I. PEOPLE YOU CAN INFLUENCE

Who are the people on whom we have the greatest influence? They are our relatives, friends and associates.

A. On the job

I especially like to encourage everyday working people in the Lord's work. I grew up on a farm and learned to work hard; then I learned a trade as a meat cutter. Later, the Lord blessed me with the privilege to work full time for his cause. I learned the importance of winning souls for Christ years ago from Brother Otis Gatewood's Book, You Can Do Personal Work. The first person I had a part in bringing to Christ was a General Foods salesman who called on the store where I worked. The second person was a lady who wrapped meat for me in the meat market. I was practicing friendship evangelism. That's how I got started. I like to look for people who are looking. If you will just listen sometimes on the job or in other places, you will often hear someone talking about religion. You will hear various views expressed, and you may hear someone say, "I'm really not satisfied where I go to church." You may turn that simple occasion into a great opportunity by getting their name and address, and seeking an opportunity to teach them the Gospel of Christ.

B. Friends, Neighbors, Family

Friendship evangelism is the most effective and the simplest way for every Christian to bring people to the Lord. If we were to take a survey in most congregations, 75% to 90% would say a friend or relative led them to Christ. There are husbands and wives who have been won to Christ by their spouses, there are children who have been won by their parents, and perhaps grandchildren. Older Christians have a wonderful opportunity to have a positive influence upon our grandchildren. Others have been won by their friends and associates on the job. Since this is such an effective way to reach out to the lost that each one can participate in, it ought to be something the entire church wholeheartedly

C. Some Statistics

Church growth research says that on the average, each one of us has from 7 to 9 friends and relatives who are not Christians. If you have been a Christian for a long time, you may have three or four friends who are not Christians and a new Christian may have 11 or more. Suppose 50% of your congregation make a list of six prospects each. These potential converts are called your 99 extended family". Members of that extended family become your potential congregation.

II. INDIVIDUALS AND WHOLE FAMILI]ES CONVERTED

Friendship evangelism was practiced in New Testament times. In John 4:53, there is a story about a man whose son is healed and he and his whole house believed. Andrew followed Jesus and brought his brother Peter to Him. (Jn 1:40-42). Philip introduced his friend Nathanael to Jesus (Jn 1:43-45). In Acts 10 we read how Cornelius was instructed to send to Joppa for Peter to come and tell him words whereby he might be saved. When Peter arrived, Cornelius had gathered his friends and kinsmen together to hear what Peter had to say. Paul, looking for prospects, went down by the riverside where some women were worshipping. One of them was Lydia whose heart was opened, and she along with her household were baptized (Acts 16:15). Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching Christ. An earthquake came causing the prison to be opened allowing the prisoners to be loosed from their chains and the doors to be opened. The jailer came in and was about to take his life. They said, "Do yourself no harm: for we are all here" (Acts 16:28). Then he invited them to his home. In a short time, this man decided that he believed in Christ, and was baptized along with all his household (Acts 16:22-31).

III. MAKING AND WINNING FRIENDS

What about our friends and associates? In Mark 5:19, we read of a man who was healed and then wanted to go with Jesus. But, Jesus replied: "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." I was in Virginia speaking and the preacher said, "I've been studying with a family, and there are seven people subject to obeying the Gospel. Would you go with me to see the family?" I did, and we baptized all seven of them that night. In New Testament times, and sometimes today, whole families are won to the Lord.

The Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well, Jesus was there waiting for his disciples to come back from buying food in the city. He engaged her in conversation, and she soon decided he was from God. She left her waterpot and went back into the city and brought her friends to hear Jesus. Many became believers because of her influence. Although she was not a disciple at that time, she did believe that He was sent from God, and she led others to believe upon Him (John 4). When Jesus was going through Jericho there was a little short man named Zacchaeus who climbed up into a tree to get a better view. Jesus saw him and said, "Come down, for today I must stay at your house" (Lk 19:1-10). Zacchaeus was a tax collector, an occupation that was despised among the Jews. I don't know what all Jesus said to him, but he made a friend of him very quickly and the man showed repentance and a desire to change his life.

