The Greatest “Secret” of Success
The churches of Christ
Greet You
(Romans
1. If your congregation is small and struggling to grow, do you want it to remain that way?
2. If you answer “NO, I want to see this group grow spiritually as well as in numbers.”
3.
Then, what is the secret to
successful
evangelism (or anything else)?
a. We are about to
answer that
question
b. and
give you the greatest secret of successful evangelism known to man.
4. It is revolutionary in its import.
a. It has allowed some
Christians to conduct more personal Bible studies in one year
b. than
most Christians will conduct in their life.
5. It has helped countless other Christians stretch and reach out
to lost
ones all around them
a. in numbers far
exceeding
what they thought they could do.
b. The potential this
one
secret possesses may astound you.
1. If
you take it and use it faithfully,
2. you will have the greatest secret
of successful evangelism
known to man.
6. But before sharing the secret, let’s ensure that we know what
evangelism
is and is not.
a.
What
is your understanding of evangelism? Evangelism does NOT mean
conversions.
b. We all must
understand that
our job
1. is NOT to count how many people we
are privileged to baptize
into Christ (Read 1 Cor.
2. Our
job is to sow the seed (Luke 8:5, 11).
3. Baptisms
will come as the word finds good and honest hearts (Luke 8:15).
7. We are to teach and preach the saving
message of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 4:2).
a.
Therefore, let us never become discouraged
b. in
our pursuit of fulfilling our duty and privilege to evangelize others.
8. We also need to remember that most of the time
a. it takes more than
one
Bible study to accomplish the objective of evangelism.
b. There is nothing
wrong with
"one shot studies."
c. Sometimes they are
useful.
9. However, we need to understand that most people need time to
process
information
a. and to think of
questions
to ask.
b.
Do
not be afraid to spend several Bible studies with them.
10. Commonly, Christians do not want to study often with another
a. from fear he or she
will
never respond.
b.
That
is a wrong focus.
11. God said that our labor is not in vain if it is in the Lord
a. and done according
to His
will (1 Corinthians 15:58).
b. So let us not lose
heart if
we have many studies with a person and they back away.
1. Our
duty is to teach.
2.
When they have all the information they need, only then are we done.
Preliminary considerations that will reveal the secret to you
1. Now some of you may be thinking that this is too good to be
true,
a. or that we have a
rather
large ego
b. to think that we
have the
secret to successful evangelism.
2. Well, our answer to those thoughts is No. No! NO!
a. Every successful
evangelist
has used the secret we are about to give
b. rather he was aware
of it
or not.
1.
This secret is not "too good to be true."
2. And
it is not from pride that we tell you these things.
Four P’s Will Reveal the Secret in
One
Word
3. First, Passion: We must want to do evangelism.
a. Jesus had a passion to
do the
Father's Will (John 6:38).
b. Yet, many Christians
do not
seem to have that same passion.
c. Some Christians do
not even
seem to be aware of the importance of teaching others.
4. Brethren, there is no way a person can be saved outside of
Christ (cf.
2 Tim. 2:10).
a. There is no way a
person
can be saved without learning the truth (John 8:32).
b. Unless we teach
them the
truth, who will?
5. We also must understand that evangelism is not an option for
the child
of God.
a.
If
we love Jesus, we will obey Him (John 14:15),
b. even in the command
to
evangelize (quote Matthew 28:18-20).
6. There are literally billions of people outside of Christ.
a. We truly have our
work cut
out for us.
b. Fortunately, it is
not all
up to us.
7. When God’s Word converts others, they will in turn teach
others (2
Tim. 2:2).
a. To illustrate the
power of
this,
b. calculate how many
people
would be baptized
1. if
just one person taught and baptized only one person per year.
2.
Then he taught that new convert to do the same each year.
8. If each of them taught one person a year,
a. in 33 years the
entire
world would be taught.
b. Not all will be
saved.
1. In
fact, most will not (cf. Matt. 7:13-14).
2.
However, we will have done our work.
9. Our first point, then, is to have passion for lost
souls (our
Want to).
a.
With
passion any plan you use will work.
b.
Without
passion no plan will work
1. Second, Planning: Many people fear planning.
a. Others plan and yet
fear
work.
b. Plan your work and
work your
plan is a great motto.
c. God had a plan or
purpose
from before the beginning of the world (Eph. 1:4).
d. The Bible says,
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according
to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself;
that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in
one
all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth,
even in him" (Eph. 1:9-11).
2. Most Christians seem to be so afraid of doing something wrong
a. (as in messing up,
not as
in sin)
b. that they do wrong
(sin) by
doing nothing.
3. A wise football coach would tell his players, "Do something,
even
if it’s wrong!”
a. Was he advocating
that the
players go and mess up?
b. Certainly not, but
he
understood something.
4. He understood that our mind at times can be so burdened with
thoughts
a. that one freezes
and cannot
decide what to do fast enough.
b. That soon becomes
habit and
the player is no good for the team.
5. A good player is not afraid to make mistakes.
a. In time, if he
moves
instead of freezing,
b. he can be better
trained on
how to react to plays.
6. The same is true of Christians.
a. We can over analyze
things
so much that we just freeze,
b. not sure of what to
do.
7. However, if we will act on every opportunity,
a. we may not do it
right, but
we will get better with time.
b. If we never move,
we can
never be corrected.
c. Inactivity makes a
poor
football player and a poor Christian.
8. Part of planning is to set goals or Objectives.
a. How many people can
you try
to set up studies with
b. over the next week,
the
next month, and the next year?
c.
Be
realistic, but set your goal or objective high enough to be a challenge.
1. Third, Perseverance: This is where the rubber meets
the
road.
a. The Holy Spirit says,
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable,
always
abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as
ye know
that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
b. We must face our
challenges
with grace and humility.
c.
Evangelism is hard discouraging work at times.
2. But other times will bring joy beyond comparison.
a. If you have not
experienced
the joy of seeing one baptized
b. whom you worked
(studied)
with then it is a shame.
c. You have truly
missed a
marvelous thing.
3. To think that because you took the time to study with them
a. they were able to
hear
something that they may never have heard
b. is a wonderful
feeling, especially
when it brings forth fruit.
4. We must Resolve to continue in spite of how we feel
a. and in spite of
what others
may or may not do.
b.
Even
when persecuted, remember that persecution leads to glory (Rev. 2:10).
5. And above all, don't worry.
a. Worry is when you
hold a
mental picture of things you don't want to happen!
b. Most things dreaded
NEVER
happen.
c. So obey Jesus, and
don't
worry (READ Matthew
1. Fourth, Prayer: This is the last and perhaps most
important
thing to remember.
a. Paul wrote, "Praying
always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching
thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Eph. 6:18).
b. Prayer (Knee
Bends)
is not used enough.
c.
The
Bible says the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James
5:16).
2. Jesus said to pray that workers to be sent out into the fields
(Luke
10:2).
a. We should NOT pray
that prayer
b. unless we are
willing to go
into the field ourselves.
Conclusion
1. Now if you put all we have said together,
a. you will understand
the secret
to successful evangelism (or anything else)
b. in your city or
anywhere in
the world:
2. Want-to (Passion)
3. Objectives (Planning)
4. Resolve (Perseverance)
5. Knee-bends (Prayer)
6. The greatest secret to evangelism is not a magic formula or
some
new method.
a. It is simply WORK.
b. No more and no less
will do
the job.
7. Let us get to work. Shall we?