“Soul winning is a definite effort to lead a definite person to accept a definite Saviour at a definite time.” – Billy Sunday
Have you heard about D. L. Moody? Have you heard about C. H. Spurgeon? Have you heard about Andrew? I am talking about the Andrew we read about in the Bible.
People of small distinction brought Moody and Spurgeon to the Lord Jesus Christ. Andrew won Peter to Jesus.
I have here the autobiography of C. H. Spurgeon in German before me, and I am reading there about his conversion.
He says that he came out of darkness into light, from death to life by listening to a sermon on Isaiah 45:22, where it says, “Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” The sermon was preached by a very simple man who was not very much to look at and did not pronounce his words properly. On top of that he was filling in for the pastor of the church who probably was not able to turn up because of a snowstorm.
CATCHING OF FISH
The first disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ were fishermen. Their names are Peter, Andrew, James and John. Peter and Andrew were brothers. Peter was also called Simon. The Lord Jesus Christ called them while they were casting a net into the Sea of Galilee. They followed the Lord at once. James and John were also brothers. Their father was called Zebedee. The Lord called James and John while they were in a boat with their father, preparing their nets. Immediately they did not only leave the boat, but also their father.
CATCHING OF MEN
What are the reasons for being a fisher of men?
There are of course several reasons, but here are two:
1. The fact of hell.
We get to hell by neglect . Please read Hebrews 2:3. We avoid hell by receiving Jesus as personal Saviour. Proverbs 15:24. Doom awaits the impenitent. There are 162 texts in the NT which speak of the doom. 70 of the 162 were spoken by the Lord Himself.
2. The glories of heaven.
The soul winner wants to share the glories of heaven with others. Heaven is a place without death, tears, sorrow, crying, pain, hunger and thrst. Imagine, NO MORE DEATH!
If you read Spurgeon’s autobiography you will find that the man who led C. H. Spurgeon to the Lord did exactly what Billy Sunday says. (Read the beginning again!)
Spurgeon himself says this, “If I were utterly selfish and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose, if I might under God, to be a soul winner, for never did I know perfect overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order till I first heard of one who had sought and found the Saviour through my means.”
Moody and Spurgeon were brought to Christ by small calibre men. The Lord can use us to bring people like Moody and Spurgeon to HIM!
