How to witness effectively

HOW TO WITNESS EFFECTIVELY

One day as Jesus walk by the sea of Galilee He saw two men, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother. They were fishermen. "And He said unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt 4:19)

Soul Winners are MADE not BORN, THEREFORE to be an effective witness one MUST BE TAUGHT, TRAINED and MOTIVATED by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Jesus took three years to teach and trained His disciples in the art of soul winning. After His resurrection, He instructed them to stay in Jerusalem and, "wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4-8). When the disciples asked Jesus if the time had come for Him to restore the kingdom of Israel, He answered, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me….."

On the day of Pentecost, the hundred and twenty received power to witness; and any believer who will acquire know-how can be an effective soul winner. He can know that he and the Holy Spirit are a witnessing team. Peter said, "We are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM (Acts 5:32). Therefore, when you witness remember that "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you" (1Cor. 6:19-20).

When you witness, trust the Holy Spirit to do three things:

1. Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever

All lost souls are in spiritual darkness (2Cor 4:3-4)

2. Stir the heart of the unbeliever

As Peter preached Christ to the listener "were pricked in their heart" (Acts 2:37).

3. Move the will of the unbeliever

The prodigal returned home when he came to himself and said, "I will arise and go to my father" (Luke 15:18).

You may be upto date in all modern technique of soul winning, and able to quote the necessary Scriptures without flaw; but if you do not evangelize in the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, your soul winning efforts will be ineffective.

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF WITNESSING (ROM 10:13-17)

2. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A WITNESS (COL:2:6, 7)

3. THE APPROACH (JOHN 1:40 - 42)

4. THE FOLLOW-THROUGH (MATT.13:3-8;18-23)

5. HOW TO SHARE GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION (ACTS 4:12)

6. HOW TO GIVE THE INVITATION (REV. 22:17)

7. HOW TO FOLLOW UP (ACTS 2:41-47)

THE IMPORTANCE OF WITNESSING (ROM 10:13-17)

"For whosoever call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Do not lift this text out of context. There are three questions in verse 14 that must be considered along with verse 13, they are:

First Question - ”How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?" The answer is the lost can not call on the Lord to be saved until they believe-

1. That Christ died for our sins according to the scripture;

2. And that He was buried,

3. And that He rose again the third day according to the scripture (1Cor 15:1-4)

Second Question - "How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?" The answer is the lost cannot believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation.

1. The eunuch had to hear to believe (Acts 8:26-39)

2. Paul had to hear to believe (Acts 9:1-18)

3. Cornelius had to hear to believe (Acts 10:1-48)

4. The Philippian jailer had to hear to believe (Acts 16:25-40)

Third Question - "How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)." The answer is they cannot hear the good news of salvation without a witness.

1. Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because the 120 witnessed.

2. The Eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed

3. Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed (Acts 7:54-60), and Jesus the God-Man witnessed, and Ananias witnessed (Acts 9:1-18).

4. Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed

5. The Philipian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed.

6. You were saved because someone witnessed to you.

According to the word of God the lost cannot be saved without a witness.

-They must have a witness to hear;

-They must hear to believe;

-They must believe to call; and

-They must call to be saved.

-But they cannot call until they believe and

-They cannot believe until they hear and

-They cannot hear without a witness.

"So then (saving faith) comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). We are not born with saving faith; it comes only when we hear the gospel. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that every born again child of God obey the great commission to evengelize, to GO WITH THE GOSPEL.

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THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A WITNESS (COL:2:6, 7)

A qualified witness is one who is:

1. Established in the FAITH. To be established in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God's Word. Peter said, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1Pet. 3:15).

2. Saved and knows it. I know that I am saved because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie.

We have:

1. The witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16)

2. The witness of the Word (1John 5:13)

3. The witness of saving Faith, "He that BELIEVETH on the SON of GOD has the witness in himself (1John 5:9, 10)

3. Separated. Paul said that he was "separated unto the Gospel of GOD" (Rom 1:1 - 16). This is positive separation and Paul analyzed it as:

1. A HOLY DESIRE to share spiritual gifts (verse 11)

2. A HOLY PURPOSE to bear fruit (verse 13)

3. A HOLY OBLIGATION to pay spiritual debt (verse 14)

4. A HOLY EAGERNESS to share the gospel (verse 15)

5. A HOLY BOLDNESS to exalt the cross (verse 16)

To be separated unto the gospel is to share the Good News with the lost.

