Door-Knocking for Christ

Door-knocking is the most effective way of making face-to-face community contact, whatever your message might be. Politicians do it all the time and get pretty good results on election day for their efforts. It’s typically called “get out the vote”. Many social-humanitarian causes do it and also get good reception at the door.

Unfortunately it has become a lost art. It has also gotten a bad wrap over the years as many unsavory characters have knocked on your door hawking everything from questionable insurance, cable TV, to brushes and cleaning supplies. Today we have an aversion to anyone knocking on our door with a commercial offering. We also cringe when Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons come knocking with their respective religious messages.

We have been culturally conditioned to see such activity as an invasion of our privacy. Be honest... you probably get a bit irritated when you hear an unexpected knock on your door. “Whatever you’re selling, I ain’t buying...get out of here... leave me alone!”

That being said... those who are courageous enough to try it for the first time are usually surprised by the pleasant reception they receive. What better way to spread the message of Salvation to unbelievers! It’s been done for 2,000 years very effectively and with stunning results.

Here are some pointers that will help when you go door-knocking for the first time with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

BEFORE YOU GO OUT – PREPARE A STRATEGY

Begin with a door-hanger
If you’re church can afford it, leave a door-hanger two days before you go door-knocking. It will prepare people for an expected knock at the door. The door-hanger should briefly describe the purpose of your visit and say that someone will be around in person. Make the door-hanger with light cardstock, cut about 5.5 by 8.5 inches, with a 1.5 inch hole cut in the top and a slit on the side of the hole for easy attachment to the doorknob.

Wear an official name tag
Door-knockers should wear name tags with clear identification and affiliation with the local church name and address. The name-tag ID your wear should match the ID that was on any door-hanger used a few days prior to your knock-day. The best name tags will also include a color photo of you with your name. Name tags are especially important in neighborhoods where people might be suspicious of someone knocking on the door.

Have people knock their own blocks
The easiest way to get started in door-knocking for Christ is to do your own block. This allows door-knockers to introduce themselves with something like: “My name is Bill Smith and I live in the red brick house three doors down from you.” Being a neighbor creates an immediate connection with the person answering the door; after that, everything else is much easier. Arranging for people to knock their own block is the basis of a lot of grassroots organizing.

A survey is a good excuse to door-knock
If you simply want to make a connection with people in your neighborhood or the neighborhoods near your church building, consider preparing a short survey about local concerns,civic projects, or ways to serve the needs of the poor and homeless.

Figure out responses for various situations. What if no one is home? What if the person who answers the door cannot speak English? What if a child answers the door? Figuring out responses ahead of time will make door-knocking easier. more productive and satisfying for you.

Once you have a simple STRATEGY defined... it's time to take the next step... GO!

Be Courageous... Knock on that Door!

The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a recently published report, are ones whose beliefs are known to radically conflict with Biblical Christian teachings.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many as cults and not Christian, year after year report the largest membership increases of any denomination, according to statistics gathered by the National Council of Churches’ and the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Mormon numbers have more than doubled in just over 20 years; Jehovah’s Witness membership numbers have increased 75% in the U.S. in the last 20 years.

If their doctrine is wrong, clearly in conflict with what the Bible teaches, then why are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons consistently wracking up new converts?

Maybe it’s their method of evangelizing... Door-to-Door. Face-to-Face. They quickly secure commitment for home-based Bible studies. They have frequent contact during the week with the “interested” person and family. They stay close with phone calls, emails, and they quickly involve the interested and curious in immersive fellowship activities.

Ask a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness what accounts for their consistent growth and they will gladly tell you... Door-to-Door Evangelism.

While very successful at attracting new converts, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons knock on a lot more doors than other traditional denominations who have experimented with door-to-door evangelism.

