The following is from Bill Swearingen:
Not too long ago a friend of mine shared with me the five top excuses that most people use instead of sharing their Hope in the Salvation and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Brother and therefore in us. I took his five excuses and looked up some bible verses that “trumped” the excuse.
With that in mind, here are the five excuses along with Bill’s rebuttal from the scripture.
FIVE LIES the Evil One Uses to Keep you from Sharing the Gospel
Compiled by : Bill Swearingen, Friday, April 23, 2010
- Evangelism – this is NOT your job. This is Why we hire a Paid Helper – the pastor. Let him handle this – He’s a Pro & we pay him to do jobs like this.
NOT SO – See Eph. 4 : 11 – 12 – And HE gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as Evangelists, and some as Pastors and Teachers, for the Equipping of the Saints (( Saints = term used in First Cent to the Born Again members of the Church. )) . For the work of Service to the building up of the body of Christ.
- There is plenty of time. Take it easy. Lay back, kick off your shoes, slow down,
No need in being in such a hurry. Time is what we Have plenty of.
NOT SO – James 4 : 13 – 15 – Come now, you who say, “Tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “if the LORD wills we will live and do this or that. You . . . boast in ignorance . . . it is evil. Therefore, no one knows the right thing to do . . . to him it is sin.
Luke 13 : 6 – 9 – A man had planted a fig tree and 3 years later came back to collect
the fruit but he didn’t find any. Cut it down – I’m wasting nourishment for this one tree
and it doesn’t yield fruit. Upon which the gardener replied. “Sir, leave it alone for 1 more year. I’ll dig around the ruts & fertilize it, but if it does not bear fruit in it’s season, I’ll cut it down.” Fine, the man said, if after a year has come and no fruit is evident, then
Cut it down. [[ GOD is the man. Jesus is the Gardner, and the Fruit Tree is Mankind. ]]
Luke 12 : 16 – 20 – In the land of a rich man . . . he reasoned, what shall I do with all this
abundance ? I shall tear down my barns and build bigger ones . . . and I will say to my soul, eat, drink and be merry. But GOD said to him “You FOOL ! This very night your soul is required of you.
Matt 24 : 36 – No one knows of that day and of the hour. Not even the angles of Heaven, nor the Son ( Son = Elohim ) ( Elohim = Trinity ) , only the Father knows. (Adonai = the only GOD God is One ) nor the Holy Spirit ( Elohim = Holy Spirit ) BUT ONLY THE FATHER knows. HE knows, Adonai Knows.
3. You don’t have any knowledge of what to say. This is a job for Seminary
professionals, not laymen such as you.
NOT SO – Luke 12 : 11 – 12 – Do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that VERY HOUR what your ought to say.
1 Tim 6 : 20 – guard what has been entrusted to you . . . avoid worldly arguments and what is falsely called knowledge , which some have professed and thus gone astray.
Galatians 5 : 16 But I say, WALK BY THE SPIRIT and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
4. What if they ask a question that you don’t know the answer to ? This is why you should not Evangelize. Sooner of later you will get a question that you cannot answer. You will be so embarrassed at not knowing. Leave it to the Pro’s.
NOT SO – Luke 12 : 11 – 12 – You are not the expert. Call upon the Holy Spirit to give you the answer. You will not know the answer to everything and it is not a poor reflection upon you to say that you will look it up and get back to them sometime in the near future. In your weakness HE is Strong – HE will get you the answer now, or when you need it.
5. There are some people who do not deserve Salvation, but should go to HELL. These are those people that will not be Witnessed to.
NOT SO – Heb 12 : 15 – See to it that NO ONE misses the Grace of GOD. There is GREAT Joy in the Salvation of even one of the most undeserving – for we are ALL unworthy, but GOD sent Jesus Christ to rescue ALL of the Sons & Daughters of MAN.
This material is used by permission from:
Online Spiritual Gifts Inventory Building Church
Gifted2Serve (c ) 2001 Andrew P. Kulp & ( c) Gifted2Serve Ministries
Amen!!!