“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
INTRODUCTION
I found this on the net and thought it very relevant for our time because the article talks about the number one business of the Church: the business of winning souls. It is what I call “The Seven Cs of Soul Winning.”
1. Commission
God wants us to take the Gospel to Others. We need to get out into the world! Jesus was not crucified between two candles on a church altar. He was crucified out in the byways and highways of humanity, and that is where we must take the message.
Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” That is a promise. But you know what? You have to get to the water if you are going to catch fish. You have to get out of the four church walls, out to where hurting humanity is, and engage them with the gospel.
No one could catch a fish sitting in camp. A lot of Christians just hang around the camp. They form fishing clubs and talk about how important it is to fish. But they don’t fish. God wants us to go fish!
2. Compassion for the Lost
In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
This means eternally separated from God with no opportunity of rescue or retrieval. Forever lost. Think about it! Do you recall the story Jesus told of the rich man who died? It ought to send a shudder through the heart of even the most brazen sinner. Jesus tells us that the rich man died and was in torment, in flame.
Jesus goes on to say that the rich man lifted up his eyes, and begged for mercy. But no mercy came, even as it says in Revelation 14:11, “The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.” I know it is not a popular subject in the Church to talk about hell, but Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven. It is a very real place.
If we would consider just for a moment the end of the man or woman who rejects Christ, it ought to cause our hearts to be stirred with compassion. Our compassion for the lost ought to move us to do all we can to share Christ with them!
3. Common Ground
We need to endeavour to find common ground with people. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-24, Paul says, For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
In this passage, Paul is talking about the way he ran—the method he used—to reach people for Christ. Verse 22 in The Living Bible puts it this way: “Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ.” Paul didn’t run aimlessly. And like Paul, we have to find a point to relate to people so that you can build a bridge over which the gospel can come.
I encourage you today to find a common area of interest, a common ground, to relate to people in order to share Christ with them.
4. Character Counts
1 Corinthians 9:24-27, particularly verse 27, tells us the importance of character in witnessing to others, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Paul said he was temperate in all things, that he disciplined his body. He would bring it into subjection, meaning he had problems keeping his body in subjection, just like you and I do.
Every one of us has a propensity toward certain sins. It is important, though, that we rein in our flesh and that we are temperate in all things because our lifestyle affects our message.
If your character is out of whack, people are going to have a hard time hearing what you have to say. Character counts!
5. The Comforter
Many times when Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, He referred to Him as the Comforter. In Acts 1:4-5, after the resurrection, Jesus said something to the disciples that was very intriguing, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
He had already told them to go into all the world, but then He said, “Hey, you need to wait for something. There’s some equipment you need before you go. Don’t go start a Bible study, don’t go pass out a tract, don’t do anything. You need something first. You need to be baptized with the Spirit.” Then look at what He said in verse 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit gives us power to be a witness. There is something beyond even living a life of integrity. There is a supernatural, captivating element when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit that makes the witness of the gospel even more inescapable. Jesus was so strong on it He said, “Look, don’t leave Jerusalem without it.” God has given us His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to empower us to reach our generation for Christ.
6. Convicting and Convincing
John 16:7-9 helps us understand Jesus’ role clearly. Here Jesus is talking to the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me.”
Jesus is not telling us that we need to pray, “Holy Spirit, go convict this person.” Rather, the foundation from which He is speaking is found in John 14. In that passage He says, “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will no longer just be with you, but He will be in you.” In the following verses, He then talks about all the things the Holy Spirit does within us. And here, when He talks about the Holy Spirit convicting people of sin, He does that work when we engage them with the gospel.
When we talk to people about Christ, the Holy Spirit then goes to work.
7. Wise Counsel
It’s important we learn to share the Word with people. Our testimony is powerful and should be shared. But even though that may move people and influence people, they need to know they are anchoring their trust in the promises of God. Not just in a feeling they have gotten, not just because they feel influenced and moved—even if that is by the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because feelings change. Our feelings can go up and down like a rollercoaster. God’s Word makes it clear that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. When a person is saved, they need to be anchoring their faith on the promises of God, not on their feelings.
Promises like Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
So when we witness to people, we need to give them the counsel, the promises of the Word of God.
8. The Coming Reward
Daniel 12:3, which says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”
There is a coming reward for those who turn people to righteousness. The dearest thing to God’s heart is winning humanity and bringing them into His family. Nothing is more important to God. He bankrupted heaven and gave His only begotten Son to save humanity. The Bible teaches us that there will be a reward, my friend: authority in heaven, a place in heaven, honor in heaven.
In addition to that, I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Someday there is going to be a joy and a fullness in heaven, but there are some who will not experience that level of joy.
I think there is going to be something about being in heaven and seeing your fingerprints on people who are there because you shared, because you gave, and because you prayed. I believe there is going to be a greater joy for some because they did more for heaven while on earth than others.
Source: Answers with Bayless Conley.
Stay Blessed!
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