Mormons for example knock on 1000 doors to get one Bible study. Whereas more traditional Bible-based denominations who have tested the door-to-door concept, have a ratio of 18 to 1; 18 door knocks for every one Bible study started. In recent statistical drill-down analysis, some churches have found that on average, during their door-to-door campaigns, someone is found home for every six doors knocked. A Bible study is set up for every three doors where someone is found home. When studies are set up, one-half of these studies result in a baptism into Christ. This means that on average a conversion is made, a soul is saved for every 36 doors that are knocked These are amazing results, far surpassing the Mormon stats of 1000 to 1!

Here’s the nagging question: Why don’t traditional Bible-based denominations use door-to-door evangelism as their main method for proclaiming the gospel? Forget the occasional event-driven campaigns, and make door-to-door witnessing for Christ the mainstay strategy for evangelizing. With the potential converts that could be won to Christ... why not?

Truth rings true when it come from the Holy Word of God. Just imagine the growth that could be happening if Christians would get in the game, proclaiming “TRUTH" door-to-door! Real Truth, not the perverted and distorted gospels proclaimed by the aforementioned cult-like organizations. We should be ashamed and embarrassed by these proclaimers of false teachings garnering the growth that is occurring in the greater world of so-called Christian evangelism. Think about it... in spite of their relatively unfruitful door-to-door evangelism (1,000 to 1), the Mormon Church is one of the fastest growing religious bodies in the U.S. today, while Bible-based churches have had essentially zero or marginal growth in the U.S. for the past twenty years.

Excuses abound for not embracing what works! Some church denominations say that door-to-door evangelism doesn’t work. Christians... wake up, these facts don’t lie. They’re undeniable. Proclaimers of TRUTH should be ashamed!

Some church leaders have even stated flatly that they don’t want a lot of new babes in Christ. They don’t think the church can nurture an influx of new Christians properly. In other words, effective productive evangelism would be a bad thing! The “twelve” filled with the Holy Spirit on the morning of Pentecost were courageous and prepared to handle the first wave of new believers on that day... 3,000! Thankfully no one told Peter not to get carried away in his first sermon or the results might have been different. 

Going from door-to-door proclaiming the gospel follows the example set by Paul in Acts 20:20 where he says that he did not hesitate "to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house."  A similar statement is made that the rest of the apostles also did this in Acts 5:41-42. 

Many believe that Paul is saying that he was merely preaching in house churches to small assembled groups of believers.  There is no question that this is where Christians were meeting together (Acts 2:46).   Acts 20:20 can be found frequently quoted as a proof text for both small group ministry in homes and for door-to-door evangelism to the unbeliever.  If Greek means anything to you... the same Greek word is used to describe both actions. Consider the context:  In Acts 20:21, Paul goes on to say that in doing this house to house teaching, he "declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must “turn to God” in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus."  This clearly indicates that he was carrying out a ministry to “nonbelievers”. 

Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).  The disciples were commanded to "make disciples... baptizing them... and teaching them to obey everything..." Surely, those who were taught to obey everything the disciples were commanded to do were taught to teach others. Each of these who were taught by the disciples in turn made disciples, baptized them into Christ, and taught them to do likewise wherever and to whomever they could.

This command has not changed since it was first given by Christ. It has not been modified or altered in any way. Christians today are responsible to harvest this generation of truth seekers.  We must be doing it as efficiently and effectively as Paul and the first century Christians did... door-to-door.

A common misconception about evangelism seems to be that only certain people are gifted to be evangelists. Most Christians would agree that there are certain members of a church who have the gift of giving, but no one who would say that other Christians are free from any need to obey God's commands in the matter of giving (2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) just because others may be better equipped to do so. 

Evangelism is exactly the same.  Some may be more gifted in public speaking and teaching than others, but that does not mean that the rest of us are free to ignore God's command to to preach... to teach... to baptize... to evangelize for His Kingdom. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16)

Christians are commanded by God to proclaim the gospel. We have a clear precedent established in the “first century” church of door-to-door evangelism. We know God’s Word of Truth... we have the Holy Spirit on our side... therefore we are already perfectly equipped to handle the fruits of door-to-door evangelism. We just need to move past the “excuses” and use the methods that work. The fields truly "are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35).

