The Art and Science of Soulwinning

The Art and Science of Soulwinning David P. Smith, Th.D.

Copyright © 2021 David P. Smith All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the express written permission of the publisher or copyright holder except for the use of brief quotations as allowed by section 107 of the United States copyright law. First Edition, 2021 Printed in the United States of America by: A Division of: BTC Publications Winter Haven, FL www.baptisttrainingcenter.org Smith, David P., 1947 - The Art and Science of Soul Winning / David Paul Smith 1. Nonfiction → Religion → Christian Life → Spiritual Growth 2. Nonfiction → Religion → Christian Ministry → Evangelism ISBN 13: 978-1-947598-14-0 ISBN 10: 1-947598-14-7 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version, 1769 Oxford Edition.

The Art and Science of Soulwinning David P. Smith, Th.D. A Division of BTC Publications Winter Haven, Florida



TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication...................................................................................... 7 Preface............................................................................................ 9 Chapter 1 The Effect of Changing Terminology....................................... 13 Chapter 2 The New Terminologies in Soulwinning................................. 21 Chapter 3 The Biblical History of Soulwinning / Personal Evangelism................................................................... 27 Chapter 4 A Short History of Soulwinning in America...........................63 Chapter 5 The Art of Personal Soulwinning.............................................. 81 Chapter 6 The Science of Soulwinning......................................................117 Chapter 7 Habits of Highly Effective Soulwinners.................................. 127 Chapter 8 Unknown Soulwinners of Great Significance....................... 131 Chapter 9 The Apparent Decline in Personal Soulwinning.................. 141

Chapter 10 The Impact of Alternative Terminology . for Soulwinning........................................................................... 147 Chapter 11 Signs of Hope............................................................................... 155 End Notes..................................................................................... 159 Bibliography................................................................................. 165

DEDICATION This book is dedicated to all passionate soulwinners. The fields are white and ready to harvest. Who will go with me? “Soulwinning” is written as one word by this writer for the sake of emphasizing the term.



PREFACE The passion for souls cannot be just taught, it must be caught. At the age of five this writer was led to the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior by his mother, who also cared deeply for the salvation of each of her children. He felt her passion for Christ and for the souls of others as well. It was during this time that he learned to put gospel tracts in the neighborhood doors by her example. It was a small community in Hespeler, Ontario, Canada, where he first experienced evangelism. This writer would often listen to Billy Graham’s Television Crusades in black and white television. Billy had a passion for souls. It stirred his heart and the passion for souls was caught. As the years passed and his basic knowledge of the scriptures increased he tried to share his faith with his schoolmates. There wasn’t very much success until the age of sixteen. He was working at his first job, washing dishes at Kip’s Big Boy Restaurant in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he met Tommy, a fellow workmate. He invited Tommy to church one Sunday and they attended the teen class together. The young man heard the gospel probably for the first time in his life from the youth pastor. After class they talked about the lesson with the teacher and then left together walking down an empty hall of the Sunday school building. It was during this walk that the writer asked him if he was saved. He said, “No, I’m not”. “Would you like to be saved?” this writer asked. He said, “Yes”.

10 The Art and Science of Soulwinning Needless to say, there was nervousness and excitement flooding into his soul all at the same time. They knelt and prayed together; Tommy prayed asking Jesus to come into his heart and save him. There was so much joy that he had tears flowing from his eyes. They hugged each other in great spiritual happiness. That was the first soul this author ever led to Christ. From his childhood there had been a hunger for souls. The passion for souls is often first caught, not just taught. The development of relationships with a view to bringing souls to a saving knowledge and profession of faith in Jesus Christ ought to be the goal of every believer in Christ. The art and science of personal soulwinning is a subject of great importance in this age of post-modernism and secular humanism. The passion for souls is at an all-time low and the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ are experiencing an apathy that is at an all-time high. Thom Rainer, from Lifeway, made this observation after conducting an unscientific poll through his Twitter account: “I conducted an unscientific Twitter poll recently to see what church leaders and church members thought of this trend, my specific question was: “Why do you think many churches aren’t as evangelistic as they once were?” The responses arrived quickly and in great numbers, both in public tweets and in direct messages to me. Indeed, I was still receiving responses four days after I sent my Twitter question.” Rainer gives the top fifteen responses to his poll: 1. Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people. 2. Many Christians and church members do not befriend and spend time with lost persons. 3. Many Christians and church members are lazy and apathetic. 4. We are more known for what we are against than what we are for. 5. Our churches have an ineffective evangelistic strategy of “you come” rather than “we go.” 6. Many church members think that evangelism is the role of the pastor and paid staff. 7. Church membership today is more about getting my needs met rather than reaching the lost.

David P. Smith 11 8. Church members are in a retreat mode as culture becomes more worldly and unbiblical. 9. Many church members don’t really believe that Christ is the only way of salvation. 10. Our churches are no longer houses of prayer equipped to reach the lost. 11. Churches have lost their focus on making disciples who will thus be equipped and motivated to reach the lost. 12. Christians do not want to share the truth of the gospel for fear they will offend others. Political correctness is too commonplace even among Christians. 13. Most churches have unregenerate members who have not received Christ themselves. 14. Some churches have theological systems that do not encourage evangelism. 15. Our churches have too many activities; they are too busy to do the things that really matter.1 There are red flags blowing on the horizon of evangelism unlike anything that has happened in two generations. Who would have thought that the day would actually occur when the term “soul winning” would become something to avoid? Who could have imagined that many in America would never have heard the way of salvation, or even the name of Jesus? These are bewildering and trying days, but they are also days of unprecedented opportunity for spreading the Good News, as people from all over the world are immigrating to this exceptional country where the gospel is still openly and freely declared. This writer will be forever indebted to those special men and women who passionately showed the way of soulwinning. Without the examples of men like W.A. Criswell, Billy Graham, Jack Hyles, G.O. Fleming (of Dayton Baptist Temple, Dayton, Ohio; a former mentor and pastor), and my mother, Anne Vera Thiessen Klassen-Smith; this writer would not have caught the passion for souls. Thank you.



CHAPTER 1 THE EFFECT OF CHANGING TERMINOLOGY THE DEFINITION OF SOULWINNING Soul winning is a metaphor for evangelism, or witnessing.2 C.H. Spurgeon said, “Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minister; indeed it should be the main pursuit of every true believer.”3 Soulwinning is the act of personally engaging with individuals for the purpose of sharing the gospel, or the Good News of how Jesus Christ died on the cross, shed His blood as an atonement for our sins, rose from the dead on the third day, and thus offers salvation as a free gift to anyone who repents and believes in Jesus Christ. The objective in sharing the gospel is for the purpose of leading an individual to Christ, giving him/her an opportunity to accept or reject the message at the moment of presentation. In doing so, a soul may be won to Christ or it may remain lost till some later time when hopefully there will be a change of heart. Then there will be another opportunity for someone to come into this person’s life to share the gospel with him. Agrippa was a great example of how many people will not be persuaded easily to be a believer in Christ. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Act 26:28