4. Filled with the Holy Spirit. "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). We are commended to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Evidence of the Spirit filled life as seen in the early Christians.

1. They spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31)

2. They witnessed with great power (Acts 4:33)

3. They witnessed with great grace (Acts 4:33)

4. They shared their wealth (Acts 4:34-37)

5. They worshiped in unity (Acts 2:42 - 47)

6. They suffered persecution (Acts 8:1-4)

7. They gloried in tribulations (Rom 5:3)

8. They sang in prison (Acts 16:25)

9. They loved and prayed for their executioners (Acts 7:54-60)

10. They rejoiced to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41)

They were accused of:

1. Filling Jerusalem with the gospel (Acts 5:28)

2. Turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6)

The 120 Spirit-filled Christians witnessed on the day of Pentecost and the people were:

1. Confounded, that is, they were mentally arrested (Acts 2:6)

2. Amazed, that is, they were mentally frustrated (Acts 2:7)

3. Marveling, that is, they stood in mental awe (Acts 2:7)

4. Mocking, that is some mentally reacted (Acts 2:13)

5. Inquiring, that is, some mentally acted (Acts 2:37)

The gospel proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit will motivate the hearer to act or react.

On the day of Pentecost three thousand acted as evidenced by the repentance and baptism, while others reacted mocking. No one, but no one, ignored the witness of those Spirit-filled believers.

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THE APPROACH (JOHN 1:40 - 42)

There are two ways to approach the prospect.

The first is:

1. THE DIRECT APPROACH. This approach can be used when witnessing to:

1. A relative. Andrew used the direct approach to bring his brother Simon Peter to Christ (John 1:40-42)

2. A friend. Philip the apostle used the direct approach to bring Nathaniel to Jesus (John 1:45, 46)

3. The concerned. Jesus used the direct approach to win Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)

4. The seeker. Paul and Silas used the direct approach to lead the Philipian jailer to Jesus (Acts 16:19-34).

2. THE INDIRECT APPROACH. This approach can be used when witnessing to:

1. A stranger. Jesus used the indirect approach to witness to the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26)

2. The religious. Philip the evangelist used the indirect approach to lead the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8:26-39).

The method in either case will vary according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Whether you use the direct or the indirect approach, be sure to follow through until you have presented God's plan of salvation and invited them to accept Christ as their personal Saviour.

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THE FOLLOW-THROUGH (MATT.13:3-8; 18-23)

The parable of the sower Illustrate the importance of the follow-through. ONLY ¼ of the soul (soil) was ready for the seed, so only ¼ of the seed brought forth fruit. Jesus explains the parable in (verses 18-23), and we learn that:

1. The sower is the witness

2. The seed is the Word of God

3. The soil is the heart

We also learn that there are 4 types of hearts. They are:

1) The hard Heart; This is the wayside soil, fertile but hard.

2) The shallow heart; This is the stony soil, fertile but depthless

3) The worldly heart; This is the thorny soil, but possessed

4) The understanding heart; This is good soil, fertile and prepared

The lesson here is the simple one if we expect the seed the Word of God to bear fruit; the heart must be made ready. The hard heart must be broken; the shallow heart must be given depth; and the worldly heart must be taught that the things of the world are temporal (Mark 8:36-37). This requires time, work and patience.

VERY FEW SOULS ARE WON TO CHRIST IN THE FIRST ENCOUNTER.

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HOW TO SHARE GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION (ACTS 4:12)

(Acts 4:12 NIV) Salvation is found in no one else except JESUS THE CHRIST, for there is no other name except JESUS THE CHRIST; under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

There are seven simple steps to take in sharing God's Plan of Salvation.

1. Share your personnel experience of salvation. Don't give your life story. It should not take more than a few minutes to tell how the Lord saved you. As you come to the close of your testimony, ask him/her, "May I share with you God's plan of salvation that changed my life"?

