Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

     The stage is set. The Pastor tells the Church that it's time to start an outreach visitation program, to witness the Gospel of Christ in the neighborhood. Everybody agrees that this sounds like a good idea, the Church seems to be in one accord. The Pastor sets the time for Tuesday night at 7:00 PM. Everything's ready. All we have to do is show up.

     Tuesday night comes, and so comes the Pastor, his wife, and the associate Pastor. Where are the people? Finally one comes in, about 15 minutes late, and we set off. We go to three households, are received cordially, the Pastor does all the witnessing. We receive no professions of faith for, you see, all those we visit are "members" of a Church. They don't attend that Church anymore, mind you, but they're "members" and they may visit us next week.

     We go back to the Church and pray, then leave. The next Tuesday the Pastor, his wife, and the associate Pastor show up. No one else. Why not? Well, some have Tuesday as their club night. Some worked late or are too tired. Some have kids in school, and have to help them with homework. No one shows. The Pastor and his wife go out, while the associate Pastor stays behind to pray. No converts, no souls won for Christ. Over the next few months the Pastor encourages the Church to come, to help witness, to assist in winning souls for Christ. A few come, here and there, but allow the Pastor to do all the talking. After all, witnessing is the Pastor's trade. He's paid to do it, let him do it. Eventually the "visitation program" is dropped for lack of support.

     Believers, something's wrong in the Body of Christ. Everyone says it's a good idea to witness Christ, but few are doing it. Most Churches are content to let the Pastor do the soul winning (we pay him to do it). Yet the pattern of soul winning that we've seemed to fall into is a far cry from that evidenced by the early Church.

     Jesus promised "us" that the Holy Spirit would come and indwell "us", and give "us" power, power so that we could witness "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth".

     "Jesus is not a liar!" The Holy Spirit did come, and the early Church witnessed with a ferocity unmatched by any. Today, usually the only witnesses that come to your door are Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormons. They are witnessing to a lie, and growing exponentially because they are willing to get out and witness. They are saving souls to false doctrine while we save nothing, unless a soul happens to stumble into the Church one Sunday and fall over the Gospel of Christ. This should not be!

     Why aren't Christians witnessing the Gospel? There are several possible reasons:

1. The first reason could be that, though you claim to be a Christian, you aren't "Really" a Christian. Yes, I know this stings, but look at this:

   Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

   James 2:20, 26 "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

   Matthew 12:33 "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."

   Luke 6:44-46 "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

        We believe in the Eternal Security of the believer (what many call "Once Saved, Always Saved" - we prefer "Eternal Security"). By this we mean that we believe that the truly saved Christian cannot lose His salvation. Most Christians read Ephesians 2:8-9 and apply that Scripture this way: "You are saved by faith alone, and you cannot lose your salvation. Works do not save you, only faith". Well, that's true, but read Ephesians 2:10 "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works".

        Works do not save you, but once you're saved you become the "workmanship of God", you are "created in Christ Jesus". In other words, the saved believer is a "New Creation" in Christ. You cannot accept Jesus Christ and be the same after you accept Him. After salvation, immediately after, the Holy Spirit makes you "born again" and indwells you. You become an adopted child of God. In essence, you are immediately changed and continue to change from the point of salvation as "God's Workmanship".

        Scripture bears this out in numerous places. Jesus said the "tree is known by the fruit it bears", and that a corrupt (unsaved tree) bears corrupt things, the good (saved) tree bears righteous things.

        Jesus even went so far as to say "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?". That's a fair question. If you are saved, then you know Jesus Christ as your Lord, therefore you will attempt to do the things He asks. You have been changed. No, you may not be perfect, no one is, but you will have a heart turned toward Christ. James went even further and said "faith without works is dead". That's true. You can say "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but unless your life shows an evidence of conversion then, dear person, you may not be saved."

        Let's look at some true statistics of several churches. In the last year, one Church experienced 75 professions of faith in Christ and "moved memberships", and a number of baptisms of new believers. When the Church started this "visitation drive" it had an average of 175 members in Sunday School, and around 250 in Church service. After 75 new members you would expect the Sunday School to have risen in attendance to 250, and Church attendance to increase to 315. "You know what?" The average in Sunday School is still 175, and around 250 in Church services.

