When I first got saved,
I had long hair and a very bushy beard. And since the Lord had delivered
me out of a life of drugs & alcohol, people loved to hear me tell
my testimony. I guess looking like a heathen really made an impact to
what I said. One Saturday morning, at a full-gospel businessmen’s
breakfast, the leader asked me to share my testimony. Afterwards, he
said, “Isn’t it great that even a person who looks like that
can be a Christian.”
Now this didn’t destroy my faith, but I’ve also never forgot
what he said. And I hope this is something we will never say about anyone
who comes into this building. I hope that when people come in here who
look, dress, and even smell differently that we do, that we will reach
out and hug them in Jesus’ name.
Do you realize that the Jesus movement of the 60’s & 70’s
started with the original Calvary Chapel? And it started all because
people were willing to share Jesus with people who looked & dressed
differently than they did. Pastor Chuck Smith was pastoring a little
church in California, when the Lord laid a burden on his wife for the
hippies who hung around the beach. So she started to pray for their
salvation. All of a sudden these hippies started to come to the church,
straight off the beach. And the church had just put down new carpet,
so some of the members were concerned that the sand the hippies were
bringing in on their bare feet might ruin the carpet. Pastor Chuck asked
his congregation, “What’s more important to you: carpet or
souls?” The people decided that souls were more important, and
the Spirit of God brought forth a revival that saw thousands of young
people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord!
Likewise, Paul was willing to share the good news of Jesus with those
who were different than he was in the hopes that they too might get
saved. Paul knew that in order for us to be able to win the lost souls
in our world, we have to learn how to develop relationships with people
who are different than we are. And that is what we will learn from our
passage this morning.
We will learn this by looking at what it was that made Paul such a successful
soul winner. Our natural inclination is whenever we see a person who
has become very successful, is that we want to know what is the secret
of their success. And that is what we will do this morning as Paul gives
us the secret of his success. The first part of Paul’s secret to
being a successful soul winner was that soul winning was his main purpose
in life. He tells us this 5 times in this passage--vv. 19(b)-22(a).
Paul would be considered a professional fisherman. He studied everything
there was to know about how to fish for the souls of men. Fishing wasn’t
a hobby, it was his life.
The Greek word for win is a very graphic word that means securing something
as a measure of victory. So Paul’s main purpose in life was to
defeat Satan by securing people’s souls in the kingdom of God.
And Paul became a champion in the area of soul winning.
Now it is easy to say that we want to be a soul-winner, just like it
was easy for Paul to make this profession. But it’s quite another
matter to make the words of our mouths become the actions of our lives.
It’s like going on a diet.
For years I said I wanted to lose weight. But the only diet I went on
during those years was a see-food diet. I ate everything I saw. But
one morning last year, I yielded to the voice of the Spirit, and I went
on a diet. And since that day, I’ve lost over 100 pounds.
Likewise, Paul repeats over & over again that he wants to win souls,
and not as some spiritual sounding platitude, but because this was the
desire of his heart. And he put these words into practice. For when
Paul started new churches, he didn’t go into a region and try to
establish a Bible study with those who were already saved. He went into
the regions looking for people who had never heard about the Lord Jesus
Christ.
As much as Paul liked to teach the deeper things of God, he knew that
first of all, he had to fulfill the fundamentals of our faith. He heeded
Jesus’ words when he said, “Follow Me, and I will make you
fishers of men.” (Matthew
4:19) Jesus never planned for his church to consist of the 12 apostles.
Rather, Jesus expects his church, you & me, to go through life,
with our eyes open wide, seeking out opportunities to tell sinners what
he did on the cross, and what he has done in our lives.
I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a pick-up truck, that had several
fishing poles in a gun rack, that said, “I brake for fishing holes.”
That ought to be our mentality as well. We have to be willing to stop
whatever we are doing, whenever the Lord opens up a door for us to share
what he’s done in our life. That indicates that you are passionately
in love with Jesus. For whatever you are passionate about, it is what
you spend the greatest amount of time talking about.
If you are passionate about your kids/grandkids, they are all you talk
about. And your wallet is loaded with pictures of them. Just spend a
few minutes with my wife, and see how quickly she starts to tell you,
and show you pictures of our grandkids. If you are passionate about
NASCAR, you will go to work tomorrow and talk about who won today’s
race. And if you are passionate about Jesus, you will talk about Jesus,
a lot, and with whomever will listen to you.
