Evangelism - Introducing Men to Christ

[00:00:00] You will turn in this matter of soul winning. We've dealt with the matter of evangelism in general, the scriptural basis for evangelism, and the scope of evangelism and the essential constituents in evangelism and so on. Then we have been speaking about soul winning. [00:00:25] So if you will turn to Matthew, chapter 28 and verse 19 and 20, you will see this great commission of the Lord Jesus to the church. Of course, it was given originally to the eleven disciples, but it is the great commission to the whole church, of which you and I, if we are born of God, are members. [00:00:59] Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Go ye and make disciples of all nations. We are not merely to lead people to Christ. We are to make disciples. [00:01:37] And this is very interesting, because in one sense, the only person who can make a disciple is God. [00:01:44] And yet he tells us that we are to go and make disciples, which means that in some inseparable and mysterious way, God's making disciples is linked with our going. [00:01:59] Acts, chapter one, verse eight. [00:02:07] Acts, chapter one, verse eight. [00:02:15] But ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you. And ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. [00:02:33] Ye shall be witnesses unto me, or my witnesses as witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Here again is the Lord's great promise to us all, that when the Holy Spirit is come, we shall be constituted witnesses. Now every single one of us is a witness. [00:03:01] It's not left to apostles or prophets or pastors or teachers or evangelists to be witnesses. Every single member of Christ is a witness. And when the Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 in the upper room, they all became witnesses unto Christ. [00:03:19] And this is exactly what we are meant to be witnesses unto him. And we dont have to make heavy weather of witnessing. Witnessing is a very simple thing. If youve seen someone doing some washing, you have witnessed them doing Washington. You don't have to make heavy weather about telling someone else what you witnessed. All you have to do is tell them what you saw. It's as simple as that. Some people get very archaic and complicated in their witnessing. They feel they've got to use very sort of heavy puritan doctrinal theology and phraseology before they can get anywhere. But in actual fact all it means is that you are witnesses to what Christ has done at Calvary and what he has done in your own life. Just a witness. And you can tell others in the simplest colloquial language just what the Lord Jesus means. Witnesses gossiping the gospel. And then John chapter 15. [00:04:23] John chapter 15 verse 16. [00:04:28] Ye did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. [00:04:38] Here again is the promise and command of the Lord Jesus. His purpose that we should go and bear fruit. Go and bear fruit. It's very interesting because the Lord has just been talking about abiding and when he talks about abiding he tells us to go and bear fruit. This is very interesting for there are people who like to stress abiding as if it means that you don't go, but real abiding means that you go and bear fruit. And then if you will turn to proverbs chapter eleven and verse 30, we find the actual phrase which has been used I think first by moody verse 30 of chapter eleven of proverbs. [00:05:32] He that winneth souls is wise. [00:05:37] He that winneth souls is wise. And if you go to Daniel chapter twelve and verse three, you read it in a slightly different way. They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. [00:06:03] Well its a wonderful promise to those who turn people to the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:06:09] And then Matthew chapter four, verse 19 is the Lords great promise to Peter, and his promise really to every single one who would follow him. [00:06:22] He saith unto them, come ye after me and I will make you fishers of men. I will make you fishers of men. John chapter one. [00:06:38] John chapter one verse 40. Here is Ander, the first fish he ever caught. [00:06:50] One of the two that heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon. [00:07:01] It's often difficult to find our own brother. He first findeth his own brother and saith unto him, we have found the messiah which is being interpreted to Christ. He brought him unto Jesus. [00:07:17] Here then is the three words we've underlined in so winning. He findeth, he saith, he bringeth him unto Jesus. Over the page to chapter to same chapter, verse 45 Philip findeth Nathaniel and saith unto him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote, jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaniel said, unto him, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see, it's the same again. [00:07:56] He findeth, he saith, he bringeth him unto Jesus. And then you will remember we had the story of the woman of Samaria and how she also was brought, and how first of all she found. She went back into the city and found the people. Then she said, she saith to them, come see this man who told me all things that ever I did. Could this not be the Christ? And then later it says with her they were coming out of the city to meet him. She findeth the people. She saith to the people. She bringeth the people to Christ. These are the three simple ingredients in soul winning. First, you find the people. Secondly, you speak to them. And thirdly, you bring them to Jesus. Now, we have dealt with the first two. We have dealt with finding the people. We've said quite a lot about finding the people and there are quite a few of you who weren't there that night. Well, I suggest you listen to the tape because it would be too much to go over at all. But we've said quite a bit about how to find the people. You don't wait for the people to come to you. You go and find the people. You find your own brother, you find your own sister, you find your family, you find your colleagues, you find your neighbors, you go out and find the people. We've got to find the people first. There are always ways and means of reaching people. That's the first thing. And the second thing is we say something to them. We don't speak about ourselves. We don't speak about a thing we say. As Andrew and Philip said, we have found him. That's all. It's as simple as that. It's a simple testimony to the fact that we have found Christ. [00:09:56] We found the messiah. We found him of whom the prophets, Moses and the prophets spoke. [00:10:03] So now we've said quite a lot about speaking, about being careful, slick salesmanship, or becoming biblical parrots or automatic tract machines, or all these other things that are so common amongst God's people. [00:10:20] We don't want to be anything like that. A few simple, homely, genuine words spoken about Christ are worth many sermons because they are so sincere and so genuine. And it's not slick salesmanship that is needed. [00:10:43] Sometimes people are a little wary when someone's a bit too, has too great a facility of speech in these things. But it's just those few words that are real and from the heart that often arrest and touch a person. Well, we've said quite a lot about that. Now, this evening, I want to take the last thing, which