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jmooney6
Member



Joined: 2009/9/2
Posts: 60


 The Sin of Wimping Out

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I don't know if I mentioned that I'm a part-time college student, but I was on campus today for a music composition class. While I was waiting in the hallway, two students walk in, haughty, poking fun of eternal security and "these *expletive* Jesus people". (Unbeknownst to me, in the plaza, there were fellow Christians, evangelizing.) Right away, I felt a stirring inside me, like an outrage, compelling me to say something, but when I was about to, I choked up. It wasn't like I wanted to hold back, because I love Jesus and want to do His Will, but it's like I opened my mouth, and I literally became paralyzed, not knowing what to even say (other than "shut up!" which really wouldn't have been effective at all). Even though they kept laughing about my fellow Christians, they must've seen the look on my face, for they quickly changed the conversation topic.

Afterwards, I asked my mother about what I should've done, but even before I got to the question when I was telling her what had happened, she said, "I sure hope you didn't say anything to them!" and she said, "You can't handle confrontation well," and, "Some people were called to be ministers, others priests. We're not any of those."

Right now I'm absolutely disgusted at myself and disappointed, because here Jesus presented me with an opportunity (or at least I believe so), and I blew it! Being a spiritual baby Christian is no excuse! I'm also terrified now because I denied Him. I don't want to be unknown to Him, a worker of iniquity, the branch that produces no fruit and is cast out to the Lake of Fire. On the other hand, how can I be a good witness if my mother disapproves of it. Would I be disrespecting her by disobeying her? How can I keep both commandments without breaking either one? How do I overcome paralyzing fear that I may become effective? (And a side question, would God approve of me using the talent He gave me for music composition as a witnessing tool?) :-? Please help me. God bless and thank you again!


_________________
Jim

 2009/9/8 16:23Profile
twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re: The Sin of Wimping Out

Jim:

Brother, I love the sensitivity of heart that you have toward the Lord. I hope what I have to say about this both helps you and encourages you.

First of all, don't be disgusted with yourself. You have not denied Christ. Saying that being a spiritual babe is no excuse is a lot like telling your 2 year old that being a physical baby is no excuse for not being able to ace your midterm exams. God is patient with us and longsuffering even after we are born again. He is not ticked at you because you failed to speak when you thought you should have.

Don't beat yourself up over the situation. If God deals with you and tells you that you missed it, simply confess it, repent, and go on. 1 John 1:9 God never beats up on us and makes us feel worthless when we miss it. He lovingly convicts us of sin and encourages us to run to Him, repent, and receive His forgiveness.

Just listening to this account, I want to suggest something. Since I do not know you personally, you can reject this outright if you want. Perhaps you wouldn't have handled this situation very well. I want to suggest that perhaps what you might have said would not have helped the situation, nor have brought those two people any closer to receiving Christ. Just go before the Lord and ask Him to begin to train you to handle these kind of situations. Find some mature men of God that have been in this thing for some time and see how they would have handled it. If you are a new Christian, you may never have encountered a situation like this before.

Brother, without being disrespectful, I have to disagree with your mother. The Word of God calls you both a minister and a priest. You are called to minister to people all around you. You are called to live a life of ministry. You will not minister out of your own ability, but out of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God will teach you how to do this. He works with us where we are and changes us into what He wants us to be. You are growing. You have a lot of lessons to learn. This will not be the last time you miss it in one area or another. You will bear a great deal of fruit as you grow in the Lord and live you life guided by His Holy Spirit.

If you want to see how Jesus views these situations, look at how He dealt with Peter. He told Peter ahead of time that he would deny Him. Peter did not just keep silent in a moment of opportunity, he denied knowing Christ outright. Afterward Jesus did not chide Peter, condemn him, or even speak to him directly about the matter. He restored Peter and set Him on the road to ministry.

I hope this helps you in some way. Remember, the position of you heart is more important to the Lord than the outward actions.

God bless you as you grow in Him.

Travis


_________________
Travis

 2009/9/8 18:51Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: The Sin of Wimping Out

Quote:
but when I was about to, I choked up. It wasn't like I wanted to hold back, because I love Jesus and want to do His Will, but it's like I opened my mouth, and I literally became paralyzed, not knowing what to even say (other than "shut up!" which really wouldn't have been effective at all). Even though they kept laughing about my fellow Christians, they must've seen the look on my face, for they quickly changed the conversation topic.



Brother, this may have communicated all the Holy Spirit wanted you to say at the moment. Ever think about that? Not all communication is done with speech.