Now I don’t really enjoy fishing. I believe that on your way to
a fishing hole you pass by a lot of good golf courses. I’ve never
understood that joy that comes from sitting out all day long, in the
hot sun, getting burned to a crisp, trying to catch something that would
be a whole lot cheaper if you bought it at Krogers.
Now part of the reason I don’t enjoy fishing, is because I don’t
really know how to fish, which means that when I do go fishing, I don’t
catch many, if any fish. All across America I have spent a lot of money
to feed a lot of fish, a lot of worms. And in some places, there are
some pretty big fish that are longing for me to come back.
I am such a poor fishermen, that when I go fishing now, I don’t
even put bait on my hook. Instead, I’m into suicide fishing. If
a fish wants me to catch him, he is going to have to throw himself on
my hook.
More than likely, most of us don’t fish for souls because we don’t
know how. Well, Paul, being the expert fisherman that he was, says that
in order to catch fish, you have to go where the fish are. You can have
the fastest boat, the top line gear, the right bait & lures, and
even all the latest gadgets to tell you where the fish are, but if you
don’t go to where the fish are, you will never catch a single fish.
To us, this means you have to go where the sinners are--v. 19.
I want you to notice Paul’s attitude in this statement that is
one of the most amazing paradoxes in the Bible. Paul has been talking
about our freedom. But now he says that he made himself a slave to everyone.
Paul set aside his rights in order to win as many souls as possible.
Paul did this because this was something that God did when he sent Jesus
into this world to pay the price to rescue us from our
1
terrorist, Satan, who was holding us hostage through the means of sin.
God didn’t expect us to build a tower of good works so we could
climb our way up into heaven. He knew that we will never clean ourselves
up enough to make him love us. So to provide a way for salvation, God
came to where the sinners where. And he did it in a most peculiar way.
The Bible tells us that “God sent His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, on account of sin: so He could condemn sin in the flesh,
in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who
do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
(Romans
8:3-4) From Jesus’ example, Paul knew that if he wanted to
be a successful fisherman, then he too had to be willing to go where
the sinners were, even if it meant giving up some of his Christian liberties.
Of course, the reason Paul did this was because he wanted to model his
ministry according to Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus is the perfect
model of someone who set aside his rights in order to win a soul. Jesus
had no problem going to where sinners were. That is why he quickly became
known as the friend of sinners.
However, this was one of the things the Pharisees couldn’t stand
about him. Jesus said that they criticized John the Baptist because
“John came neither eating or drinking, and they said, ‘He
was a demon.’” (Matthew
11:18) Yet when Jesus did just the opposite of John they said he
was “A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’”
(Matthew
11:19)
What brought about this sharp criticism was that after Jesus called
Matthew to follow him, he went to Matthew’s house for supper. And
as Jesus was eating, the worst thing that could happen to a good Jew,
happened. Matthew tells us that “Behold, many tax collectors and
sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat
with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard that, He said
to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those
who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy
and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance.’” (Matthew
9:10-13)
Jesus was at the party because that is where the sinners were, and that
is where we need to be as well. For when we quit doing that, we will
no longer be salt & light to our world around us. But let me warn
you that if you are willing to follow Jesus’ & Paul’s
example, you too will end up appearing to be too worldly by some of
your Phariseetical friends. Just as the Pharisees questioned Jesus’
presence at the parties, you too will be questioned as to why you are
hanging around with sinful people. But if you desire to win souls for
Jesus, then you must be willing to leave your comfort zone in the Christian
subculture and venture out into the world of sinners just as Jesus &
Paul did.
Paul’s next secret to being a successful fisherman was that he
was willing to be flexible with what kind of bait he had to use--vv.
20--22. Paul knew that certain kinds of fish bite better on certain
kinds of bait. So if he needed to use worms, he would fish with worms.
If he needed to use lures, he fished with lures. Paul had no hang up
with hanging around religious people. He also had no hang up hanging
around a bunch of reprobates either. You’d find Paul going to both
the synagogues, and to the sporting events, like the Olympics, in hopes
of sharing Jesus Christ with someone. But he also knew that in order
to share Jesus with someone, he needed to know something about their
likes & dislikes.