is he bringeth him to Jesus. [00:11:15] We have dealt with these three things in soul winning. How to bring a soul the way to win souls to Christ. The third thing is bringing him or her to Jesus. Having found the people and testified to them, we introduce them to Christ. [00:11:42] Now, this is absolutely vital. [00:11:45] We must ask the Lord to be doing an ever deeper work in us, in you, yourself, in myself, so that we have a living present day experience of the Lord Jesus. [00:12:04] And we are in a position where we are able to introduce someone to Christ. [00:12:10] This is the whole point. [00:12:14] It's just this that is so vital to find people and to speak to them. Some words about Christ is wonderful and it's right. But if we leave it there and cannot actually introduce them to the living risen Christ, we have failed all our sacrifice, all at the cost involved is to no avail. [00:12:43] We've found the people, we've said some words, but then we are unable to actually link them up with the risen Christ. [00:12:55] I know, of course, that many of us find it hard to find the people, although there are enough people around. But we find it hard to find the people, and we find it hard to speak a few words in simple testimony. But you know, the Lord is not content with even you and I finding the people and speaking a few words of testimony. He is concerned that the objective of finding the people and the objective of our few words of testimony should be realized, which is not to introduce them to a church, not to introduce them to some religious experience, not to introduce them to some religious or even scriptural teaching, to truth as such, but to introduce them to the risen, living, present Christ. [00:13:52] And this is where so often there is failure. [00:13:57] If only you and I could take a person that we've found and spoken to, given our testimony to witness to, and were able actually to introduce them to the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:14:11] Now, this is what we are talking about this evening. It is so important to recognize that you are bringing a soul to Christ. [00:14:24] I know this should not need to be emphasized, but I feel it must be. For sometimes when I've read some of the books about soul winning, it seems the Lord Jesus is rather in the background and the method is very much to the fore. [00:14:41] We must never forget, never forget that the Lord Jesus Christ alone can convict a person. It is his spirit that convicts a person of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He alone can draw them. I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto myself. He alone can draw men to himself, and he alone can save apart from me. The Lord Jesus said, ye can do nothing, nothing that is nothing of eternal value. [00:15:21] A lot of us can do a lot. [00:15:24] In actual fact, there's a tremendous amount of christian activity in the world. But from heaven's standpoint, it is nothing. [00:15:35] It is done apart from Christ. The energy may be there, the zeal may be there, the activity, the work may be there, the methods may be there. [00:15:47] But if it's done apart from Christ, not in union with him, then it is nothing in his sight, in God's sight, apart from me can do nothing. So it is very important to recognize that we are bringing a soul to Christ. [00:16:05] That means I see that in myself. [00:16:11] I can talk and talk and talk and talk. But unless the Lord Jesus does something, it's all to know. Avail I recognize that my reading a few scriptures to them and even getting on my knees and praying with a soul will not in itself do anything. The whole point is I am bringing that soul into touch with the living Christ who is able to convict the to draw them and to save them. Now, if only every single one of us had this spirit of expectancy, if only every one of us had this simple approach to soul winning. I am an introducer to the Lord Jesus. I know that's not a good, you can't use that word, but I coined it. [00:17:07] You are an introducer to the Lord Jesus. You are simply introducing people to Christ. [00:17:15] He'll do the work, praise God. [00:17:18] His is the finished work. He'll convict, he will draw, he will save. The great thing is for you to be an open, cleansed channel so that you can be the one who links the risen Christ with a needy, sinful soul. Now, if you could see it like that, a lot of your feelings about your powerlessness and your inner would go, the people who are the most powerful in God are not conscious of power. Some people feel that they've got to sort of almost be trembling with power before anything can happen. [00:17:58] This is not true. It is not true. And that kind of power can sometimes be a soulish psychic counterfeit. [00:18:10] Because if you read Moody's life story, although he knew what it was to be empowered of the Holy Spirit, there were times when he felt so weak that he felt he could hardly stand to preach. [00:18:23] And Wesley used to cry out before he preached, I am as dead as a dead man. [00:18:31] I hardly know how it is that God reaches people through. [00:18:36] It was always an astonishment. If you read Wesley's journal that people were so deeply moved by what he said because he felt so dead about what he was saying. Apart from the fact that he preached the same thing again and again and again in various places. [00:18:58] The point was, the power of God was there. Sometimes we feel it, sometimes we don't feel it. What I'm trying to get at is the Lord never lets the channel feel big, the channel feel capable, the channel feel, now I've got it. Now I've got it. [00:19:20] I can save people, I can convert people, I can do it. Never. [00:19:27] The more we go on with the Lord, the more he will. You understand? If I use this word, depress us, the more he will break us, the more he will make us weak, make us dependent so that his mighty power might tabernacle upon us. And that is the secret. For when we are weak, then we are strong. And when we are most weak, then the power of God is at its greatest strength. It's as simple as that. [00:20:03] So you see, the secret of counseling is not to think, have I got an encyclopedia up here? Have I got it all up here? Am I powerful? [00:20:16] Am I capable? Not at all. You never will be capable. You will never be powerful. And if you've got a lot of knowledge, there's a danger it will puff you up anyway. The great thing is to know that the Lord Jesus is the power of God. And he can take a poor sinful soul. And when you are feeling weak and unable, through you, he can take that person and save him. It's as simple as that. So it is very important to see that we are bringing souls to Christmas. [00:20:52] And if we get this idea that we have got to be big people and mighty people in ourselves, we are traveling along the wrong road as far as service goes. We shall end up with something counterfeit altogether. [00:21:11] We have got to recognize that God in certainly needs us to experience the Holy Spirit, and certainly he wants us to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in service. But that power is at a price. [00:21:30] And if it is going to be the real and genuine power of God, the price on the other side is that the vessel must be broken, the vessel must be made weak, for we are bringing souls