How to justify sailing past sinners - Ray Comfort

If you care about the lost, you will probably identify with me when I tell you that I don't like evangelism. This will be because, like me, you have a continual battle with your fears. You are aware that you are commanded to tell people things they don't want to hear, and that makes you feel uncomfortable. Very. Spurgeon called evangelism an irksome (an annoying) task.

Recently I realized that I hadn't witnessed to anyone for almost a week. This was because bad weather had stopped us from doing our weekly open air preaching at Huntington Beach, here in California. Despite the annoyance of the task, I can't live with myself if I don't reach out to the unsaved. I would be like a professed firefighter who let people burn to death, because I preferred air conditioning to the smell of smoke and the heat of the flames. So I asked God to give me someone with whom I could share the gospel.

As I peddled my bike to the ministry, I saw three workmen standing at the back of a truck. I immediately knew that these three were hardened men, who no doubt spent most of their day blaspheming God. They hated Christians, and the last thing they wanted to happen that morning was for some religious nutcase to ram religion down their throats.

As I sailed passed, the thought also entered my over-imaginative-mind that this was a group of three men, and it was best to witness to people while they are alone. I then thought "What am I talking about!" and slammed on my brakes so hard the rubber tire skidded on the sidewalk. I turned the bike around and went back to share the gospel.

Two of them didn't speak English, but one named Brian did. He was 17 years old, had a Bible at home that he hadn't read for some time, his parents were Catholics, and he was very concerned that if he died that day, he would end up in Hell.

So how do you approach three workmen and talk about the things of God? I began with, "How are you doing? Did you get your Trillion Dollar bill?" When he took the tract, I asked for his name, told him mine, and then quickly followed with, "It's a gospel tract. What do you think happens when someone dies?"

When he gave his thoughts about Heaven, etc., I asked him if he thought he was good enough to go there. He said he was. I went though some of the Ten Commandments to show him God's perfect standard, and that's when he realized he was heading for Hell. Then I shared the cross, repentance, and faith in Jesus. He was very grateful I went back, and I was sure glad I did.

So the next time you struggle with fear, take comfort that you are not the only one, and keep in mind that a wise man once said--"Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the conquering of it." So ignore your fears, and do it anyway.


Taken from Living Waters