Anyone Can Do It
ANYONE CAN DO IT
INTRODUCTION: ANYONE CAN BE A SOULWINNER
BY: YVONNE BROWN
If you have been born again, you should have a desire in your heart for others to know Jesus like you do. You must realize that your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers who do not know Christ are on their way to hell. They are in danger of eternal damnation, and you must let God use you to tell them how to be saved. You may think that you cannot be a soul winner, but this is simply not true. Soul winning is not about what you can do, but it is all about what the Word of God spoken by you can do. It has nothing to do with your power to persuade someone that they should get saved, but it has everything to do with the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, anyone can be a soul winner! If you are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, you will lead others to Him because the ability to win souls to Christ does not come from you – it comes from Christ.
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4:19)
You will learn to be a follower of Christ by reading and studying His Word. If you do not spend time in the Bible every day, you will not be hearing His voice and you will not be a soul winner.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
My Story
I was born into a very dysfunctional family. After my mother committed suicide when I was just a baby, I was taken in by some relatives who had a problem with anger and bitterness. I grew up a very nervous child in the midst of lots of cursing, yelling and fighting. On Sundays we always went to church, but God was never real to me because I saw nothing of Him in my home. I thought the Bible was a good story-book, and I had no idea that it contained the truth.
As a teenager, I decided that if there actually was such a place as heaven, I could not possibly ever be good enough to go there. There was no use trying. By the time I left home to go to college, I was quite sure that God did not exist. I quit going to church and began to learn about the pleasures of sin. I found that I was always searching for peace of mind and satisfaction in life, but these things could not be found. I tried different drugs, drinks, hobbies, relationships, jobs and even addresses, but nothing ever filled the emptiness that was within my heart.
After moving from the city to the country in hopes of changing my self-destructive ways, I got involved more deeply than ever before in using drugs and alcohol, and I also began to practice witchcraft. I became so miserable that I decided to go to church just to see what would happen. Attending church made me feel better, so for several months I became religious, and tried to imitate the folks I met at church. My life became less troubled, but I was still miserable when I was not with my Christian friends.
Then one evening as I was at church listening to the preaching of the Word of God, the Spirit of God caused me to finally understand the truth – that I was a sinner on my way to hell from a church pew. I spent a few days deeply troubled by this Holy Ghost conviction until I called on the Lord to forgive me and save me during a mid-week prayer meeting at church. I was 36 years old. When I was 40, I surrendered my life to serve God as a missionary. I have had the great joy of leading many souls to Christ since that night when I got born again.
I have told you this very condensed history of my life to demonstrate that anyone can be a soul winner! I am not some especially spiritual person who grew up in a godly home. I had a rough start in life and was completely under the power of sin, self, and Satan for many years before I came to Christ. I have been a Christian now for 22 years and a missionary for 18, and my past life does not hinder my service to God. If you are following Christ, your past cannot stop you from being a soul winner.
Soul Winning as a Baby Christian
The Lord will give you opportunities to be a soul winner just as soon as you start unselfishly following Him. Do not be afraid of these opportunities – just make sure you are ready for them. This lesson is meant to help you learn the basics about leading others to Christ. It is only a very small part of what the Word of God teaches us about soul winning.
The first person I ever lead to Christ was a 12 year-old girl, whom I’ll call Sally. I was just a baby Christian at the time. She was the daughter of a friend and neighbor who was not saved and didn’t go to church. God gave me a deep concern for Sally’s soul. I began to pray for her to get saved. Every time I saw her, I would talk to her about how Jesus died for our sins and rose again, but I could tell that she didn’t really believe in Him. Every Saturday night I would stop by her house and beg her and her family to come to church with me the next day. Finally, Sally actually went to church with me. I was really excited, and prayed for the salvation of her soul all through Sunday School and the preaching service. At the end of the service, I went to the altar in the front of the church to pray for Sally some more. When I finished my prayer, I looked up, and there was Sally kneeling beside me at the altar!
“What are you here for?” I asked. “I want to talk to Jesus,” she said. “What do you want to talk to Him about?” I asked. She replied, “I want to get saved.”
I wanted to make sure she understood why she needed to be saved, so I asked her, “Why do you think you need to be saved? Where would you go if you died today?” She answered, “I would go to hell, I’m a sinner.”