to Christ. Now, you know, I can quite believe that if we saw Andou, we would have said to him, well, andou, how do you, how are you feeling? Andou, when he was on his way to see Peter and he would have said, oh, I don't feel very much actually. Where are you going? I'm going to find my brother. Really? Why would you want to. Well, I found the Christian. I found the grace. Oh, he would have said, andrew, what are you, a big man now? No, not at all. I'm nothing at all. But I'm going to bring Peter and I'm going to introduce him to Christ. [00:22:24] You don't think afterwards, Andrew sort of said to everyone, of course, you know, I was the one who converted the great apostle Peter. [00:22:39] Never. [00:22:40] He was just a weak, ordinary man, but he'd got the secret of soul winning, that all he had to do was to go find the person in the name of Christ, speak to the person in the name of Christ and introduce the person to Christ. That's all. [00:22:58] It's so very simple. [00:23:00] So it is very important just to see that point. And then another just as important point is that it is by the word of God in these days that Christ reveals himself. When he was here on earth, he was there physically. Now he uses his word to reveal himself to a needy, sinful man or woman. It is through his word. Now, this is very important that you and I should understand. Should we turn to God's word? Let us turn first to two Timothy, chapter three and verse 15. [00:23:47] Do you think we could have that door open? [00:23:52] Two Timothy, chapter three, verse 15. [00:23:56] This is Paul's speech. And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. It is the word of God which makes us wise unto salvation. Now, do get that into your heads, or at least ask the Holy Spirit to get it into your heads this evening. It is the word of God which makes us wise under salvation. [00:24:27] The only way a man or a woman can be made aware more than that can be made wise. Isn't that a beautiful word? Because it doesn't mean knowledgeable. [00:24:41] The sacred writings are able to make the knowledgeable unto salvation. No, that's not the word. Wisdom is more than knowledge. It means not only that you know about salvation, but you know how to get to salvation. You know how inexperience to apply what you know make you wise unto salvation, you might actually experience it. Turn to psalm 119. [00:25:11] Psalm 119. [00:25:16] Now, the authorized version of psalm 119, verse 130, reads like, the entrance of thy word giveth light. [00:25:30] The entrance of thy word. How many times we quote this in prayer? The entrance of thy word giveth light. It is when the word of God gets an entrance, entrance into a person's mind and heart that light comes. The entrance of thy word gives light. But the revised standard version has put it like this. And here is another side to its meaning. The unfolding of thy words, of thy words gives light. The unfolding of thy words gives that. It's when you. When you speak the word of God, when you explain the word of God, that light comes into a sinful, darkened mind, alienated from God. Then again, if you will, turn to Hebrews chapter four, Hebrews chapter four, verse twelve and 13. [00:26:40] For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight. But all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Oh, if only you and I could understand what God's word can do with a person that's a seeker. Instead of babbling our own words, we were only to take hold of God's word. And God's word can be, even when we are unconscious of it, can be like a two edged sword that goes right through to the heart of the matter. And suddenly that person says, I feel as if you know all about me. [00:27:33] How many times we've heard that after a message given, someone said, it's just as if everything. As if you knew all about me, but you couldn't, uncle. I've never been here before. It's only because the word of God. I once knew a lady, very worldly lady indeed. [00:27:52] Quite a big name in racing and so on. And she was in great trouble. And she went along to the big evangelistic services at Duke street and heard Mister Redpath preaching. And then we had the most terrible time. Special prayer meetings and everything. For she threatened to sue him for defaming her from the pulpit. Defaming her character from the pulpit. She swore that someone had told him him about her and that he had, from the pulpit, sort of really laid open her in her life. He'd been preaching from the woman of Samaria. And unfortunately it hit home a number of things. And just giving an illustration what wasn't in God's word. He gave a number of illustrations which absolutely hit the nail on the head. One after another, blow after blowing, until the poor lady was driven to feel that she would have to sue him for defaming her character. Here it is in the word of God, and there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight. But all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do God's word searches out the thoughts and the intents of a person's heart. You can only see the face. You don't know what else there is behind that face and in that heart and mind and history. But God's word gets right inside, and it acts like a sword. It goes right through. Oh, that you and I would use the word of God. It's so powerful. And then one Peter. One Peter, chapter one, verse 23. [00:29:39] One Peter 123. Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory thereof is the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, the flower falleth. But the word of the Lord abideth forever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you. Begotten again by the word of God. How is a person born again? [00:30:11] By you talking? No. By me talking? No. [00:30:16] By us all praying? No. The actual instrument by which a person is born of God is by the spirit of God taking the word of God and using it in the heart. That's how a person is born of God. Now, if you turn back to Romans, chapter ten, Romans 1017, we read this. So faith cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. How can a person have faith, which is the gift of God? They have it when their ears are unstopped to the word of Christ. [00:30:56] Now, I have said that it is by the word of God that Christ reveals himself today so often due to unconscious disbelief. Listen carefully to what I say now to unconscious disbelief or ignorance on our part. We hinder the Lord himself from working by talking and talking and talking and talking our own words. [00:31:27] You know, many of us feel if I start quoting God's word, they will laugh at me. Well, let them. [00:31:36] There is no other way a man can be saved. [00:31:40] You can talk and talk and talk and talk, but it is not the word of God. Nothing will happen. For God's word is the agent by which he saves a man or a woman. It may be put into modern language, but it is still God's word, which is the agent. And it is God's word that gets into the heart and searches the heart and exposes the heart and does surgical, spiritual surgery in the heart. It's by the word of God that faith is given begotten. It is by the word of God that we are born again. It is by the word of God that we're made wise under self. [00:32:20] You see, it is the word of God that we need how often I've had a young person