Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives.
The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist
Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us
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message from God's word will be a blessing to you.
John chapter number four this morning.
As we're going forward in Soul winning.
That's what this month's emphasis is as January was
forward in my daily walk. February is forward in
soul-winning, and we'll get into that here just a little bit more
in just a second, you know, I was reminded of this even this
week and some things that happen with me and in my life but you
know, life would be so perfect. If it went the way you wanted it
to, how many times have you gotten up in the morning?
And you said, I know what I'm going to do today.
I'm going to do X, Y, and Z. And by the end of the day,
you're laughing at the plans you made, or maybe you're crying.
And the plans that you had made that never got fulfilled
because, well, somewhere between, when you woke up and
when you went to sleep life happened, and what you expected
to do, didn't end up getting done.
You had a call from a family member Isn't that a blessing?
It's well sometimes it may be a call from a family member.
You have a headache that popped up or something that maybe you
didn't start to feel well during the day and unexpected text that
just kind of came through that you weren't.
Well I guess an unexpected text, you wouldn't be expecting.
So yeah, there's that a project that you were starting but went
completely different than how you thought it would go.
Once you kind of got into it, a trip that the store that you
didn't intend to take an unplanned meeting at work.
And these disruptions and meetings can be a source of
annoyance or sometimes they can be a source of outright anger If
we're honest. Because we know what we wanted
to do that day, and it ended up that somewhere along the way
those plans got derailed. But, you know, I found this to
be true if I was to think about this dispassionately not about
what I'm in the middle of this and I'm kind of frustrated.
But if I was a step back, there's a lot of times that
these inconveniences are some of the hinge.
Is on which swings the door of opportunity that if we were to
just take a moment and stop and breathe for a second.
We realized that what we think is an inconvenience is effort as
actually opportunity that God is giving us either to minister to
someone else or because there's something better that he has
planned for us that what we had planned for ourselves.
And so as we begin forward and soul winning this month.
This morning, we consider one of the most unlikely in unusual
meetings in all of the word of God.
Right here in John chapter 4, it's a one-on-one conversation
between a woman who tried her best to be hidden and a savior
who sought her out despite all the difficulties.
And when I think of us trying to give the gospel to someone else,
I don't know that there are many greater passages that maybe John
chapter 3 Jesus and Nicodemus and John chapter 4, the woman at
the well for us to look at and be encouraged in our daily life.
That despite the inconvenience it might seem To give the gospel
to someone else that it is so necessary for us to share our
faith with those who are around us.
Would you stand please for the reading of God's word?
If you're able to John chapter 4, we're going to begin in verse
number one. Here this morning, John chapter
4 beginning in verse number one when therefore, the Lord knew
how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more
disciples than John, although Jesus himself.
Baptized not but his disciples were.
He left Judea and departed again into Galilee and he It needs go
through Samaria and verse. Number 4 is a short verse.
It may not seem like it's that important, but is actually very
important verse number 5. Then cometh he to a city of
Samaria, which is called sychar here to the parcel of ground
that Jacob gave to his son. Joseph.
Now Jacob's, Well, was there, Jesus, therefore being wearied
with his journey set? The Saint the well, and it was
about the sixth hour, which is what we would call noontime
here. Today, they're come with a woman
of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her.
Get me to drink for his disciples were gone away under
the city. Goodbye meat then.
Saith the woman of Samaria unto him.
How is it that thou being a Jew? Ask a drink of me, which are a
woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealings with the
Samaritans, Jesus answered, and said, unto her.
If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to
thee, give me to drink. Thou wouldest have asked him and
he would have given thee. Living Water, the woman saith
unto him. Sir, thou Hast nothing to draw
with and the well is Is deep from whence then hast, thou that
Living Water art thou greater than our father.
Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself and
his children as cattle. Jesus answered and said unto her
whosoever, drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
Speaking of the well, but whosoever.
Drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst. But the water that I shall give
him shall be in him and well of water springing up into
everlasting life. Life the woman saith unto him.
Sir, give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither
to draw us. God to bless the reading of his
word. You may be seated this morning
as we get into our message today forward in Soul winning.
That term Soul winning. You know it's kind of a funny
word isn't it? It's kind of a funny term you're
never going to hear the word Soul winning outside of church
and I would dare say there's a lot of churches, even that
wouldn't even use the word Soul winning as part of their
vocabulary and any form or fashion.
