Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Sower and Four Types of Soil (Matthew 13:3-8,18-23, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:5-15) (01/25/24)
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TITLE: The Wedge | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
01/30/24 -
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Especially when it comes to the pending eternal destiny and earthly discipleship of family and friends, emotions can run high when the reality of the Mark 6: 4 principle presents itself.
“A prophet (spokesperson for God) is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household (Mark 6: 4 NASB2020 parenthesis mine).”
1Peter 3: 15 teaches the evangelization and or the spiritual edification of others is to be accomplished with gentleness and respect, and not by emotional condemnations, threats, promises, or heated debate.
Advancing disciples will learn to humbly keep in mind 1Cor. 3: 7.
“…neither the one who plants or the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth (1Cor. 3: 7 NASB 2020).”
It is God the Holy Spirit that CONVICTS the listening recipients, and or makes the information being communicated understandable. This affords the recipient the opportunity to believe and make personal application.
Dwight Eisenhower once said that you are not likely to get people to follow you by publicly insulting them.
When preaching from the pulpit, pastor-teachers should simply state the truth, and let the chips fall where they may. Those involved will know IF and when the admonition of Scripture applies to them without pointing fingers or naming names.
The impact of the convicting power of God the Holy Spirit and the cutting edge (1) of the Word of God is all that one, with an open ear, needs to receive.
It is the function of God’s spokesperson to present the unadulterated Gospel Message to those in need of salvation, and accurate Bible Doctrine to fellow believers. But what the recipients choose to do with that information is between them and God.
God does not violate the free-will (to make choices) that He has given to Man by “making” anyone believe anything.
His spokespersons make the facts known, as well as the blessings or the consequences of the chosen response that the recipients will make.
Note that in the 1Pet. 3: 15 “anyone who ASKS” scenario, the presentation of the information comes in response to an inquiry being made by the recipient.
Advancing disciples set the stage for such inquiries by the example he or she sets. Having godly priorities, attitudes, positions, behavior, and especially one’s own response to disappointments and adversity, does NOT go unnoticed.
. . .
Trying to evangelize or to edify someone who, at the moment, has a closed mind, or lacks spiritual discernment (2), will prove to be an act of futility. It might even produce a hostile (3) reaction, contributing to the building of a wall that obstructs future interactions.
The same Bible that speaks of preaching the Word in and out of season (4), speaks of not casting pearls before the swine (5).”
Reading, hearing, and even understanding what the communicator is trying to say, does not mean, that the information received is going to be believed and or applied by the recipient.
One can “understand” what Scripture says, but then refuse to mend one’s ways.
Advancing disciples are not to presume or to assume to know where another person presently is (or is not) in his or her personal relationship and walk with the Lord.
WHEN the opportunity presents itself, advancing disciples are to be prepared to give a defense (6) concerning the faith in action that others (should) see in the example of the advancing disciple’s unspoken testimony of his daily life.
Areas of weakness (that others see) is one of the reasons why one will inevitably be least successful when attempting to evangelize or edify family members or people who knows him best (7).
Satan, and those who do his bidding, will exploit the communicators areas of weakness to drive a wedge between the communicator and those he or she is trying to evangelize or edify.
Be it a pastor, parent, or fellow believer, communicators of the unadulterated Gospel Message and Biblical principles are (not were) sinners who have been saved by the grace of God (8). Never the less God chooses to use them to minister to the spiritual needs of others (9).
At the end of the day, it’s the MESSAGE, and not the messenger, that an advancing disciple will learn to scrutinize (10).
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(1) Heb.4: 12 (2) 1Cor. 2: 14 (3) Rom. 8: 7 (4) 2Tim. 4: 2 (5) Matt.7: 6 (6) 1Pet. 3: 15 (7) Mark 6: 4 (8) 1John 1: 8 (9) Acts 9: 14-15 (10) Acts 17: 11
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