Confrontational
Soulwinning
We need a whole new breed of
Christians in America, who are once again willing to be persecuted for their
zealous soulwinning efforts, as was the church in Acts. The church in
Acts didn't send out invitations to the heathens to come; rather, they went
out publicly, door-to-door (Acts 20:20). In Luke 14:16-24, Jesus tells
the parable of a wedding feast. The lord invited many friends and noble
guests to the wedding; but none of them came. So the lord told his
servants... "Go out into the
highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my
supper" (Luke 14:23-24).
Thus, God wants us to GO OUT, and
to COMPEL lost sinners to come to Christ for salvation. In John 4:7-29
Jesus CONFRONTED the Samaritan woman at the well with the Gospel, and she got
saved. In Acts 8:26-37 God told Philip to CONFRONT the Ethiopian eunuch
with the Gospel, and the man believed on Jesus Christ and was saved. You
see, the Word of God teaches CONFRONTATIONAL soulwinning, not lifestyle
evangelism. If Jesus had not confronted the woman at the well in John 4,
she never would have been saved. If Philip had not confronted the
Ethiopian eunuch, then the man would likely never have been saved. Only
God knows how many tens-of-millions of people will burn in Hell someday
because of lazy and cowardly believers who looked for excuses not to be
soul-winners.
Robert Schuller said on the radio, "You
don't have to drop Gospel tracks out of a blimp, or wear big offensive 'Jesus
Saves' buttons to get people saved. The life you live is enough to make
the lost want want you have." Mr. Schuller is foolish to say such
nonsense. If what Mr. Schuller says is true, then why didn't the woman
at the well come to Jesus instead? Why didn't the Ethiopian man come to
Jesus' disciples? If Mr. Schuller is correct, then why did Jesus
commission his disciples to make disciples of others, and teach them to become
soulwinners also, and so forth.
Matthew 28:19,20 reads... "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen." Jesus clearly states... "Go"! Jesus didn't say "wait" or "sit" or "put on a good show"; No, Jesus said, GO! The neo (i.e., new) evangelical Christian is fruitless, and doesn't go
soulwinning.
Some believers have fallen prey to
the false doctrine of
Calvinism, which teaches Irresistible Grace, i.e., God forces
certain people to get saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those who believe in Irresistible Grace don't see the need to go
soulwinning. They have the false mentality that God chooses who will or
won't be saved, and that there's nothing we can do about it, so why bother. Such foolish conjecturing goes 100% contrary to the Word of God. Romans
10:13 clearly states that WHOSOEVER may be saved. Jesus said in John
8:45, "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." If
Calvinism were true, then why would Jesus waste His time preaching the truth
to a group of people that didn't want it? The truth is that Calvinism is
false doctrine. Anybody can be saved if they want to be (John 5:40).
The Gospel is the Power
unto Salvation
First, it is THE GOSPEL that brings
salvation, not our eloquent words, Bible knowledge, or fancy speeches. 1st Corinthians 1:17 states, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to
preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect." There are fake churches all across
America that have turned the simple
Gospel of Jesus Christ into an intellectual nightmare. As a result,
many people have knowledge of religion; but no personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16 declares, "For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth..."
It is of the utmost importance that
every soulwinner realize that the power to win souls is rooted in THE GOSPEL,
and not us. We can save nobody, not even ourselves. Salvation is
of God, not men. So when you present the Gospel to lost sinners, make
sure to tell them that Salvation is of God, and that you cannot save them, nor
they them self, nor any Catholic priest. If an unsaved person refuses to
receive Christ as Savior after hearing the Gospel, then no amount of effort on
our part is going to win them. If they ever get saved, it will be
because they obeyed the Gospel alone... "In flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ." The power to get people saved is in the GOSPEL alone!
Having laid the introduction, I
would now like to teach you how to win a soul to Christ.
How to Present the
Gospel
Some people are not very good with
their words, or are afraid. The best way to overcome these obstacles is
to just get out there and go soulwinning. It's really that simple. Why practice when you can learn from hands-on-experience? You're just
sharing with someone else how you got saved. We ought to let the
Samaritan woman in John 4 be our mentor. She hadn't even been saved for
an hour and she had already led a multitude of people to Jesus, "And many
of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman,
which testified, He told me all that ever I did" (John 4:39). All
she did was tell others what Jesus did for her, and ask them to come find out
for themselves... "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I
did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came
unto him."
So all you need to do is tell others how precious Jesus
is to you, and what He has done for you, and then ask them if you could please
share the good news of Christ crucified with them. Most people won't
listen, so expect this upfront; but some WILL listen, and will get saved. I know from personal experience. There are many people out there, on the
verge of suicide, or tired of life, or just lonely for someone to care about
them, and they are RIPE as Jesus said for the harvest... "Therefore said he
unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his
harvest" (Luke 10:2).
