Leading People to Christ II - Spiritual Growth for New Believers

Chapter 2: Going to People on Behalf of God

It is not enough just to go to God on behalf of people; we also need to go to people on behalf of God, telling them what God is like. Many people have the courage to speak to God, but they lack the courage to speak to people. We must train ourselves to have the courage to speak to people and tell them what kind of Lord we have. When speaking to people, there are several things that we need to pay special attention to.

1. Never Engage in Pointless Debates

The first point is to never engage in pointless debates. This does not mean that all debates are to be avoided. There are several instances of debates in the Acts of the Apostles, and even Paul engaged in debates (see Acts 17:2, 17:17-19). However, pointless debates do not win people over. Sometimes, a little debate may be beneficial for the listeners, but when it comes to the person you are trying to save, avoid debates as much as possible because debates often drive people away rather than draw them in. If you argue with someone, they may just walk away.

Many people think that debates can move people's hearts, but that is not the case. Debates, at best, only make a person’s mind submit. They may remain silent, but their hearts are not convinced. Therefore, debates are not very useful. Instead of debating, speak of your testimony. Simply share that believing in the Lord Jesus brings joy to your heart, peace to your soul, restful nights, and food that tastes good—these are things that cannot be debated. People will have to admit that these are amazing things. Point out that they do not have the joy you have, nor the peace, so they should believe in the Lord.

2. Focus on the Facts

The technique for leading people to the Lord is about focusing on the facts. Think about how you were saved—you did not believe just because you understood the doctrine. Many people may understand the doctrine very well but still do not believe. If a brother tries to lead someone to the Lord through doctrinal arguments, that is not effective. The technique for leading someone to the Lord is to focus on the facts. Often, it is the simple ones who can lead others to the Lord, while those who are good at explaining doctrine may not necessarily be successful. Some people may explain doctrines well, and others may agree with them in their minds, but that does not bring salvation—what good is that?

There was an elderly man who, though unsaved, went to church every Sunday because he thought it was a good habit. He even made his whole family go. However, at home, he would frequently lose his temper and say all sorts of nasty things. The whole family was afraid of him. One day, his daughter, a believer, visited him with her little daughter. The old man took the granddaughter to the church. After leaving the church, the granddaughter looked at her grandfather and felt that he didn’t seem like a real believer. She asked him, “Do you believe in Jesus?” The grandfather replied, “Little children should not speak.” After a while, she asked him again, “Why don’t you believe in Jesus?” This little child noticed a fact—that her grandfather, who went to church, was different from other believers. This old man, who was harsh and difficult for many people to handle, was softened after a few questions from his granddaughter. From that day on, he accepted the Lord.

Evangelism requires skill. You must understand God's way in order to evangelize. Otherwise, even if your doctrine is correct, when a group of people listens, they will leave without being saved. Fishing with a straight hook will never catch fish. Hooks for fishing should be bent so they can catch the fish. Those who lead people to the Lord must know how to use the right hook. Some words can catch people, while others will not, so you need to change your approach. The words that focus on facts are like hooks that can touch people's hearts.

3. Attitude Must Be Sincere

Do not focus too much on doctrine; rather, share the facts with people, and always maintain a sincere attitude. Saving souls is absolutely no joke. We have seen someone who wanted to lead others to salvation and was willing to pray, but their attitude was wrong. They would talk about the Lord while telling jokes. This drained all the spiritual power and made it impossible for them to lead others to the Lord. Therefore, your attitude must always be sincere; it cannot be lighthearted or flippant. People need to see that this is the most serious matter in the world.

4. Pray for Opportunities to Speak

You should also always pray for opportunities to speak to others. If you pray, God will give you opportunities to speak.

There was a sister who gathered many women for Bible study once a week. These women all worked at the same company and were not believers. Among them was one woman who was especially beautiful and very proud, and no words seemed to reach her. The sister prayed for her, asking God to give her an opportunity to speak to her. One day, she felt she should invite this woman to her house for tea. The woman, seeking social interaction, accepted the invitation. The sister encouraged her to believe in the Lord, but the woman replied, “I cannot believe. I love playing cards, I love enjoying life, and I don’t want to lose these things. I cannot believe in Jesus.” The sister said, “If you want to believe in Jesus, you must give up playing cards; if you want to believe in Jesus, you must give up vanity.” The woman responded, “The price is too high; I can’t afford it.” The sister said, “I hope you will think about it.” She continued praying for her.

Later, the woman went home, knelt down, prayed, and suddenly decided, “I’ve made up my mind. Today, I will follow the Lord Jesus.” Something in her heart changed. She changed her appearance and no longer dressed the way she used to. A wonderful thing followed: within a year, many of her coworkers were brought to the Lord, one by one.

Some people may seem difficult to speak to, but if you pray for them, God will give you the opportunity, and they will change. The sister who studied the Bible with her had once been afraid to speak to this woman because of her pride, but after praying, she took the opportunity to speak. When you pray, God will open doors for you to speak.

5. Speak at All Times, Whether Convenient or Not

As mentioned before, you should first pray for people and then speak to them. However, this does not mean you should never speak to someone if you haven’t prayed for them yet. If you meet someone for the first time, you still need to speak to them. Always seize the opportunity to speak—whether the time is convenient or not. You never know when someone will slip away, so always take the chance to speak when you have it. In your prayer book, you should pray for people by name, even if you don’t know their names: “Lord, please save sinners, no matter who they are, what their names are, please save them.” When you meet someone, if you feel led, speak to them.

If you are not careful, you may miss a soul. Many souls slip through our fingers when they shouldn’t have. I hope that all brothers and sisters will be witnesses for the Lord and bring many people to the Lord.

6. Study Carefully

Each time you lead someone to the Lord, you must study the situation carefully, just like a doctor examines a patient’s condition. A doctor cannot give the same prescription to every patient; to cure a patient, you must prescribe the right medicine for the right illness. Leading someone to the Lord is the same. There is no one who becomes a doctor without learning medicine, and similarly, there is no one who leads others to the Lord without learning how to do it. Many brothers and sisters become skilled in leading others to the Lord because they study each person they lead carefully.

When a new believer begins leading others to Christ, they must work hard to study. Always ask yourself: Why did someone seem to accept the gospel at first but later walk away? Why did someone initially resist but later accept? Why is it that after fishing for a long time, the fish still haven’t been caught? Each time, you must seek the reason, either for why the Holy Spirit was working or not working.

If your efforts to lead someone to Christ fail, never blame others entirely for the failure. Those who can lead others to Christ are always examining themselves. We cannot just wait on the shore hoping that the fish will jump onto the land. Leading others to Christ is not that simple; it requires effort to study what went wrong. There is a skill to evangelism, and this skill is learned as we engage in it. Failure also provides lessons—look at why it failed; success also provides lessons—look at why it succeeded. Every time, you must research the reasons.

If you do this diligently, you will learn many valuable lessons. One day, you will realize something amazing: the people of the world, when it comes to believing in Christ, are almost always of a few types. When you encounter a certain type of person, just speak the right words to them, and they will mostly accept the Lord. Conversely, if you speak the wrong words, they will reject Him. If you know how to handle several types of people, you will be able to handle almost anyone. The people in your prayer book—you will know how to deal with them; the people you meet unexpectedly—you will also know how to deal with them. Whenever someone comes before you, you will recognize the type of person they are. You will know the words to speak to them to lead them to the Lord. If you study each person carefully over a few years, you will become highly skilled at leading people to Christ. One day, you will admit that those who lead people to the Lord have wisdom. If God shows mercy and you lead dozens or even hundreds to salvation, studying each one carefully, you will become a person with great ability in evangelism.