You don't become a farmer by reading books on farming

by Patte Smith on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 8:04pm

The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.
Matthew 13:38

You don't become a farmer by reading books on farming, listening to radio programs about farming, talking to others about farming, attending farming conferences, going on farming trips or getting a graduate degree in farming. The Irish have a saying:You cannot plow a field by turning it over in your mind. You must actually FARM to be a farmer.

You don't share the gospel by: reading a book about evangelism, listening to a radio program about evangelism, attending (or speaking at) a missions or evangelism conference, talking to others about evangelism or getting a seminary degree. You are not a gospel sharer until you actually DO EVANGELISM.

There is no substitute for experience. Whether it is farming or fishing for men, experience is the best teacher.

Some of you may have heard about the book: 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell. An 'outlier' is one that appears to deviate markedly from other members of the sample in which it occurs. To become outstanding in any field takes time & effort applied toward the goal. Gladwell observed that those who became 'experts' dedicated about 10,000 hours before they became outliers.


How about you? Are you someone who likes to toy with the 'idea' of witnessing? Do you listen to Wretched radio and really enjoy the thought of the lost hearing the gospel? Are you a churchmen who fancies himself very mission-minded, yet rarely, if ever, shares the way of salvation with anyone in particular? Are you content to go to missions conferences or evangelism classes, while avoiding intentionally witnessing? When it comes to evangelism, are you like most folks in the church or are you an outlier?

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John 1:1

The Great Shepherd of the Sheep knew how to develop men and women into outliers, because He was the greatest Outlier of all time. The Messiah had a serious discipleship plan and sharing the gospel was a big part of how His followers were matured and how they learned to be faithful evangelists. Evangelism was learned by simultaneously observing and DOing. Jesus took His disciples out to the field of souls to so they could see and hear and experience firsthand how to share the gospel of life and eternity. Day after day, week after week, month after month they spent time out in the streets and markets and on hillsides and shores speaking to the lost, commanding them to repent and sharing the way of salvation. Once the Lord had given them enough practical experience, the Master sent His disciples out without Him to preach the good news in cities and towns. There were no books, except THE BOOK. There were no seminars to attend or radio programs or conferences or degrees for the salty followers of Jesus Christ.  The Savior simply taught them how to evangelize by precept and example. What a good idea! What a GOD idea!

The seed is the Word of God.
Remember ... You cannot plow a field by turning it over in your min

What do you say? Let's get out to the field of souls and SOW!

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.
 I Peter 1:23