The Scriptural Motivation And Methods For Soul Winning Page 1

EARNESTLY CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH:
THE SCRIPTURAL MOTIVATION
AND METHODS FOR SOUL WINNING PAGE 1
(A PDF copy of this file is available here)
(A Word Perfect copy of this file is available here)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS
GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH.
THAT IS WHY HE IS GOD

INDEX

The Motivations And Admonitions For Scriptural Witnessing
Introduction: The Ministry Of The Holy Ghost In Salvation
The Necessity And Importance Of Witnessing
The Scriptural Qualifications Of A Witness
The Methods Of Approaching Potential Converts
The Necessity Of Waiting On The Work Of The Holy Ghost
Be Prepared For And Expect The Resistence Of Hardened Hearts
How To Give A Scriptural Presentation Of Salvation
There Must Be Discipleship Following Professions Of Faith

THE MOTIVATIONS AND ADMONITIONS FOR SCRIPTURAL WITNESSING

This study was motivated by the ideas from Porter Barrington’s study on “How To Witness Effectively”. It uses a little bit different approach with the hoped for objective of removing the temptation to rely upon an empty sinner’s prayer as the basis for a lost sinner’s salvation rather than relying upon the lost sinner exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This document is written with the hope of motivating Christians in our church to have a scriptural zeal for soul winning and to train them to witness scripturally.
The most abused verse when “witnessing” to lost sinners today is Romans 10:13 which states:

Romans 10:13
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13 becomes the proverbial sinner’s prayer when quoted out of context. When witnessing to a lost person, Romans 10:13 should NEVER be quoted in isolation from Romans 10:14. Thus it is written:

Romans 10:13-14
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

There are some conditions given in verse 14 that must be met before “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. We talk about those conditions below. Read on. We are not talking about works based salvation here! The sinner’s prayer that is used today is much different from its namesake in Luke 18:13 where it is stated: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner”. You tell me how many of today’s sinner’s prayers line up with the scriptural description given in Luke 18:13. We would answer that there are almost NONE! Empty sinner’s prayers, psychological chicanery, sales marketing techniques, and other psychologically manipulative devices should never be used in an attempt to convert lost sinners. These are Satan’s devices and tragically most of our “fundamentalist” churches act as if they are ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). We find many Christians today relying on that wicked Freud rather than the Holy Ghost when it comes to soul winning. The best of your efforts can neither convict lost sinners, draw lost sinners, convert lost sinners, or regenerate lost sinners. Those are all the work of the Word of God and God the Holy Ghost.
There is much reliance on Satan’s sinister statistical salvation stuntmen when it comes to claims for bloated salvation statistics. That is why I quit reading “The Sword Of The Lord” many years ago. Its pages made me want to literally puke over the braggadocios “soul winning” statistics in its pages. It was enough to embarrass a peacock. It has become a numbers racket promoted by so-called fundamentalists that have corrupted the seed of the Word of God by wrongly dividing it. As a result, soul winning is not being done God’s way and people are not being saved. A salvation that does not express repentance in the wake of a profession of faith is probably not real. That is what the focus on numbers has done for our churches. David and Israel were not punished for just numbering the people, but they were punished for not numbering God’s people God’s way. David’s story is told in 2 Samuel 24 and the basis for God’s judgment was the Word of God as stated in Exodus 30:11-12 where it is written:

