SOME FRIENDLY TIPS IN
EVANGELIZING THE LOST
Based on John 4:7ff
John 4:7-9

“A woman of Samaria came to get water, and
Jesus said to her, Give me some water. 8 For
his disciples had gone to the town to get
food. 9 The woman of Samaria said to him,
Why do you, a Jew, make a request for water
to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this
because Jews have nothing to do with the
people of Samaria” (BBE).
 WHAT
LESSONS CAN WE GLEAN
FROM THESE VERSES?
 There are seven.
Tip No. 1
LET US BE REMINDED OF THE VALUE
AND IMPORTANCE OF EVEN JUST
ONE SOUL.
 In this instance the Lord met one soul in
the person of a Samaritan woman, just
one soul among many souls in the land of
Samaria, which at that time had a
population by the thousands. He spent his
precious time talking to that woman.

We go by the highways and byways of the
community and encounter many people.
On days when people are busy, sometimes
we encounter just one person.
 Let us not be dismayed if God sent only
one soul to our way to be influenced by
us. Many churches have been established
by the conversion of just one person.

The church of Christ in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija,
began with the conversion of Simprosio
Villanueva, a landowner who bought a Tagalog
Bible. He was taught by an unnamed disciple of
Leslie Wolfe.
 Antonio, a son of Simprosio, became interested
in the Bible and was taught and was baptized.
Soon their neighbors were also baptized. They
became the first church of Christ in Muñoz,
Nueva Ecija, in 1930.

Antonio Villanueva baptized people who
later became preachers and multiplied the
churches of Christ in Mindanao. We will
mention about these people later in our
sermon.
 So that’s tip number 1:
 AS WE GO PROSPECTING, BE
REMINDED THAT EVEN JUST ONE
SOUL IS AS VALUABLE AS MANY.

Tip No. 2
WHILE WE CHURCHES OF CHRIST
PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON MALE
LEADERSHIP, LET US BE REMINDED
THAT WOMEN ACTUALLY HELP GET
THE CHURCH GOING.
 The church of Philippi began with the
conversion of one religious woman named
Lydia, a native of Thyatira.

Acts 16:14-15
Lydia was a trader in purple cloth, and a
God-fearing woman. She listened to Paul.
The Lord opened her heart to give
attention to the things which Paul was
saying (Acts 16:14).
 Lydia also invited Paul to teach her
household. As a result members of her
household were baptized (verse 15).

Again, about the Villanuevas. The
Villanuevas migrated to Cotabato in 1937.
 In Pinaring, Antonio Villanueva taught and
baptized a lady named Maximina de la
Torre.
 Maximina then invited Antonio to preach
in their house in Pinaring, Cotabato.
Antonio came to teach Remigio de la
Torre, husband of Maximina.

Antonio taught and baptized Cornelio
Alegre, a cousin of Remigio de la Torre.
 Antonio also taught and baptized
Laureano Belo, another cousin of Remigio
de la Torre.
 Laureano Belo taught and baptized his
sisters, brothers, parents and cousins.

The Church of Christ in Pinaring, Cotabato,
grew after the conversion of one woman,
who gave all to the faith.
 So that’s tip number 2:
 LET US REMEMBER THAT WOMEN
PROSPECTS, IF CONVERTED, WILL
ACTUALLY HELP GET THE CHURCH
TO MOVE AND DO MUCH FOR THE
GLORY OF GOD.

Tip No. 3
 AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERSE
WITH ONE PERSON IS ALSO AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TOUCH HIS
HEART WITH THE GOSPEL.
 Imagine here the Lord talking to a
woman, asking her for a glass of water
to satisfy his thirst. The conversation
about water turns to the conversation
about the water of life.
John 4:9

“The woman of Samaria said to him, Why
do you, a Jew, make a request for water
to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this
because Jews have nothing to do with the
people of Samaria” (Basic Bible in
English).
John 4:10
 “In
answer Jesus said, If you know
what God gives freely, if you know
who it is that is asking you for water,
you would ask him also and he would
give you living water.”
John 4:11-12
 “The
woman said to him, Sir, you
have no pitcher and the well is deep;
from where will you get this living
water? 12 Are you greater than our
father Jacob who gave us the well
and took this water himself, with his
children and his cattle?” (Basic Bible
in English).
John 4:13-14
 “Jesus
said to her, Everyone who
takes this water will be thirsty again:
14 But whoever takes the water I
give him will not need to drink again;
for the water I give him will become
in him a fountain of eternal life”
(Basic Bible in English).
John 14:15
 “The
woman said to him, Sir, give me
this water, so that I may not be in
need of drink again and will not have
to come all this way for it” (Basic
Bible in English).
YOU MAY TURN THESE CONVERSATIONS
INTO SPIRITUAL TALKS
Coke ►Water of life
 Vegetables ►Garden of life
 Sufferings ►Better life in the hereafter
 Precious gems ►The pearl of great price
 Lost notebook ►Book of life
 Traffic noise ►Song of Moses and the
Lamb
 Nice house ►Better home in heaven

So that’s tip number 3:
 USE ANY OPPORTUNITY IN
CONVERSING WITH A PERSON AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TOUCH HIS HEART
WITH THE GOSPEL.