IV. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNMES

Years ago I was at a barber shop getting a haircut, a policeman came into the shop looking for someone who lived in the community, who had a family member in Alabama to die. After the policeman left, the barber remarked, "It scares me to think about dying or any family member dying." I said, "That's something we've all got to do someday, and we just need to be ready." He said, "Well, I guess that's the problem, I'm not ready." I asked him if he understood the Bible very well and he said he did not. It's hard to teach in a barber shop or a place of business, so I said, "Give me you name and phone number and I'll call you sometime. I have some films on the Bible that I go into homes and show." I learned in our studies that his wife was an erring member of the church. Keep your ear tuned and listen carefully. You will often find similar situations. I'm not suggesting that you try to teach everyone on the spot. Sometimes that is not the wise place to do it. But, the interest is noticed, the information is gathered and then you or others can follow up on the lead.

Jesus had made a friend of Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night because he recognized that Jesus must be a teacher from God or else he could not do the things he was doing (John 3). 1 have often wondered what the whole conversation was like. It appears that Jesus said abruptly: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," or "unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God '" I do not know whether Jesus changed the subject abruptly like that or not, but sometimes, it is appropriate to go right to the heart of the matter. A good approach is to ask, "if the Lord were to come today, do you know for sure, nothing doubting, that you would go home to heaven to be with Him?" If this person is responsive, proceed to teach the Gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 6:3-7; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).

V. TAKE ACTION

Often we never get around to doing what we know we ought to do. We may wait until it is too late. I once called a man who had done some tree surgery work for me, and his wife said he had died, very suddenly, at the age of 38. Since then, I have tried to give something with the plan of salvation in it to everyone who does a service for me. When I pay them, I hand them a tract along with my check, sometimes in an envelope, or tell them that I want to give them a piece of literature that I hope they will read. For who knows whether that person is going to live another day? Who knows whether they will ever hear the Gospel? I realized I needed to be ready to use every single opportunity to spread the gospel with everyone that came my way. There ought never to be a time when we are not soul-conscious. A lot of people would obey the gospel if they only knew it!

VI. LOVE AS THE BASIS FOR FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM

It is true that Christians ought to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and wherever we go we ought to touch every life we can with the Gospel. Studies have shown that the fastest growing churches are loving churches. I believe that love is the root of friendship evangelism. Something in your heart has to say that you care about the other person. There was an instance in the Bible where Jesus saw a young man caught up in materialism, the Rich Young Ruler, and He loved him. I wish we could love all people as we see them and have concern for where they will spend eternity. The Church Growth Center in Monrovia, California formulated 17 questions and sent them to 8,658 persons to determine how much emphasis is put on love in various churches. They found a direct relationship between a loving church and a growing church. The Assembly of God rated high in saying "I love you" to eople, and their numbers increased by 50% in the ten years prior to the survey. One hundred sixty-eight churches having a five to ten percent growth showed a high percentage of love felt by church members as we as love given by those members. I am convinced that it really doesn't matter what you are or what I am if we don't learn to love. I Corinthians 13:1 - 4 emphasizes that love is supreme, above all else. We can hold the right doctrinal positions, come to every service of the church, take the Lord's Supper every Sunday, and give of our means, but if we do not learn to love it is not worth anything.

CONCLUSION

The Scribes and Sadduccees of Jesus' day debated about which was the greates commandment in the law and they came and asked Jesus about it. He told them, first, to love the Lord, with all their heart, soul, mind and strength; and second was to love their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22:37 - 38). It is not as easy command to fulfill. We can go forth from now on with all the forms and activities that we do, but if we do not learn love nothing will be of much value to us. We must learn to be concerned about the lost. We can't live a life separated from the Great Commission, and we need to bring the Great Commission together with the Great Commandment.