14 The Art and Science of Soulwinning THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOULWINNING AND WITNESSING The difference between soulwinning and witnessing is similar to throwing bait to a fish instead of catching that fish with a hook and reeling him in to shore.4 Effective witnessing ought to be our method; however, winning a soul to Christ ought to be our goal. There have been countless classes on effective witnessing, but not nearly enough emphasis on how to actually lead a person to Christ. Drawing in the net or reeling in the fish is a skill every fisherman for Christ needs. Why should we satisfy ourselves with just going to where the fish are and not catching any fish? Many mission teams have gone all over the world sharing their faith and witnessing the gospel, but what benefit will there be to the hearers of the gospel if they are not drawn in with the gospel net? Jesus said, “Bring them in”. The disciples caught the passion for souls by watching Jesus, the Master Soulwinner. OPPOSITION TO SOULWINNING TERMINOLOGY While we are looking at these definitions there is an issue of the use of terminology in regards to personal evangelism, or ‘soul-winning.’ Some believe that the term ‘soulwinning’ is not scriptural. The belief is first based on the idea that the term is used only once in the bible, and that only being in the Old Testament. The verse found in Proverbs that uses the term “winneth souls” has also been questioned as to its accuracy in translation. Three different versions reveal the conflict: Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (KJV King James Version) Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives.(HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible) Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls is wise. (YLT Young’s Literal Translation) There are some who doubt the validity of the translation of ‘winneth souls’ in the KJV. Several translations have rendered the phrase as ‘a taking of life’ instead of ‘winning a soul.’ Whether or not this may be a problem only with liberal translations is not the issue. There seems to be legitimacy for this switching of translation even among conservative

David P. Smith 15 translations. It is possible also that the meaning of the text allows for both understandings. If then, the term ‘winneth souls’ is better served as being translated ‘but violence takes lives,’ then there would be a total loss of the word ‘Soulwinner.’ However, Young’s Literal Translation put a balanced light on the thought of ‘winning souls’ by stating ‘… taking souls is wise.’ Since the term ‘soulwinner’ (he that winneth souls) is only used once in scripture and that some doubt its accurate translation, we will look further in scripture to see if we can find justification for this age old usage and understanding of soulwinning. Daniel, the prophet, spoke of the concept of soulwinning in his prophetic book: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. ” Dan 12:3 Without a doubt Daniel refers to those who ‘turn many to righteousness’ as being wise. This correlates with Proverbs 11:30 where it says in nearly all translations, that the person is wise who leads, wins, or takes lives, to righteousness. Albert Barnes comments on Daniel 12:3: And they that turn many to righteousness - Referring to those who would be instrumental in converting men to the worship of the true God, and to the ways of religion. This is very general language, and might be applied to any persons who have been the means of bringing sinners to the knowledge of the truth. It would apply in an eminent degree to ministers of the gospel who were successful in their work, and to missionaries among the pagan. From the mere language, however, nothing certain can be argued as to the original reference as used by the angel, and it seems to have been his intention to employ language so general that it might be applied to all, of all ages and countries, who would be instrumental in turning men to God.5 It would appear that ‘soulwinning’ is a wise thing in which to be actively engaged. Those who engage in soulwinning are dubbed as being wise. Therefore, it cannot be denied that every believer ought to be praying and working to win people to Christ. Additionally, with the present subtle opposition to the term ‘soulwinning’ we would have to observe that those who are doing so are unwise because they are lessening the biblical emphasis on the actual act of leading someone to Christ. By

16 The Art and Science of Soulwinning changing words, we are often diminishing the effect of those words as they were once intended. Over a period of just a few generations the word ‘soulwinner’ is being lost along with the effect that it was intended to have. One result being that personal soulwinning has declined in this postmodern generation. There are some who oppose the term soulwinning because it tends to portray the soulwinner as the one who does the saving of the soul. This is not at all the intention of the texts. It clearly says that the one who leads a soul to righteousness is wise. Wisdom says, bring people to Christ. Those who bring souls to Jesus will rejoice even as the angels in heaven do, but that does not mean they will be braggadocios about what they have done. It is wise to lead people to the paths of righteousness. In the same way, it is wise to lead people to Christ, since Jesus clearly commanded his followers to “go make disciples of all nations” and to become “fishers of men”. It is wise to obey the Master. James the apostle refers to the importance of soulwinning when he said, “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”  (James 5:20) Turning a sinner from the error of his way is ‘soulwinning.’ The evangelist has reached out to a sinner and takes the sinner’s life out of the clutches of the devil by introducing the love of Christ which covers a multitude of sins. Although the soulwinner delights in this and the fact that God used him to show the way, yet he does not boast of his work, but instead the work of God! Man can save no one, not even himself. It is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. The soulwinner praises God, even as the angels in heaven rejoice over one soul that is saved. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:10) OPPOSITION TO SOUL WINNING HAS ROOTS IN REFORMED THEOLOGY Not surprisingly, opposition to soulwinning among evangelicals can be traced to Reformed Theology. There is a strong emphasis on Calvinism occurring in many major theological seminaries. It appears that the quest for higher knowledge and intellectualism has been usurping the idea of true ‘soulwinning.’ Here is a quote from Davis Huckabee a reformed theologian:

David P. Smith 17 We are assured from Scripture that all of God’s elect will come (not be brought) to Christ: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). “No man can come to me, except the Father (not the ‘soul-winner’) which hath sent me, draw him” (John 6:44). Yet some confidently affirm, that many souls are in hell today because of the failure to “win souls.” What a travesty upon the justice of God, to claim that He sends souls to hell for the sins of neglect of the saved! We do not serve such a God. Every one of those for whom Christ died will ultimately be saved, for Christ has entered into a covenant of redemption with the Father and the Spirit to give eternal life to them (John 17:2), and it is the believer’s duty and privilege to be an instrument of making this salvation known to men (John 17:3). But the Lord will not fail because His people are negligent, and the only loss will be the joys and rewards that the saved would have had if they had been obedient.6 Calvinism has stealthily crept into many evangelical churches (Baptists are included as Evangelicals) and has been one of the major contributing factors to the decline of soulwinning. There are many ‘closet Calvinists’ among Evangelicals. In other words, there are many pastors and ministry leaders who may claim that they believe in ‘soulwinning’ yet have little or no heart for it because they somehow believe that God will save those that are going to be saved with or without them. There is also a strong belief that, of course, we cannot save anyone, which is scriptural. However, there are several scriptures that use the term ‘save’ in a way which we probably would not use in order to avoid confusion. Following are some examples of those scriptures: “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” - 1 Corinthians 9:22 “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.” - Romans 11:14 “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” - Jude 22, 23 “For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?” - 1 Corinthians 7:16.

18 The Art and Science of Soulwinning Obviously we understand that Paul never intended to convey the thought that anyone could possibly save the soul of another. He was simply explaining the physical and spiritual effort that would be employed in sharing with others how souls could be saved. THE “LAST DAYS ARE UPON US” PREACHING CAN DETER SOULWINNING The constant preaching of some, that the Last Days are upon us, can be a dangerous deterrent to soulwinning. There is no doubt that the signs of the last days are evident everywhere. However, it stands to reason that since the present days are becoming more evil that there would be a greater concentration to win souls to Christ than ever before. Especially as we see that great day approaching! It appears that some delight in doomsday prophesying. Many fundamentalist pulpits seem to relish in the idea of the end being upon us and imminent judgment hanging over our heads. There are many pulpits proclaiming repentance and judgment without any serious effort to evangelize those who are in danger of hell’s fire. In fact, more often than not, the same faithful members of churches are regularly subjugated to the bully pulpit of God’s pending judgment rather than being encouraged, by example, to go soulwinning. This writer also believes in the imminent judgment that is coming. Yet, this cannot be the sole topic of preaching Sunday after Sunday. Since the world is degenerating rapidly there seems to be an attitude of “Why should we try to win them to Christ since they are not interested in our message?” Additionally, since “the love of many is growing colder, it is useless to even try to evangelize”; according to some. The imminency of the return of Christ ought to stir us to fever pitched evangelism! How can we stand by while the lost around us are perishing in this wicked world without having heard the gospel even once? It should be noted that one of the reasons for the spiritual and moral decay of America is the churches neglect of soul winning according to Richard Flanders.7 So, if we want to see America become spiritually strong reversing the trends of wickedness, we must train our churches to become ‘soulwinning churches.’ It is critical that the churches catch the passion for souls, for everyone’s sake.

