HOW TO WIN SOULS AND BUILD UP THE MINISTRY
By Dr. James. A McBean D.Th., MCC
Copyright © 2008 Library of Congress
Washington.D.C.20559
Y ou cannot put what you love on a hook an expect to catch fish. You have to put what the fish love. Human beings are basically self centered, and every thing we do have it base in self interest. Telling people that they need Jesus. People will be wondering. What can Jesus do for me? Who is Jesus? You cannot sell Jesus to people if you do not know Jesus, and if he has done nothing for you. People will see right through you and know that you are only trying to gather people to your church. But, you do not really care about their soul salvation, their emotional, financial and spiritual life. Some people need to have others listen to them, but are not putting any thing out that can broken the yoke. People are only ready to listen after their yoke is broken.
Jesus feed the people before preaching to them. Hungry bellies and sick bodies does not listen well. The same reason why God want people save, is the same reason you and I must have in order for the Holy Spirit to give us an harvest of souls.
A woman must be able to tell, that a man desires her even before they spoken to each other. Also, she must be able to tell the extend of his passion from a distance. A sinner who is dead in trespasses and sins must be able to look on a person and see Christ in you. Because, Christ in you is the hope of glory
People wanting to come to God. But, people are scared of falling in a cult like situation. People do not want to come out of one bondage only to come into another bondage.
Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
CALLING AND TRAINING OF A SOUL WINNERS:
Proverbs 11:30 (KJV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
It is bad business to try to win souls for Christ when Christ did not call, train, anoint, and sent you. You cannot work for God if you are not cover with his spirit. If you insults, and hurt Satan in the process, you will not hear the end of it. Satan will take revenge upon you. The lord must call you for a work before you get involve with it.
Isaiah 30:1 (KJV) Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
The anointing to do the job is only going to be possible, if you are called for that same work. Trying to run a tent ministry, if you are not an evangelist, get one. He or she must know the word, know human nature, and know how to present the gospel intelligently, so as not to insult the people. It only take one match stick to put a tent on fire.
PURIFIED YOUR HEARTS BEFORE YOU STARTS
Isaiah 52:11 (KJV)---; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. One of my deacon went over a woman's house to present Christ to her, before it was over she get him in bed and show him a things of two. Sinners can see through you. We cannot fool sinners like how we fool Church people.
DOING THE MINISTRY EXPENSIVELY
There are many form of evangelism. Each form take on a different techniques to execute. Radio Ministry Radio ministry is very effective, but can be expensive. Tv ministry is even more expensive, and much more effective. Tent ministry is also, effective, but tents do not come cheap. Also, it does not take much to set a tent on fire if the preacher insults the people while presenting Christ to them. Running a revival service or crusade is not so cheep either but effective.
DOING THE MINISTRY INEXPENSIVELY
Winning souls for Christ does not have to be expensive. Pastors must train every members to be soul winners. There are DVD, booklets and free resources on the net. Pastor could use those resources to train members to be soul winners. The truth is this, if we walk close to the lord, he can teach us how to be fishers of men.
GOSPEL TRACT DISTRIBUTION
Gospel tracts distribution is a very effective tool in soul winning. The problem is this, the gospel tracts that the churches, are using to win souls years ago cannot work today. The only way people are going to spent the time to read any thing you give them, it must be related in some way to the person's problem. It have to provide information on solving some problem that they had. A man that is having problem with his wife will be quick to read on article on "How to deal with women" He does not wan to hear about. Hell, fornication, adultery and alcoholic beverage.
HOW TO DISTRIBUTED GOSPEL TRACT
Do not put gospel tracts on people cars, in their mail box or door knob. Do not leave it where people can slide on it, and fell. If you hand out gospel tracts at the flea market, have a member go back to the flea market before they close and pick up the tracts that the people throw away. Some flea market will use this to stop Christians from handing out tracts in their flea market. Saying, "They have to pay to clean up the tracts" "Hello sir! Is it ok if I give you a gospel tracts?"
The person reply. What is it? The title must be eye catching. How to build strong relationship with other people. As the person take the tract, pronounce a blessing upon he or she. The lord blessing be upon you. Do not hand out gospel tracts to other church people, they already have religion. A group of Mormon turn up at my church service, in Hartford CT, giving out books and tracts right in the Church. I have never came across another group of ill-trained and ill-mannered people. When doing personal evangelism, you must never get into a doctrinal fight with religious fanatics.