Then there are those people who are doing fine
in life, but in their heart they desire the truth, like Cornelius in Acts
10--they're waiting for someone to open their eyes with the Truth of God's
Word... "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge
of the truth" (1st Timothy 2:4). When we go soul-winning, we are
bringing the Truth to them!
The most important thing is to BE
YOURSELF. People don't like phonies. Personally, I think wearing
white shirts, ties, and looking like a salesman is a very bad idea. I
think it would be much more appropriate to dress and act like Andy Griffin.
Who doesn't like Andy Griffin?
Here are the basic 4 points that a
person needs to realize to be saved:
-
I Am a Sinner. This is the first thing that a person must realize to be saved. Why
would a person need a Savior if they don't need to be saved from anything?
Many people today refuse to confess the sins in their life to God. 1st
John 1:8-10 read, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us." So if a person doesn't see them self as
being sinful, then they can't be saved, because they are still in darkness as
1st John 1:10 states. Romans 3:10,23 clearly indicts mankind as being
sinful. Isaiah 64:6 condemns even our self-righteousness as filth in
God's sight.
-
I Deserve to Go to Hell. Romans 6:23 plainly states that the wages of sin is DEATH. In Genesis
2:17 God warned Adam and Eve that they would die THE DAY they ate of the
forbidden fruit. They disobeyed God, but didn't DIE physically until
hundreds of years later. Why? It's because they DIED SPIRITUALLY
that awful day, and all mankind has been born spiritually dead since (Romans
5:12). Please understand that spiritual death and the second death are
not the same. Every person who is not born again is ALREADY
spiritually dead. The second death is Gehenna, i.e., the Lake of Fire
(Revelation 20:11-15). All those who die in their sins, without being
born again, will be arraigned, prosecuted, and sentenced at The Great White
Throne of Judgment and then cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
-
Jesus is the Savior (the
Christ), who Paid the Full-Price for My Sins. Jesus paid a debt
He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. Jesus, who knew
no sin, became as sin, that we who knew no righteousness could be made the
righteousness of God (2nd Corinthians 5:17). Jesus literally took our
sins upon Himself, and imputed His righteousness to our record. What a
Savior! Jesus didn't just die to pay for our sins, He shed His blood for
our sins, and applied that blood to the mercy seat in Heaven (John 20:17;
Hebrews 9:12, 24).
We are saved by Jesus' precious blood (Colossians
1:14; 1st John 1:7; Revelation 7:14). Only the blood of Jesus can TAKE
AWAY our sins forever. "Atonement" is an Old Testament word, which means
"to cover," because the blood of goats and bulls could only COVER sin
temporarily (Hebrews 10:4); but thank be to God, Jesus' blood once and for all
TOOK AWAY our sins! Hebrews 9:12 states, "Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us."
-
I Am Saved by Receiving Jesus
Christ as My Savior, believing Upon Him to Forgive My Sins. John
1:12,13 states... "But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God." Salvation is of God, a supernatural act of God
in response to my faith in Jesus Christ alone. 1st Corinthians 15:1-4
defines the Gospel as: Christ's DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION. This is
what Jesus did to pay for our sins, and definitely includes Jesus' virgin
birth, sinless life, and blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22).
It boils down to this: We are
SINNERS, and Jesus is the SAVIOR. That's it! Please read,
The Sin Question/Son Question.
There are no GOOD WORKS that a
person has to do to be saved. A man asked me, "Isn't calling upon the
Lord a work?" It's not a self-righteous work. Jesus said in
John 6:29, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath
sent." Isaiah 64:6 condemns all self-righteous attempts to please
God. In fact, many Christians misunderstand
Ezekiel 18:24, not realizing that it
is only condemning self-righteousness. Romans 10:3,4 couldn't be any
plainer concerning self-righteousness... "For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
It's
VERY important when we go soulwinning that we stress these truths to people,
i.e., that self-righteousness angers God. So many people preach a
shallow Gospel nowadays, without ever stressing the DANGERS of adding
works to faith. The only
thing that a lost sinner needs to do to go to Heaven is to BELIEVE upon
Christ.
Does a Person Have to Pray to be
Saved?
Does one
have to confess Christ with their mouth to be saved?
What to Do When Someone
Refuses to Get Saved
Love them as a person whom Christ
was willing to die for (Romans 5:8). This might mean just thanking them
and going your way, or expressing some tough love, warning them that they're
headed for destruction. It depends on the moment. It's important
for you to realize as a soulwinner that most of a soulwinner's ministry is
that of PLANTING SEEDS. We read in 1st Corinthians 3:7, "So then
neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that
giveth the increase." I cannot save anyone, and neither can you. That's not our job!
Our job is to preach the Gospel, whether they get
saved or not is out of our control. Jesus stated in John 15:5, "I am
the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." This
doesn't mean that everyone we witness to will get saved. It does mean
that there are MANY people in this world who are waiting to hear the Gospel,
and God will lead us to some of them, or them to us, if we are yielded and
abiding in Christ.