or an older person, I think of one, I'm not going to mention his name, known to many of you, and you suddenly feel fearful about quoting God's word. [00:32:35] You feel all the man, so intelligent, he's so clever, it seems so trite to quote God's word. It seems so simple minded. He needs something more, he needs something bigger, he needs it put in more philosophical language. And, you know, you get some youngster in. In jeans and they've got a sneer on their face and they come up, they are going to argue with you and you, you go back on the defensive and you start to talk and talk and talk and talk. Nothing ever happens from it. It's just hot air on the whole, is just discussion. Nothing else comes. If it's not the word of God, it is the word of God, which is the thing that works. Sometimes we feel we shouldn't be too bold, go gently. We think, let's talk and talk, talk about all kinds of things, talk about the person's need, talk about their life, talk about it. And then at the very end, we'll say something about the word of God, will quote the word of God in sort of our own language. Nothing ever happens. [00:33:45] Nothing ever happens. A person's not convicted, they may be kept, they may come again and they may find the Lord. But it's always the word of God in the end that grips them and convicts them and brings them to Christ. So you see, sometimes, due to our disbelief, we don't use God's word. Sometimes, due to our ignorance, we don't use God's word. We haven't seen that it is the word of God which is the agent by which the Lord Jesus reveals himself. If you're going to introduce a man to Christ, a woman to Christ, it's going to be through the word of God that the living, risen Christ comes to them. They meet with him and he with them. It follows, therefore, that it is essential to have a real knowledge of God's word. What we must be are channels for the word of God. Is that clear? All we've got to be is channels for the word of God, that Christ may speak through us. Christ may work through us by his word. Now, this means that we've got to have a knowledge of the word of God. We must not only read God's word and study God's word, we must memorize God's word. [00:35:09] Now, I wonder whether this is going to sink in because this means some hard work on the part of all of us. It's no good just having a kind of knowledge. I mean, supposing, just supposing someone comes to you and their problem is witnessing, witnessing, and you know, you know in your heart, oh, dear, they can't be saved unless they witness. But where is it? Oh, dear, where is it? It's no good you going to a concordance and fishing out a great concordance while your fish waits, and sort of going all through a concordance to find out where is that word? If we believe in the heart and confess with the mouth, you've got to know where it is. You've got to be able to turn almost immediately to romans, chapter ten and be able to put your finger upon the verse and say, look, here is the word. You've got to get through on this. God will give you grace. You've got to believe in your heart and confess with the mouth, and the Lord Jesus Christ will save you. Now, this is so important. [00:36:14] Not only you must read God's word, not only must you study God's word, but you must memorize God's word. Now, one way you can memorize God's word if you've got the kind of memory which some people are blessed with is just by reading and reading and reading and reading. Sometimes it goes in, but other people, they've got to learn it in a dogged way until it's burnt into them. [00:36:39] But you've got to do it. [00:36:41] Now, in this connection, there are a number of aids that I can tell you about. [00:36:48] There is this little old fashioned book called Vest Pocket Companion for Christian Workers. [00:36:56] It is Reuben Torres monumental work that came out of his experience. And Torrey, as I think most of you know, was one of the greatest soul winners of this, and he was a man of brilliant intellect. Once he came to Christ and Christ broke him as he did, he became a man of tremendous power in and by the Holy Spirit. Now, out of his experience of using God's word with men and women, he compiled this little book, this pocket companion for christian workers. It is a compilation of scriptures for various cases of need, beginning, as I think most of you know, the best texts for the careless and indifferent and all who do not feel deeply their need of Christ, going on to the best text for those who wish to know how to be saved, going on to the best texts for those who have difficulties. And then he goes through all the difficulties, two pages of difficulties, such things as, I am too great a sinner, my heart is too hard, I must become better before I become a Christian, I'm afraid I can't hold out. [00:38:05] I am so weak. I've tried before and failed. I cannot give up my evil ways. I will be persecuted if I become a Christian. All these things. You see, this came out of the man's experience. He immersed himself, as Brother Bak Singh has done, in the word of God. And he used it. And he was begged by some of his colleagues and pupils. If he would put it into black and white. And so this little book came into being how he used it. Now, this is incomparable. [00:38:38] You will not be able to get a little book like this anywhere of this kind or nature. It is incomparable because it is not theoretical. It has come out of a lifetime of a greatly used ministry in soul winning. Now, I've got some words of caution to say about it in a moment, but it is incomparable. [00:39:04] There is also a topical memory system that will cost you 15 shillings. It's a course over quite a number of months put out by the navigators. Billy Graham uses the navigators very much in his counseling work. And if you want to pay the 15 shillings, you will enter this course and you're given. It's a definite course of memorizing scripture. Now, some people it has helped, other people it hasn't helped. You will have to know whether it can help you. Another way is to get one of these little tiny things. I think it's a fearful title, personal Bible. I think it's dreadful because it's only just a few scriptures. But it is a few scriptures inside of various kinds to help in various cases of need. Now, if you're in a train or a bath. And so this is the way to memorize. You just take hold of one and memorize it. And then you just keep it in your pocket. And every time again, you try and say it to yourself in your mind. And then see if you're right. That's a way of memorizing. You've just got to do it all through the day. You've got to keep at it doggedly till gradually you've learned. When I had to learn Chinese. [00:40:15] Not that it has anything to do with this, but when I had learned Chinese. You know, there are 40, over 40,000 characters in Chinese alone. But there have to be 1500 basic characters. And the only way you could learn them was on a slate which you wrote them down. Usually you could learn about 30 a day, of which, or 40 of which you had lost two thirds the next morning. Then you had to start all over again writing them down and so on. And gradually pains, mistakenly, you learn those characters, and this is the only way, remember, you've got to do it, write it out or keep on looking at it, keep on as it were going up. But if