Amen so 2nd Corinthians 5 I wanted to preach tonight something. I've kind of been thinking about not really a necessarily
Basically this is just going to be a
sermon of soul winning pointers, you know, we're a soul winning church and
We do a lot of soul winning and we're glad for that and that's something we're going to continue to do
Lord willing the entire time this church exists and hopefully every person in this room is
Determined to become a soul winner if they're not one already or if they already are to be a faithful soul winner
all the days of their life that they're gonna serve God in that capacity and
That being said that being assumed that everyone here wants to continue soul winning and grow in their soul winning
Sometimes we need to just step back and kind of make some pointers and kind of sharpen things up and make sure that we're doing
Things right now. Let me just start out by saying that think that soul winning is a very
Important job and you know, sometimes we tend to when we start to do we're starting to do things
We're you know, we're so winning day in or not day in but week in and week out
We're doing it for a while, you know things can grow old we can grow kind of lacks a daisical potentially
I'm not saying that that's what's taking place in this church at all
But I'm just saying you know
This is kind of a preventative maintenance type of sermon and to kind of keep us on our toes is that people can
They tend to you know, maybe take it for granted they could say well soul winnings just something I do, you know
and then it turns into something we're just doing out of you know, just kind of a
You know just at a sense of duty or it's just something that we do just because that's what we do
We just go we go soul winning and we forget
Sometimes how important a job soul winning really is and if you look there
That's why I had you turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5
If you look there in verse 19, it says to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself
Not imputing their trespasses unto them and have committed unto us
the word of reconciliation
So, you know, we are the word of reconciliation
The gospel that we preach is something that Christ himself has imputed unto us
Now sometimes we get a low view of ourselves and we think well, who am I?
You know, who who am I that that the word of reconciliation be should be committed unto me
Well, that's exactly the right attitude to have who are any of us, you know that the the power is is of Christ
You know, we are not sufficient for these things, but our sufficiency is of Christ
So that is exactly the kind of attitude we kind of have
You know, we really are in the big scheme of things just normal ordinary people
But you know, that's exactly the type of people that God uses because note that so that no flesh would glory in his presence
You know God's not gonna God
You know, is it possible we could go out and find some of these just great speakers and just great presenters and just
natural people who are you know, great salesmen and very and people, you know,
you know, there's somebody who's a people person type of you know, type of individual and
You know get somebody who's very polished. Yeah, I could but then that person would receive all the glory
They'd say oh wow
I mean look at they they are able to just speak so eloquently and so so
Wonderfully and they're able to just sway people's and you know in their in their hearts
But by the manner of their speaking, but you know that would then it wouldn't be of Christ, you know
God uses simple ordinary people like me and you to preach a
You know wonderful powerful message that is in the gospel
He says there that we that that the word of reconciliation was committed unto us now look at verse 20 now
Then we are ambassadors for Christ, you know ambassador. That's a very
Important job, you know, that's not something that you take lightly
You know when they send an emissary or an ambassador from the United States to a foreign country
You know, at least I don't know who it is
Now it might be some sodomite for all I know the way this country's going
But you know it used to be that that you know
And hopefully still is the case that you would find somebody who's going to represent you very well
You know someone's going to take that job very seriously, you know, and and and that's what we are to Christ. We are ambassadors
For Christ as though God does did beseech you by us
So, you know when we're at the door and we're preaching the gospel to somebody whether it's out soul-winning or another person lives
You know, we have to we have to look at it through that lens and understand that's what we are. We are ambassadors for Christ
It's that important. It's a very high calling to be a soul winner
It's a he says as though God to beseech you bias. What does it mean to beseech, you know, beg implore?
That's what God is using us to do with these people at the door or whoever we're preaching the gospel to
God is begging them through us to do what to be record it to be reconciled to God the world word of reconciliation
So, you know
That's why we got to preach on a sermon every once in a while about
Soul-winning and tighten things up and make sure that we're on point with our soul-winning because it's such an important job
And it's a very big job
You know the Bible said Jesus said go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature
You know, that's a huge task and I'm very glad to say that the folks down here in Tucson are doing their part to accomplish
That you know, we're going out. We have regular soul-winning times, you know people often ask me
Hey, how's it going down in Tucson? And what they want to know is how many people are there?
You know, I say well we're running 30 to 40 and they say well, that's good. That is good
But you know, what's what's even better about that is that the vast majority people in this church are regular soul winners
Who know how to open up the Word of God and be an ambassador for Christ?
You know, I'd rather have two dozen of those than you know
300 bums who don't want to do anything for God who just want to show up and leave and not do anything else besides Christ
For Christ, so, you know, we're doing our part down here
But you know, we should always be seeking to improve as soul winners because it is such an important job
We should always be seeking to
To improve now if you would turn over to Philippians
Philippians chapter 3 because here's the thing none of us in this room. Nobody has arrived as a soul winner
No one here has reached the pinnacle of soul-winning where we've just mastered how to win a soul to Christ
That's not I don't even think that's something that's possible in this life. Now. That's not to say we can't improve
That's not to say that we can't
You know dial things in and sharpen and sharpen up our methods and our presentation, but none of us has necessarily
Arrived as a soul winner and none of us ever will
So that's why we need to go over these things and talk about some of these things tonight
The Bible says there in Philippians chapter 3 look at verse
Look at verse 12. Paul said not that I had already attained
Either we're already perfect, but I follow after if that I might be apprehended for that which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus
Brethren I count on myself to have apprehended
But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth and those things which are before I press toward the mark
For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
Let us therefore as many be perfect be thus minded if any if anything you be otherwise winded
God shall reveal even this unto you. So he's saying look I have not apprehended, you know, I've not reached the mark
I'm pressing towards the mark, you know, I count on myself to have apprehended, you know
I haven't I haven't got it
No, I haven't got this thing by the tail and got it all figured out
But I'm pressing towards the mark and he says let us therefore as many be perfect be thus minded
He's saying you got to have that same mentality as a Christian as a soul
And we need to have that same idea in our minds that same philosophy that you know
We haven't arrived
That we could always do better that we could always improve that we can always take it to the next level in our Christian life
Especially in this area of soul winning
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished
You know the old foolish king who just already knows everything. He can't be told anything
He's got it all figured out
The Bible says it would be better to have a young a young and wise child than an old and foolish king
So we don't want to turn into that. We want to be that young
impressionable wise child
Who can hear new things who can learn new things who can be corrected who can take
Correction and and and improve and and get better at what we're doing this important job that we've been given
So we are gonna I'm gonna talk about some very specific things that I've noticed out so winning and you know
It's kind of funny. I've gone soul winning with several
It seems like when I go soul winning with guys now that some more than one guy has said to me, you know
I'm nervous
I'm nervous that you know, the deacon is soul winning with me and I've always tried to brush that off and just be like
you know because to me that's so foreign because
You know, I wasn't always the deacon I was I've you know, and I'm not trying to lift myself up here
I have not apprehended, you know, but
But to me, I always try to brush that off
Oh, you got nothing to be nervous about well, but and then I started to think well, why are they nervous?
