How to lead a person to Christ

But please remain standing with me and honor of God's word or scripture reading this morning is going to be Romans 3:23 and then 6:20 to 23. So you're going to have to listen for some of 6 2223 because I didn't get it in there. It's part of the Romans road, if you haven't memorized it already. Romans 3:23, I think you can all cook this. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

And now 6 to 22234 when we were slaves of sin. You were free to Regard in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have them in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things, is death.

Become slaves of God, you have your fruit to Holiness and to the end, the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ. Jesus, our lord Daryl. You may be seated.

With my family and I leaving in just a few weeks. I asked the board if I could have this past week to work on stuff in my office to get things organized and sorted for when we leave and made racial allowed me to do that. And so this morning you get the privilege of hearing after Bill Fox against talking about how to lead a person to Christ. And so this is as part of that message. Thank you.

Thank you, Pastor. It's a privilege to be before you can and I want to take the time to conclude the second half if you will have what we started a few weeks ago.

I'm pushing on the bottom one. How come that's not working.

Okay. So this is a good introduction. The last time I spoke I didn't give you any hand out notes, and I didn't have any PowerPoint up in front and there was a reason for that. I want you to think about what you would say. Not about what I would say. It's important as Christians, especially in this day and age that you have the ability to leave the soul for Christ and I want to talk about that as well as finished being a presentation.

It's important to know that in the scripture. We are told some of the things regarding leading us all to Christ, but we have to have a means to get started. And that we talked about current events and the fact that there's Ukraine to talk about, there's the crime statistics in New York City or in Chicago or in Los Angeles. There's those that were shot recently. In Sacramento. There was even murdered recently in Clements, California of all places, but you know, there is such a disaster around us. And you think about the situation in Buffalo, New York yesterday, there's all kinds of current events that eventually lead to the question. Do you know, for sure that you have eternal life? That requires some for thought on your part and I want to just tell her straight this with a word from scripture. Centuries ago, Moses was had spent forty years in the desert herding sheep and God called him to lead his people out of Egypt the nation. Israel. Moses objected not that any of us have ever objected to what the Lord let us to do before but but Moses objected. And one of the questions that go to ask him, was what is that in the nine hand? You see God for knows what we're going to be called to do and he's a quickness. Spiritually. He's giving us a spiritual gift, but he's also seemed to us that we have experienced. Certain things, Moses had spent 40 years hurting sheet. Which is a lot like hurting people. Buy sheep have a mind of their own just like you and I do. But God said to Moses. What is that a 9 hand? And Moses said a rod a shepherd's crook. Now. I don't know what this crook was was like, but I am mansion that Moses have that for a number of years. It was worn very smooth by the contact with his hand and he knew how to use it almost without even thinking. That's the way we have to be. When it comes to Leading the soul to Christ. We should practice it. We should practice it to ourselves. We should practice it with another wife. We should practice it with other fellow Believers because until you've used it as an effective tool and practiced. It, you probably won't be very good at taking care of someone who has never heard the gospel before. So that's an important part practice, practice, practice as you sit in your home think over. What are the possible objection? Is this? What would a person say and try and picture? What they would say and in the process, practice your response. For instance. The first question is, do you know for sure that you have eternal life? Let me see if I can make this work this time. Yes. Okay, good. Do, you know, for sure that you have it turn a life? Not a person when he answers that question, may say, I think so. I think the Lord is going to balance up the good against the bad and that hopefully the good will outweigh the bad and he'll accept me into heaven. Doctor app. I'll talk more about that in just a minute because that's a fairly common answer. But the first thing you do having asked the question is basically just comment briefly on the answer. Say, well, that's a good answer. That's an answer that most people. Give whatever you want to say, but go on having mind what you're going to say, not what their responses. And then give your testimony, as I said, last time I spoke to you. It should not include a lot of biblical scriptural terms. For instance, when I was saved and baptized, that doesn't mean anything to the average unbeliever. They don't know for sure, what saved, how they're supposed to interpret that. Cuz as far as they're concerned, they're not lost, even though they are, they, that they don't identify with that. So, don't use that. Just say, the reason I am happy that I know for sure that I have eternal life is because Use that promise if you will and then give a brief testimony that tells why, you know, for sure that you have eternal life and its value to you, that's all you need to do. And then ask the second question. I don't I can't see what what I have here. But you can and you have the notes in front of you. So you keep track of that. There isn't a lot of feeling at the store. So you'll be home free, but let me pressure the right direction here.

I'm getting used to this. And this work. I may be. Okay.

Testimony, this is where I am.

