all right well thank you very much for being here tonight I really appreciate
you coming and of course I want to start by saying thank you to pastor mrs.
Burzins for all of the hospitality it's been a wonderful trip I've got
notes that are bigger than this little pulpit here don't know what to
do with it but um it's been a wonderful trip the hospitality the
meals the the food has been great and we really appreciate I know all the
work that goes into an event like this it's okay I'm gonna close this and put
this here in case you're wondering I've got my verses in my notes all right so
I'm not forsaking the Word of God and it's been a wonderful trip I appreciate
being able to see all my friends pastor mrs. Thompson and pastor and mrs.
Shelley and pastor Robinson and I just met pastor Ed Williams sword of the
spirit Baptist Church that's a good name and you've got a good crowd with
you appreciate you being here and of course appreciate everybody here
tonight thank you for being here I realize it's almost 9 p.m. but I'll try
not to keep you too long if you're there in Acts chapter 16 if you look
at verse number 6 the Bible says now when they had gone through Phrygia and
the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach
the word in Asia after they were come to my Sia they assayed the word there
means they determined or attempted to go into Bithynia notice the Bible says but
the spirit suffered them not that word suffer it's an older word we don't use
it in our modern-day vernacular means allowed the Bible says there that
the spirit suffered them not meaning the spirit did not allow them and
what we see in this passage is we see that God is trying to get Paul to the
right place to preach the gospel Paul God's trying to get Paul into the
place where he's gonna be the most effective where there's gonna be the
most reception and he's wanting to go to these places and God the Bible says
if you look verse 6 again were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach
the word in Asia he says in verse 7 that the spirit suffered them not
notice verse 8 and they passing by my Sia came down to Troas notice these
words and a vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of
Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us and
after they had seen the vision immediately we endeavored to go into
Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the
gospel unto them and this is of course the famous Macedonian call and
this is a big event in the life of the Apostle Paul because God the Holy
Spirit suffered him not he was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to go to Asia
which you know we find out we understand many years later is is an
unreceptive place but yet he went into Macedonia he went into the land of Greece
and in Europe in that section and of course had much success there and it's
interesting because obviously Paul was a man that God used to write most of
the New Testament Paul was someone that the Holy Ghost used to speak and
to write the words of God but God here instead of speaking to to Paul he sends
a vision if you notice there again in verse 9 he says and a vision appeared to
Paul in the night and it seems like maybe it was a dream but he he
sees a man he says there stood a man of Macedonia prayed him saying come
over into Macedonia and help us it's interesting to me that God chose the
image of a man now I don't know if this was a literal person that was actually
alive or just a man that represented the Macedonians I'm sure he was dressed
maybe like the Macedonians were dressed or whatever it might be but God
used the vision of someone saying come and help us and after he had seen the
vision immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia a surely gathering that
the Lord had called us forth to preach the gospel it's interesting that
God gives Paul a vision of what we would presume to be an unsaved man a man
that's not saved and we see this unsaved man calling Paul to come preach
the gospel in his area tonight I'd like to preach to you on the subject
of the call of the unsaved you may not realize it or maybe you haven't
noticed it but throughout the Bible we'll see certain unsaved people that
they call and they're calling for someone to bring them the gospel and we
see them getting saved in fact right there in Acts chapter 16 if you look
down at verse number 30 Acts chapter 16 and verse 30 we have that famous
passage of the of the Philippian jailer Acts chapter 16 and verse 30 the Bible
says there and brought them out and said sirs notice here we have an
unsaved man and notice a question he asked he says what must I do to be
saved and they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved
and thy house so we see that there are these unsaved I like to speak to you
just for a few moments tonight on the subject of the call of the unsaved and
maybe you can jot these notes down I realize we're at a camping trip but if
you got a pen or something to write with I'd encourage you to write these
things down keep your place there in Acts we're gonna come back to it but go
with me one book back to the book of John if you would John chapter number
12 I'd like you to notice the call of the unsaved in John chapter 12 we
have this story and of course we're we're rewinding a little bit from the
time of Paul to the time of Christ this is during the ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ John chapter 12 verse 20 the Bible says this and there were
