6.9.2016 WINNING SOULS REQUIRES WISDOM

HE WHO WINS SOULS IS WISE. Proverbs 11.30

there are many things to remember when dealing with a careless sinner.
TIMING is important. you must select a proper tie to try to make a serious impression on the mind of a careless sinner...
it is desirable, if possible, to address a person who is careless, WHEN HE IS AWAY FROM OTHER ACTIVITIES.
it is important to talk with a person WHEN HE IS NOT EXCITED ABOUT ANY OTHER SUBJECT...
BE SURE THAT THE PERSON IS COMPLETELY SOBER.
if possible, when you wish to discuss salvation, TALK TO A PERSON WHEN HE IS IN A GOOD MOOD. ..bad mood...it is better to leave him alone for that time.

250  if possible, always take the opportunity to CONVERSE WITH CARELESS SINNERS WHEN THEY ARE ALONE.most men are too proud to discuss themselves freely in the presence of others, even their own families.
in visiting families, instead of calling the entire FAMILY together at the same time, it is better to SEE EACH MEMBER, ONE AT A TIME.

BE SERIOUS! ..you ought to feel that you are engaged in very serious work that is going to...
251 determine..your friend or neighbor(')..destiny for eternity...

BE RESPECTFUL. ..
BRING THE GREAT AND FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS TO BEAR ON THE PERSON'S MIND. sinners are very likely to run off on some tangent or some secondary point, especially one where there is a denominational difference.
tell him the purpose is to save his soul and not settle controversial questions in theology. HOLD HIM TO THE GREAT FUNDAMENTAL POINTS Y WHICH HE CAN CHOOSE TO BE SAVED OR LOST.
BRING UP THE INDIVIDUAL'S PARTICULAR SINS.
talking in general terms agaisn sin will produce no results.
YOU MUST MAKE THE MAN FEEL THAT YOU MEAN H-I-M. 

IT IS GENERALLY BEST TO BE SHOR..WINDED..
BRING HIS ATTENTION, AS SOON AS YOU CAN , TO THE POINT.
SAY A FEW THINS,
PRESS THEM HOME and
BRING THE MATTER TO AN ISSUE.
if possible , GET THE INDIVIDUAL TO REPENT  AND GIVE HIMSELF O CHRIST  at the time.
..avoid making an impression that you do not wish him to repent NOW.

252  whenever you have reason to believe that a person within your reach is awakened, do not sleep until you have poured the light into his mind and have tried to bring him to immediate repentance. then be persistent to your attempts to persuade the individual to accept Jesus as his Savior.

SOMETIMES THERE IS A PARTICULAR SIN that he will not forsake. he pretends it is only a small one or tries to persuade himself it is not sin at all. no matter how small it is, he can never get into the kingdom of God until he gives it up. God knows nothing about 'small' sins.

sometimes people will strenuously maintain that they have committed the UNPARDONABLE SIN. when they get this idea into their minds, they will turn everything you say against themselves. in some cases, it is good to take them on their own ground and REASON WITH THEM in this way.
'SUPPOSE YOU HAVE COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN, WHAT THEN?
IT IS REASONABLE THAT YOU SUBMIT TO GOD,
BE SORRY FOR YOUR SINS and
BREAK OFF FROM THEM.
DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, EVEN IF GO WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU.
EVEN IF YOU GO TO HELL, YOU OUGHT TO DO THIS'....

IT IS COMMON FOR PEOPLE LIKE THIS TO KEEP THEIR EYES ON THEMSELVES.
they will shut themselves up. looking at their own darkness instead of looking to Christ.
now, if you can take their minds off themselves and get them to think of Christ,
you can draw them away from brooding over their own present feelings.
then they can grasp the hope set before them in the Gospel.

THE CHURCH IS FILLED WITH HYPOCRITES
because people were never made to see
that they must make an entire consecration of everything to Christ.
253  ALL THEIR TIME, ALL THEIR TALENTS AND ALL THEIR INFLUENCE
MUST BE SURRENDERED TO GOD or they will never get to heaven.
many think they can be christians, yet dream through life using all their time and property for
themselves.
they will give a little now and then, when they can give with perfect convenience. this is a sad mistake and they will find this to be true if they do not employ their energies for God. when they die, instead of finding heaven at the end of the path they are pursuing they will find hell.

here is a point were almost all ministers fail. they do not know how to wake  up the church.
they cannot raise a high standard of piety and clear the way for the works of conversion. many ministers can preach to sinners very well. but because of the counteracting influence of the sinful church body, they have difficulty maintaining their converts. very often they also find it difficult to remove the sin and coldness within their congregation. there are only a few ministers..who know how to probe the church when it is in a cold, backslidden state.they can effectively awaken the members and keep them awake.
if the members of the church become very cold, it is very difficult to rouse them up.
THEY HAVE A FORM OF PIETY THAT WARDS OFF THE TRUTH.
at the same time, it is just this kind of piety that has no power of efficiency and repels new believers. such christians are the most difficult individuals to arouse from their slumber. i do not mean that they are always more wicked than the impenitent. these individuals are often constructively involved in their church and pass for very good christians, but they are useless in a revival.

to reach different classes of sinners successfully requires great wisdom on the part of a minister. for instance, a sermon on a particular subject may impress a particular group among his hearers. perhaps they will begin to look serious, talk about it or split hairs about it. now, if the minister is wise, he will know how to observe
254  these indications and follow them up with sermons adapted to this group until he leads them into the kingdom of God.
when this group is saved, it is time to find out where another group is hiding, break down their refuges, and follow them until they come into the kingdom. he should thus search for every place where sinners hide, just as the voice of God followed adam in the garden, '(Adam, ) where are you? (genesis 3.9), until one class of hearer after another is brought in. this way the whole community will be converted. ...a minister must be very wise to do this.

the best educated ministers are those who win the most souls. some ministers are looked down on and accused of being ignorant because they do not have a formal education, although they are very far from being ignorant of the great thing for which the ministry is appointed. this is wrong! learning is important and always useful. but after all, a minister knows how to win souls to Christ without  a formal education. he also has the best educator -the Bible - to help him win the most souls to Christ.

255  how few of you have ever had wisdom enough to convert so much as a single sinner? do not say, 'i cannot convert sinners. God alone can convert sinners'. look at the Scripture: 'he who wins souls is wise'. it is true that God converts sinners. but there is a sense, too, in which ministers convert them.

men! women! you must be wise in winning souls. perhaps souls have already perished because you have not used wisdom to save them. the city is going to hell. yes, the world is going to hell and will continue to do so until the church finds out how to win souls.