When you present the gospel to someone,
what's the percentage chance that you can convince them to follow Christ?
Honestly, if you would have asked me a few
years ago I would have thought I had a small, but yet some chance, maybe
10%-20%. After all, I can relate to the
average American, contextualize the gospel, speak their language, and use
apologetics. However, the more and more I share the gospel to the Antandroy the more and
more I realize the smaller and smaller chance I've got at convincing anyone,
whether Antandroy or American.
I know I'm stating the obvious,
"Sunday School Answer," by saying this, but here it goes:
I've
got 0% chance at changing anyone's mind about following Christ.
In fact, in my own ability, all I've got
the ability to do is look ridiculous to those that are lost. Thousands of people have already looked at me
as ridiculous and they think I'm wasting my time. Plainly, "For the message of the cross
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God." 1 Corinthians
1:18
This work relies completely on God!
Situation after situation, person after
person, when I open my eyes to the cultural differences, language abilities,
and more importantly deep lostness, I'm brought to my knees with one prayer to
the God of all power, "Abba, these people have 0% chance at turning and
believing without your work in their lives.
I will plant and water, but you must make them grow!"
It's when I'm staring into the eyes of
an old man that has worshiped his ancestors all his life and taught his
grandchildren to do the same, that I say, "Father, I've got 0% chance at
convincing him without you!"
It's when I'm speaking like a 4 year old
to 100 lost villagers that I pray, "Father, I've got 0% chance at
convincing them, but I will faithfully share the gospel as best I can and trust
the power of your word! Convict and save
them!"
It's when the fact that I'm a foreigner
screams, "I'm rich and here to bring you money" louder than my mouth
says, "I'm a servant of God here to bring you the good news of Jesus"
that I pray, "I've got 0% chance at getting genuine responses, call out
your children Lord!"
And God has been doing just that,
calling His children out!
8 months ago we were invited to a
village with no Christians. We arrived
in the village to find witchcraft, ancestor worship, and family feuds. We've visited them several times in which
we've: taught them several Bible stories and the way of salvation through
Jesus, prayed at their houses, eaten their food, and distributed Bibles. At the beginning of September we arrived in
this same village to find a group of adults teaching the children to sing a
worship song to God, symbols of witchcraft becoming less and less, and brothers
that have forgiven each other. This is
the power of God, taking a village that was completely lost and worshiping
their ancestors to now teaching their children to worship God.
Our trip to this village in October was
even better! 11 people independently
stood up and said they wanted to follow Jesus starting that day. Vows were made in front of the witch doctor and
the rest of the village that they would not go to the witch doctor again, but
they are following and trusting Jesus from now on! We have a plan with the believers for baptism
in November. The Lord is up to more that
than we imagined and its a beautiful work!
We had a 0% chance at genuinely changing
this village, but look how God is transforming it!!
I'm glad that the Lord has brought me to
this place of 100% dependence on His power in evangelism.
I pray you are encouraged to go share
the gospel with your network through this story. It might be that you need to be willing to be
called ridiculous and realize that you have 0% chance at genuinely winning that
person to Christ without the power of God at work.
Having a 0% chance doesn't mean we don't
go and share the gospel, it means we go dependent on and with confidence in our
Father. He is after all, the Lord of the
harvest!
For His Amazing Work,
Andrew Snipes
Praise the Lord of the Harvest! Matthew 9:38
Prayer Request: Ask the Lord of the harvest to bring up a laborer from this group. He's already provided some women to help lead, now we are praying for a man. The four men in the picture are the first 4 men to follow Christ in this village. May He raise a leader from these four men.
