The ninety percent

Evangelistic studies show about 90% of professing Christians do not share the gospel with any regularity. Sadly, in fact many never share the gospel, but on the other hand, less than 10% of professing Christians share the gospel more than once per year. But if you asked either group, they would readily assert Jesus taught us to make disciples and present the gospel. So why the disconnect?

A wise thinker once said, “disruption of expectations leads to frustration.” If we think when we share the gospel, our heart-felt faith in Christ, the result will be an immediate acceptance; our expectation will be disrupted. And we might cast about for a reason or reasons why such a wonderful gift was rejected. Were we to blame? Did our life testimony, flawed as it is, undermine the message? Did we botch the message? And so forth and so on, until we start finding less convicting reasons for more study and a closer walk with Christ.

Does the Bible say we are to share the gospel and expect an immediate acceptance? No. We are to cultivate, form caring relationships, the lost need to know how much we care, before they will care about what we know. We are to plant, not once, but over and over again, constantly encouraging the lost to consider their situation, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glorious perfection of God. And we must share the impending result of the situation, for the wages of sin is death in the lake of fire after suffering torment in Hades. Not a door to choose.

And once a person seems to accept their situation, which requires an acceptance and belief in God and His justice, then we can offer the free gift, the gracious gift of salvation through the blood of Christ. And again, this point is often required to be made in various ways numerous times. People do not sell their lives quickly or easily. They need to be sure, unchangeably sure, dead sure.

What does it take to go through this process? Persistence driven by a genuine love for the lost. If you love Me, you will keep my commandments. He who does for the least of mine, does unto Me. It takes two things to be equipped to share the gospel – (1) God’s word and (2) the Holy Spirit.

Now God’s word concerning the gospel can be captured in just a few passages, supporting Romans 3:23, 6:23 and John 3:16. But how do you bring the Holy Spirit to your presentation? Are you a believer, indwelt, and sealed in Christ? Then you have a story, evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Your testimony, not gussied up to sound like the charge of the light brigade, but told with simplicity and humility.

Did you ever want to raise your hand when the Pastor asks the congregation, How many of you have led a person to Christ? I can, and with prayer, study and love, so can you.

God Bless

 

Hi Bro Greg, thanks for the encouragement. Concerning lowering expectations, consider the second and third soils of Matthew 13. If someone immediately receives the gospel with joy, a red flag should drop in the back of our minds. If something is too good to be true, it might not be true. Or the third soil who might have been cultivated, but the weeds were left in the ground. It takes time and thoughtful appraisal of the kind of responses the lost provide to guide us. The hard road ahead, where we pick up our cross daily, and strive to stay on the path of righteousness, following our shepherd, even if he leads us where we do not want to go might be indicated if someone springs up like a rootless tare.

 

I resemble that remark.