Soul Winning Training 2: The Gospel Introduction

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Romans 5:6 – 5:21

This is the second soul winning training session. Last week we went over being ready to preach the Gospel. Have your Bible ready. Have a Gospel sheet of verses so people can see the Scriptures better. You can underline parts of the verse that you want to explain. Have the church invites with you.

Know how to explain the Scriptures you are presenting. Please go back and watch that training until you know how to explain the verses when preaching the Gospel.

Now that you have all of that ready, it’s time to go out and find that first person. When you find someone out there, what are you going to say? You’re going to learn how to effectively give an introduction in this training.

And, look, the introduction is highly, highly important.

The Introduction Makes or Breaks Your Success In Winning Souls to Christ

The more you do this, the easier it gets. I’ve done it so many times that it’s stuck in my head. You will become more and more comfortable when you go up to strangers.

Most people, when starting soul winning or evangelism, are afraid of this part. They are afraid that things will be awkward. They are afraid they won’t know what to say. That’s why we’re having this training.

Let’s say we go out walking around the block. We’re trying to find someone who might want to hear the Gospel.

You’re walking on the side walk. You’ve got a church invitation ready in one of your hands. A person comes around the corner. You see them. What are you going to do?

When the person sees you walking towards them, it’s time to say hello.

Always be kind and respectful to every person you see. I don’t care who they are, what they look like, or what you think of them. Put all that behind. And focus on the soul that Jesus wants saved.

Speak To Them As You’re Speaking to a Close Friend

If it’s a man, say: “Hello Sir, how you doing?” And do it naturally and not like a robot. Speak to them as you’re speaking to a close friend. “Hello Sir, how you doing? My name is Josh. This is Nathan. We’re from a Baptist church called True Words Baptist Church.”

If it’s a woman, say: “Hello Mam, how you doing? My name is Josh. This is Nathan. We’re from a Baptist church called True Words Baptist Church.”

We want to first show respect by calling a man Sir and a woman Mam. This already shows them that you respect them. And yes, this is very, very important.

The next part is to tell them your name so they know who you are. This is being polite, kind, and again shows them respect. You job is to be calm and not nervous. Your job is to calm them down as some people may also be nervous to speak with you. Make it very easy on them to speak with you.

Your job is to lead them in this conversation.

Let Them Know You Are From A Baptist Church

Notice, in this introduction, that we let them know we are from a Baptist Church two times. “We’re from a Baptist church called True Words Baptist Church.” I guarantee you that they are curious who you are and where you’re from.

Now they know you aren’t a Jehovah Witness or a Mormon as they may have thought. You’re Baptist. That’s big around here. Baptist are known very well here in West Louisville. This works to our advantage out there in this area.

Again, say: “Hello Sir, how you doing? My name is Josh. This is Pam. We’re from a Baptist church called True Words Baptist Church.”

“Could I give you an invitation to church?” Every part of this introduction is highly important. You’ve just met this person, and you must make a good first impression. This is why it’s important to look your best too. A first impression is important.

I’ve tried to give people an invitation before I’ve asked them, and this doesn’t work well.

Don’t force an invitation into their hands. Ask them, “Could I give you an invitation to church?” If they say yes, you have the first positive response. Give them the invitation. Most people around here will take the invitation.

Some people will tell you they aren’t interested. If someone tells you they aren’t interested and they don’t want an invitation, tell them, “Okay, well there’s a video on the back on how to get to heaven and that’s why I’m here. Could I leave the invitation with you so you have that video on how to get to heaven?”

Some people will say no again and that’s when it’s time to move on. You tried twice, and they told you no twice. So we say, “Okay, thank you Sir or thank you Mam. Have a good day,” and we move on. As we walk away, we say a quick prayer for that person to listen in the future.

Give Them the Church Information

If someone takes the invitation, give them some information about the church. Show them where the information is at on the invitation. We’re located at 1377 S. 20th St. in Louisville, Kentucky. We have services on Sunday and Thursday.

Ask them, “Do you have a church you go to already?” If they say yes, they might give you more information about their church. Most churches don’t teach how to get to heaven. No matter what they say here, you’re going to say the same thing.

Here’s the important part.

Say, “We would love to have you at church, but more important than church, because church doesn’t get you to heaven, is knowing for sure that you’re going to heaven.”

“So, I ask this question, let’s say something bad happened to you and you died today, we don’t know when we’re going to die, if you died, would you be 100% sure you’re going to heaven?”

Be very careful with the way you ask this question. Be humble, have respect, and let them see that you care for them. Speak softly but loud enough where they can hear you.

“Let’s say something bad happened to you and you died today, we don’t know when we’re going to die, if you died, would you be 100% sure you would go to heaven?”

