10 Hinderances to the Gospel

These either are or have been my top reasons for not sharing the gospel. I still don't initiate spiritual conversations (and transition to the gospel) as much as would like to. But I trust God will continually grow me (and you) in this area if I actively trust Him. Lord, would you help me that I might have a full understanding of every good thing I have in Christ.

#1 Fear of Failure. What if I mess up? I don't know what to say.
    "Fear Not" I can't remember how many times God says that in Scripture, but it is A LOT!

#2 Fear of the Unknown. What do they think? What will they say or ask? What if I can't answer? 
    "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." Prov. 3:5-6

#3 Fear of Rejection. What if they think I'm ________.
    The reality is that they rejected Jesus, so some will probably reject me. But some wont and will have thier eternal
    destiny changed as a result. But ultimately to stand before Jesus and hear "Well done" is going to be worth the
    rejection.

#4 Fear of Offending. What if they feel like I am pushing something on them and never want to hear again?
    Jesus promised, in Mt.10:22, that men would hate you because of Him and 2 Cor.2:16 says we will 
    be disgusting to some, but life to others! Gregory Koukl writes in Tactics, "Jesus' teaching made some people
    furious. Just make sure it's your ideas that offend and not you, that your beliefs cause the dispute and not your
    behavior."

#5 Thinking you must be friends first. 
    There are few places in scripture where anyone befriended someone before sharing with them. Mt.28:18-20 -
    Jesus called us to reach the whole world...imagine how long it would take to befriend the entire world before 
    sharing with them. I should be friendly but also open to sharing with anyone God puts in my path.

#6 Thinking you don't have the gift of evangelism, so it is someone else's job. 
    I doubt someone would say you must have the gift of hospitality in order to be hospitable, the gift of giving to give
    or the gift of encouragement to encourage. Some will have the gift of evangelism but  Jesus tells us, in Mt.4:19, if
    you follow Him you’re called to evangelism.

#7 Thinking “Preach always, use words if necessary.” (a misquote of St. Francis of Assisi)
    There are "good" Mormons, Bhuddists and atheists - good works don’t give people the way to eternal life. Words
    are necessary. Rom.10:13-14 clarifies the need for words, saying, “Everyone who calls on the name of the
    Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the
    one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

#8 Not making it a priority. 
    We don't put it in our schedule or make a plan to share, and just hope it will happen. We make a plan for eating
    dinner, filling the car with gas, having a quiet time...  why not with the mission God has given us of making
    disciples, the first step being sharing the gospel.

#9 Not having accountability.
    When we try to do things alone, well, it just doesn't really turn out that great. Guess there was a reason
    Jesus sent them out in two's.

#10 Thinking people don’t want to hear it. 
    Mt.9:36-37 tells us, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” God is working in their hearts! Rom.1:16
    says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who 
    believes.”

The one keeping me from sharing right now is the not making a plan. So, my plan this week is to sign up with Global Media Outreach (to become and online missionary) and to start a couple spiritual conversations through facebook this week. Oh Lord please enable me to by Your ability. Please remind me and give me courage.

What about you? What keeps you from taking initative in the power of the Holy Spirit to get into spiritual conversations and share the gospel? And what steps do you want to take this week to initiate conversations?

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 6

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We are that Family, Time Warp Wife