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Perhaps, because we want to win our lost friends to Jesus Christ without offending them, we often try to make the gospel more savoury.  We do this by de-emphasising “sin” and “repentance” as well as “Christ’s Lordship” and their “discipleship” should they choose to follow Him.  In doing so, we are really propagating unwittingly a “cheap grace” or “ticket to heaven” gospel.
What our lost friends need to know and believe is this message of the cross: God loves them but they are desperately sinful and lost. They must repent of their sin and rebellion against a Holy God and receive Jesus Christ, their only hope of salvation, as Saviour and Lord.  Otherwise, they will surely perish.

In 1 Cor. 1:18, the Apostle Paul spoke of the gospel as foolishness to those who are perishing, and as the power of God to those who are being saved. Therefore, the gospel needs no defence.  What it needs is declaration of the whole truth simply and clearly and, perhaps again and again.  Our task is to make the faith intelligible but not more palatable, since only the Holy Spirit does that.
In trying to communicate a “respectable” gospel to our lost friends, we run the risk of weakening the gospel message and also risk ourselves losing the conviction that without Jesus Christ they are definitely heading for an eternity separated from God.  Is the latter risk one reason why so many of us lack compassion for the lost and are not practising lifestyle evangelism in sharing the message of the cross?
In Matt. 9:37, Jesus taught the disciples that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”  Therefore, let us understand and believe the message of the cross.  Let us see our lost friends’ bondage to sin, recognise their despair and offer them hope of God’s salvation.  We having experienced God’s forgiveness must have a compassionate heart for them.  Only then will we make available the time, energy and financial resources required to win them urgently for Jesus Christ.

Lord, lay some soul today upon my heart
And love that soul through me,
And may I with the clear message do my part
To win that soul for Thee! (Adapted, Tucker)