you, if there's a will, there's a way, and you'll do it. And you haven't got to learn so many scriptures, although you don't want to be like the Jehovah's Witnesses. Now, the Jehovah's Witnesses have got one thing they can teach us, and that is that every single adult Jehovah's Witness, so called Jehovah's Witness, I mean, it has memorized certain portions of scripture. They have to do it. And that's why when they come to your door, they spout scripture. But you can catch them out by asking them about such and such a passage in Amos. They will look at you blankly. They've never probably even read Amos, you see, they've learned, they've had to learn something, passages, and these passages they use and use and use. [00:41:42] But there's no doubt that if you and I are going to be used in counseling work, then we have got to get God's word into our memories. [00:41:52] And this is one very small way. I would not think of it so seriously, but it can help some. The navigator's topical memory system is another, but this, I think is the best of all. And if you would take this as a little textbook for memorizing scripture, and you were to really not necessarily learn all but certain things for certain great cases of need, you were to memorize these scriptures. This will be of inestimable value to you in pointing souls to Christ especially, I think, in this matter, in this little book. It is very good. The difficulties scriptures for difficult cases. They are absolutely first class. And I don't know whether there's anywhere that scriptures have been so brought together as you go on, those who entertain false hopes, hopes of being saved by righteous lights, hopes that God is too good to damn anyone, hope of being saved by trying to be a Christian, all these things and then so on. But this book is not to be used ostentatiously. [00:43:03] I don't think it harms to actually use it when counseling, so long as it's not done ostentatiously, because it is the word of God. And many people you are dealing with, they won't know whether that's not even, and maybe a New Testament for all they know. Some of them remember, many young people today have hardly ever read about them. Absolutely true. What I say, we know from our work after Sunday evenings. So in that sense you're safe. But it's no good being ostentatious. I mean, sort of, you have a difficult case in front of you, and you sort of look through like this and say, ah, yes, skeptics who are triflers. That's right. [00:43:44] And then sort of start to read scripture after scripture. This undoubtedly will not win anyone for the law. That's not the way to do it. You can use this kind of book in an ostentatious way, which makes it seem to be a kind of salesmanship, a kind of christian salesmanship. This is your little book of words, as it were. Be careful of that. On the other hand, I would not be fearful about using it now and again where a scripture has missed you or a case of real difficulty, so long as you do it genuinely and not too ostentatiously. Another thing I would like to say is that in connection with this little vest pocket companion, Moody Torrey wrote a book entitled how to bring men to Christ. Now, this little book was actually written in conjunction with this. And here are chapters that are that explain how to use these verses. How to deal with indifferent or careless people, dealing with those who are anxious to be saved, but do not know how, dealing with those who are anxious to be saved know how, but who have difficulties dealing with those who entertain false hopes, dealing with those who lack assurance. Dealing with professed skeptics and infidels and so on. This book is only two and six. And if you'll only get it down at the christian bookshop and read it in conjunction with that, I think it will help you very much indeed. [00:45:23] Do not be afraid of using God's word for what it is, the living word of God. Don't apologize for using God's word. Don't be afraid of using. For instance, if you do have to use this book, don't sort of feel all terrible about it. It's God's word. It's more important that a person gets God's word than just listen to you talking. [00:45:51] First. If you can just give God's word, that will help so very, very greatly indeed. Now, there are three basic things an enquirer or seeker needs to know. If you can just memorize these three things, it will help you. If ever you're pointing a soul to Christ. Remember, there are only three things they need to know. They need to know the need of a savior, the work of the savior, and how to receive the savior. These are the three things a seeker and choir needs to know the need of the savior, the work of the savior, and the how to receive the savior. Now, this means we've got to have scriptures that put in a nutshell this well. Now let's take one little series. Supposing we've got a person who's in need. Then we want to show them the need of a savior. We turn to Romans 323, for there is no distinction. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is their need of a savior. You read it to them. You see? Look. You say Romans 323. There is no difference. No distinction. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Then we can explain it to them. I have sinned. You have sinned. We've all sinned. We've fallen short of the glory of God. There's no distinction between us at all. No difference between us. Some of us may be great sinners, some may be little sinners, but we're all sinners. [00:47:31] Then you go on to the second. I should say to two corinthians 521. You turn them to two corinthians 521 and we read this. Him that is Christ, who knew no sin, God made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God. Here is the work of the savior. You explained to them their need of a savior. They're sinners. We've all sinned. Now you tell them they're the work of the savior. Look. Him, the Lord Jesus, who was without sin, who knew no sin, God made to be our sin. [00:48:10] You explain how what? That we might become the righteousness of God. What is the work of Christ? The work of Christ is taking our sin upon himself and giving us his righteousness. [00:48:26] The work of the Lord Jesus is exchanging his righteousness for our sins. Isn't it simple? But you can explain it from God's word. You can explain it when you're on your leaves. The two of you reading the word of God together. Here's the seeker. The third thing. How to receive. Then I should turn them to one John one nine. