In This Issue:
Soul Winning
Why People Don’t Witness to Others
Talking Business
Suppose
A Dying Man’s Challenge
The Ant’s Evangelism
Volume: 932 November 13, 2023
Theme: Witnessing
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When a person gets saved, all his sins are forgiven. Although God will not remind him of his iniquities, the believer will be judged for what he did for Christ after he was saved.
One of the responsibilities a Christian has is to tell others the biblical way to Heaven. Although it is the most neglected commandment by Christians, it is the most important! Here are some of what the Bible says about our personally winning souls to Heaven:
- It is the primary way a lost person will hear about God’s way to Heaven.
“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?… Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” Acts 8:30-35
How will the spiritually lost be saved unless a child of God tells them how? Most of us who are saved were led to the Lord by someone telling us either by mouth or written word. - It will rescue a soul from spending an eternity in Hell.
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20 - It should be done in every house, as did the early church. Door-to-door, one-to-one witnessing is still how we are expected to tell others. It is how the early church grew, and it is how today’s ministries will grow.
“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42 Also Acts 2:46-47 - It should be done by EVERYONE, not just the disciples, missionaries, pastors, and deacons!
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19 Also: John 20:21, Luke 24:47. - It is some of the Christian “fruit” a born-again believer should produce.
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4:36 Also: John 15:16, 20: 21. - The lost need to be “compelled,” as were the visitors in the parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:16-24). “Compelling” is done one-on-one!
“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 - It is commanded by God for us to do!
“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.” Matthew 28:19-20 - It is the wise thing to do.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30 - Many commentators teach that believers will receive a crown of rejoicing for witnessing and winning a lost soul to Christ.
“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.” Daniel 12:3
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” I Thessalonians 2:19
God chose us to point others to the way to Heaven. What a shame it would be for a Christian to live a full life on Earth and never, or rarely, have won a soul to a heavenly eternity.
“Well, I just can’t do it” or “I am too shy to talk to anyone” are not excuses that biblically keep anyone from their God-commanded duty to witness. I have never met a person who thought that it was easy for them to witness to strangers in the beginning. However, God has always helped them when they showed they were willing to obey His commandment.
I am sure it was hard for the early church members to win souls to Christ, but because they obeyed God, their ministry grew. After they witnessed to others, God blessed their church.
There are too many bound for Hell (Mark 7:13). Do not be a selfish Christian and not share the way to eternity in Heaven with anyone.
Someone probably shared it with you. If they did not, you would most likely not be Heaven-bound. Soul winning is the biblical way to get the message of salvation to others. It still works today! Have you witnessed to anyone this week?
“It has been estimated that probably 95% of all church members have never
led anyone to Christ!”
Why People Don’t Witness to Others
Bill Brinkworth
I have heard most of the excuses not to win others to Christ. Honestly, I have used most of those justifications and listened to the same excuses from many of the best soul-winners I have encountered. However, none of the reasons for not obeying God’s commandment to win souls to Christ are biblical.
Here are some of the most common reasons for not winning a lost soul from an eternal destiny in Hell:
- “I’m too shy.” All feel like this at one time or another, but should not obedience to God’s commandments supersede our pride and selfish feelings? Is not a soul’s eternal destination more important than our feelings of self-consciousness and pride?
- “I don’t feel like it.” Laziness to do the right thing is another non-biblical reason many hide behind.
- “I didn’t know a Christian was supposed to tell others.” Too many do not read the Word of God for themselves, so they do not know what they are commanded to do. Unfortunately, many preachers who do not want to offend their members also do not make their flock aware of what they are expected to do.
- “I’m afraid of what others may say or think.” It is a shame that a person we may never see again may not have the opportunity to hear the salvation message from our lips because of our fear. Jesus was not afraid to tell others the true way to Heaven, although it cost Him His earthly life, nor were the Apostles and many that gave their lives so that others could hear it.
- “I don’t know what to say.” Most people do not know how to tell others how to be saved when they first are born-again. Tell them how you got saved.
God often convicts others through the use of His Word. Hide Scripture in your heart by memorization so that when the Holy Spirit uses you to witness to another, you have it ready to win a soul to Him.
Talking Business
Author Unknown
A pastor was passing a big department store and followed an impulse to go in and talk to the proprietor about his salvation. Finding the owner, the preacher asked, “Mr. T…, I’ve talked beds, carpets, and bookcases with you but never talked about my business to you. Would you give me a few minutes to do so?”
Being led to a private office, the pastor took out his New Testament and showed the businessman passage after passage of one’s duty to accept Jesus Christ. Finally, tears began rolling down the owner’s cheeks. He said to the preacher, “I’m 70. I was born in this city, and more than a hundred ministers and more than 500 church members have known me as you have in doing business with me. You are the only man who ever spoke to me about my soul in all those years.”
What a sad commentary on the many who talked with this businessman. Yet, many who have crossed our paths have never heard the Gospel from anyone, including us.
“Many Christians complain of the condition of the world today. If they believed what they confessed, they would lead the lost to Christ, then the world would be changed!” — Author Unknown
Suppose
“Suppose,” A tract from the Great Commission Prayer League
Suppose someone was to offer me a thousand dollars for every soul I earnestly tried to lead to Christ. Would I endeavor to lead more souls to Him than I am attempting to do now just for the money? Is my love of money stronger than my love of God or souls…?
“Whatever God gives you to do, do it as well as you can. This is the best possible preparation for what He may want you to do next.” — MacDonald
A Dying Man’s Challenge
Baptist Standard
A young married man went into a Christian man’s office on an errand of business. As he was leaving, the proprietor said, “My young friend, are you a Christian?”
The young man replied, “I regret to say I am not.”
The faithful friend then kindly urged him to seek Christ at once and to delay no longer securing salvation. The young man thanked him politely and said he would “think of it.”
In three weeks, the young man’s widow called the office to bring the man’s last dying words. She said, “He thought much of your kind advice and resolved to seek Christ. He was suddenly taken sick. After a few days, he found sweet peace in believing, became entirely resigned to God’s will, and died in the assurance of faith. ‘Tell the businessman,’ he said, ‘that I thank him with my dying breath for his faithfulness in telling me the way to Heaven.’”
“It is only God that saves souls! However, Christians are to be His messengers of the wonderful, saving news.”
The Ant’s Evangelism
Author Unknown
A gentleman laid a piece of food on the table, picked up an ant, and placed it on the morsel. He was astonished to see the little creature rapidly descend by one of the legs of the table and seek his fellows. They appeared to understand the ant’s news. He then returned to the food, followed by a long train of his fellow citizens and directed them to the prize.
Are there not many who know the sweetness of the Gospel, who might learn a lesson from that ant? If we have tasted and have seen that the Lord is good, let us now do what we can to lead others to a similar blessing.
“Witness to the person as you have the opportunity today. They may not have a ‘tomorrow’. It may be their last chance.”