PERSONAL EVANGELISM
You must go out two by two, when you are going to do personal evangelism. The both of you must not be talking to a sinner at the same time. One doing the talking and one must be praying silently in the heart. If you are doing your personal soul winning in a mix community. One white person and one black must go out. One woman and one man. If you are knocking on doors, it is never good to sent out two women or two men. Do not go close to dinner time, people do not like to be disturbed at dinner time. If the people said that they have religion, bless them and move on. Never condemn their religion or try to show them what is wrong with it. Do not offend people on their premises.
Jeremiah 23:29 (KJV) Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Romans 10:13 (KJV) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Your words cannot change people, remember that. The Bible verse is like sperm, unless the verse is quoted to the sinner, you have done nothing at all. The sinner must hear Rom 10:13 from your mouth. You must understand the doctrines of salvation before you go out there trying to win souls. Personal soul winning, is like hand to hand combat. You can hear the person breathing, you both are looking into each other eyes. Remember! Do not target other religious people
Personal soul winning is one of the most inexpensively form of ministry and the most effective. But, this is the easiest one to turn into a disaster. If the personal witness has no front tooth, fang like teeth; bad smell, bad breath; big draining lips, and rude. The church should never sent out this kind of person. You must be a good listener, you must know the Bible and able to use it well.
Do not be too hungry to be heard. In personal soul winning, you are trying to win a friends. Only speak when the person is ready to listen, but never before. You must know the doctrines of your church, and know the doctrines of other churches in the community were you are doing your personal witnessing.
There are other ministry like prison ministry, hospital ministry, and direct mail ministry. You can get people address from mail order company. The list is not cheap, some of them comes with peal off label. Prisons ministry is rich source, but you have to follow the prison guide line. You cannot go in there behaving that you have more power than the prison officials.
INTERNET MINISTRY:
The cream of the crop is internet ministry. You cannot turn your computer on without things popping up. My first internet ministry was email ministry. When people sent me email, I reply with a web gospel tract. However, web ministry is where it is going today.
YOU WIN A SINNER TO YOUR CHURCH, WHAT NEXT?
There are certain people in the churches who do not want new people to comes in. If the new people are zealous these hate them. I call these "Sheep killers" These will come to the person siting next to you and welcome them. Then welcome the person behind you, and the other person beside you. On the other person on the other side of you. And, passes you by. Now you have to assumed that you are not welcome. They did this to kill the pastor's ministry. I saw old members attacking new converts verbally, even recently.
Pastors only want people to become bench members and good tithes paying subjects. From the moment that you are called to preach, the pastor is upset with you. Most pastor do not love the under dog. This is how you know a genuine pastor who is a servant of God.
EVERY GOD PASTOR SHARE PULPIT
Numbers 27:22 (KJV) And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
Moses have Joshua and Caleb. Paul has Titus and Timothy. Every good pastor has somebody in the church, in training to take over if he or she got sick. I have seen one Church close down in New York. The pastor never like a under dog. When he took sick and went back to Jamaica, there was no one in the church to take the pulpit, because he never encourage that. The church was force to close down. It take the whole church working together to win souls. Women falling down and exposing themselves on the ground saying they got fill, causes people to stay away from church. This scared young people away from the faith. Young people said. They love Jesus but do not want the Holy Ghost. Base on how they saw church people operates in the spirit.
THE SINNER MUST BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A GOD:
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
THE SINNER MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD IS READY TO FORGIVE HIM:
Isaiah 55:7 (KJV)Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
THE SINNER MUST BELIEVE THAT CHRIST DIED FOR HIM:
Romans 5:6 (KJV) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:8 (KJV)But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Cor. 15:3-8 (KJV) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: [6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. [7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. [8] And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN KEEP HIM:
Ephes. 3:20 (KJV) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Jude 1:24 (KJV) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
PERFECTING THE SAINTS IS A WORK OF GOD:
1 Peter 5:10 (KJV) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.
THE SINNER MUST KNOW THAT ONLY JESUS CAN SAVE THEM:
Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
THE SINNER MUST MAKE A DECISION TODAY:
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
2 Cor. 6:2 (KJV) (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
BOW YOUR HEAD AND PRAY THIS PRAYER:
Lord I am a sinner and need your salvation. Forgive all my sins. I accept your son Jesus as my savior today.