In the context of what Paul tells us, if he were to hang around a bunch
of Jewish people, he wouldn’t invite them over to his house on
a Saturday afternoon for a pig picking party. In other words, he was
willing to put aside his Christian liberties, and submit to the Jewish
laws & traditions about what you eat, and when you could work. He
even kept to their rituals. We see this when “Paul wanted to have
Timothy go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because
of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father
was Greek.” (Acts
16:3)
Paul submitted himself to the requirements of the Jewish law so that
he could mingle with the Jews and relate to them where they were in
life. But if he were to hang around a bunch of Gentiles, he’d have
no problem cooking up a pot of low-country boil that was loaded with
sausage & shrimp. Paul had no problem of when in Rome, do as the
Romans do.
And this is not an easy task. It would be like if you were to go to
China, and you were offered some dog meat, and I’m not talking
about a hot dog. In some places in China some of the Chinese still eat
dogs. Or it would be like going to other parts of the world where they
eat horse meat. In many parts of the world, horse meat is considered
to be a delicacy. Now the thought of eating these kinds of meat might
make you sick because they are not meats that our culture condones eating.
But would you be willing to adapt to those cultural practices if God
were to lead you to unsaved people who invited you over to their house
to eat dog stew or a horseburger? Paul was willing to adapt his life
because he wanted to reach people where they were at with the good news
of Jesus Christ.
Now please don’t think that Paul engaged in sinful activities just
to be accepted. Paul lets us know that although he hung around sinners,
he didn’t let peer pressure cause him to be conformed to the image
of their world. When he hung around sinners he never compromised his
Christian values merely to be able to talk to them about Jesus Christ.
When Paul compromised, it was never in immoral matters--v. 21.
Paul tells us that he was always “under the law of Christ”
to show us that he is not suggesting that we ever do anything immoral
in order to win immoral people. That would nullify the teachings of
the Bible. All through the Bible we see that God expects his people
to live holy lives every second of their lives.
We are “A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. And as
aliens and strangers we are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage
against the soul.” (1
Peter 2:9,11) Our calling is to “Live such good lives among
the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see
your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (1
Peter 2:12) What Paul’s trying to get us to see in this passage
is that in order for us to make a positive impact on those we come into
contact with, we have to be willing to modify our habits, we have to
be willing to adjust our lifestyle, and we have to be willing to set
aside our preferences, but never at the expense of compromising our
Christian convictions.
I would have no problem if all of a sudden Mike Pryzybylowicz, Nate
Jones, and Jim Harmon started to get their bodies pierced or tattooed,
if they felt that in doing so they could minister better to our youth.
But I would have a problem if all of a sudden the 3 of them started
to use profanity while teaching, merely because cussing is becoming
an acceptable practice with today’s teens. While tattooing &
body piercing are prohibited to the Jews, I can’t say that those
rules apply to Christians. But I can say that the New Testament clearly
teaches that we are not to use vulgarity when we speak.
Unfortunately, some Christians are starting to say it is okay to cuss,
since cussing is a part of our culture. This is especially seen in some
of the alternative Christian music groups.
They are starting to use cuss words in their songs, just so their songs
seem relevant to the lives of those they are trying to reach. I believe
that we cross the line of involvement when we act just like sinners
do. At that moment we are of no earthly, or heavenly good.
Another part of Paul’s secret for being such a successful fisherman
was that he was willing to meet the needs of others--v. 22. The key
word in this verse in the word “become.” As I said earlier,
Jesus became known as the friend of sinners. One of the primary signs
of being a friend is that you are there when they need you the most.
If you look at your own life, the people who are your best friends are
people you can count on no matter what.
Now in order to meet the needs of sinners, we have to genuinely become
their friend. And not just to make them your spiritual project. While
our goal is to see them saved, we have to be willing to stay in for
the long-haul. The truth of the matter is we don’t know how long
it takes for someone to get saved. Some people get saved quickly, others
may take years. And if you quit calling them just because they didn’t
ask Jesus into their heart the first time you presented the gospel to
them, they will quickly realize that you weren’t really interested
in them. So to keep them from becoming resentful that we are only their
friend as long as they are open to hearing about Jesus, we have to have
the attitude that we genuinely want to be their friend, regardless of
their spiritual progress.
And if you are willing to invest the time it takes to really become
their friend, you will soon discover the opportunities you have to share
with them the gospel. That’s because people are looking for the
answers to the problems of life. So as they share with you that their
marriage is in trouble, you help them by becoming a marriage counselor.
As they share with you that their kids are rebelling, you help them
by teaching them the biblical principles of parenting. As they share
with you that they are having financial problems, you help them by talking
to them about what the Bible says about the trap of debt. And if you
are able, you may even be able to help them out financially. If they
are sick, you help them out by taking them some food, or taking care
of their kids, or by helping them out around the house. By doing things
like this, you become a friend who is willing to try to meet their needs.