        If salvation brings a change in the person (and Scripturally we are told that it does) and the numbers didn't change, then what is happening is people are "professing" Christ outwardly but not "believing" Christ inwardly. "People are taking a bath rather than being Baptized".

        "Salvation is not evident if lives are not changed, and lives are evidently not being changed if, after profession, they do not come back to their birthplace."

        Dear friend, "walking the aisle" doesn't save you! "Publicly professing" Christ as Savior doesn't save you! The devils publicly profess Christ (Matthew 8:29). "Believing" in Christ in your heart, grasping Him "as if He were a life preserver" and you were a drowning man saves you! When you accept Christ as Savior, "head and heart", then the Spirit indwells you so you can do the works of God, so you can witness Christ. Look at the rest of this verse:

   Ephesians 2.10 "which God hath before ordained [ Proetoimazo = to fit up in advance, ordain before, prepare afore ] that we should walk [ Peripateo = to tread all around, i.e. walk at large (especially as proof of ability); figurative to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary) :- go, be occupied with, walk about ] in them".

        God has "proetoimazo", predetermined that we as believers will "peripateo", tread around in, "wallow in, be occupied with good works"! "Now, is God Sovereign?"

        That's not a trick question, believer. God " IS " Sovereign, and in His Sovereign plan He predetermined that His believers will "wallow around" or be "occupied with good works", the works He has called us to do. "If you are saved you will want to work for God", because "your new design demands it"! Since you are designed to work for God, then you will want to witness if you're saved.

   
   

2. You may be saved, but you're "afraid to witness". This may be because you're not living as you should in Christ.

   Witnessing is a twofold process. First, we witness with our mouths:

   2 Corinthians 5:17-21 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: [ Ktisis = creation, creature, building ] old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given [ Didomi {did'-o-mee} = to give, bestow, commit, deliver, grant ] to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed [ Tithemi {tith'-ay-mee} = to give to our care, appoint, ordain ] unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

        God gave unto us, His new creatures, "Ktisis", new creations, the "word of reconciliation". This word is not given to the "Pastor of your Church only, nor to the Associate Pastor, nor to the Evangelist or Elders". No, this word of reconciliation has been "committed" ( Tithemi = given to our care ) to every one of us who are "Ktisis", new creations in Him.

        You, "if you are saved", are given a charge to tell others about Jesus Christ. If this word was given to you, "and the Scripture says it was", then why fear it? If God committed it to your trust, then you are capable of delivering that word, that Gospel word, in the power of His Spirit. We witness with our mouths, and we have the power to witness because God has entrusted that message to us.

   2 Corinthians 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."

        We witness with our mouths, but we also witness with our "lives"! Paul held the Corinthian Church up as epistles of Christ, words of Christ, a living witness. This is a far cry from where they were in I Corinthians 3:1 when Paul basically said "they were babes in Christ, carnal". No witness here.

        If you have been living your life one way in Church and quite a different way in the world, then you may be afraid to tell others about Jesus. If you curse like a sailor, drink your fellow workers under the table, whistle at girls, in short, live like a heathen - then of course "you won't want to witness Christ." Your life has already smeared your testimony. If so, "repent", then witness honestly to your fellow workers, to your friends. They'll say you "got religion", but in time your life witness will match your mouth witness, and you'll make an impact for Jesus.

   
   

3. Finally, you may have the best intentions but be misinformed about witnessing. A popular belief in witnessing is that we invite our friends to the Church, then the Pastor saves them. Though this may happen, this is not God's design. The Pastor exists to "feed the flock of God":

   Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

        Church is the time that believers get together to be "fed". At our Church our pastor routinely preach the Gospel of Christ on Sunday morning. Sunday night our Associate pastor teaches from the pulpit. The primary obligation of our Pastor and Associate Pastor is to shepherd and feed the flock of God. The early Church sent out witnesses after the pattern that Jesus established:

   Mark 6:7-12 "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent."