Because they're probably afraid of a service like this and like I'm sitting there. They're thinking always taking notes
He's he's critics. He's critiquing me. But here's the thing, you know, that's that's not a bad thing
You know, we want people in our lives and I and I then finally I had to say you know what that is the role
I'm here to do. I am here to critique. I am here to encourage. I am here to admonish
I am here to point out things and say let's prove this. Let's work on that. You know, that's that's the job
I've been given to do so if I say something tonight that maybe you say, oh, that's me, you know
You're talking about me. That's something I did out soul winning Oh one I guarantee you
You're not the only one because you know, I've been kind of sitting on this for a long time
I've been thinking well, I'm not just gonna get up and preach about one thing, you know
There's one thing I saw at soul name and make a whole sermon out of it
I said if I continue to go soul winning with people and even in my own soul winning, you know
I've gone slow in other people and we've had conversations about it and I've had people that you know
Challenge challenge me on soul winning and methods and caused me to think about how I do things, you know
That's gonna find its way in here as well. So if it's if it's something you've done tonight, it's not personal
I'm not going after you
It's probably something that I've observed more than once and several different people not even here
It could be something that I've seen elsewhere
So, you know, hopefully hopefully this isn't a room full of snowflakes tonight and we're all gonna melt, you know
It's not it's not anything too hard. I don't think but I just wanted to kind of put that disclaimer out there
You know, it's not personal and you're not the only one
So we're talking about soul winning tonight and you know, it's not gonna be real long sermon
I you know, I've done other sermons where I've just gone through the whole sowing presentation, you know
And I I don't feel like we really need that right now
I feel like everybody that I've seen goes sewing I feel like
Most people if not everybody in this room as far as I know has a real firm grasp on how to present the gospel
And you know, there there's a lot of resources
I mean we're living in a day and age where we should be taking advantage of the technology that's available
us
I mean you could you can listen to so many great sermons about soul winning and every time I ever have an opportunity to I
Always recommend people
Listen to soul winning instructions one and two by Pastor Anderson
If you want to know how I do my soul winning or how I learn to go so winning
Those are the sermons that I use and the method that's laid out there. That's what you know, I'm not saying it's verbatim
But that's that's the structure of my soul winning presentation
So those are great resources if you're struggling that area now again
I don't think very many people in this room are I think everybody in here probably has a pretty firm grasp on how to present
The gospel but you know, even then we still want to get in there and we want to start to tweak some things
We want to look out for some pitfalls and and some other things that that might come up
So really I just want to focus on three things tonight the opening the closing which are the probably the two hardest parts of a soul
winning presentation getting the ball rolling and learning how to land the plane in a sony
Presentation and the only other thing I would touch on is just the the need to emphasize eternal security
These are just a few things I noticed
I think you know, we all need to just kind of sharpen up on and work on so
The opening is the first thing that we're going to talk about. So what's the opening?
Well, that's when you know
You first walk up to a door you knock on a door and the person comes to the door and now it's time to talk
Okay
now
one thing that we if
Some of these things just come naturally to people and some of these things people may never get because it's just it's a personality thing
But it's something we should all try to do
Okay, and what we want to try to do is when that person comes to know we always have to understand this
You are coming to them. Okay, you are on their property. You are interrupting their day
Alright, so we want to put them at ease immediately because they'd have no clue who you are, you know
Especially if you're dressed like this, you know, they might think you're there to serve them
You know, you're gonna hand them a manila of envelope, you know, you're gonna flash a badge, you know
Or you're going to you know, that's why it's always a good idea
You know carry a Bible have it out in the open so they can they can start to figure out what's going on here
And then they have to just determine whether what kind of brand of Christianity you are, you know
They're thinking Jehovah Witness Mormon and then you can put them at ease about telling me you're a Baptist
But that's the first point when you get to the the opening at the door
You want to put people at ease at the door and not your soul-winning partner
the person at the door and
You know tell them and the best way to do this is just to come right out with it and tell them who you are
And why you're there who are you and because that's exactly what's going through their mind
I mean isn't that what you would think when you answer the door to stranger?
Who are you and why are you standing at my door?
You know in the middle of on a Sunday afternoon when it's a hundred and fifty degrees out. What's what's the matter with you?
You know
Why are you here?
You know and that you know
That's why I get the word
Baptist out of my mouth as quick as I can I say I'm my name's Corbin. I'm from faithful word Baptist Church
You know and they right away so they know what they're dealing with
So so let them know you're from church
You're from a Baptist Church what your name is and then you just want to basically tell them, you know
We're handing we're going around just giving out invitations to church
You know and and I'm not going to be real stickler on this point that you have to do it exactly like I do it
But I find I find I've gone swimming a lot of different people and the people that are just holding out invitations
Like this like without even asking if they could give it to them and are insisting, you know
It's like the subconscious thing where you're just holding out an invitation
While they're there on the other side of the door and it just it just screams
You need to open up the door and take this out of my hand
Without me even asking and you know, I know I don't think anyone's trying to be rude when that happens
but it can be perceived as rude and
And you know what this is really helpful when you're an unreceptive area is
That this because at an unreceptive area, you know, especially like a place where it's a very well-to-do
You know, they're gonna reject you quite a bit and that can get very tiresome
Especially if it's a type of area where they're gonna be as I've said before
The the most polite jerks there are where they're just gonna they're gonna reject you
With this fake smile and just this, you know, very condescending, you know
You want to get that over with as quick as you can
That's why I give them and I you know, and I'm not saying that I'm not there to try and preach people gospel
But the fact is a lot of people are going to reject as soon as they hear Bible Church Baptist
They're gonna reject it. They're not gonna want to eat. They're done. They've already shut you down
They're thinking about their dinner or whatever else is going on in their life. They want you out of there
So let's let's go ahead and you know that hey the kingdom of heaven has come nigh unto them
It's up to them what they do with it
Okay, and it's it's an unfortunate thing and I think about it often the fact that we're gonna knock on people's doors and they're
Gonna reject it and I firmly believe that one day that when they stand before God
God is somehow gonna bring it to their mind or replay it for him in some way
Some fashion where they're gonna recognize we're gonna remember that moment
When somebody came to their door with the gospel salvation and they said I'm not interested
Okay, that's on them. Like as I preached this morning
We are a saver of death and we are a saver of life
So that's up to them to decide that's not up to us
So what I'm getting at here is the fact that when you go to the door you want to put them in ease you say?
Hey, my name is Corbin. I'm from a Baptist Church. We're just going around the neighborhood giving out invitations to church
Can I give you one?
See how much nicer that is. That's it's it's polite for me to ask. Can I give you one, you know?