David P. Smith 19 DIVERTING SOULWINNING TO A SOCIAL GOSPEL Every time there was a surge of soulwinning in the great revivals of the past there was an obvious diversion to social work that occurred. Even the great evangelist William Booth, who started the Salvation Army, would never have thought that the Army would have become better known for its social work than its gospel work. Christmas Santa’s ringing bells at the local Wal-Mart and shopping malls do not win souls to Christ, much less give a gospel witness. Booth would roll over in his grave if he saw what has happened with his great evangelistic outreach he established in the 1800’s. Churches are becoming very active in community wellbeing. They are increasingly changing their approach to evangelism by ‘giving back to the community.’ Jeff Christopherson (Vice President of NAMB) planted The Sanctuary Church in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with the theme of “giving back to the community”. It was an awesome concept and very successful. Jeff advocated the importance of merging two concepts: evangelism and service. He illustrates this concept by explaining that if Billy Graham and Mother Theresa got together spiritually and had a spiritual child, it would be the perfect example of combining evangelism and service. A great evangelist combined with a great servant. As long as this marriage exists without Adam yielding to Eve’s temptation it would be a good relationship. Once again, there is the danger of falling into a social gospel ring of fire. The example of churches like Steve Sjogren’s, Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, has stirred thousands of believers to do “random acts of kindness.”8 This has resulted in many coming to Christ. The danger exists that many will resort to the ‘random acts of kindness’ rather than sharing the gospel. Presently, many souls have been brought to Christ. However, the inevitability of soulwinning being put aside in favor of acts of kindness will continue to be a very real temptation, since it is more convenient to be kind than it is to be a soulwinner. Mother Theresa was a wonderful example of showing kindness to the ‘untouchables’ of India. The question remains, how many of those untouchables came to know Christ and the forgiveness of sin? May every act of kindness be a stepping stone to bringing others to Christ.



CHAPTER 2 THE NEW TERMINOLOGIES IN SOULWINNING Over the last fifty years it has been this author’s observation that an opposition to the term soulwinner, or soulwinning, has become a negative instead of the positive for which it was intended. For instance, the term “soulwinning” has been systematically replaced with other phrases such as ‘personal evangelism,’ ‘effective witnessing,’ ‘sharing your faith,’ ‘lifestyle evangelism,’ ‘Servant evangelism,’ ‘missional,’ to mention a few. All of which have a place in describing different forms of evangelism of which there are many, however, these new terms also have a tendency to dilute the effectiveness of soulwinning. The above terms all have significance for the good for which they were intended. Each one is describing a way in which one could integrate soulwinning into his daily life. The problem with these new terms of describing soulwinning is that they also create a path that leads away from actual soulwinning as the primary task of the believer. PERSONAL EVANGELISM The emphasis of ‘personal evangelism’ as a term replacing ‘soulwinning’ is a very innocent one. R.A. Torrey (1856-1928) was one of many who used the term ‘Personal Work’ in reference to soulwinning. He often referred to this work as winning souls to Christ on a personal level. He said, “. . .it is the

22 The Art and Science of Soulwinning simplest form of Christian work, the kind that everyone can do. It is also the most effective method of winning lost souls.”9 Certainly a soulwinner is someone who does personal evangelism. This evangelism is done one-on-one; hence—personal. What is not understood by some is that personal evangelism is not referring to evangelism being something personal. In other words, some feel that if we choose to witness to someone it is our business and not anyone else’s. It becomes so personal that some actually believe it is their choice to witness if they so choose. We all have the freedom to witness when we choose, but the Lord gives us the command to be witnesses for Him everywhere and as often as possible. As innocent as this term ‘personal evangelism’ may be, it has its own little problems. Torrey tells a story about a blind woman that felt that personal work was beneath her dignity. Many have expressed this sentiment over the years. She felt that it would be far more beneficial to speak to hundreds about Christ at once rather than one-to-one personal work. She asked him the question, “Do you think that my blindness will hinder me from working for the Master?” “Not at all” responded Torrey, “it may be a great help to you, for others seeing your blindness will come and speak to you, and then you will have an opportunity of giving your testimony for Christ, and of leading them to the Saviour.” “Oh”, she responded, “that is not what I want; it seems to me a waste of time when one might be speaking to five or six hundred at once; just to be speaking to an individual.”10 Winning lost souls (soulwinning) has been demoted by many a believer in the pew by suggesting that it is the work of the pastor, or the evangelist, or the Sunday School teacher, but not their work. So soulwinning became known as Personal Evangelism because it became less of a threat to those who chose not to call it soulwinning or personally winning souls to Christ. However, this is not a serious moving away from good terminology; it is nonetheless the beginning of it. By the way, there has been a strong emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit in our generation. Evangelism has been categorized as a gift of the Holy Spirit by Elmer Towns, in his Spiritual Gifts Inventory Test.11 This suggests that only those who have the gift of evangelism are best suited to do personal soulwinning thus unintentionally eliminating all others from the responsibility of being a soulwinner for Christ. This has caused some unfortunate damage

David P. Smith 23 among many believers. The work that Towns did was very helpful in guiding many to discover their spiritual gifts. It is this writer’s opinion that Towns did not intend that result to his work. In fact, it would make sense that he made a strong case for some being more disposed to evangelism than others. In fact, Elmer Towns caught the passion for souls through Jerry Falwell, now deceased (former pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA) and founder of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Additionally, some who believe that since the term evangelist is used in the bible in reference to being a spiritual gift, use Philip the evangelist, Acts 21:8, as an example that soulwinning refers to those who are called to be evangelists. Yet, Paul clearly establishes that evangelism is a work, (II Timothy 4:5) when he instructed Timothy, a young pastor, to “do the work of an evangelist.” The implication is whether you have the gift or not, do the work of an evangelist. Be a soulwinner! EFFECTIVE WITNESSING The emphasis of Effective Witnessing was stressed greatly while this author was in seminary. Of course, we all want to be effective in our witnessing. This is a noble thought that we would want to be more effective in witnessing. What does ‘effective witnessing’ mean? Let’s break it down into two thoughts via Webster’s dictionary: 1. To be effective is producing a result that is wanted; having an intended effect; 2. Someone who sees something happen and tells exactly what happened.12 These two thoughts basically say: we are attempting to produce a desired result by telling exactly what happened. In other words; we are expecting someone to become a believer by simply telling them the Good News. This sounds logical doesn’t it? Even Paul the apostle said it this way: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” Romans 10:14a. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 There is an assumption made by those who promote effective witnessing that if you simply share the gospel people will be saved on their own, without any effort of ‘soulwinning.’ It is agreed that people can be saved, and will be saved, by simply reading or hearing the Word of God, if they understand that they need to act upon what they have heard. But there is something missing; it is the soulwinning component in the context that precedes verse fourteen.