And let them talk. Let them answer the question. They will reveal what you need to hear. So be a good listener here and pay close attention to what they say back to you.

You Will Know What To Expect With Experience

After you do this hundreds and thousands of times, you’ll know what to expect from most people. We ask this question to hear their answer. You are trying to determine if they are saved or not saved as they answer this question.

For the people who immediately say they aren’t 100% sure they’re going to heaven, you immediately know they aren’t saved. In order to be saved, they must be 100% sure they are going to heaven, and they must believe that it’s only faith in Jesus Christ that saves them. If someone isn’t sure, they don’t have faith in Jesus Christ.

So, you have the answer you need. They need to hear the Gospel.

Let’s say someone says they are some percentage less than 100%, they also are not saved. They need to hear the Gospel.

Let’s say someone says they are 100% sure they’re going to heaven. Now you need to find out what they believe in to save them. Are they believing in Jesus only to be saved, or are they believing in themselves to be saved?

So, the next question you want to ask everyone, even the ones who aren’t sure and the ones who are sure is this:

“What do you personally believe it takes to get to heaven? For example, if a friend asked you, what do I have to do to get to heaven, what would you tell them? What do you believe it takes?”

And listen, this is very important. The way you ask questions determines your success rate in winning souls to Jesus Christ.

Don’t Be Short With The People But Give Them Time And Be Easy

I’ve asked before, “What does it take to get to heaven?” That’s being short with someone. It’s putting them on the spot. You aren’t giving them much time to think. And this can offend someone easily. So I use more words. I slow down a little. I don’t speak really fast. I speak slow. I am trying to not offend them at all. This is very important.

1 Corinthians 9:19-20
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.  20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

1 Corinthians 9:21-23
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.  22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

We are to try our absolute best to not offend anyone we go to with the Gospel. We become weak so we can gain the weak. We become what we need to become so that we can save some.

Add more words to some of your questions, especially in the beginning, so you don’t offend them.

You are making a friend forever when you go to someone so please remember that. You might be seeing this person in heaven forever one day.

Here’s the question you ask again and notice that I ask the same question twice but I give them an example. And I add a touch to the questions that helps them to understand I am not looking to say that they’re wrong when they answer.

“What do you personally believe it takes to get to heaven? For example, if a friend asked you, what do I have to do to get to heaven, what would you tell them? What do you believe it takes?”

Some people will say, “I don’t know.”

Remember Their Answer For What They Believe

Whatever the answer, you need to remember what they answer as you might need this at the end of the Gospel presentation. Make a mental note of their answer.

Most people will say they think they are going to heaven because they are good. They might say, “Well, I try my best to live a good life and do good things.” That’s what I would have answered before I was saved. Some will say that they need to follow God’s commandments. Some will say they need to be baptized.

If they say anything other than believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, they aren’t saved. They need to hear the Gospel.

If they say it’s only believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, they might be saved. Some people know the right answer, but they don’t know what it means to believe in Jesus. So, we ask: “So, do you believe it’s just that faith in Jesus Christ that saves you, or do you believe you have to have faith and do good works to get to heaven?”

And most people will say, “Oh, you have to have faith and the good works to go along with the faith.”

This means they aren’t saved. A saved person will say, “It’s only faith in Jesus Christ.” If they say it’s only faith in Jesus Christ, they are most likely saved. But we usually ask one more question to make sure. And again, we ask these questions sincerely, and we aren’t grilling them with questions.

I ask the following:

“Let’s say you have that faith in Jesus Christ. He gave you everlasting life that can’t be lost. You have everlasting life right now because you’ve believed. But let’s say in a couple years, you had a really bad day. Someone made you really angry. You killed them. And then you died. Would you go to heaven or hell? What do you think?”

And I give them time to think about it. Let them tell you what they believe. If they don’t answer heaven immediately, if they have to think a long time about it, it’s good to go back through the Gospel with them. They may have been saved and might not have been strong in the faith.

Reassurance Helps Already Saved People

It doesn’t hurt to help them get it right.

If someone says hell, they aren’t believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s time to preach the Gospel. In most cases, you’re going to be preaching the Gospel.

So, let’s go back to the people that say they have to live a good life to get to heaven, do good works, follow the commandments, get baptized, and more. What do you say to those people? Again, we’re being careful with our words. We don’t tell them they are wrong. We’re easy on them.

Say this, “God does want us to do good works. He wants us to care for others, love others, be kind to others, do good for them. He does want us to get baptized.”

Whatever they said to you, repeat that in your response. “God does want us to repent of sin because he wants us to do better.” Here’s the important part.