certain Greeks there were certain Greeks among them now I want you to notice
the Greeks are obviously non-Jewish Gentiles and they're among them among
whom among the Jews the Bible says and there were certain Greeks among them
that came up to worship at the feast I want you to notice it is a
Jewish feast you've got these Greek Gentiles coming to worship at a feast
and obviously these guys were curious they're looking for something they're
searching for something they don't even know what they're looking for they just
realize they don't have it they need the truth it isn't true that our
churches our type of churches are filled with people that were once
unsaved looking for the truth I mean that's why you started looking up
all those weird documentaries that Pastor Shelley was talking about right that's
why you started looking into all those weird conspiracy theories that's why you
started you know listening and trying to learn and of course God used that to
bring you to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the truth he said I
am the way of the truth of the light here we have these men they're Greeks
they're Greeks and they are in this at this feast and they're just there
they're curious they're looking they're searching notice verse 21 the
same referring to the Greek Gentiles came therefore to fill up which was of
Bethsaida of Galilee and desired him saying now I want you to notice the
next five words I love these words in fact if you don't mind writing in your
Bible I'd encourage you to underline these words in your Bible or maybe
circle these words in your Bible once you notice these five words these are
made these may be five of the most encouraging words in the Bible I want
you to notice these Greeks all right I'm sure they stood out in the crowd
they're not Jews they're not Jewish that this Jewish feast they're just
kind of there they're just kind of looking they're just kind of
interested they're just kind of curious while they're there they happen
to hear about this other guy named Jesus people are talking about Jesus
people are gossiping about Jesus they're talking about the fact these
healed people about the fact that he's taught great parables and they get
kind of curious and they go and find one of the disciples of Jesus and they
they give this statement they said sir we would see Jesus I want you to
notice that there are people out there who are searching for the truth just
like these Greeks just like these Greeks we read about there are people
out in our communities in our cities in our neighborhoods unsaved people
they're not even safe they're just kind of searching they're not even safe
they're just kind of looking they're not even to say they just know
they're missing something they're not even safe they just know that their
church and their religion and their message is not really the truth they
just understand that there needs to be there should be something there and
those people not even really knowing what they're asking or what they're
looking for they said sir we would see Jesus that those words that they
said we want to see Jesus we would like to see Jesus here's what they
were saying they were saying if you would introduce us to Jesus would sure
like to meet them you know that there's unsafe people out there seeking for
Jesus they may not know it but they're seeking for something go with me back
to the book of Acts if you would Acts chapter number 10 let me give you
another example Acts chapter number 10 there are people out in the world
today that are seeking for something and I'd like to give you the first
point tonight is this the call of the unsaved the call of the unsaved is
for us to seek those that are seeking Acts chapter 10 look at verse 1
let me give you another example Acts 10 1 the Bible says this there was a
certain man of Caesarea called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the
Italian band again a Gentile a devout man and one that feared God with all
his house which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God always there's
a very religious man but we'll see he wasn't saved by the way just cuz
somebody's religious doesn't mean they're saved just because somebody
prays doesn't mean they're saved just because someone goes to church
doesn't mean they're saved notice verse 2 a devout man and one that feared
God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God
always notice verse 3 he saw a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the
day an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him Cornelius and when
he looked on him he was afraid and he said what is it Lord and he said
unto him thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God
now I want you notice the angels doesn't preach the gospel to him because the
Ministry of Reconciliation has not been given to angels notice what the angel
says verse 5 and now send men to Joppa and call for a one Simon whose
surname is Peter he lodgeth there with one Simon of Tanner whose house is
by the seaside he shall tell thee what thou ought is to do here we have
Cornelius a man who's obviously seeking he's searching he's looking for
something he's saved he's on his way to hell but he knows that there's
something out there go with me to the book of Luke if you would you go back
past the book of John into the book of Luke Luke chapter 19 Luke chapter 19
verses notice verse number 10 look Luke chapter 19 and verse 10 the Bible
says this for the Son of Man notice the mission statement of the Lord Jesus
