Rejoicing and Scoffing

When I am preaching the Gospel, the good news about eternal life given to us by the grace of God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ alone, we are often met by three types of people.  The three types are those who ignore us (this is the majority), those who rejoice at the preaching of the Gospel, and those who scoff at the preaching of the Gospel.

Something has changed in recent weeks on the campus of Tyler Junior College.  While the majority continue to ignore us, the numbers of those rejoicing and scoffing have both increased.  Those who scoff have become more vociferous. 

I like to preach once each hour, from 10-15 minutes to the hour, because this is the time that the students are moving about changing classes.  During the interim we pass out Gospels According to John and talk with the students who have the period off.

This past Wednesday when I was preaching from 10:45AM-11:00AM two students were simultaneously opposing the preaching of the Gospel.  I didn't know this at the time until I would later speak with Jason McMurray on the telephone.  There was a man talking with Jason at the same time that a young lady came up to me scoffing.  There is no reason to go into detail, but as the case is the majority of time she had judged what I was doing to be unloving.

I am not the stereo typical street preacher; I do not hold up signs, nor call anyone names, I just solely talk about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am also not a topical preacher, nor do I explain scripture.  While I do think that there is a place for each of these.  I have only one topic; it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and my style is to proclaim Him through scripture alone.

I do this for a number of reasons:

1. I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom 1:16).
2. I believe that the righteous man shall live by faith (Rom 1:17).
3. I believe that Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom 10:17).
4. I believe that the sheep hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He knows them, and they follow Him; and He gives eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of His hand. (Jn 10:27).
5. I believe that it drives out the scoffer (Pr 22:10).

I do not like to argue with anyone.  I have found that when someone comes up to me scoffing; when they find out that I am reciting scripture alone it closes there mouth and they go away.  

 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
 Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes. (Pr 26:4-5 [NASB])

I think that this is the intent of the proverb.  The scoffer and the fool both go away, but I know that they go away thinking about the exchange.  And I hope when they go away that they consider that I did not retaliate with argumentation, but that I am seeking to follow the One whom I proclaim; the Son of God Jesus Christ.

Lord willing I will spend the remaining seven weeks of this semester going through all of the Gospel According to John.  Preaching 1 chapter at a time beginning at 10-15 minutes to the hour, 3 chapters each outing.  I have been able to hand out about 50 Gospels According to John each outing, about 450 thus far this semester.  I ask anyone willing to pray for this effort; that the sheep hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and follow Him.

In Christ alone,

Mike Peek

Salvation from the wrath of God that we all deserve for our sin is a gift, by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.