Do Christians apply too much pressure?

[Faithful83]

We as Christians know that non-believers are lost and hopeless without Christ. And so we try to lead them to Christ, and rightfully so, since that's what the Bible tells us to do.

However I'm thinking sometimes we might get overzealous. If someone's unsure of whether or not to believe, we might say: "Well hurry up and make a decision. You could die tomorrow and it will be too late."

While yes, anyone can die at any time. However is this really the way we should witness? Is our God not a patient God who is willing to wait for people to come to him? God certainly knows that people are sometimes unsure about what to believe. And I believe he is patient. Are we as Christians not to model that patience as best we can?

Saying "Start believing NOW or it may be too late" really doesn't show a whole lot of patience, does it?

Any thoughts?

 

[Tangnefedd]

We as Christians know that non-believers are lost and hopeless without Christ. And so we try to lead them to Christ, and rightfully so, since that's what the Bible tells us to do.

However I'm thinking sometimes we might get overzealous. If someone's unsure of whether or not to believe, we might say: "Well hurry up and make a decision. You could die tomorrow and it will be too late."

While yes, anyone can die at any time. However is this really the way we should witness? Is our God not a patient God who is willing to wait for people to come to him? God certainly knows that people are sometimes unsure about what to believe. And I believe he is patient. Are we as Christians not to model that patience as best we can?

Saying "Start believing NOW or it may be too late" really doesn't show a whole lot of patience, does it?

Any thoughts?

A friend of my daughter, has the most embarrassing of fathers, poor girl. He is a devout born again fundie, and could be found in the city centre most Saturdays asking folk if the were saved. As can be imagined people thought he was mentally unhinged and gave him a wide berth. He certainly brought Christianity into disrepute!

 

[AdJesumPerMariam]

A friend of my daughter, has the most embarrassing of fathers, poor girl. He is a devout born again fundie, and could be found in the city centre most Saturdays asking folk if the were saved. As can be imagined people thought he was mentally unhinged and gave him a wide berth. He certainly brought Christianity into disrepute!

Well, its kinda like the old saying...you can lead a horse to water, but not make him drink. I use the Law to bring people to Christ. I don't pressure for a decision, nor do I ask then to say a memorized prayer. The Way of the Master is a very good source.

Also, if your friend were heading towards a cliff, and didn't know it, would you just ignore him, or would you go after him? Remember, no one is guaranteed another minute, much less another day. Do you really want to stand in front of God and say "I was afraid of being too pushy," or "afraid of what people would think"?

It is everyone's job.

Love-n-Blessings
dee

 

[Tangnefedd]

Well, its kinda like the old saying...you can lead a horse to water, but not make him drink. I use the Law to bring people to Christ. I don't pressure for a decision, nor do I ask then to say a memorized prayer. The Way of the Master is a very good source.

Also, if your friend were heading towards a cliff, and didn't know it, would you just ignore him, or would you go after him? Remember, no one is guaranteed another minute, much less another day. Do you really want to stand in front of God and say "I was afraid of being too pushy," or "afraid of what people would think"?

It is everyone's job.

Love-n-Blessings
dee

What do you mean you use the law to bring people to Christ?

 

[clonenomore]

I am reading a great book, Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay. This is a marvelous book about witnessing and evangelism. He speaks to this topic. I agree that beating a person over the head with the Bible is a poor way to witness. We can beat anyone into submission, but how many stay in the faith over the long haul?

William Fay brings out a good point in his book: our sole job is to present the Great News of the Gospel. We are required to share our faith. We cannot win souls to Christ -- only the Holy Spirit can do that. We cannot "force" someone to believe, and all of the threats of hellfire will not work until the Spirit moves in the person. We must be willing to share our faith when God sends people our way, and then get out of the way to let God speak through us. I am constantly surprised at how God can use even me when I move aside to let Him work.

By the way, I consider myself to be a fundametalist, Bible-believing preacher -- so the connotations associated with the term "fundamentalist" do not always hold true!

 

[tonya]

I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD PRAY..PRAY..PRAY.. AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THEM AND SHARE JESUS AND INVITE THEM TO CHURCH...BUT I THINK SOME PEOPLE DO GET TO BE TOO MUCH...LET GOD LEAD YOU..HE WILL

 

[Faithful83]

Also, if your friend were heading towards a cliff, and didn't know it, would you just ignore him, or would you go after him? Remember, no one is guaranteed another minute, much less another day. Do you really want to stand in front of God and say "I was afraid of being too pushy," or "afraid of what people would think"?

It is everyone's job.

Okay, please forgive me for having a bit of a tough time being able to compare someone walking off a cliff to someone not believing. I mean, I know once they do die they've pretty much walked off the cliff, but here's my uneasiness about that comparison:

If someone is a non-believer, they aren't guaranteed another minute, but they're not guaranteed not to have another minute either. Meaning that if a non-Christian is sitting at their computer, they are not likely to die. If they are walking toward a cliff and didn't know it, they pretty much are likely to die. See the difference?

Also, I wouldn't want to stand in front of God and say "I was afraid of being too pushy" but I don't want to stand in front of Him and say "I was too pushy and therefore pushed Joe Schmoe further away from You." What I'm trying to say there is there must be a fine line.

 

[Bonhoffer]

Remember its Jesus that does the converting!!

Although non-beleivers arent garenteed another minute alive, remember whos in control of when people die. So if Gods planning for someone to be saved he won't let them die if they are to be saved.

I think with evangelism there are too extremes; one can be too pushy and put people off. but some are too quiet and don't do their Christian duty to tell others about Jesus.

 

[Echoes Peak]

Yeah, I feel your dilemna. I think about the same thing too when talking to my non-Christian friends. I have found that trying to live by example often speaks volumes than the words that I say. I have tendency to sometimes not be able to express what I would like and it comes out not the way I intend it to. Often, I find that something in my life will intrigue a friend and that will often lead to a conversation about Christianity. I think because we're all individuals, God has placed in each of us, different ways to be a testimony to His existence. I think it's a matter of finding the method He's chosen for you. You might be surprised to find out, it is something you already do.

 

[Tangnefedd]

My husband is an atheist, after being a 'born again' Christian in his youth. He said that if someone came up to him and asked, 'Are you saved' he would respond 'Have you had sexual intercourse today?' feeling that both questions are intrusive and nobody's business but their own!

 

[clonenomore]

What do you mean you use the law to bring people to Christ?

I realize that this answer is late in coming, but I hope that you don't think that we were ignoring the question.

Using the Law to witness is not only showing people that "all have sinned and fall short", but you use the 10 Commandments (The Law) to show how people have sinned. How can we expect non-believers to repent if they don't know what they are repenting of? A way to visualize this is to imagine that you are called to appear in court, and the prosecution says that you are a criminal. The judge asks "How do you plead?" You don't even know what the charge is.

For example, if you ask many non-believers if they are a good person, they would answer "Yes". If you ask them if they are good enough to get into Heaven, many would still answer "Yes". You then ask if they have ever told a lie; lusted after another person; taken anything that did not belong to them; hated someone; etc. These are all part of the Big 10, and we have all broken these commandments.

This method is often associated with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. More information can be found at the websites: livingwaters.com and thewayofthemaster.com. They can explain it better than I can.