Say, “But the truth is that we haven’t followed all His commandments. We’ve broken His commandments. For example, I try to do right every day, but I still mess up. I’m not perfect. We aren’t perfect.”

Almost everyone I’ve ever spoken with will agree with that, and they will be shaking their head yes as you’re saying this. Many people don’t expect you to say this, but this is God’s message. We’ve all sinned against God. I tell people that I sin every day because Proverbs 24:9 says that the thought of foolishness is sin.

And look, I use my hands. I point at my head, “The thought of foolishness is sin.”

Be Comfortable, Calming, and Treat Them Well

Be comfortable talking to the people. God loves this person He sent you to today.

I’ll say, “If we had to do all of those things you mentioned, it would be very hard to get to heaven because we haven’t always done those things. I try to do good every day, but I don’t do good all the time. I want to, but I don’t.”

“But God loves us so He made a much easier way for you and I to get to heaven.”

Put a little stress on the way to heaven being easy. Sometimes I say, “It’s easier to get to heaven than to get to church.”

I say, “The Bible says heaven is a free gift. Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Heaven comes through Jesus and not through us. God says heaven is a free gift. Think about a birthday gift you’ve gotten before.”

Hey, this makes them think. Remember, you want to keep them engaged in the conversation. Watch them closely to make sure they are paying attention and listening. If they aren’t, repeat things as needed and get their attention back.

“Think about a birthday gift you’ve gotten before. Someone else paid for the gift. They did all the hard work. They paid for the gift fully. You don’t pay for a gift. You don’t work for a gift. All you have to do is receive that gift.”

Use Your Hands to Get The Point Across

And I use hand motions. “All you have to do is receive that gift.”

And then I say, “Same thing with heaven. Jesus Christ did all the work. He paid for the gift fully. All you have to do is receive that gift today. And that gift is everlasting life. Once you take it, it lasts forever. It’s yours. That’s how you know you’re going to heaven. I want to show you how to take that free gift right now using the Bible so you know you’re going to heaven.”

“Can I show you that right now using the Bible? It doesn’t take that long. Can I show you?”

And be motioning in a positive way to urge them to say yes. You can even be shaking your head yes a little. All of these little things matter in order to get someone to listen to the preaching of the Gospel. This introduction is highly important.

Sometimes you might say, “Can I please show you? I want you to get to heaven. It’s so easy to get to heaven.” Some people need a little more urging to say yes. Many people will say yes immediately if you did a good job during the introduction and they were listening and interested.

Some people want to know what you mean. “What do you mean?” Have your Bible ready in your hand. “I’m just going to go through some verses in the Bible and explain what they mean.”

This is why I love the pre-made Gospel verses sheet.

Use a Pre-Made Gospel Verses Sheet

If you get out a huge Bible, sometimes people think it’s going to take a really long time. If you have this small pre-made sheet to show them, they will see it’s not that much to go over. And yes, this really helps convince someone to listen.

If you are to the point with everything you’ve said to them so far, they know you aren’t there to waste time. They can see you’re going to get this done for them.

There aren’t many verses there. “Hey, can I show you?”

Many people will say yes and then it’s time to tell them you use the King James Bible. I put the verses on this sheet so you can see them for yourself as I read them.

If they say, “Well, I don’t have much time.” Tell them you will give them a quick summary of the Gospel and actually give a quick summary of the Gospel. Cut the time down to 5 minutes. Use the back of the invitation so they can see the summary.

We’re all sinners. The penalty for sin is death and hell. If we died and had to pay our own penalty, we would end up in hell. But God loves us. He made an easy way for us to get to heaven. He sent Jesus Christ to pay our penalty. He died in our place, His body was buried, His soul was not left in hell, and He arose from the dead. Jesus paid for all our sins: past, present, and future. The Bible says we have to do one thing to be saved. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives you everlasting life that cannot be lost.

And use the verses on the invitation. Explain them briefly. Ask them if they believe that. If they believe each point, they are saved. Ask questions at the end. Summarize. Pray with them. You can get many salvations easily by giving them a “Quick Summary of the Gospel.” This should take about 5 minutes or so.

A Quick Demonstration of An Introduction to the Gospel

And that’s it. Now, I want to do a quick demonstration of this introduction.

And that’s it. Practice this introduction. This works extremely well. People will listen to the Gospel. As you repeat this over and over again, it will come naturally to you. You won’t even have to think about anything.

This is simply a natural conversation. Just think about what the people are saying to you and move them to the Gospel. You want to get to the point where you ask them if you can show them from the Bible how to get to heaven.

If you get a yes, your heart will jump for joy, and you are well on your way to winning a soul to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel.

I hope you enjoyed this soul winning training, session #2, the introduction to the Gospel.

Let’s pray.

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