T here is a wonuenui Scriptural il lustration of the romance of soul winning in an incident about Elijah and Elisha. Elijah had been called to live in a widow’s home. It was there that a little boy died. The mother sent for Elijah, who told his servant to go on ahead with his staff. But this didn’t do any good. When Elijah arrived he stretched himself upon the child (I Kings 17:21). I believe the Lord is telling us that we need to have that same desire in soul winning. When you deal with a person about the Saviour do the same thing. Fit yourself to the person with whom you are dealing. If it is a police man, talk to him about things in which he is interested. If it is a railroad engi neer, use appropriate language and that which fits the occasion. And so it goes with people in all walks of life. The first two letters of the word Gos pel are “Go!” Don’t expect people to come to the church. They have no interest in such a place. God desires for us to take the Gospel to them in their homes or into their places of business. We invite them to come to church to hear the Gospel, but God’s plan is real ly for you to take the Gospel to them. You don’t ask a fish to climb into the
kitchen pan, do you? You must go where the fish are. Soul winning does not follow the path of pity, but the passion of obedi ence. The Lord said, “You go.” Every kind of person whom you meet needs what you have. It goes without saying, however, that we must use wisdom in talking with them. There must be an absolute unselfishness in the work of the Lord. It isn’t “me first.” Remember the man who sought to excuse himself by saying, “Lord, I’ll follow you, but suffer me first to go home and bury my father.” Like so many of us he put his own desires and will first. You will not be a good soul-winner if you do the same. Natural abilities aren’t the important things in soul winning. The Lord took Billy Bray, a crude coal miner, just as ignorant as he could be, and made him a great evangelist, who shook all Eng land for Christ. He is the man who said, “If you put me in a beer barrel, I’ll holler ‘hallelujah’ through the bung hole.” He simply took the precious lov ing Lord’s Gospel to each one and he fitted himself spiritually with their con dition and position. Loyalty to Christ costs everything. If you are going to be His servant you
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