Monday August 4, 2014
'Make
up your mind not to put any stumbling block...in your brother's way.' Romans
14:13 NIV
Deal with the Stumbling Blocks (2)
If you want to win someone to Christ, there are
certain stumbling blocks you may have to remove. Let's be honest, people are
turned off by religion for a lot of reasons - legitimate ones. Let's look at
some: (1) Hypocrisy. Think about the twelve disciples; one of them betrayed
Jesus, one denied Him, and one doubted Him. That's a 25% failure rate! But the
good news is, Jesus continues to love us and work with us in spite of our
problems. (2) Terminology. If you grew up in the church, you're probably
familiar with Bible terminology. But don't assume everybody else is, or you'll
talk over their heads. When Jesus talked to shepherds, He discussed sheep. When
He talked to farmers, He discussed sowing and reaping. Identify the person's
interests and spiritual needs, then use language they understand. (3) Negative
emphasis. If your major emphasis is on what people don't do, they'll run in the
opposite direction. A well-known preacher says, 'I grew up understanding what
our church was against, but never what it was for. Basically, we were against
everything!' Smiling, he added, 'We preached against smoking and drinking. We
especially preached against adultery, because we believed that could lead to
dancing.' Seriously, the Gospel is not about what you lose when you come to
Christ, but what you gain. Jesus said, '...I have come that they may have life
and have it to the full.' (John 10:10 NIV) If you're serious about winning
people to Christ, you must recognize the stumbling blocks that stand in their
way and try to remove them.
Taken
from the Word for You Today Devotional
No comments:
Post a Comment