hardest people to witness to

[Sower]

2 minutes ago, Butero said:

The hardest people to reach with the gospel are those with a hard heart.  Unless the Spirit of God begins to deal with the heart of a sinner, and softens that heart of stone, and creates in them a heart of flesh, you will never reach them.  

Agreed. That's where sowing the word comes in.
Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?   And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
It was the word that I heard, "I must be born again"that was planted in my heart, and grew, and was watered, and blossomed into life. Everlasting life. One old faithful sower, planted a seed. Thank You Lord.
 

[Blood Bought 1953]

10 hours ago, Butero said:

Actually, this thread is completely derailed.  As a rule, I don't witness to the saved, whether they be believers in OSAS or those who reject it, so Blood Bought took it into left field with his first response.  If we were actually discussing the OP, this wouldn't have become another OSAS thread.  

 

The subject of this thread is about the hardest people to witness to.Gary Lee brought up an excellent point that I expounded on.He mentioned that you got to convince people they are lost before you can get them saved.I think people such as that are VERY difficult to witness to—- completely in sync with the spirit of the thread.....call me paranoid, but i am starting to sense that Butero doesn’t want me around......when I refer to myself as “ lazy”...... that is what you call a self- depreciation joke.....If I were lazy I wouldn’t be in here posting stuff all the time.A more apt description would be “ weary”..... I’m not going to respond individually to dozens of items when I can sum them up with a one- sentence response.That response is Paul said if we believe his Gospel we will be saved   - not put on probation or forced to become Biblical lawyers to try to find another verse to trip us up.God made the promise.The responsibility to fulfill that promise is on His shoulders.If there is something out there I must do to remain saveD  or something out there I must not do to keep me saved, God will take care of it. That’s called faith.I actually believe God can and will save me, despite my ignorance, stupidity and weak flesh.Trying to witness to people that worship at the alter of “ lucky , last second repentance”  is very difficult. Can a person who substitutes HIS repentance over God’s grace be truly saved?I don’t know and I am joyful that I don’t have to worry about it.Faith plus nothing

 btw....I agree with James about that “ dead faith” thingy.....works don’t save, but they will follow faith as sure as night follows day

 

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

 

One of the most respected and revered preachers of all time , Charles Spurgeon , said that as he climbed into the pulpit he couldn’t believe that the congregation did not stone him.....that is humility.If you don’t understand the point he was making and the point I am also trying to make I am not not going to waste my time trying to explain it.Those whose hearts have truly been softened understand his humility.Some will never get it.

[Blood Bought 1953]

9 minutes ago, Butero said:

Since you believe that works follow faith as sure as night follows day, you must really think that a person who would say he lives so bad people would stone him if they knew how he really lives cannot be saved.  

 

You just don’t get it, do you?You seem to be totally void about anything that e ven approaches self- insight. I am not talking about being a murderer,a rapist or a robber or anything like that.Like Spurgeon I am talking about one who has the wisdom and enough self- recognition to see that even though God has saved us and changed us for the better, there is still a part of us deep inside that still has secret thoughts that would shame Hell and we will need a whole lot of grace throughout our lives whether we have been saved 5 minutes or 50 years.Spurgeon understood it . I understand it. How about you? Grace is what gets us Home——not lucky repentance in that last second before we die.Faith plus nothing

[Willa]

Some of the hardest for me to witness to have been family.  I have to live the life consistently before them.         I have to agree with Butero that those with a hard heart are very difficult.  They tend to be scornful and have the attitude of it fine for you but I don't want any part of it (if they are polite).  

[Steve_S]

I just totally wiped the last few pages of this thread. Please stop bringing stuff from other threads over to new threads. Leave things in other threads in those other threads.

[Sower]

On 5/31/2018 at 1:28 PM, Yowm said:

Perhaps but in that group (or any group), I found in street witnessing, the hardest group to get through to is the wealthy...

Mat_19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Their trust is in their riches...

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Mat 19:21-23  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Even when Jesus, the ultimate witness, shared the truth, the lose of wealth was too much to bear for the rich man.

I have had much contact with wealthy clients over the years working for them in my trade. I do not recall them having any greater rejection when listening to a casual witness of the good news. It was more of an atmosphere of hurriedness,  not time to discuss 'religion'. That was for Sunday, maybe. Just not interested. I receive more hostile replies from the more educated fellows, with degrees types, philosophical thinkers. Young. Not interested in archaic traditions. Modern thinkers. Those that might say "You really believe that stuff?"  However, if the right situation came along, such as a lose of all their wealth, family tragedies, I believe they might be more receptive to the gospel than those who were lost but believed they were saved.  My first step in witnessing, after prayer and acknowledging the Lord, is to share how I found out I was lost, and why I was lost, and how I then heard the good news. This is to help them understand their own lost condition. If they do not understand they are lost, doomed to eternal punishment, they have no reason to "change their thinking"(repent)
One tiny seed can start an avalanche of thought, which causes questions. Good. Faith comes by hearing. The word.