Announcing the message.
When should you announce the good news to a friend or family member?
Well, when would you tell someone that a war is over? As soon as you heard the electrifying message that peace had been declared, you'd run to tell everyone around you. Right? Why would you wait? There's peace with God!
But too often we wait and wait and wait.... and wait... for the perfect opportunity.
In his book *Evangelism as Exiles*, Elliot Clark writes:
"If we continue the pattern of waiting for perfect opportunities, they may never come. And our fate will be that of the wary farmer who observes the wind and doesn't sow, who considers the clouds and never reaps (Eccles. 11:4). Such farmers have empty barns in winter. We too, if we're too busy trying to discern the times, raising a moistened finger to the wind to see if someone is ready to respond to the gospel, will likely never see a harvest of souls. We'll never open our mouths to speak, because we'll be waiting for a better day. But better days don't seem to be on the horizon."
I often wince and hold back from this approach because I know it might not go well. To encourage us, Clark shares the story of an exemplary believer in an Islamic country:
"Gently leaning forward in his chair, Mustafa quietly shared wisdom beyond his years. He explained that prior to talking with someone about the gospel, he starts by resetting his expectations. He does this by rehearsing passages where Jesus explains exactly what will happen to his followers when they speak for him. 'We're going to be insulted,' he said. 'Jesus promised we'll be ostracized and maybe even beaten. So I set my expectations according to his Word,' he continued, 'that way I'm not surprised when something bad happens.'"
**Permission granted: You don't need to wait for the perfect moment. The moment is now.**
One who watches the wind will not sow, and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap. Just as you don't know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so also you don't know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening don't let your hand rest, because you don't know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good.
What are you waiting for before you share the gospel with someone?
How do you typically respond when sharing the gospel doesn't go well?
What expectations do you need to reset before sharing the gospel?
Read Matthew 10:16-22 and John 15:18-21. Write down what Jesus says will happen to his followers. Let this reset your expectations.
This week, share the gospel with someone. Don't wait for the perfect moment—create the moment.
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