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?”
She was so excited about what the Lord told her at the well, the Bible tells us that she left her waterpots to tell her friends and family about Christ. She definitely wasted no time.
3. The converted demoniac man began witnessing immediately after he was converted.
Look at Luke 8:39, We read, “….And he went his way, and pulished throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”
Everyone of those New Testament Christians did the same thing as soon as they were converted, they went and shared with others what the Lord had done for them. They just couldn't keep the good news to themselves.
They IMMEDIATELY LED THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CHRIST!
Illus: A pastor, who was starting a new church, called an experienced pastor for some advice. The pastor starting the new church said, “I feel that God wants me to start a church in Greenville, N.C. Could you, as a seasoned pastor, give me some advice?' The seasoned pastor said, 'The best advice I can give you is to teach your new converts that they should begin witnessing to others immediately.”
That is good advice. Why? Because, if a person waits he can fall into a mode of complacency. It seems as if many converts do this, and you cannot pull them out. The hope of any church is in the witnessing of its new converts.
Thank God for those who have been saved a while who discovered the thrill of witnessing and have continued, but all too often it is the new converts who spread the word that Jesus Saves!
We have all heard the expression that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Listen, you are not going to get an older Christian who did not witness when first saved to budge toward getting souls saved.
He might come to church, sit in a pew, and sing “How Great Thou Art,” while their loved ones and friends die and go to a Christless eternity one by one. Every church in America has some who are like that. Every now and then one might get the message and wake up and get into action, but the hope of the church is to teach NEW CONVERTS, that as soon as they are saved they should obey God's command to win souls.
Once they obey His command, and discover the JOY and SATISFACTION it brings, they will keep it up.
The Bible records some wonderful things about Andrew. He was one of the first converts recorded in the scriptures.
• He was one of the first believers to win another person to Christ recorded in the scriptures.
As great as he was, we do m know a great deal about him and his spiritual accomplishments, but we do know that he led Simon Peter to the Lord. And Peter is the one who stood up at Pentecost and led 3,000 souls to Christ.
Perhaps you will never preach, or teach a Sunday school class, but you can be a soul winner. And perhaps some of the ones you will reach will win thousands. And when they do this they may take all the credit, but God knows that it never would have happened had you not been faithful in your witnessing.
Illus: In his book “Confessions of a Happy Christian,”Zig Ziglar demonstrated how one person can win someone to Christ and only God knows what the impact of that ONE CONVERSION may mean to so many. Mr. Ziglar illustrated it this way:
• A Sunday school teacher named Ezra Kimball led a nine-teen-year-old shoe salesman to the Lord in 1885 by the name of Dwight Moody. He became a great soul-winning preacher.
• Years later Moody was in England, preaching, and F.B. Meyers heart was touched by this dynamic man of God.
• Meyers came to America and was preaching and a young, discouraged preacher by the name of Wilbur Chapman listened and was stirred for the Lord.
• Chapman’s ministry became so blessed of God that his church began to grow so much that he had to lure a young man who was working at the local WMCA to assist him, Ms name was Billy Sunday.
• Billy Sunday went to Charlotte, N.C. in 1924.
• A revival broke out in Charlotte.
• As a result of that revival the Christians prayed and God sendt Mordecai Ham. another such power and conviction that a sixteen-year-old farm boy was led to the Lord. His name was Billy Graham. All this started with a Sunday School teacher that
all this came about because God saved a Nineteen year old shoe salesman by the name of Dwight Moody.
We never know the impact of the one conversion will have and how many souls will be won to Christ.
Andrew, as a new convert, certainly did not know much about the scriptures (he had not even read the New Testament), but his witnessing consisted of the positive statement spoken as a result of his meeting Jesus, “We have found the Messias...” God took those few words and used them to draw Simon Peter unto Himself.
Illus: We have an abundance of Christians who have their theology straight who never win souls to Christ. Worse than that, they scare young converts into thinking that they have to know the Bible from cover to cover before they can begin to begin because they might cause some major damage while they are witnessing. What greater damage can be done than not to tell someone about Jesus?
Go ahead! Follow Andrew's example! You have seen from his example that God can use a convert with very little knowledge of God's Word if you will but go and tell your family and friends what you have discovered!
II. WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF PHILLIP.
Philip was another new convert who did not know a great deal about God's Word, but who was used of God to win souls.
Look at John 1:45, 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.
This young convert had not even learned that Jesus was not Joseph's son. He did not know Jesus had been born of a virgin. No Bible teaching seminary teacher would have let him graduate from Bible college like that!