What a joy, and how easy it was to lead Sally to the Lord that Sunday morning! I didn’t know much about soul winning, but I knew the gospel. Sally understood and believed the gospel, repented of her sins, put her faith in Christ, and called on the Lord to forgive her and save her. Sally got born again that morning! Within another year she became very sick, and the doctors could not cure her. At her funeral it was such a comfort to remember that morning when she became a believer. Sally is with the Lord now, but I keep her picture before me as a reminder to obey God whenever He leads me to reach out to a lost soul – they might not have much time left to come to Him before it is too late.
I have told you about my experience with Sally to again demonstrate that anyone can be a soul winner! You don’t have to be a mature Christian who has walked with God for years and memorized lots of Scripture. You just have to know the gospel, and be willing to follow Christ as He leads you to witness, pray, and bring sinners to hear the Word of God. Even if you are a newborn baby Christian, God will give you opportunities to lead your acquaintances to Him. You just have to be willing to listen for His voice within your heart and within the pages of your Bible.
SECTION ONE: THE SAVIOUR SOUL WINNING
As We Follow Christ, What May We Experience?
The best example of a soul winner is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We can learn the basics about leading others to the Lord by looking into the Word of God and seeing how Christ did it. One place we can see Him in action is in John 4:1-26. As we follow Him in the work of leading others to Himself, we will experience some of the same things that Jesus did when He dealt with the Samaritan woman.
1. We will see the need to go to the lost as the Holy Spirit leads.
“He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.” (John 4:3-4)
To get from Judaea to Galilee, Jesus had to go through Samaria. He did not have to stop there, but He did because there was a lost soul there. We should always be willing to stop whatever we are doing to tell a lost soul about the Saviour. Such opportunities are not accidents; they are given to us by God for His glory.
2. We will grow weary, but we should never quit.
“Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.” (John 4:6)
Even Jesus grew weary, but He was steadfast in His purpose. He could have ignored the Samaritan woman, but He chose to speak with her because He wanted to win her to Himself. When we are tired, it is tempting to just ignore the soul winning opportunity that God is giving us. It’s easy to get discouraged and give up on some people. The Word of God says that we should never give up.
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
3. We will be equipped and sustained for the work by the grace of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ was able to win lost sinners to Himself because He was God in the flesh. We are able to win lost sinners to Christ because the Spirit of God dwells within us, and the grace of God allows it. God’s grace is there for the soul winner, as well as for the lost sinner.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10)
What Must We Do As We Follow Christ?
As followers of Christ, we must learn to deal with lost souls the way Christ dealt with the Samaritan woman.
1. We must be bold and genuinely friendly.
Jesus approached the Samaritan woman with boldness and with genuine love that was not concerned about her ancestry or social status. If we want to win someone to Christ, we must never look down on them because of who they are or what they have done. The Samaritan woman was an outcast from society, visiting the well at noon when the other women were not there.
“…and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.” (John 4:6b-7)
There is no place for any kind of prejudice in the heart of a soul winner. This woman was a Samaritan – a tribal mix strongly disliked by the Jews. Jesus was a Jew, but talked to her anyway because He was not going to be stopped from soul winning by such differences.
“Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” (John 4:9)
2. We must reveal God and His salvation.
Before anyone can be saved, they must understand Who the Saviour is. In our modern society, many people have the wrong idea about Who the Lord Jesus Christ is because they have never looked into the Word of God to see Him. Most lost sinners know that something is missing in their lives, but they do not understand their need of salvation because Satan has blinded them. They must hear the gospel of Christ.
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (II Cor. 4:3)
Jesus showed the Samaritan woman that God wanted to give her a great gift, and then began to reveal Himself to her.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” (John 4:10)
3. We must be compassionate and we must be clear.
The lost sinner must understand that Christ died for all, and that His salvation is for everyone who will receive it. No one is so bad that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse them, and no one is so good that they do not need this cleansing in order to be justified (declared righteous by God). Jesus was compassionate, making it clear to the woman that the gift of God is for anyone who will receive it.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)
4. We must let the Holy Spirit lead the lost sinner to repentance.
Many people do not realize that we do not get saved just by deciding we want to go to Heaven. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to produce conviction in the heart of the lost sinner so that they become humble and repentant before God. We get saved when we repent of our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. The Apostle Paul was a very fruitful soul winner. He describes his ministry in Acts 20:20-21: “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
As the Samaritan woman begins to want God’s gift for selfish reasons, Christ shows her that she is a sinner.