Don't use any new terms and then come to the second question. When you come to the second question, it is.

Let me ask you a question or may I ask you a question or can I ask you a question? Now, if you happen to live with a former kindergarten teacher, you'll be corrected on that. It's may, I ask you a question? So do what you need to do and don't use the wrong term there because your life will get corrected and then Seek their agreement that's important because you don't want to force something down a person's throat and you don't want to get ahold of, get ahead of the Holy Spirit. If they say no thank you. You know that the Holy Spirit hasn't done enough work in her heart and needs to prepare them for. And unless the holy spirit is ready, and he has done the right work. You cannot lead us all to Christ. Did you hear that?

This is not a matter of and days in the old, west wear, your Carver notch on your gun. God gives the fruit and unless he prepares the heart, there will be no fruit. So everything you say will be ignored until important for you to know for sure that this person is ready and if they're not go back home and pray for them and ask the Lord to prepare their heart. So that the next time you ask the question, they'll say sure. And then you ask the question.

Is that the right one? I got to get over here to see this. If you were to die tonight and stand before, God, and he would have say to you. Why should I let you into my heaven? What would you say? That's the important question. And again, it's not so important that they give a certain answer. Or did you even think about that answer a whole lot. Because when that happens, And they respond if they don't respond with the right answer, I know for sure that I've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior and his shed blood and so on and so forth, whatever hit their answer is if it's not the right one. Just say for that the normal answer, they may very well give it answer that goes clear back to Play-Doh. And that is the god, does some of it and they do some of it. Plato said, you do your best and God does the rest. That's not, right? Because all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, ever have a bag of old rags in the shop that are filthy. Not much help. They they just 10 to get your hands dirtier. That's the way our righteousness are they are as filthy rags. So it's important that whatever their answer is. You go on with the presentation. And that presentation is, first of all, Heaven is a free gift. As I said here at this point. You begin your presentation, whatever their answer is, you say, well, that's a good answer. That's a normal answer, whatever it is, but then get started. And you remember I said last week, that they even the man who founded evangelism explosion used to have to remind himself to get started. It's not going to be easy. God didn't say, all you can do this with your eyes closed. Know. It's going to be hard to witness as to the efficacy of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's going to be difficult to do that. But God calls you to do it even more. So in this day and age with wickedness around us. God has left us here in order that we finished the job. And the God is called upon you. Because you have contact with people that no one else has contact with and so you need to be prepared to witness an ask these kind of questions. So

That's your sign. When they answer the question, that's your sign to present your presentation. And the first point is having as a free gift, you remember, we talked about this but I won't spend a lot of time dealing with. This Heaven is a free gift. It is not earned or deserved. That's important, because most people think that, in order to go to heaven, they have to do something. We'll talk about this in a minute or two. But all you do doesn't accomplish anything. All the Christ is done, is what accomplishes? Something Heaven is a free gift. It is not under deserve, that's important. Okay? and since the person and unbeliever, what was it? What did I say there since the person is an unbeliever.

Remember that they don't know chapter and verse they don't know, probably much about the Bible except they've had limited contact with it. They may have been told that only clergy can understand the Bible. So the chapter and verse is not important. You can say like Billy Graham used to say the Bible says, And that's probably sufficient at that point. So,

Now, the next point after having is a free gift is what you would normally say, man, is a sinner. Because you would use biblical terms. But you know, it's an interesting thing that in the English language, we're not. Understanding exactly what the concept is in the original language. God specifically superintendent. The fact the New Testament would be written in the Greek language cuz there's a number of things about Greek. That is more specific than English and it's important to know that the Greek language, call Sin Hammer, which means to miss the mark. So anything less than absolutely perfect. God sees as Sin. So, when you say that, so people are imperfect, most everybody. If you talk to them a little bit about this, will admit the fact that not every day of the year, are they? Absolutely perfect. They've done some wrong things in their life. So it's important to emphasize that God requires absolute holiness. Absolute Holiness. Did you hear that? Absolute means everything has to be right. And perfect. That's what God's requirement is to enter Heaven. So it's important that we emphasize that truth to this individual, that they know for sure that they have been given absolute righteousness.

Now.

It's important. Also for us to know what the scripture says about that. The Bible says all have missed the mark. And come short of the glory of God. We talked about that earlier, all of missed the mark. Absolute perfection. And then the third question we come to is Jesus Paid the penalty. I mean, the third answer, Jesus Paid the penalty. It's important to understand that through his death on the cross. Jesus Paid the penalty for every sin that I've committed every imperfection.