However Philip did not sit back and say, "I do not know enough about doctrine to witness.” He took what he did know and shared that with Nathanael
Listen beloved, a church will do more for the Lord with a few young zealous converts than a church full of people who have all their theology in order, but never win souls to Christ.
All a church needs to grow are a few young zealous converts like Philip who can say, “We have found him.,."
His testimony was personal. Your witness is ineffective if you tell others about Christ when you do not know Him yourself.
Illus: Have you ever stopped to think why you can listen to one gospel ministry and not be touched, and listen to another and it will be a blessing to you? The difference is because often one group, or person, KNOWS THE ONE WHOM THEY ARE SINGING A]BOUT! Those who know Jesus will show the excitement of knowing Him all over their faces.
Philip said, "WE HAVE FOUND HIM".
He did not have all the answers. He told Nathanael that Jesus was “of Nazareth.” At that time Nazareth was considered to be one of the most despicable places one could live. If one lived in Nazareth and he wanted to impress someone, he did not tell him he came from Nazareth.
When Philip told Nathanael that Christ came from Nazareth, Nathanael said, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Philip did not have all the answers for Nathanael. He simply said, "Come and see.”
In other words, "WE HAVE FOUND HIM and now you must COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.
Also notice, the Bible says Philip “findeth” Nathanael. Soul winners recognize that their family and friends are LOST and they FIND them and SHOW them how they can be saved.
Philip is a wonderful example of a soul winner that every new convert should pattern after.
III. WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF PETER AND JOHN.
In Acts 3, we have the wonderful example of how Peter and John won souls. They were on their way to the temple when they approached “a certain man lame from his mother's womb.” When the lame man saw Peter and John coming, he held his hand out hoping to receive something from them.
This is a valuable lesson for us. That is, did you know that the lost world expects something from us?
Why do you suppose this lame man had been placed at the temple gate? Because he knew if anyone would be compassionate and generous to him, it should be those who claimed to love God.
Illus: When you and I meet:
• A shoe salesman, we expect him to want to sell us a pair of shoes.
• A real estate salesman, we expect him to want to sell us some real estate.
• A stock broker, we expect him to want to sell some stock.
And when the lost people meet a Christian they expect him/her to want to share the gospel with them.
When God created the world, he set things up so that His creatures BEGAT after their own kind.
• Dogs 'begat' dogs.
• Cats 'begat' cats.
• Rabbits 'begat' rabbits (Boy, do they ever!)
• Monkeys begat monkeys, no matter how badly the evolutionists hate it.
It is God's plan that Christians should begat Christians. Angels do not begat Christians, Christians begat Christians! And if we do not, then something is wrong!
In the Old Testament times, one of the greatest shames a woman could suffer came from not being able to bear children.
Well, one of the greatest shames for us Christians is not to be making an effort to produce more Christians. We should be looking to take advantage of every opportunity!
The lost man at the temple gate saw Peter and John coming and they expected something from them. Peter and John were smart enough to recognize what he needed. Peter said, “Silver and gold Silver have I none: but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. "
It was not that they did not want to give the lame man any money, but one cannot give what he does not have to give. But, God expects us to give what we can, and every child of God can share the gospel that God has so freely given to him.
Conclusion/Summary:
A young man had been appointed by the foreign mission board to go to Africa. The thrill was dampened by just one thing. The girl who had been his sweetheart through the years would not marry him if he accepted the appointment. To all of his pleas and reasoning, her answer was a definite 'No!' One month before the time he was to sail he decided to write her one more letter. He hoped something had happened to change her mind. After he wrote it, he added a postscript which read: “If this letter has made you miserable, just throw it in the waste basket and don't answer it." Something had happened. With a joyous heart she wrote and told him in a dozen different ways she loved him enough to go to the end of the world with him. When she started to the post office to mail it, however, she found it was raining very hard. She hesitated, then told her younger brother she would give him a quarter if he would run and mail it. Anxiously she watched for a wire or a letter. None came. The months dragged by and she did not receive a letter. She later found out he had left without her. She was devastated! Years later, when the family was moving to another house, she found an old coat that belonged to her brother. In a pocket she found the letter - it had never been mailed! Her young man had never gotten it.
But, you have gotten your message to go, are you willing to go?
I. WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF ANDREW.
II. WE IFAVE THE EXAMPLE OF PHILLIP.
III. WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE PETER AND JOHN.