But what does it actually mean? You know why?
You might be surprised to realize this morning, that the
word Soul winning is not something that I've made up, or
that pastors have made up, but the term soul Any actually comes
right from the Bible. In fact, Proverbs 11:30 says
this, the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life and he that
winneth Souls is wise. Now I don't know that I've
always been accused of being a very wise person, all things
considered but I know this if God says here's a way to be
wise, I probably should pay attention a little bit.
Shouldn't I perk up my ears. A little bit of God says here is
a way a method a mechanism for you to show biblical wisdom it.
Make me stop and think about it a little bit.
And God says, to us through his word, the wisdom of Solomon
inspired by the holy spirit, says this.
He that winneth Souls is wise. Okay, well, we've established
that this term Soul winning is not something that comes from
Rivero theology, or from someone else.
But this is something that comes from the Bible.
But what exactly is so winning? Well, I Define it this way.
It's to purposely catch lost souls for the sake of the
Gospel. To purposely catch lost souls
for the sake of the Gospel. Now this also may sound odd to
catch Souls Pastor. So you mean when you ask people
to come on Saturday do you hand out lassos?
Do you hand out cages? I mean what are you doing to try
to catch people for the cause of Christ?
I don't know that. I like the sound of this at all
Pastor. It sounds weird.
It sounds unusual. No.
Again, I'm using these words on purpose because I want to use
some biblical words. Biblical thoughts to help frame
the way. We look at this issue in a
scriptural fashion. See was Jesus who said in Luke
chapter 5 verse number 10, where he said to Simon Peter fear, not
for henceforth, Thou shalt catch men fear, not for Thou shalt
catch men. The idea is this and maybe the
more familiar way we would put it is this Jesus was telling
Peter, I'm going to make you a Fisher.
Of men. Now that's ironic because before
Peter was a fisher of fish which is usually what Fisher's do, but
here's what he says. Jesus says, you were catching
fish for a living but now your job everything that you do is
going to be surrounded by the fact that you are going to catch
them. So Soul winning is the process
of becoming a fisher of men that you and I are trying to go out
and give The gospel, the good news.
And that's by the way, what the word gospel means.
It literally means the good news.
It's the gospel Jesus death, and his burial, and his
resurrection. It's the gospel, it's
deliverance from sin, it's the good news.
It's the reality of heaven and of Salvation, from a devil's.
Hell, it's gospel, it's good news.
And when we are to bait the hook, if you will to be able to
catch men, the hook is baited with nothing else.
Than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is a Jesus, I was dying.
He died was buried. He rose again and because of
that sacrifice that he made once for all you and I could have
eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord listen, there's
no better bait than that friend and you and I are called to be
those Fishers of Men. But here's the question.
So are we supposed to actively win souls for Christ?
Sure. It's a Biblical concept sure
it's something that the scriptures teach us to do that.
Jesus told the disciples that they weren't to do because I put
it this way. What does that mean to me?
Okay, the Bible talks about it, the disciples were supposed to
do it but how does that help a group of souls sitting here at
800 Washington Street in Easton in 2023?
What does that mean? To us, is it relevant to us
today? Does it matter for us today?
And I would put it to you this way.
It is not only just as relevant today as when Jesus, uttered.
These words to Peter, 2,000 years ago, I would also submit
to you that perhaps, it's even more important today than it was
2,000 years ago. Because as we look at this world
where almost eight billion Souls live in it today where this
world is in an absolute mess and absolute chaos.
Listen, the time is short. The prophetic clock is about to
Ring. And you and I have to get as
many people as we can. We got to catch as many as we
can for the Lord while we still have time.
That means it's our job. See some people say, well, Soul
winning is God's job. He'll sort it out in his own
way. Kind of like, you know, just
leave it all to the Lord. There are some who say this,
well, it's the job of the pastor to win souls or it's the job of
the clergy. I mean, that's that's their job.
I mean, that's what you get paid for.
Anyway, I mean, just go win people to Christ, that's your
job. Some would say it's the church's
job without actually, thinking about what that means for it,
being the church's job. And I would say this, I agree
with all of these thoughts to a point listen without God.
There is no salvation. So we understand that God is not
just the important part that if you remove God from salvation,
there is no salvation. So, of course, he's important.
