People Are Dying - When Is The Time Right?

Maybe I was just aiming for a catchy title to grab attention but we'll see how this one goes. I was pondering this morning from the sermon about the Samaritan Woman. The connection the chaplain made with the scripture and us was to bring the gospel to people. I can't say that is an incredibly original or new message yet it is never to be taken lightly. The Great Commission is a mandate to all of us who claim to be Christians. I don't want to take the approach of merely critiquing the sermon, I think it served its purpose.

The main thought I am pondering and developing is “when should the Gospel be presented?” I love Chaplain Tran's pursuit to encourage people not to be afraid of offending people, I agree with him, in this day and age people want church to be more like a psychiatrist to tell them “it is not their fault” or “they are doing the right thing”. At the same time, is it possible that there is a right and a wrong time to present the gospel? I know we have all seen examples and sometimes been the example how not to present the gospel. What about certain timings though? I am not thinking directly of the situational times such as making a segue while in a potentially compromising situation. More so, are some people ready to hear the gospel in such a way that they may respond and more importantly is it up to us to interpret when that time is?

I am constantly pondering this one; because often times when someone will start to open up I want to hold the topic of conversation that got us to discuss spiritual things. I often sense if I bring up the gospel without leading to it, it becomes preaching. I’ve noticed if you talk with person instead of at them, they are more likely to listen. I recall a message that I did not entirely agree with, the speaker was saying the average person will hear the Gospel seven or eight times before actually committing their life to Christ, on average. I think that attempts to generalize something far too personal and precious like the Gospel. I think it really only takes once, just presented the right way, if that person actually will surrender their life to Christ or not. I am not claiming to be the master of knowing how to deliver the Gospel to each person, I will say that I think there is a very right and wrong way to do it and each time it should be done prayerfully.

One of the many big questions I ponder at night before rolling over to sleep is how I should deliver the Gospel? When is the right time and is my waiting expressing the urgency that I should be acting on because I don’t know when people are going to die. How am I to be urgent and passionate about the Gospel without scaring someone away? The best answer I have come up with so far: Share the gospel through action, through lifestyle. Let them see holiness in how I live that they will praise our Father in Heaven. The hard part is that most people won’t question why I am so different, so they will ask at some point, perhaps that frustration is my impatience. This is why I must constantly be in the position to be ready to give an answer for the hope that I have.