Gospel Preaching: Opposition

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 29:19

This is the great commission the Lord commissioned to all His disciples before He ascended to the Father. In obedience to His great commission, as a Christian and as the church, we would weekly go out to preach the gospel at least for an hour or two. This has been going on in my locality for years in one particular park, The Leisure Valley Park. Here, people from all over Gurugram come for a time of relaxation or an evening walk. People are at ease and have time to pay heed to the gospel preaching. It is also a good training ground for gospel preaching. I have brought my whole family, new ones, and young people to come along with me to preach the gospel. Within a span of an hour or two, the Lord would grace me to preach to about 5 to 15 people. Most of them would listen to the gospel, and many would even call upon the Lord's name and pray with me. This is the general experience whenever I would go there to preach the gospel. It is indeed a good spiritual ground for spiritual learning and exercise.

Two weeks ago, as I and two other sisters in my team were preaching the gospel I received a phone call from another team who called me to inform that someone had threatened them to stop preaching the gospel and leave the park immediately. I simply replied back to go-ahead to continue to preach the gospel. A few minutes later, the same person who opposed my brothers in the other team came to meet me and threatened me to stop preaching and to leave the park immediately. He further threatened that he could call other people to kick us out. I looked at him and told him that we are not doing anything evil, we are simply sharing the word of God, the Love of God to people. But he insisted that we are Christians and that we are influencing people to become Christians. I calmly replied to him that people need the love of God, the life of God, the peace of God,  and I am simply proclaiming the true and living God. 

Later I receive a phone call again from a brother in the other team requesting me to take precaution and leave the park for the safety of the two sisters who were with me. In case this opposers tried to harm our sisters, it would be wise to protect them. Then I listened to my brother's fellowship and decided to go back. As we walked back the opposer also left us. 

As I was walking towards the exit gate of the park, I saw the same opposer walking around. Deep within I felt I should not shy away or walk away just because of this threat. I prayed within and exercised my spirit to speak to him and make him understand. I waited for him to walk closer to us, and then I approached him. I tried to reason with him calmly and peaceably that I am proclaiming the love of God. I even asked him, "Don't you believe in God?" As I began to speak sense into him, he became afraid; his visage changed, and he walked away and finally ran away from me, shouting, "I am not interested!"

I do not understand the turn of events: first, he threatened me from preaching the gospel, and when I approached him, he ran away in fear. I wondered who threatened whom? Meanwhile, I also noticed that an older man was taking a photo or video recording of my reasoning with him who threatened me. Anyway, one thing is clear; the gospel will be preached and there will be opposition. This is also a lesson to learn in gospel preaching. Not everyone will receive the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But my responsibility and commission is to preach the gospel to people.

For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:16

Lord, grace me to preach the gospel, even in the midst of opposition and rejection. Yes, more grace to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.