Keep It Simple; Stay In The Same Book

by Jack Hyles

This is important. Use the same book all the way through. Some books in the Bible you could use for the plan of salvation are: Romans, John, First John, Isaiah, Psalms, Acts, Ephesians, etc. Definitely it is best to stay in the same book in the Bible and not to jump around too much. Here is the way I do it and I think this is a good suggestion. When I start talking to a person I say, “Now, Mr. Jones, the Bible is composed of 66 books and each book has a different immediate purpose. For example, the book of Genesis explains the creation of man. The book of Revelation explains the end time. There is one book in the Bible that is given especially to tell about the power of the Gospel of Christ and how to go to Heaven. That is the book of Romans. This book clearly explains how to go to Heaven.” What you are doing is this: You are saying to him, “Now, I’m taking you to that part of the book that specializes in telling you how to go to Heaven.” It makes him feel you are an expert.

One thing I always try to do in a town where I pastor; I always try to make folks think of me as a specialist. All pastors should be specialists on soul winning, but I try to make folks think of me as a specialist. Folks call me all the time and say, “Brother Hyles, would you go to the hospital and see my lost loved one or send your assistant pastor to see him?” “Well, yes,” I say. “Do you belong to a church in town?”

They answer, “Yes, I belong to a certain church.”
“Oh, is your pastor out of the city?”
“No, but he doesn’t specialize in getting folks saved,” they say. I don’t say a word about it. I just want to create the attitude in town that my church is primarily a place to get folks converted. It is important to build that kind of atmosphere. You would be surprised how many people who maybe wouldn’t like you personally and wouldn’t want to join your church, but they know you try to get folks converted.
For example, here is a lady who has an unsaved husband. He is a drunkard and won’t go to church with her. One night he says to her, “Honey, I think I’ll go to church with you tonight.”

So she says, “Well, wonderful.”
He says, “Let’s go to your church.”
She says, “Let’s don’t go to my church tonight; let’s go somewhere new. Let’s go to First Baptist and hear Brother Hyles. Would you like to do that?” She knows we will try to get him saved. They might be having a special activity at her church, but she knows at our church we will try to get him converted. I’m saying that if you will build that reputation, you will get a lot of folks converted who may not stay in your church, but you will develop the reputation as the evangelistic headquarters in town.
So, I would suggest you try to lead the folks to know that you know what you are talking about and that you have found the book. Only use the one book.

by Jack Hyles