Instead of saying and just standing there like this. We're handing out invitations to church
And it's just like oh, okay. Well and now they're now they're defensive now
They're feeling not every time some people just go right along with it because it's a subconscious thing
You know try it out on your friends, you know, or your siblings kids throughout the week
Just grab a random object and walk up to somebody hold it out and nine times out of ten
They'll take it out of your hand without even being asked. They'll just do it
It's just a natural reaction if someone holds something out you go. Why am I taking this? I don't even want this, right?
Well, we're doing that with an invitation. We're kind of exploiting that
and and
but the really the reason behind
asking can I give you one is that gives them a chance to just reject you right then and there and
Now you say what you know? Well, hey, I don't I want to get onto the I want to find the person that's gonna listen
I want to find the person that's gonna let me open up the Bible and show them the gospel
You know
I don't want to waste my time with somebody who's just gonna lead me along and just try to you know through and just
Eventually, just you know, tell me to leave
So give them a chance and here's the thing in these unreceptive areas where people are kind of rude
When you ask them if they would like one then they can politely tell you I'm not interested. No, thank you
And you get a real quick sense of whether or not and then at that point you can say well
Hey, then you can kind of get a feel for a person you could say well, you know more important go to church
And you can decide if you want to go beyond that at that point a lot of times I hear it
I see somebody reject, you know
the DVD that I'm trying to give them or the invitation I'm going to get and you can get a sense of their body language and
Again, like I said the beginning this is not everybody has that ability not every that's not it's something that we have to develop often
We have to do this a lot
We can start to recognize these things and people's body language and how their their demeanor, you know if they're saying no, thanks
No, thank you, and they're closing the door, you know
That's probably just a good time to say. Okay. Have a good day and walk on
You know of where if they're standing they're like no
I'm not really interested and they seem like but they might be open to a conversation, you know
You got to feel that out the point being though. We want to put them in ease
We want to give them put them in ease tell them who you are and here's a big one
And this is a riddle. I'll see if I anyone gets as my daughter told me this riddle
I thought man, I'm gonna try and tell that riddle sermon and I just found an opportunity to do it. So
Here's the sermon. Here's the here's the here's the the riddle
The more I give the more I get what is it?
Anybody know the more I give the more I get you know, it is smiles
The more smiles I give and it's working right now
I'm smiling and so many smiles that just come across so many faces the more smiles I give the more I get
That's a great thing to do at the door when you're representing you're an ambassador for Christ
From a Baptist Church seeing these invitations away. Can I give you one?
And that's not always easy to do because often we know what kind of neighborhood we're in when I was in Marency yesterday
And it was just no no, no, no not interested. You know, it's hard to just be like, you know
But sometimes you got to do that
sometimes you just got a you know pin the pin the ears back and just get the smile going and
Just slap one on there and and you know, try to have a good attitude
But smile at the door and again, I don't think this is a problem with a lot of people have but you know
It's something that we might need to work on
So put because you're trying to put them in he's now don't do that like creepy smile you're like
You know, you want it to be genuine, you know, if you're having a bad day then you know
maybe it's gonna be a little harder, but you know try to have a real smile and just give them a good smile and
You know put them in ease tell them who you are
You know and invite them to church. Okay. Now that's that's what we're doing. You know, we are inviting a church
I've heard somebody say isn't it kind of misleading that we're giving him an invite when we're really here to preach the gospel
Well, it's like no because I am inviting them to church
They don't I think if they don't get saved today and decide to come to church. It's not like like whoa, buddy
You know, I was just there to preach the gospel that whole invitation thing was just you need to leave because that was just a front
You know, that was just a facade. That was my sneaky way. No, of course, they're invited to church. Okay
Now here's one thing that I've heard from multiple people and every time I hear it. I just go. Oh, why did you say that?
All right, let them decide how far the church if the church is too far for them
I've heard people say this like hey, we're from where our church is over at Grant Silver Bell
I know that's kind of far from here. Like what I want to be like, what are you doing? No, it's not
They'll be like it's about 23 that might be a little far from you there. You're de-inviting them
You're giving them a reason to not come to church. I'm like, whoa. No, let them decide that I never say, you know
It's approximately twenty three point four miles from here, you know on a Sunday morning, you know
It's gonna take you not 17 minutes to drive over there
You'd you know, let them decide that let them get on Jeep the GPS to the Google Maps and figure out how far it is
You know, just tell them where it's at. That's what I leave it at. I just say hey, wait, it's over at Grant Silver Bell
We'd love to see you come visit but more important than that and just move right into it
But I've heard more than one person say, you know, we're kind of far from here
You know, it's kind of a bit. It's a bit of a drive
You know and that's that's a written it and to me as a
Somebody's from more rural area. I'm like, no, it's not. Are you crazy twenty thirty minutes?
That's everywhere in Northern Michigan. Like you want to go anywhere? It's twenty thirty minutes, you know to me that like and I will admit
Though some people that is going to be too far. They're gonna and I people will even say that
I'll say I'm at Grant Silver Bell like whoa, that's 15 minutes from here
Like well, yeah, I mean
To me it's like, uh-huh. But even then I'll be like, well, you know, we'd love to see you visit
I just move right past that I don't dwell on that
So that's one thing we want to we want to be careful that we're not D inviting them
You know, the invitation is just the icebreaker. It's just to let them know who we are
It's just to put them at ease to let them know we're about that kind of thing now
one thing that I need to work on to one thing that I've tried to be more consistent in is
That you know, we do run in to save people out soul winning
I mean, I probably run into a safe person maybe every time I go so winning at least one practically sometimes
I'll run into several people, you know
And and you know, this is something I got corrected on years ago, and I've never forgotten it
You know, I was soul winning and it was with my it was with Pastor Anderson and we ran into the saved guy
He had all the answers, right and I'm just like I'm and I'm a new soul winner. I'm very skeptical
But he he answered everything right, you know, I said hey, do you know it's do you believe it's all by faith?
