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Witness
Combined comments from a discussion on evangelism.
The point of evangelism isn’t convincing someone of a point of doctrine or something else Noble and Christian.
The point is to get them to see their condition and the way to get it fixed (depravity, salvation).
With all the reasons I had for not coming to Christ, the heart of the matter was that I was a sinner and He wouldn’t tolerate it. All my perceived flaws in the Bible and the church and all the impossible barriers to belief came down to the simple truth.
I didn’t get saved because I was convinced the Bible was true (though that happened) and I didn’t get saved because I finally forgave the church for being a house of sinners instead of perfect, righteous people.
My brother must have nearly despaired of me ever seeing through the screens of junk that prevented my acceptance of the Truth. I must say I have a deep respect for him and how he handled it. Ben is an example to me of how witnessing can be a tough but rewarding mission.
So if someone just can’t seem to get past the doctrine and arguments?
Shake the dust off.
No, really.
Matthew 10:14 and Mark 6:11 and Luke 9:5.
If you’ve exhausted your ability to combat a pagan’s worldview, give them up to the Lord. Remember, it’s NOT our mission to make converts. We’re in SALES. We advertise, bring ‘em in. The Holy Spirit makes the final push.
And don’t discount prayer. Prayer works wonders, so remember to use it.
You can linger in someone’s life for as long as it takes for them to come to Christ, making yourself available to them at any time, even. But if you base your walk on succeeding in winning converts, you’re probably in for some disappointment. We’re not promised to see the fruit of our evangelistic actions right away. God isn’t the Quick Fix Delivery Guy, rather everything works out in His timing.
The story of the Sunday School teacher:
She despaired of reaching any of her students for Christ over the years.
Yet on the day of her funeral, dozens of Christian families stood, fathers and mothers not having seen the lady since they were in elementary school spoke of her witness.
That’s what I remember when I encounter someone who is too set, too stubborn, or just not ready to commit to Christ. They’ll get it, but that will be of the Spirit. Or they won’t get it, and can that be God’s fault?
I am avid about witnessing and showing Christ to the people around me. I’m not necessarily good at it (massive failure on a regular basis), but I WANT to get good at it.
But my success or failure is not about me.
I agree churches can be miserably inept at growing new converts, or even discipling those who have supposedly been “in the service” for a long time. But there are churches I’ve seen who excel at discipleship and evangelization.
The desire should (great commission) be to go out and make disciples.
The RACE is what we’re running, not the prize (anybody else notice how many ways Paul’s analogy can fit?).
After salvation, we have a HUGE amount of work to do, because now is the education phase. God expects us to follow up on baptism with real indoctrination. I think that’s a pretty fair reason for all the “extra” books after Acts, anyway.
And for that person who just won’t see the truth? Maybe they grew up in a Christian home, professed faith at some point, fell away later. They may be lingering between atheism or agnosticism, but just can’t seem to be convinced, hard as we try.
I’ll bet anyone who came to Christ after they grew up (call it late 20s and on) can relate to someone’s refusal to countenance the Gospel. I know I can.
Remember two things:
God certainly will give us up to our own sin, not because He’s “fed up” but because we’re not going to give in and He knows when this is the case.
God operates on His own timing. I look back on my 28 years of godlessness. At first, when I got saved, my big question was “Why, God, did you leave me here for all these years, stuck in sin.” But with more careful inspection of my life, it’s clear He orchestrated everything leading up to my salvation. Not just relationships, but everything: the places to which I moved, my Wife and children, my jobs, my religious experiences…All of it!
So what am I saying: It sucks if someone so close to redemption turns their face from the Lord. But waiting for His will to be done does not suck at all. Look forward to the day when His will is manifest (even if it takes waiting for Heaven itself) and you will not be disappointed. We’ll all understand these crummy situations in the end, INCLUDING why the “good ones” seem to miss the Gospel sometimes.
Two passages. One for the topic itself and one for me:
2 Corinthians 4:3-5 “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.”My comments may sound good, but don’t mistake me for all sunshine and pretty flowers. I have a tough time living up to that viewpoint. It’s a daily battle to remember God is already running the show, not just ultimately triumphant. Nearly every aspect of my daily walk is like Romans 7:15-17
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with e, but how to perform what is good I do not find…”Talking is all good for me, but the truth is that my understanding and my acting on that understanding are not always hand-in-hand.
