How to Grow in 2006
It has been stated that the greatest soul winning force today is not in the pulpit but in the pew!
No one can reach more people than those who sit in the pew Sunday after Sunday. It is estimated that 95% of church members have never led someone to Christ.
For the past several weeks we have been talking a lot about soul winning and being a better witnesses but are we doing anything about it?
We all want to see more people in church.
We all want to see the pews full.
We all want to see our loved ones saved
We all want to see our co-workers saved
We all have friends that need to turn their lives over to Christ.
But what are we doing about it?
Introduce:
Todd Peterson – 12-year NFL Kicker now plays for Atlanta Falcons. Todd was recently featured in an article where he was talking about his faith. And made some very interesting comments that really hit home to me.
He said, “I don’t have a game plan when I share my faith. If I act like Jesus, if I’m controlled by the Holy Spirit and if God is the One who is empowering me, I don’t really have to have a game plan or strategy for sharing.”
The Southern Baptist has endorsed many programs that try to make sharing easier. Ways to make us feel like we are doing it better by doing it their way.
Todd Peterson went on to say:
”It just comes down to flat-out being grateful for what Jesus did for me”
Do you want motivation for soul winning? He nailed it!
I will do it because:
I am grateful for what Jesus did for me.
Not because the Pastor wants me to…
Not because Bro. Philip asked me to…
Not because I want to look good in the eyes of the church…
I will go out and witness because Christ did something for me that I cannot keep to myself.
I would like to give you three basic elements of Soul Winning! Each element has a very special part in you leading someone else to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
1. You have to have Confidence -
Philippians 3:3 - “…put no confidence in the flesh”
WHY? The flesh will let you down. You will let you down.
I can’t be a soul winner because:
I can’t talk well
I can’t remember the scriptures
I can’t talk about it – It’s a touchy subject
I can’t take the chance of them getting mad at me
You know you’re right – YOU CAN’T
Proverbs 3:26
“For the Lord will be your confidence…”
Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses…”
It’s not in what you can do…it’s what HE can do through you.
How do I get confidence?
Praying – Reading God’s Word – Studying your Testimony
2. You have to find a Connection –
This is starting your conversation talking about their favorite subject: THEMSELVES
Your conversations maybe about:
Fishing/Hunting
Cooking/Sewing
Weather/Football
Their Kids/Their Grandkids
You open your conversations talking about what they enjoy. Because people will talk about the things they want to talk about.
Get them at ease.
Then you are able to shift the conversation toward the subject you want to talk about.
You can’t get personal with them until you have earned the right.
· Find out where they are in their relationship with the Lord.
· Find out how they believe they are going to get to heaven…
· Most Important! SHUT UP AND LISTEN!
Hear what they are saying to you. Through listening to them, the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sinful state and make it a lot easier for you to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Two things you can’t do when you are soul winning:
1. You can’t convict them
2. You can’t save them
So you must be careful and not walk on top of what God is doing by allowing them to share with you their thoughts and feelings.
3.You must present Christ –
How do I present Christ? One of the most valuable tools we have to show people to Jesus is our own PERSONAL TESTIMONY!
What better stories to tell than stories from your own life.
What your testimony should consist of:
1. What your life was like before Christ
Things you were involved in
The emptiness you had inside
2. How you became aware the Lord was dealing with you
what got your attention? Death, a friend, family?
Describe what you were feeling – it’s what they are feeling
3. How you became a Christian
Tell your conversion experience
4. What your life is like now with Christ
Explain different things that are working for you now
In everything you say, be positive. Your expressions and your tone say a lot about how sold you are on Jesus.
Todd Peterson also gives us a reason of why we are not all sold out in the area of soul winning. In school, he says he was pushed to excel in school, sports and relationships.
We require our kids to:
Make straight A’s or As/Bs
Give 100% on the ball field
Practice at home
Study hard on those tough subjects
Get their homework before anything else
Why do we not require: Bible reading, soul winning, church dedication? We do in all other areas of their lives.
If we are going to grow in 2006, we must have made up minds that we are going to go out and “compel them to come in”. Isn’t that what Jesus would want us to do?