We can wait no longer. NO MORE excuses! House-to-House and Door-to-Door wins souls to Christ! There is no better way!

NEXT POSTING: Equipping a Congregation for Door-to-Door Evangelism

THE MOST POPULAR RELIGION IN AMERICA

WARNING! WARNING! The most popular religion in America... what is it? Its not Christianity. Its also not Islam, Judiasm, Buddhism, Taoism, or any other religious “ism”.


According to Christian Smith, a professor and associate chair in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the National Study of Youth and Religion, the number one religion in America is something called "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (MTD).

Mr. Smith conducted an extensive research project aimed at discovering the religious and spiritual beliefs held by U.S. teenagers.  After hundreds of discussions about religion, God, faith, prayer, and other spiritual practices, the youth of America summarily referred to their beliefs in such bizarre ways that Smith and his team labeled the hodgepodge of beliefs with a humanistic definition... Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This religious attitude is characterized by five fundamental beliefs:


1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most all world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."

This is a religion that is far more about comfort, individualism and conformity that it is about meaning, calling, and sacrifice. What makes it particularly challenging is that it is not offered through a new MTD movement or denomination. It is actually catching on and being practiced in churches where leaders think of themselves as traditional orthodox Christian. Here’s a run down of the impact the key aspects of MTD are having in the Church:

Moralistic – Do Good attitude. 
This is the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior. This moralistic approach to life believes that central to living a good and happy life is being a good, moral person. That means being nice, kind, pleasant, respectful, and responsible; working on self-improvement; taking care of one’s health; and doing one’s best to be successful.

The Christian leader that is inclined naturally toward moralism, will begin to avoid the cross as the means of salvation, justification and sanctification. They will shame families and congregations into doing better and deal harshly with those who fail to perform to the level of acceptable behavior. To deal with the pressures of ministry, a man declares himself as moral in comparison with other Christian leaders. The true standard for morality is Jesus Christ and no one can attain morality without His righteous imputation (Romans 4:3-8). Moralism or behavior modification will not help anyone gain favor with God or ease life’s pressure.

Therapeutic – Be Nice and Smile.
This is the belief that adherents enjoy psychological benefits by participating in something good. This is not a religion of repentance from sin or living as a servant of the holy sovereign God. Rather, it is about feeling good, being happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well being, being able to resolve problems, and being nice to people. It is doing good things so that you feel good about yourself.

Church leaders who have taken the first step of avoiding the cross, will lean toward this solution as the way to marginalize the effects of sin. They might be inclined to resign from ministry to find a more favorable environment. This person focuses only on the positives and avoids conflict at all costs—even if compromise of principles is necessary.

Many well-meaning Christian leaders offer therapeutic solutions to the problems we face. They suggest that we need hobbies or retreats or new routines. One preacher said that to deal with his stress, he listens to soothing music, hangs around good friends, gets a massage and shoots guns. Apparently, he shoots guns to compensate for his other less masculine practices to cope with pressure. Another preacher said “I take mental holidays while I am at church during the week.” What does that mean? Holidays from what? Finally, another preacher said, “I have a note card that I wrote to myself inside my desk. It simply says, ‘Lighten up and smile.’” I wonder if that note card works if he or a family member contracts a terminal illness? These men are giving spiritual advise to hurting congregants who are trying to comprehend the nature of sin and the existence of God. When churches and pulpits are filled with these ideas, it’s no wonder moralistic therapeutic deism is thriving in America.

Deism – Just Do it.
This is the belief in a God who exists, created the world, but leaves you alone to do your thing. In this belief, God is like a Divine Butler who waits for you to call upon Him to intervene or a Cosmic Genie who grants your wishes. If things do not go as one expects, God gets the blame.

Deism is the natural response of a leader who avoids the cross. If fact, this leader really doesn’t believe in a sovereign God. But he likes church work. To get the job done, so he has to get a consultant, or get more educated or get systems and structures to fix the problems he faces. He has a tendency to work on the superficial structures of his personal life and to align his life with leadership maxims and pragmatic quick fix ideals. He adapts quickly to methods that are good rather than adopting principles that guide. These may not be the stated principles he verbalizes, but his actions and attitudes show this is how he functionally operates.

