THE JOY OF SOUL WINNING
Proverbs 11:30
Introduction: If you were able to provide a cure for a man with an incurable terminal disease, for which medical science had long sought to overcome, which would extend that man’s life for another 15-20 years, would that cause you the slightest degree of happiness and joy. Well, if you know Jesus Christ you have the cure for the world’s greatest and most pandemic terminal disease which will not extend a man’s life for only 15-20 years but for eternity. To share that cure brings great joy.
I. The Importance of Soul Winning
A. The State of Man
1. Man apart from Christ is
a. Homeless
• Ephesians 2:12a “at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise...”
• Hebrews 11:16 “But now they (believers) desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
b. Helpless – 1 John 5:19b “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” Romans 5:6 “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
c. Hopeless – Ephesians 2:12b “... having no hope and without God in the world.”
2. There is no middle ground on the lostness of mankind
3. J. Oswald Sanders reports that years ago, Paul Morphy was the world’s champion chess player when he was invited by a friend to look at a valuable painting titled, “The Chess Player.” In the painting, Satan was represented as playing chess with a young man, the stake being the young man’s soul. The game had reached the stage where it was the young man’s move; but he was checkmated. There was no move he could make which would not mean defeat for him and so the strong feature of the picture was the look of utter despair on the young man’s face as he realized that his soul was lost. Morphy, who knew more about chess than the artist, studied the picture for a time, then called for a chessboard and pieces. Placing them in exactly the same position as they were in the painting, he said, “I’ll take the young man’s place and make the move.” Then he made the move which would have set the young man free. - Source unknown
4. We know the move that will set man free – John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
B. The Mission of the Church
1. Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
2. Proclaim the Gospel – the Good News! Our word gospel comes from two Old English words meaning “good news”. There is no good news like the grand news that God sent his Son to die on a cross rid us of our sins.
3. “The gospel is God’s message of mercy to humanity. “It contains an exhibition of the plan, and the only plan, of salvation. It sets forth the person, the work, and the offices of Christ, and urges all to whom it comes to accept Christ as their God and Savior, and to devote themselves to His worship and service; and it assures those who do so that they shall never perish, but shall have eternal life. In one sense it is everyone’s duty, provided he or she has received the knowledge of the gospel, to preach it, to make it known to others. “The commission and command—‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15)—is given not to the apostles exclusively, but to the whole church and all its members. Every member has the right and the obligation to make known this great salvation to his fellow humans.” - Charles Hodge
C. The Heart of God
1. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2. John 3:16 “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.”
3. Luke 15:4 "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it?”
4. The shepherd left 99 sheep in open country to search for one lost sheep. He didn’t say, "Oh well, 99 percent isn’t bad. You’re going to lose one once in a while." God’s heart makes clear the inexpressible value of one soul.
II. The Joy of Soul Winning
A. Soul Winning brings Joy to God
1. In the story of the Prodigal Son God is typified by the Father. When the prodigal returns note what the Father says about the prodigal.
2. Luke 15:32 “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”
3. God delights in Obedience - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?”
4. God takes great delight in the joy of those who repent. He takes great joy in those who embrace Christ and trust in Him and what He did at Calvary.
5. Zephaniah 3:16-17 “The Lord your God is in your midst. He will rejoice over you with shouts.”
B. Soul Winning brings Joy in Heaven
1. Not only does God rejoice, but all heaven rejoices, when a sinner repents.
2. Luke 15:7, 10 “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance… Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
3. When the lost are found, even one of them is found, all heaven rejoices and throws a party! – copied
C. Soul Winning brings Joy to the Convert
1. Psalm 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation.”
2. The joy of reconciliation – Colossians 1:21 “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”
3. The joy of possession – John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
4. The joy of anticipation – 1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
D. Soul Winning brings Joy to the Soul Winner
1. Psalm 126:6 “He, who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”
3. R.A. Torrey said, "There is no joy like the joy of saving men, and it is possible for every child of God, no matter how humble, how gifted, to have this joy."
4. Thomas Hogben who said; "It is the will of God that all His children should have the joy of soul winning".
5. There are many joys and thrills to be experienced in the Christian life, but only one outshines that of becoming a Christian: sowing the seed and reaping the harvest of a soul. – copied
III. The Reason for Joy
A. Soul winning fulfills the requirement for joy.
B. J.O.Y.
1. Jesus First – Obedience to our Lord
a. Job 36:11 "If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.”
b. C. M. Alexander candidly said: "Anyone who is not doing personal work has SIN in his life; I don’t care who you are - preacher, teacher, mother, father, son…” – copied
2. Others Second – Christlikeness
a. Luke 19:10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
b. However, one cannot be totally Christlike unless he is a soul winner. Jesus was a soul winner. Oh, yes, He did some wonderful works. John 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." However, He did more than just wonderful works. He also spoke the message. He sought sinners. He did not wait for them to seek Him out; He sought them out. – Dr Jack Hyles, Enemies of Soul-Winning.
c. 1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
3. Yourself Last – Humilty
a. Mark 9:35 “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all’.”
b. You must see yourself as a beggar who has found bread telling other starving beggars where they can find bread.
