I am happy to partner with Ken Hemphill and Auxano Press in announcing the release of Steve Gaines's new book, Share Jesus Like It Matters. Here is an excerpt:
I wrote a book on prayer entitled Pray Like It Matters. The title came from my conviction that when we pray, God does things that He would not have done had we not prayed. Our prayers really do matter in what happens
on earth. When we touch God in Heaven with our prayers, God touches earth with His answers. Our lives are literally the culmination and result of both the prayers we have prayed and the prayers we have not prayed. Undeniably, our prayers matter. Prayer “changes things.”
In the same regard, when we share the Gospel with lost people, God saves people that He would not have saved had we not shared Jesus. Our sharing Jesus/witnessing/evangelism/soul-winning does matter! When we share Jesus, people will enjoy a higher quality of life during their time on earth than they would have apart
from Christ. They will also go to Heaven when they die instead of going to Hell.
As I mentioned earlier, sharing Jesus/witnessing/evangelism/soul-winning has fallen on hard times. The very term, soul-winning, is often labeled as archaic or antiquated among modern evangelical Christians.
Nevertheless, soul-winning is a biblical concept! The Apostle Paul said,
What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the
Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for
the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win (1 Cor. 9:18-24).
Paul uses the word win six times in this text to refer to leading people to faith in Jesus. Paul was a soul-winner! Likewise, God wants you to run the Christian race “in such a way that you may win” lost people to Jesus!
I have written Share Jesus Like It Matters for two reasons. First, I want to show you why you should share Jesus with lost people. Second, I want to show you how you can share Jesus with lost people. In the following pages you will learn how to identify, pray for, and share Jesus with
non-Christians.
I encourage you to commit to memory the Scripture verses listed in these chapters as well as the Gospel outline. You will learn how to intentionally, proactively, scripturally, politely, and verbally engage people with the Gospel. When that happens, you will see results. Some will reject Jesus; others will accept
Him. Regardless, your job is to give them the Gospel. Your witnessing will honor Christ, bless you, and change the lives and eternities of those with whom you share!
Christian, it’s time for you to win precious souls to Christ. It’s time for you to Share Jesus Like It Matters!