MTD is not an official religion, which makes it all the more dangerous to those seeking to know the true God. The implication of all of this is that the philosophies of MTD are dominating churches, pulpits, books, and counseling and coaching sessions.  God, Jesus, the Bible, prayer, all being slowly but certainly marginalized to insignificant.


Moralistic Therapeutic Deism cannot sustain a life. It cannot build a community. It cannot call people to take up a cross. Young people, raised in the Church, are embracing MTD as their religion under many names, forms variations and themes. Many older adults are embracing these themes in a quest for unity and brotherhood. MTD is capturing our culture in such deep ways that we’re hardly aware that it threatens the foundations of Christian faith.

We now face the challenge of evangelizing a nation that largely considers itself Christian, overwhelmingly believes in some deity, considers itself fervently religious, but is loosing its identity and connection to historic Biblical Christianity.

Sadly, we have failed our children, the Church has failed our children. Our failure to teach this generation of teenagers the realities and truths of Biblical Christianity will mean that their children will know even less and will be even more readily seduced by this new form of paganism.

MTD is a pathway to eternal destruction. Concerned Christians must understand how to combat MTD and build a Biblical strategy to combat this insidious evil. Leaders cannot be seduced by the good feeling expressions of MTD! Leaders... PREPARE the Church to respond to the threat of this new religion!

Moralistic Therapuetic Deism CANNOT stand against Biblical TRUTH, PRAYER, OBEDIENCE, REVERENCE, CONFESSION, SERVICE to OTHERS, STUDY, FORGIVENESS, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, FELLOWSHIP and BROTHERHOOD. Be armed for the fight... for it is against unseen spirits!

Change the World by the Power of Christ

Christians have different visions of how to transform the political structures of the world. Some argue that change needs to come from the top down, with righteous leaders and believers in positions of power. Others believe that true political transformation swells from the ground upward, as average people's work and prayers rev the engines of political change.

Whether believers want to occupy political office to effect change or simply preach to it, we must all agree that the significance of the Christian message of the Gospel should be the center piece of a global conversation for change.

Change begins with a broken heart and grows to Passion

Where does change... the prospects of change begin? The human brain is a wonderfully complex organ, processing different kinds of information in different areas. For example, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and usually processes emotion. Scientists find ways to map where thoughts are processed, answering such questions as: “Where is romantic love located? It's not actually your heart … it's the basal ganglia region of the brain.” But have you ever noticed that some information, however important, never seems to register both intellectually and emotionally with humans?

The reality of poverty, war, and injustice in today's impoverished societies can seem like trivia, information that remains disconnected from reality. This is especially the case in developed, prosperous societies.

The desire to work for God's Kingdom must begin with a broken heart. A Christians desire to help others is grounded in the fact that while we didn't deserve anything, Christ still died on the cross to save us from our sins. Do you know someone who has sacrificed much for others?

The fact that God came to save the world, through Jesus, empowers Christians with significant responsibilities to work to bring “ change and peace” to the world. This responsibility must change our perspective. For example, when was you last time you focused on problems and issues that were not your own?

We must change our orientation... and begin thinking of the world's problems not as theirs but as ours. Before Christ... you lived in a “my” world. After Christ came into your life... all around us becomes a “we” world. What can “we” do to change the plight of the sick, homeless, and suffering? We don’t have to look far to find them... they are with us in every place, in every nation around the world.

The relationship of Christianity to political power is complicated by the reality of compromise. Politicians constantly barter and bargain for compromise on a variety of issues, while Christianity hopes to attain purity above all else.

The transforming power of God comes through love, not laws. As important as good laws are, just laws cannot substitute for a body that loves justice. It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to new and better days for impoverished peoples, but someone's soul, inspired and ablaze with a love for God.