24 The Art and Science of Soulwinning But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:8-9. There needs to be a proclaimer, a preacher, a soulwinner to help. There needs to be a believing and confessing which results in salvation. Most people who are witnessed to in the ‘effective’ manner are often left to themselves to figure out on their own how to make this message real in their lives. The lost need someone to explain, announce, and proclaim the way of salvation so that a person can be saved at that very moment. Effective witnessing will result in a clear invitation to Christ. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Romans 10:14-15. The necessity of calling on the name of the Lord for Salvation is often not explained very well at all. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) In fact, it is not very effective witnessing when the proclaimer of the Good News simply says now go home and think on these things. The soulwinner, on the other hand, will encourage the seeker of truth to call on the Lord to save him at that instant, offering to pray with him and for him, so that the lost person might know that he has been saved by the grace of God. In this fashion the new convert will receive assurance of his salvation as well. It is also noted that using pressure tactics to win someone to Christ is not at all acceptable. Hyper-evangelism removes the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and often creates a false profession of faith doing more harm than good. SHARING YOUR FAITH Sharing one’s faith ought to be the daily endeavor of every believer. What does it mean to share your faith? Unfortunately, this particular phrase has removed the element of soulwinning and replaced it with living a good example, living for Christ before others, letting people see Christ in you. It is akin to Lifestyle Evangelism. It is certainly not wrong to share our faith

David P. Smith 25 over a cup of coffee, or in any kind of venue. What is wrong is when we put off the idea of leading someone to Christ at that time, or at least explaining to them how to be saved. Some folks who will share their faith are of the persuasion that the person they are witnessing to ought to feel convicted enough to ask a reason for the hope that lies within us. If sharing your faith does not include a clear path to salvation, then what will happen to that poor person’s soul if he were to die before he had a reason to believe and accept Christ as his Savior? LIFESTYLE EVANGELISM This writer knows of many Christians who prefer to live their lives in such a way that the lost will be persuaded to approach them and ask, “Sir, I have watched your wonderful Christian life, would you please show me how to become a Christian?” The naivety of some is astounding at times. There is very little information available regarding the success of Lifestyle Evangelism. The idea of this approach to evangelism is based upon caring for others in a meaningful way that will be noticed by people around us. Joe Aldrich, author of Lifestyle Evangelism, says we must become. “the visible expression of the invisible God. People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.”13 This method of evangelism is neither practical nor logical. First, most Christians are not thinking about how to be caring enough that the lost would notice. Secondly, one’s lifestyle is most likely to have the opposite effect. No one is sinless. It only takes one inappropriate word spoken at an inconvenient time to turn a seeker into a scorner. Even a negative attitude can be viewed from a distance and be interpreted in a fashion that might turn the seeker away from that believer. It is also unscriptural to think of replacing soulwinning with Lifestyle because everywhere in the New Testament we are instructed to ‘make disciples,’ ‘be witnesses’ (speak words), ‘preach the gospel.’ There is a well-known phrase that has been repeated frequently by well-meaning people: “Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words”. This statement makes one reflect on his Christian lifestyle but relegates the preaching of the gospel to the lowest place possible. This statement suggests that the best way to proclaim the gospel is to not use words, which is completely contrary to the Word of God. Using proclamation (spoken words) is the commanded form of communicating the gospel by Jesus: Then He said to them, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

26 The Art and Science of Soulwinning MISSIONAL Missional is the latest catchword throughout evangelical and Baptist circles. It is a word that Ed Stetzer explains: Missional means adopting the posture of a missionary, learning and adapting to the culture around you while remaining biblically sound. Think of it this way: missional means being a missionary without ever leaving your zip code. The comment that Stetzer is making refers to the manner in which churches need to conduct themselves evangelistically. A missional church is “on mission”. Time for another definition: on mission means, being intentional and deliberate about reaching others.15 Churches ought to be intentionally and deliberately reaching out to the lost. The difficulty with being missional is that it now becomes the church’s responsibility to evangelize taking the emphasis off of the individual thus creating a sense of ‘the church can do it,’ hence unintentionally removing the personal mandate. Being missional also creates a local mission focus rather than balancing mission to be both local and global. Jesus instructed the early church to be doing both at the same time: “And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. Acts 1:8 Most of the above terms that have been discussed are fairly acceptable; all of them contain biblical content and purpose. It is the opinion of this writer that although these terms have been used innocently, they have inadvertently caused harm to the cause of personal soulwinning by depreciation. One direct result of replacing ‘soulwinning’ with modern terminology is a decline in personal evangelism. And the decline in evangelism is very noticeable today. However, the usage of different terminologies cannot be the sole reason for the decline of evangelism; but it is definitely symptomatic. How do we restore the passion of soulwinning among believers? What will we need to do to bring our churches back to a vision for soulwinning? Perhaps, by looking back into the Word of God we can catch the passion for souls once more.

CHAPTER 3 THE BIBLICAL HISTORY OF SOULWINNING / PERSONAL EVANGELISM JEHOVAH SETS THE EXAMPLE OF SOULWINNING Reviewing the biblical history of soulwinning will remind us of God’s passion to rescue the perishing. Historically, soulwinning began when God announced that the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, Genesis 3:15. This scripture becomes the springboard for setting into motion a plan from before the foundation of the world that would save the souls of Adam’s race. Soulwinning begins in Genesis chapter three with the example of Jehovah God: Gen 3:8-9 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? The LORD did not have to go looking for Adam and Eve in the garden. He knew exactly where they were and precisely what they had done. Please note that Adam and Eve were hiding from God. Their sinful act opened their eyes to their disobedience and they became sorely

28 The Art and Science of Soulwinning convicted of it. They were hiding because they were ashamed of their treacherous decision to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were also ashamed of their nakedness which was a direct consequence of their sin. Shame should follow sin. Although, where ignorance of the law is rife, shame is often absent. Adam knew the law of God, and he broke it anyways, pleasing his wife instead. The LORD’s decision to go looking for Adam and Eve was based on His intrinsic nature of Holiness, Love and Mercy. Jehovah wanted to restore his fallen creations. It is His nature to come looking for sinners before they even think to seek after Him because of His love for us. 1John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. It should be added here, that many suppose that the Greek words rendered “we love” (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν) hēmeis agapōmen are not in the indicative, but in the subjunctive; and that this is an exhortation - “let us love him, because he first loved us.”15 His loving us first, reveals His passion for the souls of mankind. It is because He loved us first that we are to love Him. His love is first initiated by Him and we ought to respond to His love by acknowledging our sin, believing that He really is there for us, ready to forgive us and accept us. And so we ought to be quick to love the lost, showing them the goodness of God in our character and words, because He will draw the lost to Him when He is lifted up. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) Through us, His channels of grace, He draws men and women to Himself. We then experience God in us, His passion for souls, His love, and mercy shown through His goodness. Not only does God love us first but He shows us goodness rather than wrath and judgment, which in turn leads us to repent of our sins and accept His gracious love, if we only will. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4) The human nature suffers convicting guilt upon disobedience of the law. God has instilled this in the human psyche, or spirit. It is a trigger mechanism in man’s conscience designed to cause man to seek after forgiveness from his Divine Maker. The source of this conviction comes

David P. Smith 29 directly from our Holy Judge, The Heavenly Father. But the conviction of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee repentance as Cain evidenced when he was confronted by God twice: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Genesis 4:7 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Genesis 4:16 How very disturbing to see that Cain rejects God’s appeal to him. Jehovah is the Redeemer offering His sacrifice for sins to Cain. First Cain refuses to offer a blood sacrifice. Then in stubborn rebellion he resists God’s appeal to offer an acceptable offering. Finally, in a lust for vengeance against his brother Abel, he sins by killing his brother; then God judges him. Even then God shows mercy to him after he complained that his judgment was too great to bear. Can you see the compassion of Jehovah? Can you feel His Mercy pouring out in spite of Cain’s sin? This is the passion for souls that we must have. We cannot win everyone to Christ, but we can offer the love of God to everyone that they might turn to Him and be saved. Jehovah revealed His passion for the souls of Israel by seeking them when they were lost and enslaved in Egypt. He heard their cry and He sent a messenger, Moses. God has done that over the ages. He has sent a messenger of the Good News wherever there has been a request. When people seek after God they will find Him. Israel, while in bondage to Egypt, cried out to God because of their difficult labor, and the cry for help ascended to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. Exodus 2:24-25 Once Moses arrived, after being exiled forty years from Egypt, he revealed himself as God’s deliverer for Israel by approaching Pharaoh and proclaiming God’s message of deliverance for Israel. God had a messenger who would proclaim all of God’s Word to Pharaoh. Moses was passionate for the souls of Egypt. He caught God’s passion for souls. A huge majority of Egyptians rejected Moses’ message, but not all. If you recall, there was a large mixed multitude that came out of Egypt