It is the pastor's duty to be a soul winner.
It is my job. If I was having job description,
certainly, it should be to try to bring people to Christ
Romans. 10:14 says how then shall they call on him in whom
they have not? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear?
Without a preacher. So certainly it's the job of a
pastor of a Preacher as well and it is the church's duty to win.
People to Christ is why we mentioned even on Wednesday
night, Matthew 28:19, where he tells the church pre-existing
there on the mount before Pentecost.
He says go ye therefore and teach All Nations.
Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and
the Holy Ghost yet, it's not Just the sacred duty of the
church to actively win the lost to Christ.
I would also say to you that if it's the job of the church to
win people to Christ, then whose job is it.
It's the people who make up the church who are called to do it
because we can't send 800 Washington Street to other
people's own dresses and have the church building when people
to Christ know what happens to be those who claim the name of
Jesus Christ and are part of the membership.
Of Liberty, Baptist Church, specifically who God has called
us now he's called every believer, but I would say even
more. So for us who are part of this
church that we would say this? Why are we gathered here today?
Why have we come? Well there's lots of reasons
why. But one number one has to be
this for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because
if it is for any other reason, if we've missed the mark of what
the heartbeat of God is because he wants to see more souls added
to the kingdom. And that's not the church's,
quote, unquote job could. I just put it bluntly?
It's your job. It's your job.
Well, Pastor a more comfortable. If if you do it, well, can I be
honest with you? I'm more comfortable.
If you do it. But it's not about what's
comfortable, is it? It's about what God's called us
to do. Everybody wants someone else to
do the work. I mean that's life but here's
what God says, given us. He has given us a command.
He's given us a commission. He's given us a calling, but I
thank him that he's given us. His blessed, Holy Spirit, to
live inside of us to go before us to work in the hearts of
other people. And he gave us the boldness, and
the courage to speak. And to tell other people about
the gospel know who's Curtis Hudson, who said this, the great
evangelist. He said this, the only
alternative to Soul winning is Insta Christ, the only
alternative to Soul winning the only alternative to sharing your
faith with someone else of trying to actively try to pluck
someone from the very snares of Hell.
The only alternative to Soul winning is Disobedience to
Christ. But here's the thing.
I feel like probably if you know the Lord you're on the same page
with me right now. I don't know that anyone's
really actively saying, I don't agree with that.
I would say if you know Jesus Christ as your savior
Fundamentally you understand the truth of what I'm saying, right
now. I don't know that I need to lay
out an hour. You say, please, Pastor not an
hour. No, but I don't need to lay out
an hour of here's why you. And I are responsible to win
people to Christ. I think we're on the same page
there, here's the problem, most of us don't.
Most people don't. Why?
Why is there the disconnect between?
We know, this is what we're supposed to do, but yet, it
doesn't get done. Could I submit you a few
reasons? It's inconvenient.
It's not easy. It's time consuming.
Get to put your pride on the Shelf a little bit, you might
have to put your reputation on the line a little bit.
It could cost you not in necessarily dollars and cents
but maybe in the way you're perceived by others, Like I
said, it's inconvenient. Just like you get up in the
morning and say, this is what I want to do today and things
change. Soul winning will change your
day. So winning will change the way
you look at people. It will change the way you look
at situations, it will very much change the way you look at life.
And this brings us to this morning's text here in John
chapter 4 and I would love to go back to John chapter 3 and look
at Jesus and Nicodemus as well. But but here we are in John
chapter 4, this morning and I believe it represents.
Maybe the best of all the tutorials you can find on what
it means to win. Someone to Christ we're looking
at the greatest Soul winner who ever walked the Earth.
Jesus Christ. In fact he's the one One who
literally one every soul in the sense that he secured salvation
For All Mankind. Not that he's saved all mankind
in the sense that he forced everyone to be saved, but he
secured it. So that every single person
could call upon the name of Jesus Christ, the greatest Soul
winner of all time talking to a woman who had a past talking to
a woman who had some history and instead of going by her and
ignoring her like many did, and instead of a going by her and
Whispering about her behind her back.
Like many others did. He stopped.
And a very inconvenient time, and loved her, and cared for and
brought her to himself. So, two things, I want to look
at very quickly about our Texas morning.
