Do All You Can For That One Out Of Many

"For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 One of the great frustrations of the believer is witnessing the attitudes of unbelievers and their reaction to the message of the Gospel. When one is born again his whole nature changes under the living power of the Holy Spirit within. The Cross becomes the welcome focus of life, and the power of its salvation the driving force in all we do. We've witnessed it. We've experienced it. And we so appreciate it that we want to persuade all to come and experience it too. But when we try to bring to them what is so clear to us, their reactions are shocking to us. Our message is foolishness to them. The born again person is like one who has discovered penicillin and rushes to bring it to someone with a bacterial infection, only to have that person think penicillin is powerless. The one holding the vial of penicillin is astonished at the unbelief, but is totally unable to persuade someone whose mind is made up. Part of the cost of following Christ is the pain of rejection by "the world." A salesman once said that he must be willing to take a hundred rejections to get the one who will buy from him. And so it is with the born-again believer. He must learn to expect a hundred rejections in order to reach the one who will receive the message of salvation and its power to transform his/her life. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life, Jesus replied that he must go and sell all his possessions and give them to the poor, and then come follow him. The Lord doesn't ask this of all wanting to follow him, this was his answer to this one man, because the man's riches were his security, his sole focus. The terrible part of this story is that when the rich man turned and walked away, Jesus did not run after him to explain further and try to convince him of the wonders and eternal benefits of following him, no -- without a word, HE LET HIM GO. Jesus knew that when one rejects his message, it's no use to beg them to receive it. Let this mind be in each one who is born again: the Lord will use you to reach many, but you must be totally prepared to receive rejection; and when that happens, you must be prepared to just let them go. On the other hand though, your message will bring life to many who are floundering, who have no hope in the world, and who will eagerly accept the lifeline you throw out to them. Read the picture of this in the parable of the sower Mark 4:14-10. The sower sows the Word of God. There are four kinds of people representing the various responses to the Word. 1. Those who recognize it as the truth but are easily swayed and can be deceived by Satan who comes to destroy the Word as soon as it's planted. 2. Those who do receive the Word, but when trouble comes it overwhelms them and they turn away. 3. Those who do hear the word but the cares of their world, their busyness, and their desires for more and more things choke out the Word. 4. Those who hear the Word and receive it and stay with it no matter what, going on to let that seed grow and prosper them. Notice that only the few benefit. Keep that in mind and do all you can for the sake of the one perhaps in a hundred - who will receive it. That one - is worth it all.