How do you make a positive impression upon the "don't preach to me" crowd?

[martincisneros]

Some folks, before you even open your mouth, recognize something Christian about you and don't want you to say anything whatsoever about it to their dying day.  You wish to respect their wishes, yet feel the pressures of the Great Commission to where your loyalty has to actually be to another world and it's mandates.  What do you do?  Obviously living consistently and living a prayerful life for them.  But what do you do to be a positive influence in their lives?  Some of these folks are just passing through your life and won't be there forever.  Others, are relatives or whatever and you're sorta stuck with those that are afraid of your opening your mouth and sharing anything from the heart that might even remotely seem Gospel-oriented.  Obviously, live with excellence, consistency, and prayer, but what else can you do?  They don't wanna hear it!! :laughing7:

[martincisneros]

I'd personally throw it at 'em anyway, but everyone around me tends to think I'm "Yoda" anyway. :laughing7:

Most people, most personality types CAN'T get away with it.  Someone cc'd me in on an email that they sent out about this kind of situation, so, I'm sorta rephrasing this type of question in their behalf.

(http://dogslol.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/yoda6.jpg)

[Paul Hazelwood]

I see what your saying, I would imagine it may depend upon what your expecting and maybe what your seeing in the person you feel needs a word.   I have some friends that do not like to be preached at, they believe in God in a certain respect and it differs from where I am at.  However I am finding it would be hard for me to be able to say definatly that their way of seeing things is not what God needs them to see.

This isn't saying I have never spoken to them, it means that their life mimics a Christ like concern but doesn't hold to the assertions we religiously might expect.  Some will argue that new age type beliefs are not Christ like, yet,  I also see that the bible and religion are the sole stumbling blocks for them not coming right out and saying I follow Christ to the acceptance of others.

Usually they see what they see and it is not up to me to determine that they need to see it my way and use the same descriptions I might use.

I find a casual acceptance of God saving all mankind from 100% of people I have spoken too that are not religious and can accept the concept and may perhaps think upon it. 

If I try to make a religious issue out of "what I think they must do" with that acceptance then thats when the resistance comes.   However, I refuse to believe they are rejecting christ as much as they reject the assertions of a human being into what they know.   Some can disagree with me on that stance, but people like that aren't the ones in bondage as much as people think.

A casual acceptance of "God saving all mankind" rarely comes from people steeped into religion and making issues with what they think everyone must do to be a good Christian.

In fact they are the ones most likely to dig the foxhole and launch bombs at someone even suggesting it.

Just go to a christian blog and post 1timothy 2:4 and annouce how wonderful this message is and see how many people come out to "correct" you.  I know who really needs freedom in the ones I mentioned.

[Doc]

My personal experience is that the best witness is the example you set, rather than anything you 'say' directly to them anyway.

[jabcat]

One thing that comes to mind is something I've not always been real good at...loving and interacting with them, as in, Jesus sitting with the "sinners"...then as you just live your life before them, I think that is a witness...not self-righteously lecturing them, just living your relationship with the Master in their presence.  As PaulH keeps pointing out, God IS love.

[fire walker]

One thing that comes to mind is something I've not always been real good at...loving and interacting with them, as in, Jesus sitting with the "sinners"...then as you just live your life before them, I think that is a witness...not self-righteously lecturing them, just living your relationship with the Master in their presence.  As PaulH keeps pointing out, God IS love.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It appears to me that way as well Jabcat, on a personal note I have  seldom witnessed or "preached" even then it was a spontaneous pouring of words that just came to me without any effort at the moment and was not as is stero typicaly said about the how to or the way of preaching according to man, just living your relationship with the Master in their presence shines more light into the world than formal traditional preaching has ever done as I and many others have been given to see this, God is the source of Love and love never fails, that is why I see Love  being moved in us from impatience, to Love is long suffering.

Peace,
Fire Walker

[reFORMer]

Topic: How do you make a positive impression upon the "don't preach to me" crowd?

Sometimes I just make an impression and leave it to God to work His wonders to make it a good impression.  I have so many stories.  Let's see what comes up.

