Pensees: Is this witnessing?

You took the paper? That’s a good start… but did you…

GO GET A KING JAMES BIBLE AND STUDY it- ESPECIALLY the New Testament?

It actually was better than most “ask Jesus in your heart” presentations (with or without the KJV tack on). I’ve seen much worse in Sunday school curriculum and such.

I believe in a clear gospel, but with the Lordship issue, is there one (looking in from the outside)?

Also, I have no idea about your witnessing habits. I do know that I myself have little room to complain about others’ practices, be them less than streamline or not. Their klunky witnessing efforts warrant better commendation than my often articulate absence in the world of evangelism.

— Kevin

If he said, go get an NIV and study it, would that have made it any better?

my husband is ukrainian, and i noticed very early on that we have entirely different approaches to witnessing, and it has silenced my American, step-oriented, thought-based, logical, just-agree-with-the-Romans-road-points-and-then-you’re-saved way of witnessing.

When he’s talking to another Ukrainian about spiritual things, both he and the other person already understand that you have to change much of your life when you become a follower. A lot of that is because sin is so ingrained into the culture here—regular drinking, smoking, gross tv, stealing, etc. But it’s been eye-opening for me and has changed the way I evangelize.

I appreciate the various reactions. They prove to me the validity of my question.

If he said, go get an NIV and study it, would that have made it any better?

Actually, though I dislike the KJVO position, it was not that line particularly that provokes questions about the chosen technique of the anonymous witness. In fact, I think I might concur with the necessity of suggesting a translation to a gas-pumping pagan who may have no clue about the Bible. In fact again, that may be the only line that is of real value in my mind.

My question, “Is this witnessing?” flows from these thoughts:

1. Is there enough spiritual and psychological (human)impact in a scrawled, cliché-filled, photo-copied piece of paper head-lined with the words, “Where are you headed?” to merit the risk of defacing private property with said message?

2. Doesn’t this kind of message insult people’s intelligence?

3. Does the prayer, “Your Son died on the cross and went to hell in my place” potentially mislead? Is Jesus still in hell? Isn’t believing in the resurrection a part of the Gospel?

4. Is my assumption that taping a scrap piece of paper on a private pump is a form of littering wrong? If I am correct, is it justifiable to do this for the sake of disseminated the truth?

5. Is the best way of evangelizing to speak of Heaven and Hell first (i.e. “rejecting Jesus is a hell of a thing to do”)

6. “God, I’ve broken your rules (sinned) and deserve hell” is a fairly good line, but does it assume too much. Does it assume that the reader knows God’s “rules”?

Perhaps the best advice were in the words “Know Jesus NOW” and “GO GET A KING JAMES BIBLE AND STUDY IT. Especially the New Testament.”

Just pondering. Thus, my question: Is this witnessing?

No, this is not witnessing. Whenever I see a “tract” - whether it’s the post office, restroom or wherever, I always take them and throw them away. I then pray that I will meet someone (whether today, tomorrow, the next week, or the next year) at that particular gas station, post office, etc and build a meaningful relationship in which I can model the way of being a follower of Jesus.

Pastor - Do you feel the same away about people who leave tracks for their servers at restaurants? I always feel so awkward when I’m with someone, and they do that - especially if they leave less than a 20% tip. And I’m positive the servers have a “Wacko Wall” in the back where they display the various weird stuff people inevitable leave on their tables. I’m just really curious how you look at that issue.

I should leave a tract more often, but I would never do it unless I had already been a good testimony and a good tip.

Funny side note: not too long ago we had a Sunday dinner with some folks in a restaurant that fell far below the mark as far as I was concerned. I was very tired, having not slept at all the night previously and was feeling ill, so I did not cover my disappointement very well with our guests. I probably did not expect to be judged as hypocritical or I probably would have gone out just with my family as we had originally planned. Anyway, later they rebuked me for being all down about food (which I wasn’t) and so forth. They had no idea how crummy I was feeling and I never bothered to tell them when I was confronted! The funny side is that day I walked inside to the counter to speak with the manager about the poor food and had a very good conversation with the server, sympathizing with him, encouraging him, and left him with my name and the name of our church because I knew I had been a good testimony! I did not know that my guests were analyzing my character or they would have been disturbed had I left a tract!

Of course, I could be judged for NOT leaving a tract! What’s a guy to do?

Moral of the story: witness naturally and often. It may not be in a way that garners recognition with believers, but God sees all things.

Sometimes I leave my business card instead of a tract with a scrawled ‘thanks’ on it.

All that said, I am inclined to agree with you, Ann-Marie, that servers probably get deluged with pamphlets and tracts. It seems like we ought to be more creative and sensitive rather than completely desisting from reaching out.

Kent said:

If he said, go get an NIV and study it, would that have made it any better?

Now there is another valid criticism. It was completely anonymous. Is not God’s design for people to connect with people?

I am glad that I am not the only one bothered by the wording of those signs. I saw one on the telephone pole by Target also. I had to ask why the sign was put in that particular place. It did not make sense.
The last phrase “Rejecting Jesus is a hell of a thing to do” bothered me. Is it not hypocritical to be using a form of swearing to get your point across?

To add to Greg’s comment, the Rastafarians also use the KJV Bible. They worship a completely different God.

I worked as a waitress for 4 years and no one ever left me a tract. One time the guy cleaning tables found one and I watched him as he threw it straight into the trash. The next day the same couple came and left another tract. This time he read it and was obviously somewhat emotional. He knew I was a Christian. Later that day he came to me and we had a wonderful conversation about the Lord.

i would say it serves you right, for buying your gasoline from Wal-Mart and contributing to the further degradation of America’s economy. but i bought gasoline at Wal-Mart a month ago, myself, so i suppose that would be hypocritical ribbing. =}

thanks for taking the trash—(“tract”)—outta there.

I’m fine with someone taking a KJV and studying it. I’m also sensitive to this kind of pseudo-evangelism attaching itself to the King James Version in particular. Normally the garbage of certain mega-church Pelagians doesn’t come with associations of multiple versions, although they might quote whatever paraphrase best supports their positions.

Reducing salvation to this kind of syllogism—- Pray and you’re saved,
I prayed,
Therefore, I’m saved—-
perverts the true gospel.

If they had left it at the Know and No Statement, that would have been tolerable. A succint summary of the Bible plan of salvation with no accompanying mantra would have been better.

Regarding tract distribution. It is the right thing to do. Apples and Oranges. We don’t make decisions on how people “feel” about it.