Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, Sept. 10, 2000, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. For more outlines, including a zipped file of all of my 1999 sermon outlines, click on the link at the bottom of this note, and go to our website:

EVERYBODY WINS SOULS

By Michael D. O'Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 11:24-31

Text: Proverbs 11:30

Introduction: Soul-winning is our number one priority around here. Yes, I know that we should glorify God, but I just happen to believe that the best way to glorify God is to be what God wants us to be: ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

That's why we Christians are on this earth. If you're not taking the message of reconciliation, the gospel of the grace of God (how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures), you are a disobedient Christian.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Many saints of God are disobedient in this area. They sing, "Bringing in the Sheaves," but they never bring in any sheaves, because they are not "Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve." They are not "sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze."

You say, "I can't win souls." Sure you can. EVERYBODY wins souls. We just win them to different things. For instance,

I. SOME PEOPLE WIN SOULS TO PLEASURE

One of the characteristics of "the last days" is that people are:

2 Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

A. Sex

People are persuading the opposite sex to desire them.
Sex sells, and people "sell" sex. TV, the Internet, newspapers, department stores, car manufacturers,the music industry, and others use sex to sell, and they sell sex.
This is one of the gods of America.
Sexual pleasure is LEGITIMATE when it is within the bounds of MARRIAGE, according to Heb. 13:4, but the sexual pleasure people are selling today falls within the categories of whoremongery and adultery, which, also according to Heb. 13:4, God will judge.

B. Sports

Another god of America is sports.
People persuade their children to participate in sports. Kids persuade their parents to LET them participate in sports.

C. Sightseeing

Travel
Cruises

Do you know that one of the greatest pleasures in life is getting saved? Why don't we win some souls to the pleasure of getting saved???

II. SOME PEOPLE WIN SOULS TO A PRODUCT

Proverbs 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

A. To please them

Paintings
Jewelry
Houses
Furniture

B. To protect them

Insurance
Burglar alarms

C. To promote them

Makeup
Clothes
Cars
Pyramid schemes for getting rich

By the way, the best "pyramid scheme" of all is that of soul-winning. If you win a soul, you get a reward. If he wins a soul, you get a reward. If you send money to help evangelists/missionaries win souls, you get a reward!

Now listen, we have a product, of sorts. GOD produced it, and no man is able to produce it. It is called ETERNAL LIFE. It is not for sale. It was paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is now offered as the GIFT OF GOD (Rom. 6:23). Why don't you and I tell people about eternal life? There's no product that has ever been invented that can top that!!!

III. SOME PEOPLE WIN SOULS TO A PHILOSOPHY

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

A. About success

If you had a dollar for every "success book" and every "self-help book" that has ever been written you would be rich.
I saw a classified ad that was pretty honest. It was in a national publication. It said, "If each person who reads this will send me $1.00, I will achieve my life's dream."
Success doesn't come from gain of the things of this world, but lots of people are selling that philosophy.

B. About society

Democrats versus Republicans. I believe Christians too often get too caught up in politics. Our country's revival depends upon the CHURCH house, not the WHITE House! (2 Chr. 7:14)
Communism versus Democracy

C. About science

Interpretation of facts
Evolution vs. creation
Poem - Tadpole, frog, monkey, man

Philosophy is the love of wisdom.
The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom.
Wisdom is found in Christ!
The only wise thing for a lost man to do is to fear God and get saved! Why can't we win people to THAT wisdom?
After you're saved, wisdom produces and results from soul-winning - Prov. 11:30!

IV. SOME PEOPLE WIN SOULS TO A PERSON

2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

A. A pretty face

Beauty pageants

B. A powerful figure

Bodybuilding competitions

C. A pleasant voice

Music awards

D. A politician

Campaigns and elections

E. A prospect for marriage

People playing "Cupid"
1-800-FIND-A-DUMMY
Some people are looking for someone of the opposite sex who they can convince to spend their lives with them.

Let's win souls to JESUS!

We win souls to a person, not JUST a pretty face; a person, not JUST a powerful figure; a person, not JUST a pleasant voice; a person, not JUST a politician; a person, not JUST a prospect for marriage.

Oh, He may be all of these things in a sense ... after all,

He IS altogether lovely, the fairest of 10,000 to my soul ...
He is a powerful figure, for all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth ...
He is a pleasant voice, as the Song of Solomon speaks of "the voice of my beloved!" ...
He is a politician, in the sense that, without election of the people, He will one day rule the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords ...
He is a prospect for marriage, in the sense that every person who is saved accepts Christ's proposal and becomes part of His bride ...

... but He is much more than that! He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth, and He is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. Will you let Him be YOUR Savior TODAY?

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