The Six Reasons of a Soul Winner
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Women's Conference
Please take your Bibles and open to 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
Let me tell you something:
"Your accomplishments in life will be determined primarily by your motivations. What inspires you, drives you, and guides you will shape who you will become in the future."
I want to talk to you about - “The Motivation of a Soul Winner".
We have been praying for a revival—a revival with tears, a revival with sweeps.
And now we are asking God for a revival of harvest.
We want to rescue people through the gospel from the dominion of darkness and introduce them to Jesus.
The greatest soul winner I have ever heard of, or read about, is the apostle Paul.
And in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, we find out what motivated Paul, what drove Paul, what propelled Paul, what made him the greatest missionary the world has ever known.
And let’s get to know the motivations of this great soul winner. Perhaps you too are a soul winner and you will blessed and encouraged by today’s message.
And if you are a believer and have never won a single soul for Jesus, I want you to listen very carefully to today's message.
I. The Soul Winner’s Stimulus
I. The Soul Winner’s Stimulus
Now, there are several things I want to look at with you today.
The first thing is the soul winner’s stimulus—what is the force that drives someone to devote themselves to saving or influencing lives spiritually?
Paul had an irresistible stimulus that drove him.
What was Paul’s stimulus?
If you were to ask him, “Paul, why do you work so hard?”—look at his answer—2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 9:
9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
"Here is the reason he worked so hard" -
Paul is saying…
"Do you want to know the reason for my work?”
"Do you want to know what motivates me?"
"Do you want to know what motivates me?"
"I have made it my goal - purpose, my desire is - to please the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:9)
Note: This does not mean that he worked to earn his way into heaven.
What he is saying is, "I want God to be pleased with me."
"My purpose is to please the Lord"
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself whether or not you are pleasing God?
(e.: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Davi - "My purpose is to please the Lord")
Ladies and gentlemen, I will be very blunt and honest. If you are not striving to bring souls to Christ, you are not pleasing God.
I doesn't really matter how much money you give.
I doesn't really matter how faithfully you attend church.
I doesn't really matter how eloquently you preach.
I doesn't really matter how uprightly you may walk.
Listen. If you are not striving to bring souls to Jesus Christ, you are not pleasing Him; you are not pleasing Him.
And it doesn't matter who you please, if you displease God, you are a failure.
And if you please God, it really doesn't matter how many people you displease.
And the way to please God is to bring souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.
That was his stimulus.
Andrew Murray, a great Christian of old, said, "There are two classes of Christians: soul winners and backsliders."
According to him we are either one or the other.
Paul said, "Do you want me to tell you why I strive so hard? What is my motivation?— Well, I am compelled—to please God."
That's the first reason: the soul winner's stimulus is because it pleases God.
II. The Soul Winner’s Reward
II. The Soul Winner’s Reward
If you were asked, “Paul, why do you work so hard?”
Number 1: “I want to please God.”
Number Two: “The Soul Winner’s Reward”
I want you to see the soul winner’s reward. Look at it in verse 10:
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
The day is coming when we will all "stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ" - to be rewarded for our work for the Lord. "Pay Day" is coming.
The Bible says that all who are saved will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
This is not the same as the "Great White Throne" seat in Rev. 20:11.
The unsaved will stand before the great white throne. In that tribunal, the great and the small will stand before the throne and be judged according to what is recorded in the books, and each will be judged according to what he has done.
Anyone whose name is not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15)
The Judgment Seat of Christ is different -
The word "seat" here is the Greek word bema. It was a raised platform in the middle of the Olympic field where the runners would go and receive their reward, or else they would be dishonored and receive no reward.
And often there was a laurel placed on the winner's head which sooner or later withered and disappeared.
But we will be rewarded if we win souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.
What will be our reward?
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
Paul is saying this: "Look, if you want to win the real prize/reward/crown - you have to train.
You have to discipline yourself. You have to run with all your might. And when you run, don't run without a target, boxing, it's not shadow boxing, like you're punching the air. It's a fight, and it's a real fight."
When you win souls to Jesus Christ, you don't receive a corruptible crown; you receive a crown "that does not fade" - a crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:4 "4 When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will not fade away."
What is this Judgment Seat of Christ? Well, it will be a day of reward for some, and it will be a day of repentance for others.
Let's read it
1 Corinthians chapter 3 - verses 11 through 15:
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Now, what does this tell us? It tells us why Paul worked so hard. He said, "There is a reward for me.
The day is coming when we will "stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ" -
If you have been saved. One of these days you will "stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ" and you will see the film of your entire life - the life you have lived will be reviewed before the Lord.
Now, if you are a soul winner, your life will be a building of gold, silver, and precious stones. If you are not a soul winner, your life will be a building of wood, hay, and straw.
The gold, silver, and precious stones cannot burn; they have already passed through the fire. The wood, hay, and straw will be consumed by the fire. Your life will be revealed. It will be tested by fire.