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then I would urge that seeker. Confess. You see what it says? Confess your sin. If you see what your sin is, confess your sin, and the Lord Jesus Christ will forgive you your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Or take another sin. Go back again. Need of a savior. Work of a savior. How to receive the savior well, then we might go back, we might say Romans 623, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of sin is death. We explain. Here's their need of a saviour. [00:49:38] They must be absolutely clear as to their need of the saviour. Then turn them on to John, chapter one, verse 29. Behold the lamb of God, who beareth away the sin of the world. [00:49:54] And explain that the sin which is earning the wages of death, the Lord Jesus has borne away for them on the cross, and then turn them over to John 112. But as many as a seed, him to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them who believe on his name. Now there are so many other series, so you can go home tonight and can think out a whole series of these scriptures revealing the need of the savior, work of the savior, how to receive the savior. [00:50:34] Oh, there are so many, but they're so simple. And this is what a person must know. [00:50:43] It is often good to get on your knees, as I think I've just mentioned together, to talk about God's word and read God's word and pray. [00:50:56] It's only a small thing, but if a person's in earnest, they will get on it. If they just want to talk, they won't. But if they're in real earnest, they really want to find God. They're quite prepared often to kneel down with you. And then on your knees you can start to talk quietly just about these things. Now do you realize you're in need of a savior? [00:51:18] Well, I think I do. Then you turn to the scripture and you read it together. [00:51:24] Do you realize what the Lord Jesus has done with your sins? [00:51:28] No, I don't think I do. Then you turn and you see you're already in an atmosphere of prayer. [00:51:36] And then now do you realize what you must do? [00:51:43] And they might say, no, what must I do? [00:51:48] Then you turn them to the other scripture, you see? And then when you talked a little and you're quite sure that the person is clear, then you can pray together. Now this is the only way to point a person to Christ. [00:52:04] See that God's word sinks in. Now listen to this very carefully. See that God's word sinks in, for it is by the word of God that light comes. It's by the word of God that faith comes. It's by the word of God that a man is begotten again. See that God's word. [00:52:26] It doesn't matter about your talk, your explanation, that can be forgotten. But if only the word of God will get into that heart, something will happen. Now, one way of seeing that the word of God gets in is to make the seeker read it. [00:52:41] When you've got psalm one together, say to them, look, will you read it? There it is. You read it. [00:52:47] And they read very quietly, wages of sin is death. [00:52:56] Right? [00:52:57] Then what I would do is ask them about it. What does that mean? What do you think that means? The wages of sin is death. [00:53:07] Well, I don't know. [00:53:10] I suppose it means that if you sin, you get something. Yes, you say, and you can explain. You'll see. If you're sensitive and quick, you'll note after a while, enlightenment coming in the person's face. You can tell when the person's really being, really God's working in them, or whether it's just a talk. [00:53:35] And then you go on, you see, and you can take for instance, another scripture, one john one nine. Let's illustrate it this way. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just. Now we get the person to read that, and then we say to them, what does it say? [00:53:53] Oh, it says, if we confess, what must we do? [00:53:57] Confess? [00:53:59] Yes. Have you confessed? [00:54:02] Well, no, I haven't. I don't think so, really. Or I went to the priest once and confessed, but I've stopped doing that for years. [00:54:11] Well, you haven't confessed your sins. No. [00:54:16] But you do know you're a sinner. Yes. Read on then. If we confess our sin, he is faithful. Just who is faithful and just? Oh, I suppose God. Yes, that's right. God is what? [00:54:29] Faithful and just. What to do? What? What is he being faithful and just? Well, to forgive us our sins. Yes. You see, God will forgive you your sins if you will confess your sin now in this simple way. It may sound very, very simple, but this is the only way. The word of God sometimes gets into a heart. They're thinking about the word of God. They're actually breaking it up for themselves. And as they do so, the spirit of God works on his word in a person's heart and life. [00:55:04] Now this is quite important. You take John 112. [00:55:08] But as many as received him, I might say to the person, now, what does it say? How can you become a child of God? Oh, he says, believing. No, no, no. [00:55:19] What does it say? [00:55:21] Read it again. But as many as receive him. Yes, what does it say? Receive. Oh, yes, receive. What do you do when you receive? I say to him, well, I suppose, I suppose I received. Yes, of course, that's right, you receive. Now, have you received the Lord Jesus? No, I haven't. Not like that. Well, now, it says, if you receive the Lord Jesus, you become a child of God. [00:55:48] Now, you see, this may sound very, very simple, but some people in this room, I know from my own experience. So the wickedness of my own heart in this matter are more trust, more in their own words of persuasion than their own babbling than the word of God. And that's why people can talk and talk and talk and talk. You can corner people, you can hammer people, you can do all kinds of things, but nothing will ever happen. [00:56:18] Discuss and discuss and discuss. But it's only when the word of God. I'm now talking, of course, about serious inquirers. I'm not talking about people who are just wanting to chatter and talk. That's the place that may be. I'm talking about serious inquiry. It's the word of God that matters. It's often good to use a scripture portion which the seeker or inquirer can take away with him or her. For instance. There is these two, I think, of the scripture gifts, the way of salvation, which is just simply scriptures. You know, just a little way through the creation of the world, the creation of man, the entrance of sin, and then later on, it's all just scriptures. Man's guiltiness before God, God's love to man. That's one. Personally, I think this is much better. The witness of God. It's a little one that begins, how did God first manifest himself? How has God made himself known to men? What is the character of God? What does God require of man? Can man unchange, know God? What separates men from God? It's just God's word. Now, you won't obviously read all of that, but what you can do is you can take that a pen while you're praying together, talking together, and you can take one of two. You see, sin. We can say, we take something like this, or we can take, say, shall we say one like this. [00:57:43] All unrighteousness is sin. [00:57:46] Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Now, we can underline something like that. It's not a very good example, actually, but we can underline those two things. And we can question the person over that. They've got. They're going to take it away and they're going to have all the rest to look at and read, but they've got to underline the scriptures that you have actually selected and talked about together. Do you understand? In pointing that soul to Christ, then they have that to take away and they've got the word of God, the witness of God, which literally goes right through, in a very simple way, the gospel, right through to being saved and to worshiping and serving God and so on. That's one thing others prefer to use what Billy Graham uses, these little navigator, step one and step two. [00:58:31] These are also very good. These are actually certain things to be given to a person when they found the Lord, very simply about how first come to