He That Winneth Souls Is Wise No. 5

God said, "He that winneth souls is wise."

Illus: Below are just a few of the “wise” soul winners of past years.

A. Torrey was won to Christ through his mother.

George Mueller was won to Christ by a friend.

George Whitfield was won to Christ while reading a book.

Sam Jones was won to Christ by his father.

God uses different people and different things to win people to Christ. God commends those who win souls, calling them 'wise.'

Illus: William Booth was invited to the Buckingham Palace by King Edward VII. The King asked him to write in his autograph album what would sum up his life. He was then seventy-five. He wrote: Your Majesty,

• Some men's ambition is art.

• Some men's ambition is fame.

• Some men's ambition is gold.

• My ambition is the souls of men.

Illus: David Brainerd, another great soul winner, once said, “I care not where I live, or what hardships I go through, so that I can but gain souls to Christ. While I am asleep I dream of these; as soon as I awake, the first thing I think of is this great work. All my desires is the conversion of sinners, and all my hope is in God.”

Illus: George Whitfield said, “O Lord, give me souls, or take my soul!'

Henry Martyn, missionary, kneeling on India, cried out, 'Here let me burn out for God!'

Praying Hyde prayed in India, “Father, give me these souls, or I die.”

John Hunt, a missionary to the Fiji Islands, prayed this upon his dying bed: “Lord, save Fiji, save Fiji, save these people, O LOrd: have mercy upon Fiji: save Fiji.”

Throughout the history of mankind some of the WISEST MEN AND WOMEN who walked on this earth gave their lives to win the lost souls of mankind. God shall richly reward them for eternity.

Also, the Bible gives us many wonderful examples of soul winners. What an inspiration these Bible characters are to us Christians today.

These New Testament Christians TAUGHT SOUL WINNING, but they were more than just teachers, they were EXAMPLES IN SOUL WINNING.

Illus: They were not like many parents today who TEACH their children what they should do, but do not do what is right themselves. Every child should be WELL FED and WELL LED.

God wants us to follow the EXAMPLES of those New Testament Christians. If we don't, then who will!

Illus: Someone said, “It's difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven't been willing to try.”

The New Testament Christians practiced soul winning every day and their lives are examples and an inspiration to us to do the same. We need to do more than just claim the name of Christ.

Illus: We live in an age when we put saints in stained glass windows, but when the New Testament Christians were on earth, they believed that a saint should be put in shoe leather.

Let us look at some of the great soul-winning saints of God we see in scripture.

I. WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF ANDREW.

Andrew and Simon Peter were brothers.

In John 1:40, We read, "One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother."

Usuallyy when we hear of these two brothers we think of Simon Peter. He was known as Mr. Loud Mouth and he got all the attention. But there is a good chance, had it not been for Andrew, we would never have heard of Simon Peter.

Look what happened when Andrew got saved. In verse 41, We read, "He firs findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found th Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ.”

Notice the scripture says, "He FIRST findeth his own brother...” These words tell us that Andrew did not waste any time after he was converted to start bringing others to Jesus.

The New Testament Christians did something that Christians today often do not do. As soon as they got saved, they immediately began witnessing to their friends and family members about the Lord Jesus Christ. For example:

1. Philip began witnessing immediately when he was converted.

Look at John 1:43-45, We read, "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

WHEN DID HE GO? The Bible states, IMMEDIATELY!

2. The woman at the well began witnessing immediately after she was converted.

Look at John 4:28-29, We read, “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”