| Soul-Winning A Universal Task |
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Lesson Text
Matthew 4:18-20, "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
Introduction:
A. Proverbs 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."
( What is the Negative? )
B. You Must be a Soul-Winner if you Follow Jesus.
Matthew 4:19, "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
C. Are you Afraid To Pray as Jesus ask us to:
Matthew 9:37-38, "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
D. The Time For Witnessing Is Now.
John 4:35, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
E. The Task Is Universal.
Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
I. The Magnitude of The Task.
A. The Salvation of the world Cost God more, and Requires More From Man, than any other movement in human or divine history.
1. To Make the world God had only to Speak.
Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
2. To Save the world, God had to Crucify His Own Son.
Isaiah 53:10, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
B. Christ emptied Himself in Sacrificial Offering on God's alter to Redeem Us.
Philippians 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
C. God requires us to Offer To Him Our Best and our All in Witnessing to others of His Redeeming Grace.
Luke 10:27, "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
II. The Inclusiveness of The Task.
A. The Divine Obligation of Witnessing rest, without exception, upon Every Child of God.
1. Regeneration demands Reproduction in Kind.
2. The Fruit of A Christian is another Christian.
B. Every Christian is Called in the Hour of Salvation to witness for Christ Jesus.
C. Nothing in heaven or on earth Can Excuse Him from it.
1. Ignorance .....
2. Poverty .....
3. Environment .....
4. Difficulties .....
D. God give No Furloughs from this Heaven-Born Obligation.
John 20:21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
2 Corinthians 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God."
III. The Appeal of The Task.
A. The appeal come from Above.
1. God calls with a Fatherly Love,
2. Christ pleads with a Redeemer's Compassion
3. The Holy Spirit urges with a Constant Intercessory Insistence.
B. The appeal comes from Beneath.
1. The Rich Man.
Luke 16:24, "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
2. Lost loved one and friends.
C. The appeal comes from Within.
1. The saved soul itself, longs to win someone else to Christ.
2. John 4:32, "But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of."
D. The appeal comes from Without.
1. The condition of the world today.
2. Man's needs --- his perils --- his undone and ruined state of soul --- his imminent doom in a Christless Eternity.
E. To Refuse To Witness of the saving gospel to a lost world day by day is nothing short of:
1. High treason against God and the world.
2. Spiritual rebellion.
3. An inexcusable disobedience to God's Holy Commands.
IV. The Responsibility of the Task.
A. Ezekiel 3:17-18, "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand."
B. Look at your hands .....
C. What is it to stand at God's judgment with the blood of the unwarned lost on our hands?
D. Oh! that we could say as Paul:
Acts 20:26, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men."
V. The Rewards of The Task.
A. Daniel 12:3, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."
B. The Soul-Winning life is not an easy life --- yet, it is a happy life.
John 4:36, "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."
C. The rewards of witnessing accumulates with the passing centuries.
D. No other life has a greater reward than has that of the Witnessing Christian.
1. It give peace of soul.
2. It widens our vision.
3. It fatten the soul.
4. It enriches one's future.
5. It brings joy to Three Worlds:
a. The sinner's heart.
b. The loved one's soul.
c. The hearts of the heavenly group.
6. It assures a heavenly companionship.
7. It brings the true crown to Christ, it puts glory on His exalted head.
To Win Souls For Christ, You Must First Be Saved Yourself!
A Search For The Truth