Like, when talking with Marion about God in a doctors waiting room a man whose son was with him told me to be quiet because I was disturbing people, that I had no right to speak as I was in a public place.  I let him know he was the only one who appeared disturbed and no, I would not keep quiet.  If he objected to some point I was making he was free to say so and we could discuss it; but, just to keep silence, no.  This is the USA and our Constitution grants us the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.  I was not making a disturbance, only exercising the American right to freedom of speech, just as he was free to disagree with what I said.  After saying such things to him I boldly spoke to him concerning his being offended with God and what the truth about God and His love for us meant in his case.  I went back to talking with Marion about whatever I was talking about.  I'm not sure if that was the one God showed me was divorced.  The one he showed me that about sure scowled and contorted his face, as I went on to explain why and what God thought.

I don't think that just being a good person is much of an impression, particularly on strangers.  That doesn't mean I don't believe in being good and upright because I very much do.  It should be there as backup.  It is just that it is commanded us to:  "Herald the word. Stand by it, opportunely, inopportunely, expose, rebuke, entreat, with all patience and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2, CLV)  Welcome or unwelcome, Preach the word!

I used to ride the bus and anyone anywhere that carried a Bible I was first after them, like, "To the Jew first, and also to the gentile."  Speaking to one such woman, she responded with what I heard often enough, "No habla Ingles."  So I haltingly preached to her in Spanish, which I knew much better then.  She decidedly didn't like it.  I wondered if she was a Jehovah's Witness.  Just one among many I wouldn't give up.

I know I love them.  I'm not surprised if they don't see my love, specially when they reject me to speak at all to them concerning God and His word.  I seek God's approval and not theirs.  I usually don't intentionally antagonize them.  We're free! and I'm doing something good.  Most of the time I'm telling them something they'll never hear on popular Christian TV or radio and I tell them so.  They ought to know it's something uncommon and precious they're being privledged to hear.  I sometimes tell them just that along with the things it seems are relevant.

I have someone dear to me that has aids and forbids me to talk to him about anything concerning God or the Bible.  I press on and talk freely to him whatever I feel is important about the Lord.  I never let his protests slow me down.  He still puts up with it for no reason other than God's trapped him.  It may be bearing some fruit.

In days of yesteryear my "Christian" friends rejected me for so boldly speaking to strangers.  It was a breach of commonly excepted etiquette.  I told them I wasn't doing evil but good.  Human traditions standing against God's word are proprieties that need to be changed.  Claiming it is evil for truth to be told to ordinary people is not something I ever intend to live by.  I don't just have bad manners, I know I'm intentionally doing the opposite in this matter.  I made that clear to my friends who simply abandoned me.  I lost a lot of friends over the years.

I'm so naughty!

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: I've talked a little bit about the anointing I experienced the first ten days I was born again, but I didn't go into the detail of being and feeling His love in that anointing. It was overpowering. I really believe that He gave me a taste of what it will be like to be totally consumed by Him and have the mind of Christ operating all the time. The love was overwhelming both to me and those I came in contact with. It was tangible.

I went to a woman's house I knew at His direction, but didn't know why. It turned out it was her 19 year old daughter I was there for. I couldn't shut up and it just poured out to her. They went into the other room, as she had plans and was leaving. Her mother came in and told me with tears in her eyes, that her daughter had told her I was the nicest person she had ever met. I looked puzzled and she said, "You don't understand; she hates everyone. She's tried to kill herself several times and we have had her going to a therapist for years. She's never said this about anyone before." I told her it was not me, it was the Lord in me that she "saw".

Another episode; four days into it, my friend and her daughter went to a mall in Indy. One of the aspects of this anointing, was that I could both see (light in them, or no light) and feel who had not been born again. I was walking up to complete strangers that weren't born again, crying, telling them of Jesus and they must be born again. After about 4 encounters like this, her 14 year old daughter said, "MOMMMM....make her stop!"

