I feel like I'm poison to the gospel
- Thread starter Jamdoc
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That's funny because I'm the very Christian who struggles with depression and loneliness.
it's like when people (well meaning), suggest I look to how I can financially assist the poor and needy... being that I'm disabled.. I am that poor and needy.
at least by American standards, which is better off than a lot of other people but.. I still don't really have the financial means to stretch to help others.
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Well, maybe your own experiences with depression and loneliness can help you reach out to others. You know what it feels like; maybe sharing your struggles and difficulties with others on here, and praying for folks would be helpful. For you, and for them.
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- Oct 22, 2019
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For someone who recovers from those states that can work, but.. being actively in them, a lot of times it's hard to see past your own unmet needs to be able to help anyone else.
When you're thirsty it's hard to think about how you can provide water for other people, in other words.
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- Oct 22, 2019
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Funny enough though remember when I said I just opened into a conversation with saying "Jesus loves you?"
it was 2 people having an argument and I was tiring of it so I jumped in with "Jesus loves you both" and I mean on the one hand... they did stop arguing.
They both attacked Jesus instead.
it was 2 people having an argument and I was tiring of it so I jumped in with "Jesus loves you both" and I mean on the one hand... they did stop arguing.
They both attacked Jesus instead.
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- Aug 14, 2019
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You are no more and no less a sinner than anyone else. God's remedy for sin is not just to forgive. He has also provided the remedy for the sinner, the one who produces the sin. That remedy is the cross. God knows that we will never change. So He kills us. Dead people do not sin, cannot be tempted and never have to do anything. Then God raises you up to be a new creation, a brand new person. Jesus comes to live in the new heart that God gives us. He will cause us to be all that God wants us to be. Quit looking at yourself and what you can and cannot do. Fix your eyes on Jesus. We sometimes sing a song that includes the line, "Forget about yourself and concentrate on Him...." And that is great advice. Look up and live!
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- Oct 22, 2019
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Um... thread is about sharing the gospel, and people just hating it and abusing Jesus because they hate me, or at least it feels that way... not about my own sinfulness.
I already agree with what you said but just.. I share the gospel, and people curse and slander Jesus
someone else shares the gospel, and people listen and get saved.
that's what I'm talking about.
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OK, I got the wrong impression. I've been born again 50 years. We do street witnessing from time to time. We have mixed responses and very few of them positive. It's not me they react to. The gospel is offensive. The world hates Jesus so it hates us.
God has appointed some people to be evangelists. They have a particular gift. They also have their share of trouble. George Whitefield was a famous evangelist. This is what "Christian History" says about him.
"Largely forgotten today, George Whitefield was probably the most famous religious figure of the eighteenth century. Newspapers called him the "marvel of the age." Whitefield was a preacher capable of commanding thousands on two continents through the sheer power of his oratory. In his lifetime, he preached at least 18,000 times to perhaps 10 million hearers."
Whitefield believed that persecution was inevitable. You might like to read his take on it: George Whitefield’s Theology of Persecution
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- Oct 22, 2019
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it's weird.. in some ways it seems like God has given some people the gift for evangelism and they're the ones to do it, but other times it gets pushed on you that that's a universal calling for all Christians and the sole reason we're even alive, it can be a lot of pressure.
It's also weird that the gospel could be offensive.
the conviction of sin part I can see as being offensive but the fact that the gospel is always paired with .. the good news about it, that there's a way out of sin, and it's not even complicated or hard or requiring strong willpower to "clean up your act" (that comes later in response to being saved, rather than something needing to be done before being saved).. that part shouldn't be offensive at all.
When I was young I got offended when I was taught works based salvation because it's this conviction of sin and then thrust on you that YOU have to clean up your act through your own willpower and obey all these rules or you're going to hell.. and.. it just seems like God wants the impossible, like how can I do that when even a bad thought is condemning? Even just getting mad at someone if they bully you, boom, you're on your way to hell.
That "gospel" is easily offensive
but being taught who Jesus is beyond the vague "he's the son of God" (which is what I got out of those works based salvation believers, they didn't ever tell you He actually did anything for you, they just said "He's the son of God".. and left it at that, then went back on how you had to strictly adhere to these rules).. suddenly it became NOT offensive. Suddenly it made sense when Jesus is something more than just a figurehead with a fancy title and He actually did something for you, and hearing about His ministry and learning that He's not some all powerful tyrant but is in fact a good person by human standards sharing all the admirable qualities you want in a person so you think "this guy's amazing how do I meet Him?"
I just have trouble wrapping my head around Jesus being offensive.
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Jesus is my Superhero
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Christians are called to be more righteous than the Pharisees and practicing the beatitudes is a good way of fulfilling that part of the Christian calling. Nobody needs to feel useless within the Christian calling. Satan has a way of making Christians feel inadequate.
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Bingo. This may be your problem. You’re under too much pressure. Maybe, brother, like you mentioned, focus on getting help and healing for your difficulties, pray for people, and don’t feel too, too pressured to evangelize in every situation. Just talk to people, converse, and pray for them. If they ask about Christ, that’s great! If not, don’t worry about it.