30 The Art and Science of Soulwinning with the Israelites. There were many other ethnic groups present in Egypt that believed in Moses message. Moses shared the Good News of God’s deliverance with as many as possible, and God blessed His Word. “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.” Exodus 12:38 Moses was the prototype; the foreshadowing of Jesus. Moses was the first pastor of a multi-ethnic gathering. Moses declared there would be someone else like him that would rise up and lead Israel. Some thought he might be talking about Joshua; others weren’t sure of whom he spoke until the believers heard Peter preach on Pentecost. “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” Acts 3:22 Was Moses a soulwinner? He was somewhat of an evangelist for sure. He was a deliverer. He had great passion for the children of Israel. He cared for their souls and even prayed for them that God would not cast them away in His anger. He prayed as an intermediary for them to God. He cared for their souls. What did God have in mind for the prophet who would come? Obviously, He would be a deliverer. He would be seeking the lost and rescuing them from Egypt, the lost world. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” John 20:21 God had souls on his mind when he sent Moses to deliver Israel. God also used Moses as a prophetic example of what Jesus’ mission would be. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. We too are sent out by Him to reach out to the lost and win them to Christ. God has been seeking sinners since the days of Adam and Eve. He has not changed. He is the original soulwinner. OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF SOULWINNING There are limited accounts of what we would call ‘soulwinning’ in the Old Testament. Nonetheless, there are numerous recorded events that lead us to believe there were personal exchanges that involved spiritual conversations which very likely resulted in conversions. From the very beginning it is recorded that men called upon the name of the Lord. Seth, the son of Adam and Eve, replaced Able, whom Cain

David P. Smith 31 killed. It is said that, “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26 Why did they call on the name of the LORD (Jehovah)? What prompted them to do this? Who was proclaiming the Word of God that they should call on Him? Who was evangelizing, encouraging, promoting the name of the LORD? There are no specific answers to this revival among the early inhabitants of the earth except that Seth had set the tone for a spiritual awakening among many. Was Seth a soulwinner? Obviously Seth and his son Enosh had done something that God used to stir the hearts of men and women to call upon His name. The fact remains, “At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” Interestingly enough, it would be from Seth’s line that godly men appeared throughout early history again and again; many of them spiritually inclined, such as Enoch, who walked with God and then was translated into heaven without experiencing death. Then there was Noah, a man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord; a preacher of righteousness for 120 years! The Israelites were instructed to declare the Word of God to all the nations around them. Their obedience in this was limited at best. Moses instructed the people to make sure the stranger (foreigner) got to hear the Word of God. “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.” Deut. 31:12 RAHAB AND THE TWO SPIES An interesting account of a Gentile family being converted is recorded in Joshua 2:1-21. The narrative is of Rahab and the spies. It is fascinating evidence of God’s Word travelling through time and distance. Rahab, after hiding the spies on her rooftop, and sending the search party dispatched by the King of Jericho on a wild goose chase, she approached the men and revealed some startling information: “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have

32 The Art and Science of Soulwinning heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt. . .” Joshua 2:9-10a Bad news travels fast! This was frightening to the inhabitants of several regions including the people of Jericho. We have heard, she said, how the LORD dried up the Red Sea! Paul the apostle clearly stated that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. Rahab was sorely convicted before God and she wanted to be rescued, saved from the oncoming attack of the Israelites. She promised the spies to keep their mission a secret. The spies agreed to spare her and her family. Rahab was instructed to hang a scarlet cord outside of the window of her house which sat on the top edge of the wall of the city. The scarlet cord is a beautiful picture of the blood of the Lamb marking her household even as the blood of the lamb preserved the homes of Israel in Egypt when the first Passover occurred. When Israel marched around Jericho the seventh time on the seventh day her household and all who were with her were saved from the destruction of the city. She had faith in the God of Israel and believed on Him with all of her family. Rahab is mentioned in the genealogy of Christ and in the Hall of Faith of the book of Hebrews: Heb. 11:31; By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. James 2:25; Likewise, also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? Was Rahab saved? According to James the apostle and the book Hebrews, she was! The spies were soulwinners who simply acted upon God’s Word which had already traveled to Jericho and reached Rahab’s ears. The spies were there to harvest the fruit. That is what a soulwinner does. He simply gathers in the harvest. HEBREW MAID Naaman was the captain of the King of Syria’s military. He was a dynamic and courageous soldier having won many victories with the blessing of God. Sometime before the events of this story took place Syria had made raids into Israel stealing men and women, boys and girls, to become slaves and servants in their homes. There was a young maiden that was a captive taken during the many previous

David P. Smith 33 wars who was not afraid to express her faith in the God of Israel. She shared with her mistress how that a prophet named Elisha could heal her master from leprosy. 2Ki 5:2-4; And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. Even though there is no clear account of the Jewish girl expressing her faith, yet it appears obvious that she had plenty to say about a man that could show the way clearly, a prophet named Elisha, who could heal his leprosy. She was a definite witness to the power of Israel’s God. So much so that the King of Syria gave orders to Naaman to go to Israel with some of the king’s treasure to hire the prophet to heal him. He even sent a letter with Naaman to be given to the king of Israel requesting that he be healed! The story unfolds itself with the Captain of the Syrian armies dipping himself 7 times in the Jordan River. He trusted God by faith and was forthwith healed of his leprosy. His ecstatic reply is worth quoting here: (2Kings 5:15) “and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:” Truly this is the declaration of a man that has just placed his faith in God and believed with all of his heart in the one and only God of heaven and earth. Was the little girl a soulwinner? No, but she was a witness that lead to the salvation of the Commander of Syria’s great army. KING DAVID David, as King of Israel, sang a new song unto the Lord while the Ark of the Covenant was being brought into Jerusalem. His song strongly commanded that the glory of God be declared among the heathen (Gentiles and all the nations). David reached his generation with the salvation of God. He even exhorted them to declare His glory among the heathen. A real soulwinner prays for others to become soulwinners. David caught the Passion for souls and was passing it on to the generations which would follow.