Exodus 30:11-12
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

The salvation statistics today are not being counted God’s way. Professions are being counted as salvations rather than changed lives being counted as salvations. If the wildly exaggerated salvation statistics are true, then why are our churches in America dying and why are we seeing a massive doctrinal and practical falling away in our churches in America. From those who advocate antinomian repentanceless salvation, I have yet to hear a scriptural explanation as to why we are experiencing such a massive falling away in our churches. I challenge anyone who believes in salvation without repentance to give me a valid scriptural explanation as to the depraved condition of our churches. Saved folks do not constantly abide in the sin and heresy the way most of our church members in America do. “They are carnal Christians” is the excuse given for unsaved professors. I do not buy it. If these folks were saved, God would probably have killed many of them a long time ago because there is a sin unto death for the Christian. There is no evidence of repentance coming forth from the apostates and heretics in America’s churches. Why? Because the Holy Ghost has not worked HIS work of repentance in them because there was no saving faith exercised by the professor. Put another way, repentance is the evidence that a person has saving faith. Most American church members today were led to pray a faithless sinner’s prayer that produces no repentance. The fruit(s) of the Spirit in Galatians 5 are a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Ghost. If the fruits of the flesh are the only works that are manifested, then the Holy Ghost is probably not there. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 19).
Assuring newly professing Christians of salvation is not the ministry of any mere man or woman. You do not have the scriptural authority to do that. If they are saved, they will know it. Their assurance is the salvation that they have. Assurance is the ministry of God (Acts 17:31). Romans 8:16 says: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”. The danger of assuring some new “convert” is described by Pastor John Asquith in his book “Who Moved The Goal Posts” on pages 126-127:

Once a person has been assured by a mislead soul winner that they no longer have a need for salvation, he will die in sight of the altar. As the Holy Ghost tugs at his heart he will resist because he thinks that the urge he feels in his soul is from the devil. If he talks to someone in the church they will tell him that those feelings are not from God. Many a person sits in a pew and hears the words of life called out to him week after week. He doesn’t respond. The Spirit of God tries to search his heart to make him understand God’s anger against him, but he rebuffs that sweet voice over and over.
That scenario only affects that very small percentage of easy believism converts who actually attend church. The vast majority of such converts will never come to church more than once or twice. They have served their purpose. They are numbers to brag about. “We had 15 people saved on visitation last week.” “20 children gave their hearts to Jesus on our bus route last week.” “200 people were saved at our last revival.” This has become the currency of fundamental Baptists. As has been said in this book earlier, none of these churches has any recent converts attending and growing in Christ. Oh, there might be some bedraggled wretch sitting there looking for handouts, or someone sitting there tentatively wondering if this is for them, but they melt away quickly. Counting professions of faith instead of counting changed lives as they conform their lives to the house of God is hell’s work. Prior to World War II very few people were that evil. Now it is legion.

Many deceived, but well meaning, Christians will blame the Devil for producing doubt in a convert’s mind. Blaming the Devil for doubting one’s salvation is the “go to” way of running from the conviction of the Holy Ghost. It is a very dangerous practice that can damn a soul to hell. I was not saved very long before I heard someone stand up in a congregation and testify that the Devil was making them doubt their salvation. I thought to myself then , “hum, that is a very strange sounding statement. Why would the Devil make anyone doubt their salvation?”. Many times it is the preacher who becomes the Devil that is accused of making someone doubt their salvation when he preaches hell fire and damnation, when he preaches hard against sin, and when he preaches the need for repentance in salvation. If you are a professing Christian who publickly expresses a doubt in your salvation, do not get mad with me if I try to witness to you or preach salvation to you. I submit to you that when a person is doubting their salvation that it is a work of the Holy Ghost. Pastor John Asquith wrote a pamphlet titled “Why Do You Doubt?”that was included in his book “Who Moved The Goal Posts? A Critique Of Soul Winning In The 21st Century”. The pamphlet is located on the internet here:

http://www.earnestlycontendingforthefaith.com/WhyDoYouDoubt.html .

That pamphlet addresses four reasons why people doubt their salvation. His last stated reason is that it is because they are lost. We highly recommend his pamphlet and his book. Doubt comes from either being unsaved or a Christian refusing to repent of habitual sin. It is okay to have doubt in someone else’s salvation if it will motivate you to pray for them and to witness to them. I hear so much preaching and teaching today that criticizes and mocks anyone who would question whether someone who has made a profession is saved regardless of how wicked they live. It is okay to let them go to hell just so you do not question their “salvation”. Our churches have become “false profession mills” because we will not preach and look for repentance in potential converts. Whatever happened to the watchman. Folks, if they have not repented, they are still yet dead in their sin and headed for the Devil’s hell. By their fruits ye shall know them. As Brother Sammy Allen is wont to say: “no fruit, no root”. Paul expressed a doubt in the salvation of some in the churches of Galatia in Galatians 4:19-20 when he stated:

