Bringing in the Sheaves

Part 6 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

Many Christians who share Christ with others have a difficult time closing their witness by asking, “Would you like to pray with me and give your life to Christ?” They have a hard time doing that for several reasons, but whatever their reason, it is usually based on some type of fear. See if these apply to you:

• I fear embarrassing them or myself
• I fear they will laugh & talk about me
• I fear they will pray just  to please me
• I fear being too pushy
• I fear them saying ‘NO’ & then what would I say?
• I fear they will have questions & I won’t have answers

“Fear not” is in the Bible over 350 times someone said. I’m sure you’ll agree that we need to work on being less fearful of people and things and be more fearful of Him who has the power to overcome our fears.

The Bible says in 2 Tim 1:7 NKJV, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  So if fear doesn’t come from God, we know it is from our own flesh or Satan, our enemy: That same Satan who tempted Jesus in the wilderness; trying to sidetrack Him from the mission He came to earth to do. Luke 4:2-13, Luke 12:4-5.

You will be fought in your attempts to share Christ and particularly in praying with someone to receive Him.  It literally makes you a target for Satan because you become a threat to him as Jesus was.  But greater is God who is in you, than Satan who is in the world. Great is our God who will go before you and dispel all your fears!

Today, we seldom hear sermons about Hell, but it’s a real place and those who die without Christ go there. In Matthew 25:41 NAS, Jesus speaks of Hell as “eternal fire” and He says it is a place prepared for the devil and his angels.  When you get a picture of what Hell is really like, it will inspire you to tell as many people as you can about Jesus and lead them to receive Him as their Savior.

E. V. Hill was Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles for 40 years. His Church was located in what some would call a ghetto and he mobilized his people to take the Gospel to each and every one of their neighbors. He died several years ago, but I once heard him preach a sermon on Hell that he illustrated with a true story I’ll never forget. It motivated me to snatch as many people as possible from the grips of Satan and take them with me to heaven. I hope it will motivate you as well, as I attempt to paraphrase the key points of the story:

Pastor Hill had a good friend named Dr. Jack Hyles who pastored a Church in Indiana. He said Dr. Hyles had about 20,000 people in Sunday School and he baptized around 100 people every week. Everything he did was about winning souls for Jesus.

One time he asked him, “Jack, why are you such a fanatic about getting people saved?” and Dr. Hyles replied, “Well, let me tell you the story; Years ago, early in the morning I was awakened by a piercing scream that came from my sister’s room. I ran upstairs to her bedroom and she was sitting up in bed with a horrible look on her face that I’ll never forget. She continued screaming and I couldn’t get her to stop.  I shook her and said ‘wake-up Sis, it’s only a dream, it’s only a dream!’

She finally stopped screaming and said, ‘No Jack, it wasn’t a dream, I’ve been to Hell and you can still feel the heat on my skin. It is the most horrible place you could ever imagine. As I walked toward it there was desolation everywhere and I knew what the people were feeling; that they would never, ever see goodness again. I looked beyond the entrance gate and everywhere I looked there was agony and grief. Everyone’s skin was cracking open from the intense heat and there was such thirst, everywhere there was thirst.’

‘I saw a man guarding the entrance to keep anyone from leaving and I peered through the gate and said to him, “Sir, please just let a little air in, they can hardly breathe the heat is so stifling.  He said, “Air, there is no air in Hell.”

‘I said, “Well sir, would you please just give them a drink of water?  Even a drop on their lips would help their thirst.”  He said, “Water, there’s no water in Hell.”

I cried out to him and said, “Well, then please just let them die!” and he said, “Death, there is no death in hell.”  I said, “But how long will it go on?” and he said, “Forever, and ever and ever…”

‘Jack it was then that the Lord spoke to me and said, “Go back and tell everyone you meet what hell is like so they will not want to go there.”  And as I turned to leave - Oh Jack!  I saw Daddy, our Daddy is in Hell!”

 “So, E. V., I can tell you that my sister’s experience had a huge impact on me. You asked me, why do I win souls? It’s so no one will go to hell.”