        Missionaries went out by twos, preached the Gospel, and won souls to Christ. Once an area was evangelized, Churches were started because believers gathered together as local Bodies. Believers went out from the Churches and witnessed to friends, family, and co-workers, and won souls for Christ which in turn came to the Church to be a part of the Church. This is the example the early Church set for us, and one we should be following today.

        Look, you "don't need a degree in Theology to witness Jesus Christ". In fact, you do not need to understand all the mechanics of salvation, but you do need to understand the "need" for Christ.

        You need to understand that Adam brought sin into the world in the Garden, and by his act of disobedience erected a sin barrier between God and man. You need to be able to show people pertinent Scriptural evidence that refusing to accept Jesus Christ as Savior will secure them a place far away from God in eternity. You need to tell others that accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, believing on Him and Him alone, removes the sin barrier between them and God. You, "most of all", need to be able to "tell others" how Jesus "effected your life"! This is one of the most powerful witnessing tools you have - "did Jesus work for you?"

     Let's move on. If you are a believer in Jesus, you know that you are commanded and empowered to witness:

2 Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

     Then let's talk about the dynamics of Personal Evangelism. First, know that God "must" open the heart of the unbeliever if he will hear the Gospel message you present:

John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Helkuo {hel'-ko} = to drag or draw ] him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

John 16:7-11 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [ Parakleto {par-ak'-lay-tos} = an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter, one called along side to help ] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

     God must proceed you in your witnessing effort, softening hearts, readying them for the Gospel you'll present. That is why it's important for you to "pray" frequently, often, and silently while witnessing. Unless God softens the heart, unless God convicts of sin, unless God gives your message impact them the unbeliever will not hear it.

     While Jesus walked the earth God the Father had to "draw" (Helkuo = to draw or drag) the person to Christ. He had to soften the heart, to convict of sin, to lead that unbeliever to a state where it was possible for him to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Jesus, however, told us that when He left this earth He would send the "Comforter", (Parakleto = an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter, one called along side to help) the Holy Spirit back in His place, and that the Spirit would assume the role of drawing men to Him. We are, in the Church Age, responsible for evangelizing the lost "in cooperation" with the Holy Spirit of God.

Acts 16:14 "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us:  whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

     Unless the person you're witnessing to has their heart opened so they can hear the message, then your effort is wasted. Therefore it is important to heed the Spirit of God in witnessing and to pray that He precedes you in your efforts. Paul forgot this when he decided to go up to Jerusalem:

Acts 21:4 "And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem."

     He was told not to go, but he went anyway. The Spirit did not precede Paul, the people were not ready to hear the Gospel message, and Paul was imprisoned. Though God ultimately used Paul's imprisonment in a mighty way, and Paul wrote a several epistles from prison, I can only wonder how much further his ministry would have honored Christ had he heeded the Spirit. We are partners together with God Almighty in witnessing. Once we realize this, seeking His face and will "before" we witness, we will see the same harvest of souls that the early Church saw.

     Second, you must understand that the "Bible" is the weapon we use in personal Evangelism. Some of you may object to the term "weapon" in reference to the Bible, but we are in a great conflict here. The forces of Satan and the world are on one side, and the Lord God and His servants are on the other. "Both sides are battling for the souls of men", battling for the minds of men. Of late the Church has had a poor showing in this battle!

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

     If you expect to be a fighter for God, then study and meditate on this Word. Unbelievers will throw up a variety of weapons against your efforts. But remember, you do not stand alone in the battle. "God the Holy Spirit is working with you", and together, with the Word, you can win souls. You may not have all the answers. You may not be able to fight off the multitude of lies that evolution, idolatry, humanism, and greed have spawned. But remember this:

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

     God's Word is a power unto itself. With the Spirit softening the heart, and an effective presentation of the Gospel, the heathen can be converted. The Apostles, most of them common fishermen, met people of stature, education, and breeding. They met high officials and important people. And everywhere they went, uneducated as they were in comparison to those they witnessed to, they led people to Christ. When witnessing:

1. Make the issue of the need of salvation and it's attainment "through Christ only" crystal clear. You only need to "provide the clear, Biblical Gospel message". The person you're witnessing to has to decide on their own. You cannot make the decision for them, just present the facts.

