Contending as One Man to Help unBelievers
... a discussion
Question: We have been spending some time with a lady who says she wants to know Jesus better, but there is a lack of obeying Jesus in different areas of her life. It doesn’t seem like she is really searching. We just aren’t sure how much time we should invest in her, and how many people should be involved.
Answer: You need to look at the cumulative affect. Let’s say I’m not spending much time with this person because it’s not appropriate: she is not searching—she is willing, but not really searching. It doesn’t matter what *I* do—it matters what *WE* do. So, if WE collectively are constantly pouring into this person, then we are blowing it. You don’t do that with someone that’s willing, but not searching. Do not waste God’s resources. So it’s a collective “we”, not a selective “I”. It’s a situation where collectively we do not cast pearls to swine; collectively, we do not throw ourselves at the mercy of someone who is not searching. So if you are with her today, and another Sister is thinking about getting with her tomorrow—instead of just randomly doing it or vice versa—be in enough contact with each other to maybe say, “Well, somebody was just with her yesterday. She is still not searching. There’s no breakthrough. So, let’s lay off for a couple of days.” WE should lay off for a couple of days. Not just you. So, you’re going to have to work together and respect each other and communicate with each other enough so that we are “contending as one man for the faith”—that’s one of the meanings of that. We’re not contending as 50 people for her soul. We’re contending as one man, so we need to be of one heart, on mind, one purpose, and one accord while we’re communicating with her so she’s not getting 10 fronts but she is getting one front with 10 faces.
The things that would interfere with truly working together would be ambition, motivated not by God’s heart and mind but by my own desires because, “I want to be some kind of a hero”; or by ignorance of the principle of the Body of Christ—not discerning the Body. Either of those things can cause massive chaos and probably lose her soul. God’s got order and we need to do it His way or satan gets a foothold. If I’m talking to her today about prayer and the next person tomorrow says, “Don’t worry about prayer, you’re not a Christian,” and the next person says, “What in the world is going on here?”, then we’ll create a big mess. We either need to contend as one man for the faith or we might as well just hang it all up.
Question: So we need to take the time and talk about specific things that were talked about to others involved?
Answer: Sure. Yeah. And not only where it’s been, but also where it should go. Like, “Here’s what I think ought to happen next—nothing. All in favor say, ‘aye’…let’s not do anything for two or three days. She needs some time to think about what we have just talked about.” If you don’t talk to one another, then other things can happen…Let’s say you have a hard conversation with me today and somebody thirty minutes later, thinking they are doing God a favor, comes up to me and says, “Hey, let’s go bowling. I want to get to know you better.” Wait a minute. I need time to digest that. Don’t take me bowling out of your good deedsmanship, thinking you are doing God a favor, but being disconnected from the Head. Not discerning the Body can wreck someone’s chances to find God. It’s real important that ambition and lack of discernment of the Body don’t get in the way. So, yes, not only talk about what’s happened but also the perception of what needs to happen and then honor one another by working together. It shouldn’t be fifteen people jumping on one person’s back. We really can work together with wisdom. God’s house is built with wisdom. It has to be in order.
2/11/1994