Finding, experiencing, trusting, embracing, and walking in the light of God’s love... that’s how people change. When people change... so goes the world.

God’s Word is being Spoken in Haiti!

Audio Bibles are helping in much needed outreach to the impoverished Haitian people

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in mid-January, hundreds of disaster relief teams, aid agencies, NGO’s and governments rushed into Port-au-Prince to provide vital food, water and medical supplies.

According to a recent new release from Faith Comes By Hearing, the ministry came alongside more than 100 of these groups to provide 3,400 solar-powered Audio Bibles, called Proclaimers, to minister to Haitians’ spiritual needs.

While relief efforts are meeting physical needs, Faith Comes By Hearing's Audio Bibles are helping to bring the promises of God in the native language of people so desperate for hope and answers.

“It is a word of hope in the midst of much suffering,” said an aid worker in the news release, who contacted Faith Comes By Hearing for Haitian Audio Bibles. Three months have now passed since the earthquake, and field reports are coming back from groups that used Proclaimers.

The news release stated that one aid worker, noticed at a Bible study that not everyone had a Bible. So the aid worker approached the woman leading the group, who explained that some of the women and men weren't able to read. “We gathered them and explained what the Proclaimer was and how it was to be used. This gift was received with joy, tears and hugs. “During our stay at the camp, we were able to witness many times the Proclaimer being used. Some mornings we woke to the recorded voice of the teachings they were listening to.”

According to the news release, another team that took along Proclaimers was responsible for repairing freshwater wells and pumps to provide clean drinking water.

“We fixed 37 well pumps and had a Proclaimer playing at each well site in the disaster area,” said another aid worker. “The people were amazed when they heard the Word of God, and they asked questions. We also placed one of these Proclaimers at a primary school near the Dominican Republic border. The children love hearing the Word and smile while they listen.”

The news release said the outreach has wide support, and is being generously funded by individuals, churches, foundations, and groups across the country. For example, a sub sandwich shop owner in Port Orange, Fla., collected donations for Proclaimers and gave nearly $4,800. A children's group from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., also gave more than $1,300.

“The church as a whole took up collections for food, medical supplies, and also raised money for the tents,” said Steve Young, SECC Children's minister, speaking in the news release.

In the children's ministry, he said, “We support a different mission every month. The kids got excited about this because of the timeliness. A lot of the kids keep up with current events, and it was important for them to know that they helped someone. We felt honored and pleased to be part of it.”

Volunteer teams and short-term missions groups can continue to request Audio Bibles for their Haitian outreach through the “Every Church Every Village” program.

Since the devastating quake to hit Haiti in January, Faith Comes By Hearing is working with over 70 churches, ministries, and disaster relief organizations providing food, water, and supplies, to take Proclaimers® (solar-powered Audio Bibles) to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of the people. For additional information visit www.faithcomesbyhearing.com

Haiti... Reality and Recovery by the Numbers

(CLICK on the GRAPHIC to Enlarge for easy reading)

When disaster strikes, we often attempt to quantify the event numerically. We categorize the chaos, destruction and death toll through statistics. We don’t always get a clear picture of the real toll and human suffering by simply applying the numbers.

After Chile’s recent 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27th, the media within 24 to 48 hours... called it 6 times, 30 times, 50 times, 300 times, 500 times 700 times, and finally 1,000 times larger than Haiti’s 7.0 quake. You get the picture... we tend to exaggerate the numbers in times of crisis, overstating reality for a multitude of reasons.

True reality... Chile saw far fewer casualties than Haiti and charitable giving is likely to be much lower as well.

Death tolls alone don’t seem to draw our attention anymore. Burma’s Cyclone Nargis in 2008 killed an estimated 170,000. However, largely because of the countries restrictive regime, International donations totaled only about $310 million. Donations to Haiti surpassed that figure in less than 9 days. Maybe its proximity, the closeness of Haiti to the U.S. that has created the outpouring of assistance and financial aid.