34 The Art and Science of Soulwinning Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvelous works among all nations. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. 1Ch. 16:23-27 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. Acts 13:36 ISAIAH, THE PROPHET Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, preached the gospel in his emotionally packed prophetic volume. His prophecy is noteworthy in the singular presentation of the suffering Savior in chapter 53—accompanied by numerous appeals to seek after God. This is an outstanding example of a soulwinner’s heart. No doubt this prophet appealed to as many as would hear him concerning the salvation of the soul, even though many would hear and reject his passionate message. He was an evangelist. He brought a clear invitation to all who would listen: “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.” Isaiah 1:18 The soulwinner is often engaging in discussions with the lost. Isaiah was no stranger to presenting the case of the Savior, the suffering Servant—Messiah. Isaiah knew how to appeal to the individual as well as the masses. (Isa 55:1) “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  (Isa 55:2) Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isa 55:3) Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 

David P. Smith 35 The soulwinner is very conscious of the need to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Without a clear, concise presentation of the gospel there is often little response. Isaiah made it clear to “come, everyone who is thirsty,” He adds further on in chapter 53 verse 6: “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near…for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 53:6, 7b) Apparently there were converts to the messages of the prophets and others that declared the salvation of the Lord during Old Testament days. Isaiah makes mention of foreigners (Gentiles) being converted to the LORD: “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves (convert) to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;” Isaiah 56:6 Isaiah previously states that “Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people. . .” (Isa 56:3a) JONAH Jonah is the most illustrious prophet-evangelist of his day. Unfortunately, he was a reluctant soulwinner. If there can be such a person. I’m sure God has used disobedient and reluctant witnesses because He is no respecter of persons. It is the truth of His Word that is honored in spite of the vessel that may carry the message. Many a backslidden believer has witnessed of the truth to the unbeliever. Nonetheless, God said that His Word would not return void unto Him. What some believers don’t understand is that the Word of the Lord is inestimably more powerful than they can imagine. However, Jonah’s problem was exacerbated even more by his prejudice and bias against the Ninevite people. Jonah had some serious issues not to mention his outright rebellion against God’s will for his life. We cannot condone Jonah’s attitude or prejudice. We must condemn it outright. His negative spirit towards people of another ethnicity and culture are still common today. Believers are to exercise love and compassion towards all people and thereby be able to win some to Christ. Having an unconditional love towards people unlike us is what

36 The Art and Science of Soulwinning God uses to bring the very same people to Him. For the goodness of God leads us to repentance. Once Jonah made up his mind to obey God, the great fish vomited him up on shore. Jonah went quickly, delivering the message of God as a matter of duty, however he lacked passion. He had no heart for it which was evidenced by his sulking attitude under the dried up gourd. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” Jonah 4:1 Nonetheless, God blessed the message even though Jonah had a severely biased attitude towards gentiles. God always blesses the truth when it is preached. Was Jonah a soulwinner? Maybe, but he would more likely be classified as an evangelist. Souls were rescued from God’s judgment according to the scriptures. Thousands repented to God. But we really don’t know that he was a soulwinner. Thanks to the great mercy of our God souls were spared in Nineveh. God finally told Jonah, “should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand…?” Jonah 4:11 DANIEL Daniel is one of the truly outstanding prophets of the Old Testament. Even the angel that had taken 21 days to deliver the message that Daniel was seeking, said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.” (Daniel 10:19). To be beloved by God is no insignificant matter. Why was Daniel such a distinguished prophet? Daniel had a heart for the Lord. In the early years of his captivity, in his youth, he was recognized for his unwillingness to compromise God’s Word. He and three others, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, stood against the edicts of Nebuchadnezzar. He stood for holiness and righteousness in a place that defied it. God preserved him and his three friends. Soul winners are treasured by the Lord. Daniel was a witness to all those around him at every level of authority. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8)

David P. Smith 37 Relationships are so important in being a successful soulwinner. Daniel built relationships with people at all levels. With the Eunuchs, some of whom were chief officials, he had already established an uncommon acceptance and favor. God was blessing Daniel’s separation to godliness: “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel 1:9 Daniel was a witness of his faith in Jehovah God from the beginnings of his prophetic book. His witnessing followed him to each and every succeeding kingdom. He was frequently tested and tried throughout his life as a high official in Babylon. During these many years of his political and administrative responsibilities Daniel managed to affect all those around him in the Spirit of God. Of particular noteworthiness observe Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to the interpretation of the dream he experienced one night: Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.  The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Daniel 2:46-47 Daniel was used of God to impact and convict the heart of the most powerful king on earth, the king of Babylon. He acknowledged that there was a God in heaven who was the God of gods! But this is only the beginning of how God worked in the king’s life. Remember, Daniel is the king’s adviser and counselor. He was one of his chief governing officers. Daniel was with Nebuchadnezzar regularly. Nebuchadnezzar was being convicted of his sin and pride. But that did not dissuade him from erecting a statue of himself, 90 feet tall and 10 feet wide. He ordered everyone to bow down and worship him. The three Hebrew children, Daniel’s friends, also refused to do so. They were hurled into the fiery furnace. They walked about in the furnace without even a hair being singed. Walking with them was a heavenly being, one that looked like the son of God, according to the king’s own words. The furnace was overheated 7 times. The guards even died from the heat; but not Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Once the Hebrews were allowed to exit the furnace, the

38 The Art and Science of Soulwinning officials, including the king, could hardly believe they did not even have the smell of fire on them. The king said, these words: Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Daniel 3:29 Nebuchadnezzar was being sorely convicted. He attempted to redeem himself by making the above stated decree, and then elevating the Hebrew children, rewarding them lavishly. Daniel’s continued presence before the King gave him special insights to the personality of the king. He knew it would take God’s working in the king’s life to humble him. He received a dream from God which revealed a specific plan that would humble Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was somewhat concerned about interpreting the dream for the king realizing how unpredictable he could be. Then reluctantly, after the king adjured him to give the interpretation, Daniel revealed it to him in 4:26: “And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.  Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.” Daniel 4:26-27 Daniel was a soulwinner, even though he had not successfully led Nebuchadnezzar to the LORD; he gave him an excellent witness. As soulwinners today, we are not expected to be successful in leading people to Christ as much as we are expected to be successful in sharing the gospel. We can certainly advise the lost to repent of their sins, but we cannot turn their hearts around. The Holy Spirit of God will work to achieve those results. God was preparing the king’s heart to be humbled in order that he might truly repent and believe God’s message. In God’s gracious timing we read Nebuchadnezzar’s confession of faith and repentance seven long years’ after he lost his sanity: “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants

David P. Smith 39 of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Daniel 4:34-37 There seems to be no doubt but that the king humbled himself before God and repented of his sin. The king was saved by listening to Daniel’s message of faith and repentance. Although, it took well over seven years for the king’s heart to be ripe, yet God did it all. Daniel was a soulwinner; God saved the king! It might take years of waiting for the Holy Spirit to work through a hardened heart, therefore, do not give up on anyone. Daniel concludes his prophetic book with a statement from Michael, the archangel; (Dan 12:3) “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Here is wisdom; lead as many to righteousness as possible. Solomon declared, Prov. 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Wisdom is for the believer to be engaged in actively leading as many to righteousness as is possible. NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF PERSONAL SOULWINNING There are numerous accounts of personal soulwinning in the New Testament. Jesus is the Master Soulwinner. When you walked with Jesus you caught the passion for souls. Who could walk with Jesus and not be profoundly influenced? NICODEMUS, THE PHARISEE (THE RELIGIOUS MAN) The first soulwinning encounter of Jesus was with none other than the Pharisee, Nicodemus. He came to Jesus during the night because he was very reluctant to be seen by his peers. He was afraid of the political and religious ramifications that would certainly occur were he to be

40 The Art and Science of Soulwinning seen with Jesus. And so it is even today, there are many who, for fear of rejection and ostracism, avoid getting too close to Jesus. They are seeking, but they are scared. When a soul becomes more fearful of his eternal destiny than the mocking of his peers, he will overcome fear and make the step forward, but ever so cautiously. Unfortunately, there are many religious people in our world that have not the slightest understanding of who Jesus is. Religious people are often, morally good people. The morally good, religious person is probably the most difficult soul to persuade that he needs a Savior. Nicodemus was that person. How did the Savior persuade this man? What can we learn from the Master Soulwinner in one of the most enlightening passages of the Scripture? Jesus went immediately to the heart of Nicodemus’ problem. Jesus could have just as easily talked about the hypocritical Pharisees of his day and slammed Nicodemus for being one of them or He could have smoothed over any questionable concerns and just patronized him. But instead he went to where the soul was, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). One of the most effective questions a soulwinner can ask of the person with whom he is conversing is, “have you ever been born-again?” It goes right to the soul and requires a serious response. It is not offensive. To a person without Christ, it begs a response which often reveals the person’s ignorance of the terminology, just as it did with Nicodemus; “How can a man be born when he is old?” and then he added, “Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (3:5). We can waste a lot of time with a lost person if we don’t follow Jesus’ simple example of going to the heart with the right question. Are you born-again? Do you know what it means to be born-again? These are good questions we should be asking everyone that we possibly can. Don’t be intimidated by anyone. Remember, they are souls seeking answers. We must ask the right questions in order to deliver the biblical answers. Obviously, Nicodemus was spiritually unlearned. It was not unusual in Jesus’ day for religious people, like the Pharisees, to be burdened down with religious rituals and traditions. Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, probably knew the Law of Moses forwards and backwards. But he didn’t know the way of salvation. This was a spiritual matter. Jesus clearly