I want you to picture yourself right now before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Will you be satisfied? There will be rewards for some. Some people say, "I don't believe in rewards." Well, God does. Write down these scriptures. Revelation chapter 22, verse 12. Rev. 22:12
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
What is it? Whether it is gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble. Write down another verse…
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
Did you see that? "each will be rewarded according to his own work."
Look, also in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 20. Write that down. Jesus said,
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
"store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" - There are treasures of reward.
Don't think that everyone will be equal in heaven. They won't.
This verse from the Lord Jesus Christ makes no sense at all if we all have the same treasure.
There are treasures being laid up for soul winners.
The Judgment Seat of Christ that Paul is talking about here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is a time of reward, but it will also be - listen, Christian; listen, brother; listen, those at home listening; listen to me - It will also be a time of loss for some.
15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
What does this mean? You will be burned, but you will be saved. You will arrive in heaven with your coat smoking. Everything you live for will be burned.
Our churches this morning are filled with people whose lives are wood, hay, and stubble.
And I tell you, as surely as I am standing here, one of these days, and much sooner than you think, you will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and "receive the things done in your body, whether they be good or bad."
There will be no souls for you to win in heaven.
You will stand before the Judgment Seat and "receive the things done in your body" while you are here, living and breathing. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
All the soul-winning work that you will do for all eternity, you must do now. How sad it will be to go to heaven and not have won souls and brought souls to Jesus!
Don't you want to take someone to heaven with you?
Can you imagine standing before the Lord Jesus Christ and never having actually tried to win a soul to Christ—going empty-handed to heaven?
Oh, my friend, you say, “Well, if I just get to heaven, that’s fine with me. Just build me a cabin in the corner of glory land.”
Friend, I don’t know how, I can’t explain it, but the Bible says it plainly, clearly, unequivocally: “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss.” (1 Corinthians 3:15)
One of these days, in the bright light of eternity, you will say, “Oh, God, why was I not a soul winner?”
Note: You don’t have to win souls to go to heaven. You go to heaven by the grace of God.
You must win souls to: 1) please God, and 2) because one day you will have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Here is the third thing that motivated Paul:
III. The Conviction of a Soul Winner
III. The Conviction of a Soul Winner
See, if you will, 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 11
2 Corinthians 5:11 (NIV)
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
I want you to notice this phrase, if you don't mind writing it in your Bible:
"we know what it is to fear the Lord"
Paul had a conviction: we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
Paul took the Lord very seriously, he knew there was a death to die, a judgment to face, and he said, ""we know what it is to fear the Lord"" - Knowing what it means for a soul to die unredeemed, to die and go to hell -
"we know what it is to fear the Lord".
And I know you don't hear hell spoken of in many pulpits these days.
But I want to tell you, as surely as I am here, that there is a place of eternal fire that the Bible calls hell.
And when you bring a soul to Jesus Christ, they no longer face an eternity in hell, they no longer have to face the terror of death, but they can know the grace of the Lord.
Now you say, "I don't believe in hell." Well, if you don't believe in hell, let me ask you a few questions.
If there is no hell, isn't the Bible full of errors?
why does the Bible itself warn us about hell several times?
Now, if you don't believe in hell, just throw away your Bible; just tell God that you are smarter than God; you don't need God's Word; the Bible is an error.
If there is no hell, isn't Jesus Christ a deceiver?
Do you know who was the greatest preacher of hellfire in the Bible? It wasn't any of the prophets in the OT, but Jesus Christ Himself.
Mark 9:43–44 “43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 44”
If there is no hell, wasn't Calvary a big sick joke?
Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us—to save us!
You mean, for every drop of spit that was smeared on the Savior’s face;
for every handful of beard that was torn from His cheeks;
for every stripe that the whip had marked His back with;
for every bruise that the rods had given Him;
for the scalding nails that had been driven into His trembling hands;
for the absolute darkness of His heart as He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)—
with all this, you mean to tell me that Jesus died to save souls from a hell that does not exist?
If there is no hell, then Calvary was a terrible joke, or at the very least a mistake!
Now I want to ask you another question:
If there is no hell, how can there be a heaven?
The same Bible that tells us about heaven also tells us about hell. You can’t say, “Well, I’ll just believe the part about heaven.” Paul said, “Let me tell you what motivates me: I know what it is to fear the Lord".”
This is a generation that has no fear of the Lord.
The Bible talks about people living in the last days and says there is no fear of God before their eyes.
You say, “Well, isn’t God a God of love?”
Yes, He is—
But if you preach the love of God and exclude the judgment of God, you are not presenting a complete picture; you are only presenting half the truth.
And when half the truth becomes the only truth, then that half the truth is an untruth.
3rd. The Conviction of a Soul Winner
Now, let me give you another motivation that the apostle Paul had. The apostle Paul’s motivation was compassion.
IV. The Compassion of a Soul Winner
IV. The Compassion of a Soul Winner
Observe the compassion of the soul winner.
2 Corinthians 5:13–15 (NIV)
13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
There were people who said that the apostle Paul was not mentally stable: "He's out of his mind." He says, "Well, if that's the case" -
"13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, //…"
because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all,
(and by the way, if you're a five-point Calvinist, how do you explain that?)