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- Oct 22, 2019
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So a thing happened, first.. my prayer in the evening was answered with "remember Mephibosheth" the lame son of Jonathan that ate at the King's table and David expected him to do nothing in return, it was purely to show him kindness for Jonathan's sake.. then when praying last night, and I pray silently, I do not move my lips, so unless demons can somehow know what is in your mind when you're silently praying (I know God can, that is again, Psalm 139), just as I was asking if there was anything I could do for Him, the hose from my cpap mask yanked out.so suddenly it became hard to breathe... it got my attention.
I didn't do anything that would yank the hose off. It just fell out to the floor
I didn't do anything that would yank the hose off. It just fell out to the floor
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John 3
19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
What did Lord Jesus do to upset people so much that they crucified Him? He told the truth and the world hates truth.
1 Peter 2
…7To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word— and to this they were appointed. 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.…
The stone of course is Lord Jesus. A lot of churches fear offending people. That is wrong. I went to a large (by Aussie standards) Baptist church. One time it was 40 minutes into the meeting before the name of Jesus was mentioned and that was in the children's talk. Many so called Christian songs omit the name of Jesus. Now not every song has to have the word "Jesus." But many songs could include the name Jesus and be the better for it.
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Might I also suggest that in certain cases, some people are hostile towards Jesus because of the hypocrisy, self-righteousness and abuses done by the church and self-proclaimed Christians?
Philip Yancey reported on this on his book, Vanishing Grace, where he discovered how many non-believers think of Christians (especially Evangelicals), not as bearers of good news, but as an elitist, esoteric group with a narrow and unrealistic view of the world and think themselves better than others for it. I actually remember hearing a Christian indie filmmaker at my training school testify about he found more support and encouragement from his atheist friends, while most of his were hostile and judgmental, and you might understand why many people don't view Christianity favourably.
Yancey (referrring to Lewis) describes such people as spiritual divorcees who been disillusioned by Jesus and Christianity thanks to those bad experiences, and unlike the "virgins" who never heard of the Gospel, they aren't going to be as easily won over by vague platitudes about Jesus's "love" and the typical and overused bumper-sticker quotes. They've heard it preached and not practiced, so to them the Gospel might sound more like a political propaganda than good news.
I don't think there's much we can say to convince them otherwise, but I suppose the best we can do is to continue to be gracious towards them, and pray that God will also send other Christ-like believers who can witness to them as well--since it's unlikely that they'd change their view on Christianity if you're the only one among hundreds of Christians who actually live out what they claim to believe.
Philip Yancey reported on this on his book, Vanishing Grace, where he discovered how many non-believers think of Christians (especially Evangelicals), not as bearers of good news, but as an elitist, esoteric group with a narrow and unrealistic view of the world and think themselves better than others for it. I actually remember hearing a Christian indie filmmaker at my training school testify about he found more support and encouragement from his atheist friends, while most of his were hostile and judgmental, and you might understand why many people don't view Christianity favourably.
Yancey (referrring to Lewis) describes such people as spiritual divorcees who been disillusioned by Jesus and Christianity thanks to those bad experiences, and unlike the "virgins" who never heard of the Gospel, they aren't going to be as easily won over by vague platitudes about Jesus's "love" and the typical and overused bumper-sticker quotes. They've heard it preached and not practiced, so to them the Gospel might sound more like a political propaganda than good news.
I don't think there's much we can say to convince them otherwise, but I suppose the best we can do is to continue to be gracious towards them, and pray that God will also send other Christ-like believers who can witness to them as well--since it's unlikely that they'd change their view on Christianity if you're the only one among hundreds of Christians who actually live out what they claim to believe.
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Yes. We are all called to be witnesses. We cannot tell who will respond and who will not and we also may well be sowing seeds or watering what others have sown. There is tremendous power in the simple gospel. I despised church. My father was an atheist who ran down Christians at every opportunity. Yet the gospel cut into my heart, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin and revealed Lord Jesus as Saviour and Lord. That was 50 years ago. I've led only a few to Jesus in that time. And it seems that these days people are harder and colder and less inclined to repent and believe. We still need to be available to be witnesses for Jesus.
Just this week, I had an opportunity to witness to a man who is already reading the Bible. I gave him a "Knowing God personally" tract. I see him a couple of times a week, just briefly. When the opportunity arises, I'll ask him what he thought about the tract. He's quite chatty and open. So you never know what God is going to do.
Just this week, I had an opportunity to witness to a man who is already reading the Bible. I gave him a "Knowing God personally" tract. I see him a couple of times a week, just briefly. When the opportunity arises, I'll ask him what he thought about the tract. He's quite chatty and open. So you never know what God is going to do.
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True, and shameful for those who bring the gospel into disrepute. However, people also seek reasons to reject the gospel. Jesus walked amongst the people of Israel, healing, delivering, providing and teaching. They crucified Him. Stephen also spoke nothing but truth to the Jews and they murdered him for his trouble. That is in spite of the wonderful signs and wonders that he did.
All we can do is preach Christ crucified. Some will believe and be saved, others will not. It's the work of the Holy Spirit to save people. If He can save me, He can save anyone!
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