Making the decision to accept Christ

How to help them make the decision to be saved:

 

Close the deal

Remember in Matt. 13 that the seed that fell by the wayside was snatched up by the evil one Matt. 13:19. We must offer them the opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus lest the evil one snatch this truth out of their heart.

 

Good illustration

If you owed a bank $10,000 and could not pay it but someone loved you and offered to pay the bank the $10,000. in your place, that would be good news. If you refused to let them, then you still owe the bank. That would not make good sense. Jesus paid the debt of sin in full and rose again and wants you to trust Him that when He died on the cross He was paying your debt of sins too and believe on Him as your Savior and receive him as your savior.

 

Good ground

The seed that fell on "good ground" are those "who hear the word and understand" (Matt. 13:23). Remember how Philip, asked the Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading the Bible, "Do you understand what you are reading?" Acts 8:30. Ask, "Do you understand that?" "Does that make sense to you?" I have found, this will help you to know if they are ready and cull out those who are not sincere or really ready.

 

People need to know what to do and want to do it There are two essentials to real conversion. People must know how to be saved and must be willing to be saved. "God is not willing for any to perish," 2 Peter 3:9 and they must be willing for God to save them. Our job is to tell them how and the Holy Spirt must convict and draw them. He trust us to do our part and we can trust Him to do His part. He does not force it on them and we must not try to force it on them. That is one reason there are so many unsaved church members today. "You do not talk people into being saved." Don't you try it.

 

Ask for a decision

"Will you trust God that Christ paid your debt too and receive Him as your Savior right now. "Would you let me lead us in a word of prayer and you tell God you want to receive the Lord Jesus as you Savior too?"

 

Lead them in the decision

Bow your head right away and gently ask them to bow their head and pray this out loud with you. I have found it helps to have them pray it out loud. Most of the time they do not know how or what to pray and so it is good for us to lead them in it.

 

Pray

Just say, "Dear God." Let them say it. 'I know I have sinned too." "I know I should pay for my sins." I believe You that Jesus suffered and died for my sins." "Paid my debt in full and rose again." "I trust You and receive You as my Savior right now." "Give me a new birth." "Give me the power to live for you the rest of my life." 'In Jesus name."

 

Often, they will look up with tears in their eyes and have assurance they are saved. Friday, I want to go into how to help them know for sure they are saved. Don't miss this one.

 

Prayer: Father, give us wisdom to know exactly what to say and how to say it so we can see scores of people go to heaven instead of hell because we cared and shared. In Jesus name. God loves you and so do I, ABC, sumner

 

O dear people. this is a joy that far exceeds all the joy this world has to offer. Don't miss out on it. God wants to use YOU. "The harvest is plenty" Matt. 9:37. "I sent you to reap," Jesus said in John 4:38.

Be Reasonable

Be reasonable
Twice it says Paul "reasoned" with people Acts 17:2, 18:4. We should do
the same! I want to do the same with you about witnessing. To review; 1.
Never ask a person, "Are you a Christian." All church members think they
are 2. Never say, as some tracts start out, "You are a sinner." You
offend them. Say rather, "We are all in the same boat, we have all done
wrong, we have all sinned, haven't we?" The reason for saying, "We have
all done wrong" many think of sin only as murder or some heinous crime
and they have not done that. All know they have done wrong but don't
think of it as sin. Getting them to admit they have done wrong and
equating it with sin, I find, gets them to admit they have sinned.

The pollution of sin
Reason by saying, "If you had a glass of pure clean water and someone
put one drop of poison or filth in it would you drink it?" "Of course
not" is the obvious answer. "One drop would pollute the whole glass,
wouldn't it?" Just so one sin, pollutes us and we are unclean and unfit
to go to heaven." This always gets the right response from them,

The penalty of sin
Graciously say, "God says, the wages of sin is death." Not just physical
death but it is a spiritual crime and it separates us from God.

The good news
The good news is that "Christ died for our sins" paid the debt in full
and rose again so He can be our Savior and forgive us our sins." He did
not make a down payment for our sins or a partial payment but paid the
debt in full. I have found, you must say "Christ died for our sins" over
and over for them to catch on. A soul winner must know and say it
clearly, that "the gospel," Christ died for our sins and rose again, "is
the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." How can they
believe it, if it is not specifically said? Make sense? This is the key
to leading people to Christ. If you leave out anything, you must not
leave out the gospel or you see no results or your results will be
false. I cannot stress this enough.

O dear people, I find so many people are wide open to listen to the
gospel if you genuinely care and graciously share the gospel.

Prayer: Father, bless Your witnesses and help us to get the gospel to
lost and dying people, in Jesus name. All because of Calvary, sumner