You need to build relationships with people if you want to share the gospel.
Always remember this: Most people first need to know that you care about them before they
will care about what you have to say. You cannot share the gospel without love.
Because that is who God is.
[1 John 4:7-11]
This is who God is. And this is why He came to
die for us on the cross. Jesus Christ.
Because of love, in the next verse, he says:
Do you remember the most important commandment of them all.
The one thing that everything else depends on. Love your God as yourself.
And love your neighbor. If you truly love your neighbor as yourself
If you truly love God You will care about their souls.
You will share the gospel with them. You will build relationships with them,
to get to know them. Who they are as a person.
So if you speak to someone, you need to know who they are.
What they care about In order to preach the gospel to them.
To share the gospel to them effectively. So that they will be able to
understand what you are saying. We clearly see the example of Jesus.
How He developed relationships with people, even with sinners.
He went to eat with sinners, even when the religious people judged him for it.
[Luke 5:27-32]
Now of course, you need to be wise in how you
build relationships with people because you can't control time.
Sometimes God will send you someone at a specific time.
And you won't have have enough time to build a deep relationship with them.
Maybe, you meet them at an airport while waiting for your flight.
So then the Holy Spirit might lead you to be more direct and share the gospel.
Maybe God's already worked in their heart and they're more ready to accept Christ.
And God knows the future. You don't.
You don't even know - they might die the next day. And that's why the Holy Spirit is pushing in you.
To go and talk to that person before it is too late.
And then there are other times - other situations Where the Holy Spirit might lead you to take
a little bit longer. Not to push someone.
But to take some time with this person. Little by little, sharing the gospel.
Because, you see them a lot. This might be someone that you work with.
At your office, or someone at the gym or sports club.
You need to be wise and let God lead you in this. And be careful not to push the gospel on someone
when you're in your flesh. Don't push it on them if the
Holy Spirit doesn't lead you to do so. Because if you do it at the wrong time,
you might just push that person even further away from the gospel.
It happens a lot. Those righteous Christians - very judgmental.
And they preach the gospel - Hell-fire-brimstone - in the flesh.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit might even lead you to do it as well,
depending on who you talk to. But these people - if they do it in
the flesh - they hurt other people. And then these people are
pushed away from the gospel. They don't want to hear anything.
Pray. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.
Never share the gospel in your own flesh.
And pray to God for an open door. He will prepare someone for you.
The disciples also prayed for this. Paul said in Colossians 4, verses 3 to 6:
[Colossians 4:3-6]
And in verse 5 he says:
[Colossians 4:5]