Reaching the Lost
by David Dann
Most people are lost. “Few” are headed in the right direction in contrast to the “many” who are bound for destruction (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV). They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and are “alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18). Separated from God in sin, most people are destined for eternal misery in hell.
We should be moved with compassion and a sense of urgency as we recognize that those around us are lost and destined for destruction. If you were lost, wouldn’t you want someone to help you correct your course? It is up to those who are already faithful servants of the Lord to help the lost turn from their sins and obey Him (cf. Matthew 7:12; II Timothy 2:24-26).
To know this is not enough. We must take action to reach the lost and bring them to salvation. However, a great deal of confusion exists over how to reach the lost. For much of the religious world, “outreach” to the lost involves offering people opportunities for entertainment, recreation, and social activities in the hope that they will enjoy themselves so much that they might eventually see the benefits of joining a particular church. As a result, many people remain lost in sin, but are now part of some religious community. To truly reach the lost, we must help people hear, believe, and obey the gospel of Christ, so that they may be freed from their sins (cf. Acts 18:8). How can we effectively reach the lost today?
Seek the Lost
Jesus is the perfect example to imitate when it comes to reaching the lost: “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Rather than waiting for the lost to find their own way to salvation somehow, the Lord actively sought out those who needed spiritual help and direction. The first step in reaching the lost is to actively seek out those around us who are separated from God through sin, so that we can show them the way of salvation. Interact with them, engage them in discussions of spiritual matters, and invite them to learn about the Lord. Imitate the Master by seeking the lost to lead them to salvation.
Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38). While we may complain that no one seems to be interested in the gospel anymore, the truth is that there are opportunities all around us. Who are the lost? Our neighbors, coworkers, fellow students, people with whom we do business, those we interact with on a weekly basis, and perhaps even members of our own families. Some of them are living immoral lives, some are viewed as being good people, some are even religious, while others are atheists or agnostics, and many are just confused. It is up to us to invite them to investigate the message of the cross. We need to imitate the Savior by seeking out those who are lost in sin to lead them to repentance and salvation (Mark 2:17).
Find a Common Foundation with the Lost
All people who are lost are in need of the gospel, but they are not all prepared to start at the same point. Philip could preach Jesus to the Ethiopian “beginning at this Scripture” (Acts 8:35) because the Ethiopian already worshiped the true God and believed the Scripture. At the synagogue, Paul “reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead” (Acts 17:2-3) because they shared a common foundation in the prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus. On the other hand, when he encountered pagans, Paul began with, “God, who made the world and everything in it” (Acts 17:24) in an effort to establish common ground for a starting point. Paul challenged Felix with the reality of “judgment to come” (Acts 24:25) as a foundation from which to work. But when dealing with Agrippa, the same apostle found more of a common religious foundation from which to begin, saying, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe” (Acts 26:27). The New Testament furnishes us with an instruction manual when it comes to the matter of finding a common foundation from which to begin teaching the lost.
The goal is to guide this lost person from where they are to where they need to be by leading them to believe and obey the gospel, so that they will be saved. As Paul puts it, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (I Corinthians 9:22). If you are trying to reach someone who already believes in God, believes that Jesus is the Son of God, and believes the Bible is the word of God, then you have a very solid foundation to work with as you go on to show what the Bible teaches one must do to be saved. If, on the other hand, you are trying to reach someone who isn’t convinced that the Bible is the word of God, then you’ll have to establish that fact before moving on to what the Bible says one must do to be saved. Find out what this individual believes, spend time in prayer, and use wisdom and good judgment in working to bring this lost soul from where he is to where he needs to be in understanding and obeying the gospel. The inspired wise person points out that “he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). We need to put forth the effort to start from a common foundation to be as effective as possible in reaching the lost.
Present God’s Plan to the Lost
Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The message of the loving Savior who laid down His life at the cross to redeem mankind from sin is the power that God uses to convert the soul. Reaching the lost is not about catering to man’s physical or social desires, nor is it about helping people experience earthly success so they can live a better, more enjoyable life. Instead, the focus is on presenting a message of salvation from sin to those who are desperately in need of reconciliation with God. For those who are truly seeking, the gospel message is the sword of the Spirit that pricks the heart of the sinner so that he is turned to the Lord. Place your confidence in the gospel to accomplish its work.
To reach the lost and bring them to salvation, God’s plan must be presented in a plain and simple manner so that people are led to understand, believe, and obey it. The lost need to be shown from Scripture how sin entered into the world in the Garden and how God carried out a plan to save man from sin through the sacrifice of His Son. They need to be shown what the Bible teaches about sin, salvation, the church, the two covenants, Bible authority, and man’s eternal destiny. It is our job to help them understand that, to benefit from the sacrifice of Christ, they must repent and be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38). The souls of sinners are purified “in obeying the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22). We need to present the plan of God to the lost so that they will be convicted to comply with the conditions He has set to receive salvation.
Conclusion
Jesus said, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). No work in this world is greater and more urgent than that of reaching the lost with the saving message of Christ. Seek them out, find a common foundation from which to begin, and present the plan of God in all of its power and simplicity. Will you join in the work?