Remember again. That, as you explain, this Santa is often understood a something. Somebody does this worse than, what do I do? Is that true? You might have even thought that this guy's a real Center. We all are, that's what the Bible says, and you do not regard anything less than absolute perfection. It's in. It doesn't matter whether you've your 6ft charger, the Mark or a half an inch. Or even a quarter of an inch, you've missed the mark. Let me just give you an illustration about that. When I was a police officer. I was called in one day and my traffic. So I did, I was riding motorcycles of the time said, you just got a medal for distinguished expert. Honor honor shooting range. I said, okay. Thank you. Give me the my only said that maze that you shot 98 or better for 6 months.

So at that was 50 rounds, a month that was 2.2 Points. Each bullet. Put it in, 2 hours or each round.

Now if I had that means I missed with one shot each month or someone's whatever. I don't know what I did, but it was 98 or better. That means if I hadn't messed with two shots, one of those months, I never would have made 98 or better. It would have been 97.9 99 or whatever, but never 98. We have all missed the mark. Our scores do not add up to God's absolute standard of perfection. That's what's required. And Jesus Paid the penalty. For every time I missed the mark. The Bible says that the gift of God. We sang a song about Mercy today. The difference between Mercy is I'm Grace. Is that in Mercy? You don't get what you deserve and Grace, God gives us what we don't deserve. And we are given Grace To Get To Heaven because we don't deserve to be there. We deserve the penalty of death, for the wages of sin is death. We read. That means what you have learned his death. But God graciously, gives you the sacrifice of his son. The Lord Jesus Christ, so that you may be accepted into his presence. So that he can say, when he asked the question. Why should I let you into my heaven? You can say, because I have faith in your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's talk about that for just a moment.

The gift of God is accepted by faith. That is something about which there's considerable misunderstanding. Well, you know, what is Faith? And it's something that we need to think about and pray for and so on and so forth. I'm going to give you a little practical illustration of faith. Faith is something we exercise everyday. Access visualizer bridge. If you were to leave for today and go to Elliot and and turn and cross the moat. How do you say that Mokelumne River? Thank you not being from this area. I would say mocha Loom, they but anyway, that's calling me. If you would have crossed that bridge and I was driving along behind you. I would notice that before you got to the bridge. You pulled over, got out of your car, got out your tape, measure and calculator and you walked up to the bridge and you measure the girders, and you spent quite a bit of time on your calculator, tell you wouldn't. No, it wouldn't. You would exercise faith in the state of California, that whoever designed the bridge had an engineering degree and knew what he was doing and build the bridge, strong enough to hold up your car and you Every single day. We exercise faith. So, my question, as I asked one state of California engineer, I think I told you about that. The question is, can you design a palm tree? God did. We exercise faith in his demonstrated ability. And when we place our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, we believe that God knew what he was doing. He has done it so well. And we exercise faith in that and we as Paul and Silas said of the Philippian Jailer believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved. That's faith. We place our faith in him. We accept his sacrifice as sufficient to pay our way into heaven.

You see it's just like a number of other things in the world. Today. There's an admission price for heaven. You can't find it in your wallet. You're blinded in your Bible. And it's not a page that you can rip out and hand the card. It's something that you have to place your faith in. And so, it's important that we know. That when we answer the question, why should I let you into my heaven? We have the answer. The God has given us. Not one that we've made up. Not one that we've heard. Someone else. Say not one. That doesn't make it. 101. The Play-Doh made up the number of centuries ago. You do your best and God does the rest. Well, that's not going to work. God does it all every last bit of it. It's only through faith in the Lord. Jesus Christ and belief and what he has done that we're accepted into heaven. So it's important to know. For sure. There were safe. It's important to have the right answer for ourselves, but it's also important to have the rod at our hands. So to speak that which is Thoroughly familiar so that we can lead another soul to Christ. And it takes. So I practice it takes rehearsal in your mind. Okay, when he starts talking about, whatever he talks about, Ukraine or the crime in New York or whatever. The current events of the day. I'm going to say, can I ask you a question and you're going to go through in your mind, how it's going to work? Cuz you have to take charge the conversation. You can't just let him. Go, you have to interrupt by saying can I ask you a question? Can I ask you another question? If you were to die tonight, and I hope you don't and stand before God, and he were to say, why should I let you into my heaven? What would you say? The hopefully that'll cause that person to think a little bit man or woman boy or girl to think a little bit but in all probability, they'll come up with, with an answer, the Dozen. Record with scripture. That doesn't match What God Says and that's where you have opportunity to give them the Plan of Salvation. Several weeks ago, the pastor talked about the gospel Christ died for our sins. He was buried and rose. Again the third day that's in effect. What you have presented, Heaven is a free gift. It's not undeserved. You get it by faith, in the Lord, Jesus Christ in his shed, blood in his death on the cross. However, you do it. It doesn't have to be exactly the way I've done it. It doesn't have to be the exact same words. God will help you. If you commit yourself to doing this and say, you know, I've got a friend who is as far as I know, doesn't know the Lord Jesus Savior, why you're not going to just walk over and spout this off. It's going to require a little bit of forethought and a little bit of practice. But when you do it, the Lord will enable you to do it, right? And you will be able to present this Plan of Salvation or another Plan of Salvation in such a way that the Holy Spirit can use it to help that person to come to know. Lord. Jesus save. That's the important part that is so, The final question is and I have observed that there were only three questions for this, but there's a final question. Will you accept God's gift? That's where you want to get to. What are you accept? God's Gift? Now. I want to tell you a little story. I had a the privilege several years ago. I heard that one of the fellows that I went through Police Academy with who it's been thirty years on the police department and then become a city. Councilman was dying of cancer.