Quote:
Right now I'm absolutely disgusted at myself and disappointed, because here Jesus presented me with an opportunity (or at least I believe so), and I blew it!



May I urge you to quit whipping yourself over your head. You said you did open your mouth to speak but it became paralyzed, you could not speak. See, you tried, but the Holy Spirit did not give you the words, except silence. When the Holy Spirit gives you words to say, you will speak and the probability is that you will then forget what you said. That won't matter because that way you will not depend on your own personal wisdom but God's who will be the enabler and speak through you.

Just stay in the Word and always ask the Lord to teach you to recognize his voice when he speaks to you so you can always be obedient to it.

Hope this helps...

ginnyrose


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2009/9/8 19:22Profile
jlosinski
Member



Joined: 2006/9/11
Posts: 294
North Pole, Alaska

 Re:

Don't let it bother you, I've felt the same way many times, and the devil (or ourselves) will be quick to point out how we've failed. Rest in God instead, the worst thing you can do is feel so guilty over not taking that opportunity that you feel as though you must witness to someone to get rid of the guilt. That is not of God, but of our desire to ease our consicence by works.

Remember, the Holy Spirit is the one to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment; The Father chastises with love, and never with condemnation, so if you feel as though you are in danger of comdenmation, cling to the righteousness of Christ.

Take heart, our Master chose to remain silent before Herod as he questioned Him to satisfy his desire for amusement, see Luke 23:8-9
Joe

 2009/9/8 22:18Profile
elharris
Member



Joined: 2009/8/10
Posts: 59


 Re: The Sin of Wimping Out

Dear Brother in Christ,

Perhaps, these scriptures can speak to your heart and give you the answer.

Of a truth, the circumstances led you to question yourself, as you had heard the first verse of what I am to share with you. But please read on to the context of what Jesus was talking about.

Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mic 7:6 Mark 13:12

36 [b]And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.[/b]
Mic 7:6

37 [b]He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: [/b]and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Your mother said: "I sure hope you didn't say anything to them!" and she said, "You can't handle confrontation well," and, "Some people were called to be ministers, others priests. We're not any of those."

In this case to respect your mothers opinion, would be to deny Christ. Of a truth Jesus says you are, and he has called you to be, and he will teach and equip you, for the very thing your mother said "you" are not.

REJOICE brother, the test was not those two who you met at school, but the very thing Jesus himelf warned of, that a man's foes would be they of his own household.



Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

26 [b]If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.[/b]

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

I can tell you from personal experience, that it is those of your own household, that will be the most difficult to deal with.

My own mother, never said ONE WORD, durring all the years of my youth, that I spent in drunkeness and sensuality. But in 1980, when I cried unto the Lord to save me and by some very loving Christians was led to his word, my own mother came in one say while I was reading the Word and said; "Do you have to read that thing all the time?"

I remember I said; "Why is it that the whole time I was drinking and carousing and doing all manner of evils, you NEVER said a word. But now that I have quit drinking and am almost happy for the first time in my life, you're all worried about me reading the Bible too much."

You said: On the other hand, how can I be a good witness if my mother disapproves of it. Would I be disrespecting her by disobeying her? How can I keep both commandments without breaking either one? How do I overcome paralyzing fear that I may become effective? (And a side question, would God approve of me using the talent He gave me for music composition as a witnessing tool?)

Son, I just have to laugh, because on the one hand you are worried about disobeying your mother, and on the other hand you're already thinking about how you can do that, by using your talen as a tool to do so.

God has called you and in spite of your beloved mother, you will take a stand for him. This in turn with bring salvation to your mother, as you love her with the love of God, but OBEY JESUS.

Perhaps God will use your talent as a wittnessing tool. But much more likely God will use your weakness. That weakness you felt when you could not speak.

The reason you could not speak, is because the holy spirit does not have enough to draw in in you yet. You see it is not you that speak, but the holy spirit of God that speaks within you and through you to the world.

the way this works is you do everything you can to spend time with Jesus in the Gospels. Do it just as if you were living back then and hanging out with the disciples following Jesus around to hear what he had to say.

Know that like them, you will not understand everything he says, and you will even misunderstand and take things wrong at times. But as you speand time with him, listening to what he teaches, and observing what he does you will become his disciple, you will know the truth, and it will free up that tongue of yours.

