is not just about individuals going to heaven.

• It’s about God restoring all things (Acts 3:21).
• It’s about the arrival of God’s kingdom and the formation of a new people (Acts 2:42–47).
• It’s communal, cosmic, and world-changing.

Common mistake: When we frame the gospel as “Jesus died for your sins so you can go to heaven,” we miss the full story of God’s renewing work. Acts shows us that the gospel is bigger than you, but it still includes you. Clarifying how not to share the gospel involves rejecting oversimplified, hyper-individualistic narratives.

5. Don’t Ignore Culture or Context

In Acts, Paul doesn’t preach the same way in Athens as he does in a synagogue.

• He speaks the language of the people (literally and figuratively).
• He adapts his approach without compromising the message.
• He builds bridges using philosophy, poetry, and cultural references (Acts 17:22–28).

Modern problem: Too many evangelistic methods use a one-size-fits-all approach. But Acts teaches us to be students of culture and to let the Spirit guide each conversation. One way to know how not to share the gospel is to avoid ignoring the uniqueness of each audience.

If we want to avoid how not to share the gospel, we must look at how the earliest believers intentionally embodied it in relationships, households, and public proclamation—as described in this Crossway article: 3 Ways Early Christians Were Intentional about Sharing the Gospel

6. Don’t Promise a Problem-Free Life

The apostles faced prison, persecution, and hardship almost everywhere they went.

• Yet their message never promised ease (Acts 14:22).
• They preached joy in suffering, courage in trials, and hope in resurrection.

What to avoid: “Come to Jesus and your problems will go away” is not only false—it sets people up for disillusionment. Acts shows us a gospel that offers deep joy, not cheap comfort. Knowing how not to share the gospel means refusing to make Jesus a tool for temporary peace instead of a King offering eternal purpose.

7. Don’t Forget the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is central in Acts:

• Empowering bold speech (Acts 4:31)
• Falling on Gentile believers (Acts 10:44–45)
• Directing mission strategy (Acts 13:2–4)

Today’s oversight: Many gospel presentations barely mention the Spirit. But in Acts, the Spirit is the power of the gospel. Without him, there is no transformation, no mission, and no church. To know how not to share the gospel is to never neglect the Spirit’s role in awakening, empowering, and renewing.

8. Don’t Focus on Winning Arguments

Paul does reason and persuade (Acts 17:2–4; 28:23–24), but his goal isn’t to “win.”

• He cares about people, not points.
• He walks away when hearts are closed (Acts 28:25–28).

Modern trap: Evangelism can sometimes turn into debate club. But Acts reminds us that gospel conversations are about invitation, not intellectual domination. An important lesson in how not to share the gospel is to avoid trying to prove you’re right instead of showing God is good.

Summary Table: What We Should Stop Doing

Misstep	Why It Harms the Gospel Message
Leading with fear or shame	Undermines love, grace, and hope; absent from Acts
Preaching behavior modification	Adds legalism; strips gospel of its power
Overemphasizing sin or Satan	Distracts from Christ’s victory and freedom
Focusing only on individual salvation	Ignores the communal and cosmic nature of the gospel
Using canned scripts	Misses cultural nuance and spiritual sensitivity
Overpromising comfort	Creates false expectations; weakens faith in trials
Forgetting the Spirit	Reduces Christianity to moralism or ideology
Arguing instead of inviting	Turns people off; hardens hearts

Let Acts Be Our Filter

When we let Acts shape our evangelism, we begin to:

• Preach hope, not just sin.
• Invite people into a movement, not just a decision.
• Trust the Spirit, not our own cleverness.
• Follow the example of those who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

Maybe the best thing we can do is not just learn what to do, but unlearn what never should have been added in the first place. And that begins by asking: do I really know how not to share the gospel?

Need a refresher on what to start doing? Check out the companion post: How to Share the Gospel Using Only the Book of Acts