B23 I Say What I Want to Speak About
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
B23 I Say What I Want to Speak About
One disciple came out of formal Catholic background and he had rather strong attitude towards anything religious. Let’s say his name was Robert. At one occasion, I was present at Robert’s conversation with unconverted George, who somehow professed his Catholic roots, even though he had not been to church for a few years.
In the talk they touched the Bible, and even the Good News of Jesus! It was great! However, unconverted George with Catholic roots, on the basis of a bridge over the gap of our wrongdoings, turned the topic to the church, to the role of a priest in forgiving our sins, and so on. The believing disciple Robert thus recalled all the formality and hypocrisy of his original family and especially the manipulation by the priest he remembered from his youth. So the conversation between the unbelieving George and the believing Robert revolved around weaknesses of Catholicism and which church is the right one, rather than around Jesus and our practical connection with Him.
Let me put it bluntly: the subject of the church and the priest has become a trap for the believer Robert into which he has fallen. The main subject of their conversation was no longer living Jesus, but arguments about the ballast of religion…
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT!
What would you like to achieve in an interview with unconverted George? Do you want to convince him that a religious group is wrong and that its officials are hypocrites and sinners? Or do you want to show him that life with the Lord Jesus is wonderful and liberating? Do you want to humbly open the „Holy Scriptures“ to him and show him one key passage that speaks of forgiveness through Jesus‘ sacrifice and to make him think about it?
Of course, religious or even completely unbelieving people sometimes ask me what I think about the Pope, the Virgin Mary, the purgatory, or some current church scandal. (These are topics that excellently stimulate their blood circulation!) My answer to these questions?
„George, I understand it annoys you. I’ll tell you, I don’t even want to think about it. Jesus is wonderful and does a great work in my life and in a lot of others. For example, last week I’ve read in the Bible how he came to a guy who was a huge imposter. By his kind ministry, Jesus changed his life to such an extent that this thief returned to his victims what he had robbed them of… Do you understand? Living Jesus can do this!” (Or give him a short version of another story…)
So: I’m talking what I want to talk about! I’m not talking what I don’t want to talk about.
I understand, our friends without Jesus occasionally provoke us, sometimes even insult and attack us. Do we have to answer that? We do not! But sometimes they also come up with honest questions they are really concerned about. I have a thoughtful answer to some of their questions, and I will be happy to offer it to them in a short form.
Sometimes, this can be great blessing for them. Even so, I want them to see living Jesus in my presence (not just the answers to interesting religious questions). I want them to experience Jesus personal touch with me. Ultimately, I want them to address living Jesus themselves. Simply, I wish very much that the clear dominant of our conversation would be living Jesus for them, who still works today, when they invite Him and let Him operate in them! You get it right: I’m talking what I want to talk about! And I’m not talking what I don’t want to talk about…
Lord Jesus, It fascinates me how clear goals you had in your conversations with people. Thank you for that.