2. Now share IT IS A FACT THAT GOD LOVES YOU (Read John 3:16) It is an eternal fact that God loves you with an everlasting love that cannot be fathomed; it is so boundless that it can only be known by faith. The little word "so" in the above verse is most expressive. It gives you some concept of the magnitude of God's love. God so loved you that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ), to be made sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him [(2 Cor 5:21 NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus Christ was made that which God hates: SIN - that you might be made that which God loves: RIGHTEOUSNESS. Because God so loves you, you can exchange your sins for His righteousness. Could you ask for greater evidence of love? Calvary is the proof that God loves and longs to save you.

Before turning to the next fact, "Sir, will you now admit that God loves you?" Lead him to admit it if you can. This will get him involved in the plan of salvation.

3. Now Share the FACT that you are a sinner:

What is sin?

Sin is the transgression of law (1John 3:4)

Sin is unbelief, it calls God a liar (1 John 5:10)

Sin is active rebellion against God (Isaiah 1:2)

Sin is passive rebellion against God (Isaiah 1:2)

All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17)

God, who cannot lie, said, "All have sinned." "All" includes you. You have sinned against God by thought, words and deeds. You have committed sins of commission and sins of omission.

In the sight of God you are a lost sinner.

We should say something like this. Sir, is it not wonderful? God loves you even though you are a lost sinner.

4. It is a FACT that you are now dead in sin:

You have already confessed and admitted that you are a sinner. Now God would have you know that "the wages of sin is death." You are dead in sin until you accept Christ Jesus as personnel Saviour. Eph. 2:1 says "You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. TO BE SAVED IS TO BE MADE SPIRITUALLY ALIVE IN Christ.

What is death?

1. Death is a spiritual separation. Your sins have separated you from God; you are dead in sins.

2. Death is a physical separation. It separates the spirit and soul from the body.

3. Death is a eternal separation. If you remain lost in your sins, you will stand before God at the great white throne judgement. And there your sins will separate you from the mercy of God forever; this a lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).

Sir, is not it great that? Even though you are a lost sinner dead in sin, God loves you.

5. It is a FACT that Christ died for you:

(Rom 5:6 NIV) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

(Rom 5:8 NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(2 Cor 5:21 NIV) God (the Father) made him (God the Son) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(1 Pet 1:18 NIV) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

(1 Pet 1:19 NIV) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

(1 Pet 3:18 NIV) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

(1 Cor 15:3 NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

In the light of these wonderful scriptures, will you now thank God for His great love in sending His Son to bear your sins in His own body on the cross, and admit to yourself that : "Christ died on Calvary for me."

Sir, is not it wonderful? "Is not it great that God loves you so much that He died on Calvary bearing your sins?"

6. It is a FACT that you can be saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ:

(Acts 16:31 NIV) They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

The Philipian jailor asked Paul and Silas: sir what must I do to be saved? The answer was quick in response, and positive in content: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved, and thy house." Paul and Silas preached the gospel to the jailor and those in his house, they believed and were saved.

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What is the GOSPEL that saves when believed:

First, it is: that Christ died for our sins.

Second, "that He was buried."

Third, "that He rose again the third day"

(1Cor 15:3-4) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

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Jesus Christ the God-Man died for you, was buried for you and rose from the dead for you and is now at the right hand of the Father for you

(1 John 2:1 NIV) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

(Rom 1:16 NIV) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation only when you believe. Your faith in Jesus Christ releases the power of God that saves your souls.

The man born blind received physical sight by a miracle; but spiritual sight came when Jesus asked "Do you believe on the Son of God?" He answered, "Lord, I believe” (Jn. 9:35-38).

Salvation came to Thomas when he believed and confessed, "My Lord and My God" (John 20:24-29)

(Rom 10:9 NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Rom 10:10 NIV) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Accept him now by faith, and pray this prayer: “ Lord Jesus, I know you love me, because you died on the cross bearing my sins. Thank you, Lord, for revealing to me my lost, sinful condition. I confess that I am a sinner, dead in sin, and cannot save myself. I do now by faith, gladly accept You as my personal SAVIOUR, and thank You LORD, for eternal SALVATION. Amen.”

7. NOW LEAD HIM TO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Ac 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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HOW TO GIVE THE INVITATION (REV. 22:17)

Re 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Re 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

HOW TO FOLLOW UP (ACTS 2:41-47)

Ac 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

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HOW WILL IT ALL END?