David P. Smith 41 revealed that it was spiritual insight that he was missing when He said, “Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). Jesus went right to the core issue. It is a matter of good sense to go to the crux of an issue as important as salvation. Some people can only understand clear, direct statements of truth. They do not feel comfortable around others who skirt the questions and beat around the bush, so to speak. Nicodemus was hungry for the truth and when someone is hungry for the truth we need to deliver it succinctly, also tastefully. Jesus’ style of conversation and persuasion are to be noted. Truly this is the art and science of soulwinning displayed for us by our Savior. The question Nicodemus presents is: “How can a man be born when he is old?” John 3:4. Nicodemus asked Him another question; “Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” Please note that Jesus immediately presents an illustration of what it is like to be born again. He takes what Nicodemus gives Him. Jesus takes the question and answers it. We ought always to be willing to answer people’s questions when they are seeking. Very quickly Jesus explains the difference between being born of the flesh and being born of the spirit. Two different things! We encounter this so much in our soulwinning conversations. People are constantly confusing the flesh with the spirit and as a result believe the flesh is what needs salvation instead of the spirit of man. The spirit of man is dead in trespasses and sins and is therefore in need of being born-again, (Ephesians 2:1). And only the Holy Spirit can give the spirit of man eternal life, which is the way a man is born again. “So is every one that is born of the Spirit,” Jesus said (3:8). “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. (John 3:9) When a seeker is asking how spiritual things work, he is absolutely desiring more. Jesus gave Nicodemus more. We only give more information when we realize that the seeker is indeed ‘seeking.’ Jesus proceeded to explain the born-again question: “I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony.” Being able to express yourself clearly and concisely is critical to our seeker discovering the truth. Jesus made it clear that He knew what He was talking about and that He was a witness to what He is describing to Nicodemus. Of course, Jesus is a capable communicator; nonetheless, He is our example in soulwinning. Do you

42 The Art and Science of Soulwinning know what you are talking about when you share your faith? Do you have a personal testimony of your own salvation experience that makes sense and is truthful? Everyone needs a legitimate testimony of his/her salvation which can shared at a moment’s notice, given the opportunity. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee” (I assure you). There was no lack of confidence in Jesus’ statements that followed. He strongly stated that He was telling the truth without a shadow of a doubt. What about you? Are you certain that what you are saying to the seeking soul is absolutely true in your heart of hearts? If you lack confidence, it will cause you to be uncertain about what you are saying. Therefore, be sure, absolutely sure, that you believe what Jesus says about the salvation of the soul. Are you persuaded, certain, that you are saved? Do you know how you were born-again? In your testimony of salvation be sure to explain the details of how you were convicted of sin (without the details of the sin) and how you asked for forgiveness, and how you know you actually became born-again. The average person, when asked how he was saved, or born-again, replies by saying something like this: “I’ve been baptized already”, or “I try to do my best”, or “I go to church and pray”, and “I treat others like I want to be treated,” etc. The use of illustrations is very effective in soulwinning. Jesus gives us an example by referring to the serpent in the wilderness: John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, (v.15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  This illustration is an attestation to the events in Numbers 21:4-9. We would never have had this better understanding of what God did in the wilderness had we not been given this illustration. Neither will the seeker gain better understanding unless we can illustrate salvation for him using simple, everyday terms and stories even as Jesus did for Nicodemus, an Old Testament teacher who knew this story well. The illustration helped Nicodemus to digest this idea of Jesus Christ being the one who would die on the cross for his sins and the world’s. Hence we have the “classic gospel in a nutshell” verse; John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

David P. Smith 43 Finding an acceptable illustration is important for the soulwinner. One that can be used again and again is helpful because you don’t want to be fumbling around mentally while showing the way of salvation. In fact, using biblical illustrations, like Jesus did, can be very beneficial. This way the seeker learns more about the bible from other true stories in the Bible. When presenting the gospel to a seeker, this writer likes to use the Roman Road to Salvation; this method simply uses verses from the book of Romans to present the gospel. For instance, in Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The idea of eternal life being a free gift to be received is very powerful as opposed to something we would earn or deserve. By simply pulling a pen from your pocket, or a cell phone, and saying: “I would like to illustrate the gift of eternal life by offering you my pen (or cell phone) as a gift to you. My cell phone is very valuable to me. It contains all of my information and the tools that are needed to do my work. I offer this to you as a gift. (Then with the hand outstretched towards the seeker continue speaking) ‘take it, it’s yours!’” You will be absolutely amazed at the kind of responses you will get. Some will refuse the gift because it is too expensive and wonder what the catch is; others will automatically reach out and take it without hesitation. Each reaction contains a lesson that can be quickly applied helping the seeker to understand that if he is to have this gift of eternal life, he will have to accept it or it will not be his gift. It is not his gift until he receives it by faith. The gift of eternal life is too expensive, that’s why Jesus had to pay the price with His life, for us. Illustrations help to make salvation a practical experience. Did Nicodemus become a believer? Yes, indeed he did. He is the first person lead to salvation in the New Testament by none other than the Master Soulwinner himself. The Bible says that later on Nicodemus was at the tomb of Jesus providing spices for Jesus’ burial. There are many like Nicodemus. They are religious but lost; they are fearful of their peers, but seeking. We need to find them.

44 The Art and Science of Soulwinning THE SAMARITAN WOMAN (EVANGELIZING CROSS-CULTURALLY) Virtually, one whole Bible chapter was devoted to the Nicodemus’ and Jesus’ conversation, and it was all about how to be born-again. Now, the second greatest soulwinning conversation takes place with an unnamed woman commonly referred to as ‘the Samaritan woman.’ This is clearly a cross-cultural evangelistic effort on the part of Jesus. It was cross-cultural because the object of His evangelism was first a Samaritan, who was also a woman, who was a divorce’ and an adulterer as well. This encounter was quite unusual for anyone in Jesus’ day and yet the Master has chosen to engage in conversation with her. Jesus was bold to cross over cultural norms. He did it to teach His disciples about breaking out of the box of formalities and culture. Let’s look more closely at these very thought provoking passages: 1. Jesus, “must needs go through Samaria.” In other words, Christ “had to travel through Samaria” John 4:1. This text suggests that there was a divine plan for the Savior. He had a divine appointment. He ‘had to travel’ this way because the Samaritans needed to hear the gospel.17 There was a cross cultural agenda in the heart of the Lord. He was crossing over into territory that was customarily avoided. He would not avoid it. He had to travel that way for the sake of souls. He had a true passion for the souls of all men and women, not just the people that looked and talked like He did. We would do well to emulate the Master Soulwinner. Every Jewish traditionalist would have taken the indirect route to go to Galilee, which is where they were traveling. The easiest course would have been directly through Samaria, saving much time and inconvenience.18 Jesus was not a traditionalist. He broke with the foolish traditions of the Jews numerous times, and especially on this particular occasion. It reminds us of the foolish traditions we sometimes have to endure in local churches. Moving forward is so much easier if we wouldn’t get bogged down with useless traditions and formalities. Jesus really turned some heads when He went in the unaccepted direction. We will also turn heads when we do the unexpected, the non-traditional, non-normal acts of soulwinning.

