Become Fishers of Men

Satan is fishing for men with his bait and hooks using his wiles and devices.  Satan stays up all night fishing for souls at bars and on the internet.  God wants us to be patiently fishing for men as well.  When we go fishing for fish, we catch live fish and and then we kill them for food.  When we go fishing for men, we labor to catch dead men, so God can make them alive in Christ.

The most important thing an unsaved man can do is receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.  Receiving Jesus and being saved from the penalty of sin will settle matters for you in Eternity, but it will not settle all your daily trials here in time.  What's the most important thing a saved man can do for Himself personally?  It is to stay in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ from day to day.  The most important thing a saved man can do for the unsaved world is to lead another sinner to Jesus Christ.  Ask God for a burden for unsaved men and women.  Somebody witnessed to you; show your gratitude to Jesus by seeking and saving some lost sinner.  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.  If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Always remember - Only the Holy Ghost can awake an unsaved sinner to his imminent danger, so continually seek for His strength, wisdom and light.  Continually ask for Holy Spirit to give you strength and wisdom, and ask Him to enlighten and work in the heart of the lost person you are dealing with.

The Approach
Do not attempt to spread the Gospel in your own strength.  Humbly wait upon the Lord for the right words, by faith take hold upon His divine strength.  Get a conversation going with a lost man, don't drift into useless talk, come to the point of his soul and Jesus.  There are two approaches, the direct approach and the natural approach. The natural approach is the best approach.  Wait for a natural opening to get a conversation going about Jesus Christ.  All around you are lost people that are not ready to enter Eternity and meet God.  Don't be selfish and careless when dealing a with lost person. Be soul conscious, be watchful and prayerful and use things in your conversation or things around you to open up the conversation to a witness for Jesus.  The natural approach is when the person says something, you latch on to it, and get the talk going about Jesus and the Gospel.  Care for souls as Jesus cared for your soul.  Jesus said, "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you."

Look for openings  and opportunities to witness for those around you.  Every person you meet everyday is an immortal headed to Heaven or Hell.  When someone mentions Hell, ask them if they really believe in Hell, ask them if they are going to Hell.  A personal face-to-face witness will stick with a lost person much longer than any sermon at church.  Ask the Lord to give you wisdom, patience, tact, and common sense on the job when witnessing.  Speak up for Jesus, but watch your tone.  A drowning man doesn't need a lesson on how to swim, he needs a lifeline.  A lost sinner doesn't need a religious lecture, he needs the Gospel, that is, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

The Issue
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Paul said, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." The hardest thing any soul winner will ever do is keep a sinner focused on the issue, and that is God Incarnate shed His precious blood to atone for human sin. A lost man is so depraved that he will talk about and anything and everything but a sinless man who died for his sins.  The unsaved man tries to deflect and duck and dodge the issue, and he will ask things like, Where did Cain get his wife?  Do you think you can lose your salvation?  But you have to keep them on the issue - What have you done personally with Jesus Christ?  When did God become a man?  Do you know where you're going when you die?  Have your sins ever been forgiven, and do you have it in writing?

Every person is going to make mistakes when witnessing. Don't be afraid of making mistakes.  If you want to learn how to swim, you have to get in the water.  If you want to drive a car, you have to get behind the wheel yourself.  If you have to learn to win souls to Christ, you have to open your mouth and tell others how Jesus saved you, and what Jesus did for you when He saved your soul.  Be of a good courage and speak up for Jesus.  The issue is the Cross, and what Jesus did for sinners there.  Always point the sinner to the Lamb of God, persuade him to close with the Blood of Jesus Christ.  Quote Scripture to them, the word of God is quick and powerful.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

The Method
Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove when dealing with lost people about their soul.  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without.  Take care how you give the invitation to Christ.  The simplicity and freeness of the Gospel interests most sinners.  Cold and stiff religion scares lost people off.  Walk with the Lord, people around you are watching and listening to you everyday.  Be friendly and real, use tact and common sense.  People need a personal invitation to the Cross.  Be in prayer for souls around you.  Would you be willing to ask the Lord Jesus to save you?  If you want to receive Jesus Christ, the best way you know how ask Him to save you, take my hand (or) If you want to get saved right now, take this tract out of my hand.  Ask them to pray - the best way you know how, seek God's mercy, ask Jesus to save you from your sins and Hell.

If they put Christ off, always ask them if you can pray with them before you leave them.  The real adventure in Christianity is in soulwinning.

The Decision
When you try to persuade someone to make a decision to trust their soul with Jesus Christ, that's when you will really run into trouble.  That's where the fur hits the fan.  It's no good if you don't the name on the bottom line.  We should press for a decision.  This is when the devil really tries to distract the lost man and cause confusion.  Never try to force someone to make a decision.  Wouldn't you like to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?  If they say, "Yes", then say, "let's have a word of prayer, and then ask the Lord to save them.  Use wisdom when dealing with souls.  Jesus wants to save them, but they must ask Jesus to save them.  The best way you know how, ask the Lord Jesus to save you, and He will save you on the spot.

God, I know I am a sinner, I don't want to go to Hell when I die, the best way I know how I receive you as my Savior.  God be merciful to me a sinner for Jesus' sake.  Jesus thank you for dying for me, thank you for my saving my soul, please fill me the Holy Spirit.

The greatest thing you will ever do in this life is help win a soul to Jesus Christ.  When are you going to start?

Must I go, and empty-handed,
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.  - President Theodore Roosevelt