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ONE: SEARCH
It is the responsibility of every Christian to continue the ministry that Jesus passed down to His disciples: to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). It is an integrated part of the Christian faith to seek out those who are lost and engulfed by flames and to direct them away from hell (Luke 14:23; Matthew 22:9-10).

In our seeking, we are to search the nooks and crannies of our cities until we find that valuable soul ready to receive the gospel. We are to position ourselves with others, as well as to go onto the devil's turf, to bring the good news of the gospel.

In our searching, faithfulness will open many doors. Through faithfulness, a relationship grows. As we enter in and out of the life of others on a regular basis, the relationship develops. Each visit to the grocery, barber, laundry, dry cleaners, school, work, church, social activities, etc. encourages relationships with those who are also there on a regular basis. The more faithful we are, the more opportunities we have to share the gospel.

As we move through the multitude we are to position ourselves with people, make ourselves available and accessible, do good works, show compassion, be faithful, and be alert to those receptive to our message of repentance and salvation.

On the other side of the coin, we are to go to the highways and hedges, those areas that are not our normal circle of influence, and rescue others from the devil's hold. We are to go to the streets and extinguish the flames.

TWO: SWEEP
Imagine a man drowning in a river. What would be your response? Stand on the banks of the river and preach to him about the benefits of living life outside the waters? Of course not: you would first pull him out of the waters, put dry clothes on him, and make sure he was safe. After he is saved, then you are able to speak to him about the finer points of living life. In evangelism, we must first sweep away the obstacles, then your hearer will be in position to hear about repentance and the need for a savior.

The woman seeking her lost coin in Luke 15:8-10 had two tools at her disposal: a light and a broom. The light was used to reveal the obstacles, the broom to remove obstacles hindering the lost coin from being found. The Holy Spirit is our light, giving discernment to a person's worldview and bringing Scripture to our mind to counter this view. This is where our main battle lies in helping a person to understand the gospel.

The broom is the physical instrument we use to remove physical obstacles (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) preventing a person from hearing the gospel. Before salvation is able to break through, the obstacles must be removed.

THREE: COMPEL
A person saved from the raging waters is now in position to be compelled. Not all will be receptive and we are to move on from those who reject our message (Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:51).

The road without God is wide, natural, and compelling. We are to compel others to walk the narrow road by explaining their need for repentance to help them see their sinfulness and hopelessness without God and their need to be saved. A person who does not see his dirt will see no need to wash up, neither will a person take medicine for an illness he does not know he has. In the same way, others will not see their need for a savior if they do not know they are a sinner. After finding a receptive person, we are to compel them to see their sin and need for a savior.

In your evangelism, you will notice that there are a lot of wrong ideas that need to be reasoned against. The clearer you understand the Christian worldview, the more effective you will be in tearing down erroneous beliefs and worldviews. make the study of the Bible and prayer as habitual in your life as eating and drinking. The more you understand the truth, the clearer falsehood and error will become.  For developing a strong Biblical worldview, go here.

FOUR: RECEIVE
Once a person is compelled to be a Christian, then we are to receive him/her into our fellowship with rejoicing and celebration. Once received, they are in position to learn to be a disciple, live according to Christian doctrine, and to go forth to compel others to enter fellowship with God and Jesus Christ.

Regardless of who they were or what they have done, we are to receive the repentant sinner with joy and celebration (Luke 15:11-32). The Apostle Paul was a murderer of Christians and sought after them with a fiery zeal. After receiving Christ, this repentant sinner was received into the fellowship of believers. Regardless of a sinner's sin, receive all who truly repent.

Note that the early disciples recognized the church as a place for saints, not unregenerate sinners. Sinners are to recognize their sin and repent before being received into the fellowship of believers.

To receive new Christians, we must find them. We must hit the streets and fight the fires.

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