Whatever it is that tugs at our emotions and motivates giving to Haiti... we must not stop. The road to recovery for Haiti as a viable nation and culture will be a long and arduous journey.

Here’s a look at the current state of Haiti by the numbers:

222,417 - Confirmed Death Toll on February 24th according to the Haitian Government

300,000 - Likely Final Death Toll according to Haiti’s Government

52,000 - Confirmed Death Toll, according to an investigation by Radio Netherlands

“Well under 100,000” - Likely Final Death Toll according to Radio Netherlands.

63 Million Tons of Rubble must be cleared away before Rebuilding can begin (Rueters)

$7.2 to $13.2 Billion - The cost of the damage to the country (Inter-American Development Bank)

$81 Billion - Cost in Damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. (NOAA)

59 Aftershocks of 4.5 or greater - 16 of 59... 5.0 or greater

1,700 Easatimated Career Christian Missionaries are Based in Haiti

5% -- Haiti’s Protestant Population in 1940
20% -- Haiti’s Protestant Population in 1960
30% -- Haiti’s Protestant Population in 2010

2 in 3 of Haiti’s Protestants are Born Again Christians

Remember Haiti and its physically and emotionally depleted and impoverished people in your prayers. Continue to assist and support the Christian Missions that are working day and night to bring comfort and spiritual hope to a people who have suffered at the hand of cruel governments and natural disasters for decades.

Speak Up! Reaching People for Christ

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:35-42 NIV)

When it comes to speaking to others about our faith, two things are true about us. The first... we all desire to see our friends, relatives, and acquaintances come to accept Christ as their savior. The second... we are stymied as to how to make that happen. What do I say? What if I say the wrong thing? When is the right time? Generally speaking, we are intimidated when it comes to witnessing to others about Christ.

Without a doubt all of us have some level of difficulty with evangelism... proclaiming the Gospel to a stranger, a co-worker and to relatives. We’re uncomfortable sharing our faith, even embarrassed at times.

It’s not that we don’t want to share our faith. It’s not that we do not have concern over lost relatives and friends. We do care. Because we care, we feel a sense of guilt over not doing very much to reach them. The task of evangelizing family, friends and even strangers seems to be too much for us. After all, don’t you have to be very knowledgeable of the Bible in order handle the gospel message properly in leading people to Christ?

First we need to be careful not to make sharing Jesus more complicated than it really is. In the Bible, we see many people sharing Jesus who were without formal theological training or for that matter much education at all. In fact, the most effective witnesses Christ were just newly saved themselves. They were novices... new converts filled with awe, passion and enthusiasm to share the message of salvation through Christ. In the passages in the book of John, we see Andrew telling his brother Peter about Jesus. But Andrew was just introduced to Jesus himself. So, if we consider his example, we find a practical method which shows us how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people we come in contact with.

It is a simple method, yet very effective. As a matter of fact, most often the simplest methods are the most effective. It is the KISS method — “keep it simple saint”. The simpler, the better.

Following on the idea of “keeping it simple”... there are two simple steps that Andrew took to lead his brother to Jesus.

I. He Went and found His Brother

In verse 41...The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon. The first step Andrew took to lead his brother to Jesus was to seek him out. We must take the same first step. If we are going to be effective in leading people to Jesus, we must first seek out unsaved people. We must spend time in places where we will be around people we know to be unsaved. There is simply no other alternative.

In order to do this there are four important things we need. The first thing we need is to know where they are. That seems simple enough. But you would be surprised at how many Christians do not take the time to think this through. You may say, lost people are everywhere." True, they are everywhere. But the very fact that they are everywhere sometimes serves as an obstacle to reaching them. We can be overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of lost people in this world. There are so many. Where do we start? How can we reach the world for Jesus? It seems like an insurmountable task! Sometimes you can be so overwhelmed by the vastness of the task that you give up before you begin. You can be so overwhelmed by the everybody that you fail to reach anybody.

The question is... not where are all the lost people, but where are the lost people you can reach? You must know where your mission field is. If you’re going to fish, you must fish where the fish are. After all, Jesus has called us to be fishers of men.