[The five points of Calvinism are: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints]
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Paul's compassion is driving him. He's talking about the love of Christ: the love of Christ that was shown to him; and now "the love of Christ poured out in his heart by the Holy Spirit."
5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
How can you say you love Jesus and not care about the souls He died for?
You say, "Well, I just don't have any love for souls."
I'll tell you something. It's not love for souls or love for people that motivates you.
Jesus Christ said to Peter, "Do you love me? Do you love me? Then feed my sheep." (John 21:16)
It's our love for Jesus!
Now, what drives me, what motivates me, is not my love for people; it's my love for Jesus.
Yes, I love people, but the main motivation in my life—it's His love for me, and therefore His love through me.
Oh, listen. God loves you. But He loves those around you. He wants them to be saved. And 4th, Paul is moved by compassion.
I want you to notice next…
V. The Confidence of a Soul Winner
V. The Confidence of a Soul Winner
2 Corinthians 5:16–17 (NIV)
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Here is his confidence: "If I bring a soul to Christ, if I bring a man to Christ, he will be a new creature."
God will put a new man in that suit without ever unbuttoning the coat.
He becomes brand new in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now he says, "from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view."
What does he mean by that? He says, "I don't look at people whether they are big or small, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, weak or strong, famous or not famous.
That's all worldly point of view.
I look at them as a soul for whom Jesus died."
You know what our problem is? We look at people "from a human standpoint."
We think, "You know, if I could just win someone important to Christ, that would be great."
But, friend, all people are important to Christ.
And you need to stop looking at them according to the flesh.
Those who are above and those who are outside are just as lost as those who are below; but those below and those outside are just as precious as those above.
And don’t call any man “ordinary” if Jesus Christ died for him. We need to stop seeing people from worldly point of view.
I heard a story that really moved me. In Tampa, Florida, a man was driving a high-powered boat and was going under a bridge. He hit a bridge pillar, was thrown out of the boat, and nearly drowned. They pulled him out of the water and kept him on the bridge, giving him artificial respiration, trying to do what they could. One man stopped. He thought, “This is interesting. I want to see what’s going on. There he is. There’s the boat. He hit here. Now look at the people. They’re giving him artificial respiration. This is interesting. What an epic thing I’m seeing!” And then they turned the man’s face around, and the man who was going across the bridge said, “My God, that’s my brother! That man is my brother!” When he saw his brother’s face, he was transformed. He said, "Hey, call the ambulance! Listen! Give him artificial respiration! You're praying! That's my brother!" You know what he did? He stopped seeing him "from a worldly point of view." After that, he was a different man. -
You need to see every man as your potential brother.
You need to see every woman as your potential sister.
You need to have this confidence that if anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation.
Now, listen. The sixth of these six things that I want to mention to you is what I want to call the soul winner's commission.
VI. The Commission of a Soul Winner
VI. The Commission of a Soul Winner
Please see 2 Corinthians 5, verse 18 and following:
2 Corinthians 5:18–20 (NIV)
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Now we are reconciled, and we were reconciled through Christ by Calvary.
God brought us to Himself. But God didn't save you just to sit around, but to serve.
We have been reconciled, and we have been given a ministry of reconciliation, that is, reconciling people to God.
And in this verse, Paul says that we are ambassadors of heaven.
- What is an ambassador? An ambassador is someone who represents the person of one king in the court of another.
I want to tell you something, friend. You are an ambassador. You say, "Well, I don't have much education. I don't have any money." You are an ambassador!
Is it possible to be more important than being an ambassador for the King of kings?
You are somebody. God appointed you. God anointed you. And if you are not interested in being an ambassador when you are appointed as an ambassador, you are guilty of treason against the King of heaven.
To refuse is not just to be ineffective; it is to be in revolt.
If you are not interested in evangelism, to some extent, you are in apostasy.
Conclusion
Friend, let me tell you something. These people who are stumbling in the darkness can walk in the light if you will just open the Word of God and share with them how to be saved.
“Well, Pastor, I’m not trained.” Well, first of all, you don’t need to be trained.
Share what Jesus has done for you. You’ll be amazed at the effect your testimony will have.
And second, you need to be trained. I want to ask you a question: If you were paid a thousand dollars in cash for every soul you led to Christ, would it make any difference in your life?
Think about it—if you were paid a thousand dollars in cash for every soul you led to Christ. It really is a matter of motivation.
I gave you six motivations of a soul winner.
And I want to close with the first ereason. Paul said, “Look, I do it to please Him”—“to please Him.”
I read about a violinist who stood before a large audience and played his violin masterfully. When the concert was over, he turned around and walked off the stage. The people were still standing and applauding, applauding, applauding. And behind the stage, they said, "Go back over there. They're applauding you. Go back over there. They're all standing." He said, "No, they're not all standing." He said, "See that man in the third row? He's not standing, and he's my teacher." -
Now, friend, no matter how many people applaud you, if you don't please Jesus, what difference does it make? -