In doing so, you show them that Christianity works. And then the Holy
Spirit will open up the opportunities to share with them the gospel.
The greatest example of this principle being put into practice is seen
when Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman at a well one day. John tells
us that “Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus
by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a woman of Samaria came
to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’”
(John
4:6-7) While I’m sure that Jesus was thirsty, but he also used
this encounter as a means to try to become her friend in order that
he might meet the greatest need in this sinner’s life.
You’ve got to understand that for Jesus to establish a friendship
with this Samaritian woman was unheard of in that day. In those day,
not only did men rarely talk in public to women who weren’t their
wives, Jews never talked to Samaritians. This is why Jesus’ request
completely surprised her. The Bible tells us that she said, “How
is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"
For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” (John
4:9)
Her remark opened up the door of opportunity for Jesus to begin share
with her how he could meet her greatest need: to fall in love with the
Savior. The Bible tells us that this woman’s life was a wreck.
She had been married several times, and she was currently shacking up
with her boyfriend.
But Jesus didn’t say to her that he was the one sent from God to
die for wretched sinners like her. He didn’t ask her if she wanted
to receive him, right there and now as her Lord & Savior. Instead
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again;
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give shall never thirst.
The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me water so that I will not be
thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw.” (John
4:13-14)
Jesus knew that everyone is looking for something that will completely
satisfy us. So after Jesus touched on her need, he began to talk about
her pain. John tells us that Jesus then proceeded to talk to her about
her living with so many different men. Jesus knew that the reason she
was in so many failed relationships was because she was looking for
love in all the wrong places. So as he began to meet her need for finding
true love, she became interested in spiritual things.
And as they began to have a theological discussion about the coming
Messiah, this opened the door for Jesus to declare, “I who speak
to you am He.” (John
4:26). Whether or not she ever came to know Jesus as her Messiah,
the Bible doesn’t say. But one thing that happened by Jesus’
willingness to become a friend, by meeting her need for love, was that
it made her more hungry to find out who Jesus was. For she went back
to her city and said, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that
I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John
4:26)
So far we have learned the secrets that made Paul such a successful
soul winner. But what was it that motivated Paul to be willing to live
such a life? In this passage we see Paul’s motivation for winning
souls--v. 23.
The Greek word that Paul uses indicates that he wanted to share in the
blessing that Jesus
received when he went to the cross to die for our sins. Remember that
Jesus didn’t go to
the cross because he was guilty of committing some kind of crime. He
went to the cross
for the sole purpose of shedding his blood to pay off our debt of sin.
So what was the blessing that Jesus received, that Paul wanted to taste?
I believe it is the
the joy that comes from leading someone to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Jesus experienced joy knowing he was going to give his life for the
payment for our sins. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “Fix our
eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
set before Him endured the cross.” (Hebrews
12:2)
The only reason Jesus could endure all the pain and shame of the cross
was the joy he
experienced knowing that his blood was going to buy our salvation. And
Paul wanted to
experience that same joy every time he led someone to a saving faith
in Jesus Christ. There is even “Joy in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner who
repents.” (Luke
15:10)
I’ve done a lot of things in my life trying to find joy. I tried
drugs, alcohol, fast cars & fast women, but none of them ever brought
me as much pleasure as those times when I’ve had the privilege
of leading someone in a sinner’s prayer. And since I don’t
have as much opportunities to hang around sinners as I did when I was
working construction, I love to explain the purpose of Jesus coming
to the earth when I preach. That is why I try to include the message
of the gospel in every sermon.
Let me close by saying that Paul gave up a lot to become the champion
soul winner of all time. He could have gone far in Judaism, he might
have even become the high priest. But he gave up all his religious ambitions
to become a fisher of men. He made one of his top priorities telling
sinners about Jesus.
How about you? Is soul winning one of your top priorities? If it is,
then let me challenge all of us, including me, to become better fishers
of men. Let me challenge you, as I’m challenging myself, to make
one of our purposes of life to see sinners become saints.
So when you get home today, I want you to write down the names of people
that you know who aren’t saved, and who are within your sphere
of fishing. And then begin to pray for their salvation. Please don’t
talk to someone about God before you’ve talked to God about that
person. Then be looking for ways to become involved in their lives as
their friend, which will open up the opportunities for you to tell them
about your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you will do that, then
I promise you that you too will become a successful soul winner.
Let’s
pray
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