Some times I am questioned about my tactics in sharing my faith... as if it had everything to do with me and my performance; wondering if I or others will push people away from God instead of drawing them closer... although I am not proud of my immense failings,
I defer to Christ's Words...
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:44)
Like those who claim that the reason for their rejection of the Gospel and Jesus Christ personally, is the hypocrites in the Church... it is really their pride and unwillingness to humble themselves before a righteous God, and admit their need for forgiveness as well. You see the Church is for the "sick" people not the well, as Jesus put it...
"Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32)
So you see, the Church is filled with "sick" people in need of repentance and a healing touch from the Almighty; much like an ER is filled with patients that are in need of a Doctor. WE all need a touch from the Savior... but some would rather not, and at any cost refuse the life-giving medicine they need. ONES like this often brag about their independence, much like this... "Any man can quit smoking...
it takes a REAL MAN to be able to die of LUNG CANCER".
My pastor/friend told me of a time he and a professor went out to share the gospel with some people they knew in an apartment block, and they came across an older fella that was very angry when he found out what they were doing next door to his apartment. SO this guy asked my pastor and his prof what the **** they were doing their (knowing full well), and they told him. AT this the man told them to leave immediately, even though they were not visiting him... to which the prof said... "fine, if you don't want the message of salvation... go to hell."
Well you can imagine how much more angry the man got, and demanded a reason for being told to go to hell! At this the prof said... "I didn't tell you to go to hell, rather if you don't want the gospel, then you can go to hell" ...a matter of semantics one might say, but the bantering continued until the man demanded the two come into his apartment, and show him what right they had, to tell him he was going to hell if he didn't want the gospel. They did.
Much to everyones surprise the man understood that it wasn't their opinion, rather it was the simple gospel's truth... and he also understood that if it was true or not he could only find out by praying to Jesus Christ for salvation. This he also did. After hours of visiting the man happily met Jesus Christ... and needed the preachers no further,
and experienced God for himself.
Today we shoot the messenger for the message of the gospel. It is not my fault for the message that is given to me... rather only how I deliver it. I will be judged by my Lord for my delivery... and He will judge the recipient for the message!
"Then a certain scribe came and said to [Jesus], "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:18-23)
AND this is the reason for the title of this post... "You Can't Kill a Dead Man' ...because he his dead already; one can only be instrumental in his resurrection. All we can do is wake-up those who are sleeping... the gospel is really for "Dead Men Walking"! SO have no fear, share the gospel with confidence, it is the power of God unto salvation... it is an incorruptible seed! "GO into all the World and make disciples, baptizing them..."
God has designed each of us and uses our strengths and weaknesses for His Glory.
In my case He has lots of weaknesses to work with !:]
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
(2 Corinthians 12:9)