“The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou has well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.” (John 4:15-18)
5. We must be careful to avoid letting the lost sinner just “get religion”.
The Bible reveals the truth about God’s plan of salvation, but Satan’s lies have created much confusion in our society. “Religion” in our modern world is simply any human philosophy that says, “This is the way to get to God and to Heaven.” There are many “religions,” but according to the Word of God there is only one way to be saved. Concerning getting to heaven, Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
When he dealt with the Samaritan woman, our Lord was very straightforward in leading her away from her “religion” and leading her to Himself.
“The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:19-26)
Now let us review some important lessons about soul winning that we have learned from the greatest Teacher and example, the Lord Jesus Christ. When you are leading someone to Christ:
- Be bold, genuinely friendly, and free from prejudices.
- Proclaim the gospel, which is, because Christ died for our sins and rose again, God offers us the gift of eternal life through faith in His Son. This is what Jesus called “living water.”
- Be compassionate and clear in presenting salvation as being for “whosoever will.”
- Make sure that the person you are dealing with understands from God’s Word that we are all sinners, and allow the Holy Spirit (not you – you are not Him!) to lead them to repentance.
- Be straightforward in presenting Christ as God and Savior, fighting Satan’s lies about “religion” with truth from the Bible.
SECTION TWO: THE SAMARITAN WOMAN SOUL WINNING
As soon as she got saved, the Samaritan woman became a soul winner. She did some basic things that are necessary for leading others to Christ. We must do these same things so that God will be glorified in our lives as He was in hers.
1. Her life became an example of what God does in the hearts of those who know Him.
“The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men…” (John 4:28)
Her waterpot, which represents her old life, was left behind. The men in the city knew that something important and real had happened to her when she went back to the city without her waterpot. To be a soul winner, you must leave the old life behind and live a godly life in front of others. If you still live like you are lost, nobody will believe that you are saved. People will not want to know your God. The Word of God commands us to be a good example to others.
“Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
If you still live like you are lost and your light never seems to shine, it may be because you are just “religious” and have never been born-again.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Cor. 5:17)
2. She spoke boldly about her Lord, gave her testimony, and invited others to come to Him.
“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29)
Notice the three simple things the Samaritan woman said to the men about the Lord:
a. She told them Who He is. (…is this not the Christ?)
b. She told them what He had done for her. (…which told me all things that ever I did…)
c. She invited them to come to Him. (Come, see a man…)
Anyone who knows and follows Christ can put the past behind them, live a life that glorifies God, and boldly testify of Who Christ is, and what He has done for them. The Samaritan woman left her immorality behind and became a soul winner. Some of the men came to Jesus and believed on Him because of her testimony.
“Then they went out of the city, and came unto him…And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.” (John 4:30, 39)
Many more souls were saved because the people heard God’s Word.
“So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” (John 4:40-42)
When others can see that our God is real in our lives, they will respond to our invitation to go to a church service or an evangelistic meeting. They will get saved when God speaks to them through the preaching of the gospel of Christ. When I was a baby Christian, I had the joy of seeing some of my friends from my old life get saved because I begged them to come to church with me, and they did! Just like the Samaritan woman… anyone can be a soul winner!
Let’s review the basic things that made the Samaritan woman a soul winner:
- She first got born again.
- She let God change her ways and left her old life behind.
- She told others who Jesus is.
- She gave her personal testimony and told others what Christ had done for her.
- She invited others to come to Christ.
SECTION THREE: SOUL WINNING IS GOD’S WILL
Christians are often concerned about doing the will of God. You can be sure that God’s will for every Christian is to be a soul winner. It is easy to stay so busy with the routines of our lives that we forget about the importance of soul winning. In John chapter four, Jesus teaches His disciples to be more aware of lost souls around them. As we read His words, it is easy to understand why the Lord interrupted His journey to Jerusalem to meet with the Samaritan woman.
“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:31-34)
The disciples were concerned about fleshly things — “Master, eat.” This is the way we all are when we do not focus on doing the will of God. It is easy to be more concerned about what is for supper than about where some soul is going to spend eternity. Our flesh is more concerned about getting to an appointment on time than about some soul getting to Heaven.
The Lord Jesus was concerned about what really matters – doing the will of God, and finishing the work of God. If we walk in the Spirit and do not let fleshly concerns dominate us, we will see the opportunities for soul winning that God gives us.
Jesus clearly indicated that those who follow Him should be concerned about the souls of the lost. He compared them to a field of ripe grain, which must be harvested or be forever lost.
