Our Approach Needs to Change

[Guest Bro David™]

Well, standing on a street corner or behind the pulpit and yelling, "You're going to Hell!" is not the best way in the world to express the Lord's seriousness about sin.

Yet, one of the most powerful sermons, I hear, was John Wesley(?)'s famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."  From what I heard, he wasn't screaming the message, though, but when he preached it, the people actually felt like they were touched by flames!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is an amazing sermon.

[Christ's Free Servant]

Well, standing on a street corner or behind the pulpit and yelling, "You're going to Hell!" is not the best way in the world to express the Lord's seriousness about sin.

Yet, one of the most powerful sermons, I hear, was John Wesley(?)'s famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."  From what I heard, he wasn't screaming the message, though, but when he preached it, the people actually felt like they were touched by flames!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard a story once about this great preacher who was scheduled to hold revival services in a town and the town had been praying for a long time prior to his arrival and when he arrived all he said was "obey God" or something like that and then he left. After that a great revival broke out - one that is recorded as one of the great revivals of our time. Maybe someone here can recall the details of that or I can find it out, but I do know it is true. The words don't matter a whole lot if the people are ready. It is God who draws men to him, not us.

My husband went witnessing with another guy this one time when door to door visitations were a popular mode of evangelism, and they were in this one home sharing the gospel and the other guy was trying to present the gospel to the people in that home and he got so far and said "I'm stuck." My husband picked up where he left off and the people received Christ. This is a good example that you don't have to have all the right words, because it is the Holy Spirit who leads them to Christ anyway.

I heard another young man tell his testimony of how a girl on his campus shared the gospel with him and he said it was the worst presentation of the gospel he had ever heard. When she finished she asked him if he wanted to receive Christ and when he said "yes" she was so surprised she did not know what to do. God had prepared his heart and the time was right. The words didn't matter.

So, I wonder: If we are not the ones who "lead" people to Christ, but the Holy Spirit is the one who does that and no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him, then can we really scare someone away who God wants to save?

[OneAccord]

If we are not the ones who "lead" people to Christ, but the Holy Spirit is the one who does that and no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him, then can we really scare someone away who God wants to save?

I guess with this logic, God doesn't really want to save my daughter, otherwise having a women scream at her that she's going to hell would have saved her for sure.

[serotta]

What did Jesus do? What was his approach? Did he have a balance in his message? Or was it all one-sided? I guess when trying to decide the best approach to most anything, he is our best example.

But being fully God, Jesus had an edge in this area. He could look into a person's heart and know exactly what needed to be said. We should definitely pray for that type of insight when witnessing. But Paul and Peter are good examples to follow too.

[Christ's Free Servant]

If we are not the ones who "lead" people to Christ, but the Holy Spirit is the one who does that and no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him, then can we really scare someone away who God wants to save?

I guess with this logic, God doesn't really want to save my daughter, otherwise having a women scream at her that she's going to hell would have saved her for sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This was not logic. It was a question; a ponderance. It began with "I wonder." So, please do not take offense, ok? No offense was intended. I was merely posing a question for observation. It's purpose is to make us think, that's all.

[Christ's Free Servant]

What did Jesus do? What was his approach? Did he have a balance in his message? Or was it all one-sided? I guess when trying to decide the best approach to most anything, he is our best example.

But being fully God, Jesus had an edge in this area. He could look into a person's heart and know exactly what needed to be said. We should definitely pray for that type of insight when witnessing. But Paul and Peter are good examples to follow too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree! It is just that when approach becomes a question of debate or anything becomes a question of debate, for that matter, the best thing to do is check it out with the manual to see what examples we should follow, and you are right, Paul and Peter are excellent examples, too. Thanks for sharing that!