Soul Winning pt 2 by Ps Larry Elliott
Romans 14:17-18 NKJV “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.”
We have an inheritance in the Kingdom through JESUS Christ, He purchased it and paid completely for it.
But in order for us to walk in the benefits of all He paid for we need to OBEY His Word.
We are LEGALLY (Spiritually) righteous, we stand in the presence of God without guilt or shame or condemnation, but this must affect and manifest in our lives if we are to walk in the Supernatural Power of it…
Jesus preached and taught that the most important thing is His Kingdom and Discipleship. (Following Jesus with the intention of becoming like Him)
And so the theme for September “SoulWinning” (planned in 2022 before we new where we would be in our new season)
Proverbs 11:30 NKJV “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise”
One might think of soul winning as a New Testament concept, but a related idea exists in the Old Testament:
A similar passage is found in:
Daniel 12:3 NLT “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever”
Proverbs 11:30 can be a difficult verse to interpret, and translators have rendered it in various ways. The word wins in Proverbs 11:30 can mean “attracts,” suggesting that the wise person attracts others to wisdom which is the “tree of life” produced by a righteous life.
As he draws people to himself, the wise person can offer them sound instruction.
This idea fits with the first part of the verse. A righteous person has life-giving influence in the way good fruit attracts one to a tree.
Ladder of SUCCESS: Win, Consolidate, Disciple, Send
WIN:- to take, accept, bring draw or go and fetch
Proverbs 11:30 NLT “The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.”
It could also mean: “captures or takes possession of.”
Bible commentator Matthew Henry explains the term like so: “He that is wise, by communicating his wisdom, wins souls, wins upon them to bring them in love with God and holiness, and so wins them over into the interests of God’s kingdom among men”
By their righteous living, wise people attract other people and, as a result, can turn many souls away from foolishness and toward righteousness. “Those that would win souls have need of wisdom to know how to deal with them; and those that do win souls show that they are wise,” explains Henry (ibid.). James puts it like this: “Whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death” (James 5:20, ESV).
One of the Bible’s leading authorities on soul winning was the apostle Paul.
He wrote;
1 Corinthians 9:19 NKJV ““For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;”
THE HARVEST IS RIPE (Matthew 9:38) You were born for such a time as this… Ps Ray
Luke 15:10 NLT “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.””
Loving God, is most effectively expressed by believing His Word and then been a doer of it. Obedience (worship)
Evangelism (reaching others)
I Corinthians 4:15-21 NKJV “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?”
Isaiah 6:8 Who will go
We will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and receive a reward according to our works (there are 5 Crowns which symbolise these rewards)
THE CHALLENGE TO BE A SOUL-WINNER (how to, the challenge and the challengers) There are 8 (3 today and rest next week)
- We must Pray & ask to be passionate about sharing the Gospel (in me and the people I lead and disciple)
Matthew 9:36-38 NKJV “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”” We must absolutely pray BUT we must be willing to do the work!
- I’m called to be a Fisher of Men (not the Pastor or the person next to you) BUT YOU (God will give you the boldness and strategy and creativity to do that) – God hasn’t called you to sit in the same seat, looking at the same persons back of there head!
Matthew 4:19-22 NKJV “Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
- You cannot be ashamed of the GOSPEL; it takes BOLD / COURAGE to stand firm and let others know who you belong to….
Romans 1:16 AMPC “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,”
Romans 1:17 NKJV “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””
You have an incredible treasure inside, why are you not sharing it!
Mark 8:36-38 NKJV “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””