Galatians 4:19-20
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

To many times we get caught up in the trap of expecting immediate results. Sometimes we get them, but most of the time we will not and when we do get immediate results it has been preceded by the work of another soul winner and the Holy Ghost. We are not responsible for the results. We are responsible to go forth into the harvest. It is a work of the Devil to pressure a potential soul winner to get results. Many times soul winners put themselves in the position of trying to pull green fruit, or even worse, blossoms that have not even set fruit. The conversion of sinners is referred to as a harvest. If there is to be a harvest, there must be a breaking up of the fallow ground of unsaved hearts (Jeremiah 4:3); a sowing of the seed of the Word of God; regular watering with the Word of God; a pulling up and throwing forth of the thorns, thistles, weeds, and stones that hinder the work of salvation; and a harvest of the fruit by the Holy Ghost. We are farmers in God’s harvest. That implies that there will be much work involved in bringing forth the harvest and not the one-two-three repeat after me sinner’s prayers of easy prayerism salvations. The whole one-two-three-repeat-after-me scenario is a damnable heresy. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9:

1 Corinthians 3:6-9
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

We must not try to rush the work of the Holy Ghost. We must be willing to befriend individuals and work with them for months, or even years, before we see them come to salvation. Church History is full of the testimonies of many such individuals. One such testimony is that of Fanny Crosby, that great Methodist hymn writer who wrote over ten thousand hymns. Concerning the conversion of Fanny Crosby, Pastor John Asquith in his book “Who Moved The Goal Posts” on pages 26-30 wrote the following:

      Start Quote: This is as good a time as any to look at the conversion of Fanny Crosby the famous hymn writer. Had Miss Crosby been born in our time it is doubtful that she would ever have been saved. Had she been so fortunate to have escaped the sewers of humanism, Darwinism and victim psychology that destroy the souls of young people today, her local Fundamental Baptist Church would probably have completed the work of damnation in her soul. They would have done that through an utter ignorance of how to deal with the lost. They would have damned her by getting her to pray a prayer and then assuring her that nothing else was needed for salvation. If she were to express the least doubt as to whether she possessed the grace of Christ she would have Romans 10:13 presented to her as proof that she was in Christ.
     Miss Crosby had this to say of her conversion. In her autobiography entitled Fanny Crosby an Autobiography, she tells us that she first began attending the 18th Street Methodist Church where she was eventually to be saved in 1839. She was not to get saved until November of 1850. To call a Methodist Church in the early 1800’s a dead church not interested in souls would be folly. In the early 1800’s the Methodists were some of the most fervent soul winners in Christendom. Had she attended a church noted for soul winning in the years 1990, 2000 or 2010 she would have most certainly been invited to come forward and be shown how that she could know for sure that she was going to heaven. If she didn’t respond to that call, it is certain that some enterprising person would eventually take her aside and ask the same question.
     Instead, by the grace of God, Fanny was allowed to come to repentance. Fanny was already a virtuous woman and had already achieved some fame. She had entertained governors, presidents, and famous senators as the widely read blind poet from the New York School for the Blind. She had an excellence of personal character. She came close to death in the cholera epidemic of 1849 but selflessly nursed the ill. Yet she said of herself, “I had grown somewhat indifferent to the means of grace” pg.98. In November of 1850 Fanny attended a revival at the church. Fanny has left us a written testimony of her struggles with salvation. She tells us that during that revival she had gone to the altar twice. She left each time not having found the joy that she sought.
     Think about what she said. If she were to have gone up to a modern altar she would have been dealt with by someone from the church. That person would have been trained to ask her why she had come forward. If Fanny had expressed her sense of not knowing Christ that person would have shown her a few cursory verses about the need for salvation. That same person would eventually get around to Romans 10:13. Fanny would have been instructed that if she asked Jesus to save her, that verse promised that he would. Fanny would not have gone up the second time because the angel of death who ministered to her the first time would have assured her that there was no need.
     Fortunately for Miss Fanny, 19th century soul winners knew better. Fanny went to the altar on two different nights and found no peace. On November 20, 1850 Fanny responded to the altar call again. There she prayed alone. She felt that if she did not receive the light this time that she never would. After prayer a hymn was sung, “Alas and did my savior bleed, and did my sovereign die.” On the third line of the fourth stanza she heard the words, “Here Lord I give myself away”. Her soul flooded with celestial light. Miss Fanny explained why her early attempts at salvation didn’t work. “I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.” pg.99-100.
     Had Fanny Crosby come to the average Fundamental Baptist Church in the last 30 years she could have never worked that out. She would have been aborted at the altar. That great work of God that culminated in over 8000 hymns and the comfort of millions would have been cut off before it ever came to fruition. I know that prognosis upsets many of my readers but judge for yourself. Where are all the people that churches say get saved? They are not in church. They do not have changed lives. If someone reminds them of the experience later they are embarrassed to talk about it. Fanny Crosby would have become a statistic about a church revival. Someone would brag that so-and-so many souls were saved on Tuesday night. Instead old fashioned soul winners let her seek the Lord diligently and in seeking she found.
     Perhaps my reader doesn’t think that Fanny’s revelation about herself meant anything. Perhaps my reader thinks that Fanny could have been saved much grief had a simple soul winner just taken her to the altar in 1839 when she first began to attend. Perhaps this is why my reader sees no real fruit in soul winning other than meaningless numbers. Perhaps my reader is worried that such talk of true repentance takes the simplicity out of Christ.
     There is a big difference between the words “simple” and “easy”. To use a common illustration I’ll use the example of weight loss. If an obese person wants to lose 100 pounds it really is quite simple. If they would restrict their calorie intake to about 1800 calories a day, if they were to cut out junk food, and if they were to walk five miles a day, weight would drop off. It really is simple. Even a child can understand that. It’s simple, but it is extremely difficult. Does a young man desire a good physique with plenty of muscles? Let him eat well, get good sleep and work out with weights daily. It really is that simple. Why don’t more young men do it? It is very hard to do.
     Salvation is simple. Jesus died for everyone. If any person comes to repentance and receives Jesus Christ he is saved eternally. It really is that simple. What is difficult is getting a person to see themselves in repentance. Miss Fanny could have recited many verses about the grace of Christ. What she could not do was see the terrible offense that she was to Jesus Christ in that she sought him with one hand and yet sought the world with the other hand. Until she came to that personal repentance that came as a merciful revelation from Jesus Christ as to his anger with her, she could not be saved. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. End Quote

