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Soulwinning Lessons From A Great Soulwinner |
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Soulwinning Lessons From A Great Soulwinner |
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There was a time in D.L. Moody's life that he purposed to witness to at least one soul everyday of his life. This became a practice that he kept until the end of his life. One day he asked someone if they were saved. The person looked at him and said, "Sir, that is none of your business." Moody looked at him and said very kindly, "Sir, that is my business." A.C. Dixon told about a New York pastor who became concerned about a certain banker. One day he went to the banker's office and asked for a ten-minute interview. The banker asked, "Have you come on business, preacher?" The pastor answered, "Yes, business for God and for eternity. I would like to talk to you about your soul." The banker looked at the preacher and said, "I've been waiting for 30 years for someone to tell me how to get saved." May I say that it is the business of every believer to share their faith, tell others about Jesus, and be soulwinners. I think of a Mercedes Benz TV commercial which shows their car colliding with a cement wall during a safety test. Someone then asks the company spokesman why they do not enforce their patent on the Mercedes Benz energy-absorbing car body, a design evidently copied by other companies because of its success. He replies, "Because some things in life are too important not to share." The Gospel of Jesus Christ falls into such a category. It is too important not to share. The eternity of the souls of lost men and women depend on those that are saved sharing the Gospel. If a doctor discovered a cure for cancer, but refused to share his discovery, there would be no words to describe how we would all feel about him. With millions that die each year of cancer he would be guilty of a crime against all humanity. When we know the cure for the sin of mankind, yet keep it to ourselves, we are no better. Soulwinning is our business. It is a divine business, a daily business, and a dutiful business. When it comes to soulwinning, the Apostle Paul, was no doubt, the greatest soulwinner that every lived. He is the personal, biblical, and historical model and example of a soulwinner. As we look at our text, we find several lessons about soulwinning that can be gleaned from this master soulwinner. We are given insight into his soulwinning while at Corinth. Let's consider the text and notice 3 lessons about soulwinning. 1. THE PURPOSE OF SOULWINNING! In verse 1, we read: "And I brethren, when I came unto you…" Paul speaks of his coming to Corinth. We read the account of his coming to Corinth in Acts 18:1-18. Now the question we ask at the beginning is, why did Paul go to Corinth? The answer is simple. He came to Corinth was to win others to Christ. He came with the purpose to see people saved. Paul was committed to seeing people saved, consumed with seeing people saved, and concerned about people being saved. Let's notice Acts 18 and see Paul's purpose in coming to Corinth. A. Paul Publicly Sought To Win Others To Christ. We read in Acts 18:4, "And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." We see Paul's public ministry at Corinth. Paul spent at least 18 months at Corinth and every Sabbath he preached in the Synagogue. In a public act of evangelism, Paul told people about Jesus. One great purpose of the Church is its public ministry to reach others. Behind our weekly gatherings and all aspects of our gathering is a public effort to present the gospel. Each service, each sermon, each song, should have as one of its goal the reaching of lost people. Each meeting, each ministry, each message associated with the Church, should have as one of its objectives, the reaching of the lost. I wonder how many of you were saved in a Church service or Church gathering of some sort? Your salvation is an expression of the public effort of the Church to share the Gospel. B. Paul Privately Sought To Win Others To Christ. We read in Acts 18:7-8, "And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house named Justus, one that that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." Paul not only went into the Synagogue to tell others about Jesus, he also went into their homes. Our text tells of how he went into the home of one named Justus and of how he led people to Christ in that home. We read of the disciples in Acts 5:42, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." They went into homes telling people about Jesus. Our efforts to win people to Jesus are not to be confined to the four walls of the Church. We are to go into the homes, seeking to win them to Christ. I asked a moment ago how many of you were saved at church. Let me now ask how many of you were saved when someone came into your home or someone personally shared the gospel with you. Soulwinning, whether public or private, was the purpose of Paul's coming to Corinth. May I say, that every believer is to be involved in the matter of soulwinning, the business of seeking to win others to Christ. Paul Rader, an evangelist, told the story about a dear old saint of God who lived in a grove. He owned a bubbling spring of water bordering the roadside. The old man loved the Lord and walked with God daily. He was crippled and unable to do things that required physical strength. He had to sit the weary days in his home in the grove. Yet, he had a great desire to do something for others, yet because of his physical condition he felt there was not much he could do. Tears would run down his face as he thought of how little he could do to reach others for Christ. One night in prayer the Spirit of God lifted the heavy burden of his heart and said, "Stay! Stay by the road. There are many sinners there." The old saint of God had the spring dug out by the side of the road, and with rock selected from the brook, built up walls around the side and hung a dipper to a chain. Behind the spring, he had a rustic seat circling temptingly around the spring. Daily the old man sat in the rustic seat and greeted the passersby. When the stopped to get a drink of water, he would engage in conversation with them. He would offer them a seat in the shade and then would tell them the story of Jesus. Day after day he went on with this ministry until literally hundreds and thousands had heard the Gospel through the lips of the old man sitting by the spring at the side of the road. Are you engaged in the matter of soulwinning? Are you seeking to win others to Christ? It is a task we all should be involved in as a believer. 