When Francis Schaeffer was asked how he would present the gospel to a stranger, this is what he said;
"I would spend 45-50 minutes on the negative to really show him his dilema----that is he is morally dead....then I'd take 10-15 minutes to preach the gospel."
"I believe that much of our evangelistic and personal work today is not clear simply because we are too anxious to get to the answer without having a man realize the real cause of his sickness, which is true moral guilt (and not just psytcho-logical guilt feelings) in the presence of God."
Dr. Francis Schaeffer.
In our day we have been indoctrinated to believe that we must get people to like us before we can delicately and carefully share a watered down and happy gospel. This could not be farther from the truth.
It is rational to believe based on Scripture that most people will be angered when they are told they are sinful and on their way to hell.
In our day we have been led to believe that if someone becomes angry or rages at us, we must have done something wrong. The idea that people get mad even when we did nothing wrong, has been lost.
We see people becoming enraged frequently these days over the smallest perceived slights. I say "perceived" because often there is no slight, only one that has been contrived in the mind of the one who rages.
If you have read many of my articles you would know that I believe strongly in the influence of devils in the minds of people. Not possession but influence into the minds of those who have no defense against him.
Most people today in this age of self worship are only interested in being loved and elevated by others. Because of this mentality we see people deeply offended by the smallest correction or disagreement. It is the need for self aggrandizement that causes people to be unable to hear anything but praise.
This love of self brings a false gospel of outward peace but no inner peace. It manages to flatter those who love themselves without any possibility of the necessary warnings God speaks about throughout His Word.
Ezekiel 3:17-19 "…17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. 18 If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die ,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.…"
Mature and humble people are able to accept a disagreement or a chastisement and grow from it. It is the insecure self worshiper who cannot receive what might be best for them in the long term.
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