The first is this Soul winning was a matter of inconvenience
for Jesus Soul. Winning what a matter of
inconvenience for Jesus. Now you might hear the word
inconvenience in Jesus's name in the same sentence, that might
kind of set you off a little bit.
It might not sound right, but just follow what I mean by that
here for just a second. What I mean by that is this Has
had a multitude of reasons not to have this encounter with this
unnamed woman. There were so many reasons why
Jesus didn't have to stop and sit by the well and talk to this
woman here in Samaria. There's a lot of reasons, the
first was this, he was kind to her despite ethnic tensions.
Remember, I said it was important when it said, and he
must needs go through Samaria. In verse number 4, and you can
see this ethnic tension, echoed in verse number 9, where she
says, then said the woman of Samaria unto him.
How is it that thou being a Jew? Ask us drink of me, which I'm a
woman of Samaria for the Jews Have No Dominion dealings.
With the Samaritans, well, what is being referenced here?
Is the fact that for probably about 500 years, the Jews and
the Samaritans have been at odds at one another because during
the Captivity time, when many were taken away, Left there in
the land and intermarried with other people in the land.
And so the Samaritans in many ways were considered to be half
Jews. And so when someone was
traveling from the North of Israel, to the south of Israel
at the time of Jesus, life and Ministry, you would have had to
go through Samaria or you would have to take several days to go
around some area to make sure that you avoided dealing with.
The Samaritans as she says, in verse number 9, you say, well,
why would anybody do that? We'll listen.
Why does anybody do anything? Because of a Ethnic hatred.
Well, it doesn't make sense at all.
That's exactly what was happening here by the way, if
you want some of the back story about the Samaritans and why
they were the way they were. You can read second Kings,
chapter 18 and find out more about them later.
But here, when many Jews said this, I'm going to go around
Samaria. Jesus said this, I must needs go
through Samaria. He wasn't saying that.
Because he was trying to save time, he wasn't trying to say
that because it was the most direct route.
He went through Samaria because there was a woman in a place
called sychar and because there were people people who lived in
that city called sychar, shechem in the Old Testament, and he
went there because there was someone who needed to talk to
him and he was kind to her, despite this ethnic tension.
It was inconvenient, some would say, but to Jesus, it was just
the right thing to do, but he wasn't just kind because of the
ethnic tension, despite the ethnic tension, he desired to
meet her, despite the distance. Jesus was traveling, I don't
know about you, but when I travel, I want to get from point
A to point B. And I don't want to say anything
in between. I wish I had more of the
roadside Spirit where, you know, hey let's pull off and look at
this, and let's pull off and look at that.
When I'm driving, listen, if it's a 20-hour drive according
to Google Maps, if I get there in 21, it's a failure.
Not a great way to live. It's just honest.
All right, that's the way that it is.
All right, but there's some distance involved.
Well, Jesus had some distance involved and no one would have
blamed him for just saying. Listen, I'm on a journey.
Listen, I have a direction that I need to go.
I don't have time to talk with these people right now, but,
despite the distance, he knew that she was going to talk with
her. Despite we put it this way, the
inconvenience, he knew that he needed to meet, with her.
He ministered to her despite being weary.
Look at verse. Number 6, it says, This and
Jacob's. Well, was there, Jesus,
therefore being wearied with his journey sat thus on the well.
And it was about the sixth hour now.
You understand that Jesus, although completely God was
completely man at the same time and so Jesus at times would have
been hungry or thirsty. Or tired.
Listen, Jesus. Slept at the bottom of the boat,
while the storm was going on above in his Humanity.
He was in this verse. We re why what was a few
reasons. One, he'd been walking for a
while. To it was noon time.
The hardest part of the day three.
It's likely it was thirsty. He was sitting next to a well
and for he was hungry because he sent the disciples to go in and
get food and bring it back. I would say that was a
combination for someone to be weary.
And again, I don't know about you, but when I'm weary, I don't
really think about other people's needs as much as I'd
like a nap. I'd like some water, I'd like
some food. This is what I'm focusing on is
because what I need and Jesus would not have been blamed to
say well, lady listen, I don't really want to talk to you today
because you listen, I'm tired. I'm weary it's been a long day
on a dusty road. But despite the fact that there
was weariness in his heart there, that moment he knew there
was something greater to do and he ministered to her need.