Tip No. 4
OVERCOME YOUR TRIBALISTIC
BIASES AND HANGOVERS.
 “The woman of Samaria said to him, Why
do you, a Jew, make a request for water
to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this
because Jews have nothing to do with the
people of Samaria” (John 4:9, Basic Bible
in English).

Jesus meets this woman at 12:00 high noon
(John 4:6). She is alone. She comes at noon
time probably to avoid the company of the Jews.
 That well was built by the man whom both
Samaritans and Jews claimed to be their
ancestor, Jacob (John 4:12).
 Yet these people, who claimed to have
descended from just one man, could not see eye
to eye with each other!

Her questions to Jesus reveal much more
than meets the eye:
 “Why do you talk to me, a Samaritan?”
she asks.
 The Jews belittle the Samaritans, calling
them unclean. Samaritans are the product
of the union between the circumcised and
the uncircumcised.

More than that, she asks: “Why do you
talk to me, a woman?”
 Even among the Arabians, Jews, Iraqis,
Saudis, Iranians and other Middle Eastern
people, close encounters with women on
the street have been frowned upon.
 This all has changed. In the church of
Jesus, all of us, including men and
women, are one.

Galatians 3:26-28
 “Because
you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For
all those of you who were given
baptism into Christ did put on Christ.
28 There is no Jew or Greek, servant
or free, male or female: because you
are all one in Jesus Christ” (Basic
Bible in English).
No culture or tribe is better or superior.
Therefore do not belittle other cultures.
 So that’s tip number 4:
 SHOULD YOU EMPLOY YOURSELF AS
A MOVER OF MEN FOR GOD, DO
SOME CULTURAL OVERHAULING.
THROW AWAY YOUR TRIBALISTIC
BIASES AND HANGOVERS.

Tip No. 5
WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC
RELATIONSHIPS, EXERCISE
SENSITIVITY AND DIPLOMACY.
 In the conversation with the woman of
Samaria, Jesus deals with holy things.
 To better appreciate what is holy, even our
moral lives must be attuned to it.

John 4:16-17a
 “Jesus
said to her, Go, get your
husband and bring him here. 17 In
answer, the woman said, Sir, I have
no husband…”
 (Basic Bible in English)
John 4:17b-18
 “Jesus
said to her, You have said
rightly, I have no husband: 18
Because you have had five husbands,
and the man you are living with now
is not your husband: what you said is
true.”
 (Basic Bible in English)
The statements from the Lord is an
example of how to break the truth to a
soul without being rough, without being
vulgar.
 Many hearts can be offended because of
careless words that come from our
mouths.

Jesus is an example in diplomacy and
sensitivity to personal feelings.
 Being
omniscient, Jesus already knew
the woman is living in sin.
 He did not condemn her.
 He was very diplomatic with the
issue.
 He knew that one careless word
would be hurting.
Let me tell you of a woman named Mery.
In Babag, Cebu City, she was often the
subject of gossips, because of her past
immoral life. I never in any way paid much
attention to it.
 Instead of dwelling on her personal
problem, I dwelt on heaven and Jesus’
offer of salvation. As a result, Mery invited
thirty of her neighbors to listen to me.

The subject of common law marriage, or
cohabiting with a woman or a man, is a
very sensitive issue. Instead of touching it
directly, wait for the woman herself to ask
you questions about it.
 Dwell more on the cure of the problem,
which is the cleansing one’s soul by the
blood of Jesus.

So that’s tip number 5:
 EXERCISE SENSITIVITY AND
DIPLOMACY WHEN IT COMES TO
DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIPS.
 If we succeed in our endeavors in
teaching them properly, people with
wrong relationships and wrong behaviors
will strive to correct themselves, with
God’s help.

Tip No. 6
DWELL ON WHAT IS POSITIVE AND
TRUTHFUL.
 As a result of that revelation from Jesus, the
Samaritan woman’s conviction about him
changed. She said, “Sir, I see, I perceive, I
think, I presume that you are a prophet” (John
4:19).
 She learned to be trusting after listening to the
Son of God.