Yes, do you believe you can lose it? No, you know, and he was saved and I'm just like, uh-huh
No smile. Just like I don't know about you
You know, I'm just ready to kind of walk away and then pastor kind of jumped in and he said hey
You know the the inside of this track would probably be more applicable to you
Because on the inside of our invite, I don't know if you ever open up to read it, but it talks about
It talks about how we're King James only right if you run into a saved person
That's where you want to direct them. You want to say hey, you know, I'm glad you're saved. That's great
You know and be genuine. I mean, aren't you glad and after that door a pastor was like hey
Are were you glad that guy was saved? I said, yeah, so it was hard to tell
You know be I mean, we should be glad I now I'm refreshed when I run to a safe person
Genuinely, they give the right answer. I say that's great. You know, it's very rare
I run, you know, my work here is done, you know under the next door, you know
And I and I could say hey, you know the inside now
This is what I try to work on is hey the inside of this is to explains why we're King James only
And you don't have to go into whole dissertation about it. You know saying say, you know, the lot of the modern versions
Corrupt the Word of God and if you just look at that you can see why we're King James only we'd love to see you
Come visit god bless you. Have a great day and leave on a very positive note, you know, and that's another thing
We always want to try and leave on a positive note because even when we're in these unreceptive areas
For example when we were we're knocking up in in Tempe and Chandler and
Awatukee in these areas at the Tempe location, you know
A lot of a lot of people that were taking out sowing there they get real down because people are rejecting it because people aren't
Interested but you know what we do see is a lot of people a lot of those people are come out to visit the church
A lot of those people come out that that might not sit there and listen to gospel at the door
But they've come to visit on a midweek service or a Sunday morning or Sunday night happens a lot
And when you get into that kind of a demographic
You know, you know upper middle class middle class working class there. Those are the type of people that have the character
You know, maybe they don't want to be bothered on their doorstep
But if you if you leave on a positive note, they very well may come out and visit
They might say wow, this guy made an impression me at the door
I'm gonna go check out their church and maybe they'll get saved there. Who knows?
So we always want to try and leave on a good note, even if they don't want to hear it me like well
Nuts to you buddy. Good luck getting to heaven
You know you say it was that kind of thing happened
It does we get voicemails and have almost on a weekly basis from certain people now
I'm not now sometimes it's from cantankerous angry people who would be mad
They're just looking for a reason to be mad at somebody
But sometimes I've talked I've communicated with some people and I find out what happens. I'm not saying it happens here
You know, it hasn't happened here. Thank God
But it has happened where they the someone I don't I don't try to track the person down and figure out who it is
And reprimand them, you know, but I'm just saying it does happen people get out and they get this this, you know
zeal and they just they just feel compelled to just tell the person how they're just
You know come damn to hell, you know right in front of their kids and everything else, you know that you don't need to do that
I mean there's a way to do that tactfully
But we don't have to go out and tell every person that's not gonna receive the gospel that they're just a hell-bound sinner
You know that that they have no hope, you know, unless they get saved now, is that the case? Yes
But you know you want to do it in a tactful way, you know, and you want to be able to say hey
You know, I really hope you consider the gospel, you know, and let me just leave you with a verse and I quote John 3 16
You know forget that's a great verse to leave somebody with it's very positive
You know, we don't you don't have to leave with you know, you know revelation 21 8, you know in death and hell
We're cast in the lake of fire, you know, and that's you you're on that list, right?
Are you you're probably a liar, you know, so I wish you would have listened today, but unfortunately, that's where you're headed right now
So have a good day and just leave them with that. No leave them with a seed like hey
I mean does John 3 16 talk about hell? Yeah
It says that you know that that they should not perish but have everlasting life
Most people would get that because I explained I said that they should not perish. See how my hands did that
Everyone knows what I'm talking about when I did that
They should not perish but have everlasting life
And you know that you know, that's a good verse to leave people with
So we want to put them at ease we want to you know
The opening is the hard part to get the ball rolling
Put them at ease hand them the invite ask if you can give them one that the people like to be asked things not told
To take something, you know
and let them decide how far church is for them for themselves and
You know and these other things we talked about now the other thing we kind of need to all work on is
Make sure you cover eternal security thoroughly
This is you know, because people can understand it's a gift people understand
It's all by grace
but they miss eternal security and
a lot of people end up they they go through all this and then they get to the end and the person just totally doesn't
Get it and when I've seen this happen
I've noticed that the person was very loose on eternal security or not. Very thorough
And then they have to go all the way back and cover something
You know if you're getting to the end of your gospel presentation and you're and you're trying to seal the deal with them
You know get them saved and you're finding out they're missing something like they didn't get something
You know a lot of times you like to just say well
They just weren't paying attention or they do they know they they just miss that, you know
They that you know, they want to put it on the person, right?
But we need to step back and say am I being thorough enough on that point?
Whether or not it's sin or hell or eternal security or salvation by grace through faith
You know all the points that we make if they're missing it at the end
We have to ask ourselves especially if it's happening consistently and I've no I've heard people say, you know
I have to pray with people sometimes two or three times. There's been a more than one incident now
I've never had to do that. I've never you know if that happens, you know
I'm not saying that you you messed up and I'm sure that one day maybe I will have to do that
But if that's a regular thing where you're praying with somebody and then you're testing them again
At the after you've prayed with them and people do that they pray with them and then they test them again
They ask him questions to see if they got it
That's the wrong time to ask something to figure out somebody got it. You want to do that before?
You do that before you pray with them. Okay. I'm only gonna pray with somebody when I am 99% certain they got it
That more there's just they have not given me any reason to doubt that they are understanding it
So and this one area is that we need to work on is making sure that we cover eternal security thoroughly and
There's a couple I just want to give a couple quick tips because I think everybody for the most part knows how to do this
But sometimes we just need to slow down and just park it here and the way I do this and you can find another way
If you find another way to emphasize eternal security great do it
but make sure you're doing it and one thing that I like to do as
I like to emphasize the fact that it is a one-time event
That salvation is a one-time event now. Somebody else taught me that somebody else
it was another soul winner that explained that to me that what they like to do is explain how it is a one-time event and
You know if you would let's turn over to John chapter 3 because you know
If you want to explain them eternal security, you know say hey this only needs to happen one time because it's eternal
It never ends, right?
Well, we were gonna if we're gonna use an example, let's use the example. Jesus did that's my opinion, you know Jesus
You know pointed out the fact that salvation is a one-time event over in John 3
In John 3
Let's look here at verse 5. He says verily verily I say unto thee
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. He cannot enter in the kingdom of God
I mean, I'll quote that to that person
You know, I'll say something the effect of you know, hey, you know, you know, you've probably heard of being born again
Right, most people have you know, I'll say, you know
Jesus said except a man be born of the water and the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven
The kingdom of God and the reason why that is he says, you know the water and the Spirit now
We have to break that down a little bit
But it's a great example of how salvation is a one-time event because what is being born of the water?
That's talking about your physical birth. If you you don't have to you don't have to go through all this with them
You can quickly explain this to them
But he goes on he said that in verse 6 it explains it
He says that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born the Spirit is spirit
So the water that he's talking about is your physical birth
Because and then I'll say to them because I'll say you know your that water birth that he's talking about is your physical birth
I'll say remember, you know when our mothers gave birth to us the water break and most people get that they go
Yeah, he's saying and that was a one-time event
You know
I only have one birthday on my driver's license
See how I'm emphasizing it was a one-time thing and I'll say the reason why Jesus used that
Being born of the water or having a fleshly birth a physical birth
Because it's a one-time event just like your spiritual birth is a one-time event. It only needs to happen one time
Now you see how I'm emphasizing eternal security like that way
They don't feel like they have to keep praying again and again and going back and asking for it or whatever
This is a great way. I think to emphasize the fact that it's eternal because it's it happens one time
You know that once we're born we're born permanently and you can even work in I always try to work in a little humor when I
Can you know because that softens people up, you know, you don't want to force it if it's not doesn't come naturally to you
But I'll say, you know, hey if you didn't have the physical birth, you don't have to worry about the spiritual birth, right?
