Luke 4:24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.”
The difficulty in witnessing to our family and close friends is evident to us the first time we attempt to tell them about Jesus. The people who know us the best, also know about our past. Family members remember us as a little boy or girl and they will find it difficult to receive any instruction from us in spiritual matters.
Friends remember what we were like before we gave our heart to Jesus and they may still find it hard to accept that we are truly changed. Over time the reality of our changed life will be apparent to friends, but even then they will many times not be willing to listen to our attempts at bringing them into a relationship with Jesus.
The forsaking of sin is the most difficult hurdle for a human being to overcome. The reality is that most people enjoy sin and are not willing to admit that they are a sinner or to turn from those sins. Most of the time people are not ready to turn from their sin until they have a major trial in their life or suffer a tremendous loss.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
People will make all kinds of excuses as to why they cannot accept Jesus as their Savior, but the bottom line is that they really don’t want to change their life. Sin is fun and it has its temporary rewards. It is only after we have given ourselves to sin that we realize just how much it costs us. We end up with empty souls and a feeling of utter loss and hopelessness. In the end sin will rob us of our life and destine us to eternal separation from God. Thankfully, Jesus is the friend of sinners and He is always ready to hear the repentant prayer of anyone who is ready to turn from sin to Him for salvation.
Jesus said that “a prophet is not accepted in his own country.” The Lord certainly had experience in this area as the people of Nazareth were not willing to receive Him as the Messiah when He came back to His hometown. They remembered Jesus as the little boy of the carpenter, Joseph. Because of their unbelief, Jesus was not able to do many of the miraculous works He wanted to do for those in his hometown.
Matthew 13:54-58 When Jesus had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
The most effective way to reach family members and close friends with Jesus’ promise of eternal life, is to live for Him yourself. You may not realize it but once you turn to Jesus and begin to follow Him, everyone who knows you will be watching you carefully.
They watch to see if having a relationship with Jesus Christ can truly change a person’s life. Does it bring happiness? Can a person’s behavior be changed? What happens to a person when they give their life to Jesus Christ?
As you live for Jesus with all of your heart, people will begin to notice that you are more loving, patient and kind-hearted. They will see Jesus in you and that something truly amazing has happened. When you make mistakes, you have a great opportunity to go to your family members and friends and tell them “I am sorry for what I said, or what I did. I am trying to follow Jesus with all of my heart and be more like Him everyday. Sometimes I fail to be like Jesus or say the things that He would say. Will you please forgive me?”
What people learn from your failures and confession of mistakes, is that being a follower of Jesus does not mean that you are going to be perfect. It means that you will still sin and make mistakes. The difference now is that you have a Loving Savior who will always forgive you and help you to change because He is living inside of you. People will understand that they can surrender their life to Jesus and not be condemned when they fail. One of the best visible evidences of a changed life, is the honesty of those who are trying to follow Jesus, when they make mistakes.
When you fail, your family and friends will be more than ready to listen to you as to why you failed and what you are going to do about it. This is your best opportunity for people to hear about what following Jesus is truly like. As they see your sincerity and honesty about your mistakes, it will create a hunger and thirst for Jesus that will draw them to Him.
The second most important tool in reaching people for Jesus is to pray for your loved ones everyday. It is the Holy Spirit that ultimately wins the heart of someone for Jesus. No one is saved or drawn into a relationship with God, apart from the witness of the Holy Spirit to their heart. The more difficult a person is to reach, the closer they actually are to giving their life to Jesus. Sometimes those people who are so verbally resistant to Jesus are really the closest to falling at His feet. Those big vocal objections, threats, swearing and fits of anger are that person’s last ditched effort to resist before the Holy Spirit breaks through and saves them.
In your walk with Jesus today, do not ever give up on anyone that you care about in trying to reach them for Jesus. Your prayers everyday for those you love, and your visible attempts to live for Jesus, are the most powerful tools you have to insure that the people you care the most about, make it with you to heaven.
Rob Robinson