Christ what did Jesus come to this earth to do the Bible says for the
Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost the Bible tell
us that Jesus came to seek that which was lost and by the way the Bible tells
us that we are then to do as Jesus said as my father sent me even
so send I you you know the truth is this that you and I should be seeking
for those that are seeking we should be looking for those that are looking
in fact the call of the unsaved the call of the unsaved the unsaved they'd
say sir we would see Jesus and our job is to look for those that are looking
for Jesus there's a movement of liberal churches out there it was
started by a man named Rick Warren a movement of churches called seeker
sensitive Church it was really made popular by Rick Warren's book the
purpose-driven Church and Rick Warren wrote this book and he started this
seeker sensitive movement where he basically taught people that the way you
get churches to grow and to succeed is is you want to create these seeker
sensitive churches and they would go to an area to plant a church and what they
do is they send these surveys out to the community and these surveys would
ask people certain question that what kind of music do you like how do you
like to dress you know where do you like to spend your time these
different things and then they would take back these surveys and if
everybody in the community said you know we all like country western music
then they would say all right well when you start your church start it
with country western music and if they you know like hip-hop then you want to
start with some Christian rap or if they like rock and roll and have rock
and roll you know and if they like to dress with I don't you know I don't
miss my first time in Georgia I don't know if there's a Georgia thing
but if they like to wear big belt buckles and hat and and cowboy hats
and and boots and you know make sure your pastor has on a big belt buckle
and a cowboy hat and boots and if they like to you know wear baggy
pants and and and look you know like thugs then make sure your pastor looks
like a thug and they start this seeker sensitive movement and let me
say this we should be against seeker sensitive churches we should have we
should have Savior sensitive churches we should have churches that are
interested in pleasing and being honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ not to
unsafe people obviously we're against seeker sensitive churches but I would say
this we have to have some seeker sensitive soul winners we have some soul
winners that are out there seeking for those that are seeking let me just tell
you something I'm against this type of soul winning that says you know
you knock on a door somebody opens the door and then your attitude is
just I'm just gonna start preaching the gospel till they cuss me out and slam
the door in my face you know what you know I'm just gonna preach the
gospel I'm gonna put my foot in the door and when they start to try to
shut it my foot's gonna be in the way I'm just gonna keep preaching the
gospel you know why would you want to do that you know why you're sitting
there and arguing with somebody those of you like to go out so winning and argue
45 minutes with every Jehovah's Witness you run into every more I want
to show them why you're sitting there arguing with some false prophet or
why you're sitting there you know just jamming it down the throat of
somebody that doesn't want to hear it there might be somebody down the street
who is saying hey I would see Jesus what must I do to be saved what what what
has to happen here the truth is this there are people who are seeking and
we ought to be seeking those that are seeking we should be looking for those
that are looking for Christ we should be looking for the unsaved that wants
to hear that is receptive it's the call of the unsaved to seek there's unsaved
people out there that are hoping that you'll come and bring them the truth
there's unsaved people out there and look you we need to find them we
need to look for them we don't need seeker sensitive churches we do need
seeker sensitive soul winners let me give you a couple of verses you have
to turn here notice what Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9 notice how Paul was a
seeker sensitive soul winner here's what he said he said and unto the Jews I
became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews and to them that are under the law
as under the law that I might get them that are under the law to them
that are without the law as without the law of course being not without law
to God but under the law of Christ that I might gain them that are
without the law to the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak he
said I made all things to all men that I by all means save some so what
does that mean that means we should go and seek for those that are seeking let
me ask you something when's the last time you went out you're in the
community you started looking for somebody that was looking when's the
last time you knocked on a door and said if I could show you how you could
know for sure that you're on your way to heaven would you be interested
in hearing it now maybe they said no I'm not interested and I try to be
polite say well look on the back of our invitation there's a video here on
YouTube it explains how you can know for sure if you decide you're
interested I encourage you to check it out but you know what I'm moving on
