On Monday, we began our four-part series, “Go, Stand, and Warn Them.” In Part 1, we talked about going out where Satan gathers the lost, planting our feet among them, and then getting to work to warn them about the coming Judgment. If you missed it, you can check it out here:
https://www.markcahill.org/go-stand-speak-and-warn-them-part-1
We left off with my encounter with Mauricio, who is a Christian that was intrigued with reaching the lost.
But more than a few people will say they are a Christian or they are saved. Sometimes I respond by saying, “Will you help me reach some lost people for Jesus?” Let’s just say I don’t get many takers on that one! Why not? Why do we not care where people are going to spend eternity?
Asking Simple Questions
Many times, I will ask the person who tells me they are a Christian, “What inside there tonight is going to glorify the Lord?” That is a great, great question to ask people. It gets them thinking. I have had numerous people tell me through the years that nothing in there will glorify God. That is what I am trying to get them to think about. It is just another wasted evening. Listening to a rock band or a rapper will do nothing to bring me closer to Jesus. As a matter of fact, what will happen is that it will pull me further away from Jesus and closer to the world.
James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
I remind people that we need to draw near to God. If there is distance between me and Jesus, Jesus didn’t cause that to happen; I did.
When I asked that question of one lady, she said, “Everything.” Incorrect answer. I told her, “Nothing.” She responded again, “Everything.”
Another lady responded, “The music makes me feel good.” “Does it make your flesh feel good or your spirit feel good?” I think we all know the answer to that one.
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Different Crowds
But one thing you notice on the streets is that there are some crowds that take fewer tracts than other crowds. Richer crowds don’t take as many. A rich, white crowd takes the fewest number of tracts. A drunker crowd doesn’t take as many.
A couple of friends of the ministry, Tim and Mike, love to witness all over the world! They were telling me recently that in Germany and Australia, it was the whiter folks who really wanted nothing to do with them. Anyone else was just fine taking materials. Why is that? Have they already tried religion and are done with it? Is it because they have made a few nickels, and they have a different god now?
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But knowing that about crowds can never stop you from witnessing. You might be out there for just one person, even though 40,000 to 50,000 people are attending the event. And, if I hand just one tract out, I have had a great day for our Lord! One seed in one person’s life can go a long, long way toward affecting them, and potentially many others around them, for the gospel.
That is another reason why we don’t worry when someone doesn’t take a tract. Someone else will.
Changing Tactics
The flow of people was so big at certain points that practically no one was taking a tract. I usually do one of three things at a time like that. I pray, “God, soften their hearts to take a tract.” That works! If a person takes one, then, many times, the next five to ten people will take one. They see one person do it, and then they do it as well. Why? We are a bunch of followers. They are following each other into the venue, and they will copy someone else who takes something like a tract.
Sometimes, I will just look at someone and say, “Sir” or “Maam.” I get their attention to make eye contact. Most people will look at you. Then I will say something like, “Are you born again? Are you saved?” Or, I might say, “Judgment Day is coming. Make sure you are ready for it.”
That statement really works well. Some people just turn and walk away. Others nod their heads. And others will stop and chat.
If we can get them thinking about statements like being “born again,” “saved,” or “Judgment Day,” God can use them in their life because of seeds that someone else has sown. Or He can water those seeds down the road.
Other times, I just stop because I’ve realized I need to raise my voice and speak up. I need to start talking above the noise of the crowd. Now, I don’t have a loud voice, so I have to put in some effort to be heard. And I have also realized that I can’t fear what man thinks of me. I don’t answer to them when I die. I only answer to God for the life I have lived down here.
Acts 5:19-21
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
Sometimes, we just need to go, stand, and speak up so people can hear our love for Jesus.
Next week, we will continue this series by discussing some other approaches we can use when the dynamics of the crowd begins to change. Sometimes we need to be creative so that the crowds can be warned about the coming Judgment.
Until the nets are full,
P.S. Summer and Beaches are made for witnessing. Linda knows what to do when she hits the beach. Do you?
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