Sermon #1393 Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: THE SOUL WINNER
Text: John 4:30
Subject: Lessons
in Witnessing
Date: Sunday Morning – February 20, 2000
Tape
# V-71a
Reading: Proverbs
11:1-31
Introduction:
John 4:27-30
"And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with
the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? (28) 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?
(30) Then they went out of the city, and came unto him."
My subject this morning is The Soul winner.
It is written, “The fruit of the
righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth souls is wise” (Pro. 11:30).
In John 4 we are given a beautifully instructive picture of the soul winner.
Actually, we see two great soul winners in the chapter. First, our Lord Jesus
Christ came to Samaria as the great soul winner, seeking a lost soul. Then, the
sinner to whom he revealed himself immediately became a soul winner herself.
Are you concerned about the souls of men? Are you
interested in the salvation of sinners for the glory of God? Would you like to
be used of God for the everlasting salvation of others?
If you have yourself experienced the grace of God in Chris,
if you have tasted the love of God for yourself, I know that your answer to
these questions is “yes”. You know that your family, friends, neighbors, and
most implacable enemies need the Savior. “The
one thing needful” is Christ; and you know it. You want to lead others to
him. Is that not so? Who here would not count it his or her highest honor and
most distinct privilege to bring a lost soul to the Son of God? Is there any
believer who does not long for this? I am sure there are none.
The thing which hinders you is, perhaps, a great concern
for the glory of God and the truth of God. You want to be useful to the souls
of men, but you do not know how to go about the work in a manner that is
consistent with the gospel of Christ. You do not want to say or do anything
that would dishonor our God. And all you have ever heard about soul-winning has
come from will worshippers who are soul destroyers, not soul winners. How many
times have you asked yourself,…
·
“How can I show the kid next door that he needs Christ?”
·
“How can I get my friend interested in hearing the gospel?”
·
“How can I minister to my mechanic?”
·
“What words should I use to talk about Christ to my wife, husband, son
or daughter?”
·
“How can I minister to my neighbor?”
If these are questions which concern you, this message is
for you. But it is not for you alone. It is also a message for you who re yet
without Christ. While I try to tell God’s saints how to minister to others, I
will not fail to minister to you, if you will give me your ear.
Proposition: It is the privilege and responsibility of
every saved sinner to seek the salvation of other sinners.
I.
Let’s begin in Proverbs 11.
I want you to see at the outset that all who are born of God ought to be soul
winners (Pro. 11:28, 30).
Some may think, “That is strange language for one who
preaches election, predestination, limited atonement, and divine sovereignty.”
If you have such thoughts, you do not yet understand the glorious gospel of
God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. Hear the words of Solomon.
Proverbs 11:28 & 30 "He that
trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a
branch… (30) The fruit of the
righteous is a tree of life; and he
that winneth souls is wise."
In these two verses God’s saints are described as both “a flourishing branch” (a fruitful
branch -- John 15) and “a tree of life”. In
the whole course of his life, -- his prayers, his instruction, his example, and
his influence, -- in the whole course of his life, the believer is “a tree of life”. What the tree of life
was in the garden and is in glory[1],
every child of God is in this wilderness…
·
Fruitful (Rev. 22:2; Pro. 10:11,31,32).
·
Nourishing (Rev. 2:7; Pro. 10:21).
·
Healing (Pro. 12:18; 15:4).
Without question, none
but Christ can win lost souls to himself. I am fully aware of that
fact, and rejoice in it. “He only,” wrote Charles
Bridges, “who purchased them by his blood, can win them to himself.” It is
the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and himself alone, who calls dead sinners to
life by the sovereign power and irresistible grace of his Holy Spirit. He gives
eternal life to whom he will. Repentance is a gift only he can give.
Yet, he has
chosen, in great grace and condescending mercy, to use saved sinners to draw
lost sinners to himself! This is mercy, indeed!
Ephesians 3:8
"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ;"
If Christ is made of God unto us Wisdom, then he has made
us wise; and the wise man here declares, “He
that winneth souls is wise.”
A.
This is our Lord’s great commission (Matt. 28:19-20).
The risen Christ has given each of us our marching orders.
They are crystal clear. These orders are for every gospel church as a unit and
for every believer as an individual.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen."