because I'm trying to find the person that's looking for something I'm trying
to search for the one that's looking see we should be seeking and saving like
Christ go go back to Luke chapter 15 you're there in Luke 19 flip back to
Luke chapter 15 Luke chapter 15 you say pastor you man is I don't know you
know I I don't understand the soul winning thing you know you guys go out there
and you knock on doors and and you you print out maps and you highlight
the maps and you try to knock every door in a city or knock every door in
an area why would you do that here's why we do that because we are looking
for those that are looking we are seeking for those that are seeking
something there's unsaved people out there like Cornelius we're praying we're
seeking after something they're seeking after God they know something's
not right and we're supposed to go out and to seek and to save that which
were lost we should be seeking Luke 15 look at verse 3 here we have a parable
in Luke 15 is that you've got the parables of those things which are
lost you have the lost sheep you have a lost coin then you have the lost
son the prodigal son in Luke 15 in verse 3 the Bible says this and he
spake this parable into them saying what man of you having an hundred sheep
if you lose one of them did not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after
that which was lost until he find it and when he found it he lays it on his
shoulders rejoicing and let me just stop here for a minute and remind all of us
that soul winning is not the Great Commission is a pastor medicine
understand I'll tell you're preaching about soul winning I am preaching about
soul winning but please understand something soul winning is not the Great
Commission soul winning is only part of the Great Commission now it's the
first part I would say it's the most important part but it is not the Great
Commission when you go soul winning you're not fulfilling the Great
Commission the Great Commission is going you therefore into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature that means that we are to
go and teach all nations preach the gospel to every creature but it also
means that we are to baptize them baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them number three to
observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you and lo I'm with you always
even unto the end the world amen the Great Commission is that we go and
reach people we bring them to church and baptize them and then we disciple
them in the things of God the Great Commission is not fulfilled through a
soul winning marathon I'm not against solar marathons we have soul winning
marathon I love soul winning marathon but the Great Commission is fulfilled
it's fulfilled in one institution the local church and when we go out and we
seek that which was lost we're fulfilling the first part of that
Commission but let me remind you soul winners part of that is bring them in
I mean look there verse 5 and when he has found it right the the the man
who having a hundred sheep and lost one he went on the wilderness to
go after that which is lost and when he has found it notice he layeth it on
his shoulder rejoicing he puts it on his shoulder and brings it in let me just
tell you something for you soul winners so yes let's go get them say
let's go seek those that are seeking but when you go and you knock
the doors and you look for the one that's looking for something and you
bring them the truth and you get them say don't just high-five him there
and say all right see you in heaven sometimes you got to put them on your
shoulder and bring him back let's get you baptized let's get you
discipled let's get you like Pastor Shelley preach great sermon tonight
like Pastor Shelley preach let's get you in church because when church
you're gonna learn to do the good works sometimes we got to bring them
in sometimes we got to go the extra step just this last week my wife was
out salt winning and she got somebody saved on on on a Saturday she got
somebody saved a couple weeks ago on a Saturday and she talked to the guy and
he seemed real excited and he got saved and and and he seemed very receptive
about coming to church and of course she got down his information and she
wrote down his name and his address and asked him for permission to follow
up with him and look let me tell you something it's a sad thing when we go
out so anyway yes somebody saved and we don't even remember the person's name
how you can pray for him we're all excited high-fiving ourselves
hey I got one day God wants it oh what's their name I don't know well
how are you gonna pray for him and she wrote down his information and
and and and he was gonna come to church the next day we're all so when
he on Saturday he didn't come and she was telling me she was saying man
you know you've really seemed like he was gonna come I'm really kind of
surprised I honestly and obviously they always seem like they're gonna come
but this one actually seemed like he was gonna come and she remembered in
the conversation that they'd had he mentioned that it was his birthday that
week and she decided to go out and and and the first time she talked to him
she said hey we can pick you up for church we can bring you to church and
he's like yeah you know I really want to come and all these things she
remembered it was his birthday on Thursday so she baked some cookies she
went with my son back to his house on on his birthday and said hey we