Christ, and then there's assurance of victory and assurance of provision, assurance of forgiveness, assurance of salvation, you see. And then in the back there are these little cards, and on this is a text, and the idea is that you use these and memorize them. [00:59:07] And although some people may feel it's very childish, it has been used extensively. [00:59:14] And only, the only thing they use in the Billy Graham crusades are these navigators, step one and step two, beginning with Christ, going on with Christ. Well, now, there are these things. They're scripture portions for the most part, and I think that they are certainly of great value when you're pointing a soul to Christ. Now, do be careful of using too many scriptures. [00:59:45] Better a few well digested than a whole number that just dazzle and overwhelm a person. Some people will just spout scriptures as a person who's never read the Bible at all, and quite honestly, they just don't know where they are. It's far better when you're dealing with a soul in need to take one or two scriptures and really talk about them and pray about them together, explain them unto that person. Really, he's in a position that he knows what he must do. Be very careful also of treating a seeker like a kindergarten child. It's very, very possible if you're going to ask them questions and start to treat them as if you're a very big person and they're a very small person. If you ask questions, it must be in the most humble and loving way so that the person doesn't feel for one single moment that they're being treated like a little child, but that in fact, they're only being enabled to understand what the word of God says. This is very, very important. It's easy to give offense in this way by treating full grown people, especially some of the young people in their teens who think they're much older than the older people. [01:01:05] It's very easy to give offense in this way. [01:01:09] It's often very good to use a scripture or scriptures which have meant a lot to you. This is important, too. Sometimes it's good to use a scripture which has been in your experience, which may be the one that was used to bring you to Christ, because you know it from your experience and you can handle it in a way that comes out of your own experience. I was greatly helped by that little scripture, although it's taken out of its context. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and will sup with him and he with me. Now, I can use that because it meant something to me in my early days. Not actually at my conversion, but just after. And I'm sure that there are scriptures that have meant much to you and they come out of your experience. There's a living quality in the way you use it. You're not just using it up here, but you're using it from here because it's meant something to you. [01:02:05] Do keep clear of unessentials. [01:02:08] When counseling, for example, don't, whatever you do, start talking about films or opera or drink or gambling or makeup or any other thing like that. Smoking, all those things. For goodness sake, keep off those things. Now, there are christians who say that the gospel is made far too easy for the masses. We ought to go back to thundering out what is, after all, righteousness. And you see, they got the idea that unless you sort of tell a person you to stop this, give up this and you shall give up that and so on, you're not being faithful. [01:02:55] But in fact, if you look at the way the Lord Jesus Christ deals with worldly men and women, you will never find at any time that he does that. [01:03:03] Do. Keep off unessentials when you're dealing with a person, even if they're larded with makeup and dripping with jewellery. And even if you find it most offensive, keep your eyes off it, if you can, and try somehow or other to keep to the three basic points. Keep to the three basic points. The need of the savior. The work of the savior. How to receive the saviour. Once the savior's got on the inside, he'll do all the work of cleaning up. Don't worry, he'll do it all. It's to get the savior on the inside. It's no good saying to a person, you drink, you drink. Don't you know that? It says, in God's word, wine. Strong drink is a mocker. There's no good doing that. The thing to do is to get the savior onto the inside. When the saviour's on the inside, he'll stop the drinking. If it's wrong. Is that clear? It's the same with smoking, it's the same with the films, same with opera, same with horse racing. It's the same with everything. We've got to get the Lord on the inside of a person. And when he's on the inside of a person, he will do the rest. Now, I've said that. But he does need a word of caution. If a person asks you about these things, you must answer. [01:04:36] Often a person will ask, now, what should I do about so and so or so and so or so and so or so and so? You've got to answer. You've got to be faithful. Don't try to evade. [01:04:49] There are ways of answering these things which are right and there are ways that are wrong that we won't go into this evening. But the point is, and of this, I'm convinced, the devil can get you on a sidetracked. Just at the moment a person is coming to Christ by some chance, little remark, some chance aside, and suddenly the whole thing is turned off into fruitless wrangling. [01:05:19] Now, this is a device of the evil one, and we must watch it very, very carefully. [01:05:26] We need to answer questions about anything, but come back, always come back to the basic and fundamental points. Lead people back. I've always found, in my experience, that people try to get away from sin. Always. When you're dealing with all the boys and east I remember dealing with, I first learned it. It was Paget Wilkes who helped me on this in his book the service of God, when he said, dynamic of service, when he said, keep to sin, because if you keep to sin, a man has a conscience. And if you keep to sin, his conscience will tell him you're right. And you'll find that as soon as you start on this, he'll shoot off there, bringing back. Don't. Don't just drag him back, but sort of gradually steer him back to the point again. And you shoot off there, he'll say, well, what's about all the people who've never heard of Christ? [01:06:21] Never mind. [01:06:24] God is righteous, he'll judge them. What about you? You've heard, come back. [01:06:29] And then they say something else. He'll start on, well, what happens anyway after death? [01:06:36] Well, you'll soon find that one out. What about getting ready to die? Get them back to the point. Always back to the point. You see, you need to. Fishing is an art. [01:06:48] It's an art. You've got to bring them back again and again to this point and keep them at it till at last they cry out what must I do to be saved? And in the end, it will happen. Because, you see, God has not left himself without a witness. In an unsaved man. [01:07:06] Every unsaved man has a conscience. [01:07:10] And that conscience is our ally. [01:07:15] Remember that whenever you're speaking with an unsaved person, they may be dead in sin. They may be alienated from God if their conscience isn't seared with the hot iron. And that happens. Of course, in many cases they have a conscience. And the conscience is the ally of the spirit of God. So the word of God works on the