What this quote proves is that bringing someone to salvation may take years and that we should not manipulate someone into praying a faithless sinner’s prayer and then pronounce them to be saved. To do so is to potentially innoculate them to the gospel and send them to the fires of hell. Fanny Crosby’s case is but one of untold numbers. As Brother John Asquith said, salvation is simple. The difficult part is getting people to receive it. Shallow soul winning techniques are damnable heresies that could result in some poor lost soul spending an eternity in hell fire. I have been guilty of practicing those techniques before and when I walked away from the individual that I was “witnessing” to, I felt like a sheep killing dog and in a sense I potentially was. We need to be very careful when dealing with potentially lost souls wherever we meet them whether outside our churches or at the altars in our churches. Regardless of where we are we must present a scriptural gospel and wait for the Holy Ghost to do the work. Pastor John Asquith in his book “Who Moved The Goal Posts” had this to say about the altar call in many of our churches:

Start Quotes: This book will work on a twofold basis. There will be many true-life accounts of actual sinners who found eternal life in Christ Jesus. Some of these will be well known historical figures such as D.L. Moody or John Wesley. This book will also seek to explore the scriptures on salvation and compare them with modern practices. Right from the beginning I will put forth my premise, we don’t see results like these men saw and we don’t see men of God like these men because we abort them at the altar. [page 21, Who Moved The Goal Posts?]