You know, huh?
so
it's not that funny, but
Some people do get a kick out of that
But we're trying to emphasize
You know the fact that it's eternal that it's a one-time event and I think this is a great passage to explain that
You know, then I'll take them over to you know, often I'll just quote this and that's another tip
This wasn't in my notes, but this is something I picked up on a lot of people insist on showing everybody every verse
I'm not saying that's wrong to do great do that. But a lot of times people I think
You know the word still has power if you just quote it to them
Is it still is it not the Bible if you don't quote it? I mean if you only quote it
It's still the Word of God. It still has power. In fact a person if they don't if they're saying hey
This person's quoting it to me and I'm believing it that in and of itself is faith
They're already, you know, exercising some faith. You just trust that you're quoting them the Word of God, right?
And I've seen people do this, you know, they'll just quote these verses. I don't even turn to Revelation 20 or 21 anymore
I'll just quote that I'll just you know, I'm then I'm just sitting in Romans just waiting
I'll say, you know, you know talk about the second death. I'll just say, you know death and hell
We're cast like a fire. This is the second death
That's what we commonly refer to as going to hell and I've never had him go say show me that I need to see that
You know and if they needed to bam right there, right, but I'm so the whole time I'm still sitting in Romans
Well, I'm quoting Revelation 20. I'm quoting Revelation 21 and then I get to the point, you know, hey, we're all liars
We all deserve to go there. But do you think God wants everyone to go to hell and they'll say no
I'll say that's right. That's why it says in Romans 5 8. I'm already there. I'm still there
But God commends his love toward us and that while we were at sinners
So what I'm saying here and I know I'm kind of rambling a little bit
Is that you need to it's okay to just quote some verses now
I'm not saying you can't quote the whole thing if you can go that your whole gospel presentation
In fact, there might be times and in situations your life. That's all you can do
You know, you're in a work vehicle with somebody you don't you know
Your your Bibles in the backseat in a lunchbox somewhere who knows what you don't have it on you
And now it's time to just quote them, you know, you can get people saved just quoting it
So feel free to exercise that even in your door-to-door solany, you know, let me
You know tighten up that the time that we're spending at the door at this person
So they don't feign and lose interest because a lot of people get tired of watching you go
You know flipping through your Bible trying to find a verse
You know if you can and you could quote to them and then you while you're quoting it to them, you know
Like I'll start quoting, you know
How I'll say, you know Jesus, you know Jesus said more people are gonna go to hell in heaven
You know, he said brought us away
Why is the gate which turn the destruction and many there be which go in there at?
You know narrows the gate straightest way which leave the internal life and few there be that find it and now BAM
I'm in John 3 and I'm ready to show them the next one
so
You can't quote verses now. I'm kind of getting off here
I'm where I was going with this, but let me bring this back to what the main point here emphasizing eternal security
you know we want to
Show them that it's a one-time event and I think John 3 5 & 6 is a great way to do that
Then you could take them right over to John 1 12, which is usually one of the last verses I'll end up at
and we'll just show them there where it says
But as many as received them to them gave you power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name
You know what? We're showing them is that hey, it's a one-time event. You know, you're born again, right? It's eternal
It happens one time now, we're explaining to them. How are you born again by believing?
You become the Son of God when you believe on his name and you know
And I don't want to turn this into a complete, you know seminar and how to go soul winning
But most of us understand where we're going with that. I assume
Is that we're just trying to show them that you know, it's it's once you become God's child
You're always his child another great verse that I've tried to think about working in but haven't yet is
first John 1
1 John 5 1 who so believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. That's a great verse
How do you hey, I understand now. It's a one-time event
That once you know, once I become once I'm born again, that's it. I'm permanently God's child. That's never going to change
How do I do that? Whosoever believeth on the Jesus is the Christ is born of God
You know as many as received them to them give you power to become the sons of God your belief
You're born again by faith and so that helps them that all to click for them now another way to kind of
You know to to not only illustrate but also test their understanding of eternal security is to give them
You know a hypothetical example. Okay, so you've explained all this you said hey, it's one time event
You know, you're born again. It's by faith
You can't lose it
But now it's time to test them on that to see if they cuz people will sit there and go, uh-huh. Mm-hmm
Yep, sure. Yes, and they'll answer all the way and they're not getting it. They're thinking about something else
It's going over their head, but here people naturally don't want to appear stupid
They're not gonna say well, I don't get that
You know that I don't understand people want they don't want to let on that they're not getting it
So they're just gonna they're just gonna nod their head say. Mm-hmm
So we have to make sure that we're testing people that they are actually getting this before we pray with them
and the best way to do that is to use an illustration and
To explain not only to explain internal security, but also to test their understanding and the best example to use is yourself
You know and there's a time, you know, you can turn it on them and say well, hey, what if you you know?
But what if they actually did that? That's the thing might get a little awkward, right?
So I always use myself, you know, I'll say hey, you know, someone showed me the same thing
I'm showing you about 20 years ago and
Don't say that unless it's true for you
But I'll say you know
I believe that I'm a sinner that Jesus God that I he died for my sins was buried and rose again
I called upon the name of Lord
The Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I did that 20 years ago
I was born again. I'm God's child today and then I'll say but since then I've also
I've gotten married. So I'm a married man today
I should probably go get a wedding ring because I've had people look at my hand and be like
Because I lost my wedding ring
Like couple years ago, I've just been very lazy about getting another one. So now I'm really convicted but anyway
But I'll say that you know, so I'm a married man today then I'll say but do you think if I went out committed adultery?
And my wife that's pretty bad, isn't it? And most people go
Yeah, and I'll say if I went out and did that
Do you think God would take away eternal life and send me to hell and now now it's not on them
I'm not talking about how the bad thing they may or may not do or you know may even have done
I don't know. I'm putting it on me. I'm the bad guy, right?
Hey, if I did that, you know, I'm taking it off of them and now I'm not only am I testing their understanding
But you know, I'm giving opportunity to explain and if they're getting it if they've really gotten it
They'll say no and people I've had people that get it. They'll say no. Let's say no, of course not I'll say and why not?
Let's say because he believed or something to that effect. You know, you put your faith in God you call upon the name Lord, whatever
Right, they'll give you the right answer and if they got that if they can understand that man, there's a good chance
They got it at that point. I feel like this person's getting it
You know, we're ready to wrap it up
So well, you know, what if they don't get it, you know, what if you explain all this?
