Everyone's Ministry
Soul Winning

A. Ihe ministry of everyone is soul winning.

• This ministry was given to us by Jesus Christ himself.
  
  
• Jesus commanded the disciples of His new church to teach all nations what they need to know in order to be saved, to baptize them in the name, and to teach them to observe all of the things that he commanded His new church to observe.
  
  Matthew 28:18-20
  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power Is given unto me in heaven and in earth.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.
  
  
• Jesus said that he had come to seek and to save the lost.
  
  Luke 19:10
  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
  
  
• In Romans chapter 8 we are taught that if we are led by the Spirit of God, we are the sons of God..
  
  Romans 8:14-15
  For as many as are led bv the Spirit of God. they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
  
  
• If we are the sons of God, will we be like the second son in the parable always failing God by never doing what we say we will, or will we be like the first and repent of our lazy ways and go and do as God has commanded us?
  
  Matthew 21:28-31
  But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father ? They say unto him. The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
  
  
• Jesus said that he was sent to seek and save the lost and he has sent us to do this also.
  
  John 20:21
  Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
  
  
• Did Jesus give us an impossible task ? If we are not reaching out to people through Teaching them about Jesus and Baptizing them in His name, why not ?
  
  

B. We must plan our work.

• I Corinthians 14:40
  Let all things be done decently and in order.
  
  

C. We must work our plan.

• Any plan will work if you follow it as It was designed.
  
  
• No plan will work if you don't follow it.
  
  

D. Soul winning comes from
preaching and teaching the Word of God.

• There are no magic wands, no magic words, no magic people, and no magic methods for winning souls.
  
  
• Planting the Word of God In the hearts of people is as Important to soul winning as planting seed In the ground Is to harvest.
  
  
• The method of teaching God's word employed by the apostles produces growth for both large and small churches, It will work anywhere.
  
  

E. Shouldn't we follow
the example set by The Apostles
and teach Home Bible Studies?

• Acts 5:42
  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
  
  
• Acts 20:20
  And how I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house.
  
  

F. Some Home Bible Study courses are
ten and even twelve weeks in length.

Without considering the results, many people decide that ten weeks is too much time to waste on getting one person saved. The shocking truth Is that most people don't win one person per year.

• We have tried the easy way.
  
  We Invite a person to church and Hope the preacher can preach them under conviction.
  
  The problem is that they haven't come, aren't planning to come, and probably never will come.
  
  
• How much of your time is a soul worth ?
  
  Have you ever given your witness to a person who was moved with conviction ?
  
  Have you been frustrated because they wouldn't come to church, and you didn't know what else to say to them ?
  
  An example of how to follow through with your witness
  
  
  • You witness to Joe and really bring conviction on him and he says he will come to church on Sunday.
    
    
  • Joe then tells his wife about it.
    
    
  • She tells him that mama is a Baptist, and she is a Baptist, they have been for years, and If they are going to start going to church, It will be to the Baptist church.
    
    
  • You see Joe in a couple of weeks and he thanks you for setting him on the right track and that he is attending the Baptist church on a regular basis now.
    
    
  • To tell him he Is wrong would cause him to close his ears to anything else you might have to say.
    
    
  • The correct approach would be to get him to agree to a home bible study without pushing, or even mentioning church denominations or doctrines.
    
    
  • When the Word of Truth has been planted in his heart, he will become dissatisfied with false doctrine, and seek a church that teaches truth.
    
    
  A ten or twelve, week Home Bible Study will put you back in their home once every week for ten or twelve weeks. This will give you an opportunity to return until you have planted the Word of God In their heart. There are even one and two day Home Bible Studies designed to build an interest In the Bible and teach oneness.
  
  

G. Everyone win one
with a Home Bible Study.

• We think too big.
  
  We have the pastor preach a hundredfold revival.
  We can't handle all the new converts produced by it and we lose them.
  
  
• Let's think small.
  
  Let's start with one soul.
  Let's plan in our minds to spend one year finding, teaching, and discipline this soul to Jesus.
  If everyone in your church was involved in Home Bible Studies, you could double your membership In one year.
  
  

H. Jesus gave us instructions on sowing the seed
in the Parable of the Sower.

• The Parable of the Sower
  
  Matthew 13:3-9
  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, behold, a sower went forth to sow;And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up:Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth.And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:But other fell Into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold. some thirtyfold.Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
  
  
• The Parable explained
  
  Matthew 13:18-23
  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed Into stony places, the same Is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth It; Yet hath he not root In himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.He also that received seed among thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.But he that received seed into good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth. some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
  
  

I. We must prepare ourselves to be
sowers of the good seed of the Word of God.

1. We must have faith
   
   
   • Hebrews 11: 1-3
     Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, s o that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
     
     
   • Hebrews 11:6
     But without faith It is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
     
     
   • Romans 10:17
     So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
     
     
2. We must study God's word.
   
   
   • II Timothy 2:15
     Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
     
     
3. We must justify our faith with works or it will die.
   
   
   • James 2:14-24
     What doth It profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac, his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man Is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way ? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works Is dead also.
     
     

J. Let's not make a chore boy out of God.

1. Too many times we have asked God to bring people to church when He has given us the power to be witnesses.
   
   
   • 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.
     
     
2. We have asked Him to win souls when He has asked us to sow the seed.
   
   

K. If we expect a harvest,
we must perform these four steps.

1. Prepare the ground.
   The first thing we must do is prepare the ground by witnessing to someone and getting them to accept a Home Bible Study.
   
   
2. Sow the seed.
   The second thing we have to do Is sow the seed of the Word of God in their heart.
   
   
3. Water and cultivate.
   We cannot abandon the Bible Study after the last lesson of the study. We must follow up by being that person's friend and disciple them to christ.
   
   
4. Harvest.
   We should help them In any way we can to see them through repentance and baptism.