SOULS OR SALES?
Maria #161 DO 2787 5/91
--Which Are You After?--Why Not Both?--By Maria
(A talk given in May 1991, and later read by all Summit '92 attendees, prompting their discussion about the need to get out more Word to the world!)
1. I've been concerned for some time now about our worldwide outreach, particularly our poster distribution, our getting out the message the Lord has given us. The Kiddie Viddies are great and they're helping all kinds of little kids around the world, but what about their parents, what about the adults? And what are we doing with the message, the real meaty message that the Lord expects us to get to the world?
2. We're responsible to give the adults the Word too.--Not just the children. It's not enough to just give the children videos with good morals in them that maybe have a little mention of God once in a while. Our main job is to be prophets to the world and to give them the Endtime message, and the message of the coming Kingdom of God, and the message of Salvation!
3. I know that our distribution of posters has decreased in a lot of places for two reasons. First, support: It logically seems like you should be able to get more income through the videos. Secondly, because of fear of being identified. We're more easily identified as being with the Family through our posters. But I'm very concerned that we aren't getting out the meaty message to the world that we're supposed to. I don't know if the Lord is going to bless us if we withhold His warnings.
4. So a question that has come up is, how are we going to get more Word out? We're doing great on video distribution now, but it looks like we've very drastically decreased the number of posters being distributed in many places. The posters are the real message that we want to get to the adults, whereas the videos, while they're very life-changing for the children, don't really do much for the adults.
5. We need to give the message of Salvation to the adults, and we need to give them the message of the Endtime as well! So I've been thinking and praying about it, and I've just about concluded that unless some unusual circumstances in their particular field don't allow it, then our Family members could give out a free poster with every video. And in any places where they don't feel they should give out posters with the videos, I think we should at least give out a Salvation tract or a tract about the Endtime with every video distributed. That way we'll at least be giving the adults some clear witness along with the video for their kids.
6. But cases in which it would not be wise or expedient to give out the posters with the videos will probably be rare. I think the best thing to do in most circumstances would be for us to get down to business with the Lord and just get over that fear of being identified with the posters. After all, they are the unique picture-message that the Lord has given us to pass on to the world! It seems like we should have the faith that the Lord will keep and protect and prosper us if we're being faithful to obey Him and get out His message. The posters are the main tool that God has given us to reach the GP, and we're known by them, and we will be known by them and we should be known by them! They're the special message that the Lord wants us to be identified with.
Finding the Balance!
7. The leaders from one field reported that they've had so much personal witnessing recently, their field has now almost gone to the opposite extreme of nothing but personal witnessing and soul-winning, and their distribution of the tools has dropped drastically. So now they're learning to strike a better balance. And that's what I think everyone needs to do: combine their witnessing and distribution of the tools, and always try to do both. If you personally witness to somebody, or you're singing them a song and looking into their eyes and telling them you love them and that Jesus loves them, and you get them to pray and receive the Lord, then why can't you offer them a poster, tape or video on top of it?
8. I think we should always be conscious of both at the same time, whichever comes first. If the DTD video distribution comes first and you're going out as a Kiddie Viddie or Treasure Attic educational video distributor, then you can sell them a video and give them a tract along with it, or a poster or something. And even if you don't manage to sell them a video, you can still give them a tract or a poster. That way, at least you're leaving a witness with everybody.
When They Don't Want a Tool, Give'm a Tract!
9. I'm concerned about all the doors our people knock on where the people say, "No, I'm sorry, I don't want to take a video." I wonder if our people at least witness to them? I know that doing this is going to take more time, but it seems we could at least give them a tract at each door. I'd be surprised if all of our people are presently doing this. Maybe that's one reason why the Lord's not blessing them as much as He'd like to in some cases. Because if you're meeting these people, they open their doors, and you're standing there face-to-face with them and all you're trying to do is make a video sale but you don't witness to them, I don't think the Lord's going to bless that very much. You should at least give them a tract.--And leave them with a witness and a Salvation prayer.
God Blesses Witnessing!
10. I don't know whether the Lord's going to bless just trying to make a video sale without giving a witness. On the other hand, maybe the reason the Lord sometimes allows them to refuse to buy a video is because He wants you to go ahead and try to get them saved first. Of course, some people aren't going to be open and receptive to you and your message no matter what your approach is; they just don't "want the books," period. But if you're standing there at their open front door, and you start openly witnessing to them and telling them about the Lord, you're going to find out pretty quickly whether they're sheepy and receptive to the Gospel or not.
11. If they are sheepy, it's going to be worth your time to take that hour or so that you need to really witness to them, because the Lord's going to bless you for it, and you're probably going to make a sale of a video or a tape afterwards. Even if they don't take a video or tape, the Lord will probably bless you that way at one of the next houses or apartments that you come to.
12. But I think it becomes pretty apparent when you're going door to door whether people "want the books" or not. Once you start openly witnessing to them about the Lord, you're going to find out right away if they're open or not. If they're really receptive, they'll probably invite you in to continue talking to them in the comfort of their home. People will usually make their intentions pretty clear right at the beginning.
13. And if your initial approach was to offer them a video or a tape, and they say, "Oh no, I don't want a video, I don't want a tape," you can say, "Well, wait a minute, that's perfectly all right. But I would just like to tell you about something that I can give you for free. I'd like to tell you that you can have Jesus and His free gift of Eternal Life just by asking Him into your heart, and it won't cost you a thing!"--Or however you want to present it.
14. I think we're really missing an opportunity to witness if we don't do that. In some cases they may not be so receptive and they'll say, "Sorry, I don't want to talk about Jesus either," but then at least you've done your part. But many times, and I've heard quite a few of our Family testimonies to this effect, if they finally did get the person saved, then they said, "Oh, what did you say you were selling?--Yes, I'll take a video! I'll take a tape!" Because the Spirit of the Lord has worked in them and they're so thankful. They'll take your product just out of thanks to you for leading them to the Lord.
15. So I wonder if that's an area where a lot of our people might really be missing the mark. I think that either way, we should use both together, whichever way we start out: If we start out selling the video and we end with a witness, or if we begin with the witness, and then we offer them the tape or the video or the poster afterwards. I think we should try to do that more and then we'll have a better balance, and I think the Lord will bless us more for it. And at the same time, I think He'll bless us monetarily, financially.
16. So I think we really need to find the proper balance in this, and not neglect to witness and try to win all those we come into contact with. If we're presenting ourselves primarily as video distributors, we're still going to have to be faithful to witness. And if we're going to concentrate primarily on personal witnessing, we're going to have to be more faithful to get out the tools--the posters, tapes and videos--at the same time. God help us to be faithful to truly "preach the Word, in season and out of season" (2Tim.4:2), to sow the good seed of God's Word whenever we have the opportunity to do so!--Amen? GBY!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family