THE WORK OF SOULWINNING

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.
Introduction:
Acts 1:8 represents the last known words of Jesus during His earthly ministry.
It represents the passing of the baton between the Son and the Spirit regarding the
divine mission on earth. Jesus indicated in the upper room discourse (John 13-17)
that in His physical body He would return to heaven. His presence here would be
replaced, so to speak, by the Holy Spirit; and He told the disciples in Luke 24 to tarry
in Jerusalem until the Spirit arrived.
In Acts 2 we have this arrival, the unleashing of the Holy Spirit upon the church. The
book of Acts (and all subsequent Christian history) is the story of what Jesus Christ is
continuing to do (v.1) on earth through His Spirit working in His church.
If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what we’re doing in our
churches would go right on and nobody would know the difference!...I do not believe
in a repetition of Pentecost, but I do believe in a perpetuation of Pentecost—and
there is a vast difference between the two. – A.W. Tozer
The Lord Jesus Christ is our supreme example in the ministry of soul-winning. He is
the Master soul-winner.
NOTE: From the man-ward aspect of His life and work, soul-winning was His first
concern.
NOTE: Winning men and women to the Lord is not a matter of trial and error but of
being led by the Holy Spirit.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom.8:14

Jude 1:23; Ezek.3:20-21

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted
by the flesh. Jude 1:23

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity,
and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him
warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be
remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth
not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezek.3:20-21
NOTE: This means that soul-winning is only for the child of GOD because soul-winning
is the work of GOD.
ILLUSTRATION: 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."

NOTE: Soul-winning is the business of every child of God.

Soul-winning is a ministry of concern and compassion.

NOTE: We are to be committed in seeing people saved, consumed with seeing people
saved, and concerned about people being saved.

1. SOULWINNING SHOULD BE A PRIMARY WORK

As the master Soul-Winner, the Lord Jesus could declare, “The Son of Man has come to
seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

That was His supreme passion, to seek and to save the individual.
NOTE: The common notion that soul-winning is an exclusive work of full-time pastor
and worker of the Church is erroneous.

A vivid illustration of His thought and care is given in John 4:4.

No one can read those opening verses without being impressed with the little
word must: “He must needs go through Samaria” (v.4 KJV).

NOTE: The seeking and saving of this lost soul was a divine imperative.

NOTE: 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.

Before Christ left His disciples to go to heaven, He said to them, as He says to us

today, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
NOTE: Every believer is to be involved in the ministry of soul-winning, the business of
seeking to win others to Christ. This is our priority as believer of Jesus Christ.

Are you engaged in the ministry of soul-winning? Are you seeking to win others to
Christ?

2. SOULWINNING SHOULD BE A PERPETUAL WORK

NOTE: Isa.6:8-11

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye
indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest
they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and
convert, and be healed.
11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without
inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, Isa.6:8-11

The demand of Soul-winning is ongoing.

Every believer has a perennial or perpetual responsibility of:

 Evangelize people for Christ – Matt.28:20; Mk.16:15

NOTE: Teach (make disciple) all people. This is not a call for education or reformation
but for evangelization.

 Enlist people for Christ – Acts 2:41-42

“..baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost..”

 Edify the people for Christ

“..teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..”
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we
may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” Col.1:28

3. SOULWINNING MUST BE A PRODUCTIVE WORK

Our Christian witness and soul-winning should be “like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and
whatever he does shall prosper” (Ps.1:3)

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: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you. Jn.15:16

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Jn.15:8
Paul's coming to Corinth and his methods of evangelism among them had one goal in
mind.

"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
1 Cor.2:5

What kind of product that we should have in soul-winning?

Genuine Conversions

Growing Christians

Proverbs 11:30 says, “He that winneth souls is wise.”

It is a wise and profitable thing to be a soul winner because it pleases God. He has a
high evaluation of the soul winner.

NOTE: It is one of the dearest things to the heart of God. Consequently, it pays
enormous eternal dividends. A man who turns people to righteousness is wise because
he is laying up treasure in heaven.

Conclusion:
When is the last time you led someone to the Lord?

Have you ever won someone to the Lord?

There is no shortage of people that need to hear the gospel. They are wondering
aimlessly through life, believing a lie that is leading them to hell.
People needs to be saved. They just don’t know what to do. They know there is an
emptiness in their life that is not fulfilled. They know they need something, they just
don’t know what it is or how to get it.