You see, the holy spirit does not speak of himself, rather he waits to see if you will take the yoke upon you and learn of him. Then as you read his words, commandments and teachings as is writtn in the gospel, then he will bring those things to your remembrance as you need them.

He cannot bring anything out that you have not put in. And that is not to say, that you should have even said anythig that day. But it is to say, that what God can and does use the most is his word, when it is living in us.

Perhaps your talent will get you around someone who will believe God's word. But other than that what people need and what you need to be able to give them is the gospel.

I warn you, stay away from commentaries and theology, and just go hand with Jesus in the gospels. Learn of him, and you will learn from him. Then when the time arises he will put his words in your mouth, that you have put in your heart.

Regards,
El Harris

 2009/9/9 22:58Profile
jmooney6
Member



Joined: 2009/9/2
Posts: 60


 Re:

Fellow Brothers and Sisters!

I forgot to mention that I do witness to Mom whenever I feel the compulsion. Like if Mom does something, all of a sudden words pop into my head with a command "say it". :-o I'm not sure if that is the Holy Spirit working within, or not, but I daren't deny Him if it is! After all, Jesus is Lord, not Mom.

That being said though, El, reading your story and your quoting of Matthew 10:36 actually made me weep, because it's true, and I'm afraid my mother could be going to someplace she isn't expecting to go. I'm not the Judge Who knows a person's heart personally, so who am I to know, especially since I struggle with sin myself?

Since receiving Jesus, my mom sometimes acts 'funny' towards me. Don't get me wrong, she's still the kind, sweet person who raised me, no question, and I love her a lot! But, if I try to explain something to her, she'll laugh or get this look on her face (like pride or something), or she'll make excuses. I told her about being born again, and Mom said, "What's that? That better not be something to do with a cult!" I said, "No Mom, it's all about receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. I fell away from Him a long time ago, but now I have Him and love Him!" Mom says, "You never fell away. I made sure your salvation was secure by having you baptized when you were young." I explained to her that having a bunch of water dumped on your head when you were too young to realize what was going on wasn't real salvation, and she screamed, "What about John the Baptist?!" I said, "Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit, not by water. John the Baptist did his thing before Jesus shed His Blood for us!" She said, "I want to you stay off of those (Christian) websites! They're turning you against me!"

She also believes in praying to "saints", and when I said, "Jesus is a jealous God and only He deserves to be prayed to. It's His Will and His Desire to know us! Praying to saints is basically multitheism in disguise," she screamed, "The religion (Catholicism) that churned me out sure can't be a bad religion!" I once asked if she reads her Bible, she screams, "It's not of your d*** business if I read it! It's personal!" It's funny, because everything else that we could disagree about is discussed in a reasonable manner, but when it comes to Jesus, everything has to be an instant yelling match (although sometimes I yell back when feelings take over reason, which then I ask forgiveness from Jesus).

My point for writing this isn't an exposé on Mom, rather, can you help me out fellow Brothers and Sisters via a prayer intercession? I've prayed so much over this issue myself during the past month. Please help me pray for my mom that her eyes be opened and she realizes God's plan, before it's too late spiritually. :-?

*****

That being said, I would like to get into more witnessing right off the bat, even though I don't know everything yet (nor have much time thanks to college studies). Besides studying the Bible so that I may gain better Spiritual knowledge, would purchasing a set of tracts to leave in various clever places/hand out be a wise idea? Or would purchasing a bulk set of New Testaments to leave about/hand out be wiser? Being a part of the Body of Christ, I feel it's crucial for me to use whatever means I can to get the Message out (even saving up money to get tracts and New Testaments)! Now, if tracts, what would be some recommended ones to purchase? If New Testaments, any suggestions on a site with a good, cheap price (preferably NKJV, but NIV is fine too so long as it's not TNIV, and preferably under $100, and preferably takes money orders as I don't own a credit card)?

I'm not saying that I'm not going to witness face-to-face some time in my life, as I'm doing that occasionally with Mom, but I think I'll know when my time to do that will come, because it will be the same Holy Spirit prodding me to do so.

Sorry if my post is long, but thank you for having patience with me. Thank God for you all! God bless!


_________________
Jim

 2009/9/10 15:55Profile
Leo_Grace
Member



Joined: 2009/6/14
Posts: 703


 Re:

Dear Jim,

I too was raised in a Catholic home. I was the second of seven children, the oldest of six boys. When I first became a true Christian (the first in the family), I boldly shared with my parents and siblings the way you are trying to do now, and I was rejected with a passion and ordered by my father not to try "converting" them again.