brought you some cookies for your birthday remember you said it was your
birthday he was really impressed with that and how thoughtful it was that she
remembered that he said we missed you in church on Sunday and he's like
he's like yeah I really wanted to come you know and he's just kind of being shy
and she said well what's what's the problem if you want to come you know
what's the problem he said I just need a ride he said we can get you a
ride we'll pick you up went by and picked him up for church on Sunday
he came to church last night I was here I was in a church on Wednesday
night but one of the men of our church went by and picked him up for
church hey here's all I'm telling you is that sometimes you got to put
them on your shoulder and bring them with you sometimes you got to put in
the effort to look for those that are looking look when somebody's out there
and they're searching for the truth when somebody's out there and they're
looking for the truth don't just forget about them bring them the gospel
the call of the unsaved is to seek and let's not forget them let's
remember them let's bring them back Psalm 126 you have to turn there the
Bible says this they that sow in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth
forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing
don't forget this bringing his sheaves with him at our church the Lord has has
blessed us and this is all glory to God the Lord of vessels on a on an average
week our church has about a hundred soul winners that go out every week in
the community knocking doors preaching the gospel to our church family I keep
telling our church people I said look we've got about a hundred soul winners
that go out every week we need to get that to about 120 I won't be like
the church like the Day of Pentecost the upper room 120 soul winners going
out preaching the gospel like they did on the Day of Pentecost but look hey we
don't just want a hundred soul winners to go out in their cars
seeking we want a hundred soul winners going out in their cars on
Sunday morning bringing their sheaves with them bringing them to be baptized
developing relationships with them loving on them and praying for them
and introducing them to people and discipling them in the things of God
notice there in verse 6 the parable continues and when he cometh home he
called together his friends and neighbors saying unto them rejoice with
me for I have found my sheep which was lost we need to seek those that
are seeking there is a call of the unsaved go to the book of Acts if you
would Acts chapter number 8 you're there in John just flip over to the
book of Acts Acts chapter number 8 we see the call of the unsaved what is it
it is a call to seek it is the Greeks who say we would see Jesus I'd
like to see Jesus if you'd introduce me to Jesus I'd sure like to meet him do
you know that there's people in our communities we live in such a secular
world now there are people in our communities they've heard the name of
Jesus but they don't know anything about him they've heard about the
Bible but they've never read it they've never opened it but there's people that
are looking and searching and our job is to seek for those that are seeking to
look for those that are looking that means we don't wait for them to come
to church look we're not secret sensitive like we talked about churches
were saved people sometimes unsaved people wander into our assemblies
that's okay we'll get them saved after church but churches were saved
people we're not waiting for them to come to us we're looking for them we're
seeking for them we're searching for them what's the God Baptist churches
all over this country would get a map and get a vision and decide I'm gonna
start knocking systematically every street in my neighborhood and every
street in my community and every street in my zip code and every
street in my city we're gonna go a house by house street by street the
highways and hedges seeking the laws because there are people you say well
aren't there people out there that are upset aren't there people out there
that slam the door on your face aren't there people out there that
cuss at you aren't there people like you that say they're not
interested you know that's why I don't like to go so any because
there's people out there that are rude to me try telling that story to Paul
in heaven you know I just envisioned all of us in heaven you know we're all
just kind of standing around sharing stories Paul's talking about when he got
beat when he got stoned when he got imprisoned and you're like somebody
slammed the door in my face one time that's why I quit by the way look
there most people are not looking but there's some people that are looking
most people are not seeking but there are some people that aren't seeking the
call of the unsaved is to see sir we would see Jesus but I'd like you to
notice secondly tonight not only is the call of the unsaved to seek I'd like
you to notice secondly here we have another story of an unsaved man
Acts chapter 8 and verse 29 notice the Bible says and the Spirit said unto
Philip Philip is the sole winner notice what the fear of what the
Spirit says to Philip the Spirit says to Philip the same thing the Spirit
says to all of us go go near and join thyself to this chariot and Philip ran
hither to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah's and said understandest
thou what thou readest here we have an unsaved man who's reading the Bible