The souls of men are our business. Let us ever be about our
Savior’s business. The righteous wife
must seek to win her lost husband, by living with him and before him in
meekness and sobriety, reverencing him as her husband (1 Pet. 3:1-2). The believing neighbor seeks to win
his unbelieving neighbor by the prayer of faith and work of love (Jas.
5:19-20).
James 5:19-20
"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert
him; (20) Let him know, that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins."
No one in this world, and especially none in the kingdom of
God, “liveth unto himself” (Rom
14:7). We all influence multitudes, either for good or for evil. If we are
wise, we will seek by the grace of God to influence all around us for good, for
the everlasting good of their immortal souls.
This is my prayer,
every time I go into the home of another eternity bound sinner, or have a
little time with another soul which I must soon meet before the bar of God: --
“Lord God, give me grace to influence this home, or this person for good, for
eternal good.”
B.
If we would indeed win souls to the Savior, we must
have wisdom from above.
The fact is, souls are hard to be won. Their wills must be
conquered. Their prejudices must be overcome. Their thoughts must be changed.
In a word, the work is impossible, unless he who is Wisdom both makes us wise
and uses us for the salvation of others. Our labor is never in vain in the
Lord; but it is nothing but vanity without him!
Still, it is our responsibility, great honor, and high
privilege to engage in this work of winning souls. No work is so great and no
reward so glorious as that which belongs to the wise who win souls to the
Savior (Dan. 12:3).
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."
Every soul won is a jewel for the Savior’s crown, a
polished stone in his temple, a cause for joy in heaven, and a satisfaction for
his soul’s travail.
May God give us grace to give ourselves to this business.
May God give us wisdom and make us winners of souls, for the glory of Christ.
For us to neglect this great work would be the height of selfish ingratitude.
1 Corinthians 9:20-22 "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew,
that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law,
that I might gain them that are under the law; (21) To them that are without law, as without law, (being not
without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that
are without law. (22) To the weak
became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save
some."
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (32) Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the church of God: (33) Even
as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but
the profit of many, that they may be
saved."
II.
If you will turn back to
John 4, you will see that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is held before
us as the great, wise Soul winner.
We read in verse four, “And
he must needs go through Samaria.” Why must he go through Samaria? The
answer is given in verses 32 and 34.
John 4:32
"But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not
of."
John 4:34
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent
me, and to finish his work."
Behold the Son of God! With skillful art, gracious
patience, infinite love, and divine wisdom, seeking a single soul! In private,
without any fanfare, without calling attention to himself in any way, he
quietly, diligently went about his Father’s business, seeking a lost sinner.
“His disciples
marveled that he talked with the woman.” – They seem to have forgotten who
they were, what they were, and where they were when the Savior found them. Let
us not be guilty of such forgetfulness (Isa. 51:1; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). We, too,
marvel, O Lord, not that you talked with this sinner, but that you deign to
speak in grace to any sinner, especially to us sinners. Oh, how we marvel that
you came here to save sinners, such as we are, by…
·
Your precious blood.
·
Your perfect righteousness.
·
Your matchless grace!
Yet, here is the Son of God, set before us as the model,
exemplary soul winner. If we would win souls, let us learn the wisdom of the
art from the Master Soul Winner. Let me show you five things our Master did as he sought the salvation of
this needy sinner. I encourage you to jot them down and seek to follow his
example.
A.
He befriended a sinner.
He went to where she was, and treated her as a friend (vv.
4-6).
John 4:4-6
"And he must needs go through Samaria. (5) Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar,
near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. (6) Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus
therefore, being wearied with his journey,
sat thus on the well: and it was
about the sixth hour."
The Lord Jesus constantly showed himself the friend of
sinners. He went to the lost, the lonely, the distressed, the fallen, the
perishing, the needy, the desperate, and walked among them as a friend. More
than that, the holy Son of God made the most unholy of men and women perfectly
comfortable in his company. He was and is the Friend of sinners!
B.
The Lord Jesus got this sinner engaged in a
conversation by asking her questions, questions about something in which she
had an obvious interest.
She had a water pitcher. She had come to the well. It
might, therefore, be reasonably assumed that she was interested in water. So,
the Master got her talking about water. He asked her for a drink of water.
Looking at this as an outside observer, it might seem a bit
amusing. She was the one in need. He had come to her aid. But he asked her to
do something for him. He humbled himself, that he might put himself in
immediate contact with her and compel her to give him her attention.
1.
