In This Issue:
Tell Them about Jesus!
Soul Winning
Talking Business Suppose
Volume: 957 May 13, 2024
Theme: Soul Winning
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Tell Them about Jesus!
Bill Brinkworth
One of the blessings of reading the Bible is learning how biblical characters solved problems, got through hardships, and lived godly lives. Peter is one of those personalities that can be a good Christian example to pattern ourselves after.
After Jesus left to return to His heavenly home, Peter, although sad and grieving, pushed forward to live for God. After his humbling experience of denying Jesus three times (John 18), it seems Peter learned an important lesson from that trial. From that time forward, the Bible shows that Peter had a single-minded purpose. That purpose was to take any opportunity to tell others about Jesus.
In Acts 4, after being used to heal a lame man, the religious people were angered at what Peter had done. Soon, they were questioning and grilling Peter. Instead of getting down to their level and having a debate that accomplished little, he preached a subject he knew could have a positive influence. He preached about Jesus and how He was the only way to Heaven.
Acts 3 found Peter among a crowd who wanted to get closer to him after God had used him to heal a lame man. Instead of taking any credit for the miracle, Peter took the opportunity to tell the crowd about Jesus.
Earlier in Acts 2, after having been used by the Holy Ghost to heal a man, some had accused Peter and the others of having been drunk. Instead of entering into a big discussion to defend himself, he again told the onlookers about Jesus.
In many circumstances Peter found himself, he told others about Jesus. We, too, should model his heart to speak to others about the Saviour and how Jesus can change lives. The great commission (Mark 16:15) God gave to every believer is to go and tell.
Every day, each one of us comes into contact with people. If we would use those opportunities to point them to the One who has all of life’s answers, this world would certainly be a different place.
Our opinions are not always wanted and rarely change anything. Many of the world’s solutions also do not always work. However, when one gets saved, they will have been born into the family of God. Their heavenly Father can then help them with any problems they face if they go to Him.
Be like Peter, take every opportunity you can to point as many as you can to Jesus. He is the solution to every problem or trial anyone faces.
“Jesus saves. Tell someone today!”
When a person is saved, all his sins are forgiven. Although God will not remind us of our iniquities at our time of judgment, the believer will be rewarded for what he did for Christ after he was saved. Every Christian is expected to tell others the biblical way to Heaven. Although it is the commandment most neglected by Christians, it is the one most important!
Here is some of what the Bible says about our personally winning a soul to Heaven:
- It is the primary way a lost person will hear about God’s way to Heaven. “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? … Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” Acts 8:30 -35 How will the spiritually lost be saved unless a child of God tells them how? Most of us who are saved were led to the Lord by someone else telling us either by their mouth or written word.
- It will rescue a soul from spending an eternity in Hell.
“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.” James 5:20 - It should be done in every house, as did the early church. Door-to-door witnessing is still the way we are expected to witness. It is how the early church grew, and it is how today’s church will grow.
“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42 Also: Acts 2:46-47. - It should be done by EVERYONE, not just the disciples, missionaries, pastors, and deacons!
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19 Also: John 20:21, Luke 24:47 - It is some of the Christian “fruit” a born-again believer should produce.
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4:36 Also: John 15:16, 20:21. - The lost need to be “compelled”, as were the visitors in the parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:16-24). “Compelling” is done one-on-one!
“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 - God commands it!
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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.” Matthew 28:19-20 - It is the wise thing to do.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30 - Many commentators teach that believers will receive a crown of rejoicing for witnessing and winning a lost soul to Christ.
“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.” Daniel 12:3
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” I Thessalonians 2:19
God chose us to win as many to Heaven as we can. What a shame it would be for a Christian to live a full life on Earth and never, or rarely, have won a soul to Heaven.
“Well, I just can’t do it,” or “I am too shy to talk to anyone” are not excuses that biblically excuse anyone from their God-commanded duty to witness. I never met a person who thought that it was easy to witness to strangers in the beginning. However, God always helped them when they showed they were willing to obey His commandments.
I am sure it was hard for the early church members to win souls to Christ, but because they obeyed God, their church grew. After they witnessed to others, God blessed their church.
There are too many bound for Hell (Mark 7:13). Do not be a selfish Christian and not share the way to eternity with the Lord with anyone. Someone probably shared it with you. If they did not, you would most likely not be Heaven-bound.
Soul winning is the biblical way to get the message of salvation to others. It still works today! Have you witnessed to anyone this week?
“It has been estimated that probably 95% of all church members have never
led anyone to Christ!”
Talking Business
Author Unknown
A pastor was passing a big department store and followed a sudden impulse to go in and talk to the proprietor about his salvation. Finding the owner, the preacher asked, “Mr. T., I’ve talked beds, carpets, and bookcases with you but never talked my business to you. Would you give me a few minutes to do so?”
Being led to a private office, the pastor took out his New Testament and showed the man passage after passage about his duty to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour. Finally, the tears began to roll down the man’s cheeks, and he said to the preacher, “I’m 70 years of age. I was born in this city, and more than a hundred ministers and more than 500 hundred church officers have known me as you have in doing business with me. You are the only one who ever spoke to me about my soul in all these years.”
What a sad commentary to the many who talked with that businessman. Yet, many who have crossed our paths have never heard the Gospel from anyone, including us.
“Many Christians complain of the condition of the world today. If they believed what they confessed, they would lead the lost to Christ, and then the world would be different!”
Suppose
“Suppose”, A tract from the Great Commission Prayer League
Suppose someone were to offer me a thousand dollars for every soul I might earnestly try to lead to Christ. Would I endeavor to lead more souls to Him than I am endeavoring to do now for the money? Is my love of money stronger than my love of God or souls…?
“I cared not where or how I lived or what hardships I went through so that I could gain souls to Christ. While I was asleep, I dreamed of these things, and when I awoke, the first thing I thought of was this great work. All my desire was for the conversion of the heathen, and all my hope was in God.” — David Brainerd, Missionary to Native Americans (Early 1700s)