HINDRANCES TO SOUL WINNING

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1) IGNORANCE

I Peter 3: 15

> How can we go soul winning when we do not know what to say, what method to use and how to answer questions from cult members? That is why it is very important to always be present in Sunday School and the preaching. Personal Bible reading and study will also help us grow in our knowledge about God and His Word.

Sometimes the pastorprepares his messagesvery diligently and then the members are late or absent. Even when they are present they do not concentrate on the message. This is very frustrating to the pastor. We have to make our preaching time our priority if we want results.

2) FEAR: 2 Tim. 1:7,Lk. 9:26

Sometimes lack of education, or lack of an outgoing personality or other insufficiency hinders us to share the gospel. When God gives us a task, He will always enable us. The more insufficient we are, the more God will give us grace to succeed. If we feel that we can do it, we may be working in our own strength and intellect and not in the Spirit of God.

There is also the fear of rejection where we are afraid that people will reject our ideas and we lose friends.

3) UNBELIEF:

People who do not really believe the Bible when it says that there is a literal heaven and a literal hell will never be serious in their soul winning efforts. Again, this is a product of ignorance. We lack solid evidence of the truths that are in the Bible that is why we need to come to church every time there is an assembly; read and study our Bibles regularly; make our own research if time permits.

4) IDOLATRY, MATERIALISMEcc. 3:1, Sometimes we Christians are distracted by the cares of this world that we forget our mission as Christians and that is to win people to Christ. We are very busy minding our jobs, our businesses, our families, our tutorials our studies ( students) that we neglect the essence of our Christianity.

We might be the only hope of the people we meet or associate with. Let us not forget to hand out a gospel tract or share our testimonies or invite them to church.

5) PERSECUTION BY OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, THE COMMUNITY, GOV’T.Sometimes people hinder us from sharing the Word of God. We are in a Buddhist country but it should not stop us from winning souls. We can give gospel tracts discreetly in public transportation. When you eat in a restaurant, leave a tract.

When you buy a commodity, give the salesperson a tract. When you see beggars or solicitors, give them some coins and tracts.Ask God for wisdom on how to spread the Gospel.

6) PROCRASTINATION OR DELAY John 4:35Some Christians know how to share the plan of salvation, they believe the Bible but the problem is they keep postponing to share the gospel. They say, “some other time,” or“I always see him or her anyway.” Remember that people may be here today but gone tomorrow. That co-teacher of yours may resign tomorrow or the next semester.

Death also can come anytime to our loved ones, our friends, our students, co-teachers,co-workers. Remember the people who sell stuff in our way.

7) WORLDLINESS Matt. 6:20How can Christians think of winning souls when their minds are set on the latest model of gadgets, latest fashion, parties, outings, eating in fine restaurants, travelling to places, watching the latest movies, playing the latest computer games. We may engage in these things but we should not neglect to share the gospel if there is an opportunity.

Sometimes Christian parents want their kids to take up too many lessons like swimming, karate, ballet dancing, etc. that they do not have time to visit their unsaved friends.

8) BAD COMPANY: I Cor. 15:33, Prov. 13:20

We should be careful who we associate with. Of course, we could not choose who our co-workers are so we always have to be on guard when we are with our unsaved colleagues. That is why we should have a consistent Bible reading schedule and prayer time or else we will be influenced slowly as time goes by by the unsaved.

If we have a choice let us hang around with fellow Christians who are matured who remind us to do right. Not with carnal or backslidden Christians who talk against the church or mock Biblical principles.

9) FAILURE OR DESPAIR:Phil. 3:14It is very difficult to start to win souls and then in one instance, we may be discouraged by the negative reactions of people. Our love for souls should be greater than love for our reputation. Anyway sales people have to put up with a lot of humiliation and waste of effort. Sometimes people promise to go to church

but do not do so. We should be patient because people may not go on the first invitation but on the second or third, they will go just to please you or to keep their word of honor

10) LACK OF COMPASSION: Matt. 9:36, Lam. 1:12When a Christian lacks compassion, it means that he has been resisting the Holy Spirit for a long time because when we get saved we naturally care for other people. We need to put on the mind of Christ which is full of compassion for lost souls. The reason He came down from heaven is to save sinners from their sins that will bring them to hell.

If we lack compassion, it means we have been too busy with our own affairs that we forget about the eternal destination of the people around us

11) DESTROYED TESTIMONY:Matt. 5:13-16Christians are the salt and light of the earth. We have to be careful not to ruin our testimonies or else the people will not believe us. We lose our integrity and so we become ineffective and useless. Let us make sure that we do all our businesses legally; we should not be guilty of overpricing, “under –the- table” transactions. Our dealings should be fair and humane.We should not be guilty of

of oppressing other people selling goods illegally, avoiding taxes, etc. Our customers should be satisfied with our product or service and if they have complains, we should be tactful in dealing with these complaints.

12) THE LOVE OF SIN: II Peter 2: 19-22Sometimes believers cannot fully surrender all aspects of their Christians lives to God. For young people, it can be their computer games, for single professionals, maybe they do not want to be dictated about their income; it can be an unsaved boyfriend or girlfriend; vices; For adults they may be guilty of loving their partners or children more than God. Or it

may be their marital problems of communication, finances, jealousy, etc. If we fully surrender to God our lives then we can focus on other people’s needs.

13)SATAN AND THE POWERSOF DARKNESSI Thess. 2:18, Acts 13:6-8, Acts 16: 16-20, Rev. 12:12Satan is the number one Enemy of soul winning. Hisdesire is that many people will suffer in hell with him. He has Many demons and evil spirits That he has sent to hinder soulwinners from reaching the unsaved. Some of his methodsAre very obvious like relocatingA prospect. But most of his Devices are very subtle that you

wake up one day and find yourself very far from God and all your zeal for soul winning is gone.

Satan’s techniques are compared to a frog in a pot of water on a stove. While the water is being heated, the frog is enjoying the feeling of the warm water. But when the water reaches boiling point, it is too late fro him to jump out because he is already cooked in the boiling water. This is how the devil works. Make sure you are aware of his devices. He can use

anything to get you out of focus like the media, gadgets, friends, studies, homework, work, part-time jobs, tutorials, problems, money, etc.

Winning Souls The way to win souls 

is one by onetelling them about Jesus, 

God's only sonWhen you see the

multitude lost in sin

going to one person is a good place to begin

There are unsaved people everywhere 

Who will tell them the gospel 

and for their souls care

Maybe you are the one God wants to useto tell the good news and pray they'll not refuse

Jesus said "The harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers are few"There is always somebody you can witness toYou may not win everybodybut you can win someonegoing in Jesus name and not leavingyour witnessing undone