In the first part we covered some of the basic principles of gospel preaching. Now in the next part I will give you a set of verses related to life that you can use to preach the gospel. The verses have been selected to lead someone to understand what it means to receive eternal life. You must use these verses in the order I give you. Write them down at the back of your Bible so that you always remember them. Start with John 3:16. It is a very good gospel verse. Then, John 14:6. Then, John 11:25 where the Lord said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Then, 1 John 5:12. That is a very, very important verse. You have to underline it. Then come back to John 3:5, 6, 7. Finally, John 1:12 and 13. The final verses are for you to draw the net. Very important!
Before you actually go over the Bible verses and talk about them you have to do some introduction. Suppose he has a son named John. Ask him, "Why is John your son?" The question sounds stupid but tell him, It's not a stupid question, I want to make a point. Just answer the question." You won't get the answer you are looking for because he doesn't know what direction you are going. You may get a funny answer so you have to prepare the person's mind. That is the idea. "Why are you his father?" You want him to say, "Because he has my life" but you will need to lead him to say it. You want to zero in on two words: Life and Birth. Ask the question in another way, "He has your life so in what way does he belong to you?" Try to lead him along with questions like, "Why does your son belong to you and some other boy does not?" If he says the word born or birth pick up on that and emphasize it. You want to impress him with life and birth. Then ask, "What did your son get by birth?" You want him to say, "My life." Talk about these two things, life and birth. My son has my life. He got it by being born of me. If he's good, he's mine. If he's bad he's still mine because he has my life, he was born of me, he is a member of my family. You can also use the illustration of a citizen. Someone who is born in Canada is a citizen of Canada. No one can kick him out. He has a right to be here because he was born here. If you are born in Canada you have all the rights of a citizen of Canada. If you are born into a family you have a right to be in that family.
You speak this way to lead the person to think this way. Birth, life, family. You belong to the family by birth. Before you touch the verses you must speak this way to the person so that he can understand what you will talk about later on. So you must proceed with this conversation first before you go to the verses. Now, before I go to the verses any questions.
Question: What do I say if the person I am talking to has no children?
Answer: You can use an example. Boy, girl, son or daughter, the idea is just to make the person understand what you are going to talk about. He or she has a father and mother. You can talk about one of them or someone else they know. You want him to understand life and birth in this way so that when you speak about the verses he has no chance to argue with you. All he can do is nod his head. You want him to realize that everything you say is right. There is no chance to argue and nothing to argue with at all. Never say anything that he can argue with. Every thing is a fact.
Now let's come to the verses. The way to use the verses is not for you to recite them or read them. The one you are preaching to must read the verses. He must read the verses not just once but a few times. Why? because he won't understand what he is reading. Never think that he understands. The words are simple but he does not understand. You have to explain everything. Start with John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life." Tell him that this verse has two parts. The first part is, "God so loved the world." God is love. Underline the word love. God loves. God loved the world. World here means all the people in the world. God loves you. He loves you and he sent me to preach the gospel to you. His love is with action. He loved, He gave. Gave what? His Son. Of course you know the answer but he doesn't. He doesn't understand what you are talking about. Ask him to read the verse again. "God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son." Then stop. He loved, He gave what? His only begotten Son. Ah, you see that? He reads, but he doesn't understand what he reads so you have to lead him like a little child. God so loved the world, so what after this? He gave. What did He give? His Son. Yes, that's it. Why did He give? He gave because He loves.
Even if the person you are speaking to is a professor you have to lead him in this way. He is a professor of earthly things, not a professor of spiritual things. You are a professor of spiritual things. You have to help him. So then go on to the next part. "So that every one." You are the one. "Who believes into". Believes means receives so you must receive Him. "Would not perish, but would have eternal life." Then you say, "Now listen carefully. How can you get eternal life?" You must make sure you ask the question, "How do you get eternal life?" I guarantee you that you will not get the right answer from him. He will talk about any other thing but what is in the Bible. Tell him, "Read again. Read what the Bible says. How can man have eternal life? What does the verse say?" "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life." So how can you get eternal life? According to the Bible it is by believing into Him. Believing into Him means receiving Him. Do you understand? You have to go according to the verse not according to what you think or heard. The Bible says that if you believe into Him, that is, if you receive Him, you have eternal life.
