Soul Winning is the work of every follower of Christ!
We cannot stay stuck on ministry alone. Christ started with ministry but ended with soul winning!
"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me.'"
Christ (1)mingled, (2)showed sympathy, (3)ministered to needs, (4)won confidence, then (5)instructed them in 'following Him'. Many of us minister real good.... music, ushering, youth group, etc... but we don't bid them to 'follow Jesus' and we certainly don't teach.
Check this quote out!
"The destruction of souls is the regular employment of Satan and his agents upon the earth. The salvation of souls is the work of every follower of Christ, however weak." ("This Day with God", E.G. White, p171).
I don't care who you are - if you profess to be a follower of Christ, it is the work of every disciple of Christ to save a soul, no matter how weak your walk with Jesus is. If you start to do what He commands, you will find that your spiritual walk with grow in proportion.
Are you determined to make soul winning a priority in your life?
Or are you an agent of Satan? - Check out part 4!
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Soul Winning or Ministry - Is there a difference? - (part 4)
Are you an agent of Satan?
Wow! What a question! How dare you ask me that? Well, friend, when I ran across this quote, I messed me up.
In the book This Day With God, Page 171, the author has this incredible quote:
Wow! That means if you put your own selfish interests before working on soul winning, you are working with Satan?? Well, remember when the preaching said that we need to be saving souls, and you said "AMEN?" Ahh, so then, if you are not putting soul winning at the top of the list, like Jesus did, then you are only professing to be a follower of Christ. That's what the quote says!!
Why? What's the big deal?
The quote continues:
Ministry is critical, but it does not end there. You've only done a half job if you stop at ministering alone. Take it all the way to soul winning as your spiritual goal!
How can you get involved with soul winning?
Wow! What a question! How dare you ask me that? Well, friend, when I ran across this quote, I messed me up.
In the book This Day With God, Page 171, the author has this incredible quote:
"The destruction of souls is the regular employment of Satan and his agents upon the earth. The salvation of souls is the work of every follower of Christ, however weak. When [a man’s or woman's] selfish interest is made first and the salvation of souls comes secondary, if at all, that man is working on Satan’s side, ...
Wow! That means if you put your own selfish interests before working on soul winning, you are working with Satan?? Well, remember when the preaching said that we need to be saving souls, and you said "AMEN?" Ahh, so then, if you are not putting soul winning at the top of the list, like Jesus did, then you are only professing to be a follower of Christ. That's what the quote says!!
Why? What's the big deal?
The quote continues:
"...for his very pretensions are a snare to lead others off the track, that they shall not consider the kingdom of God and His righteousness first. Satan is getting the start of all such workers. The salvation of souls comes first, always, for Satan as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. We must snatch souls away from his path. We must have clear foresight, discernment, and faith, and work as if to save a perishing life, of which some carelessness on our part might be the cause of death."A true disciple is always concerned about soul winning and looking at ways to win souls. Doesn't matter if one is at work, in the store, in the community, playing basketball, getting your hair done, etc... A soul winning is always thinking of how I can reach the person in my path for Jesus. But just think about it is not enough. We must do something about it.
Ministry is critical, but it does not end there. You've only done a half job if you stop at ministering alone. Take it all the way to soul winning as your spiritual goal!
How can you get involved with soul winning?
Soul Winning or Ministry - Is there a difference? - (part 2)
Two Aspects of the Great Commission
Many don't realize that there is two aspects of the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples. The well-known verse found in Matthew 28:19,20 is the major text used to reiterate Christ's command to us. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This text clearly tells us that we are to "make disciples" by teaching them. Becoming a disciple means to become a follower of Christ - by denying self, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23) But in that verse, is there anything about getting people saved? Is making a disciple the same thing as getting someone saved?
Mark 16:15,16 is the parallel verse for Matthew 28:19,20. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.
But what is the person to believe? It is the gospel!!! But what is the gospel we are to preach and teach? It the "everlasting gospel" found in Revelation 14:6,7. The same gospel Jesus preached.
How do we get people to believe the gospel? By teaching them. Once they believe and are baptized, they are saved, and must continue as disciples of Christ - winning others by teaching them of salvation!!
Are you willing to become a soul winner?
See part three!!
This text clearly tells us that we are to "make disciples" by teaching them. Becoming a disciple means to become a follower of Christ - by denying self, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23) But in that verse, is there anything about getting people saved? Is making a disciple the same thing as getting someone saved?
Mark 16:15,16 is the parallel verse for Matthew 28:19,20. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.
But what is the person to believe? It is the gospel!!! But what is the gospel we are to preach and teach? It the "everlasting gospel" found in Revelation 14:6,7. The same gospel Jesus preached.
How do we get people to believe the gospel? By teaching them. Once they believe and are baptized, they are saved, and must continue as disciples of Christ - winning others by teaching them of salvation!!
Are you willing to become a soul winner?
See part three!!
Soul Winning or Ministry - Is there a difference?
Ministry versus Soul Winning
I believe we often confuse ministry with soul winning, but there is a difference.
As church members, we spend time working with the usher ministry, prison ministry, music ministry, senior ministry, urban ministry, family ministry, personal ministry, and other such ministries, which are very important in the work of winning souls. Christ gave the gift of pastoral leadership, prophecy, evangelism, and teaching. Pastors and church leaders, in turn, are supposed to equip members with the work of the ministry based on Ephesians 4:11, 12 - "....For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
Church members are content with helping in their favorite ministry or the ministry where they can use their spiritual gifts. And usually, that is where they stop. Just doing good ministry.
But the great commission does not tell us to "...go and do ministry". In Matthew 28:19-20, Christ commands us to: " 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus did ministry, but He didn't stop there. Christ commands us by "Teaching them," which means to "make disciples", which is done by deliberate teaching, as Jesus did.
Are you making disciples? Or are you stuck on ministry only?
I invite you to be involved with soul winning.
Check out part 2:
I believe we often confuse ministry with soul winning, but there is a difference.
As church members, we spend time working with the usher ministry, prison ministry, music ministry, senior ministry, urban ministry, family ministry, personal ministry, and other such ministries, which are very important in the work of winning souls. Christ gave the gift of pastoral leadership, prophecy, evangelism, and teaching. Pastors and church leaders, in turn, are supposed to equip members with the work of the ministry based on Ephesians 4:11, 12 - "....For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
Church members are content with helping in their favorite ministry or the ministry where they can use their spiritual gifts. And usually, that is where they stop. Just doing good ministry.
But the great commission does not tell us to "...go and do ministry". In Matthew 28:19-20, Christ commands us to: " 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus did ministry, but He didn't stop there. Christ commands us by "Teaching them," which means to "make disciples", which is done by deliberate teaching, as Jesus did.
Are you making disciples? Or are you stuck on ministry only?
I invite you to be involved with soul winning.
Check out part 2:
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