Emphasizing “dos and don’ts” instead of the gospel leads to lost opportunity in soul winning. I had a painful personal experience which illustrates this point. The Lord woke me up at about 3.00am on a Sunday several years ago and put a burden in my heard to pray for a young lady who was not yet saved. I prayed for her salvation for some time and then the burden lifted. I had an impression in my heart that the lady will come to the Sunday service dressed in a way considered improper. Based on this “spiritual tip-off” I got to church and warned all the ushers to admit any body that comes, even if the person were improperly dressed.
I was seated at the altar praying when the lady came in wearing tight-fitting trousers. I closed my eyes and began to thank God for bringing her to church. I had barely prayed for five minutes when I opened my eyes and discovered that the young lady was no more in church. I got up quickly and moved into the congregation to find out her whereabouts. I was told that she was sent away because of her dressing by an overzealous usher who was not present when I instructed the ushers to admit her.
I ran out to the road in an attempt to call the lady back, but she was gone. I was later told by those who saw the way the lady was openly rebuked and sent away that she probably would never come back even if I met her.
I was officially scheduled to preach in church that day. This means I lost an opportunity to present the gospel to that young lady; and unfortunately I have not seen her ever since.
Compare my painful experience with that of evangelist Samson Agboaye, a missionary with the Peace Foundation Ministries, based in Ibadan, Nigeria. He had gone to Northern Nigeria for a short time mission. He was in a new field and the work there was still at its most rudimentary stages. It was Christmas day and he was ministering in one of the newly planted churches. Right in the middle of his sermon a woman walked in and sat in the front seat, directly opposite the preacher. She was completely naked. Knowing that he was in a mission field, he continued to speak, presenting the gospel as best he could, completely oblivious of the naked woman.
Although this lady and many of her contemporaries were still living in what some people might term a “primitive” state they were not denied the opportunity of hearing the gospel merely because they were “naked tribesmen.” Today, many of them in the Koma hills and other places have not only been converted, but have also learnt the “civilization” of wearing clothes. But it would have been silly to insist that they must wear clothes or be “civilized” before they are given the privilege of hearing the gospel.
Excerpt From: DYNAMICS OF EFFECTIVE WITNESSING