Tragically, the average believer couldn't care less
about winning souls to Jesus. When we walk with God, we will begin to
share God's burden of winning lost souls, and we will preach the Gospel, and
people will get saved.
It's Wise to Know Your Bible
I would recommend that you do a
Bible study on fundamental Biblical doctrines, i.e., the
deity of Jesus, Jesus' virgin birth,
the blood
atonement, Jesus' sinless life,
Jesus' bodily
resurrection, Jesus' death,
Jesus' burial,
Jesus bodily ascension,
imputation,
propitiation,
predestination, baptism,
etc. You can study
false doctrines later on if you so desire; but first you would be wise to
learn the fundamental basics
of God's Word. We read in 2nd Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth."
This verse applies to all Christians, not just
to Christian leaders; but especially to Christian leaders. Surely, you
don't need to learn all about Bible doctrines or different religions to
win people to the Lord--you just need to give them the simple Gospel (i.e.,
the good news) of what Jesus did for them. However, you WILL be asked
questions while witnessing to people. The Bible says in Colossians 4:6,
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know
how ye ought to answer every man." So I would recommend learning the
basics so you'll be able to answer basic questions.
If someone stumps you, and they will
at times, you might tell them that you want to give them the correct answer,
and will come back at a later time (if it's ok with them), after you've
checked into the matter. In addition, they may appreciate your
willingness to do that for them. It's ok to say, "I don't know" and
revert back to the simple Gospel. And by the way, people love to take the
conversation all different directions, which is ok, but you need to keep
reverting back to the main issue, which is the salvation of their soul.
Various Helps and Common
Sense
-
It's a bad idea to talk to underage
kids, and I wouldn't do it without first getting permission from the parents. If you know the family, then perhaps; but if you're new to an area, better
safe than sorry. Some parent will go ballistic, and I don't blame them,
when they see some adult stranger talking to their kids.
-
Also, never
place Gospel tracts in someone's mailbox, it is considered federal property.
-
Here's some excellent words of wisdom on
distributing Gospel tracts by Pastor
Jeff Owens (this is a Windows Media audio sermon). Here are
more sermons
by Dr. Owens.
-
Also, be respectful of people's
time, property, and opinions. This is America you know, and it's ok to
agree to disagree. So if you meet a Satanist who thinks you're trying to
shove the Gospel down his throat, don't push the issue. Remember,
there's a fine line between faith and foolishness. As the saying goes...
People don't care what you know until they know that you care. That is
so true! So our primary focus when soulwinning should be to let people
know that we care about them, and the best way to do that is to show them the
utmost in respect and consideration. We should do this anyway as
Christians, but especially when trying to win people to the Lord. There's nothing worse than a rude, inconsiderate, and mean
religious person who makes people angry. So when someone slams their
door in your face after cursing you, apparently for no reason, it may be
because someone else hurt their feelings.
-
The Apostle Paul said in Titus
3:10-11... "A man that is an heretick after the first and second
admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth,
being condemned of himself." If you've witnessed to someone twice,
and they are belligerent, and refuse to get saved--then God will have to
deal with them. Although it is true that the Apostle Paul spent time
debating with people, he also said in Titus 3:9... "But avoid foolish
questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law;
for they are unprofitable and vain." You're going to meet
time-wasters who have no desire for truth, but just want to argue. The
Bible directs us to "avoid" such foolish questions and nonsense.
-
Some people will challenge God in
their unbelief. A common statement that I here is, "I'll believe
the Bible when God hands It to me personally." Show them Romans
1:20, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." This
verse speaks volumes. Also, shown them Luke 16:30-31, "And he said,
Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will
repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." If
a person is defiant against God after hearing the Gospel, and being shown
these verses, then they simply DON'T want to get saved. We shouldn't
waste our time, because there are many people who DO want to hear the
Gospel.
Soul-winners are
Beautiful People!
We read in Romans 10:15, "...as
it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Perhaps you'd like to
read an article I wrote some time ago called
Churches With Ugly Feet. God
calls the soulwinner's feet, BEAUTIFUL. I don't know about you, but that
makes me want to go soulwinning even more!
We read in Daniel 12:3 that
soulwinners will shine for eternity, "And
they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they
that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, "But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal."
What will this temporal
life matter 100 years from now, or 10,000 years from now? All that
will matter when we die is that we died in the Lord (i.e., born again), and
that we spent our life soulwinning and living for the Lord. I don't
know about you, but I want to be an aggressive soulwinner!
Street Preaching
Rewards Won't Make You happy
The Problem with Most Christians
Worldly Christians
First, nothing means anything if you
don't have a DESIRE to see people saved. Jesus commanded His disciples in
Matthew 28:19 to “GO” into all the world preaching the Gospel. Every
Christian is commissioned by the Lord to “GO.” Most churches never get
beyond the word “GO.” All the Bible knowledge and eloquent speaking ability
in the world means nothing if a person does not “GO.” This means taking the
Gospel, using our feet as Romans 10:15 says, to preach the
Gospel.
