The Art of Manfishing

Sometimes I just need a good kick in the pants. There's a group here in the Twin Cities that goes downtown twice a week to strike up conversations with others in a friendly effort to share the Gospel. Lately I've been too busy to be a "fisher of men". Tonight I was reading an old Puritan book on evangelism called The Art of Manfishing by Thomas Boston, and I got the kick I needed.

Boston writes in "Olde English" phrases, which makes him a little hard to understand sometimes. So I will try to summarize his thoughts using modern language. (He doesn't pull any punches!)

If this doesn't motivate you to tell others about Jesus, I don't know what will:

First, consider the precious worth of a human soul:

1. Each person is made in God's image with heart, mind, and will capable of loving God and glorifying Him.

2. Every soul is eternal. It will either enjoy God through all the ages of eternity, or remain in endless torment forever.

3. No amount of worldly wealth can equal the worth of a soul. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world but forfeit his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

4. It cost Christ his precious blood so the soul could be redeemed. He chose to bear the Father's wrath to win souls for all eternity, and nothing less could redeem them.

5. Both Christ and the Devil find each soul worthy of courting and alluring.


Second, consider the hazard that souls are in:
Sadly, most souls are walking blindfolded down the road to destruction; strive to remove their blindfolds. Lost souls are like twigs waiting to be burned; snatch them from the fire! If you have no concern for the eternal damnation of the lost, then you are cruel indeed and shall suffer in hell yourself.


Third, remember what a sad and dark place you were in before Christ saved you and showered his mercy on you.
You were headed for hell, blind as a mole, when Christ opened your eyes and let you see the danger you were in. And now do you dare to be unconcerned for others who are just as lost as you once were? Such an uncaring person would be a vile monster indeed.

Finally, may your heart be overwhelmed with concern for the lost.
He who has no concern for the lost has a dead heart, a lifeless soul, and no love for Christ. But he that loves Christ will desire to expand His kingdom.

Do you believe that the wicked shall be thrown into hell? Meditate on their fate in everlasting fire, that it may thaw your frozen heart and overwhelm you with compassion so as to plead with sinners to be saved.

Satan works so hard for men's souls that he puts many Christians to shame. "The devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8), while many Christians creep along like snails. The devil's followers "travel over land and see to win a single convert" (Matthew 23:15). Will you do any less for your Savior?

If you have no concern for lost souls, you are not a true Christian. "The hired man runs away because he cares nothing for the sheep." (John 10:13).

Strive to follow Christ and put the good of other souls constantly before your eyes. Then He will make you a fisher of men indeed.

Witnessing to Family Members

Sharing the Gospel with strangers can be scary enough, but for some reason it seems even more difficult to share with family members and relatives. Maybe it's because we have so much more to lose if it doesn't go well? I personally find it very hard, and the attempts I have made have not always gone so well.

Evagelist Ray Comfort has an encouraging article on his website, well worth a read.

Nightline This Friday

This looks pretty cool. Recently I illustrated a cartoon gospel tract for Living Waters. Well, the guy that hired me and sells them is going to be interviewed on Nightline this Friday (March 17) on NBC, along with his ministry partner and former child star Kirk Cameron. His name is Ray Comfort and he is a really neat Christian guy with a terrific sense of humor. Their ministry has been exploding in recent years and they now have a radio show and an award-winning TV program of their own, a Christian reality show about sharing your faith called Way of the Master (no, he is NOT a televangelist. Yuck!)

I very highly doubt my tract will get any mention, but Ray and Kirk are fascinating people with a terrific ministry, so this should be a good interview. Airtimes vary, but in the Minneapolis market Nightline will be airing this Friday at 10:35 pm on KSTP-5 (ABC). To check your local listings click HERE, type in your zip code, and then type in "Nightline" in the search box.

Witnessing to Homosexuals

(Editorial cartoon by Nick Anderson)

Homosexuality is a hot topic these days, and emotions run deep on both sides. Christians and gays each see the other as the enemy in the culture war, and unfortunately many homosexuals would see the above cartoon not as a caricature, but as a dead-on accurate portrayal.

So how do we Christians go about winning these "enemies" to Jesus?