2. "Make sure that you present the pure Gospel". "Don't" regard something that this person is doing that you may dislike and "add it into the message". Don't say, "Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and QUIT SMOKING and you'll be saved", or "Accept Jesus Christ as Savior and QUIT DRINKING and you'll be saved". Remember, it is a work of God. Once the person accepts Christ as Savior the Lord will begin working in their lives to remove aspects that He finds objectionable. Remember the Scripture:

   Romans 14:4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make im stand."

3. "Don't get rabid while witnessing!" A lady once told me she was visiting a Church, and at the altar call she went forward to pray. Another member jumped up and followed her to the altar, the started selling her on the idea of joining that Church. Believers, "this is stupid!" And I told her, the one who did it was rather stupid, too! Once you "present the Gospel, back off, and let God into the work". No one needs to join a local Church to be saved - you won't find it in your Bible. In fact, if you find it I'll publish it with a retraction at this site. Good luck! You don't have to "walk the aisle" to be saved. In fact, you don't have to "DO" anything but repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. "Let God into the work."

4. "Avoid arguments" like the plague. It takes two people to make an argument, and don't allow yourself to be drawn into this trap. When you present the unbeliever with the Gospel expect him to rationalize his way of life. He may do this by telling you "The Bible's just a book written by men", or "Can you disprove the theory of evolution?", or "The Jehovah's Witnesses teach ...". You may successfully argue and win the argument, but when you have you've lost the war. Apologists study Christianity in light of world thought and present arguments to defeat worldly thinking. This is great, but apologists usually win few converts to the faith, and usually drive people into digging deeper into their false gods. Apologists are great for the Christian because they reaffirm our faith. God needs witnesses for Christ. Whatever their viewpoint, whatever their rationale, present the Gospel of the Word of God clearly and let God have control. When people write me at this site with "objections" I only reply once, from Scripture, then ignore all other letters. God must have His work, God must do the work.

   Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

        We know of one person that for about 6 months corresponded with a Wicca, trying to convince her of her need for Christ. They argued the merit of Christ and the earth goddess back and forth, and in the end she was still lost. "No one wins an argument in witnessing".

5. "If at all possible, deal with the individual when he or she is alone." If you want to preach the Gospel to a crowd, be a preacher, and build a pulpit. But "personal Evangelism requires the personal touch". A Pastor once reported visiting a family at home, and started witnessing to the father. While talking to him, their young child came running in the room and loudly started asking "What are you doing, daddy?". This went on for some time, and eventually I quit. You cannot compete against a squalling 5 year old, and few males will accept Christ if embarrassed in front of their families. Most people feel that they pretty much have a handle on life, and Americans are often fiercely prideful. If you hurt their pride in front of others, you can pretty much quit speaking then - they'll not hear another word.

6. "Avoid getting into a rut in witnessing". You can't handle every case exactly the same way, because people are all different. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your witness. Also, avoid the idea of "head hunting" or the idea that "you" must lead a certain number of people to Christ or you're not spiritual. "You" aren't leading people to Christ, but God is working through you to lead people to Christ. God must be in the work, or the work will be useless. You can take a course on Evangelism Explosion, Continuing Witness Training, or faith Training, but unless God is in your efforts they will fail pitifully.

     Prior to the formation of the nation of Israel evangelism was done within the family unit. The patriarch or head of the family witnessed to goodness of God to his loved ones. When God formed Israel, Israel was the steward of the Gospel. They were to be the missionaries to the world, and they failed miserably at this task. God dispersed Israel in 70 AD, and turned the stewardship of the Gospel message over to the Church, to each individual member in the Church. When the Church is taken from the earth God will give the Gospel to 144,000 Hebrew Evangelists (Revelation 7:4) to witness Christ during the Great Tribulation. This time is not yet - we are still in the Church Age. Believers of all ages, races, and sex are required by God to tell others about Jesus. You are told to "GO", tell others. The Church Age is slowly running out, and your time on earth is becoming shorter every day. Believers, we must tell others about Jesus while there is still yet time. Tell your loved ones, your friends, the person you meet on the street. Tell someone the Gospel in the power of God the Holy Spirit.

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Last modified: Friday, December 06, 2002