The first thing you centered on was life. Then the next thing is to let him know that Christ is life. Life and Christ go together. Ask him, "What do you get by receiving the Son?" He will not know how to answer, of course, if someone really can give the right answer then they understand the verse. That would be wonderful but almost always you will have to lead him again. Ask him to read the verse again and cover the points again. How do you get eternal life? Believe into the Son. What do you get when you believe into the Son? Eternal life. What do you get by receiving the Son? Eternal life. It is very important to spend enough time with this verse to make it impressive that the Son and life are one. If you have the Son you have life. You have eternal life by having the Son. Life is a person. If you have the person you have life. If you have got this far so that the one you are speaking to is impressed that life and Christ are one then you have won fifty percent of the battle already. It will be very difficult to get him to open his heart to the Lord if you did not break through in that verse.
Once he understands then go to John 14:6. Ask him to read it to you. Then tell him, "That was good. Read it again." See what Jesus said, "I am the way." The way is a person. The way is not some method, it is a person. What else? The reality and the life. The Lord said, "I am the life. He is life. He and life are one. Emphasize that. Then the Lord said that no one comes to the Father except through the Catholic church. No! No! No one comes to the Father except through the Baptist church. No! No one comes to the Father except through the virgin Mary. No! No! No! What did Jesus say? Except through Me. Christ is life. He is the way to the Father. Keep hammering the nail in. Every blow is effective. Now you want to make another blow. Ask him to read John 11:25, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; Stop, what did the Lord say? "I am the resurrection and the life". That's right, this person, Jesus Christ, is life. By this time he should be able to associate "life" with "Christ" and "Christ" with "life".
Now take him to 1 John 5:12, He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. Read that.... That is right. Now read it again. This time put you own name instead of "he who". For example, Dick has the Son has the life; Dick does not have the Son of God does not have the life. When you ask him to read that way watch his expression. Often he will be shocked and stop to look at the verse again. I tell him to read the verse again the same way. Now your fish is getting into the net. With this verse you put the Son and life together with the person you are talking to. If you have prepared him well this is very powerful.
The next part is very important. The person is almost saved by now like a hungry fish smelling and looking at the bait. Turn to John 3:5. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Then you tell him, "The Lord talks about entering into the kingdom of God. You want to enter into the kingdom of God. How can you enter in? Read the verse. You must be born. You must be born of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. You are born into the kingdom of God. It's by birth." Now you come to the matter of birth. You help him to know that life is by birth. The Lord Jesus said that you must be born into the kingdom of God. To get into the kingdom of God you must be born into it. Born of Spirit.
Then have him read verse 6. That which is born of he flesh is flesh, and that which is born of he Spirit is spirit. Read again.... Now ask him how many births are there? He won't know. Ask him to read it again. That which is born of he flesh is flesh. That's one birth. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. That's another birth. So how many births? Two births. We are born of the flesh from our parents. That's how you and I are here. But the second birth is of the Spirit. That's why the previous verse said you must be born of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. First you were born of the flesh to enter into the world. Now you must be born again of Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. You enter by birth. Zero in on that. You must be born. Jesus said so. Born. What I am trying to do here is to help YOU to be born the second time, to be born of he Spirit. I am trying to help you to get into the kingdom of God. Tell him that. Also have him read verse 7, You must be born anew. You need another birth.
Now at this point you have to review a little bit. Ask him how do you have life? He will be lost. By receiving. Now I give you this watch. How can you have it? You must receive it. When you receive you have. You have by receiving. God gave His Son, you receive you have so you have life. You receive the Son you have life. When you receive life you are born. Life is by birth. How do you have life? You have life by receiving. When you receive something you have. So when you receive the Lord Jesus you have life. Then you are born anew. When he understands this the fish has the bait in his mouth. Just a little tug and he will be in the net.
Ask him to read John 1:12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become , to those who believe into His name. OK. Read it again. But as many as received Him. Many have received Him. You are one of those many. You receive Him. The Bible said receive. You receive. As many as receive Him. You receive Him so you have been given the authority to become a child of God in life. You receive you are a child. You receive Him you are a child by life. OK. Now the last verse, verse 13. Ask him to read. Who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but of God. Everyone who reads that verse gets a shock. They never knew that they could be born of God. Born of God? Me born of God? I am born of my parents, whoever told me that I could be born of God. That verse tells them they can be born of God. Everyone who reads that verse is shocked and surprised. Born of God!? He will look and look, wondering if he is reading it right. I tell him to read again. You read it right. Read it again. Who were born of God. When you receive His life you are born of God. So you enter into God's kingdom and His family by birth.