We can sing with the song writer" I rise walk in heaven's own light above the world and sin with heart made pure and garments white, and Christ en-throned with in. The cleansing stream I see I see I plunge, and O It cleans-eth me. O praise the Lord, it cleans-eth me, it cleans-eth me yes, cleans-eth me."
DROP ALL PRE-CONCEIVE IDEAS OF CHRISTIANITY:
Drop all preconceived ideas of Christianity because these conflict with the reality of Christianity. The lord will live the life through you day by day. You do not drop things from your life on your own. The spirit of God will walk you out of sins in his own time.
FIRST HUMBLING YOU:
Ephes. 2:8-9 (KJV)For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If you stop sins and get holy before God's timing you will begin to boast how it is your own magnetism got you so far, then you became a source of discouragement to others. Therefore, you are going to stuck upon a sin or two. The sin always getting the better of you. This will push you to always accept God's grace, and to see your own frailness.
1 John 1:8 (KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
TO CONTINUE GROWING IN GOD:
1 Peter 2:2 (KJV) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
2 Peter 1:5-10 (NKJV) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.
FINDING OUT YOUR CALLING:
When I was newly save, the believers always, ask me if I know the will of God for my life! I never really know what they were talking about. Every person that was saved had a mission and a gift. However, because you are just a babe in Christ you do not know any of these. As you go on with the lord his will for you will unfolds day bay day. Do not run off and make any big commitment. Your mate has to be tailor made for you by God. You are now a citizen of heaven. Heaven does not rule by democracy. You cannot serve God with democratic mind set.
WHAT YOU MUST DROP OFF:
Hebrews 12:1 (Living Bible) Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.
Ephes. 4:31 (Living Bible) Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives.
Col. 3:8 (Living Bible) but now is the time to cast off and throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language.
GET A GOOD BIBLE, AND FIND A GOOD CHURCH:
One of the best Bibles out there is the New King James Version. Dake's annotated Bible is very good. Next, you need a living bible to make some thing simple.
Hebrews 10:25 (Living Bible) Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM BEING SPOILED BY MAN:
Col. 2:8 (KJV)Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Hebrews 13:9 (KJV) Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Seven Ways that People Can Spoil Christians:
1. Through philosophy (Col. 2:8)
2. Through vain deceit (Col. 2:4,8,18-19)
3. Through human traditions (Col. 2:8)
4. Through human religion and world principles contrary to the gospel (Col. 2:8,14-23; note, §Galatians 4:3)
5. Through circumcision (Col. 2:11-13; Acts 15:1; Romans 4:9-16; Galatians 5:1-11)
6. Through the law of Moses, demanding observance of the laws on meats, drinks, holy days, new moons, feasts, and sabbaths (Col. 2:14-17)
7. Through cults that puff up and imitate the gospel (Col. 2:18-23)
By all these means, unsuspecting souls are being carried off as plunder and booty by false teachers. The founders of false religions and human philosophies which pamper the flesh and give their victims elated feelings of importance make an appeal to them.
Christianity is loaded down with some false concept. Some little believe system, which are spread by false believers. One of such teaching is that you must Look like Christians "How does Christians look?" Genuine Christianity is not an external thing but of the heart and spirit.
Micah 6:8 (KJV)He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
When cults capture a newly converted Christians, the cult first job on that new believer is to close their mind. Preventing the new believer from reading any material from other churches. So that new believer will never get out of their trap.
YOUR HORMONE DOES NOT STOP WORKING WITH CHRISTIANITY:
Philip. 3:20-21 (KJV)For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: [21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Romans 8:23 (KJV) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Our bodies were not save at conversion. The work of redemption took place in your spirit man. Our body will be redeemed at the return of our lord. We are still waiting for the redemption of our body.
According to Philip 3:20-21 and Romans 8:23. You are still going to have urges. You have to present your body to the lord as a living sacrifice. Not dead one. Living sacrifice give trouble, you will have trouble keeping that body tied to the altar. However, as you and I grow in the lord what seem impossible will be quite possible.
The Bearers Of The Mind Sword