Now, it has become fashionable to go forward. In church after church, the same little clique of young women or some other such group go forward as much to be seen and be part of the crowd as for any other reason. Regardless of how often they go up, they do not change. The altar call is rapidly becoming the “Nehushtan” of II Kings 18:4, He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. Likewise, the altar call which had been instituted by holy men has been transformed into something different by our age. It is simply impossible for a person to “call upon the name of the Lord”, before the Lord has crushed that prideful spirit of caring about what others think. There is nothing in today’s altar calls to foster such a spirit. [page 206, Who Moved The Goal Posts?] End Quotes

We have to many people who get in the way of the Holy Ghost because they seek to do that which only the Holy Ghost can do. If the Holy Ghost has not convicted a lost sinner, there is no amount of psychological manipulation, salesmanship, and praying that can bring them to salvation. Rather than focusing on trying to get the lost to say a sinner’s prayer, we ought to focus on saturating them with the Word Of God: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The fields are white to harvest and God has commanded that we go into them. John 4:35, Matthew 9:38, Matthew 28:19-20, and Acts 1:8 state:

John 4:35
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Matthew 9:38
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Folks the fields are white to harvest, but we must depend upon the Holy Ghost and the Bible as our implements to bring the harvest in.
     If those who state that they have been called to preach will not go out into our communities and knock doors for soul winning, or practice some form of individual soul winning outside the walls of our churches, then they should not be allowed into our pulpits inside our churches. If a man who states that he has been called to preach will not participate in individual soul winning, his priorities are not right before God. For most of our Bible believing churches, the pulpit is the safest place to be for a preacher. It is on the streets of America where that safe haven is taken away. Show me a good street preacher and a good door to door soul winner and I will show you a man that God will use in the pulpit of our churches. Show me a dedicated jailhouse and prison preacher and I will show you a man that God will use in the pulpit of our churches. Anyone who has ever preached in a jailhouse, a prison, or on the streets will tell you that there is a world of difference between those venues and a pulpit in a Bible believing church.
     If we are going to participate in door to door witnessing, we must be prepared. We must be physically prepared and spiritually prepared.
     When I say that we are to be physically prepared I mean that we must be dressed appropriately and clean. That means that our dress is to conform Biblical standards. That means that men and women are to have their nakedness covered. That means that shorts are not allowed. That means that low cut blouses on ladies and tank tops on men are not allowed. Formal attire is not required, but any clothing that is worn should be neat and not sexually revealing. We are to be clean in our bodies and clean in our clothing. There is nothing like the offense that is generated by the body odor of someone who will not take showers or baths or who will not wash their clothes. Bad breath is also an offense that can be taken care of with a toothbrush and some toothpaste. There should be nothing about our hygiene, clothing, or body odor that would be an offense to anyone. Our level of cleanliness must at very least meet the cleanliness standards of the cultures we live in. You represent the Lord Jesus Christ and your church.
     When we say that we are to be prepared spiritually that is a wide ranging statement. We should be living holy, separated lives. An effective soul winner must be filled with and yielded to the Holy Ghost. That means that we should be vessels that are fit for use by the Holy Ghost. We should be prayed up and confessed up. That means that we are to confess our sins to God and ask him to go before us into the harvest. We are to be as thoroughly familiar as we can with what the Bible teaches about how we come to salvation. We should also be thoroughly familiar with the works based cult and denominational counterfeits that Satan produces as alternatives to Biblical salvation. That in itself is a major undertaking. A soul winner should know how to lead someone through the Scriptures to a knowledge of salvation. A soul winner should rely on the Holy Ghost to do the drawing, convicting, and conversion of a lost sinner.
     There are a number of canned, or boxed, salvation plans out there for presenting the plan of salvation to the lost. They include the Roman’s Road, the John’s Road, the Hebrew’s Road, the Isaiah Road, and so forth. We are not opposed to using these canned plans, but the soul winner must be prepared to go beyond these plans because many people raise questions during the presentation of the gospel that must be answered before we can move on. Know your Bible! We must be students of the Bible so that the Holy Ghost can call to our minds specific Scriptures to deal with questions raised during the presentation of the Gospel.
     We have prepared a document that deals with some of the most common objections that lost people raise when dealing with them about salvation. The title of that document is “Objections To Salvation Answered”. There are thirteen common objections listed with several Bible answers listed for each objection. These are by no means all of the objections that could be raised, but they help a potential soul winner to be better prepared.
     If you are presenting the gospel to someone and they raise a question that is a distraction to presenting the Gospel ask them if it would be alright if you answered that question later at the end of your presentation. Never tell someone that you will answer their question later without the intent of doing so. Your last question to a potential convert should be: “Have I answered all of your questions today?”. If you do not know the answer to a particular question do not be afraid to tell then that you do not know, but that you would be glad to get back to them. Take their name and address down and be sure to return as you have promised.
     We are not to use door to door soul winning to straighten people out doctrinally. Doctrinal correction is the ministry of the local church to be conducted within its OWN walls upon its OWN members. There is a place for apologetics, but it is not on the doorstep of someone we are trying to witness to. We are not to argue doctrine with a potentially lost person. Many, if not most, religious people are lost. We learn what they have been taught to believe not for the purpose of winning an argument, or to correct them, but for the purpose of discerning how best to deal with their perceptions of what salvation is. If we will have a meek and humble spirit, our knowledge of what the various denominations and cults teach about salvation will be used by the Holy Ghost to show us what we need to say in a particular circumstance. In other words, it will give us greater spiritual discernment. The Holy Ghost will use our knowledge of the cults and various denominations to show us how to avoid doctrinal arguments that almost always destroy an opportunity to lead a lost religious person to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just because a person’s church believes that they have to be baptized to be saved does not mean that that person is lost. Just because a person’s church believes that you can lose your salvation does not mean that that person is lost. We could go on and on because there is so much false doctrine out there. We have many saved folk in our Baptist Churches who hold to false doctrine not because they are not saved, but because they have not been properly discipled. Tragically, most of the members in our Baptist churches are lost because they have never been given a Scriptural presentation of the Gospel. One-two-three-repeat-after-me AND in hell spend an eternity.
     Before you depart for door to door soul winning, or address specific soul winning visits, make sure that you have a supply of Gospel tracts, a King James Bible, a small pocket notepad, and an ink pen. If someone makes a profession of faith, or requests a return visit, make sure that you write down their name, address, and any telephone numbers. Invite them to church. Offer to go back and pick them up if they do not have a ride. Now let us get into the means, or “How Tos”, of Scriptural Gospel presentations.