When he had a need, he ministered to her need, when he
had a need despite that not only that he talked to her despite
her reputation. Still Pastor what kind of
reputation to they have? Well did she have?
Well, I mentioned to you that she was gathering water at the
six-hour, that's there in verse number 6, that's noon.
Time people didn't normally gather the water then we go to
the well at noon time. You know why?
Listen, this is deep stuff right here.
It's hot at noon. I know it's hard to believe
right now but it's the only hot at noon at least that part of
the world. That's the way it would have
been. So what did you do?
Usually Drew water in the morning or in the cool of the
evening? She's there and the noon I would
surmise she was there because she didn't want to be seen.
She went in the morning, two people, their joint in the
night, there'll be people there. So when the afternoon she had to
weld or sell, well, why would she want?
The well to herself? Well, Jesus revealed in verse
number 18, that she had 500 husband previously and who she
was living with now, was not her husband, by the way, even in
that, recognizing that God, biblically established marriage
and that there's a difference between marriage and living
together. He says, listen you have a
situation here. He says you Five, husbands and
you're living with someone. Now, who is not your husband?
Now while that may not have much of a stigma today and 2023, no
matter what the Bible says, it may not have much of a public
stigma. We understand that at that time,
especially what's going to happen.
People don't like that. People don't like her.
You say, is that right? Well, no.
Is it right for them to talk about her behind her back?
No. Was it right for them to treat
her in the way they were treating her?
No. But what did Jesus do?
Did he treat her? Like the rest be treated with
compassion? He treated with love, she has
Story, by the way. Could I mention this before you
got saved, you had a story too. And some of us fell away from
the Lord for a while and have a store even after we get saved.
But Jesus Christ has love and compassion for you and love for
you. He talked to her despite her
reputation reputation. I'm glad that Jesus Saves the
down-and-outs. He can't save the proud. but
it's not because he's not able to it's because the proud won't
allow him to So here's a woman Pride was put to the side.
She had nothing left but what did she do?
She listened to one who had compassion on her and listen to
her. He was patient despite her
confusion. You read this chapter and you'll
realize that there's this great back and forth to go between
Jesus and the woman, he talks about water, she doesn't know
what the water he's talking about.
He talks about Wells and she thinks he's talking about
Jacobs. Well she's talking about the
Wrath between the Jews and the Samaritans, she's talking about
where they're supposed to worship.
You know, you Jews, you you Worship in Jerusalem but we
worship here on Mount gerizim and this mountain and they kind
of go back and forth. There was so much confusion.
Hey, you know what Jesus does he says lady either.
Get it or don't. No, that's not what he said.
So make sure you're with me. We also have a little worried
there for a second. All right, somebody said yeah,
that's why. This is what he said, so he's
hit no, she asked questions that had nothing to do with what
Jesus was trying to get across to her.
But instead of Jesus saying, look, I don't have all day, you
want the water, or don't you, She says he says this, he
continues to give her love and understanding and keep speaking
truth to her. He keeps speaking truth to her
patiently lovingly kindly listen.
It's an inconvenient meeting. He was kind despite the ethnic
tensions. He desired to meet her, despite
the distance, he ministered to her, despite being weary talk to
her despite a reputation. He was patient despite her
confusion and all of that. even in her confusion, he keeps
guiding her back to one thought, look at verse number, 25
quickly, Because it's whole conversations being guided to
one thought and it's this the woman saith unto him.
I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ.
When he is come, he will tell us all things. and Jesus saith unto
her, I that speak unto thee and he it all came down to this.
I that speak it to thee. MD.
You know, it's interesting here. What we read.
Here in this chapter. So far shows us what's really at
stake here. What's a matter of inconvenience
for Jesus Christ. And we saw there were some
inconveniences that he overcame. But what was a matter of
inconvenience for Jesus Christ was a matter of life or death
for this woman because what was at stake, eternal life?
What was a matter of inconvenience for Jesus Christ?
Was a matter of life or death for this woman, and it reminds
us that, while soul-winning may be an inconvenience for a
Christian, it is a matter of life and death for the lost.
Soul winning is an inconvenience for the Christian.
We have some inconveniences as well, that we need to overcome
whether it's our pride or whether it's our fear or whether
it's our time or whether it's a any number of things.
But what inconvenience says we have to come are just small.