I would have never done something like this of my own volition, but the Spirit had just taken me over so completely, it was like I had one foot here and one foot in heaven, because the spiritual was just as real to me as the natural, if not more so. So my point is, the Spirit's reaction to people that are unsaved, is pretty dramatic. I got a taste of it, that finally wore off in it's intensity after about 10 days.

I have learned to cooperate with the Spirit's leading, in who, what, when and where to share. It's not a conscious effort on my part; it's as if I CAN'T keep my mouth shut if it's someone He's wanting to reach. Sometimes I have literally begged Him not to make me, because of the circumstances of where I was at, ect. It didn't work, LOL, but I tried. Sometimes it's because He wants me to pray for them, on the spot, laying on of hands and all, and He gives me something to say to get the conversation steered the way He wants it, to open the door to ask if I can pray for them.

The only time I didn't feel strange about praying for people anywhere any time, was when He sent me to OK. I was in a small retail store with my friend and He gave me a word for the woman at the cash register. I fought with it for 20 minutes, the store had several people in it.

Finally I relented and went over and told her she might think I was crazy but, I had a word for her from the Lord, expecting her to tell me to bug off or worse.  :mshock:

Instead she said she'd be right there, as soon as she finished ringing everybody in line up, for me not to move. Before I could even think of moving, two complete strangers, a man and a woman, one a worker and one a shopper, came running up to me grabbed my hands and said, "We'll pray with you until she gets here!"

I looked at my friend and said, "I love this place (OK); I'm normal here!"  :laughing7:

Anyway, as for how He does me now, I am always "on alert", listening to see if there is something He wants to say, when I meet someone. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. When not, I just try to show His love and character. Do everything as unto the Lord, about covers it. My  :2c: Blessings....

[sparrow]

How do you make a positive impression upon the "don't preach to me" crowd?

Don't preach to them.

[fire walker]

Well since we are discussing on the"how to leaving positive impressions on the don't preach to us crowd" and Let's look at this question from the other direction, and ask "what is the impression left on us from the preaching crowd?"

Most all of us here are already trusting in Christ alone who is the author and finisher of our faith, and that not a faith OF OUR OWN, there is only one mediator between man and God and that is the man  Christ Jesus, not the Pope, not Priests,  not Preachers not teachers but Christ alone.

So I had in one week visitors at my door preching Jahova witness doctrines, I kindly tell them I am already walking by faith, next day the LDS (latter day saints) are at my door preaching LDS doctrines, and I kindly tell them I am already walking by faith, two days latter theSDA (Seventh day adventists)
are at my door preaching Seventh Day Adventist doctrines and I also kindly tell them I am already walking by faith, and again the next day folks from another denomination, the Church of God Seventh Day were at my door preaching their Church doctrines and again I Kindly tell these folks that I am already walking by faith, in the last ten years these same people from all four of these churches come to my door and preach at least 3 times during any one year, however it is always that they are preaching themselves and thus the doctrines of men and not the simple good news gospel of Christ alone.
Now I often tell them that Christ is the saviour of the world only to have them become more presisting, one warned me that I was following the devil and believing the doctrines of demons because I trusted the reconciliation of ALL men to be of the good news gospel taught and delivered by Christ.

Now what is the positive impression left with me after they preached themselves standing at my door? That they mean well, there is no doubt and I take the time to hear them out even though they are caught up in the clutches of their religiously dogmatic denominational church doctrines , and it was the best thing I could do to point out that I did not agree with their doctrines from the begining and that I trusted in the faith of Christ alone.

Now with others of you here who have experienced this same thing I ask  what positive impression are you left with after someone preaches themselves or the doctrines of men to you when you have descerned it to be those religiously preaching themselves and the doctrines of this or that denomination or religious group?

Peace,
Fire Walker

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: I had a Jehovah Witness come to my door a few years back. I was going to tell her I was not interested so she'd leave, and the Lord said, "NO!". So I invited her in. I told her up front that I knew she was there to convert me, and as long as she understood I was going to try to do the same to her, we'd get along fine! She said that was ok and the conversion began.  :laughing7:

We talked for over an hour; mostly she talked, and at the end I asked her questions in the nature of, "If this is true, then what about this?"

