Sweet People!

Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

"The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season" (Isa 50:4a)

Soulwinning has the widest scope of all Christian activities. Which Christian cannot do it, which place is not suitable, and what time is not convenient?

If we would win some, we must be winsome! The soulwinner should not go out without wearing a smile. Is he not carrying glad tidings? His burden for souls need not be shown by a long face! There's an excellent portrait of a soulwinner in Psalm 45:1, "My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer!"

Jesus earned the nickname, a "friend" of sinners. Friendship is the bait to bring our fellowmen into fellowship. A warm handshake, a loving enquiry, a gentle embrace, a word of appreciation, all these bring the candidate closer (Lk 15:20). Each culture has its own manners and customs. They must be respected. A sense of humour is an asset to the soulwinner. The enemy sells untruth sugarcoated. Should we serve truth with a sour sauce?

Soulwinning is not a spare-time activity. We must be ever ready to testify for Christ whether it is convenient or not (2 Tim 4:2). Let's gossip the Gospel! "Soulwinning anytime at any cost" was the consuming passion of Dr. Bill Bright (1921-2003), the Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, till the end of his life. With the affluent as well as the commoners, whether he felt like it or not, he was keen on sharing his faith.

Having sown the seed, the soulwinner like a farmer must patiently wait for the harvest (Js 5:7). Having thrown the net, he must wait patiently like a fisherman for the catch. Patience and persistence are vital virtues in soulwinning. The game is worth many failing efforts. The shepherd diligently searched until he found the lost sheep. We must not give up too soon. No person is too difficult. No place is too hard.

When Simon Peter threw the net into the deep at the word of Jesus, they got a net-breaking catch. "So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them!" (Lk 5:5-7). A beautiful picture for partnership in evangelism! Paul plants. Apollos waters. And God gives the harvest. Our productivity in evangelism will be multiplied if we act together as God's "fellow workers" (1 Cor 3:6-9).