Their infant testable in proportion to the fact that who
we are trying to minister to the message of the Gospel is a
life-or-death situation. So we have to overcome our
little Hang-Ups. We have to overcome our little
inconveniences to realize this know I have to give them Jesus
Christ, because if I don't or someone else doesn't then they
will die and they will go to hell for all eternity.
So why would I keep my mouth shut?
Why would I not share? Because what is a in Convenience
to be is life or death for them. Now, why is that look at verse
number 14, why is soul winning a matter of life or death?
For the Lost verse number 14, but whosoever, drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him shall be in him, shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life, which
says this without the Water of Life.
What happens without water? We die without the Water of
Life, That's not just water. The Living Water, we know that
there's a spiritual death that comes, that's serious, John put
it so well. And so succinctly.
In first John 5:12, he that hath, the son hath life, and he
that hath, not the Son of God hath, not like this woman need
to understand the her sin was sending her on a path.
Straight to Hell. Your Jesus Christ was offering
her himself. The Living Water that would give
her life. What's interesting about Jesus,
every man before that she met had taken from her.
We can count six. Can't wait, five husbands and
one that's living with her. Every single one of those men
wanted something out of her. Jesus was the only man who
didn't want something out of her.
He wanted to give her something. I want to give her the Living
Water. He wanted her to have eternal
life and that's what the soul winner does.
It say I'm not trying to draw out of you from this
transaction. I'm not trying to get something
out of you out of you know I'm trying to make sure that you get
something that is totally free and without charge not that they
came without cost because it was the cost of Our Saviors,
Precious Blood but it's free for all who will take and that
salvation in Jesus Christ and that What salvation is a free
gift. So this shows me in our text.
There's two groups of people that have something on the line
today. Just from looking at our text.
There's two groups of people who have something on the line
today. There are those who are like the
woman at the well at the beginning of the text.
Lost and needing a savior. You know what you have on the
line today, the difference between Heaven and Hell.
It's real. You say, Pastor, you're being
dramatic? No, I'm not being dramatic.
I'm being scriptural. The Bible says, it's been
appointed unto man once to die. And after this, the Judgment
that there is a Salvation that will save you from your sins and
it's important. It's necessary for every single
person to call Upon Jesus Christ to save them.
It's religion. It's going to save you.
It's not good works that will save you.
It's not coming to church on Sunday.
It's not putting a big check in the plate.
It's not How many people you shake hands with when you come
here or how nice you are or how many Good Deeds you do in the
town? It has nothing to do with any of
those things although they might be good things in and of
themselves but none of them will help you ever achieve eternal
life there is only one method. There is only one way that
eternal life can be achieved and it's not buying achieving.
You can do is by what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
So you must call upon him and save you today.
Alyssa, that's what's on the line.
That's what's on the line. And we have to understand that
you say, Pastor, why do you talk about this every week?
I mean, can't you just talk about like once a month or maybe
you have. It's like a Salvation day where
you preach on salvation because it's so important that we have
to talk about it every chance we have because there could be
someone within the sound of my voice.
They may believe they are saved or maybe or trusting in a prayer
that they said when they were young or they have some other
issue where they think they're trusting in good works or
something else. And we just have to take time to
say no. No, you need to call Upon Jesus
Christ to save. You repent, a call upon Christ
to save you today. Only, he can save you from your
sins. Listen.
If it was as easy as baptizing people, as my pastor, you say
we'd build a pool out there and we run everybody through it.
If it was as easy as taking the communion, we'd hand out the
juice and the Wafers every week, and I'm not trying to be
flippant understand that, I'm trying not to be disrespectful
or flip. It always say it.
But I'm saying if that was the method of Salvation, that we
would do whatever we could to make people do it.
It's not that it's you have to decide.
In the gospel message, and you have to decide.
Will you repent call upon Christ?
The Savior this woman. You know, when Jesus said, I am
the Messiah, you know what, she did, the Bible said she left her
waterpot and ran into the City and told everyone that she found
the Messiah. You know what's funny?
Is that when she realized she found the Messiah that water
didn't matter anymore. She didn't care.
It's about Jesus isn't amazing. Once we get saved our priority
sometimes shift really quickly and all of a sudden what was
important before is an important after and all of a sudden, you
realize I've found something greater than a picture and found
something greater than the water inside of it.