You go through all that you're thorough and they still don't get it. There's no sense in beating a dead horse folks
Some people just aren't gonna get it. It's just not their day
You know, we have to learn to accept that and it's frustrating
But we can't we don't want to go and twist arms with people and be like, you know
Put them in a in a full Nelson and be like pray it pray it, you know
We want to we want them to come to that realization on their own and and choose and end up really understand it
We're not out to just get numbers
You know
Numbers is not what this is about. You know that was now why do we count numbers?
Well, God counts numbers for first of all, there's nothing wrong with counting numbers
There's a whole book called numbers, right?
but here's the thing, you know, that's not what it's all about the what it's all about is is genuine salvation and
You know, we're if it's all about numbers for us we're gonna be sorely disappointed we get to heaven
When we just made it all about, you know, we got you know
All these people saved supposedly and we just want to come back to the church and report some huge number now
I'm not saying there aren't times we can't come back and have some big numbers
But if that's all that's going on and then you know, what are we doing?
you know, we're gonna get to heaven and God's gonna show all that like
No, in fact, you know you were doing a really bad job. It's just so you could try and get a number
So let's not make it about that. I don't think anybody here does that?
I don't think anyone here is trying to just like get some kind of vainglory and like we got you know
Because I've looked at our numbers. There's nothing to be
Our numbers are good. I'm kidding. I'm kidding
But um, but what I'm saying is that we want to we want genuine salvation. We want the real thing. Okay?
So let's not twist arms with people. Let's let's let's explain these illustrations and if they don't get it, they don't get it
Let's just say hey, you know what?
Because here's the thing if you've gotten that far in a gospel presentation where you've gotten the point of eternal security
The least the way I do it they've gotten a full gospel
I mean they've gotten the whole thing
they're just not getting it that's not the same that they can't go home and later that night the Holy Spirit's gonna come to
them and
use the word that was sown in their hearts to speak to them and they might pray that night and
That's why these numbers, you know, there's are there are there people that we count that didn't get saved sure
Of course
But I also believe there's a lot of people that we don't count that did get saved or got saved later
You know, so it all kind of balances out
but what I'm trying to get at here is that we want to make sure that we're getting genuine salvation and the best way to do that is
to
Emphasize eternal security thoroughly and the best way to do that is to give them an example such as yourself
You know and you can come up with your own. You don't have to use the whole
Adultery thing you say hey if you know if I went out and did something really bad
But try to keep it reasonable try to keep it as something that might actually happen
You know people come with these crazy illustrations, you know, what if I came back here with a howitzer, you know
And just mowed down your entire family, you know
What if I just rolled into your neighborhood and an Abrams tank and just started blowing up house after house
Just torch the whole block
you know people just come up with these just harebrained just completely off-the-wall illustrations and
People are like, you know
I think we're done here
You know if I came back with a machete ski mask, you know broke in and just had hacked you all up tonight
But I still go to heaven
you know, you might get there a little quicker than you think that's what I tell them, but
You know, that's why I like that the the the the illustration of adultery because is that does that kind of thing happen all the time
Happens all the time. That's that's a real-world thing that could actually happen
now
Okay, they're getting it. They say you know what? Yeah, it's eternal. I can't lose it
Hey, even if you did that, you know, if you committed adultery, you'd still go to heaven because you know
You believed those 20 years ago. I say that's right
And then it's sometimes author and this is a great way to you always want to clarify this too
Then I'll say does that mean I should go commit adultery and I'll go no
I'll say of course not because God's gonna punish me on here if I did that
If I did do that
You know God will punish me, you know, I might my wife might leave me
I could get so depressed about it that you know
My wife might leave me I could get depressed and start taking drugs and alcohol that affects my job performance. I lose my job
You know, you know, I might even become so depressed about the whole situation that I take my own life
But would I still go to heaven? See I'm testing them twice. I
Hit him with the adultery question then I'd bill I develop on that illustration about hey if that did happen
You know God would punish me. I might even get so depressed about the God's chastening that I take my own life
But would I still go to heaven if I took my own life?
And I always try to test people on that because that's usually if they get that then you really know they got it
No, and if they get it, they'll say no and a lot of people get hung up on that because it because the Catholic Church
That's the unforgivable part unpardonable sin of suicide
You know and just a side note personally and I never say this at the door. I don't think suicides the worst sin. I
don't
You know, I would I would rather have killed myself than have my spouse go out and commit adultery on me
I would rather I would rather kill myself than go kill somebody else
Because that's you know, at least I'm not you know what I mean? Anyways, I'm going off on it
It's to me, but people have in their minds. It's just suicides the worst thing. I'm not making light of it. It's terrible
It's it's a horrible thing
You know, it's devastating
But there are to me it seems like there's there's worse sins than that, but people get hung up on that
I'll see so if even if I took my own life, do you think I'd still go to heaven and I'll say yep
And if they say well a lot of people they want to say yes, but they're so conditioned they'll go
You know, you could see it on their face or they're there. They're they're torn between two
They're like they they don't know what to say
They want to give the right answer, but they're not sure that what they believe now is the right answer
And they'll say well, I think so or maybe or they'll give some kind of answer like that a lot of times
And then if they if they get hung up on that I'll just say well hey is suicide a sin
Yeah, and did Jesus die for all my sins or some of them?
Let's say all of them and you could just see it it clicks with them
You know so that that you're just kind of know I if that if I just clear that up
It's not like I have to back the train up and go over all that again. I just take care of that
You know, they get it. They're understanding it at all. All the connections are being made
So, you know I give them that
Illustration I talked about how it's it's it's you know
I'm emphasizing eternal security want to do that when we're soul winning. I'm driving in the fact that it's it's a one-time event
I'm giving myself as an example
You know in testing their understanding and using that as an opportunity to explain further
how that even if we do bad things, we're still going to go to heaven when we die and
If they're getting all that if there seems like okay, this person's got it they understand
What I'm you know, they're picking up when I'm throwing down right they got it
Now it's time to ask very specific questions and I've seen more than one person do this
This is an area we need to work on. You don't want to just ball your questions up into one question
Or answer the questions for them. Well, it sounds like you believe this this and this so let's just pray right now
Right or I'd like to lead you in prayer ask them
Specific questions at the end at the end. I see so many people they want to start out with, you know a dozen questions
Hi, my name is Corbin. I'm from a faithful word Baptist Church, you know, are you sure you know?
Then it's just like question question question. It's like the person's like whoa, buddy
You know we want to but we do want to ask questions at the end to clarify
That they are in fact getting it and they have to be very pointed questions
And these the questions I ask do you believe you're a sinner and I'll lead into I'll say hey, it sounds I say hey
You know, I'm done here. But can I just want to ask you a few questions, you know, do you believe you're a sinner?
Yep, and then I'll ask do you believe all sinners deserve to go to hell? This is a real tricky spot
I got hung up on when you ask that question
you say do you believe all sinners deserve to go to hell a lot of people will say no and
I used to throw me but then I realized what was going on. They're getting ahead of they're getting it
That's why they say no, it's because they're getting it
Though they go no then out so now I just if they say no I go which ones don't
And then they'll go the ones that believe
Then I'll clarify and say well that's true. But technically even the ones that believe deserve to go there, don't they?
