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For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(Heb. 4:12)
This fact is very important for us to realize. Many times people are moved by what they see. If they are sharing the word of reconciliation with a person, it may seem from all outward appearances that the person is totally uninterested in what is being said to him.

In a situation like that, we need to realize that we are not dealing with people's minds, but with their spirits.

Many times it is a little difficult for people to understand spiritual things because they are so carnally minded. The Word of God is not mentally discerned; it is spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). Because of this, we must always remember that we are not dealing with people's minds. It is not a person's mind which gets recreated. When we witness, we are dealing with the spirit of a man, planting the Word in his heart.

Regardless of a person's outward reaction—how he looks or what he says—I am always confident that the Word I have shared has been planted in his heart, that it has gone directly to the place that is the proper environment for God's Word—the heart.

When that person leaves me, either he will have prayed with me, or he will know how to pray—I'll see to that. You should make note of that statement: If a person to whom I share the Lord Jesus Christ does not pray with me right then, I will see to it that before he leaves me, he knows how to pray. Then when the time comes that he is ready to accept Christ, he will know how to do so.

I realize that there are times when people just keep right on walking when you start your introduction or approach. You may not get to share with them everything you had intended. In that case, believe that the Word you did get to share (even if it was only the name of Jesus) has been planted, that somebody else will come and water it, and that God will give the increase. That makes you a winner with everybody.

If you have the opportunity to share with someone, do your very best to see that they either pray with you right then, or know how to pray before they leave your presence. If they don't pray with you, don't be discouraged. Don't be dejected or oppressed. Rejoice because you had the opportunity to share the Word, and that Word will enter his heart and produce results. It will not return void!

Disregard How People Look at You
There are many people who will look at you while you are sharing with them and act as though they couldn't care less about what you're saying. They may look at you as though they're thinking, "I don't want to hear this," but you never know what's happening in that person's heart unless you know the integrity of God's Word.

Lots of people have just looked at me like they could hardly wait for me to leave, but I knew what was going on inside them. Do you know how I knew? Because I remember what was going on inside me when people would talk to me about Jesus. I would give them that rebellious look like I wasn't interested in what they were saying and didn't want to hear it. But you know what? They couldn't tell what was really going on inside me.

Before Carolyn and I were married, I would come home from college on weekends to see her, and she was always telling me about the Lord. She was trying her best to get me "turned on to Jesus."

I wouldn't dare let her know that it bothered me that what she was saying was getting to me. When I would spend a weekend at home listening to her talk, going with her to all those youth rallies, I would act as though I could hardly wait to get away from her. I wouldn't dare let her know what was really happening to me: I couldn't stop thinking about the things she had told me about Jesus.

The Word Reaches the Heart
In the fourth chapter of Mark, Jesus told a parable about a sower who went forth to sow seed (vv. 3-8). He said that some seed fell to the ground on the path and was eaten up by the birds. Some fell on stony ground where there wasn't much earth; it sprang up, but soon died for lack of soil. Some fell among thorns which later choked out the young plants which sprouted up. Finally, some fell on good ground, grew up, and produced a bountiful harvest.

Later Jesus explained the parable to His disciples (vv.11-23). He said that the seed represented the Word and the different types of soil represented the hearts of those who heard the Word preached.

If you will read that parable carefully, you will notice that regardless of the kind of ground in which it was sown, the Word did what it was supposed to do: it reached the heart.

Now some of the hearts in which it was sown allowed the Word to be dug up. Some allowed it to be choked out. But you will notice that in every case, when the Word was shared—regardless of whether they had no root in themselves, or whether it was stony ground, or thorny ground, or good ground—the Word did what it was designed to do: it reached the ground.

Once the Word is released from a man's mouth, it will enter the heart, as surely as sown seed will fall to the earth. That's part of the miraculous ability of the Word. It will always go to the heart because that's the proper environment for God's Word.

Regardless of the way people may react, I approach witnessing with a positive attitude based on God's Word. I always believe that the seed I sow (the Word I share) will lodge in the heart of the one to whom I speak.

If that person walks away from me as though he didn't care, I'm not going to be the one to dig up the seed by saying, "Well, there's one who wouldn't listen to me. There goes one who doesn't care." As far as I'm concerned, I've done my part.

When a person walks away from me like that, I just say, "Father, I've done my job. I've planted the seed. You said that Your Word wouldn't return void, but will accomplish that which You please. I know it's pleasing to You that all men come to the knowledge of the truth because You have said so. You also said, 'How can they believe, except they hear?' I've preached and they've heard. Now I believe that they'll receive."

Source: Sharing Jesus Effectively by Jerry Savelle.
Excerpt permission granted by Jerry Savelle Ministries International

Author Biography

Jerry Savelle
Web site: Jerry Savelle Ministries International
 
Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
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