Post by Pilgrim Marc on Dec 22, 2008 13:15:38 GMT -5
THE DOOR-TO-DOOR SALESMAN, THE BOX, AND YOU.
ACTS 17:11
Jim was a special kind of door-to-door salesperson. He had integrity and he could in all honesty say that he had the best product in the whole world. He sold a vacuum cleaner that could vacuum, clean and much more. Compared to all the other products was this one by far the best. Yet Jim sold hardly any of these wonderful machines. Let us see what happened:
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....” “Man stop,” the woman said, “I have a vacuum cleaner and it cleans; I am more than satisfied with it. Moreover, I believe that they all come from one factory and just have another name on them.” “Oh no,” Jim said, “This one is different from all the others. You know...” Jim could just get his nose back before it was caught in the door.
Do you think Jim found this confronting? Let’s see what happened at other doors.
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....” “Dear sir”, the person said, “you might as well stop; I do not want a product sold in a dark brown box. You see, I have met people with such a box; they are so strict and narrow-minded. No, I do not want a box like that. Just looking at that box bores me.” Nevertheless, Jim tried to say, “I do not sell boxes....” “Goodbye,” the person said, “I’m not interested.”
Jim said to himself, “Well, if the box is such a problem, I’ll just get another box.” So he put the vacuum cleaner in a colourful box adorned with flowers and a rainbow. Let us see what happened:
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world it....” “Good gracious, what an awful looking box!” the lady shouted. “All those colours. Do you really think that I would consider a product packaged in a box like that? Man, get out of here. A box should be brown and nothing else.” Before Jim could say anything, the door was slammed in his face again.
“Well,” Jim said, “then I’ll try a medium brown box.” Let’s see what happened:
“Good morning, I’m Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....”. “What an ugly box,” the lady said, “you know, I once had a box like that and it stood in the way all the time. It had sharp corners; you can still see the bruises I have from a box like that.
What do you think; would Jim ever sell “the best vacuum cleaner in the world”?
What does this little story teaches us? Let’s look at evangelism. How many times in sharing with others the answer for the world, Jesus Christ, do we end up talking about the boxes of denominations, religions, and doctrines? How often do people say that all religions lead to God? How many people think that only one kind of box is the right one into which to put the product? How many people are disappointed because of pain caused by bumping into a box?
How boxed in are you? If someone asks you, “What is our religion; what is your faith?” What do you answer?
Do you say, “I’m Catholic, Mennonite, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Christian, etc, etc?” (I often think that the box factory has a better sales record than the vacuum cleaner factory). Or do you say, “I believe in Jesus Christ and I follow Him.” If they ask, “Oh, then you’re a Christian. To what church do you go?” Are you able to respond, “I want you to see that it is not important to which church I go, and I do not really call myself a Christian. The important thing is that I found the Way the Life and the Truth; I’m in love with Jesus, my. Saviour.” COME OUT OF YOUR BOX. DO NOT SELL PEOPLE BOXES THEY DO NOT NEED.WE AND THEY NEED JESUS, NOT CHRISTIANITY.
Marc Pranger
ACTS 17:11
Jim was a special kind of door-to-door salesperson. He had integrity and he could in all honesty say that he had the best product in the whole world. He sold a vacuum cleaner that could vacuum, clean and much more. Compared to all the other products was this one by far the best. Yet Jim sold hardly any of these wonderful machines. Let us see what happened:
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....” “Man stop,” the woman said, “I have a vacuum cleaner and it cleans; I am more than satisfied with it. Moreover, I believe that they all come from one factory and just have another name on them.” “Oh no,” Jim said, “This one is different from all the others. You know...” Jim could just get his nose back before it was caught in the door.
Do you think Jim found this confronting? Let’s see what happened at other doors.
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....” “Dear sir”, the person said, “you might as well stop; I do not want a product sold in a dark brown box. You see, I have met people with such a box; they are so strict and narrow-minded. No, I do not want a box like that. Just looking at that box bores me.” Nevertheless, Jim tried to say, “I do not sell boxes....” “Goodbye,” the person said, “I’m not interested.”
Jim said to himself, “Well, if the box is such a problem, I’ll just get another box.” So he put the vacuum cleaner in a colourful box adorned with flowers and a rainbow. Let us see what happened:
“Good morning, I am Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world it....” “Good gracious, what an awful looking box!” the lady shouted. “All those colours. Do you really think that I would consider a product packaged in a box like that? Man, get out of here. A box should be brown and nothing else.” Before Jim could say anything, the door was slammed in his face again.
“Well,” Jim said, “then I’ll try a medium brown box.” Let’s see what happened:
“Good morning, I’m Jim and I can offer you the most fantastic vacuum cleaner in the world. It....”. “What an ugly box,” the lady said, “you know, I once had a box like that and it stood in the way all the time. It had sharp corners; you can still see the bruises I have from a box like that.
What do you think; would Jim ever sell “the best vacuum cleaner in the world”?
What does this little story teaches us? Let’s look at evangelism. How many times in sharing with others the answer for the world, Jesus Christ, do we end up talking about the boxes of denominations, religions, and doctrines? How often do people say that all religions lead to God? How many people think that only one kind of box is the right one into which to put the product? How many people are disappointed because of pain caused by bumping into a box?
How boxed in are you? If someone asks you, “What is our religion; what is your faith?” What do you answer?
Do you say, “I’m Catholic, Mennonite, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Christian, etc, etc?” (I often think that the box factory has a better sales record than the vacuum cleaner factory). Or do you say, “I believe in Jesus Christ and I follow Him.” If they ask, “Oh, then you’re a Christian. To what church do you go?” Are you able to respond, “I want you to see that it is not important to which church I go, and I do not really call myself a Christian. The important thing is that I found the Way the Life and the Truth; I’m in love with Jesus, my. Saviour.” COME OUT OF YOUR BOX. DO NOT SELL PEOPLE BOXES THEY DO NOT NEED.WE AND THEY NEED JESUS, NOT CHRISTIANITY.
Marc Pranger