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We pray this story has motivated you to look your fears in the face and win souls for Christ. God has you in a special place, around people you can have an eternal impact on. You don’t have to know a lot of Bible to do this. If necessary just share John 3:16 and tell them the story of how you gave your life to Christ. Then ask them, “If you died tonight, why should God let you in His heaven?” If they don’t know why, ask them if they would like to pray with you right then so they can know for sure they’re going to heaven. 

If they think they will go to heaven because they’ve been pretty good, share with them Ephesians 2:8-9, so they can see that their good works will not get them there. It is only by the grace of God and faith in Jesus Christ that we can enter heaven.

As you talk to people and pray with them, remember that everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:10), that hell is a real place (Romans 6:23), but that by faith in Christ they can be saved (Romans 5:8 & 10:13).

Don’t forget to ask the Lord to prepare hearts for the seeds you’ll plant and don’t be discouraged if someone tells you ‘No’ - You may have an opportunity to pray with them later.  Believe God to go before you and He will open door after door for His Gospel to go forth!  And we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!

A True Story

It bothered me that I hardly knew one of my neighbors and I had not shared Christ with her. Over five years ago when she was new to the neighborhood, I made an attempt to get acquainted by taking a tray of food to her house as a welcome gift. Our meeting was very brief though and I only learned that her name was A___; she spoke Spanish; and had a son named B__. I wanted to know her better and talk to her about the Lord, but I had no idea it would be five years later before I would see her again.

In today’s society with high crime rates in larger cities, people keep more to themselves than ever before. It’s common for people to come home from a long, hectic day at work, close the garage door behind them and not emerge until the next morning. It’s a far cry from when homes had no air-conditioning and families sat outside in the evening visiting with neighbors while the kids played.

I was beginning to think that maybe A___ had moved out because I never saw her, but one evening several months ago she was leaving her house as I returned home and we chatted briefly. The Lord began stirring my heart and I started praying earnestly for the opportunity to get to know her better and to share Christ with her.

One Saturday morning, following a couple of brief visits, she and B___ came over to visit unexpectedly. I was thrilled to see them. We chatted about her job and what was going on in their lives and then we talked about different things I do in the ministry. A___ was very curious about our work at the homeless shelter and said, “Barb, how do you help the homeless and what do you do at the shelter?”

I realized this was a God-given opportunity to share the Gospel with them so I jumped right in. “Well, a group of Christians go with me and we have beautiful Christian music with the women and children who are homeless; we teach them the Bible and listen as they share their needs, we give them Scripture and we pray with them.”

“After our worship music, I give a message from the Bible and at the end I invite them to pray with me and accept Jesus as their Savior.” I explained, “It’s so beautiful because many of the women and children pray and give their lives to the Lord and they are changed forever!”

They were very intent on what I was saying, but I knew they had questions so I began painting a clearer picture of the Gospel. I shared with them how our sin separates us from God.  “So, in order for God to cover our sin” I said, “He sent His perfect Son to die for the sins of the world. That means Jesus died for you and me personally. He died in our place so that we might be forgiven and have a relationship with God. Three days later God raised Him from the dead.  It was through Jesus’ death and resurrection that He conquered death and the grave to give eternal life to those who believe in Him.”

“Have either of you accepted the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased for you when He died on the cross for your sins?” They both shook their heads and said “No.”  I continued, “Well, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Do you know that you’re a sinner and do you believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins?” Without hesitation, they both said “Yes!” 

I explained about repentance and turning away from their sins and then I asked, “Would you like to pray with me right now and give your life to Him?” Simultaneously they responded, “Yes!”  After they prayed, we talked about the importance of water baptism and attending a local Church. The very next morning, they started going to Church with me and they’re waiting to be baptized.  God is so good to have answered my prayers for an opportunity to know A___ better and to share Christ with her. I was praying for A___, but the Lord knew B___’s need as well and sent him along with his mother to hear the gospel so he could give his life to Christ. And that made the blessing even bigger…Thank you Lord!