He got her talking. – The
voice most people like to hear best is their own. So the Lord got this woman in
a talking mood.
2.
He aroused her curiosity. No
doubt, as they talked, the Samaritan woman must have begun to think, -- “What
an interesting man this is. How polite. How genuine.”
C.
The Savior talked about something relevant to the
woman.
It is completely useless to try to talk to people about
things about which they have absolutely no interest. Of course, our Master had
something on his mind other than what she perceived, and was resolved to direct
her attention by the conversation; but he talked to he about water.
1. Nicodemus asked him about
the new birth. So the Savior talked to him about new life, a new beginning
(John 3:3-7).
2.
To the man who was born
blind, he talked about light, and made himself known as the Light of the world
(John 9:5).
3.
To this Samaritan woman, he
talked about water. He talked about her needs, needs which she (in some sense)
knew she had – water (vv. 13-14).
John 4:13-14
"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again: (14) But
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life."
D.
Notice, also, that the Lord Jesus stressed the good news.
Yes, he dealt with sin. Yes, he taught her the truth about
the character of God and the necessity of worshipping God in spirit and in
truth. But he never got side tracked. He never got entangled with other issues.
He never let her draw him into debate and argument about their different
religious sects, doctrines, or practices. He had come to communicate to her the
water of life. That is what he talked about – WATER.
·
Refreshing Water.
·
Cleansing Water.
·
Thirst Quenching Water.
·
Everlasting Water.
E.
Then, the Master pressed this woman for a decision.
When she finally brought up the subject of the Messiah,
whom she had been taught must come, the Master said, “I am he.” With those words, she was forced to make a decision,
either to believe his claims or to deny them. Now, she must either bow to or
rebel against the revelation of God (1 John 5:7-13).
1 John 5:7-13
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (8) And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit,
and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (9) If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. (10) He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a
liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (11) And this is the record, that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
What happened? The woman believed the testimony of God. She
said, “Is not this the Christ?” And
she became a witness to the people around her.
III.
So,
in the last place, I want to show you how this saved sinner went about the work of
wisdom as a soul winner (John 4:28-30).
John 4:28-30
"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? (30) Then they went out of the city,
and came unto him."
A.
The saved sinner became a messenger of Christ.
She went to the men of the city. The Master had said to
her, “Go call thy husband, and come
again.” But he did not tell her which husband to call. So she called them
all. Since they were all apparently mixed in the crowd, the crowd heard her. “Then went out the men of the city, and came
unto him.”
B.
She left her water pot.
She
seems to have simply forgotten it, being absorbed with something more important
– CHRIST and THE WATER OF LIFE THAT IS IN HIM!
C.
She went to call sinners to the Savior.
·
“Come, see A MAN.”
·
“Come, see a man who told me
all things that ever I did.”
·
“Is not this the Christ?” – Come and see!
1.
He has revealed me to
myself.
2.
He has revealed himself to
me.
3.
He has received me.
4.
Her testimony was, by
inference, this – Since he has received me, as I am, surely, he will receive
you, too!
Application:
More than 150 years ago, there was a woman in England, who
had heard the gospel all her life. She was raised in a godly home. Her brother
was a preacher. But she had become an invalid before she was 33 years old; and
she was angry. She was mad at God and hostile with her family, filled with
anger.
One day, sitting in a church service, filled with mixed
feelings of anger and despair, fightings and fears, she heard an old, old man
preach the gospel. Right in the middle of the service, the preacher paused,
seemed to point his finger directly at her, and said, “You, miss, sitting there
in the back, you can be saved right now. You don’t need to do anything.”
His words were barbed arrows, shot from the bow of God to
her heart. She believed the gospel. The peace of God flooded her soul. That
night, Charlotte Elliott wrote these
words.
“Just as I am, without one
plea,
But that Thy blood was shed
for me,
And that Thou bidst me come
to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come.
Just
as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark
blot,
To Thee, whose blood can
cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, though tossed
about,
With many a conflict, many a
doubt,
Fightings and fears, within,
without,
Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, poor,
wretched, blind, --
Sight, riches, healing of
the mind,
Yes, all I need in Thee to
find, --
O Lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt
receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon,
cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I
believe,
O Lamb of God I come.”
[1] I do not know what the tree of life was in the garden; but the tree of life in glory is Christ himself; and it is Christ whom we are to imitate.