he's going down the road he's got the Word of God he's reading it and
Philip runs up to him and he asked this question he says understandest thou
what thou readest why don't you notice the response from the for Ethiopian
eunuch here verse 31 and he said how can I do you know that unsaved people
cannot understand the Bible you know unsaved people cannot understand the
Bible on their own the Bible says but the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God for they are foolish to sent to him neither can
he know them he says they're spiritually discerned I'm saying people can't
understand the Bible if you don't believe me just look at false
religions I mean look at false religions it's it's always hilarious to
me how backwards they get the Bible I mean look at the Roman Catholics the
disciples come to Jesus one day and they say teach us to pray and Jesus
says okay I'm going to teach you to pray in fact I'm gonna give you a
pattern for prayer an example for prayer and Jesus says but right before I start
though right before I start let me explain something to you I don't want
you to vainly repeat this prayer over and over I don't want any vain or
repetitious prayers like the heathen do I'm gonna give you this prayer but
I don't want you Jesus said I don't want you to just repeat it and chant
it over and over it's got it so I was like got it Jesus begins our father
which are in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done
in earth as it is in heaven he goes on and he gives them what we now referred
to as the Lord's Prayer the Catholic Church comes around and said hey I got a
good idea let's repeat that one over and over let's just chant it I mean
the exact opposite of what Jesus said you say how can you explain that the
natural man receiveth not the things of spread of God because somebody
explain to me how the the the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the 144,000 are
the only ones that go to heaven when the Bible teaches the 144,000 come from
heaven to earth literally the exact opposite thing you say how do you
explain that but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God look you can pass out as many John and Romans and tracts as you want
unsaved people cannot understand the Bible you say what do they need they
need a soul winner notice there verse 31 and he said how can I notice the call
of the unsaved except some man should guide me notice the call of the
unsaved is not only to see it's not just the Greeks that are saying we
would sir we would see Jesus but the call of the unsaved is also to study
here the Ethiopian eunuch he said how can I accept some man should guide
me how can I accept some soul winner would open up the Bible and show me
from the Bible and explain it to me and and somebody would show me how to be
saved notice verse 32 the place of the scripture which he read was it was
this and by the way he's reading about out of Isaiah 53 verses 7 and 8 he was
led of the sheep to slaughter and like a lamb done before his shearer so opened
he not his mouth in his humiliation his judgment was taken away and who
shall declare his generation notice for his life is taken from the earth
notice verse 34 and the eunuch answered Philip and said notice he
doesn't understand I pray thee of whom speak of the Prophet this of himself
or of some other man Isaiah 53 has given us one of the clearest prophecies
of the Lord Jesus Christ and this unsaved man who doesn't understand the
Bible who's looking for something who's searching for something who's
reading Isaiah 53 because he knows he's missing out on something he said I
don't understand is Isaiah talking about himself or is he talking about
some other man verse 35 then Philip opened his mouth and began at the
same scripture and preached unto him Jesus you know what the call of the
unsaved is the call on the unsaved is to see they say like the Greeks we would
see Jesus but the call of the unsaved is also this to study the
Bible says study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth I'm tired of soul
winners giving the excuse they say and I'm not picking on you if this is
you today but so is it well I can't go slowly because I don't know how to
give the gospel well then why don't you learn I can't go so in because I don't
know how to present the gospel then why don't you study maybe it's time
that you took some time to open up your Bible and take a highlighter and
start highlighting some verses Romans 3 10 Romans 3 23 Romans 6 23 John 3 16
Romans 5 8 maybe it's time that you take the time to take a pen and right
next to Romans 3 10 a number one and and and next to Romans 3 10 right in
and small print Romans 3 23 so you know the vertex verse to go to and right
next to that verse right at number two and next to that verse right Romans 6
23 so you know the which one next one to go to and and go so you say
well that's gonna take time I know it might take some study maybe it's time
maybe it's time you you partnered up with a as a silent partner and you went
out with someone who's already given the gospel who's already explained the
gospel then you just decide I'm gonna listen and I'm gonna learn and I'm gonna
try to understand what they're saying I'm gonna jot down some notes hey why
don't you study there's a call of the unsaved that are out there who say how
can I except some man should guide me the call of the unsaved is a study
look we we got a soul-winning seminar Verity Baptist Church you go to our
website VerityBaptist.com we got a soul-winning seminar on our on our