This is the net. Now is the time to draw the net. Born of God, born into His kingdom. Have life, receive it. At this point I would say: "Now, close your eyes and repeat after me. I will help you to get saved. I say one sentence and you follow after me. Don't just speak with your mouth, open your heart. Your heart and your mouth must be together." When he closes his eyes be sober and pray with a very strong exercise of your spirit, "Lord Jesus!" You said it loudly but he will repeat it softly. Repeat it loudly again so he will say it a little louder than before. Keep repeating. After few times he will touch his spirit. Then, "I open my heart to You." You must mention the word heart. It's a matter of the heart. "I open my heart to you." He should repeat each line. "I receive you right now into my heart." "I receive you right now into my heart as my life and my Savior." "Lord Jesus, I thank you that I have your life." "I am born of God." "I belong to You." "You belong to me." "Thank you Lord Jesus." "Amen."
Look at the date and time. This is your second birthday. Congratulations. It's your second birthday. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. That's it. The person will be very happy and smiling. Unless the person's experience of salvation was exceptionally dynamic don't try to go further at this time. He prayed to God. He's very happy and relaxed. Usually you need to wait a little while be fore covering other things such as baptism.
Now you can see how important it is for you to be very sober. The environment must be without any distractions so that you can lead the person step by step. This way you have the person's thought under your control so that you can lead him to understand and touch life in God's Word. Then you draw the net.
Question: When do you tell them that the Lord died on the cross for their sins?
Answer: That comes later. That is something spiritual. They repent because they are convicted of their sins. How can they be convicted unless they are enlightened by the Spirit? Most people today do not believe that they are sinful. So you have to help them touch life, to touch Christ. Later on, when they are enjoying the Lord, you can tell them about spiritual things such as how the Lord died for you and me on the cross. By then the Spirit can enlighten them so they can understand. Then they will confess to the Lord with a deep repentance.
The Lord did not clearly explain the doctrine of salvation to the thief on the cross, so was he saved? Of course he was. When you believe in Jesus you receive Him. When you receive Him, you receive the Person and His work. Later on help him to be enlightened about what a sinner is. That's why I told you to help him to pray, "I receive You into my heart as my life and my Savior." He is our Savior but understanding comes later when he is enlightened after more enjoyment.
Question: You know how you said you were reluctant to get a couple saved because you don't have time to care for them right now. Is it OK for you to pass them on to someone else?
Answer: It's OK but it's very hard to pass a newly saved believer on to someone else. It is not easy for anyone else to take care of your baby. When you helped them to receive the Lord you established a certain relationship and trust. So you must be actively involved in raising the person, otherwise they will die from lack of nourishment. You may get someone else to help you to nourish them but make sure that they trust and feel at ease with the brother or sister.
Question: Sometimes you may have the opportunity to preach the gospel and might not see that person again. Would it be good to mention about sins so that later on they realize that now that I have God's life He also took care of my sins.
Answer: If you want to talk about sins you need to spend a period of time. If you didn't tell them anything about sins and then suddenly tell them about their sins, they won't know what you are talking about. That could just dilute and interfere with what you are telling about life. To make them clear about sin you have to spend some time, nourishing them and helping them to enjoy this life. Then you can talk about sin and they will get enlightened. After they have been enlightened help them to confess and to touch the Lord. If out of nowhere you talk about sins it can be confusing.
Question: But I believe that actually before they can receive Christ they have to confess their sins. The Mystery of Human Life (a gospel booklet we have used) says to confess and ask the Lord to forgive us, then it says you receive the life.
Answer: But if you never talk about their sins and suddenly mention it, then you interfere with the trend of thought. They have to know that eventually but the first priority is to get them enlivened by meeting Christ. The idea is that they meet Christ. When they meet Christ they get enlivened. Later on as you are nourishing then you tell them about what they are saved from. Then it will become meaningful when they confess because they are enlightened. The Mystery of Human Life talks about sins. I have a different approach. It talks about the processed Triune God. That is another approach with the theme of confessing sins. The idea behind my approach is to get him to touch the Lord and be enlivened. Of course, after that you have to follow up. If you never expect to meet the person again maybe your strategy may need to change a little bit. You better spend more time and go a little further. I didn't go that far yet. Personally, I would say that after he has received the Lord then I may be able to go further and talk about sin. I would not talk about sin before he received the Lord. Receiving the Lord is most important. Once he is enlivened he will understand and appreciate fellowship about sin.
