Lesson 6

    Growing in Grace – Lesson 6 Print out here

WITNESSING

WITNESSING – WHAT IS IT

What is a witness? A witness is one who is called to testify before others about what he has seen, heard, or known.Paul stated that when he accepted the Lord, Ananias said to him, “For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).

Acts 1:8, the last words which Jesus spoke before He ascended into Heaven, commanded His disciples to be witnesses – “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 early church took this commandment literally. As a result thousands were saved, churches were planted, and Christianity grew rapidly.

The Bible teaches that we are saved to tell others. God has given His Son for each of us. Therefore, we should be anxious to tell others of this wonderful love.

TWO WAYS TO WITNESS

1.  Confess Christ to Others – Romans 10:9, 10.

Our salvation requires that we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. This confession is given when a believer tells others he has accepted the Lord. It is also given by stepping forward during the invitation in a Bible-preaching church and taking a public stand for Christ.

2.  Witness to others to win them to Christ.

In John 1:41, 42 we find an excellent scriptural example of leading a soul to Christ. Andrew had come to know the Lord.  The Scripture says, “He first findeth his own brother Simon… “ (v. 41).  That is, he went out deliberately to find his brother and witness to him about his coming to know the Lord Jesus. He did this by speaking to Simon, by witnessing to him – “…And saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

First – He found his brother.

Second – He spoke a witness to him.

Third – “And he brought him to Jesus…” (v. 42).

This should be the result of our witnessing: That we bring others to know the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is what we call “soulwinning.” It means that we give ourselves to be used to witness so that someone else accepts the Lord Jesus Christ.

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD WIN SOULS

1.  The Bible commands us to be witnesses.

I Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

2.  The Lord Jesus called His disciples to be  “fishers of men.”

Mark 1:17, 18 – “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straight-way they forsook their nets, and followed him.”

3.  The example of the early church was one that was on fire winning souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 5:42 – “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

4.  The Apostle Paul set us an example.

Acts 20:20, 21 – “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly 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.”

5. The soulwinner is wise.

Proverbs 11:30 – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

a.  Wise because the soulwinner is laboring with the world’s most priceless possession, the soul of a man (Mark 8:36, 37).
b.  Wise because the only real peace in this world comes through Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28).
c.  Wise because the soulwinner gains eternal reward (John 4:36).

6.  The soulwinner glorifies God.

John 15:8 – “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall you be my disciples.”

7.  The soulwinner delivers souls from an eternal Hell.

Ezekiel 3:17, 18 – “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked. Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

8.  The soulwinner has confidence at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Ezekiel 33:8 – “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS IN SOULWINNING

1.  Personal knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior (John 1:12)

2.  Assurance of salvation

I John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

3.  Purity of life

II Timothy 2:21 – “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

4.  Yieldedness of life

Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren  by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

5.  Burden for lost souls

Matthew 9:36 – “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

6.  A prayer burden for the unsaved – Paul had such a prayer burden.

Romans 10:1 – “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

7.  A practical knowledge of the Bible

As a person develops in soulwinning, he needs to learn more and more in the Word of God. But you do not need to have a great knowledge of the Bible to start out in soulwinning work.  In John 9 the blind man had just been healed when he was called upon to give his witness to the unsaved Jewish leaders.  His witness was simple, but it was a wonderful testimony.  He said, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (v. 25).

He told them what he knew; he gave them a witness without knowledge of the Bible.  You can start winning souls if you will just use John 3:16 and tell others what Jesus Christ has done for you. Then to continue winning souls, you need to grow in the Lord and in a knowledge of His Word.

8.  Boldness without being ashamed

This man in John 9 was bold for the Lord and gave forth a clear-cut witness.

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.”

HOW TO LEAD A SOUL TO CHRIST

1.  Show him or her the fact of sin.

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The first truth that one must see in order to be saved is that he is a sinner.  If a person does not see that he has sinned against God, he will not realize he needs a Saviour. Joe Henry Hankins said, “You must get a person lost before you can get him saved.”

2.  Show him or her the penalty for sin.

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The second truth the unsaved must see is that there is a penalty for his or her sin.  This penalty is death – not just physical death, but also spiritual death.

3.  Show him or her that Christ paid the penalty for his or her sin.

I Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also hat once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

4.  Show him or her that salvation comes by receiving Christ.

John 1:12 – “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.”  The word “power” in John 1:12 means “right” or “authority.”  Those who receive Christ have the right or authority to be called the sons of God. To receive Christ is to believe on Him.

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

1. Read good books on soulwinning.
2. Become active in your church visitation program.
3. Go soulwinning with someone who is experienced so that you can get some good training.
4. Watch for opportunities to witness.  You will be amazed at how many there are.
5. Take every opportunity God gives you to present a bold witness for Christ.

    Growing in Grace – Lesson 6 Print out here

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• Guilty, Yet Free
• Assurance Of An Eternal Heaven
• The Burning Man
• True Independence
• What Can I Expect Now That I Am A Christian?
• How To Be Saved – Step by Step Instructions

©2012  Mark Davis

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