At the end of her time with me that day, she asked if she could come back and I told her anytime, and hugged her. She asked if a day next week would work and I agreed to it. She was going to ask her elders my questions and come back.

This went on every week for about 6 weeks, the same thing, with her having to write down my questions to ask her elders. We became friends in the meantime. So finally her elders apparently think she needs reinforcements, so they send a man with her to observe I guess, because he never opened his mouth. But he did get wild eyed when he saw us going back and forth furiously, quickly sharing things. She noticed this, and told him, "It's ok, we LIKE this!"

I guess he must have gone back to the other elders and told them I was a lost cause, :winkgrin: because she didn't come back after that, except one time about 3 months later and then I was dealing with my mother having cancer and was too busy to visit with her. And that was the end of it. I'd like to think I planted seed, but who knows. Blessings....

[Doc]

:cloud9: I had a Jehovah Witness come to my door a few years back. I was going to tell her I was not interested so she'd leave, and the Lord said, "NO!". So I invited her in. I told her up front that I knew she was there to convert me, and as long as she understood I was going to try to do the same to her, we'd get along fine! She said that was ok and the conversion began.  :laughing7:

We talked for over an hour; mostly she talked, and at the end I asked her questions in the nature of, "If this is true, then what about this?"

At the end of her time with me that day, she asked if she could come back and I told her anytime, and hugged her. She asked if a day next week would work and I agreed to it. She was going to ask her elders my questions and come back.

This went on every week for about 6 weeks, the same thing, with her having to write down my questions to ask her elders. We became friends in the meantime. So finally her elders apparently think she needs reinforcements, so they send a man with her to observe I guess, because he never opened his mouth. But he did get wild eyed when he saw us going back and forth furiously, quickly sharing things. She noticed this, and told him, "It's ok, we LIKE this!"

I guess he must have gone back to the other elders and told them I was a lost cause, :winkgrin: because she didn't come back after that, except one time about 3 months later and then I was dealing with my mother having cancer and was too busy to visit with her. And that was the end of it. I'd like to think I planted seed, but who knows. Blessings....

I'm certain you did plant a seed there, or watered one that may have already been there... God will give the increase in His own good time... :thumbsup:

[fire walker]

A simple answer to the question of
" how do we make a positive impression on the don't preach to me crowd" came to me like a light being turned on and that is don't preach to them then, pray for them instead and let God make the positive impressions upon their life, sometimes it is the Damascus Road experience in their life God uses where the preaching of the gospel has had no positive effect upon them just as it was when the Lord moved upon Apostle Paul.

Personaly I trust  prayer to be much greater in the matter of answering Martins question here than preaching about the preaching.

Peace,
Firde Walker

[WhiteWings]

And that was the end of it. I'd like to think I planted seed,

The girl was fired for being unable to rebute a hell child.
Ever considered writing speeches (for politicians)  :laughing7:

[MacPherson]

Some folks, before you even open your mouth, recognize something Christian about you and don't want you to say anything whatsoever about it to their dying day.  You wish to respect their wishes, yet feel the pressures of the Great Commission to where your loyalty has to actually be to another world and it's mandates.  What do you do?  Obviously living consistently and living a prayerful life for them.  But what do you do to be a positive influence in their lives?  Some of these folks are just passing through your life and won't be there forever.  Others, are relatives or whatever and you're sorta stuck with those that are afraid of your opening your mouth and sharing anything from the heart that might even remotely seem Gospel-oriented.  Obviously, live with excellence, consistency, and prayer, but what else can you do?  They don't wanna hear it!! :laughing7:

I think when it comes to evangelizing and family, Jesus' adage that a prophet is never welcome at home comes to mind. We can put a rock in their shoe, but a lot of the time that's about all. Pray, pray, pray. There's someone, something that will make an impact. And there you are with open arms. We must learn to wait upon the Lord, and not attempt to take matters in our own hands.

[MacPherson]

My personal experience is that the best witness is the example you set, rather than anything you 'say' directly to them anyway.

A gesture of love through the Holy Spirit, speaks a thousand words.