SeniorSeeker
Active member
Go Into The Highways and Hedges
There was a young man who loved the Lord and who wanted to tell others about Jesus. Articulate, charismatic, he was a powerful witness. People loved to hear him speak. Yet, there was a constant problem: he was always afraid to ask people to make a commitment to Jesus. This surprised other church members, because in every other way he seemed so bold for the Lord, so willing to speak openly about his faith. Eventually, when asked about it, he gave the argument that we saw in Wednesday’s study that this was not his gift. He liked to sow seeds; he would leave it to others to reap the harvest. After a while, though, he confessed that, more than anything else, he was afraid of being rejected. He always felt a bit inadequate as a witness for the Lord (which is a good thing), and thus he was afraid that people would not make commitments to Jesus after he had asked them to do so. Others in the church explained to him that witnessing isn’t about us, but about Jesus. We are always going to be imperfect witnesses. Though we can prayerfully and lovingly point them to Jesus, we cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit, who alone can bring conviction and conversion. We, though, are to be the human conduits of the love of Christ to others.
Thoughts To Ponder
1. What would you say to someone who said that he or she was afraid to ask others to make a commitment to Jesus?
2. John 1:9 reads: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (NKJV). How does this verse help us to understand that the Lord is seeking to reach every person with salvation?
3. How friendly is your church to visitors? What could you do better in regard to how you deal with strangers who walk in the door?
4. When was the last time someone off the street simply walked into your church? How did the church respond?
5. In class, talk about your own conversion stories. How have you used them, or how could you use them to be a witness to others?
There was a young man who loved the Lord and who wanted to tell others about Jesus. Articulate, charismatic, he was a powerful witness. People loved to hear him speak. Yet, there was a constant problem: he was always afraid to ask people to make a commitment to Jesus. This surprised other church members, because in every other way he seemed so bold for the Lord, so willing to speak openly about his faith. Eventually, when asked about it, he gave the argument that we saw in Wednesday’s study that this was not his gift. He liked to sow seeds; he would leave it to others to reap the harvest. After a while, though, he confessed that, more than anything else, he was afraid of being rejected. He always felt a bit inadequate as a witness for the Lord (which is a good thing), and thus he was afraid that people would not make commitments to Jesus after he had asked them to do so. Others in the church explained to him that witnessing isn’t about us, but about Jesus. We are always going to be imperfect witnesses. Though we can prayerfully and lovingly point them to Jesus, we cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit, who alone can bring conviction and conversion. We, though, are to be the human conduits of the love of Christ to others.
Thoughts To Ponder
1. What would you say to someone who said that he or she was afraid to ask others to make a commitment to Jesus?
2. John 1:9 reads: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (NKJV). How does this verse help us to understand that the Lord is seeking to reach every person with salvation?
3. How friendly is your church to visitors? What could you do better in regard to how you deal with strangers who walk in the door?
4. When was the last time someone off the street simply walked into your church? How did the church respond?
5. In class, talk about your own conversion stories. How have you used them, or how could you use them to be a witness to others?