How to Begin Witnessing

One of the most difficult points in personal work

is beginning. It is comparatively easy to go on

after one has got an opening.

I. FIND THE ONE TO DEAL WITH.

The first thing is to find the one to deal with.

As has already been said, we should pray God to

lead us to some one, or some one to us. When we go

to church, or when we walk the street, when we are

in the park, or on the train, or calling; in a

word, whenever we have time that is not demanded

by other duties we should look up to God and

definitely ask Him to lead us to the one with whom

we are to speak, if it is His will that we employ

that time in work for Him. Further than this, we

should be on the lookout for opportunities. A

fisherman cultivates a keen eye for opportunities

to catch fish; and a soul-winner should cultivate

a keen eye for opportunities for soul-winning.

Whenever we are thrown into the company of a man

or woman, the great probability is that it is a

providential opening, and we should be ready to

meet it as such. It is said of one of the most

distinguished Sunday school workers in this

country that he makes it a point whenever he is

alone with any individual to speak to him about

his soul. The story is told of Uncle John Vassar,

that being left alone in a hotel parlor with a

strange lady, he at once approached her and began

to speak to her about her soul. After he had gone,

the woman's husband returned, and she told him

what had happened. The husband was an a great

rage, and said, "If I had been here, I would have

sent him about his business." His wife replied,

"If you had been here, you would have thought he

was about his business." We ought to make

soul-winning our business, and improve every

possible opportunity. {29}

II. CONVERSATION.

Having found your man, begin a conversation. How

shall that be done? In the inquiry room, by asking

at once a few leading questions to find out just

where the man stands, for example: "Are you a

Christian?" "Are you saved?" "Have you been born

again?" "Upon what do you base your hope of

eternal life?" "Are you confessing Christ openly

before the world?" "Have you surrendered all you

have and are to Christ?" Sometimes it is well to

begin in this direct way even when you meet some

one casually. The question "Are you saved?" is as

a general rule a better one to ask than "Are you a

Christian?" It is more likely to set one to

thinking. It is more definite and pointed. Many

will take the asking of such a question as an

impertinence, but that will not prove that the

question has not done good. Not a few people who

have become angry at a stranger putting a question

like this to them have afterward been converted in

consequence of it. There are many other questions

that one may ask that will0 set men to thinking

and open the way for further conversation. For

example, you can ask a man, "Do you think that

life is worth living?" and after you have engaged

him in conversation on this point you can lead him

on and tell of the life that really is worth

living. Or you can ask an utter stranger, "How do

you think a man can get the most real satisfaction

out of life, that is, of course, by accepting

Jesus Christ as a Savior." Or you can say to a

man, "I have learned the great secret of

happiness," and when he asks you what it is, you

can tell him. Of course these are offered only as

suggestions of ways in which to begin a

conversation.

A good way to begin is by handing the person with

whom you wish to deal, a well-chosen tract to

read. When he has finished the tract, you can ask

him what he thinks about it, and thus the way is

opened to a conversation on the great subject. It

is often well to begin by engaging the person in a

general conversation, perhaps on subjects quite

remote from religion, and gradually working around

to the point. It was thus that Christ engaged the

woman of Samaria, making a very simple request of

her, that she would give Him a drink (John 4:7),

but before long, He was telling her of the living

water. If the person with whom you wish to deal is

{30} older than yourself, you might begin by

saying, "There is a subject in which I am deeply

interested, and I am trying to get all the light

upon it that I can; you are much older than I, and

perhaps you can help me; the subject is 'How to Be

Saved.'"

Showing people little kindnesses very often opens

the way for a conversation on the great subject.

For example, in a crowded car one can move along

and invite some one who is standing to a seat by

his side. It is the most natural thing in the

world then to get into conversation, and the favor

of the person who has been standing is gained. and

it will be very easy to lead on to the great

subject. When one is riding, and sees some one

else walking, an invitation to the walker to ride

will afford a splendid opportunity for approaching

him on the subject of his soul's salvation. Mr.

Moody made a constant practice of inviting those

with whom he wished to deal to go riding with him.

