Introduction: 

1. Within the next 24 hours more than 100,000 of our fellow human beings will die unprepared to meet God.

2. Within the next 4 or 5 years enough people will die unprepared that would be equivalent to the entire population of the United States.

3. Millions, just here in the United States, have never once been taught what they must do to be saved.  Why!!!
   1. Soul winning can be intimidating.
   2. A primary reason this is so is because no one likes to be rejected.

a.       There is the possibility that our efforts to reach others will be rejected.

b.      The prophet Samuel felt rejected when the Israelites demanded a king.  But in reality, they had rejected the reign of God. 

1 Samuel 8:7, "And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee:  for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." 

3. Soul winning is less intimidating when we learn how and actually initiate an effort to reach precious souls with the gospel of Christ.

Discussion:

I.                   WE NEED A SOLID FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO SET OUR LADDER TO SUCCESS:

A.     Is your relationship with God built upon a good foundation? 

1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:  and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 

B.     Soul winning is God's work and we must have a right relationship with Him. 

II.                GOD HAS ASKED US TO BE EXAMPLES AND TO TRUST IN HIM: 

Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Matthew 28:19-20, "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 always, even unto the end of the world." 

III.             STEPS IN GAINING COURAGE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST:

A.     Leave good Gospel Tracts in public places.

1.      Perhaps the main reason many brethren neglect to reach out to others with the gospel is the fear of being rejected.  Certainly none of us want to be rejected by others.  First, you might leave religious tracts in conspicuous places for others to find and read. 

2.      Be sure that the tract is attractive, brief, and contains the plan of salvation.

3.      After you have gotten use to leaving tracts, begin to enclose them in letters and with bills that you pay be mail. 

B.     Be sincere and do things that will publicly identify you as a Christian.

1.      Bow your head and offer thanks for your food at a restaurant.

2.      Carry your Bible in your car, pocket, purse, or in your lunch pail.  Read it when you have a few minutes to do so.

3.      Keep good gospel tracts in the waiting room of your office, on your coffee table, or in your car.

4.      When a friend has problems tell him that you will be praying for him (or her).

5.      Make some comment about some good part of a recent sermon or Bible lesson that you heard. 

C.     Now you are ready to take the initiative and give a tract or an invitation to a precious soul.

1.      When your spirit begins to weaken, seriously ask yourself, "Do I really want to please God or to please men?" 

Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God?  Or do I seek to please men?  For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." 

2.      Discuss your attempt to reach others with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are attempting to do the same.

3.      Pray with brethren who have the same interest in saving souls.

4.      Learn to love and appreciate our fellowman as an eternal soul in the image of God.  If we truly love them as eternal souls, you and I will strive to bring them into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

D.    In reaching out to others with the gospel of Christ, let us not be ashamed to speak in behalf of the Son of God.

1.      By now you should have reached a place in your spiritual development that you are not nearly so concerned with what men think of you as you are about what the Lord thinks of you. 

Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God?  Or do I seek to please men?  For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." 

2.      Be grateful for the many blessings of life and let others know by such statements as:  "I thank God for my good health!" or "May the Lord bless you!"

3.      Use such expressions as:  "The Lord willing, I will see you tomorrow!"  

James 4:13-17, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  But now ye rejoice in your boastings:  all such rejoicing is evil.  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." 

4.      You may feel some embarrassment at first when you begin to openly identify yourself as a Christian.  There is a price that we have to pay in order to be His disciples.

                   a. If your spirit begins to waver, pray earnestly, "O God     please help me not to be ashamed of my Lord" (See Mark 8:38).

                   b. God that we are weak!  When we deliberately put ourselves in a place of scorn for His sake, we will be spiritually strengthened to overcome our fears. 

Romans 12:21, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." 

Conclusion:

1. Do I love my Savior enough to reach out to others with His gospel and to motivate other Christians to do the same?

2. You and I need to be enthusiastic about the possibility of personally bringing others to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

3. No, we will not convert every person in whom we attempt to reach with the gospel, but we can certainly learn from our mistakes in attempting to do so.
   1. Edison had 10,000 failures before he invented the electric light bulb.
   2. Lincoln's life was marked with failure before he was elected as President of the United States.

4. If we fail to heed the will of the Lord in reaching out unto others, our spirituality will become weaker and weaker.  We need to act now in striving to reach lost souls with the gospel of our Savior.

 

--Dub Mowery