Many of us would like the process of leading people to the Lord to be much simpler but most of the time it isn’t. Being a privileged American where we can get made-to-order gourmet meals in just minutes and instantaneous communication with almost anyone on the globe, some of us believe it should be that easy to convert a nonbeliever to Christ. But in the coming years, the chances are that more and more people will have been brought up in a home that was not Christ-centered and where a godly heritage is only a dim memory from generations past.
It’s important not to rely on evangelistic methods that may have worked in the past but may not work effectively today because the spiritual climate is more complex than it once was. Yes, it is true that people’s needs are still basically the same but their exposure to the gospel is taken in context with everything else that’s going on in the world including the assault of information overload that affects the great majority of us living in modern Western culture. The amount of accumulated information the average person receives anywhere on the planet is many times more than ever before in history. It doesn’t necessarily make them any smarter, but it does make them more informed. For instance, it’s not unusual to see a boy in a place like Argentina sporting a Lost Angeles Lakers jersey and knowing exactly who Lebron James is.
In the same sense, it is increasingly more difficult to encounter folks who will respond favorably to a tract that threatens eternal damnation on its cover. Though that may have been effective a couple generations back, studies reveal that most non-believers these days don’t believe in hell. More thought has to be given to our efforts in reaching the nations. Many times, more questions have to be answered before someone will say, “Yes, I believe.” In a world that is enjoying more prosperity at more levels in more places, we have to dig a little deeper to communicate the truth of Jesus because he is the truth, not merely because someone’s in trouble and therefore desperately needs a savior.
Paul said, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are outside [the church], redeeming the time. Let your speech be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so you may know how you should answer every man.” (Col. 4: 5,6) In other words, each non-Christian we talk to will need a different explanation about who Jesus is because each person is coming from a different background with a unique conception of God. There’s a good chance it’s not an explanation of the gospel but a demonstration of it that will hit the mark. In the same way Moses could not rely on a formula to produce water during every dry time in the desert (Numbers 20), we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us insight in how to present the gospel to each person according to his or her understanding. On the day of Pentecost, many foreigners came to Christ when they heard the gospel proclaimed to them in their own languages.
Paul reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue of Thessalonica by expounding the Old Testament scriptures to demonstrate that Christ was revealed in them. But then, just a few days later in Athens, before an audience of “new age” proponents, he tried to reach them by quoting one of their own poets who had written, “For we are also his [God’s] offspring.” And then he went on to attribute the inspiration for that statement as being from God Himself (Acts 17). He used the words of an agnostic philosopher to introduce the fact that the Son of God will one day judge the whole world because God raised him from the dead. Then the religious people of that city had to grapple with the alien concepts of salvation, resurrection, and judgment. There were some who didn’t receive it, but some did.
Some people think there is a conspiracy afoot to derail all that is good and right and moral in this life. A conspiracy does exist, but it’s invisible. It’s in the air among principalities and powers and rulers of darkness. This is what Paul meant when he declared that our battle is not with people (flesh and blood) but with spirits that promote themselves above the knowledge of the one true God and His only begotten Son. Love is the most potent of all the weapons in our spiritual arsenal. Nothing else is so convincing that there is a Father in heaven who created us, cares for us, forgives us, and loves and redeems us. The cross of Christ is the ultimate demonstration of that love. And how we minister that to those who are suspicious of us is the test of our resolve and the evidence of our sincerity.
Esa’s (my wife’s) mother passed away earlier this year and in the days following the funeral, she struggled with a period of depression grappling with memories of a difficult childhood of poverty, abandonment, and violence. Esa had mother-like responsibilities thrust upon her in her pre-teen years having to help raise her four younger siblings while her single mom worked outside the home trying to hold it all together. She recalls a time when all her mother could afford was penny (hard) candy for dinner, knowing that despite the negative nutritional value, at least the calories would keep them alive. Esa would have to break up the crust of ice in the toilet bowl on cold winter mornings and huddle her brothers and sisters in a corner while keeping them silent until the truant officer quit knocking on the door. When we met, Esa was deeply bitter against her mother and absent father. Once, her mom beat her so badly, she had to go to the hospital. Yes, it was that bad. These are just a few highlights of my wife’s grim upbringing.
Then….in 1979, we were born again, and after many years of estrangement and no small amount of trepidation, Esa called her mom (who, at that time was living in California with her third husband) and told her about meeting Jesus, that she was saved, and now realized how hard it must have been for her mother to raise five kids on her own and how she made it even worse by her rebellion. Esa asked her mom to forgive her for being a difficult child and that she would always love her no matter what. It was an awkward conversation and her mom nervously said everything was fine and not to worry about it and mother and daughter were reconciled. After all those years. Wonderful. Could you ask for more?
Moments later, her mom called back and said, “Honey, I think I need Jesus too. What can I do to be saved?” Esa led her mom in prayer, and she committed her life to Christ. Esa’s mother was faithful to the Lord for over 25 years right to the end. And that’s about as good as it gets.
Terry
lionsheadcafe.com 
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