COMMINICATING EFFECTIVELY

My goal for you is that you might become a witness yourself – effective witnesses that truly win souls.

The emphasis of the local church must always be a combination of getting the Gospel out locally and around the world.

The Great Commission leaves no room for our many excuses. It says in Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 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.

I. The many excuses we give ourselves for not telling people about Christ

A. I don’t know what to say

If you are saved, you always have your testimony as to what Christ did for you.

B. I don’t have much influence

We are depending on our influence anyway, we are depending on the influence of Word of God. That is where the power to convert souls is.

C. I don’t have the ability or talent

1 Corinthians 1:27 AV

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

D. They probably won’t get saved anyway

Romans 14:23 AV

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

E. It is not the right time, I’ll do it later

2 Corinthians 6:2 AV

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

We have to fight laziness

We have to fight apathy

We have to fight doubt

We have to overrule discouragement

We have to get our eyes off of ourselves

Keep to things in focus through the day:

The Glory of God

That Souls are dying and going to hell

But Matthew 28:18-20 is just the Great Commission, is the Great Command. That is part of what it is to be a Believer.

We are to Go

Tell forth the Gospel

Baptize the new believers

Teach or disciple them

We love to focus on Missions and getting the Gospel to the world – but at the same time if we are going to be obedient to the Great Commission we need to be the missionaries to our own community.

You are the missionary to your street, to your work place, to your school. God has you there for a purpose of getting out the Gospel.

II. Everyone Should witness

A. Teens and children should learn to witness

I remember after I got saved that I cared about souls. I knew that I needed to be a witness for Jesus Christ. I still remembering that next day taking my Red Gideon’s New Testament to school the next day hoping to be a witness somehow. I remember right after school that day I brought Timmy over to my house and we were playing with toys. I remember I had one of these model airplanes – a world war II bomber, I threw out the window to crash it with Timmy.

Then I witnessed to Timmy. I knew I was supposed to tell others about Christ.

B. New Believers should witness

Witnessing and soulwinning ought to be the natural outflow of a new convert to Christ.

The truth is we know that this is our responsibility to reach the lost, but our problem is that we are scared or fearful to give it out. We are scared of people’s reactions at times but one of the the chief reasons that we do not witness is because we lack the knowledge to do it.

C. Mature Believers should witness

III. Become a soul-winner

A Person who wins someone to Christ

A. Make it a goal

On purpose

B. In or outside the church

IV. Have a Plan

Soulwinning is more than winning someone to the Lord via these steps. There are many who are giving out tracts that are involved in soulwinning, a person who brings people to church is having a part in soulwinning – but we she should seeking to win someone ourselves.

We should deeply desire to bring a soul to Christ.

The Bible says in

John 15:8 AV

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Genesis 30:1 AV

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

“IF WE’RE GOING TO BE A GOOD SOULWINNER WE MUST HAVE A PLAN.”

I don’t want to have secret plan; I don’t want to fool people as to why I am at their door, but I do need a plan as to what I should say.

“Inspiration without education always leads to frustration.”

We need to train everyone to be a soulwinner.

The potential we have right here in this auditorium tonight is amazing – if we will learn and then put practice the things we have learned.

Operation Go is a plan that we are going to get to know.

Matthew 4:19 AV

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

The Lord is teaching us that He is the one that is continually teaching us how to bring men and women to Christ. It is he that shows us.

V. Find a way to “ open the door”

Jesus said that we are to be fishers of men. Fishermen use nets. I tried use a net once and I ended making tangled mess. I never caught anything. But someone who can cast the net correctly has a lot of potential of catching a lot of fish.

So we must find a way to speak to people, to open the door.

Ideas to get people to open up:

A. Make it a practice to smile and say hello to people

B. Be helpful to people

C. Greet new people at church

D. Pray for opportunities

E. Be bold yet kind

F. Be wise and harmless

G. Look for opportunities to share the Gospel

I’m talking about door to door. How can we get that door open.

Always be kind and friendly

Always remember - you are a child of the king

Always remember you are an ambassador of the Almighty God

We carry with us the Truth of God and people don’t understand it.

There is a two-fold goal at every door.

Leave a good testimony

Win people to Jesus Christ

What is your church background?

Now this is after we get in the door – or we have kicked up a conversation.

Not two words that you need to learn are: “Great” or “Wonderful”

No matter what answer they give – no matter what religion they are from – you can always find something positive to say.

If we say something negative it will automatically put them on the defensive and shut down the conservation or at least their receptiveness.

So matter what they say as to their religion I always have something positives to say:

• Mormon – They have a good choir; some of the nicest people I have ever met were Mormons

• Methodist – my Grandmother was godly woman and was an old-time Methodists, she was dear Christian.

• Lutheran – I remember I had a Lutheran Chaplain – I had a lot respect for him because he believed in his denomination and he would only do strictly Lutheran services – I respected him because of his stand.

• Atheist and Agnostic – Great, that means that you think for yourself; you don’t just follow because everyone else does

• Catholicism – I love Catholics – there were many folks in my church in Puerto Rico – as a matter of fact they called me Father Sage – I always get a chuckle out of every Catholic with this statement and I say when an 86 year old Catholic lady calls you Father, what can you say but “God bless you my child.”

If we say something negative about someone’s religion we are ultimately insulting their parents who taught them that religion most likely.

You can always find something