are we commanded to soul-win?

30-40 years ago, when people were not so busy flitting to and fro, door to door witnessing was an effective tool for the local church. It not only invited people to church, but kept the membership busy in the work, and returned great joy.

Times they are a-changing. Shift work, busy lives and the door-step annoyance factor have removed much of the effectiveness. There is a time and place for everything, however. We recently did a door-to-door canvass in the area surrounding a small church and had good success in reaching the people we wanted to reach. The important factor was that we knew the area and we knew the people...in other words, we knew we would catch them at home.

Politicians seem to think door-to-door, cold calling is effective. They all do it at election time.

Now to the question: Are we commanded to soul winning? No, we are called to preach the word, and there is a difference. Soul winning is the job of the Holy Spirit.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Jim1999 I agree !!! We are to "go" "tell" "teach" and the results are His !
We are to be obedient; 'nough said !!

 

We cannot win souls. One can lead a horse to water, but one cannot make it drink. In fact, one cannot even lead the horse if the horse does not trust the person holding the lead.

We have NEVER been instructed to 'win souls.' That is the business of the Holy Spirit. We have other instructions.

1. We are to make disciples. That means taking a new believer and walking alongside in prayer and faith, helping him or her learn to follow and obey. Then, as they mature, they can turn and help others.

2. We are told to share the good news. It is hard to share with one who doesn't want to receive, so it calls for very close attention to the Holy Spirit and not running off on our own.

3. We are told to answer for the hope we have. That means we must live lives that provoke or inspire questions. Then we can answer. An answer given without the question being asked is meaningless. But to be able to give an answer we must have already got two things going: a solid knowledge of Bible and a close relationship with the Lord Himself. Without these, answers are not answers, but platitudes and human wisdom.

I know this: we do need to keep our eyes and attention on Christ and quit trying to run the show on our own!

 

I don't think there is anything out dated about going door to door. People need the gospel more today than ever before. If you notice in the book of Acts {not sure at the moment what chapter} the deciples went out in twos witnessing. And Jesus sent out His deciples by two's going from house to house. If it was good enough for Jesus it's good enough for me.
How in the world do you plan to get out the gospel if you don't go to them?
It's not how many members your church has, it's how many have truely gotton saved. I've learned the hard way that not everyone who says they are saved truely are. You will know them by their fruits the Bible says.
Churches don't need fancy programs and loud music, and worldly entertainment, they need the gospel. The word of God taught by a man of God. That's how you see people saved. Inviting them to church, giving them tracts, visiting them, careing for them, and showing them Christian love.
There is NOTHING out dated about going door to door.
Praise God for the churches who still use this method.
~Abby

 

The Squire hit the nail on the head when he talks about the community. In some communities you just can't do it. You cannot even get in the area. In addition, people are much more private now than they used to be. We used to be a front porch society, now we are a private room society. I hate it when people come to my door. I listen politely for a few minutes and then get out of it. The only people I pursue a conversation with are JWs because they are easy to confuse and it keeps them from other people's doors. It usually doesn't take them long to figure out they are in a conversation they can't win.

To accuse churches who don't go door to door of not being evangelistic is inaccurate and based on insufficient data. If you live in a community where door to door works, then go for it. But there are other ways to go.

 

Jesus tells us to go and tell the world that He lives Mk 16:15. Tell them any way you can.

 

Acts 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house.. notice the house to house part, they went house to house in the Bible so I am going to do it the way they did it in the Bible house to house, door to door. And when they went house to house Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

Mark 1:15...repent ye, and believe the gospel...

 

I know that what you are implying by "Soul-Winning is up to the Holy Ghost" is more than likely saying that we can not convict. But I wonder, if we go to someone and tell them about the Savior, and they fall under conviction..are we to leave them? Are we not to tell them how to be saved?

And I disagree strongly on the idea that door-to-door is outdated. What should we do in it's stead? Preach to them? How will they get to the church? Should we call them? Do you really think that calling someone will show as much compassion as talking to them up close?

I understand that a place like San Fran could be difficult to visit on, but I would be horrified at the thought of someone going to Hell and asking me why I didn't just buzz in to their room. I've heard of people getting saved in some..."ackward" times and situations. I was called to preach in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I don't think God sees someone as unreachable because you have to tell them about Him through an intercom.

If it sounds as though I'm trying to be ugly, I promise you I'm not.

EDIT: Just to make something easier understood: I have nothing against phone-witnessing. I think that a phone team on weekly visitation is great, but I think replacing door-to-door with it is a bad move.

[ January 16, 2003, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Bro. Kevin ]

 

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
Proverbs 14:25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful [witness] speaketh lies.

"Soul winning" is scriptural. Yet, we who "soul win" have nothing to glory in. It is all of God.