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THE MEANS OF SCRIPTURAL GOSPEL PRESENTATIONS

I. INTRODUCTION: THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY GHOST IN SALVATION.

One day as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee He saw two men, Simon, called Peter and Andrew, his brother. They were fisherman. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Soul winners are made, not born. Therefore, to be an effective witness, you must be taught, trained, and motivated by the power of the Holy Ghost. Jesus took three years to teach and train His disciples in the art of soul winning. After His resurrection He instructed them to stay in Jerusalem and, “wait for the promise of the Father”(Acts 1:4). When the disciples asked Jesus if the time had come for Him to restore the kingdom of Israel, “7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”(Acts 1:7-8). On the day of Pentecost, the hundred and twenty received power to witness; and any believer who will acquire the know-how can be an effective soul winner. He can know that he and the Holy Ghost are a witnessing team. Peter said, “We are witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Ghost, WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM” (Acts 5:32). Therefore, when you witness remember that “your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Matthew 4:19
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Acts 1:4-8
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 5:32
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

When you witness, trust the Holy Ghost to do three things:

A.	Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever. All lost souls are in spiritual darkness (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

B.	Stir The Heart Of The Unbeliever. As Peter preached Christ the listeners, “were pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37).

Acts 2:37
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Move The Will Of The Unbeliever. The prodigal returned home when he came to his himself and said, “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18).You may be up-to-date in all modern techniques and technologies of soul winning, and able to quote the necessary Scriptures without a flaw; but if you do not evangelize in the power of the Holy Ghost, your soul winning efforts will be ineffective. Approach this Master Outline with an open heart and receptive mind, willing to be made fishers of men.

Luke 15:18
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

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II. THE NECESSITY AND IMPORTANCE OF WITNESSING. Read Romans 10:13-17:

Romans 10:13-17
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13). Do not lift this text out of context. There are three questions in verse 14 that must be considered along with verse 13. They are:

First Question:
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” The answer is, the lost cannot call on the Lord to be saved until they believe: “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, And that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Second Question: “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”
The answer is, the lost cannot believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation. The eunuch had to hear to believe (Acts 8:26-39). Paul had to hear to believe (Acts 9:1-18). Cornelius had to hear to believe (Acts 10:1-48). The Philippian jailer had to hear to believe (Acts 16:25-40).

