An Interesting Comparison

This morning I was given an opportunity to go on my first Spring Gobbler hunt of the season. It's that time of year again in VA and I welcomed the time in the woods. Being out in God's creation is one of the ways I'm able to clear my mind and simply rest in the goodness of the Lord.

I thought of an interesting comparison while I was out there. So much of what we do in hunting can be compared to evangelism.
Preparation: It's hard to be a good hunter if you don't have the proper equipment, haven't scouted the land, or have a good place to hunt. We can use this same criteria for sharing the Good News. If I haven't prepared myself with the Gospel, haven't located the location of those who don't know Jesus, or don't put myself in the best area to share then I'm not going to be quite as successful in reaching people for Christ.
Desire: If I don't desire to be out in the woods then I'm going to stay in bed. Who gets up at 4:30 am to venture off if you don't have the heart to do it. The same can be said when it comes to evangelism. If I don't desire to see people saved then I will never look for opportunities to share.
Enjoying the Hunt: If I killed something every time I stepped into the woods then I wouldn't call it hunting - I would call it killing. The fact is that there are many times that I go out and do not claim the prize. However, if I don't go then I won't be successful. If you don't enjoy sharing Jesus then you won't. If you get frustrated by rejection to the point of giving up then you won't tell people about His grace. But if you can learn to enjoy the opportunity and the obedience then you will continue to share with joy.

Turkey hunting has some great similarities to sharing the Gospel. I'm what I call an "active" hunter. In other words, I like to do things to draw the prize to me. When deer hunting I grunt, use cover scents, and rattle. Turkey hunting is a sport where it's almost necessary to call. You can go out - find a spot - and wait but the chances are against you. However, if you will pick up a chalk box, slate, or a mouth call then you can draw them to you.

Some of the modern "tools" of evangelism tells you to wait for them to get to church. All you have to do is design the service around/for them and hope that when they come then your message will be successful. Friendship evangelism takes the approach of getting close to someone in hopes that your life will rub off on them. That you will gain their interest in spiritual things and when the time is right - BAM! - give them the Gospel. However, the Bible teaches us that people will not come to the Lord until they hear - and they will not hear unless someone shares - and someone doesn't share unless they are sent. We cannot sit idly by and hope that the world will pass our way. We must go to them! We must call them with the Gospel message. This method has the greatest success rate when it comes to evangelism.

Another aspect of calling to the lost as it applies to turkey hunting is that there are different types of calls. When it comes to turkeys, some like the sound of a particular call over another. You may have a glass, ceramic, or slate call - each with a different sound. There are chalk boxes and mouth calls each designed to bring the bird that is ready straight to you. Jude 22 says, "And on some have compassion making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." There are some people that you share with who need to be warned of the judgment of hell. Although all of us need to recognize that we are sinners who need to be saved by grace, some people will respond to the love of God rather than the judgment of God. Some will respond by understanding that their sins lead to death and death without Christ is hell (literally). We simply need to understand what works for whom we are sharing.

Regardless of your approach and message, one thing is for sure, you greatest chance of success in evangelism is to be out in the field sharing with the lost.
Ask God to give you the desire.
Do what you can do to prepare yourself.
Then GET OUT THERE!
Sure...it's a different kind of hunting but listen to the words of James: "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." James 5:20