Pet Peeve

[PinkPebbles]

I will post in this thread since it involves witnessing...

My spirit is grieved right now...I'm trying to shake the feeling.

Someone that I know wants to increase their membership in their ministry. Now they want to do an outreach program in a community where a church already presides and currently making an impact. So I'm like why go there!?! Are you serious about saving souls and changing lives or are you more concerned about adding bodies to your church!?!

I just hope and pray that whatever any of us do it's unto the Lord; with a sincere and pure heart, And not for our own personal gain and fame.

Thanks for letting me vent....

 

[Laela]

Hi, PinkPebbles,

I'm sorry to hear you feel this way...did you ever get an answer to the bolded from this person?

I will post in this thread since it involves witnessing...

My spirit is grieved right now...I'm trying to shake the feeling.

Someone that I know wants to increase their membership in their ministry. Now they want to do an outreach program in a community where a church already presides and currently making an impact. So I'm like why go there!?! Are you serious about saving souls and changing lives or are you more concerned about adding bodies to your church!?!

I just hope and pray that whatever any of us do it's unto the Lord; with a sincere and pure heart, And not for our own personal gain and fame.

Thanks for letting me vent....

 

[PinkPebbles]

Hi, PinkPebbles,

I'm sorry to hear you feel this way...did you ever get an answer to the bolded from this person?

Yes, and it didn't make sense Laela. That's why my spirit is grieved.

People of God really need to stop trying to make a career out of the gospel. One is called and chosen, it's not a game; it's nothing to play with it. People lives are at stake.

There are people who sincerely desire to have a relationship with the Lord, and want to change. They don't want to be just a number in a church building or make the pastor / church look good.

 

[Guitarhero]

I will post in this thread since it involves witnessing...

My spirit is grieved right now...I'm trying to shake the feeling.

Someone that I know wants to increase their membership in their ministry. Now they want to do an outreach program in a community where a church already presides and currently making an impact. So I'm like why go there!?! Are you serious about saving souls and changing lives or are you more concerned about adding bodies to your church!?!

I just hope and pray that whatever any of us do it's unto the Lord; with a sincere and pure heart, And not for our own personal gain and fame.

Thanks for letting me vent....

Sounds like you're concerned about this person's sincerity and if they are competing for popularity and/or donations.

 

[Laela]

ITA, and it's unfortunate you don't feel the person is sincere. That's something God will deal with them with, if that's the case. Sometimes it's hard to separate what a person does from the person themselves, and we end up hating the person and not what they did/said, to the point they can do or say nothing right. That's not a good place to be, either, because it'll put us in the role of "stumbling block" or accuser. I've been in that dark corner before and God doesn't operate like that.

I hope you're able to help them with this, in spirit and in truth. If it grieves your spirit so, maybe you're the one chosen to help them.

Yes, and it didn't make sense Laela. That's why my spirit is grieved.

People of God really need to stop trying to make a career out of the gospel. One is called and chosen, it's not a game; it's nothing to play with it. People lives are at stake.

There are people who sincerely desire to have a relationship with the Lord, and want to change. They don't want to be just a number in a church building or make the pastor / church look good.

 

[Laela]

I was approached by a older lady this morning while I was pumping gas in my car, of all things. At first, I thought she was going to ask for directions. But she started witnessing. I told her I was saved and that I agreed that Jesus is the only hope for this world....We had a nice quick chat, and she waved good-bye. I told her to stay blessed. She then went to another car and I don't know what the young woman in the car told her but she was shooed away quickly and the driver pulled off quickly.

This is all expected when we go out into the world to tell others about Jesus. Some people will flat out reject, others won't. Some will get angry, others won't. Some would get annoyed if someone approached them while pumping gas, others won't. Not everyone has the same tolerance level, thus there are people who will allowed themselves to be interrupted at any time. So, depending on whom you ask, witnesses of the Gospel could be seen as inconsiderate.

I say all this to say, we can't forget what Hebrews 13:1-2 reminds us:
"Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".

The word angel is the Greek word [aggelos], meaning messenger... so it's not necessarily angelic beings, but people, whom God would use to send a message to us. Thing is.... that message is always timely: when we need to hear it most.

 

[nathansgirl1908]

I agree. But I still think there are times when people are not operating in the right spirit. They approach you with the attitude of condescension.

For instance, (and i may have already told this story) I was out early one morning around 9 headed to breakfast. I was dressed in jeans and it was a Sunday morning. A woman approached me to talk about God and then questioned me as to why I was not in church.

I didn't appreciate it because she really had no reason to ask that question. But I informed her that I was not in church because I had already gone to the early service at 7am. She backpedaled, but it is that kind of thing that I don't care for.

And I think witnessing involves much more than just approaching people and talking. It involves living your life in a certain way which I believe I said before. I don't feel bad about the fact that there are times when I don't care for how people approached me. I can discern when they really are approaching me in love and when it is something else. And truthfully speaking, the ones who approach me in love don't start talking to me about being saved. They sense that I'm already saved and the conversation flows from there.

 

[Prudent1]

I agree. But I still think there are times when people are not operating in the right spirit. They approach you with the attitude of condescension.
True, true
For instance, (and i may have already told this story) I was out early one morning around 9 headed to breakfast. I was dressed in jeans and it was a Sunday morning. A woman approached me to talk about God and then questioned me as to why I was not in church.

I didn't appreciate it because she really had no reason to ask that question. But I informed her that I was not in church because I had already gone to the early service at 7am. She backpedaled, but it is that kind of thing that I don't care for.

And I think witnessing involves much more than just approaching people and talking. It involves living your life in a certain way which I believe I said before. I don't feel bad about the fact that there are times when I don't care for how people approached me. I can discern when they really are approaching me in love and when it is something else. And truthfully speaking, the ones who approach me in love don't start talking to me about being saved. They sense that I'm already saved and the conversation flows from there.

I can def see why that would've offended you. We all are free to choose when we will be offended or not. It's true. Sometimes we are just not in the mood to take the time to correct ppl and explain our POV. I kinda scanned through here but was just going to say things like that have happened to me too. I am usually not offended and when I had time responded including telling them they may want to consider changing their wording/ approach. There was one time though where some of my former church members came to my home to witness to me. Now, these are ppl who I practically grew up with. So, I was like are y'all practicing or trippin'? I think they were still a little salty about me leaving the church. I chose to laugh it off and KIM. It's not just you. I'm still chuckling now b/c I could've launched into some of the unsavory aspects of their lives I know of right then and there but it wasn't that deep. Satan does not discriminate when picking available bodies to use to aggravate us. We just have to be sharp enough to recognize him when he is near and blam- put the word on him. He will 'get out of Dodge' real fast then.