home page on our websites completely free to you ten lessons will take you
from the first step to following up on your visitors we've got PDFs for fill
in the blanks look I don't know how else to make it easy for you we got
videos with PDFs you click on the PDF you print it out you watch the
videos got fill in the blanks maybe it's time to study maybe it's time to
take some time look you can learn to give the gospel you can learn to
present the gospel look it's not that complicated if you're saved you
should be able to explain it I think sometimes we over complicate these things
what is the gospel the gospel I mean you're gonna present this to an
unsaved person what is it where I'm a sinner you're a sinner your sin has the
payment which is death which is hell you're condemned to hell as a result
of your sin God has a gift he wants to give you the gift is eternal life
you don't have to work for it you don't have to earn it in fact somebody
else paid for it his name is Jesus Christ and once you have it you can't
lose it you'll never take it away and all you have to do is call upon
him in faith to receive it I mean six steps to explain the gospel to
someone get a verse for each one of those steps highlight hey maybe it's time
that you take the plan of Pastor Shelley with the little kids there and memorize
one verse a week and right memorize the Romans Road and decide you're gonna
go ahead here's all I'm telling you there are unsaved people out there who
are seeking and they're calling like the Macedonian call and say we would
see Jesus if we would just seek those that are seeking and there's a call of
the unsaved like the Ethiopian Jew unique a call to study how can I he says
except some man should guide me people get this idea they say well I'll start
going soul winning once I you know once I know all the answers to all the
questions that I might possibly ever be asked well you're not going soul
winning let me let you know a little secret all the pastors don't have the
answers to every question that someone may possibly ever ask us no look I think
we I I here's the truth though you know that most of the questions we get
asked are pretty much the same questions I mean every false religious
pretty religion pretty much teaches the same false doctrine adding works to
salvation look you you can you wanted to take the time to learn the Bible
says but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give
an answer to every man that asking you the reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear why don't you take some time and learn just look get
some verses about the deity of Christ couple verses get a couple of verses
about work salvation get a couple of verses about eternal security get a
couple of verses about repent of your sin get a couple of verses about the
literal hell jot those things down look let me let you know a little
secret the Bible says this a man that is in heretic after the first and
second admonition rejects you don't have to have every answer to every question
first of all if somebody asked you a really cop computer well I what if
somebody asked me about Daniels for you know 70th week or some really
complicated question about the tribulation or something about
revelation understand well you think look even if you know the answer
don't get off on that rabbit's trail when you're when look when you're
arguing the gospel somebody somebody asks you some weird question you just say
hey you let's get back to that later let me finish explaining the gospel to
you that's what I'm here for I'm here seeking those that are seeking and and
and if it has to do with the gospel and and and you need to deal
with the issue like the deity of Christ or whatever look all you need is two
verses a man that is in heretic after the first and second admonition
reject somebody says I don't I don't believe in the deity of Christ and
you show him a verse on the day Christ they're like I don't know if I
still believe it you get show him a second verse and then they're like I
still don't believe it then you say God bless you have a good day and you and
you find someone who's actually interested now look if they're listening
and they're being receptive you've got to use your common sense obviously if
somebody wants to hear it and you're just trying to maybe they were raised
in a certain way it's hard for them to grasp it you work with that
person and work with that person but look your job is not to go out there
and argue with people we're seeking those that are seeking we're looking for
those that are looking but at the same time let's study let's be ready you
only need a proof verse for some of the major questions get those proof verses
and then you can go out and preach the gospel here's all I'm saying there are
unsafe people there are unsafe people in your neighborhood in the city
you live in there are unsafe people out there who are looking and searching
for the truth and the call of the unsafe the Macedonian call the
Philippian jailer the Greeks at the feast the call of the unsaved those
that would say sir sir I we would see Jesus the call of the unsaved is to
see but the call of the unsaved is not only to seek the call of the
unsaved is also to study how can I accept some man should guide me go
back to John chapter 5 if you would John chapter 5 let me give you the
third one tonight we're talking about the call of the unsaved you know the
unsaved are calling for you tonight they're calling for you to seek they're