David P. Smith 45 2. She was a “woman of Samaria”, chapter 4:7. Women were of lesser importance to many in Jesus’ day. In John 4:27, “The disciples’ amazement that Jesus was talking with a woman stemmed from the common Jewish teaching that talking too much to a woman, even one’s wife, was a waste of time, diverting one’s attention from the study of Scripture and reflection on God.”19 Jesus was on shaky ground, culturally, traditionally, and socially. He was talking to an unclean foreigner, in an unclean place, to a woman who had no value! But she was of great value. She had an eternal soul and she was in desperate need of the forgiveness of sin via the Grace of God. How can we justify not witnessing to someone because they are different culturally from us? Jesus shows us the way. All of us ought to be sharing our faith wherever that we can, to whomever we can, and whenever we can, with whatever means that we can. Embrace the culture of the one who needs Jesus. You may not become one with their culture but you can show them the One who crosses over all barriers by simply being accepting. 3. Jesus’ opening statement: “Give Me to Drink” John 4:7b. Every conversation about the soul must begin somewhere. There has to be a starting point, a beginning place. If we don’t start a conversation, it may never materialize. If we don’t show interest in other people’s lives, we are not likely to reach their souls. Initiating the conversation is probably the greatest hindrance to a soulwinning experience that there is. Where do we begin? Jesus simply asked for a drink of water! How simple. How brilliant! There was a well, He sat on it. The natural thing is to want a drink when you sit at a well. A cool refreshing drink would be so satisfying. We ought to keep our minds working in the natural elements in order to draw spiritual elements from them as we go soulwinning. From the wind in the trees, to the blowing of leaves, to the rising of the sun and to the setting of the same; the natural can easily lead to the spiritual. Jesus did it with Nicodemus describing the wind in the trees and now He is following suit with the Samaritan woman; a simple drink of water is all that He requested of her. Simple things have the capacity to lead to deeper things. And so it did. The common response of so many when they are asked, “How are you doing?” is, “Good”. It used to be “very good thank you”, and then

46 The Art and Science of Soulwinning “good thanks” and now just plain and simple “good”. This writer has frequently encountered this form of greeting and answering; finally, one day he responded to the person’s ‘good’ by saying, “Are you good enough?” The other person usually responds with “sure, I guess so”, and this writer would say, “Are you good enough to go to heaven?” Here is a simple greeting that in less than ten seconds opens the door for a soulwinning conversation with a complete stranger. Is it bold? Is it out of the box? Yes, it is, but why not? Jesus asked a woman for a drink when he was quite able to draw the water himself. Is it different? Yes, but why not? It accomplishes its purpose. It was even culturally inappropriate to initiate a conversation with a woman; especially a woman with an adulterous background. His conversation was certainly bold and out of the box. 4. Introducing the Gift of God. Chapter 4:10. “f thou knewest the gift of God…” Jesus introduced the gift of God ever so cleverly. Did you notice how smoothly he transitioned from the drink of water to the water of life, the living water? You cannot help but wonder if Jesus may have done this somewhere before or afterwards. There are many wells and springs throughout the country. Every village had at least one well, maybe more. The disciples could have added this technique as a very simple, workable approach in their village soulwinning trips. The well was where people would gather. It just makes logical sense. So what logical place would you go to in order to engage people with the gospel? Go where they gather, go where they meet one another, go to the market place, the mall, and so on. The transition from water to living water was Jesus’ method of introducing the gift of God. Learning how to transition smoothly and quickly is an excellent step towards sharing the gospel. There is a problem, however. Do not get stuck in talking about water wells and springs. The Samaritan woman even began to carry the conversation in that direction. She mentioned that Jacob dug the well, which was probably just based on traditional beliefs, and could not be proven.20 In fact, talking about insignificant things like the weather can get you bogged down in meaningless discourses. We are not meteorologists or well digging specialists. Our spirit minds need to be transitioning automatically towards a spiritual conversation if at all possible.

David P. Smith 47 5. Keep the conversation on track. Chapter 4:13-14a. “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” Jesus skillfully brought the conversation back on point. Being able to guide a dialogue in this fashion will net great results. Getting off point can often lead far from the direction one desires. It could lead to conversations that would be very difficult to redirect. Watch for the opportunities that are first presented and stay with them if at all possible. Let those first moments of inter personal dialogue guide you smoothly and swiftly to the gospel. Becoming laboriously entangled with explanations and deeper meanings can totally confuse the person who may be seeking simple insights, causing the whole conversation to be negatively derailed. 6. Creating the thirst. Chapter 4:14b “. . .the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” If this doesn’t create thirst, nothing will. A well of water springing up within, eternal life? This should create interest and thirst. Thirst for the water, interest in Eternal Life. The woman’s response was, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” 4:15. It worked! Although not grasping the significance of the Living Water, she truly wanted water that would quench her thirst forever. Jesus created a thirst in her that needed satisfying. If we will make the gospel desirable, creating a thirst for it, then we will see interest. The interest in turn will move the conversation forward to clarity of what the gospel really means. Unless the person we are witnessing to has a desire for what we are presenting, there will likely be no conversion to Christ in the short term. So, be passionate in your presentation; be excited in the Spirit of God, but be gentle. 7. The sin problem. Chapter 4:17. The woman was asked to go get her husband. Jesus knew her sinful circumstances. She was living with a man who was not her husband; she had already been with five husbands! She had a lot of life baggage. Most people whom we encounter in soulwinning have the sin problem, along with a lot of baggage. That’s why Jesus was there at the well. That is why we need to go rescue the perishing. It is because of the sin problem that we are compelled to go about the work of evangelism. Unresolved and unconfessed sin can often create a negative experience. However, be aware that the devil is at work and will not easily forfeit a soul in bondage. Therefore, it is

48 The Art and Science of Soulwinning imperative that we clearly explain that sin needs to be confessed, but this too begs for gentleness and not roughness. You will notice that Jesus did not condemn her but rather encouraged her to learn about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Jesus didn’t ask her to get her life in order before He would talk with her further about the Living Water. He asked her to go get her husband. Honestly, it appears that Jesus also wanted to share the Good News with him as well. Why else would He ask her to get him? Of course, He is the Savior; He is God and knows His every motive, whereas we do not. Our motives ought to be pure as we share our faith with others. We have no agendas to carry out. We are not condemning or criticizing. It is not our business. Let God take care of the sin problem. 8. Jesus saved people. Chapter 4:39-41. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them. . . And many more believed because of his own word.” Obviously the woman believed on Jesus and so did a lot of others in the city and in the region. It is reported that Christianity grew strongly throughout the area. Many more believers came as a result of this encounter with the Samaritan woman. It is believed that Stephen the deacon was a Samaritan believer who became known for his martyrdom during the time of Saul of Tarsus. Unfortunately, Christianity did not last indefinitely in Samaria, many believers left because of persecution in the early centuries.21 The automatic result of someone believing in Christ is that others will probably follow suit. Discipleship becomes a major function of the soulwinner. Jesus stayed two more days in Samaria. Why? To teach the new converts the truth of the scriptures so that they would become disciplers of others. Soulwinners are obligated by the very nature of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) to make disciples of those they have evangelized. We do not practice ‘win them and leave them’ evangelism. 9. The Food of the Soulwinner. Chapter 4:32 “But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”