Because people you know, they don't always make the connections with with the words that you're saying do all sinners deserve to go to hell
Yes, even the ones that believe they deserve to go there, right?
For by grace so you say, you know, you're saved by grace being you're getting something you don't deserve
You know just because we're saved today doesn't mean we're not worthy of hell. We don't deserve it. We still do
It's just that we're saved
so
That's kind of a tricky question
But it needs to be asked because I feel like it kind of helps them to register a little bit with what's going on
like the severity of what's
They're up against you know of the reality of hell, you know a lot of times
I'll say I'll say do you believe that all sinners deserve to go to hell and they won't answer at all
But you can tell what they're thinking. They're they're thinking. Yeah, and
They'll say yeah, I guess I'll say well
We all do deserve to go there or if they do get the wrong remember the wages of sin is death death and hell
We're casting like a fire. Don't say yeah, I'll say so the Bible does teach we all deserve to go there, doesn't it?
They'll say yeah, I'll say it's kind of hard to admit that isn't it and they'll say yeah
It's not that they don't get it
It's really hard for a person who's never said it to all of a sudden confess to some stranger
I deserve to go to hell. That's a very heavy question to have to have to answer
But that's what we're doing out there. That's that's the severity of you know of what we're bringing to people
That's the it's a very grave subject that we're discussing eternity, you know, so that question, you know can be a little slippery
But any I like to ask it. Do you believe all sinners deserve to go to hell? No, they'll say
No, which ones don't the ones that believe might need to clarify whatever and then I'll say
and then I'll say
You know, do you believe Jesus is God and sometimes they'll say well, he was the son of God
You know, which is good because he was it is right. I'll say well, yeah God, you know
God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost these three are one there are three that bear record in heaven
Let's say so doesn't that make Jesus God. Yeah
Look, oh, yeah
I'll say well, you know the Bible says and I've already gotten over this in my gospel trip presentation
The Bible says God was manifest in the flesh that's talking about the virgin birth of Christ that teaches that Jesus is God
So, you know, these aren't you don't have to dive deep into these theological issues. You can clarify these things for people very quickly
And they'll say oh, yeah. Yeah, he's got it
Though they they just don't always know what exactly to say, but they do believe he is then I'll say okay
Are you a sinner you believe sinners deserve to go to hell do you believe Jesus is God
Notice how I'm asking every one of these questions specifically
Okay, and then I say do you believe that he died for your sins was buried and rose again? Yes
Then I'll say if you act you believe if you ask Jesus Christ for the free gift of eternal life that he'd give it to
you
You say yes
And now they're getting a sense of where this questioning is going that we're gonna ask
You're gonna ask Jesus for eternal life today whether you want it, you know
Whether you realize it or not when this all started, you know
This is the point we're bringing you to to call upon the name of the Lord if you asked him for eternal life
Would he give it to you? Yes, if he gave it to you, you know, you could phrase this, you know multiple ways
How long would it be yours for forever or if you asked him for it? Could you ever lose it? No
You know and if you're answering that correctly
You know, it's time to it's time to reel them in you got them. It's time to land that fish, right?
But even at that point I like to if I have any doubt if I feel a little shaky
I'll clarify it again. And this is where I'll put it on them
Okay, they'll say I'll say hey if you ask Jesus get Christ for the free gift of eternal life
Would he give it to you? Yes. Is there anything you could do to lose it?
No, I don't think so, you know, but if I have any
You know if I have any, you know, if I'm a hesitant at all that they're not getting it
That's where I'll say well great, but hey, let let's just let's just get crazy with it and I'll say that
I'll say let's just get crazy with it
Let's say like, you know, sometimes let's say you believe on Jesus Christ today
You call upon him for the free gift of eternal life. He gives it to you and let's just say sometime in the future
You know, I don't know you go out you join a gang and they convince you to rob a liquor store
And then I'll say that kind of thing happens because it's that far-fetched
Definitely not especially in some of the neighborhoods that that we might find ourselves in
You know that that might even be something that happened who knows that's not a very far-flung example, you know
But most people haven't done it. I'll say what if they convinced you to go, you know
We'll rob a liquor store. You shot the clerk and he died. Would you still have eternal life? And
If they've gotten it, they'll answer that correctly. Let's say yeah, and then you know, that's another opportunity
You can even go into suicide. You can say well, you know, you could say yeah, you know
You would you would you know, but God would punish you wouldn't he?
Make sure the cops catch up to you and you probably go to jail
Someone might take your own life or maybe you take your own in heaven or in jail, but would you still be saved?
Yeah, I mean if they're answering yes all that I mean are do you think that person's got it?
If you went to the door and asked all those specific questions, they answered those that way. Yes
That yes, I'm a sinner. Yes. I deserve hell. Yes. Jesus is God
Yes, if I asked him for the free gift eternal life, he'd give it to me
Yes, if once I asked you he would give it to me. It would be mine forever
I could never lose it. Even if I did some bad sin in the future. I would never lose my salvation
Do you think that person's getting it?
then let's pray with them and
This and I leave this up to people to do with it what they will I if they if they answer that
Boldly, I do not ask them to pray with me. We're gonna pray
Because that we both know what needs to happen at this point that person needs to pray
the Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of Lord shall be saved if thou shalt believe in thine heart and
Confess with them out the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved
So why would I because why would I then do go through all that work?
They're getting it and then just leave it up to them whether or not they're gonna pray
because most a lot of people are not going to pray or
Who cares what the what the what the you know, what the rate is what ratio of people will or won't pray?
What if some person who's right there in the precipice of salvation just brought right up to the edge of?
Eternity heaven and hell and then we just leave it up to them. Would you like to pray right now and
They look around they're their buddies in the background. They're talking to some stranger
They feel awkward and they say no, I don't want to pray
That's a shame, you know now again if people want to ask that other people to pray, you know
I'm not gonna object to that but me personally I'm gonna say
You know, you know if you believe all these things in your heart
Let's bow our heads right now and pray and you can tell God that's what you believe
So let's just go through the scenario. I get them up to that point. They've answered it. They're getting it. They understand salvation
Then I'll say because this is why I think some people are hesitant to just do this because it can be a little awkward at first
It's easier to just ask and maybe they'll kind of let you off the hook
You know, it's you know, put it on them. Let's but to me. I don't want to do that
I want them to pray if they're getting all this if they understand all this, let's pray
Let's get this person saved today right now before the devil comes and snatches the seed out of that that was sown in their heart
So I'll just say hey, you know when I got here your answer was a little different, you know
I'm not trying to pick on you about you know, when I got here, you know
You said that you thought I asked you that same question. Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself
The last question. Okay, ignore everything. I just said I asked all these questions, right? Could you lose it? No
Then I'll say this and this question is vital
And if people would start asking this question, it would weed out so many false converts if we have any at all
You know, whatever false converts we might have this would this would bring them down a lot
And you know what? If you haven't been asking this question and you start asking it
it will surprise you how many people I've been giving you the right answers the whole time and
Then and are not and don't believe
I'll ask all these questions. Are you a sinner to believe that you deserve help?
