G02. Don’t Force Me
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
G02. Don’t Force Me
Throughout this section on the church, I assume that the individual lessons are being watched by Christians who have gone through the previous sections of this website and actively win their unbelieving people for the Lord Jesus. Deliberately reaching to unbelievers is a very important premise for us to understand each other. If you have been a direct participant in someone’s conversion, then you know what a joy it is. And now what next?
Naturally, we deal with personal level: How to help new George to anchor in the Lord Jesus. At the same time, we should look for ways to open the door of his own ministry to his unbelieving acquaintances. In addition, we also think about the community level: „How to bring new George into the congregation“. Do you succeed in bringing the newly-believing George to the congregation so that he would attend regularly and benefit from it? Some friends accept the invitation even as unbelievers! They go to church services or at least to special meetings. That’s good!
Here is a micro-summary of several real-life situations with new „Georges“ who have just invited Jesus into their lives. Stories of this type we hear from more and more believers as they begin to bring people to Jesus.
„I’m gladly in your small group,“ one George told me, „but please don’t force me go to that church.“ „And what’s the problem?“ With all respect dear George explained to me that sometimes he really doesn’t know what is being talked about in these meetings. Though he grasped the principle that the Scriptures should be interpreted by the Scriptures, for my new George, who did not know anything from the Scriptures, this represented explanation of things yet unknown to him through other things yet unknown to him. So it only reinforced his feeling that he could never understand the Bible.
„Gladly I’m at your small group, but don’t force me go to that church.“ Of course, I didn’t „force“ him, but from his wording, „don’t force me,“ I realized that my approach to the meetings at that time did not allow any other alternative! I had a habit that if I didn’t have a fever or I wasn’t traveling somewhere, I should be in church on Sunday! And this thinking of mine was unconsciously manifested in the intensity of my repeated invitations. After all, God’s word says: Let us not neglect gathering together, as some are in the habit of. (Hebrews 10:25) However, my urgency became very repulsive for my George. I was used to the church environment and functioning, but some of the new Georges simply couldn’t handle our meetings! And so, to my sorrow, a number of new Georges were lost! One said goodbye with a grateful note. Others disappeared through a series of excuses. And others – out of nowhere – stopped answering phone calls or their doorbell.
Some believers saw the problem quite clearly: „Who knows if he’s even converted if he doesn’t want to go to church!“ And others – without having the slightest personal experience of bringing new people to the Lord Jesus – insisted that we have to properly explain things to him. As soon as they tried to explain our customs to the new George, he usually increased the speed of his departure.
We have seen dozens of new believers „from the world“ who have joined the church and after a few years are performing various services there! Praise the Lord! However, the number or percentage of those who somehow did not stick to our usual gatherings does not leave me in peace and leads me to look for other ways with them.
Have you experienced anything similar? Do you also have a newly-believing George „from the world“ who is somehow unable to survive your church meetings? You perceived his clear conversion, and with an obvious desire to grow in Jesus, he participates in your group! What do you do in that case?
In the following lessons, there are a few more real stories on this topic, and then I will show you a biblical model and practical steps, what can be done about it.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that Your Word gives answers to our questions…