Sowing and Reaping with the Gospel

Have you ever wondered why people react against the gospel? In some cases it is simply because of the heart condition of the lost. However, in many cases the negative reaction is brought on by our own poor approach. When I was in high school we had a believer who turned off everyone. He would corner some unsuspecting student and tell them "Either turn or burn!" Needless to say, he was avoided and became the object of scorn regarding the Christian faith. This is a sad situation that does not need to happen.

The city of Thessalonica was a populace of about 200,000 filled with all the wickedness normally found in that size group of people. But when Paul went to them his approach was one that produced a great church. In I Thessalonians 2:4-12 we find a description of his evangelistic strategy. First, Paul was sincere with them. He said, "For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness..." The word 'sincere' means "without wax" and was a potter's term for not hiding any defect in the vessel he was forming by filling cracks with wax. We should be people who are sincere and honest with others in the sharing of the gospel. People are not objects to be collected, but rather individuals that God created and loves. Then we find that Paul was sensitive to the feelings of the people. His behavior is described as "gentle among you, just as a nuring mother cherishes her own children." How often we are guilty of a condescending attitude rather than a loving one. Finally, Paul demonstrated a spiritual character in his witness with a "devoutly and justly and blamelessly" behavior. No wonder the response in Thessalonica was great.

We can have the same type of response if we see people as individuals as Jesus did. He looked ahead while He was on the cross and "for the joy that was before him he endured the cross." That joy was the knowledge of individuals whose lives would be rescued from the enemy and given his love and a purpose for life. He laid down his life for those who were at that moment his enemies. We need to adopt the same attitude. While there will always be those who are thoroughly opposed to the gospel message, many will respond to us if we allow the love of the Savior to flow through us to them.