You have to first understand that among Catholics, there is an inbred dislike and distrust for "Protestants". Becoming a protestant to them is like betrayal of the catholic faith. So, in your mother's eyes, you have sinned against the Catholic church and, though she loves you, she will not follow in your "sin" - conversion will probably cost her the disdain of many friends and relatives.

It would be best not to aggressively confront her with doctrinal issues or even scripture. Be a true Christian in your home - witness to her with your life. Yelling back at her when she resists your efforts is definitely not the way to go about it.

In love, try to do things for your family that they do not expect from you --- like clean the yard, do the dishes, clean up your room, cooking for them, etc. If your mom can relate unexpected improvements in your character (willingness to do things for them unbidden) to your conversion, then she may eventually be willing to listen to the gospel.

I'm suggesting this because that was how I, a former Catholic, became a true Christian - not by "evangelistic" programs, nor by doctrinal discussions. It was because I saw people (Christians) whose lives were wonderfully different, and I became curious.

In Christ's Love,
Leo

 2009/9/10 16:38Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re:

jmooney,

Seems to me that Leo gave you some good advice. I suggest you take it to heart.

Now about your mom: ever consider that God may be using her to teach you something about yourself, and how to witness to others? and how rebellious folks will regard your witness? Instead of fighting it, sit back and take a long look, asking the LORD to teach you what you should learn from it, and be teachable. Remember Jesus loves her, too.

Will pray for you...
ginnyrose


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2009/9/10 16:56Profile
murrcolr
Member



Joined: 2007/4/25
Posts: 1839
Scotland, UK

 Re: The Sin of Wimping Out

Quote:

jmooney6 wrote:

I don't know if I mentioned that I'm a part-time college student, but I was on campus today for a music composition class. While I was waiting in the hallway, two students walk in, haughty, poking fun of eternal security and "these *expletive* Jesus people". (Unbeknownst to me, in the plaza, there were fellow Christians, evangelizing.) Right away, I felt a stirring inside me, like an outrage, compelling me to say something, but when I was about to, I choked up. It wasn't like I wanted to hold back, because I love Jesus and want to do His Will, but it's like I opened my mouth, and I literally became paralyzed, not knowing what to even say (other than "shut up!" which really wouldn't have been effective at all). Even though they kept laughing about my fellow Christians, they must've seen the look on my face, for they quickly changed the conversation topic.



Saying nothing was probably the best thing to do because you would have blown it because of anger. I have blown it a lot through the years one particular time I was witnessing to my wife sister and it ended up in arguement and I through here out the house. When she went out I slammed the door so hard the glass broke in the door.

Not the way to win people for Jesus:-(

The next night I went to pray about the situation I was asking God if I should go and say sorry but the witness I was getting was that I should pray for her real strong.

So off I go and start praying the prayer got so intense there it felt like I had a pain in my stomach, then at the hardest point of the prayer it suddenly changed. God came into the room I nearly fell to the floor when he came as my legs buckled, I was praying loud before but the cry of celebration that came out of me was ten times louder than when I was praying.

After I stopped celebrating I sat down to read a book, I must have got through the first page, when God spoke to me in what I can only describe as a television but it was in my mind then the Holy Spirit spoke about what I should do and some words I should say to my wifes sister.

Today my wife sister is saved and goes to church.

Looking back at my time as Christian I laugh at what I was like and how much I blew it, but I have learned and grown and you will to.:-)

God does not choose the best of this world he chooses the failures, the weak the list could go on and on. Have a read of the verse in the link below and pray for those two college students and your Mother.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31


_________________
Colin Murray

 2009/9/10 17:00Profile
jimp
Member



Joined: 2005/6/18
Posts: 1481


 Re:

hi jim, this has nothing to do with whimping out but i am moved to suggest a few things to help with your relationship with your mom and other catholic people.this comes from a brother who has seen hundreds of rcs saved.read with alarm... 1st : buy a hardback fullsized jerusalem bible with all the study helps for this is the Catholic approved bible. your mom or any other rc dont want to here from no kjv or any other[cultish] bible.in John when it talks about knowing Him there is a footnote stating that this knowing him is not just a normal knowlege but an intimate personal love relationship ...example Adam knew Eve and she had a son...this is a good place to start.. go to the apostles creed and see how it agrees with romans 10 : 9,10 and pray with your mom. remember how paul ministered on mars hill. wisely as a serpant harmless as a dove.. jimp

 2009/9/10 22:09Profile





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