Witnessing not working

[futuresoldier]

Well I've tried to spread God's word in my school, but people don't want to listen. When people hear I am a Christian, they think of it as just a sad hobby or culture, or at the best another religion, and don't want to hear/accept the truth. God led me here because one of you has the advice I need, so please all pray AND POST your thoughts.

 

[forjesus]

Trying to witness to someone can be very difficult, people don't want to know what they are doing wrong, just what they are doing right. All you can do is keep trying and eventually you will find someone who is curious, or leaning toward God and just needs a little push. Tell them about the Love you and your Lord share and then give them space, and let them think about it. I hope all goes well, and keep up the Fight. God Bless

 

[TABITHA]

They listen to what you are saying. Even though it may seem like their not. They really are. Don't get discouraged by what they might say or do. Keep on doing what your doing and you will be rewarded. GOD BLESS YOU!!!

 

[babygirl]

Witnessing at work can be rewarding, however we must prayerful allow the Holy spirit to prompt us concerning the time, the place,and the right words to speak.
Even more important is our work ethics and values and lifestyle.
God Bless,

 

[kern]

Originally posted by futuresoldier
Well I've tried to spread God's word in my school, but people don't want to listen. When people hear I am a Christian, they think of it as just a sad hobby or culture, or at the best another religion, and don't want to hear/accept the truth. God led me here because one of you has the advice I need, so please all pray AND POST your thoughts.

Witnessing is hard, and there is no right way to reach everyone. Unfortunately you won't be able to reach everyone.

I have several pieces of advice for witnessing. I have never done much (if any) witnessing myself, but these are things I've gathered from watching other people witness both successfully and unsuccessfuly.

1. Witnessing does not just mean going up to someone and telling them about Jesus. Part of witnessing is to live your life as an example.

2. It's not necessary to shove God down people's throats. I consider one of my friends a very good witness (he is part of the reason I started going to church again), but he never comes up to someone and starts preaching. He responds to questions, doesn't hide his affiliation with the church, and is a good example for people.

3. Be able to answer questions they ask. Don't be indignant or angry if people ask questions about God that seem blasphemous -- just answer them as best you can.

4. Invite them to go to church with you. This is especially useful if they seem interested but not committed, but it can be good even with people who are completely skeptical.

5. Finally, close conversations on hopeful notes. If someone rejects your message, don't say "Well, looks like you're going to hell then!" and leave. Say "I'll be praying for you" or something more comforting like that.

6. This may be a bit controversial, but I would recommend avoiding touchy issues at first. For instance, don't start your witnessing railing against homosexuality, or promiscuity, or how Islam is a false religion, etc. Start with the general ideas, and they can pick up the specifics later. However, under no circumstances should you lie about your beliefs. If someone asks you about these things, answer truthfully. But there's no reason to start with difficult issues -- you want people to understand the main idea about Christianity.

In the end it may not work, but at least you tried. You may have more success with people who go to church but may not have a strong faith.

-Chris

 

[Mr.Cheese]

The kind of life you live and the example you set is more powerful than the words you can speak with sometimes. Don't give up being a light shining in the darkness. Just because you can't see anything working doesn't mean that God isn't working somewhere that you don't know about.

 

[ZiSunka]

It's not your job to make people into Christians. It's only your job to tell them about Christ.

Let the Holy Spirit do the job of speaking to their hearts.

 

[Mandy]

I completely agree with Mr. Cheese and lambslove.
Be a witness. It is God's job to convert not ours.
Some sow seeds, others water, but God gives the increase.

 

[amie]

Hi futuresoldier,
They will listen when they are ready...your efforts should be commended though. Many on this forum were not saved until later in life, as a matter of fact although I myself attended Catholic private school my entire life, I really never thought about God until February 1, 1991...when I was in a horrific car accident...then my life was changed. Everyone will take their own time and follow their own path, they hear what you are saying. they may not always be listening, but they hear. To have someone turn their life over to Christ, they must hear with both of their ears and all of their heart. Best of luck to you my friend and God Bless!
Amie

 

[eldermike]

God Bless you and Keep you futuresoldier.

You are a sower of seeds, you may not reap but others will. In other words: You plant the seeds of Christianity today and in the future they take root. you may not know that it happned but you were the one that did the work and your blessing will come later. We need sowers.

Read the scripture below. God Bless

JN 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, `Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying `One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

 

[SeRapH&CheRi]

futuresoldier,
i am blessed by your passion for people's souls. be encouraged my dear brother because you are planting seeds in these people you are sharing Christ's love to. although they may not be affected by what you share with them at the present moment, your words and actions of love will be remembered by them down the road. let me share with you a story.....

when i was in high school i was very involved in my church youth group. i was all gung-ho about bringing my friends to christ, blah..blah...blah. one of my friends started to attend youth group regularly and even to church. she started to get involved and i was so encouraged to see how God was even working in her life. this was during my freshman year in high school. well, she suddenly did this turnaround and started to reject christianity and stopped attending church and youth group. this put a strain in our friendship and we eventually drifted apart. about 4 years after we graduated from high school we ran into each other again. we ended up getting together for coffee and she started sharing her journey back to Christ after we graduated from high school. it was a long process for her, but the Lord did some major work in her heart. God place other people at the college she was attending to minister to her. She admitted to me that the seeds were planted when i started to take her to youth group and to church. It obviously wasn't me, but the Lord. what a blessing and encouragement it was to hear how that time in high school played an instrumental part in her relationship with the Lord. Now I hear that she's attending seminary, working on her M.Div. Go figure huh? But I believe that it is totally God and His beautiful timing.

be encouraged futuresoldier! know that your words and actions are not in vain. it is all in God's beautiful and perfect timing.

blessings to you!
S&C

 

[kern]

Originally posted by lambslove
It's not your job to make people into Christians. It's only your job to tell them about Christ.

Let the Holy Spirit do the job of speaking to their hearts.

However, some people take this idea too far. It's not enough just to spend 10 minutes telling someone the basics of the gospel story, scaring them with hell, and then expecting them to fall on their knees begging to accept Christ (I think people get this idea from Chick tracts). Most people will have questions, and the more questions of theirs you can answer, the better things will go. On the old LBBB there were some good threads about "most common questions during witnessing" and effective answers, maybe something like that could be done again.

-Chris

 

[Kiwi]

I worked with a street evangelism team for 2 years and have seen many different responses to witnessing. People are most open when you are genuinly interested in them and not in 'converting' as such, since this comes across like you are a used car-sales man (ie, desperate). We would often use a drama or something like that as an opener and then invite people who were interested to stay around and talk, that way people did not feel trapped to having to talk to us but if they were interested could still ask questions. Another idea is to offer to pray for people, most people are very open to be prayed for and God will minister to them. We saw some very encouraging things from using this. Most of all do not be defensive or rude or obnoxious. This helps no-one and is not why we are out there. On an encouraging note my husband came to the Lord in high school because this guy was always preaching to him and telling him about Jesus, my husband used to mock the guy and call him names but in the end it payed off, God got him!!