Personal
Evangelism Handbook
CHAPTER XXI
Helpful Hints
1. AIDS TO MEMORIZING
SCRIPTURE VERSES
Use 3x5 file cards, writing the
verse on one side and the address on the other. This way
you can go through the addresses to see if you know the
verses, and through the verses to see if you know the
addresses.
As you learn your verses, try
quoting them as frequently as possible, and you will
implant them more firmly in your mind. It is a
well-known fact that when you compound reading, hearing,
and speaking in the learning process, your retention
will be progressively increased. Just listening or
reading alone cannot give you skill and effectiveness in
USING your knowledge. You must PRACTICE. It is well said
that "practice makes perfect that which you
practice."
A periodic review of your
memory verses is a good idea, even for the ones you feel
you know quite well. If you have your 3x5 cards handy,
you can make good use of time that perhaps you would
otherwise waste . . . waiting for a bus, sitting in the
beauty shop, etc.
Work toward knowing the verses
so well that you can quote them immediately upon hearing
the address, a portion of the verse, or subject material
which the verse could answer or deals with.
Be able to quote them with
almost no effort at all. In this way you can quote the
verse to the person and actually be free to be thinking
of what you will say next, or to be sensing the person's
reaction to it. The value of being able to do this is
great.
2. DON'T ARGUE
Winning an argument might make
you feel good-until you realize that doing so might
result in the person's ego being so hurt that his
judgment is impaired and he won't trust Christ as his
Saviour.
One reason why so few people
have a very fruitful soul winning ministry is that they
are just plain inconsiderate of the feelings of the
person to whom they are witnessing.
It is TRUE that the lost person
must repent. He MUST change his mind and come to see
that anything he has been trusting in other than Christ
alone for his salvation cannot save him.
Christ IS "THE way, THE
truth, and THE life." And as you present the plan
of salvation the lost person will discover that he has
been wrong in his preconceived idea.
Because of this, BE KIND. You
know how bad YOU feel when YOU are wrong about
something, so remember the lost person also has
feelings, and take great care in HOW you show him the
truth of the gospel and the error of anything else.
(Of course, this should never
involve a compromise in doctrine. This is just using
good sense. Ephesians 4:15 says to speak "the TRUTH
in LOVE." One does not exclude the other. They
should go hand in hand.)
If you have ever been in the
position of talking to many people and getting to know
their problems, you have already discovered how very
lonely and hungry for love and understanding people
really are.
The soulwinner who realizes
this and will really be kind and considerate of the lost
will not only win many souls, but will win life-long
friends as well.
3. USING ILLUSTRATIONS
As you read through the Gospels
you cannot help noticing our Lord's frequent use of
illustrations. They are very valuable in making your
points clear and understandable (as well as more
interesting) to the person. If we will notice several
things about Christ's illustrations and apply them to
our own, we will find our illustrations very effective.
A. They should be about
subjects familiar to the person.
B. As much as possible, they
should be concrete, rather than abstract, forming a
picture in the person's mind.
C. They should be short and to
the point, not taking up too much time. Don't get
carried away with illustrations to the point that they
usurp the proper place of Scripture in your
presentation. Always bear in mind that your
illustrations are a means to an end-to throw additional
light upon the Scriptures-and not an end in themselves.
D. Never use illustrations with
shady tones. This certainly would defeat your purpose of
getting the person's mind more on the Scriptures and the
Lord Jesus Christ. It will cause the person to think
less of you and less of your message.
E. When you use an illustration
from a book or from a person's life, don't tell it as if
it happened in your own life. Although examples out of
your own experience will naturally carry a certain added
interest, it is not necessary that they be so. Just
don't lie about it.
4. LOOK NICE
Would you expect the
representative of a life insurance company to look neat,
clean, and nicely dressed? How long do you think you
would listen to his sales talk if he were shabby, dirty,
and needed a shave?
Would an ambassador of the
United States be representing our country properly as he
met to discuss important issues with the ambassador of
an important country if he wore an unpressed suit, had
grease stains on his tie, needed a haircut, and had
"B.O."?
Would the receptionist of a
large, important company have her job long if she came
to work and interviewed clients with her hair all messed
up, her nail polish peeling off, yesterday's supper
still in her teeth, and her dress needing ironing?
OF COURSE NOT!
As Christians, as ambassadors
for the King of Kings, desiring to influence people to
receive the gift of eternal life, we certainly should
look as clean, neat, and attractive as we possibly can.
With careful planning there is
no reason why a person should not be able to have an
adequate wardrobe even though he is not a millionaire.
This doesn't mean you must have every new
"fad" that comes along in your closet, but you
should make every effort to be reasonably stylish in
accordance with the people you come into contact with.