conscience of an unsaved man. So keep to the word of God and keep to the fundamental facts. And the man can't escape because in him he's got a traitor. Hallelujah. He's got a traitor inside continually really saying, the man's right, the man's right, the man's right. See, but once you suddenly say, he says, think, have I got to give up alcohol? [01:08:02] And you see, you're caught. You're caught. Don't, don't get involved. Just you say, oh, you just wait till you're saved. [01:08:11] Wait till you say, the Lord will tell you what to do when you say, the Lord will tell you what to do when you're saved. And something in the man's conscience screams. [01:08:24] Screams. Because if only you'd gone and put your fist down like that, he would have got up and said, now I can get out. [01:08:31] Gone. But when you've kept him to the essential point and he knows it, something inside of him says, yes, yes, that's right, that's right. [01:08:43] The man's not bothered about the outward things. He knows that it's the essential thing that matters. [01:08:50] He knows. And I found it again and again. Even the most obstreperous people, even if they won't come to Christ, they go out with their heads down, if you'll only keep them to the word of God. Because every man, as the Quakers used to say, every man has got a little bit of the light of God. [01:09:12] I know that can be misunderstood. But every man has got that conscience. And that conscience is the moral witness in an unsaved man or woman to the truth of God. No one's left without excuse now. I think we shall have to end there. But this is a principle in all counselling and discussion. [01:09:35] Bring back the folk continually to the three basic points we've mentioned. The need of a savior. The work of the Saviour. How to find a saviour when a seeker wants to come to christ. But is unable, and there are such cases, he's unable to come. He really wants to come, but he can't find out whether the sin there. [01:10:01] We've had two cases, I'm not going to mention their names. Where there have been people who really wanted to come to cousin have wept. Actually, men have wept because they want to come, but they couldn't. They couldn't. And we were completely stumped for a while. What is it holding these men back? [01:10:16] Until we discovered that it was a specific sin and they didn't want to mention it. [01:10:22] And until that specific sin was gone out into the open with a God, there was no release. [01:10:30] Now, you'll find that sometimes this is when it's best for men to deal with men and women, with women in the counseling, because a man's not going to tell a woman some of the secrets of his own heart and a woman's not going to tell a man always. Some of these things, you see, and they're consequently. Sometimes it's a specific sin which is binding a person and they can't move because they're conscious of it until they've got it out into the open. Other cases, I can think of one other case, another young man in the company now who couldn't find Christ. [01:11:01] He wanted to. His heart was like concrete, and the only way that it was possible is by taking two others in. And I said to him, of course, you must ask permission first. Would you mind if one or two of us prayed with you? No. Do anything, he said, do anything. So I got two others and we spent half an hour in prayer over him. We ignored him and just prayed as if he wasn't there for his salvation. Until suddenly he looked up and said, I see, I see. He was saved. [01:11:35] So you see, it's not all just slick and easy. You just sort of stay there and point. This is like a kind of maternity union. [01:11:46] There are sometimes difficult cases. People are being born at difficult cases, born of God's spirit. Some people seem to think that everyone who's born spiritually, it's just so easy and naturally. No, not at all. Sometimes there's long labor and real need of care, spiritual care over the person because there's some real difficulty in their birth, and the only way through is care and wisdom and prayer. [01:12:14] Other cases, well, it's all over in a moment. And they've come joyously into a new world full of life and full of being alive in God. Now, there are all these things. So let's just seek together that we may be enabled to really help others, make sure that the seeker has found Christ. [01:12:41] Make really sure. [01:12:43] Sometimes it's easy, Paul. Medicine always adopts that method afterwards of saying to a person, afterwards reading them a scripture, getting them to read it, and then say to them, now then, for instance, John 112, it says, but as many as received him. What have you done? [01:13:00] Have you received him? Yes. [01:13:04] Then what's happened to you? Read on. Many has received him to them and gave you the right. Has God given you the right? [01:13:11] Yes. [01:13:13] Read on. To become a child of God. Have you become a child of God? Yes, I suppose I have. Well, let's thank God, and then down on the knees, I thank the Lord together. I'm like, you're a child of God now. In this way, the word of God dawns on a person. [01:13:32] It's something in them, something in their heart. Well, I only leave it with you. It sounds sometimes rather technical to explain it all like this. And of course we have to say this, that a question of pointing a soul to Christ. They are each one as singular and as original as each person. [01:13:54] There are, in fact, no set rules. These are only guiding pointers, if you like, to the way. We can say there are three things. [01:14:04] The need of a savior, the work of the savior, and how to receive the saviour. We can say that it's the word of God, that these are principles. We can say that we've got to get them, let the word of God sink into them. But in the end, each person has to be dealt with as a person. [01:14:21] And you can't rush a person, and you can't override a person. And whatever you do, don't bludgeon a person into the kingdom of God. I have not yet seen a single case of a person bludgeoned into the kingdom of God. Who's lasted? [01:14:37] I don't know many. [01:14:39] There may be some in the Salvation army, possibly, that I don't know of. I don't know. They used to be in the old days when I read that general next to God, the way the old salvation really didn't work for God. But there are cases which have literally got to be carried to the Lord. There may be, but I haven't seen many cases here. Anyway, I haven't seen a case that was bludgeoned to the Lord that's lasted. So these are pointers, and I hope that it will have helped us a little. Should the Lord bless us so greatly that suddenly one day, many of us, if not all of us, will have our hands full with pointing people to christ. [01:15:30] Lord Jesus, we lift up our hearts today, and we do pray that thou wouldst use this little time of instruction about this matter of pointing a soul to Christ. To thee, o Lord Jesus, thou alone knowest how to bring someone to thyself. Teach us, Lord. Teach us thy way. Teach us thy approach, Lord. Give us thy spirit that we may be both humble and powerful in thee. [01:16:05] And might be those, Lord, that thou canst use to doing many to thyself. Help us to be channels for thy word. Help us to be those who are continually introducing men and women to thyself. [01:16:21] We ask it in thy name. Amen.