I have found the Living Water that if I take of him will
spring up with me into eternal life and you know what she did?
She became immediately part of the other group.
She told everybody she could. See because there's one group
here for the loss. You need to be saved, but for
the say, we have to ask ourself this.
Why won't you be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel?
Because remember what to one group is a life-or-death
situation is for those of us who are saved, the issue of Soul
winning is a mere inconvenience. What do we have on the line?
Well, they might say something. Not nice to me.
I don't want to be sarcastic. Well, maybe I do a little bit
bouquet, but I don't want to be sarcastic.
But how does that compare to an eternity in hell?
That's like a hangnail. That's a spiritual hangnail and
we get so caught up in these things.
Well, you know, someone might not, you know, it might yell at
me. They might.
Or they might get saved. Or they might trust Jesus Christ
as their Savior. And so what for the Lost is a
matter of life and death is for us, just an inconvenience.
So here's the question. Why don't we do it?
What do we tell other people about the gospel?
Why don't we go to those that were afraid.
Well how they'll respond and give them the gospel, why don't
we come to outreach and and do those things here, I mentioned.
And I'll mention this again on Wednesday night in probably
mentioned. Again during the week we have
enough work to do on a normal Saturday morning that we could
get a. We could take at least a dozen
people and If you run in different places and do
different things and you say, well I don't know what to do
when I don't know how I feel about it.
And I don't understand. I'm busy on Saturdays.
I got to sleep in at least until noon on Saturday to make up for
the rest of the week. And listen, I get it, sleep on,
it's kind of like Jesus said to the disciples that go ahead and
sleep on. Because the soldiers were there
to take him to the cross. I asked, you could you spend an
hour, if you spend an hour, could you spend an hour and then
he finally said sleep on, You've missed it.
You've missed. See Pastor was everything about
Saturday. You say this Saturday thing know
that Outreach is some winning and is more than just a Saturday
thing. But I'll say this, if you can be
here on Saturday, we need you Why?
Because there's people out here. I need the gospel, you know,
where they're going, they're going to Farmer markets on
Saturday because all the store. To taking care of the Yards.
They're sleeping in the doing all kinds of things, not
realizing that it's a life-or-death situation that
they were in a car accident. if they had a medical event, God,
just called him home, for whatever reason, that they have
to give an account for why they did not accept the gospel
message. Now, wonder how many of us will
have to give an account for why we didn't share the gospel
message with those groups of people.
Is your Saturday routine, too. Sacred to show someone the
gospel. You comfort too important to
show the cruelty of the Cross to a loss center.
Is your impatience with the world, too?
Deep to patiently. Show them.
The savior. In fact second Timothy 2:25 26
says this in meekness, instructing those that oppose
themselves you don't we talk to the lost and what we do we
instruct those who oppose themselves.
They're very position that there is no God is opposing to
themselves. So what do we do in meekness, we
help them. If peradventure God will give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and
that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil
who are taking captive by him at his will.
Paul is saying this. There are literally those who
are unsaved there in the snare of the devil.
You understand a snare is like a trap like a bear that's been
appalled. It's in there that can't move
and just waiting for the hunter to come and to kill them.
And Satan has laid these snares out for a, but you and I have
the ability to come and to open that trap.
And oh, Open that snare through the power of the gospel and to
give New Life to someone who is unsaved not that we have the
power to give the new life but we can present it to them and
show them and we can win souls for Christ.
But it's an inconvenience floppy.
Won't do it. My mom and I get it.
There are times. I just want to keep my mouth
shut. There are certain people that I
just don't want to bring the gospel up to There are times
that I get up on Saturday morning and say, I don't know
these people, I don't know if they'll get it.
Their times. But, may I ask you this.
How else will people get saved? Unless people present the word
of God? You said, well, it's you because
you said how shall they hear without a preacher that was in
Romans 10? Well, you understand, that's
talking about the word of God being preached and presented and
that means it's not just me, that means that's all of us.
That we're all preachers in the word of God, in that sense that
we have to present the word of God, and salvation, to his
people who said they put you this way. if there was an EMT, a
coffee shop, No sense. A policeman.
A donut shop as an EMT at a coffee shop.