2. THE PROCEDURES OF SOULWINNING! We not only learn why Paul came, but also how he came. As one carefully looks at how he came to the Corinthians, one is able to learn something about Paul's procedures of soulwinning. I have read scores of books on soulwinning and studied several different methods of soulwinning. But I believe the Bible is the best manual on how to win souls to Christ. Notice Paul's procedures in soulwinning. A. He Did Not Rely On Persuasive Arguments. Notice verse 1, "And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom…" The phrase "excellency of speech or of wisdom," refers to human rhetoric or human wisdom. The Corinthians were used to great orators. They were famous for their eloquent language and rhetorical display. Also notice verse 4, "And my speech was not with enticing words of man's wisdom…" The word "enticing" speaks of the persuasive speech that was often used by debaters or salesman. We all have met salesmen that could talk you into buying something that you did not need and you did not want. They knocked on your door and in your mind you said, "I don't care what he says, I am not buying anything." Yet, when he left, you had bought the most expensive item he had. As the old saying goes, they could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. Paul was saying that he had not used eloquent rhetoric or clever sale pitches to get them to make a profession. He was not after professions but possessions and therefore, his methods were not those of persuasive arguments. The Corinthian speakers were famous for their ability to mesmerize their listeners. They could stir them to high level of emotions. But Paul says that was not his procedure. Notice verse 2, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." The word "determined" speaks of a decision that had been reached. Paul had made the decision that he was not going to use gimmicks or clever approaches, but simply give them a clear presentation of Jesus Christ. I think about a cartoon that shows a Crusader riding a horse and carrying a big shield with a cross on it. He is thrusting a spear down on the throat of this fellow lying on the ground who is saying, "Tell me more about this Christianity. I'm terribly interested." If we are not careful, what we often call soulwinning is but a carefully designed plan whereby we have a person praying a prayer before they know what has happened and is happening. Our soulwinning is not to be some crafty and clever way of getting people to pray a sinner's prayer, but telling them about Jesus and taking them to Jesus. Soulwinning is a simple presentation of Jesus to a person, showing them how He died for their sins and how He can save them from their sins. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what do you see." Watson replied, "I see million and millions of stars." Holmes asked, "What does that tell you?" Watson pondered for a moment and then said, "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow." Then Dr. Watson asked, "What does it tell you Mr. Holmes?" Holmes replied, "Watson, it tells me that someone stole our tent." I think that oftentimes we try to be too clever when it comes to our soulwinning. Our task to simply present Jesus Christ to the lost and tell them what He has done for them, what He can do for them, and how He can do it. B. He Did Not Rely On Personal Ability. Notice verse 3, "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." Paul speaks of his "weakness" and no doubt was referring to his physical weakness. Paul was a man that had several physical problems. Paul knew that when it came to reaching others, he was physically limited. He also speaks of his "fear" and "much trembling." It was not a matter of Paul being afraid of the people or being afraid to talk to others about Jesus. Paul was speaking of the awesomeness of the responsibility he had of preaching the Gospel. There were over 700,000 people in Corinth and as far as he knew, there were only 2 people in Corinth that were saved; Aquila and Priscilla. Physically Paul was weak. Mentally Paul was fearful. Emotionally Paul was trembling. He knew that within himself he did not have what it would take to reach the people of Corinth for Jesus. But notice again verse 4, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power." Paul knew that his work was to tell people about Jesus and it was the Holy Spirit's work to bring people to Jesus. We read in Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me…" First there must be a receiving of power and then we are witnesses. The secret to being a soulwinner is realizing that we cannot win others without the power of the Holy Spirit. Winning people to Jesus is more than clever and persuasive tactics, but a work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts, convinces, and converts. When the National Cemetery in Gettysburg was dedicated in 1863, public officials asked Edward Everett, a great orator, to deliver the dedication speech. It was a masterpiece. After his oration was over, the crowd cheered and clapped. Later, with apologies, Abraham Lincoln delivered a short and simple speech. Today, none of us are familiar with Everett's oration, but all of us are familiar with Lincoln's short speech that has become known to us as the Gettysburg Address. It is not our soulwinning skills that will get the job done. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables, equips, energizes, empowers, and makes our witnessing effective. To Paul, soulwinning was a demonstration, not a performance. It was a heavenly work, not a human work. 3. THE PRODUCT OF SOULWINNING! Paul's coming to Corinth and his methods of evangelism among them had one goal in mind. Notice verse 5, "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." B. Paul Sought Genuine Conversions Paul speaks of their "faith." Paul was not after notches in his soulwinning belt. He was not after numbers to brag about at the local ministerial meeting. He wanted real conversions. We are not after professions of faith. We are after possessions of faith. We want to do more than get people to pray a prayer. We want them to accept Christ. We are after more than baptisms. We are after births: genuine births into the family of God. We do not want people's faith to be that which is accomplished by the wisdom of man but by the power of God. B. Paul Sought Growing Christians. He wanted there to be a "standing" associated with their faith. He sought genuine conversions that resulted in growing Christians. Real conversion results in changed lives which results in spiritual associations, affiliations, and attachments. We all have known of those who made professions of faith, yet there was never any evidence of conversion. I can't help but doubt whether that profession was genuine. Real conversion will make a difference in a person's life. I believe that when a person really gets saved there is a desire in their heart to live for God. You will not have a problem getting that person in church. This is what we are after in all our soulwinning efforts. To reach people for Christ and see them live for His honor and glory. That is the kind of conversions we seek. I think of the words of Will Houghton:
Like Paul, may we live to win others to Christ. As Paul, may we adopt his methods and win people to Christ. |
