|
Is Every Christian Responsible
to Win the Lost?
Should
every Christian be a soul-winner, witness, evangelist, in evangelism?
Can anyone be a soul winner, witness, evangelist or in evangelism?
Is evangelism a responsibility or a gift?
*
Responsibility
Is every Christian responsible to win the lost?
We should start by defining “win”.
John 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life
eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
“Winning” and reaping are not exactly the same thing. “Winning” is reaping and
sowing. In the above verse, the sower and reaper rejoice together because they
work together. Not at the same time or place, but the work of the reaper follows
the work of the sower. Since they work together their work builds to a climax to
where the prospect either accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour or forever rejects
Him. They “rejoice together” because when the work is complete, they will be
rewarded the same, the “wages” of “gathered fruit unto life eternal”. The sower
receives the same wages as the reaper because they help each other, complement
each other.
Most think that “winning” the lost is where a person receives a witness, prays
to be saved, receives the new heart, is immediately Baptized, joins the church
and is out trying to grow the flock in numbers and maturity. This is the target,
but it is not the actual picture. Christians do a lot more sowing than reaping.
But sowing and reaping is what every Christian is responsible to do.
Why do most Christians not engage in Sowing and Reaping?
Almost every Christian wants to see others be saved, but most never get
involved. Why?
* Lack of reaping is a discouragement to some. They may think that a person is
not doing a good job unless they are actually seeing the lost receive Christ.
Sowing is just as important as reaping, because reaping cannot be done unless
someone does the sowing. God does not call some to sowing and some to reaping.
He calls everyone to be a sower and a reaper.
* Fear of failing to see souls reaped can be a deterrent to others.
* Lack of knowledge or opportunity can dampen zeal.
* Duty to evangelism may make sowing and reaping a job, rather than a privilege.
Spreading the Gospel should be done with joy, but the joy is stolen by fear.
Fear that if we do not get involved that God will withhold blessings.
* Evangelism is a result of walking with Jesus and listening to Him and for His
leadership. Discussing His delights and love for all. When this comes, so does
that warming flame to tell others about Him as Saviour and Lord.
If an announcement is made to teach evangelism, a good number will always turn
out to learn. But those numbers dwindle when they learn what to say, but have no
place or occasion to say it. And even worse, when they learn what to say, but
have no walk with Christ to put the enthusiasm behind the words.
Jesus said …
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers
of men.
Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to
become fishers of men.
Jesus says to “follow” or “come ye after Me”. He is not talking about the game
children play, Follow-the-Leader. He is talking about walking with Him, abiding
in Him, resting in Him. This is a life with Jesus as a friend with whom you
discuss everything, as a leader in whom you can trust, as a burden-bearer who
can carry you and your load, and so on.
This is the way to become a fisher of men, a soul winner, an evangelist, a
witness for Jesus Christ.
Some interject, but it is too difficult. If we are to do it in our own power,
they are correct. But if we simply want others to know what we know, it is
simple and easy.
We just finished working our soul winning booth at the Starr County Fair in Rio
Grande City, TX. There was an eleven year old boy who volunteered to work in the
booth. We usually do not like to take them so young, but he went through the
training session on how the booth worked and how he could merely read the Gospel
to others his age or a little older. The pastor warned us that this boy is a
little wirery and is usually at the head of most problems. He passed out tracts
with intensity and corrected the others when they failed to be attentive. He was
given a 13 year old boy to witness to. He sat and read the witness pamphlet WITH
the prospect. The boy prayed with him, then got up and thanked our youthful soul
winner and shook his hand. The new heart in Christ then came to me and thanked
me and shook my hand. He later came back with several of his friends for them to
see what he saw.
Was that hard? Not at all. Did our 11 year old have a special gift? Not at all.
He simply wanted others to know Jesus like he did and he read the pamphlet just
like the rest.
Incidentally, it is alright to read a tract to someone as a witness, but after a
while, learn more about it. Grow in knowledge and in Christ.
Top
G. Steven Andres
Psalms 45:17
Missionary Evangelist
Copyright - 1996 to 2010 |