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35)
If you just look around, you will know that the fields are still “white unto harvest.”
God rewards the soul winner in this life.
The Lord also told His disciples that God rewards the soul winner.
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (John 4:36)
When we do the will of God, we are rewarded in this life with the joy that comes from knowing that we have pleased our Heavenly Father. There is no greater joy for the Christian than to do that which glorifies God. Jesus said in John 15:8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Being a soul winner makes your life meaningful and fun, as you watch God working in the lives of others that you have reached for Him.
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)
God rewards the soul winner in the life to come.
Perhaps some of Heaven’s joy for soul winners will be the presence of those that they have led to Christ. The tears, praying, preaching, testifying, and witnessing that are involved in soul winning will surely be worth it all when we see Jesus and our “sheaves” are with us!
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6)
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
At the judgment seat of Christ, the works which we have done in His name will be tried by fire. (This is not the great white throne judgment of the lost, which is described in Revelation chapter 21.) This fire will not harm us because we are saved. It will burn up all of our good works except the things which were done for God’s glory. We should lead souls to Christ simply because we love Him and desire to do His will. This is a good work which will not burn up, but will be rewarded. Soul winning is using gold, silver, and precious stones to build upon the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” (I Corinthians 3:11-14)
CONCLUSION: LEADING SOMEONE TO CHRIST USING THE “ROMANS ROAD”
The rest of this lesson is some practical information on how to lead someone to Christ. Please take what you have already learned from John chapter four, and let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart about how God would like to use your personality, knowledge, and talents. Keep in mind the examples of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Samaritan woman. It is not wise to limit yourself to a particular “method” for soul winning. You are a unique individual with God-given gifts for serving Him. Every lost soul is a unique individual also, with a heart that only God can see. If you fill your heart with the Word of God and pray for the lost, the Holy Spirit will lead you to say and do the things that He will use to draw that lost sinner to Christ. The “Romans Road” has been very fruitful in leading souls to Christ. It is a way of presenting God’s plan of salvation that is very clear and simple, and is powerfully biblical. Anyone who knows the “Romans Road” can be a soul winner.
1. Always pray for God to draw the lost to Himself.
Jesus said in John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
If you want to lead souls to Christ, you must pray for them. I like to pray for lost souls using the Word of God. If you want a prayer like this one in your heart, memorize Acts 26:18.
“Dear Father, please open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen”
2. Always make sure your own heart and mind are prepared for soul winning.
When God allows you to encounter someone who wants to know the Lord and His salvation, you must be prepared because you are a soldier going into a spiritual battle. The “Romans Road” is a simple plan that uses the Word of God to lead a soul to Christ. The Word of God is powerful against Satan, and is used by the Holy Spirit to convict and draw the sinner. Do not ever try to win someone to Christ without using the Bible. As a student of soul winning, you should memorize every one of the following bold-print verses, so that they are in your heart and you have meditated upon them.
“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.” (Romans 1:16)
This verse is for you, the soul winner, to keep in mind as you labor in the Lord’s harvest field. Also, read II Corinthians 4:1-7 every day, and meditate upon this passage. It is very encouraging and energizing to the soul winner and it causes you to focus on having the right motive for soul winning:
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
3. Always make sure the lost soul knows who the Savior is.
There is much confusion in the world about the nature of God. It is the soul winner’s responsibility to fight this confusion with the truth of God’s Word. Use these verses to explain to the lost soul who the Lord Jesus really is:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5)
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:10-14)
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
4. Always make sure that the lost soul knows what Christ has done for them and for you.
The lost soul must know and believe that Christ died for his sins and rose again for his justification, so Romans 1:16 should also be shown to him:
“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.” (Romans 1:16)
Now demonstrate the power of the gospel of Christ by sharing your personal testimony of how you came to Christ. Remember how effective this was for the Samaritan woman? In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul gave his salvation testimony many times as God used him to bring the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles.
5. Always show the lost sinner how to be saved.
If the person or the people you are witnessing to indicate that they also want to be born again, here is a very simple outline of the things you should discuss with them. It is presented in the simple form of questions and answers. The details of your actual conversation should be left up to the Holy Spirit. The “Romans Road” is very basic and self-explanatory, and you can trust this approach to soul winning to be very effective because it is the Word of God. Be sure to mark the verses of the “Romans Road” in your Bible so that you can find them easily.