Jesus is God God for your sins. You asked before you give it to you be yours forever
The very last question I ask is what do you personally think a person has to do to go to heaven?
Because they can they can answer all this correctly and say yep. Yep. Yep. Yep, because they just want them
They might they might be saying yes to all this just to get you to go away
You know, especially if they're younger, you know, the there's so many things we could talk about so winning
You know the the the the the overly polite teenager who's just doesn't want to be rude to an adult
Who's gonna sit there and listen to everything you have to say?
But doesn't want to be there and it's just trying to get this over with so they can get back to Xbox or whatever
They just want you to leave. So they're just yes. Yes. Yes. I believe that. Yes. Yes. Yes
But when it gets to that last question where I say well
What do you believe a person has to do to be in order to go to heaven?
It'll shock you how many people will say be a good person?
They said yes to everything. You're like, wow, this person's getting it
I've had this happen to me multiple times
But what do you think a person has to do to go save?
What do you personally think person has to do to go to heaven and I leave it right there and I let him answer
And a lot of times, you know and praise God a lot of times they say just believe
And I'll say oh, you know, they'll say, you know, just you know, believe in God put your faith in Jesus something like that
You know, they might not know exactly how to phrase it, but they got it now when you hear that you're like, okay
You know, the the Inquisition is over and we could put the heat lamp down
You can give them a glass of water
Pat on the back you passed, you know, but now we know hey they got it
Okay, as far as we can tell we've done everything we can we've been thorough. We've explained eternal security
We've asked them pointed questions about every one of these things
We put the ball in their court and said what do you believe and they said I believe that if you know that the Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. I believe that you know, it's just by faith
And a lot of times that's complete obviously that's different than what they they said at the beginning
Because when I first get it to the door
You know, I don't I'll ask them, you know, they say hey
Can I show you what the Bible says a person has to do to go to heaven and if they say yes
While I'm getting I'll say well, let me ask you real quick. No right or wrong answer
What do you think a person has to do to go to heaven?
See I asked that same question at the beginning before I even get to Romans 3 23 while I'm turning
Well, what do you think and sometimes when people hesitate like I'm like it like like they're gonna you know
Get an F if they answer wrong
That's not I'm trying to not testing them. I just want to hear them say what it is
They believe and I'll say no right or wrong answer. Just whatever you think whatever comes to your mind
And a lot of times I'll just say something like be a good person, you know, you know the drill
So now here I am at the end after having explained everything and being thorough about everything and and and making sure they're understanding everything
And then I asked that same question
What do you think a person has to go to heaven and if they got it?
They'll say believe and that's a totally different answer and I'll just say hey
You know when I got here you said, you know, and I'm not trying to pick on you
But you said it was all by you said it was by being a good person or whatever
They said I said but it sounds like from our conversation here
Just me showing you out of the Bible
But the Bible says that you've changed your mind about what you believe and they'll say yeah, I'll say well, you know, that's the case
Let's just let's just do this. Let's pray right now and you could tell God that's what you believe that way
you know from this this moment forth you have eternal life and
Now sometimes they now they know oh, he's telling me I have to pray now
Right and they get this this big scared look like I'm gonna have to you know, and I'll put him at ease again
I'll say hey
Let's just tell God that's what you believe that way
You know, we have eternal life and I don't hesitate and I just go right into you know
I'll even give you the words to say, you know, we won't get fancy here
Just mean these things in your heart that way, you know, we have eternal life. You can just pray after me dear Lord Jesus
I know I'm a sinner. I know I deserve help, but I believe that you love me that you died for me
Please take me to heaven when I die. I'm trusting only in you. Amen. It's that simple and they've called upon the name of Lord
Was that that hard to just say hey, let's pray right now
You know, it wasn't I mean why not do that instead of saying would you like to pray?
Because they may want to pray but now that now it's like well what they don't know what to say
You know and you know, some people can probably do phrase it that way and get and get people to pray
Anyway, that's great. You know, if you have some other way that works for you go for it
But we don't want to just leave people dangling
We want to I want to push people over the edge and get them to pray
Not so that I can get a number so that I can get them saved
Because people have to call upon the name of Lord to be saved and that's a whole nother sermon
And hopefully it's that's something we all understand
That that people do need to call upon the name of Lord, you know, and then then the hypotheticals come in
Well, what if they can't talk or we know?
Obviously, you know they can call in their heart and things like that. Well, let's why not just get into what why don't we?
Just pray right now. You're there. They're there
They understand everything
Hey, you know what you said was a little different
So let's just pray right now and you could tell God that's what you believe that way, you know have eternal life
We won't get fancy I'll even give you the words to say you can just pray after me dear Lord Jesus
It's that smooth. It's that easy and people when they see here and I've only had that happen one time where I go dear Lord
Jesus and nothing comes back and then they go I'm not interested. I don't want to do that
but you know what that's that does happen, but
The vast majority every other time I've ever done that with a person they prayed and I believe that they got saved
But you know at the end of the day
There's gonna be people that we prayed with that didn't really believe it
You know, but that's not what you know, that's that's for God to sort out. God will reveal all that in time
But let's go ahead and get the ones that we we can you know
Let's get this get the ones that we can to pray to believe and you know, I hope that this is a help tonight
I know I kind of got a little ranting there for a little bit. Hopefully it wasn't too all over the place
But you know the the major points that we want to cover tonight is that you know
We want to improve his soul winners, you know
We should want to take it to the next level and some things we need to work on
All of us is just you know, putting people at ease of the door
smiling, you know and
Emphasizing eternal security and hopefully you got you know, if you didn't have something to really derive that home tonight
Now you do, you know, John 3 is a great place to go. It's it's a birth
You know a physical birth is one time a spiritual birth is one time
You know, make sure you're asking the questions at the end
Don't just ball it all up and answer it for them and say hey, it sounds like you believe this this and this
So let's just pray no ask them let make them tell you that's what they believe
That's what you want to hear and then ask that question at the end
What do you personally believe and we'll be amazed at some of the responses we get, you know aliens, right? I've heard that
So, uh, you know and ask the questions and then don't you know, and I know it's not easy to do it
Maybe you disagree. I don't know but if you feel if you agree with me, you know
Pray for boldness to just you know, lead that person in prayer
Take them to prayer take them to the Lord in prayer and guide them in prayer
Don't just put it all on their shoulders and say it's up to you to pray now, you know help them to do that
So let's go ahead and let's close in a word of prayer