As he drew near to some quiet spot, he would speak

to them of what was upon his heart, and then stop

the horse and have a season of prayer. No one can

tell how many were thus led to Christ. Sometimes

it is well to show the people that you would lead

to Christ kindness for days and weeks, and even

years, waiting for your opportunity to say a word.

A devoted missionary to China who had made great

sacrifices to go to that land was received by the

people with bitterest hatred, but he simply gave

himself up to live among them and live for them.

One by one opportunities came of showing them

kindnesses, and after years of self-sacrificing

living, he had so won their confidence that it was

an easy matter for him to lead them to Christ. But

he had to begin by showing them the most ordinary,

everyday kindnesses, far away, apparently, from

the subject that was closest to his heart.

Sometimes a person's face will tell the story of

discontent, unhappiness or unrest. In such a case

it is easy to ask the person if he is happy, and

when he says no, tell him you can tell him of One

who can make him happy if only he will take Him.

Tact in beginning will come with experience, but

it is better to begin awkwardly than not to begin

at all. I do not think that any one could begin

more awkwardly in this work than I did with the

first person I led to Christ. I felt that God

wanted me to speak to this young man and I called

on him for that purpose, but {31} when I met him

I had not the slightest idea what to say. I talked

on and on waiting for an opportunity, and at last

blundered out awkwardly what I had come for. God

blessed the awkward but honest effort, and the

young man was saved, and has become a very active

and efficient worker for Christ.

The best way to learn how to do personal work is

by doing it, gaining wisdom from your mistakes.

III. FIND OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHERE THE PERSON

WITH WHOM YOU ARE DEALING STANDS.

Having begun the conversation, find out as soon as

possible where the person with whom you are

dealing stands. In order to treat a case

intelligently, you need just as much as a

physician to know just where the man is at

present. But how can we find out to what class any

person belongs?

1. First of all, BY ASKING HIM QUESTIONS, such

questions as "Are you saved?" "Have you eternal

life?" "Have you been born again?" "Do you know

that you are a great sinner before God?" "Do you

know that your sins are forgiven?" Or you can ask

a person directly, "Where do you stand, what do

you believe?" He may answer these questions

untruthfully, either from ignorance or a desire to

mislead you; nevertheless the answers and his

manner of giving them will show you a great deal

about his real state.

2. BY WATCHING THE INQUIRER'S FACE. A man's face

will often reveal that which his words try to

conceal. Any one who cultivates a study of the

faces of those with whom he deals, will soon be

able to tell in many instances their exact state

irrespective of anything they may say.

3. BY OBSERVING HIS TONE AND MANNER. A man's tone

or his manner often tells more than his words. A

man who is not saved will very likely tell you

that he is, but his tone and manner will reveal

plainly that he is not. If one gets angry at you

for asking these questions, that of itself reveals

an uneasy conscience.

4. BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit, if we look

to Him to do it, will often flash into our minds a

view of the man's position, and just the Scripture

that he needs. {32}

IV. LEAD HIM AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN TO ACCEPT

JESUS CHRIST AS A PERSONAL SAVIOR, AND TO

SURRENDER TO HIM AS LORD AN MASTER.

When we have learned where the person with whom we

are dealing stands, the next thing to do is to

lead him as directly as we can to accept Jesus

Christ as a personal Savior, and to surrender to

Him as his Lord and Master. We must always bear in

mind that the primary purpose of our work is not

to get people to join the church, or to give up

their bad habits, or to do anything else than

this, to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, the

one who bore their sins in His own body on the

tree, and the one through whom they can have

immediate and entire forgiveness, and as their

Master to whom they surrender absolutely the

guidance of their thoughts, purposes, feelings and

actions.

V. SHOW HIM FROM GOD'S WORD THAT HE HAS

FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND ETERNAL LIFE.

Having led any one to thus accept Christ, the next

step will be to show him from God's Word that he

has forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Acts

10:43; 13:39; John 3:36; 5:24 will answer for this

purpose.

VI. SHOW HIM HOW TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF THE

CHRISTIAN LIFE UPON WHICH HE HAS ENTERED.

The next step will be to show him how to make a

success of the Christian life upon which he has

entered.