Who has their radio on, and as they're sitting there in the
coffee shop, they hear this poison victim at 345 Main
Street. Knowing that they're a block
away from 345 Main Street. What would you think of an EMT
who refuse the call? Well, maybe the AMT says, well,
I can't do anything. Well, you have the medicine with
you to help them. Maybe the EMT would say oh, it
cost too much. well, the medicine is already paid for
maybe the EMT would say I'm tired.
But it's your job. We would say at best an EMT
would be negligent. For not doing what they could
for someone who is in a life-or-death situation.
That literally, all they needed was the antidote but yet
Christians make these same excuses every day.
I can't do anything. Well, God's given us his word to
be able to tell people about the gospel, it cost too much.
Costs already been paid for the blood of Jesus Christ, the cost
of our shame, or the cost of the loss of our pride, or the cost
of our standing in the community is so small.
You can't even measure it compared to the cost of the cost
Jesus Christ. I'm tired.
It's our job. But it's our job.
Are you let is a pastor in Michigan.
And he puts Soul winning in this way.
I read this and I thought this was good.
He said, sometimes people wonder why I emphasize Soul winning so
much an evangelist. Once preached our church and
asked how many of our folks went Soul winning on a regular basis
when approximately half of the evening crowd, raised their
hands. He said, look at that amazing
sight. Another evangelist said to me
that it would be ridiculous to preach on Soul winning at our
church because so many people already rent went but suppose
about half of an army showed up when it was time to fight.
Suppose about half the football team were there for the opening
kickoff. So is it half of the workforce?
Came at their appointed time on a given day?
We would not think that was a success.
It is possible for us to be better than average in the area
of Soul winning, but to still be far below, normal.
Can I tell you this? And maybe this is a scary
thought to you or church compared to most churches.
And I'm looking about churches just all across denominational
stripes. Is better than the average
Church in. Handing out the gospel we have
tracks, a lot of church don't have tracks gospel literature
which you have an outreach program as soul-winning program.
A lot of churches don't even have that.
We have some people who actually come which is more than most
churches consent. But does the fact that we have
tracks and that we have a program and that we have some
people come and that we do better than most mean that we're
right with God. Because the spec is not for us
to be up to where the world is, or a little bit better.
The spec is this, where am I? According to what God's standard
is she Patrick? I know what this is.
You're just trying to get a bunch of people here at 10:00 on
Saturday morning to share the gospel.
Can I be honest with you? Yes.
Yeah, I am. No.
The sarcastic things, that matter if I'm pushing them down.
I really, I'm pushing them down right now because I'm not, I'm
not angry about it at all, but I will say this, it's our duty.
I know that everybody can come every Saturday.
I know that I mean, I'm not too crazy.
Okay. Anyway, I know not, everyone can
come. I just said it's thinking about
that. Maybe I am, but I know that ever
comes. I know that's the way that it
is. We have, yeah, I can't always
come every Saturday to get different things going on travel
or different events. I get that.
But at some point we have to say whether it's on Saturday,
whether it's during the week or whether it's another time
because soul-winning doesn't just happen to happen on
Saturday or whether whatever it is.
Am I willing to overcome my small inconveniences?
To help someone who is in a life-or-death situation.
Well, if I witness to my brother, he might get angry.
If you don't your brother may, go to hell.
I'm not trying to be too blunt. I'm just being honest.
Well, if I witness to my coworker that's in the cubicle
next to me, it might get very uncomfortable for us, if it
doesn't go well, it will be Beyond uncomfortable for
eternity if they don't accept the gospel, uncomfortable is not
even a word that can describe it.
Luke chapter. 16 said that the rich man was in hell in
torments, the word torment was plural.
So, I'm not trying to hit you with a blunt, you know, you
know, blunt force, trauma this morning, but I do want us to
recognize what the stakes are and that a lot of times our
excuses and I raised my hand. Because it just because I'm here
on Saturday, doesn't mean that I have a soul winning Spirit, the
way that God wants me to all the time.
Is it? Our excuses are so small.
Because our inconveniences as are like an ant looking at Mount
Everest. Compared to the issues of the
unsaved, if they don't get saved for all eternity.
So as we look forward this month, new month, new theme for
and soul winning. Are you willing to go forward a
little bit this week? For the cause of Christ.
Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of
Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing
to you or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us
know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty Baptist dot org,
or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred Washington
Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord
bless you as you grow in his word.