First, we do what Jesus commanded and love our enemies. Not the mushy kind of love that says "live and let live", but the tough love that balances hard truth with gentle humility ("clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Colossians 3:12). At the very least that means treating homosexuals with respect and simply listening to what they have to say, even if we strongly disagree. In the few encounters I've had with homosexuals, as soon as the conversation turns to religion you could cut the tension with a knife. In order to have a chance at being heard, I need to bend over backwards to be polite and friendly and show a genuine interest in understanding their point of view--even if it is dead wrong.

Second, listen sincerely but don't get roped into a debate about homosexuality. Avoid it like the plague. They will be ready with gloves on. Instead, remember that their urgent need for salvation is much bigger than just that one individual sin. There are still nine other commandments that they are guilty of breaking. Focus on them and set homosexuality aside. Help them to understand that they need a Savior not because they are homosexuals, but because they are sinners (as we all are). The ground is level at the cross.

Third, remember that while it may be our job to catch the fish, it is the Holy Spirit's job to clean them. We don't get our lives straightened out first and then come to Jesus. Rather, we come to him as humble and broken sinners and then He starts the life-long process of growing us in holiness. This may mean starting with the small sins (i.e. lying and swearing) and then working up to the bigger sins (i.e. homosexuality). I know of former homosexuals who still struggled with the gay lifestyle for several years after coming to Christ before they finally found freedom.

There are no simple answers or silver bullets. But these tips can help to keep a highly charged situation from blowing up in your face.

Evangelism Involves Teaching

Sharing the Gospel is not just about us taking the courage to step out in faith. It is also about being patient and explaining things clearly so that the message is understood.

A passage from Ray Comfort's excellent book, The World's Greatest Preachers, p.173:

"It is obvious from Scripture that God requires us not only to preach to sinners, but also to teach them. The servant of the Lord must be 'apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing' those who oppose him (2 Timothy 2:24-25). For a long while, I thought I was to leap among sinners, scatter the seed, then leave. But our responsibility goes further. We are to bring the sinner to a point of understanding his need before God. Psalm 25:8 says, "Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way." Psalm 51:13 affirms, "Then will I teach transgressors thy ways: and sinners shall be converted unto thee." The Great Commission is to teach sinners: "Teach all nations...teaching them to observe all things" (Matthew 28:19-20). The disciples obeyed the command: "Daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" (Acts 5:42, emphasis added). The "good-soil" hearer is he who "heareth...and understandeth" (Matthew 13:23).

Philip the evangelist saw fit to ask his potential convert, the Etheopian, "Do you understand what you are reading?" (Acts 8:30 NKJV). Some preachers are like a loud gun that misses the target. It may sound effective, but if the bullet misses the target, the exercise is in vain. He may be the largest-lunged, chandelier-swinging, pulpit-pounding preacher this side of the book of Acts. He may have great teaching on faith, and everyone he touches may fall over, but if the sinner leaves the meeting failing to understand his desperate need for God's forgiveness, then the preacher has failed. He has missed the target, which is the understanding of the sinner. This is why the Law of God must be used in preaching. It is a ""schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24-25) to bring "knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). It teaches and instructs. A sinner will come to "know His will, and approve the things that are most excellent" (see Acts 22:14; Philippians 1:10), if he is "instructed out of the Law" (Romans 2:18)."


Don't just preach the Gospel. Make sure your hearers are understanding it.

Share Jesus Without Fear

I recently heard Bill Fay, author of Share Jesus Without Fear interviewed on the radio. I was very impressed with what he had to say. If you'd like to listen, his website has a great audio download that offers some excellent tips on sharing the Gospel.

I especially liked his emphasis on asking questions and listening rather than just preaching or arguing. "Loving someone means listening to what they have to say". Fay's approach is to transition a conversation to the Gospel simply by asking questions. Not to give too much away, the five questions are....

1. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2. To you, who is Jesus?
3. Do you think there is a heaven or hell?
4. If you died today, where would you go? If heaven, why would God let you in?
5. By the way, if what you are believing is not true, would you want to know?

Another thing I like is that Fay lets Scripture do the talking. He carries a small Bible, and once he has an opening in the conversation he simply flips to gospel passages and has the listener read them aloud. "My job is to point them to the Scriptures and get out of the Holy Spirit's way". I like that. It takes away a lot of the pressure to feel like I have to know all the answers.

To get the full impact of Fay's teaching, give it a listen.