Transferable Truths
It was a blessing to talk to my son, John, while he was here for Thanksgiving. He is doing well, and they are seeing God move in their ministry. Like most of us, they would like to see things go much faster in seeing people saved and starting new churches. That is what we were talking about.
You can get all kinds of reasons why the Gospel doesn't spread very fast. However, the people who have studied areas where the Gospel is spreading quickly have noticed an important factor. The things we share with others must be transferable. That means they must be able to do it themselves with no further explanation or help. They can take the truth and transfer it to another person with only what you have taught them. Then, that friend can tell someone else. Soon, you have a church, and those believers are ready to tell others who will start another church. If it is not simple enough to be grasped and shared, it is not what God wants us to do.
Just think about Jesus. Did He give His disciples a lot of text books? Did He require them to go to seminary before they could share with others or start a church? Of course not! In fact, He sent them out to tell the Good News fairly soon after He called them. He wanted them to know that was the essential element. If we know the truth, but we don't share it, it is useless.
Therefore, we must not make people think the Bible is hard to understand and that we have to know everything before we can impact others. No, if we know Him, we can tell others how to come to know Him. The simpler the better. Then, if they have questions, point them to God's Word, and let them find the answers from the Lord Himself. That way they are not dependent on you, only on the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 37-39 and II Peter 2.
You can get all kinds of reasons why the Gospel doesn't spread very fast. However, the people who have studied areas where the Gospel is spreading quickly have noticed an important factor. The things we share with others must be transferable. That means they must be able to do it themselves with no further explanation or help. They can take the truth and transfer it to another person with only what you have taught them. Then, that friend can tell someone else. Soon, you have a church, and those believers are ready to tell others who will start another church. If it is not simple enough to be grasped and shared, it is not what God wants us to do.
Just think about Jesus. Did He give His disciples a lot of text books? Did He require them to go to seminary before they could share with others or start a church? Of course not! In fact, He sent them out to tell the Good News fairly soon after He called them. He wanted them to know that was the essential element. If we know the truth, but we don't share it, it is useless.
Therefore, we must not make people think the Bible is hard to understand and that we have to know everything before we can impact others. No, if we know Him, we can tell others how to come to know Him. The simpler the better. Then, if they have questions, point them to God's Word, and let them find the answers from the Lord Himself. That way they are not dependent on you, only on the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 37-39 and II Peter 2.