Facing Soul Winning
The Tests Of Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We began a series of lessons here on Sunday evenings looking at the theme, “The Tests Of Life.”
The idea is that we need to be prepared for the tests that come our ways so that we can meet the test.
In the first two lessons we looked first at “Facing Truth & Consequences” and then “Facing The Wayward.”
Today, we are going to be examining this evening, “Facing Soul Winning.”
The bible speaks of winning souls from the devil for God, because if they are not won they will be lost.
This is certainly a sober reality and the bible is also clear on the fact that those who seek to “win souls” is wise.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
The antithesis to this is obviously that those who refuse to strive and win souls are foolish.
Let’s take a moment this evening to challenge ourselves by examining ourselves to see if we are meeting the tests for soul winning and if not how to we prepare to do so.
Why, because there is no doubt that about God’s desire for all men to be saved.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
God wants each and every soul to be saved, and he is not please if one is not.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
As we discussed this morning, Jesus came to this earth, suffered, died, and was raised for this very purpose.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Jesus even commanded that we, the saved, be his light to this dark world.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Simply put, without the gospel mankind is lost in his/her sins and it is the saved’s responsibility to teach as many souls as possible this saving message of the good news of Jesus Christ.
God expects “us” the “saved” to bear this fruit.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
So, let’s begin this examination and challenge by first considering…
Why We Can Fail As Soul Winners
Why We Can Fail As Soul Winners
We Don’t Seek To Persuade Anyone
We Don’t Seek To Persuade Anyone
Somewhere down the road, Christians decided it was best if we simply allowed our “actions to speak louder than our words.”
Now, there certainly is nothing wrong with with “living the gospel.”
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel
However, there is something wrong with thinking “living the gospel alone” is how we persuade the lost to obey the good news of Jesus.
God did not ask us to teach the lost by using our actions alone, but by teaching his word.
Our actions can certainly get us in the door to teaching the gospel, but we must still teach the gospel.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
And teaching the gospel isn’t just reciting a set of passages that line out God’s plan of salvation.
Make no mistake, we are to do everything we can to persuade people to obey the gospel.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”
It is clear that we can fail to win souls for Christ because we fail to strive to persuade them to obey the gospel.
If those that are lost have not heard how being in Christ has changed your life for the better, why would they want to obey the gospel themselves?
Another reason we can fail at being soul winners is because…
We Expect Someone Else To Do It
We Expect Someone Else To Do It
Too many of those that have tasted the freedom of sin have neglected to help anyone else taste such due to their misconceived ideas about who should be teaching the lost.
Many believe it is the preacher’s job or the elders’ job.
Some congregations actually support individuals to “just go out and teach the lost” as if they aren’t capable themselves and much more likely to be effective.
The mandate to teach the lost is not just on the preacher, elders, deacons, or the like, but on each and every child of God.
Each member should be teaching their friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, etc…
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
I’m thankful for those in the church here in Ramona that want and strive to teach those that need to hear the gospel.
All of us must continually examine ourselves to make certain we “are trying” rather than just “making excuses” for why we are not teaching anyone.
Another reason we can fail at becoming soul winners is because…
We Don’t Have A Plan
We Don’t Have A Plan
I honestly think most people do not teach their relatives, coworkers, friends, and the like because they have not really made a plan on how to do so.
They don’t know how to bring it up.
If they know how to bring up talking about the bible then they don’t know how to set up bible studies from such.
If they know how to do those two things, then often they don’t know how to teach the gospel.
Teaching the gospel takes planning, but it cannot be robotic actions.
It takes purposeful thought on how to “bring up the topic.”
It takes an understanding of how to approach the topic of asking someone to have an actual study.
It takes knowledge of the gospel to teach the gospel.
3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
And all this begins with preparation on our part to be faithful to begin with before we can persuade others to obey the gospel.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Summary
Summary
Why do we find ourselves failing at being soul winners at times?
It might be we aren’t seeking to persuade others to obey the gospel.
It might be we expect someone else to do what God expects us to do.
It might simply be we don’t have an actual plan on how to accomplish this vital work.
Whatever the reason, we must be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves, if we aren’t striving to study with anyone that is lost, why?
With that said, what are the…
Requirements For A Soul Winner
Requirements For A Soul Winner
We Must Be Willing To Make Sacrifices
We Must Be Willing To Make Sacrifices
We need to have the mind of Christ and there was no one more willing to make sacrifices for the lost than Jesus.
We must be willing to sacrifice our pleasures if we want to win souls for Christ.
This means we must be willing to give up, when necessary, those things we enjoy doing in our free time to help others learn the gospel.
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
We must be willing to sacrifice our time for others souls.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
It’s that last verse that brings me to our next requirement…
We Must Love The Lost
We Must Love The Lost
If we don’t love the souls of everyone how can we ever find ourselves wanting to teach them the saving message?
Those that do not care will not share their time and willingness with others.
Paul wrote to the church at Philippi why he selected Timothy to go to preach for them.
20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
We must have a genuine concern for the welfare of others souls.
We must appreciate the value God has placed on everyone’s soul.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
There is no soul not valuable to God.
God sent his son for the homosexual’s soul.
God sent his son for the trans person’s soul.
God sent his son for the prostitute’s soul.
God sent his son for the homeless person’s soul.
God sent his son for the drug addict’s soul.
God sent his son for the drug dealer’s soul.
God sent his son for the murder’s soul.
There is no soul that God does not hold in the highest esteem.
We must be willing to go to those we hold in the highest esteem and those in the lowest and accept any that come.
16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’
19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”
Summary
Summary
If we are willing to make sacrifices for the cause of Christ in teaching the lost and if we truly love the soul of those that are lost we can be effective at teaching the lost.
Notice, I didn’t say effective at converting the lost as God is the one that gives the increase.
But, the more people we teach the gospel to and strive to persuade to obey the gospel, the more souls that have the opportunity to “count the cost of discipleship” and if they so choose, “become a child of God.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
We all have the potential to be great soul winners for Jesus, but are waiting for a convenient time.
Now is that time, now is that moment, we can make the decision to help others learn of our Savior’s love for them.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