Notice her next statement: “Our fathers
worshipped on this mountain, on Mt. Gerizim,
but you Jews are telling us that the right
place to worship is in Jerusalem” (John 4:20).
How does Jesus answer that? He counters by
saying the time comes when worship will be
different. No one will worship God either in
Gerizim or in Jerusalem (John 4:21).
21 Jesus said to her, “You give worship as if to
God, but you have no knowledge of what you
are worshipping; we Jews have knowledge of
what we are worshipping: because salvation first
comes from the Jews.”
 When teaching about the church bring the
prospect’s minds to Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:42;
Acts 8 and other related verses. Teach, but don’t
push the truth. Let the other party have more
time to think. It is his right to reject or accept it.

 Instead
of attacking, ask the
question, “What kind of worship, or
what manner of worship does God
the Father desire?”
 This puts the other party on the
defensive. If he cannot answer, don’t
push the issue. Your purpose is to win
his soul, not to win points.
 Attacking
religions, sects and
denominations is a no-no, if our aim
is to attract these people to our
movement.
 You attack religions only when your
purpose is not to convert those
people.
 If
you ever converted those people by
the negative approach in soulwinning, they who got converted by it
also become potential problems in the
church, as I have found out.
 People
whom we teach also copy our
methods, our styles, our language,
our approach, almost everything that
we are and have been.
 Instead of teaching them to copy us,
teach them to copy Jesus.
So that’s tip number 6:
 INSTEAD OF DWELLING ON THE
NEGATIVE, DWELL ON WHAT IS
POSITIVE AND TRUTHFUL.

Tip No. 7
TREAT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH AS
THE PROSPECT’S LAST OPPORTUNITY TO
HEAR THE GOSPEL.
 Every man and woman each deserves a chance
to hear about Jesus in this life. Even one
chance.
 One man I know who believed in this principle
and practiced it to the letter was the late
Laureano Belo.


After being baptized by Villanueva, Laureano
Belo shared the truth of salvation with those
who were close to him. He wanted his
relatives to go to heaven also. He taught his
brother Onofre Belo, his four sisters and his
parents, his cousins, his nephews and nieces.

He shared the gospel with his cousin Remigio
de la Torre, the husband of Maximina, in
whose home Antonio Villanueva regularly
preached each Sunday morning.

Beginning in 1941, he with four other
brethren established the churches in
Malingon, Central Mangilala, Mlang,
Lambayong, Catico, Kalanawe, Salunayan,
Katidtuan, Kabacan, Tacurong, Kidapawan,
Koronadal, Banga, Datu Piang, Magpet,
Columbio, Tubod, Kolambugan, Mainit,
Surigao City, Pagadian City, Siay, and other
places.
What was his method? He would talk to his
coworkers as they worked in the field. His
hand did labors while his mouth did the
preaching!
 He never wasted time in proclaiming the
Word, whether in season or out. He would
preach to the rich and to the poor alike, to
the professionals and to the nonprofessionals, to the politicians and ordinary
men and women.

He would preach to his audience while hiking on
the road, while planting rice in the paddies,
while harvesting rice.
 He would teach the Good News with his barber
while having a haircut.
 He would preach to the waitresses and to fellow
customers while eating in a restaurant.
 He would preach while riding on a bus, or in a
boat.


He was the sower who sowed two kinds of seed:
the seed of the kingdom and the seed that
would fill his house with rice at harvest time.
When the farm had already been planted, he
made his wife Cecilia manage the irrigating and
the weeding of the field. And he would be away
for weeks and most of the time months
preaching the gospel. He would arrive during the
harvest season. Sometimes he would come
home after his wife had given birth!
To brother Laureano Belo, the number
who listened did not matter, whether it
was a big group, a family of three or four,
or just one.
 Salvation is such a valuable commodity
that everyone must needs have it. We in
whom this gospel has been entrusted are
duty-bound to preach it to all men.

 So
there you have it: The
seven tips on proclaiming the
gospel according the Lord’s
example in John 4.
Let us refresh your memory by
enumerating them again:

(1) BE REMINDED OF THE VALUE OF
EVEN JUST ONE SOUL.

(2) THE GOSPEL IS NOT GENDER
SENSITIVE. PREACH TO WOMEN.
WOMEN ACTUALLY HELP GET THE
CHURCH GOING.

(3) ANY OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUCH A
PERSON’S HEART WITH THE GOSPEL.

(4) OVERCOME YOUR TRIBALISTIC
BIASES AND HANGOVERS.

(5) EXERCISE SENSITIVITY AND
DIPLOMACY WHEN IT COMES TO
DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIPS.

(6) DWELL ON WHAT IS POSITIVE
AND TRUTHFUL.

(7) EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH
MAY BE THE PROSPECT’S LAST
OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE
GOSPEL.
 Thank
you all and good day!