WITH CHRIST IN THE FIELD OF SOUL WINNING

John 4:1-26; Mat.9:35-38; 4:23-25; Mark 6:34-44; Mat.28:18-30

Today we are looking at how our Lord Jesus Christ carried out His ministry on earth. He had only one thing to do – to save sinners. He was passionate about it. He was pointed about it. It was like His food. He did not allow any diversion. He was focused till the end. He died to make it happen. And if we must be successful in the field of soul winning, we need to learn from our Lord Jesus Christ,

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18–20, AV)

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30, AV).

If our Church is to grow, if we would be faithful to Jesus, if we are to fulfill the will of God, we must all get involved in winning souls. What can we learn from Jesus about winning souls?

1.       Persuasive Patterns from the Saviour

(i)                  Movements of the Saviour (John 1:1-6; Luke 7:11-15; John 5:1-9; Mark 3:1-8)

Our Lord Jesus moved from place to place for the purpose of fulfilling His ministry – seeking and saving that which was lost! When He went to the village of Nain, He raised the son of a widow to life (Luke 7:11-15). When He to Jerusalem at the sheep market, He healed a man that has had infirmity for 38 years (John 5:1-9). When He went to Capernaum, He entered the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and healed a man with withered hand (Mark 3:1-8).

His movement was always according to divine plan (John 4:3). It was high priority for Him to go through Samaria. And see why He needed to go through Samaria in this occasion. It was like the Holy Spirit saying to Philip, “Go to Gaza” (Acts 8:26-30). It was this constant moving from place to place that brought Him in contact with the woman of Samaria. In this encounter we see our Lord in one of His most effective strategies of soul winning. We must learn from our Lord Jesus Christ. We must preach the gospel to our friends neighbours and relatives with the desire to bring them to repentance and faith in Christ.

(ii)                Meeting with the Saviour (John 4:6-7; rev.1:12-18)

Whoever met Christ without a change in his life? A sinner becomes a saint (John 8:10-11) when he meets with Christ. Arch enemies become friends after encountering Christ (Acts 9:1, 3-6). For example, Lew Wallace, a famous general and literary genius, was a known atheist. For two years, Wallace studied in the leading libraries of Europe and America, seeking information that would forever destroy Christianity. While writing the second chapter of a book outlining his arguments, he suddenly found himself on his knees crying out to Jesus, "My Lord and my God."

When confronted by solid indisputable evidence, he could no longer deny that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Later, Lew Wallace wrote the book Ben Hur, one of the greatest English novels ever written concerning the time of Christ.

Similarly, the late C.S. Lewis, professor at Oxford University in England, was an agnostic who denied the deity of Christ for years. But he, too, in intellectual honesty, submitted to Jesus as his God and Saviour after studying the overwhelming evidence for his deity (see Global Media outreach 2012).

Jesus is still changing people today. A large number of Muslims are being changed by encounter with Christ. If you come to him today, He will change you. He will save you. He will sanctify you. He will give you this living water. As this woman of Samarian was dramatically transformed, you will be dramatically transformed.

Jesus was weary from long travel and was legitimately thirsty. But He had a purpose for asking for water from the woman of Samaria. He is the Giver of the water of life – a metaphor for a changed, Spirit guided inner life. He wanted this sinful woman to receive the water of life!

(iii)               Meat of the Saviour (John 4:31-38; Mat.14:14-21; 15:32-37; Luke 19:10)

Jesus went from place to place in order to fulfill the will of God. Even when He was invited for dinner or a feast, He had His own food – “my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work”. When He went to the house of Zacchaeus, it was not for food He went. He had His own food – to do the will of God and to finish His work. What was the food of Christ? To do the will of God and to finish His work! When to the house of Matthew the publican, it wasn’t for food. What was the Saviour’s food? To do the will of God and to finish His work! When He was invited to dinner with Simon the Pharisee, It was not just for food He went. What was the Saviour’s food? To do the will of God and to finish His work!

Are we like Jesus? It is the design of God the Father that we should be like Jesus. God wants us to be his sons and daughters. Therefore He gave us Jesus, His model Son, so that we can aspire to be like Him.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29, AV)

What was the food of the Saviour, God’s model Son? To do the will of God and to finish His work. What should be our food as sons and daughters of God? To do the will of God and to finish His work!

2.       Potential Pitfalls from Sinners

(i)                  The Race Card (John 4:7-10)

(ii)                The Religious Card (John 4:19; Acts 11:1-3)

(iii)               The Ridicule Card (Luke 20:9-16)

(iv)              The Regret Card (Luke 14:16-20)

3.       Promised Promotion for (Faithful) Saints

(i)                  Joy in Increase (John 4: 35-37; Mat.19:29)

(ii)                Joy in Heaven (Luke 15:3-7, 32)

(iii)               Joy in Persecution (Mat.5;10-12)