And he expected to be at the Old Timers breakfast, which people to regard want to the Fullerton, municipal airport to have breakfast once a month and Glenn was going to be there. So I went down and then another felon die. Went to the breakfast along with numerous others. Anglin was there. And I said, Glenn. Are you going to be home later on today said yeah, I'm going to have to lay down and rest for a while, but I'll be happy to see you. So, I went over to his house. I had a chance to go through this presentation with him. How could you answer a few minutes to talk? I said, and it was one of those things where God superintendent, because we talked about current events about things that happen to us on a police department for our lives were in danger.

And though I can cite you a couple of advanced. Glen was a talker. As a matter of fact, he was going throughout the state as motormouth. Hi there. I bet I fell on a golf course once he was from Modesto Police Department and he found out, I was from Fullerton and he said, did you ever know a guy? I can't remember his name, but he was motormouth. I said, yeah, Sergeant glendevon. He said, that's right. He was really good. Check expert, I said, that's right. But when Glenn came on the air after a call, I know cuz I dispatch for several years one Glenford came on and I came out of a cademy Glenwood to give you the whole report on the radio. And that took several times to me, to say, glad I don't need to know what all. I just need to know. You're back in service and I'm taking and Report. You can write it all down. Watch Vanna, wants to see it. I don't need to hear it. It took a while, but Glenn was a motormouth. He would talk about anything. But you know what? He said when I asked him, this question. What do you accept God's Gift of eternal life. He looked at me, said a person would be crazy not to accept a gift.

that's very astute. A person would be crazy not to accept the gift. That's what God offers to you. And what do you offer to the world? The sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ was sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world. The scripture teaches. And so when you share, you have no doubt or knowing that the Christ sacrifice is sufficient. You may have confidence in that. And it's important that you tell the person that, you know. As God has placed you there to make contact with that person so that they can come run all the way Jesus Christ as Savior.

Take a few moments today and make sure that, you know, for sure than your own wine or the answer to God's question is, if you were to die tonight and stand before God and they were to say, why should I let you into my Evan? What would you say now? I know that the majority of you here, perhaps all of you know how to answer that question.

And then ask the Lord to use you in this last days. To speak to someone who is not yet saved. And God would desire to be saved and he desires all to come to repentance. He says. Every single one God wants to be saved, and he has provided a sacrifice sufficient to do that. So you need to ask the Lord to help you. As Moses did with that wrong, to use to become familiar with it, to live with it every day for 40 years. So to speak, you need to be familiar enough with it to be able to do it and present the gospel. Even though you may be interrupted, even though the devil may make every attempt to distract you, that you need to be familiar with off with that tool to be able to present the gospel. Because that is why you're here. That's why I'm here. You see I'm convinced that God wants us to be in heaven. He's left us here to do something. It's not your job. It's not your family. It's not anything else. It's in order to do his work. He's got something for you to do. And when it's done, he's going to take you home, to be with him and you'll live forever with him in a place that we can't even imagine. Now, is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. He says, that's what you need to know.

Let's pray. Father. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the fact that you have given us your word as a guideline as to how we met each other's for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for the fact that we have seen today. One of the ways in which we can be effective at leading persons to Christ. We pray that you will use us day in and day out in a time that remains to see the conversation from our perspective from current events. That lead us to the question if you were to die tonight and stand before. God help us to ask those questions and be prepared to follow them up with these statements help us to be effective at using the tools that you have given to us. And all of it, many more may come to a saving Arledge. Jesus Christ. We ask it in Jesus name. Amen.