Question: Would you at this time leave them a tract?
Answer: Yes, by all means. Ask the Lord to lead you. The most difficult part is to get them saved. Once saved they are enlivened, so now you can try to help them to know more about salvation.
I find gospel preaching to be very exciting because I meet different people. In principle I use what I have presented here but when I talk to a professor I try one way. When I speak to a laborer I try another way, but still somewhat the same. You have to use your skills to know how to go about it. The way to learn the skill is to do it. You must do it.
You must love the person. How pitiful that if he doesn't get saved he will go to hell for eternity. I always preach the gospel with that realization. If a patient comes and doesn't know the Lord, especially if he is about to die, I consider how I would feel if I see him in hell in eternity. That's why I preach the gospel. It's out of love so that the person gets saved. One patient who had had a heart attack was a very hard German man. When he came to see me I realized he was going to die soon so I have to preach the gospel and get him saved. When he came to get a check up I tried to talk to him, "___, do you know the Lord Jesus? It is important to know the Lord Jesus as your life." Dr Wang. Yes, ___. You are my doctor. Yes, ___. I am your patient. Yes, ___. That's it. OK. No more." That was the conversation. Do you like that? I had to shut up. So he gave me a hard piece of "German bread" to chew, pretty hard, almost broke my teeth. And every time I saw him I was reminded of the incident and chewed the bread again.
Another time I preached the gospel to an Irishman. Do you know what an Irishman is? Please don't be offended if you are Irish. I don't mean to be offensive. I was almost a Chinese Irishman. I was educated in Ireland for 6 years. I mean it in a good way but Irish are hot headed. They mean well but their hair is red and their temper is hot. Right? So when I preached the gospel to an Irishman, he stood up and banged the table. He was red in the face and he was shouting at me. I was scared. He was a tall guy and I am a small man. He could easily have thrown me out of the window. He was banging the table and shouting. That's the last time I saw him. No more. That's it.
Anyhow I have had interesting experiences preaching the gospel. Praise the Lord I have preached the gospel to many of my patients. Some were saved and are here: a Siek couple, a French Canadian and his wife, and a young Dutch man, all are here. The young Dutch man came regularly for 10 years to get an allergy shot. He had long hair and funny trousers with holes here and there. Every time he came I gave him a shot and talked to him about the Lord Jesus. Every time he came for a shot I asked him what about now? For more than 10 years I wouldn't let him go. Praise the Lord. The Lord brought him in and he was saved. Always learn to preach the gospel and don't be afraid to get help to preach the gospel.
Lastly, when you want to preach the gospel, pray first to ask the Lord to lead you to a son of peace. Watch and observe those around you. For example, a friend who is interested about the Lord has a very good chance to get saved. He may even ask why are you going to church and if he can go. He already sees that you are a good person and likes to be with you. He may wonder what is the Lord about. This kind of person is wonderful. Wow. That is a very good chance. The best is to go to his or her house, it's relaxing and more comfortable for him. In your house he may be uneasy. It must be a very relaxed environment. But no one who will distract should be around. If there is a third person it must be someone who knows how to stand with your gospel preaching and pray instead of interjecting to try to help. Then apply these principles and speak with love in a strong, exercised spirit. It is the Spirit that gives life, not mere letters. He or she will definitely get saved.
Question: What happens if they don't care what the Bible says?
Answer: Then there is nothing more to say. Finished. The Bible is the most important book. It is God's Word. I don't rely on my word but what God says. What I say is just to an introduction but in the end I use all the Bible verses to convince and to confirm. There is no way for the Lord to speak to this person if he doesn't believe the Bible. Maybe the time is not right. The time has not come yet. Ask the Lord for mercy on that person. How can you preach the gospel if he doesn't believe the Lord's Word. He needs the mercy of the Lord.
I hope this fellowship will encourage and help you to preach the gospel. I am still learning. I don't mean that I am good and perfect. No. I am still learning. I learn, you learn. We all learn together. We are here for the Lord to have a way to reach people and we can all get perfected through our practice.