2001: A Soul Winning Odyssey - Sunday 1/7/2001 A.M.

Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, Jan. 7, 2001, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
For more outlines, including links to all of my 1999 and 2000 sermon outlines, click on the link at the bottom of this note, and go to our website:

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Introduction: On this first Sunday morning of 2001, I want to call your attention to our bulletin board, I want to announce our theme for the year, and I want to invite you to go with me this year on what I am calling "a soul-winning odyssey."

Homer, a Greek poet of around 850 B.C.,S wrote an epic poem, which recounted the journeys of a character named Odysseus, after the fall of Troy, back to Ithaca. The word, "odyssey," has come to mean 1. an extended adventurous voyage or trip, or 2. an intellectual or spiritual quest: an odyssey of discovery.

Nearly 3,000 years later, in 1968, Stanley Kubrick produced a movie called, "2001: A Space Odyssey." He co-wrote the screenplay with science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, based on Clarke's book, "The Sentinel."

I have chosen to call our theme for the year, "2001: A Soul-Winning Odyssey." The term, "soul-winning," describes the efforts of Christian people to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to people and to see those people trust Christ as Savior, resulting in what the Bible calls "the new birth" and receiving everlasting life.

In our scripture reading today, we read about a man named Saul. Before he was saved, his main business had been to persecute Christians, thinking that they were enemies of God. On the road to Damascus he had a miraculous manifestation of God, who identified Himself to the misguided religious zealot as Jesus Christ. From that point on, Saul's life turned completely
around. Whereas he had been on a trip to Damascus for the purpose of throwing Christians into jail, he began a new journey which led him all across the region, preaching the message of the gospel.

Acts 9:20-22 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

As we begin the new year, I want to encourage each of you members of Gospel Light Baptist Church to join me in a spiritual odyssey. If you are a visiting Christian today, I hope that you will be blessed and stirred by the vision of reaching people for Christ that members of our church are catching. Perhaps you might want to join us today. We don't claim to be a perfect church. We are not a PERFECT people, but we are a PARDONED people.

If you are visiting with us and you have never experienced the new birth, if you don't know for sure that heaven is your home, may God bless you and speak to your heart to the saving of your soul before you leave this place.

Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

A. Jesus left heaven to win souls

Jesus is God, and as God, He always existed. 2000 years ago He left heaven, where He was in the form of God, and took upon Himself the form of man.
Jesus is God, and as God, He always existed. 2000 years ago He left heaven, where He was in the form of God, and took upon Himself the form of man. He did this for the purpose of bringing sinners to God.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

B. Jesus lived as a man to win souls

He was miraculously born of the virgin Mary.
He lived without sin for 33 years.

C. Jesus lay down His life to win souls

He died on the cross of Calvary as the Lamb of God, paying for the sins of mankind, and purchasing their salvation with His own blood.
He was buried, and three days later He rose from the dead, in an open victory over death, hell, and the grave!

D. Jesus leads His disciples to win souls

Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Some people think that the only people who are supposed to be in the business of spreading the gospel are ordained ministers, "reverends." However, consider the following passage from God's word:

Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Notice that in the persecution all of the disciples at Jerusalem were scattered, except for the apostles. Now look at verse 4:

Notice that the "ordained ministers" did not scatter. They remained in Jerusalem! Those who were "scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word."

A. They were common people

They had ordinary jobs - fishermen, tax collectors.
They were not famous at the time.
Three of our soul-winners led people to Christ yesterday. Two of them are truck drivers, and one of them is a 14-year-old boy who is a student in our Christian school.
Anyone who is saved can learn to win souls!

B. They were converted people

You can't reach others with the gospel if you aren't converted, yourself!
Do YOU know for certain that YOU would go to heaven if you died today?

C. They were concerned people

Soul-winning is teaching a person the gospel with a TEAR in your eye.
Psalms 126:5-6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,bringing his sheaves with him.

D. They were committed people

It takes time to go soul- winning.
It takes effort.
It takes desire, prayer, and faith.
It takes persistence.
But it CAN be done!

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

A. I challenge you with the WORK in which we should be engaged

It is called "the ministry of reconciliation."
It is the business of bringing men, women, boys, and girls back to God.
It is the holy work of showing sinners the way of salvation.

C. I challenge you with the WORD that we preach

In 2 Cor. 5:19 it is called "the word of reconciliation."
It is called "the gospel."
It is the message 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.

Here is the cause, as simply as I can put it. Here is why we are more concerned with spending money on a Sunday School bus for picking up children than we are about spending money on chandeliers or stained glass:

A. Death is inevitable

All people die.
All people face God, whether or not they believe in Him, and whether or not they are prepared to meet Him!
We must reach them with the gospel BEFORE they die!

B. Damnation is universal

All have sinned.
Unbelievers are already under God's condemnation. We must reach them!
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but the that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

C. Deliverance is available

All people NEED to be saved, and not everyone WILL be saved, but anyone MAY be saved!
Salvation is the gift of God. We extend God's gift by telling people how to be saved, and it is up to them to receive it.

2001: A SOUL-WINNING ODYSSEY

I. THE CAPTAIN