It is absolutely inexcusable to
irritate people with "B.O." and bad breath.
Today's provisions against these things are too readily
available for you to be offensive here. There is no
substitute for cleanliness.
5. SINCERE COMPLIMENTS
Often just one compliment will
so soften a person that he will relax and open up to the
gospel right away.
When witnessing to a brilliant
person, let him know you know he is smart. Compliment,
for instance, a good lawyer on his abilities, or a great
physician on his accomplishments. And remember, you do
not have to study law to witness to a lawyer, or
medicine to witness to a doctor. The gospel is your
power.
6. AGREE
When a person is right, agree
with him. Agree with him vehemently whenever possible.
And when you must disagree, please do so in as pleasant
a way as you can . . . as it has been said, many
Christians are "dispensationally correct, but
dispositionally wrong." The Bible says "be ye
kind one to another."
7. USE "THE HAND
GESTURE"
This method of securing the
person's attention and then explaining the gospel to him
as you use a gesture is fully pictured and developed in
Chapter 23. This is one of the most effective things we
have ever found to make the gospel clear and
understandable to the lost. Use it!
8. TOO MANY VERSES
Because we love the Word of God
and find many verses so precious to us, we sometimes
find ourselves using so many verses with a lost person
that he gets confused. When one verse clarifies the
point, leave it there. If you need another verse, fine;
use another one. But usually the person's problem will
not so much be one of needing many verses, but rather
that he does not understand or believe the verse you
have just shown him.
9. USING QUESTIONS
Aristotle was famous for
teaching by means of asking questions of his students.
In this way the student could think out the truth of
what he was trying to get across better than if he just
lectured them. This is also true in witnessing. If a
verse says, "whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life," you might ask:
"Does this verse say, whosoever works, and joins
the church, and pays the tithe will not perish? Does
this verse say that those who believe will have life
until they start sinning again?" Questions will
help the person think WITH you about the Scriptures.
10. TELL THE TRUTH
If you are asked a question
which you cannot answer at the moment, don't bluff it.
Say you don't know, and offer to find the answer and
give it to him at a later date. In your own notebook you
might want to keep a list of questions and their answers
which are difficult for you to answer, along with
explanations of passages that are difficult for you to
explain. In time, after experience, you will find
greater ease even in answering these.
11. HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOU ARE SAYING
If the person doesn't grasp
what you are trying to put across, instead of implying
that he is "stupid," why not rather suggest
that perhaps you haven't made it clear enough? This will
let him "save face" and you will be able to
continue your ministry with him.
12. "CHRISTIAN"
AMERICA
Since the majority of people in
America feel that they are Christians, it isn't good to
ask a person if he is a Christian. Most people will say
"yes" to this even if they are unsaved, and
then you have to prove them wrong before you can lead
them to the Lord.
Rather, ask questions like,
"What do you think you have to do to go to
heaven?" or "Do you know where you are going
when you die?" Their answers to questions like
these will give you a better idea of what to say to lead
them to the Lord.
13. LEARNING FROM OTHERS
If you hear your preacher use a
good illustration . . . if you see another soulwinner
using a particular method in his soulwinning . . . if
you find someone uses a particular phrase which
increases his effectiveness in making the gospel clear .
. . don't be afraid to do the same.
When a man is leading people to
the Lord, try doing what he does. In I Cor. 4:16 the
Apostle Paul urged his children in the faith to follow
his Christian example.
The important thing isn't who
originated this or that . . . the important thing is
doing everything we can to make the plan of salvation
understandable to the lost. All the glory belongs to the
Lord.
14. SUGGESTIONS IN
WITNESSING TO MEMBERS OF CULTS
A. They are still people. Just
treat them as you would any other persons in need of
salvation. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone ( including the cultists) if they will
believe. Try not to give the appearance of
"shock" if you discover some "odd"
thing they believe.
B. Often people are attracted
to a cult or false religion because of the interest
shown to them by the members of that group. Christians
ought to show genuine love and concern for people and be
all the more careful to "speak the truth in
love."
C. The disciples of cults are
usually quite zealous about their beliefs and love to
talk. Let them. Don't be rude. Listen attentively so
that when they are through with the presentation you may
be better equipped to meet their needs in your
presentation of the gospel.
D. Remember that these people
are blinded by Satan. "In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not .
. ." (II Cor. 4:4). The entrance of God's Word will
give them the light they need (Psalm 119: 130).
E. Be careful not to get off
onto "side issues" which are of no profit to
the person's salvation. Stay with the main issue which,
in most cases, will still be "grace and
works."
