Personal Conviction?

Trust me when I say that this bothers every preacher and teacher of the Word of God. You pour out what God has poured into your heart during study and nothing seemingly happens.

As I grown in ministry I have rested in 2 truths: 1) Just because there is no visible fruit does not mean there is no fruit. God works in hearts. and 2) I am responsible to preach, it is God's responsibility to give results that will please Him.

Does it still frustrate me? You betcha! Do I still hate when people walk out and the first thing they talk about is how the yankees will win the pennant or what they had for dinner? I hate it more now because it seems more common than ever before. But this is God's Work. Mine is to obey.

But if it was up to me....

 

God deals with hearts. People only truly respond when He deals with them, but yes, it is frustrating.

 

Gina I understand your question, I think, but I have no clue what you are talking about.

 

John Owen would say this about that;

There was an old time evangelist who would say this;
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=83102202440

 

Here is more from Owen;

 

Gina B, I fully understand what you're saying. Like it is with kids, you can tell them but you can't tell them much. Only when they are able to "see" will your point come home to roost. The question is then, how can you get someone to see?

 

Gina, I'd have walked away.

Why?

Several reasons:

1. I dislike being asked to make "spur of the moment" decisions about anything, but especially about spiritual things. Taking the offered communion would have seemed to much like I had made some decision, that I may not have made (and might not will make in the future).

2. What if I didn't agree? Or the point didn't apply to me? Just because there was solid scriptual points made, doesn't mean *I* necessarily have/need to apply that somehow to my heart. Perhaps the lesson merely dealt with my outside trappings (how I present Christ) and wasn't a heart issue at all.

3. Mostly, I would need to absorb. I don't make hasty decisions (see point one) because I've learned over the years that my emotions get in the way of good decisions, so I rarely make a decision based on emotion. There has to be logic and study involved so I can make wise decisions. And despite the impact of the lesson on YOUR heart, I can't let it impact me in the same manner. I know from experience, long years of experience, that I make bad decisions by listening to my emotions. So I would have to let the lesson settle. I'd have to think about it. Sleep on it. Look up the scriptures given and consider them in the face of other scriptures. Think about the presentation and the presenter. (hey, I'm one of those people who don't read body language well. This is something I definately have to consider or you could sell me that bridge thats for sale in New York)

And I'm not going to take the next step of communion if I think that will mean to someone (anyone) that I agree fully with the presentation. Communion is to precious to me for that. And I'm rather set in my ways when it comes to where and how I accept communion, so for it to be presented in the context of a lecture or Bible study where I may not have come prepared to take communion, I'm simply going to step back. I won't judge you for taking it in that setting, but I expect the same respect for my decision not to.

Like the others have said, its not that the lesson had no impact, just sometimes you have to wait for the seeds to sprout.

 

Seems like you are taking this a bit too personally. Your entire post tells us how much it hurt you personally that someone didn't like your lesson enough to follow through on it.

Get over it...just teach what's been given to you and let God do the rest.

 

I guess it might depend on who you were teaching. For instance, on Wednesday nights, only the most dedicated show up for the service. It's like the core group of members and not the once a weekers or the every once in awhilers.
The pastor always makes a plea for those who may be there that need salvation, but on a normal weds night, all that are there are already saved. Does that mean we didn't listen? No, we are already saved and so we leave without "responding".

We are just seed planters and waterers anyway. God is the gardener.

 

I guess you missed the part where Gina said it was an Israeli national doing the teaching.

 

Good post! :thumbsup:

 

Gina,
Here is a link to the whole book.....it is one of the greatest works written by a christian teacher, ever.
Owen is a bit difficult to read...read it slow..re-read as you work through.

You will not believe the clarity he brings to this issue,great verses offered.

Gina..when you click on the link...scroll till you see plain text,then click it.
http://books.google.com/books?id=9ic3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Gina,
I forgot to mention, this whole book is about one verse romans 8:6

this is well worth your time to work thr:waveyugh

 

Gina, I don't know if it would change my mind or not. You said the lesson was spiritually intense, which to my mind means my emotions would be plugged in. Depending on what the lesson was about, afterward my mind might not be "on Christ" but rather still chewing on the lesson. At that point I might still choose to not take communion because I'm rather set on the idea that communion must be about Christ and His sacrifice and not about whatever failings I've just had pointed out to me. *I* have to be in a different place to give Christ the honor He deserves during communion. If my mind is full of me than its not full of Him.

But honestly you take a room full of people, at least half aren't going to feel, think or believe the way the other believes, thinks or feels. People are fickle. If you felt the moving of the Holy Spirit, remember and enjoy it. He moved, and the fruit will appear in good time. Sooner, perhaps, in your case because obviously you felt a calling the rest did not.

 

Great...I am going to re-read this myself....it is that good.
I am certain i will get more out of it now...than the first three times I have read it,lol...
You will see what I mean right away. Gina....at first I was not even sure what he was speaking of...but then I saw very quickly that this is at the core of heart reality of Kingdom living,and Kingdom thinking. I have never been the same since i have tried to patiently work through it.
I had to ask friends what they thought was being said. I was startled that having been a christians for a long time, how unaware I was on how many verses zero in on this grace and duty.

As questions come up...post them..with page numbers and maybe others will enjoy this very useful instruction that is needful for every christian.

4. Persons cherishing secret lusts in their hearts and lives, cannot be said to have God properly in their thoughts. Such persons no doubt there are. God is much in their words, but not duly in their thoughts; they flatter themselves for a season, but presently some hateful or hurtful lust discovers itself to be predominant in them. One is drunken, another unclean, a third an extortioner, giving scandal hereby to the world, and bringing themselves under a most dreadful woe; but we must bear the reproach, as the apostles of Christ and others did of old, committing the issue of all things unto the care of heaven; however, it is good in such a season to be jealous over ourselves and others, and to exhort one another daily, whilst it is called to-day, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. The persons here described cannot be spiritually minded;