Door to door witnessing is not out of date. Neither is one on one witnessing, sending tracts in the mail, leaving tracts around in areas, telephone witnessing, etc. If it works for you, do it. The main point is to "go" "teach" "preach" "live" the gospel of Christ. Let your light so shine before men,(and this is the goal) that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

God bless, Kenneth
------------------------------------------------
This is an excerpt of an e-mail to Ray Comfort from an atheist.

"You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you're 100% right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing.

If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road.

Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring."

www.raycomfort.com

[ January 17, 2003, 08:51 AM: Message edited by: The_Narrow_Road ]

 

NKJV
1 Cor. 9:19
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more

NASB
1 Cor. 9:19
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them

ESV
1 Cor. 9:19
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more

All believers know that the Holy Spirit does the converting. We are required to try and persuade men of God's truth.

So, "soul-winning" might be a term that is passing in meaning, but we surely should seek to do it. I don't mean door-to-door either.

 

I'm less concerned about winning souls as I am feeding them.

 

Proverbs 11:30:

[ January 17, 2003, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: Popeye ]

 

Less concerned about winning sould than feeding them? Oh my... NOTHING but the glory and praise of our Savior should come in front of winning the lost.

 

I disagree. Bringing souls to Christ while ignoring saved souls is immoral.

Who among us would let our own children starve while feeding a stranger?

 

IMO, winning lost souls to the Lord is always effective and always in date. Will the "Great Commission" go out of date or become ineffective?

Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19.

I believe in showing people how they can be saved verbally. I also think sometimes we can win people to the Lord by our example.

Knowing the joy that coming to the Lord gave me; why would I not want everyone else to experience that same joy?

I do not want to see anyone go to Hell and I will do whatever I can to see that doesn't happen. Everyone's mission field is different. It can be across the ocean or right in our own families.

We are the light of the world, if we do not witness, we place our light under a bushel.

Sue

 

Hi John

Here we are agreeing to disagree again.

I don't think the thread is about 'feeding saved souls'. The thread is about 'winning lost souls'.

Someone had to show me how to be saved before I could be fed. Feeding a lost soul is giving him food he cannot digest.

Sue

 

After reading this thread I see that most, not all, have failed to answer the second part of the inquiry. Explain what is as effective (as soul winning door to door) and in date. Answer: witnessing on the job and to friends, in other words personal evangelism, which I have seen precious few do. However, that does not mean soul winning door to door is ineffective. It is just as effective as anything else you could do. In those cases in large cities where it is difficult to get to the door one can be outside on the street passing out tracts etc… I have been in most cities of this nation, in bad areas etc, doing secular work and passing out tracts. If I can work or live in a bad area I can surely witness (soul winning) for Christ there, one way or another!

Do we as Baptists really believe the world will knock down our door to get in at Church time? Get real! There will be plenty of empty seats even if you do all of the above. If not then praise the Lord and build a bigger Church! Luke 14:23 “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” No wonder the Mormon Church brags that they baptize a Baptist Church, is it every day or every week? – But you get the picture.

I know no one in my neighborhood that isn’t a Christian – everyone I associate with is a Christian. Would those on this list, that don’t believe in going out to witness (commonly called soul winning) in one way or another, have me go to Church listen to the pastor and go home and wait for the next service? What a waste of the precious little time we have to work for our Lord! If I don’t know anyone lost then I am certainly going to find them, one way or another, and witness to them, and not just by my lifestyle. Example, myself and another fellow at Church begin a program (3 months after I retired) door to door 6 months ago and this last month we are seeing the results of it with 6 saved. Even one person would be worth the effort! Yet there is one local Baptist Church nearby that says door to door evangelism is not successful and is out dated.

Before I retired – passing out tracts and talking to those all across the USA that would listen resulted in souls being saved, especially when I visited the same area regularly enough to build relationships. If one person can see these results in places like NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, etc… surely the local Church can accomplish that and much much more!

I could go on and on but lastly, I want to mention my salvation. In 1988 while on a trip away from home on a Tuesday night with some time to spare, I decided to read the Bible, had rarely been to Church in my life. I became convicted while reading in Romans. I stopped at chapter 8, didn’t get to chapter 10. I called out to the Lord asking how to be saved but still couldn’t understand. I arrived home in the wee hours of Thursday morning, got up at noon, had breakfast and then a car pulled into my driveway. No one ever visited my house from a Church in 20 years except JW’s and Mormons but this time a Baptist preacher got out. He introduced himself and said his hello’s and then said, “Let me show you how to be saved.” I was shocked and didn’t say a word! He took me down the Romans road and I was saved that day. You see, the Holy Spirit convicted me and then led a godly man to my house so that I could hear. My life was forever changed!

It is a surprise to me, but it looks as if there are a lot of Baptists that would have left me to my confusion and let me drop off into hell. I praise the Lord for those that do go and pray His blessings upon them.

Randall