Baptists for Africa

Discipleship Lesson 6 (John) – Soul-Winning

Discipleship Lesson 6: Soul-Winning

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Soul-winning is the practice of winning another person to the Lord. This is also known as evangelism or witnessing, or preaching the gospel (see Luke 4:18; Acts 14:7).

 

  1. The Command To Go Soul-Winning
  2. The Great Commission: We Are Committed With The Gospel

Jesus’ most important and final command unto the disciples included preaching the gospel in the first part where he said, “teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The first works (Revelation 2:4-5), and the first priority of all Christians should be to reach the lost with the gospel; “he commanded us to preach unto the people” (Acts 10:42). The work which Jesus left us to do he will return to review (Luke 19:12-26).

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

  1. The Gospel Trust: We Are Entrusted With The Gospel

Jesus died for two reasons: (1) to save us as sinners and (2) to use us as servants (Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:8-10). When God revealed the gospel unto us (Hebrews 10:32), he not only did so to save us, but he also was entrusting the message of the gospel unto us (Galatians 1:15-16). The gospel has been committed to our trust (1 Timothy 1:11).

1 Thessalonians 2:4 “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

Because we have been “separated unto the gospel of God” at salvation (see Romans 1:1), accordingly, we both prove ourselves (Philippians 2:22) and our ministry (2 Timothy 4:5) when we faithfully preach the gospel. We can trust in God to save us (Isaiah 12:2), can God trust in us to save others?

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 “1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

  1. The Armor of God: We Are Equipped With The Gospel

As Christians, we are in spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), and our life is a series of spiritual battles. Therefore, we must put on the spiritual armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), so that we can “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). One necessary piece of this armor is the footwear:

Ephesians 6:13, 15 “13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

  1. The Expectation To Go Soul-Winning
  2. All Believers Are WITNESSES FOR CHRIST. A witness bears record to something they have seen or heard (Acts 4:20; 1 John 1:1-3). In the same way, we are witnesses to the saving power of Jesus Christ, and without us others cannot know the way of salvation.

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Whenever people experienced Christ, they testified to others about him (e.g., the woman of Samaria: John 4:28-29; the shepherds: Luke 2:15-18). We should do the same.

Luke 8:39 “Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”

  1. All Believers Are AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST. An ambassador is a representative of a nation, has the executive authority of his country, and does the business of his home nation in other foreign nations. So we, as ambassadors for Christ, represent the kingdom of heaven (Luke 10:16), have the authority of our King and Lord Jesus Christ (John 20:23; Matthew 16:19), and are sent into the world to do his heavenly business (John 20:21).

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.”

  1. All Believers Are WATCHMEN FOR CHRIST. The watchman of a city was responsible for warning the city about coming danger (Ezekiel 33:2-6). We must also watch for the souls of others, “warning every man” (Colossians 1:28). Otherwise, we will be guilty of the blood of men (Acts 20:26). The blood of others will be on our head if we do not preach Christ unto them (Acts 18:6).

1 Corinthians 9:16 “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

  1. All Believers Are MINISTERS OF CHRIST. A minister serves others. Jesus said, “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister” (Matthew 20:26). We ought to be “ministering the gospel of God” (Romans 15:16). As ministers of the gospel, we can save others (Jude 22-23; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22). We are all ministers by whom people can believe (1 Corinthians 3:5).

III. The Call To Go Soul-Winning

  • Only A Soul-Winner Follows after Jesus

Jesus’ purpose for coming to the earth was “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), Because it was his purpose (Luke 4:43). Even as Jesus said unto his disciples, so he also says unto us: “Follow me” (see also Matthew 11:29-30).

            Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

  • Only A Soul-Winner Abides in Jesus

Everything brings forth after its kind (Genesis 1:11, 21, 24), and Christians bring forth more Christians. Those that we win to Christ are our children in the faith (Titus 1:4). We spiritually “beget” them or give “birth” to those we get saved (1 Corinthians 4:14-15; Philemon 10; Galatians 4:19). Our disciples are our fruit that we bear through the gospel (Romans 1:13-15).

John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain …”

  • Only A Soul-Winner Is Not Ashamed of Jesus

The real reason why anyone does not preach the gospel is because they are ashamed of Jesus (see Mark 8:38). The gospel is the most powerful story (1 Corinthians 1:18), the most important story, and the most lovely story ever told (John 15:13). The gospel is what saved us (Ephesians 1:13). Jesus was not ashamed to die for us (see Philippians 2:1-11), and neither should we be “ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8).

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

  1. The Motivation To Go Soul-Winning

Proverbs 14:25 “A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.”

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing You Are Saved And Left On Earth To Do

You were not directly transported to heaven like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) or Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) when you believed in Christ, because he left you on earth to preach the gospel (see Acts 9:15, 20).

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing You Cannot Do In Heaven

Those in heaven “rest from their labors” (Revelation 14:13), and, just as there no hope for someone to be saved from hell when they die without Christ (Luke 16:19-31), there is similarly no hope for us to save anyone else from hell when we die in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). “The time is short” (1 Corinthians 7:29), like a tale that is told (Psalm 90:9), a passing shadow (1 Chronicles 29:15), and a vapor (James 4:14). We “are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again…” (2 Samuel 14:14), and should use this one life we have for the souls of men.

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing That Keeps People Out Of Hell

When someone does not believe on Jesus Christ, they have the wrath of God abiding on them (John 3:36), and they are condemned already (John 3:18). The moment they die, they go to hell. Hell is everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8), everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46), everlasting decay (Mark 9:44, 46, 48), everlasting darkness (Jude 13; Matthew 8:12), everlasting restlessness (Revelation 20:10), everlasting thirst (Luke 16:19-31), everlasting shame (Daniel 12:3), and everlasting chains (Jude 6).

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing That Jesus Told Us To Pray For

Throughout his entire public earthly ministry, Jesus is only recorded as having made one prayer request:

Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest”

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing That Only Humans Are Allowed To Do

Humans are the only ones who can preach the gospel. God does not use angels (Acts 5:19-20; 11:13-14; 1 Peter 1:12), nature, or any other creature. No man goes to the Father but by the Son (John 14:6), but no man goes to the Son but by a soul-winner. Romans 10:14-15 lists the reverse order in which someone is saved, which includes the preacher as a necessary link in the salvation of persons:

Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing That Will Make A Christian Precious

The majority of the world is unsaved, and have not heard a clear presentation of the gospel (Matthew 7:13-14). The percentage of the world that is saved is very low, probably about 1% (see Luke 15:4-7). And of all those that are saved, how many of that number knows how to preach the gospel? Few. Of those that know how to preach the gospel, how many of those Christians actually preach the gospel? Less still. And of those that actually preach the gospel, how many of them regularly win souls to Christ? Even less. A faithful soul-winner is therefore the most needed and rarest person on earth.

  1. Soul-Winning Is The One Thing That Only A Saved Person Can Do

Preaching the gospel is the one work that an unbeliever cannot do, so let’s go soul-winning!

Luke 9:60 “Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”