Winning souls for Christ.

 

Footsteps through John’s Gospel

 

Text: John 1:40-46.                             Theme: Winning souls for Christ.
⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).
⁴³ The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”
⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

 

 

This passage records the calling of some of the disciples of Jesus Christ. There is an order here that we can also follow:

Jesus called John and John followed the Lord (verses 35-42).

John reached Andrew and Andrew followed the Lord.

Andrew reached his brother Peter and Peter followed the Lord.

Jesus called Philip and Philip followed the Lord (verses 43-46).

Phillip reached Nathanael and Nathanael followed the Lord.

 

Do you notice that each of the disciples were reached one by one! And from this group of men, the Word of God was preached throughout the land and the Gospel message went right around the world. Each one of them continued to reach others for Christ.

Ask yourself the question, “If I do not reach one, can I expect anyone else to?” Have YOU reached your others for Christ? It is our duty to share the good news of the Gospel. Throughout the history of Christianity, we see a profound effect that one person can have upon another:

Jethro (father-in-law) over Moses.

Jonathan over his friend David.

Elijah over Elisha.

Each one of us must reach one. Each of us are vital to God’s program and to the ministry of the local church!

We are God’s, His hands, His feet, He chooses to work through us, He left us here for a reason! People are not reached in masses like they once were. Most are reached just like the disciples, one person sharing his/her faith with another. And then that one sharing their faith with another.

 

1.    Each of us have a personal responsibility. 

 

          Jesus said in John 4:4, “I must go through Samaria (to witness).”

Paul said in, 1 Corinthians 9:22 “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

We have a personal responsibility to live our lives so that others will see Christ living in us and through us!

 

2.    We have a pressing responsibility. 

 

A. The Time is short.

There is NO greater time to commit yourself to the work, than now! If the work of saving souls is to be done, we will have to do it now!

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

 

B. The Trumpet of the Lord is certain.

We are one trumpet blast away from Christ’s second coming and eternity!

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.”        

But for the time being, God has left us here for a reason! To win souls for Christ!

          We need to build a growing church! To build God’s kingdom, and to build up each life in the church. In other words, we need to get others saved, get them into the Kingdom of God, and get them right with God. The Gospel of Christ is the Noah’s Ark of today, unless men and women find salvation, they will be lost for all eternity.

Someone said: “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a rest home for saints.” If we really love Jesus, we will love what He loves. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Some people only go to church THREE times in their lives. When they are born when they are married, and when they die, basically:

When they are hatched, they throw water at them.

When they are matched, they throw rice at them.

When they are dispatched, they throw dirt at them.

          Well, we need to throw them a “lifeline” to save them.

 

          The Church should be a lifeboat, named “The Hope of Salvation.”

On the night of Sunday 14 April 1912, the sea was flat calm, the sky clear and moonless, and the temperature was dropping towards freezing.

At 11.40 pm the lookout sounded the alarm and telephoned the bridge saying “Iceberg, right ahead.”

The warning came too late to avoid the iceberg.

Less than three hours later Titanic lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, nearly four kilometers down.

The sinking of Titanic claimed more than 1,500 lives.

The Church should be a lifeboat, named “The Hope of Salvation.” To save the lives of those drowning in sin.

 

Conclusion: 

 

          So please consider whether you can be sure you are saved today! Let me end with that verse again: 2 Corinthians 6:2 “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of (your) salvation.”