Acts 8:26-39
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Acts 9:1-18
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Acts 10:1-48
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. 7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; 8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate, 18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. 21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. 23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? 30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 16:25-40
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Third Question: “And how shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”
The answer is, they cannot hear the good news of salvation without a witness. Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because the 120 witnessed. The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed. Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed (Acts 7:54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Ananias witnessed (Acts 9:1-18). Cornelius and his household were saved because Peter witnessed. The Philippian jailer and his household were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed. You were saved because someone witnessed to you! According to the word of God, the lost cannot be saved without a witness. They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call, and they must call to be saved. But they cannot call until they believe and they cannot believe until they hear and they cannot hear without a witness. “So then faith (saving faith) cometh by hearing” (Romans 10:17). We are not born with saving faith; it comes only when we hear the gospel. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that every born again child of God obey the great commission to evangelize, to go with the gospel!

Acts 7:54-60
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Romans 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

III. THE SCRIPTURAL QUALIFICATIONS OF A WITNESS. Read Colossians 2:6-7:

Colossians 2:6-7
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A qualified witness is one who is:

Stablished In The Faith.
To be stablished in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word. Peter said, “1 Peter 3:15 “15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1 Peter 3:15).The fifteen Master Outline studies in the “Christian Life New Testament” were prepared to help establish you in the faith. Study them, carry your Bible with you and take advantage of every opportunity to ponder a portion of one of the great doctrines. They will give you a foundation on which to build a strong faith (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

B.	Saved And Knows It. I know that I am saved because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie. We have the:

1.	Witness of the Spirit stated in Romans 8:16:

Romans 8:16
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

2.	The witness of the Word written in1 John 5:13:

1 John 5:13
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

3.	The witness of faith recorded in 1 John 5:9-10:

1 John 5:9-10
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

C.	Separated. Paul said that he was “separated unto the gospel of God” as it is written in Romans 1:1-16:

Romans 1:1-16
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

This is positive separation and Paul analyzed it as:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A holy desire to share spiritual gifts (verse 11).
A holy purpose to bear fruit (verse 13).
A holy obligation to pay a spiritual debt (verse 14).
A holy eagerness to share the gospel (verse 15).
A holy boldness to exalt the cross (verse 16).

To be separated unto the gospel is to share the Good News with the lost.

D.	Will Be Filled With The Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (see Master Outline #11-Section #4). Evidence of the Spirit-filled life as seen in the early Christians:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

They spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).
They witnessed with great power (Acts 4:33).
They witnessed with great grace (Acts 4:33)
They shared their wealth (Acts 4:34-37).
They worshiped in unity (Acts 2:42-47).
They suffered persecution (Acts 8:1-4)
They glorified in tribulations (Romans 5:3).
They sang in prison (Acts 16:25).
They loved and prayed for their executioners (Acts 7:54-60).
They rejoiced to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41).
They were accused of:

a.
b.

Filling Jerusalem with the gospel (Acts 5:28).
Upsetting the world (Acts 17:6).

Acts 4:31-3731 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 2:42-47
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 8:1-4
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Romans 5:3
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Acts 16:25
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Acts 7:54-60
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 5:41
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Acts 5:28
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

Acts 17:6
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

E.	The 120 Spirit-filled Christians witnessed on the day of Pentecost and the people were:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Bewildered, that is, they were mentally arrested (Acts 2:6).
Amazed, that is, they were mentally frustrated (Acts 2:7).
Marveling, that is, they stood in mental awe (Acts 2:7).
Mocking, that is, some mentally reacted (Acts 2:13).
Inquiring, that is, some mentally acted (Acts 2:37).

Acts 2:6-7
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Acts 2:13
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Acts 2:37
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

The gospel proclaimed in the power of the Holy Ghost will motivate the hearer to act or react. On the day of Pentecost three thousand acted as evidenced by repentance and baptism, while others reacted mocking. No one, but no one, ignored the witness of those Spirit-filled believers!

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