The Strategy of Concentrating on the Receptive
by Dr. Wesley S. K. Daniel, Director, Evangelism Ministries, General Board of Discipleship

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells of the sower who sowed his seeds on various types of soil. Many of the seeds were wasted and lost because some types of soil were unproductive. But the seeds that fell on the good soil brought a great harvest of thirty-, sixty-, or even one hundred-fold. In our efforts to share the good news with those who do not yet know our Savior, it is crucial that we sow the seeds of God's love in fruitful, productive, responsive, and receptive soil. No matter how fervently and vigorously we may proclaim the gospel among unresponsive and unreceptive people, we will not see a plentiful harvest.

The strategy of concentrating on the receptive becomes clear when we read of the one occasion when the Apostle Paul faced an unresponsive and unreceptive Jewish community. He said to them: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46, NRSV).

I truly believe there is always a time when the spirit of God is uniquely at work and active in the hearts of men and women to draw them near to the Savior. In other words, there is a time when people's hearts genuinely become "ripe unto harvest," as the Scripture puts it. In our endeavors to make disciples, we must be in tune to a greater awareness of where and when God is at work in the lives and hearts of people. We need to "win the winnable" while they are winnable and receptive to the almighty work of God in their lives.

Jesus urged the twelve to go forth with the good news; but where people were found to be unresponsive, Jesus told the apostles to "shake off the dust from your feet" and move on without any delay (Matthew 10:5-14). Our Lord and the leaders of the early church effectively used the strategy of concentrating on those who were most responsive to the gospel. It has certainly been tested in modern times and has proven to be a sound strategy for effective evangelism.

What does this mean for us today? It means that in our efforts to win people to Christ, we need to do some serious "soil testing" thorough field research and data gathering. There are numerous tools available to the church today to help us to determine and test the soil for receptivity. When we use these tools effectively, God will abundantly confirm our efforts with a greater harvest of souls.

Posted 2-4-02