The second thing we must have is information about those we seek out. We must know them by name. Who are the people that comprise your personal mission field? Do you know them by name? Yes, should be your answer. God has given each one of us a mission field. We are all missionaries, called to reach the world for Jesus. But God has called us as individuals, to reach our circle of friends and acquaintances with the gospel message. The typical person has a circle of friends, relatives, and acquaintances numbering about forty people. That number may be slightly more or slightly less depending on your particular situation. These are the people who comprise your mission field. These are people you know by name, people you work with, neighbors and the like. These are the people, God expects us to seek out for Christ.

The third thing we need in order to reach these people, is to care enough about them to go after them. We must understand the gravity of their situation. We must understand that without Christ they are truly lost and under the condemnation of sin. They are condemned people. Without Christ there is no hope for them. This “state of condemnation” is not an abstract concept we can debate or ignore. That is why God commands us to go into all the world. That is why Jesus came. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." (John 3:16) God loves all of humanity and so must we. We must care enough to seek them out, and to use whatever influence we have to lead them to Christ.

The fourth thing we must have is something to share. Andrew not only sought his brother, he shared what he had found with him. We see in verse 41... The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). Andrew shared his own experience of discovering the Messiah. That’s how you start... by simply sharing your own experience of coming to know Christ.

Don’t worry about deep, complex, theological stuff here. This is about sharing our own personal experience of how Christ has changed our lives. Most people are not interested in arguing about deep theological truths. Most people already think they know what the Bible teaches, so going down the intellectual path will turn people off before you even get their attention.

It’s best not to argue the Bible with unsaved people. Rather, what you need to share is your own personal experience of coming to know Christ. It’s hard for anyone to argue with a personal experience, especially when they may have known you long enough to have seen the changes in your life and attitudes after you became a Christian. Personal experiences are almost the best way to start a dialog about Jesus Christ. Remember when Jesus healed a certain blind man... then the blind man was questioned by the religious leaders about who Jesus was. The blind man essentially said, "I don’t know about all of these theological arguments, all I know is once I was blind and now I see." We do not have to argue about theological issues. What we need to do is share simply our own experience. Share your new hopes and inner joy at how Christ has helped you cope with life’s challenges. Everyone will be able to identify with such experiences.

II. He Brought Him meet the Christ

We see in verse 42... he brought him to Jesus. Andrew not only sought his brother, he also brought his brother to Jesus. So we must not only seek out our unsaved friends and share with them our own experience, we must also bring them to a place where they can hear more, meet other Christians and experience an environment where they can make a decision for Christ. In Andrew’s case he literally brought his brother to Jesus. In our case, we can at least bring them to a place where they have an opportunity to hear the Gospel and be touched by the power of God. Bring them to church.

For all we do we must not stop short of this. This the key. The objective of evangelism is to evangelize. The objective of fishing is to catch fish. The objective of fishing is not to just bait the hook well... it is not just to see the fish take the bait... it is not just to get the fish on the line, it is to get the fish in the boat.

The Church that Jesus founded is not a fishing society. It’s not about meetings, accurate attendance figures and a membership roll, or to make sure the members pay their dues. Christians gathering together in assembly is much more than talking about evangelism. It is much more than well planned strategies for evangelism, rules to follow when sharing the gospel, regulations concerning the proper attire for do doing so, and so on. Fishermen are people who catch fish. Evangelists are people who talk to others about Christ. If you never drop a line in the water... you can’t call yourself a fisherman. If you never speak to others about your personal experiences of being a follower of Jesus Christ... you can’t call yourself an evangelist... and maybe not a Christian either.

The real issue a simple one. Christians do a lot of talking, strategizing and planning about fishing for lost souls, but what we really need to do is go find them and speak about HIM.

If we’re going to proclaim to our family and friends the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must act with urgency. We must take the time to seek them out, to share with them our own experience of knowing Christ, and bring them to church. Do not be afraid... GOD will be with you.