David Diga Hernandez - How to Win the Lost: 4 Keys

So, four keys to winning the loss. Number one: the key is to present the truth. Isaiah chapter 58, verse 1 says, «Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins.» Luke chapter 5, verse 32 says, «I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.» Acts chapter 3, verse 19 says, «Now repent of your sins and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped away.» Acts chapter 17, verse 30 says, «God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him.» Something you’ll notice about all of these scriptures is an urgency in preaching the gospel, and you’ll find a common theme: God is calling us to call people to repentance. Repentance is key; it is integral to the preaching of the gospel, and we must declare repentance from sins. We are not trying to offend people. Offending people is not our goal in presenting the truth of the gospel, but neither should it deter us. People aren’t turned off because you present the gospel the wrong way. You often hear it said, «Well, don’t preach about sin, don’t preach about the cross, don’t preach about repentance because you might turn someone off to the gospel.» I’ve got news for you: they’re already turned off to the gospel. People don’t resist the gospel because you presented the truth; they resist the gospel because they love darkness rather than light. Therefore, as believers, we have this responsibility to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the fullness of truth. Yet, preaching the good news is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible it would be for me if I preach not the good news. We mustn’t be afraid of presenting the truth. I would rather offend someone into heaven than comfort them into hell. I’d rather give somebody the good news because that is the ultimate demonstration of love. One of the number one complaints from those who preach the truth of the gospel is that they are not being loving or kind. But the reality is this: the gospel is first an urgent message before it is good news. You must give the diagnosis before you can give the prognosis. Nobody who doesn’t believe themselves to be sick is going to take the cure. You can’t say, «Here is the cure,» if a man does not believe that he is sick. Neither will anyone accept a savior if he doesn’t believe he needs to be saved. The good news is that Jesus saves. But from what does He save us? He saves us from self; He saves us from sin; He saves us from hell. The good news is that God has given us mercy, that Christ has paid the price, and that He’s taken the punishment for our sins, absorbing the wrath of God because we’re not good enough to do it ourselves and setting us free from the sin nature. That is the good news. Now, of course, this must be presented in love. Anyone who takes joy in telling someone that they’re going to hell or takes joy in making people feel bad about something they’re doing is not doing God’s work. No, we are to present the gospel in love. But again, I stress this to you: the most loving thing you can do for someone is to tell them the truth; not with pretension, not with arrogance, no smugness, and not in a condescending manner. Don’t do it in a nasty way, or in a way that’s purposefully mean, but present the truth as it is. Don’t try to water it down; don’t try to change it because you’re afraid of offending someone. The power of the truth of the gospel is what can set the soul free. This is why we must present it in its fullness. Well, that’s number one: present the truth. Number two: practice purity. In Luke chapter 11, verse 33, the scripture says, «No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light, but when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.» Verse 36 is key: «If you are filled with light with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant as though a floodlight were filling you with light.» Here, Jesus is talking about us being light; He’s talking about us shining. He’s talking about the fact that nobody hides a lamp; we put a lamp out so that it may shine light. In the same way, your life is supposed to shine light everywhere. Now, if there are no dark corners in your life, then you will shine effectively for the unbeliever to see. The effectiveness of your evangelism increases as purity increases. Now, of course, God can use anyone He wishes, and God uses sinner and saint alike; He’s sovereign in that way. There are always exceptions to generalizations. But the overall truth is this: when you live a life of purity, there is a potency to you presenting the gospel message. You must become light; you must shine in a way that presents the gospel. You must shine in a way where people can see the light and the love of God in you. Thus, this is part of our practice as…