Proverbs 11:30 - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Win Souls And Be Wise
#1 Win souls to Christ – to Salvation – that’s the gospel #2 Win souls to Christ - to LORDSHIP – that’s obedience
How does God want to use you today to help someone get saved? How does God want to use you today to help someone obey?
The Great Commission
Matthew 28:19-20 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (This is salvation.) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (This is obedience.) And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (This is a promise.)
So what is God’s primary purpose for us when it comes to people? To be friends with them? To be accepted by them, To fit in with them? To be one of them? No, He wants us to Win Them!
What does that mean? Win : laqach – law-kakh - to take, draw, bring, buy, carry away, win over
It means God wants us to win them from something to something. from darkness to light, from deception to truth, from Satan to God, from wickedness to righteousness, from worldliness to Godliness.
God wants us to win souls from man’s Way to God’s Way.
2 Timothy 2:26 - and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4a - If the gospel we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, they are unable to see the glorious light of the gospel…
God wants us to help people find Christ (Salvation)– to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Empowering) and then obey Him, (Lordship) so they can walk in newness of life, to walk in all that He has for them, so they can fulfill His purpose for them in their generation.
I Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (This is Salvation.)
Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (This is Empowering.)
I Peter 1:1a-2a …To God’s elect… who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ… (This is Lordship.)
John 8:30-32 - Even as he spoke, many believed in him. (This is salvation – the gospel.) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (This is Lordship - obedience.) Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (This is a promise.)
When they believed in him, this was salvation. Then Jesus said, you also need to obey… You need me as Savior, but also as LORD. Meaning, if you continue to obey what I command, you are really my disciples, then – by obeying what I command you will know the truth (by experience) and then, the truth will set you free. Free from what? From being a slave of sin… (John 8:34)
John 8:34 - Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Jesus life set the example of LORDSHIP in how he related with his heavenly Father. Two verses earlier in the same passage, he explains this.
John 8:28-29 - so Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak only what the Father has taught me. For the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. (Jesus was an obeyer.)
So winning souls means: Winning them to salvation, the Holy Spirit, and winning them to obedience. This is the Great Commission. God says he who wins souls is wise.
So How does God want to use you today… to win souls?
Is that what you want? Is that what you want most today? Do you have a heart for people, like God’s heart for them? Remember, God is the one who draws people.
John 6:44 - "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day."
This is a great reminder that God is the one who does the work in people’s hearts, not us. He wants everyone to come to repentance, he is patient, long suffering, and He is delaying his return so that not any should perish.
How To Win Souls
STEP 1: Obey First – Yourself! Are you obeying yourself, like Jesus did? Does God make your time decisions, your thought decisions, your money decisions? You cannot win someone to something you are not becoming yourself.
Are you hearing and obeying? Are you Worshipping and Praising? Are you living the obedience that brings a testimony? And the joy of the LORD to be your strength?
Are you giving the testimony that brings the victory in your own life? that helps you overcome the adversary? Rev 12:11) and increases the opinion of God in the eyes of others? Bringing him glory, making him bigger?
(Step 1: Obey – be sure you are obeying God, submitting every decision of your life to his control, so that He directs your steps.)
STEP 2: Prepare. Do you know how to share the gospel, the invitation to put their faith in Christ, in a simple, and loving way, knowing that His kindness is what leads people to repentance? (See Relationship Topic – Salvation First)
I Peter 3:15 - But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Romans 2:4 - Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
(Step 2: Prepare – practice sharing the simple invitation to put their faith in Christ, in a kind and clear way.)
STEP 3: Ask & Trust. “God, please bring me to someone today that I can win for you. Open doors, and help me by your Holy Spirit to love people to Jesus as their Savior and Jesus as their LORD.”
Are you praying that God will bring you to someone today, who needs Salvation, the Holy Spirit, or the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their life? Do you trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to the people that the Heavenly Father is drawing? Are you asking Him? Is your joy - crazy? Is your faith strong because you are obeying him consistently?
Are you putting your mind fully on Christ and your trust fully in him. Are you leaning completely on His understanding which has no limit, instead of your own? Are you trusting him even with the things you do not understand?
Trust – Trust that God will answer your prayer and bring you someone that He wants to win.
Even if your own life isn’t perfect yet; God uses imperfect people who surrender to him, and believe him. You don’t have to wait until you’re perfect for him to use you to win souls.
(Step 3: Ask & Trust – Ask God to bring you today the one He wants to use you to win. Then Trust Him to do it!)
STEP 4: Walk God may open a door to share the love of Jesus, the testimony of Christ, an invitation to put their faith in Christ, or even an invitation to walk together in daily obedience to Christ. Are you open to being used of God in another person’s life, in any way that God would choose?
Hebrews 13:5 - But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
“Making disciples – teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” happens over time.
I Corinthians 11:1 - Be imitators of me, Just as I also am of Christ.
Philippians 4:9 - The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
In order to make disciples by displaying to others what a life of salvation and obedience looks like, it will require proximity over time.
Are you open to letting someone close enough to follow your example, as you follow the example of Christ? Are you willing to walk with someone in a deeper and purposeful obedience-growing relationship?
Ask God who He wants you to walk with someone for a season. A Daily Call – could help you greatly in doing this. Ask them to do the 3-Day-Challenge with you!
Ecclesiastes 4:12 - Though one may be overcome by an adversary, two can withstand him, and a chord of three strands is not easily broken.
You can know for sure that if God wants you to walk with someone – growing together in the joy of daily obedience, that the Holy Spirit will be right there beside you as that third strand to keep you in the light and love of Christ.
So How do you Win Souls?
Step 1: Obey Let the Holy Spirit help you become what you want to win them to: Jesus as Savior & Jesus as LORD!
Step 2: Prepare Be ready to share the simple truth of the gospel, with God’s kindness and love
Step 3: Ask & Trust Ask God to bring you someone today that he wants to use you to win, and trust Him to do it!
Step 4: Walk Be willing to walk with them in a deeper relationship; learning the joy of daily obedience to Christ. Ask them to do the 3-Day-Challenge with you!!
You will be winning souls!
This is the heart of God for every person you meet. He created them! He loves them! He is coming back soon!
He will complete the work He began in you, and he will use you to win souls to the Salvation and Lordship of Jesus Christ; Jesus as Savior and Jesus as Lord!
A PRISM Topic:is God’s Word on a single subject. A Relationship Topic is a perspective from God's Word on relationships. A PRISM Topic Packetis a grouping of PRISM or Relationship Topics of similar subjects... part of the M: Meditate on theWord of PRISM – (5 Things You Can Do Daily in God’s Word) to transform the way you think. Ask God what PRISM Topic or Relationship Topic He wants you to meditate on today.Take your PRISM Topic, Relationship Topic or Packet with you as Insert#1 of your PiVAT Journal. Come back to them multiple times a day! “It is to be with him, and he is to meditate on it day and night, so that he may learn to fear the LORD…” - Deuteronomy 17:19