The Romans Road to Heaven
A. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10)
Q. According to the Word of God, who is good?
A. Nobody…I’m not, you are not.
B. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Q. According to the Word of God, who has sinned?
A. Everyone…I have, you have.
C. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
Q. Who brought sin into the world?
A. Adam. (If they do not know the story of Adam and Eve, and how sin came into the world, go to Genesis chapters 2 and 3, and show them.)
Q. According to the Word of God, are you a sinner?
A. Yes…everyone is.
D. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Q. According to the Word of God, what is the price of sin?
A. Death. (Go to Rev. 20:14-15 to show them the final wages of sin.)
Q. According to the Word of God, what gift does God want to give us?
A. Eternal life.
Q. Through whom does God give this gift?
A. The Lord Jesus Christ.
E. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Q. According to the Word of God, Who has already paid sin’s price for you?
A. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. Do you want to receive God’s gift of salvation?
A. Yes.
F. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
Q. God sees your heart. Do you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for your sins, and rose again?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you agree with God that every sin in your life is wrong, and you are completely willing to turn away from all sin with the help of God?
A. Yes.
G. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Q. Will you tell God in your own words that you are a sinner, you are sorry for your sins against Him, and you want His forgiveness and salvation?
A. Yes.
Now you must let them pray, and God will do His wonderful work of giving them new life in Christ. Then follow up your soul winning with a discussion about the believer’s security.
H. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Q. According to the Word of God, what has God given you?
A. Eternal life.
Q. How long is eternity?
A. Forever and ever.
The first time I ever taught this lesson on soul winning was to a group of women who were in jail. The Rock of Ages Prison Ministry has a weekly Bible Study meeting at this jail. When we went back the next week, a young woman whom I’ll call Susan, had a sweet testimony to give. A couple of days after the meeting when we studied about soul winning, a friend of Susan’s from the street went to jail also. Susan tried to comfort her friend, whom I’ll call Cathy.
Cathy was very depressed. She was feeling very ashamed and guilty because of the crime that she had committed and because of all the trouble she had brought to her family and to herself. She was talking about committing suicide. As Susan tried to comfort her, Cathy noticed that there was something different about Susan. Cathy asked Susan what had happened to change her. Susan told Cathy about how she had been born again, was at peace with God, and letting Him have control of her life. After Cathy had heard Susan’s testimony, Cathy told Susan that she wanted her sins forgiven also. She wanted to know God the way Susan did, and to learn to live right.
Susan had been saved only a few weeks, and had never before led anyone to the Lord. However, she had marked the “Romans Road” in her Bible, so she went through the verses with her friend. Cathy got saved that night, and was with Susan in the Bible Study the next week. Susan was actually rejoicing that she was in jail because that was where God had saved her soul, and where He used her to lead Cathy to Him! Susan was so glad that she had learned about soul winning and had marked those “Romans Road” verses in her Bible. This testimony of what God did for Susan and Cathy is another example of the fact that anyone can be a soul winner!
Keep Studying.
The Word of God has a great deal more to teach us about soul winning. This lesson is just about the basics. Please study the rest of the Rock of Ages Discipleship Institute series on “Soul Winning.” As a student in the Discipleship Institute, you should have already done the “Thank You” series lesson called “Assurance.” Go back and review the “Assurance” lesson to make sure you know it well. It is very important to show those you lead to Christ what the Word of God says about assurance of salvation.
It is also your responsibility to do all that you can do to “disciple” those that you lead to Christ. Encourage them to enroll in the Rock of Ages Discipleship Institute, and to read and study the Word of God for themselves so that they can grow. Bring them to your church or Bible Study group that they might worship and have fellowship with other believers, and that God might use their gifts and abilities to edify the church. Most importantly, make sure they know that now that they are saved, they must learn to lead others to Christ because… anyone can be a soul winner!
When you lead someone to the Lord, please let us know by sending their name and address, so we can help them to grow in the Lord by enrolling them in the Discipleship Institute. We have put a sheet at the end of this lesson for you to fill out when you have led someone to the Lord. We also want to send you a certificate as a member of our Fisherman’s Club. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Charles Alexander was a song leader for many famous evangelists. In the early 20th century, he is credited for coming up with the pocket New Testament for witnessing to the lost. He once said, “If you ain’t fishin’, you ain’t following.”
Please, be a fisherman for the glory of God. You and your families are in our prayers.
