Deterrents to Witnessing Lk 9: 23-24 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

There are times that we know the Lord is dealing with us about witnessing to somebody.  It is more than a burden. The Holy Spirit is gently leading us to speak to them about their soul and we don’t do it.  Why is that?  If we can figure out what the deterrents to witnessing are, then, perhaps, we will get past these obstacles and be ready to witness the next time the Spirit is leading us to do so.  The deterrents to witnessing are:

Self-will – Lk 9:23-24 – we are not willing to deny ourselves so that we can be used by the Lord to do his will.  We must deny ourselves and let the Holy Spirit freely lead us to witness when he wants us to.

Shame – Lk 9:26 – in front of certain people we are ashamed of the Lord.  For instance, Peter loved the Lord Jesus.  However, under the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ trial right after Gethsemane, Peter denied Jesus.  We should never be ashamed of Jesus around anybody.

Covetousness – Lk 9:25 – sometimes we are concerned more with our business than we are with God’s business.  We don’t want to risk our business associations or our business deals by bringing up Jesus Christ.  Never let your pursuit of money override your desire to speak up for the Lord.

Family – Lk 9:60-62 – sometimes what our family wants and what the Lord wants are in conflict.  Our families need Jesus as much as anyone does.  Don’t let their concerns cause you to back away from the Lord’s concerns.  They need Jesus, too.  You follow him.

Fear – Jer 1:6-8 – it is really easy to back down from an opportunity to witness because you are afraid that you might mess up or you are afraid of their reaction.  The Lord dealt with Jeremiah about this very thing and told him not to fear.  He said he would be with Jeremiah. And he is with us when he leads us to witness.  You have nothing to fear.

Disobedience – Lk 14:23 – the Lord uses us to witness to others.  He told his servants to “go” [Lk 14:23; 15:4].  We are sent by the Lord [Rom 10:15].  We are led by his Holy Spirit [Rom 8:14].  Don’t disobey the Lord when he sends you and leads you to preach the gospel to someone.

Conclusion:  when you arise each day realize that the Lord may desire to use you to witness to someone.  So, prepare yourself ahead of time.  Tell the Lord that you won’t do your will but his.  Draw close to the Lord and assure him that you won’t let anyone intimidate you into being ashamed of him. Be prepared to witness to someone you know in your business contacts [pray for them].  Don’t be afraid to stand with the Lord even against your family.  Ask the Lord to give you the strength to not be afraid of witnessing.  And tell the Lord that you won’t disobey him the next time his Holy Spirit is leading you to talk to someone else about the Lord.