ITCZ 101 - The Holy Spirit Leads 2

In part 1 we learned that when we go into the world and deliver the Gospel we have a part to play and the Holy Spirit is doing His job as well. Now in reference to going into the world it's easy to pull up thoughts of the disciples in the New Testament going out two by two and talking to strangers in various cities.

Delivering the Gospel at every opportunity.

I also think of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron from  Living Waters and The Way of the Master ministries, standing on their soap box on a  crowded street preaching the Gospel to everyone passing by.

Well that's not really how most of us get our opportunity to share the Gospel. Our opportunities come with friends, family, co-workers and folks we interact with for services or merchandise.

Let's make the most of our opportunities and develop our ability to create opportunities where they do not seem to exist.


The Holy Spirit Does What We Can't

It can be a little scary talking to people about the Lord. Especially at first. I was fighting intimidation, lack of confidence, frustration and anger to deliver the Gospel and tell people about the Lord and it wasn't working! Or so I thought.

Remember, the Holy Spirit will give you the words you need when you need them. One plants, one waters and God gives the increase.

"Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." - Luke 12:11-12 NKJV

A Personal Journey

My frustration came because I felt I had to say the right things and persuade people that Jesus was worthy. If I could just talk them into it, I could get almost everybody. Well it turns out the only feedback I ever got was not on the things that I thought were brilliant.

People were moved by a side comment I had made. To me it was just an off hand remark for a little context but it turns out that was the very thing that brought the person closer to the Lord. It was the Holy Spirit that knew what needed to be heard.

Take comfort in the fact that the Holy Spirit will give you the words you need when you need them. The Holy Spirit will bring conviction.

Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone.

When you see the Lord move on the behalf of others it's exciting and more importantly it's encouraging. Our Father is drawing people and He is invested in working in peoples life. We are messengers. He does the hard part. Changing minds.

My New Approach

The Holy Spirit does the miracle but I do not take my part lightly. In fact, I take great joy in sharing my testimony, knowing what the Gospel is and taking strategic opportunities to share it. Then I get to watch the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of the folks I interact with.

The best strategy we have is in stirring up the curiosity of those around us. More to come on this thought so stay tuned as we go through the ITCZ 101 series.

In the mean while, get a faith boost! Take a quick read of  1 Corinthians 9:16-27 NLT for the mind set of a soul winner.

For our part, let's have the Gospel down pat so we can be ready in an instant to give the words that can pull a soul from death to life. It's just too important and far to easy to not have this down.

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NLT

~~~~~~~

Take Action!

Do you ever feel like you are rambling when you tell people about the Lord? 
I sure did. God know's what people need to hear. We don't. So let's share our testimony and tell people what we have learned and God will take it from there.
Your proclaiming of the Gospel knocks down barriers that cannot be seen. Plant. Water. God will give the increase. 

Please, add your thoughts in the comment section.

~~~~~~~

Concept >>> “You Speak, God Saves”
Next >>> "A Sincere Approach"


In The Cool Zone concept. Think like Jesus thinks. Delivering the Gospel.

Comments

  1. CherylDecember 10, 2015 at 10:14 PM

    Awesome post and awesome links! Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  2. CherylDecember 10, 2015 at 10:21 PM

    Also: Sometimes we spend time trying to figure out what is the right thing to say to someone and then words just come out of your mouth! Sheesh, you're thinking "oh, why did I say that". Well, just stand back and watch the Holy Spirit work! You will be amazed! Charyl

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownApril 14, 2016 at 3:44 PM

    I think it is also important to remember that "One plants and another waters" Chances are someone else is also ministering to this person and, quite possibly, filling in the gaps that you leave and vice versa. If we are the body of Christ and we are to give without letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing, then we need to trust that another part of the body is also giving the Word and that the Lord will cause our seeds to grow.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please, select Name/URL from the list below to comment. Note: URL is not required.

Popular posts from this blog

New! Discipleship Unveiled Podcast

Image
We are very excited at In The Cool Zone to be adding the Discipleship Unveiled podcast to our discipleship aresnal! There are different styles of learning. Reading is great for some and listening can work better for others. We want to serve as many learning styles as we are able for disciples of Jesus. Thus, Discipleship Unveiled is born and a welcome addition to the family. Please, enjoy this new tool and Like and Share to help spread the Gospel and effective disciplship! Listen to "A Disciples Perspective" on Spreaker. Take Action! How do I get a discipleship perspective?  There is a three-fold action plan that gets one moving forward with knowing their Lord and Savior and walking in the process of being transformed by the renewing of the mind. Prayer, reading the Bible and connecting with a seasoned Christian! These action steps set a disciple up to move forward with a clear plan and a new mindset. They seem like easy practicle steps but you'll...
Read more

Happiness vs. Joy

Image
There may be a few ways to look at happiness vs. joy and maybe this will add value to their distinctions. Happiness is generally determined by what is happening to us or even an accumulation of good or bad events or circumstances. Joy is completely different. It is determined by what we choose. When you ask someone if they are happy, the happy person says something like, "I feel good, things are going well, there haven't been any emergencies, my relationships are going well." The unhappy person says, "I haven't felt good, things are not going great, I've had a few emergencies and relationships have been tough." These are all external influences. Joy, for the Christian, is internal. It is a fruit of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, in a Christian, is always producing this fruit. It's our job to get in on it. The barrier for doing this, comes from thinking we are the source of joy and we have to go outside of ourselves to get it. The Old Man ...
Read more

Armor of God | Watchful Perseverance

Image
The armor of God has been a topic that has been difficult to get our minds wrapped around. What it is and how we put it on, has seemed to be a bit mysterious. So maybe by looking at the effect of the armor we can get a better understanding of how to put the armor on. We previously looked at  The Word of God , so let's take the next piece. We're leaving in,  The Effect of Armor,  section here for continuity. The Effect of Armor The most prominent place the armor of God is listed is in  Ephesians 6:14-18 NKJV .  Each piece of armor has an effect. Since it is spiritual armor, and we are physically oriented, it can be difficult to understand what is happening when we have it on. One of the things we know about armor is that once we are in the battle, we shouldn't have to think about the armor. It will passively protect us and we shouldn't have to give it another thought. We inspect, test and repair the armor on a regular basis and ensure it is fit...
Read more