It will surprise Christians the number of people who are yet to hear about Christ. This is excluding those who have heard but are yet to accept Him. There are people even within our immediate environment that have never heard that Jesus Christ died for their sins and He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
As a child of God who is all about bringing as many people as possible to God’s kingdom, here are a few ways to plant viable Kingdom seed:
Practise what you preach: Jesus Christ our very foundation, was a doer first. In fasting, He fasted 40 days & nights (Matthew 4:1-2). In prayers, the Bible records Christ praying countless times both in the midst of people (John 11:41-42) and retreating just so He could pray (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). In giving, He gave the ultimate gift—His life so we all can be saved. In doing good, He healed the sick, raised the dead, He was all about doing good (Acts 10:38).
Unfortunately the world we live in today is tainted with hypocrisy and falsehood. Many preach one thing and practise the opposite. Others act one way while in public and another way in the secret. What many fail to realize is that eventually falsehoods are revealed, usually in unexpected ways. The eyes of the world are ever watchful more particularly as regards those who profess Christ. This is therefore a very good avenue to portray Christ. If we are ever mindful to walk in the footsteps of Christ in our daily living and dealings with people, it would surprise us how much impact this would make in the lives of people.
Human beings are naturally inquisitive, many would want to know the secret to your behaviour, your conduct, your personality. In the course of practice, you may discover that you need not preach so much because your actions have already done most of the work.
Social media: Internet has made the world so much smaller. Information is so easily disseminated to reach various parts of the globe without a person having to travel. Various social media platforms are great avenues to preach Christ. It may be difficult to convince people to go to a physical church and sit down for hours to listen to the Word. Social media on the other hand, avails them the opportunity to read or listen to the Word in their comfort zone, without any pressure or expectations whatsoever. Undoubtedly, this means that many can and would ignore but it also means that many more people that you may never have the opportunity to meet one-on-one, would have the opportunity to get to know Christ.
Seek out avenues to evangelize in all situations: To sow viable Kingdom seed, you need to seek out opportunities to evangelize. Don’t always rely on an opportunity presenting itself, create them. You may create an opportunity while waiting on the queue or taking a public means of transport or while taking a walk in the evening or even while giving someone a lift in your vehicle.
Evangelism doesn’t translate to long sermons at all times or religious debates and arguments. Tracts can be given to people who are in a hurry. Simple questions to ponder upon together with brief explanations can be given. A copy of the Bible with a couple of suggested verses to start with can also be given out.
Give: Even Jesus Christ recognized that some people came to Him not because of His works or the Word but because of food (John 6:26). That notwithstanding, it automatically meant more souls for Him to speak to and Christ didn’t hesitate (John 6:27-58). Now, you may not always have the opportunity to preach to everyone you meet but giving is another effective way to sow viable Kingdom seed. Your giving today may soften the heart of a lost soul and make them more open to listen to the preaching of another Christian tomorrow. Yes, you may not always be the one to lead people to confess Christ but who says you cannot start the process? (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Random acts of kindness: This is in line with the preceding point. As followers of Christ, we are expected to clothe ourselves with compassion and kindness (Colossians 3:12). Be kind for no particular reason to Christians and non-Christians alike. Be kind especially when you know you will be getting nothing in return, it is a great way to sow viable Kingdom seed.
Pray daily for souls: Of course this is unavoidable. Make it a habit to pray ceaselessly for souls who are yet to receive Christ. Where you can’t go physically, your prayers can. You need not mention names, just praying for lost souls in general is enough. After all, it is the Holy Spirit Himself Who convicts a man. Therefore beloved, pray! pray! pray! There is power in prayer.
Meditate constantly on the Word of God—you can’t give what you don’t have: The only way to know the Word is to study it and meditate upon it. No way around it. You need not memorize Bible verses or know every word of a verse. Studying the Bible makes you know more about God, His ways, His principles, the foundation and it is with this knowledge that you can confidently and effectively sow Kingdom seed. As such you may not know what John 3:16 says without having to check your Bible but you would know without any iota of doubt that God sent His Son Jesus Christ and He died for all of us.
And the more you study the Word, the more you get to know. So study!
Be intentional about voluntarily sowing charitable seed: It’s very easy to overlook the needy in the society, pretend that they don’t exist or that they aren’t our problem. If others have this mentality, followers of Christ shouldn’t. We should go out of our way to reach out to the poor and less privileged. Christ also died for them. Being charitable to them is a great way to open their hearts to the message of Christ.
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