calling for you to study in John chapter 5 we have one of these
interesting stories we have a story where Jesus asks a very critical
question now please understand what I'm about to say because I love the Lord
Jesus Christ of course we have all love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ
but have you ever noticed that sometimes Jesus he asked these kind of
critical questions and when I say critical I mean it in two in two ideas
critical because they're very important but critical because it's kind
of it's kind of a criticism now notice notice John chapter 5 verse 1 after
this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem now there is
at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue
Bethsaida having five porches in these lay a great multitude of impotent
folk the word impotent means lacking power or strength of blind halt withered
waiting for the moving of the water for an angel went down at a certain
season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after
the troubling of the water stepped in was made a whole of whatsoever disease
he had notice this with these words verse 5 and a certain man was there
which had an infirmity 30 and 8 years now I want you to notice that in this
story we have this interesting story because it's like it's like a
miraculous lottery I mean we in the narrator of the book is telling us
this is the case so I believe it to be true there's this pool and if God
would allow for these miracles where an angel would come down and trouble the
water and anybody that got into the water would be healed of their
physical ailment and of course when people began to hear about this these
multitudes of impotent folk of blind halt withered would come and they
would surround themselves around this pool waiting and hoping that they could
go in when the angel would trouble the water Jesus in verse 6 notice when
Jesus saw him lie he knew that he had been there now a long time in that
case he saith unto him I want you to notice the critical question of
Christ he says imagine this I mean Jesus can get away with this because
Jesus is God you and I might not say this to somebody he says wilt thou be
made whole now here's what Jesus is saying wilt thou the word wilt means do
you want to are you willing he says wilt thou be made whole in our modern
vernacular here's how we would say we would say do you want to be healed
and you and I might add you know we might say well what kind of question
is that I've been impotent for 38 years I'm laying here obviously for a
reason what do you mean do you want to be whole now please understand
something Jesus never asked a question he doesn't know the answer to and
usually usually when Jesus asked the question he asked the question because
he's trying to make a point and he's trying to bring forth the truth and
and and pinpoint a truth and he's asking this man he says wilt thou be
made whole he says do you want to be whole and what he's really asking he's
just saying hey guy what's the problem what's the issue here I mean
you you know you can be made whole right well why are you still impotent
why are you still blind why are you still why are you still suffering with
these things he says wilt thou be made whole what's the problem now why don't
you notice the answer Jesus asked a critical question and we get a
heartbreaking response in verse 7 the impotent man answered him now I want
you to notice something when we started the sermon we started with the
example of the Greeks and I told you at that example that you have five of
maybe the most some of the most encouraging words in the Bible I asked
you to underline them we have the Greeks and this should excite us that
there are unsaved people out there that would say sir we would see Jesus in
this story we have five of maybe the saddest words in the Bible in fact
I'd like you to underline them if you don't mind writing in your Bible
I'd like you to circle them Jesus asked this question he says wilt thou be
made whole the impotent man answer to him and he gives these five words
the sad words he says sir I have no man Jesus looks at this man he
says what's the problem and this impotent man 38 years lying there he
says what do you mean what's the problem look around there's like a
hundred people here and and and that guy's brother isn't even sick he's just
he's just waiting so that when the angel troubles the water he can pick up his
brother and throw him in the water before the rest of us can get in there
and you see that guy over there that guy's not sick either he's he's
sitting next to his wife and he's just waiting for when the whoa angel
troubles the waters he's gonna pick up his wife and throw in that water
and heal her and you see over there that's that's a that's a mom with with
her little girl over there and she's she's waiting for somebody when the
waters trouble to put him in the water and he said you're asking me what the
problem is the problem is sir I have no man I don't have anybody who cares
about me enough to help me I don't have anybody who cares enough about me
to be bring me somewhere that might heal me I don't have the problem is I
don't have anybody once you notice that the unsaved is not just a call
to see the unsaved is not just a call to study the unsaved also has a
call to sympathize a call to care you know why we don't seek you know why we
don't go out and knock doors and look for unsaved people because we just
don't care because we'd rather do our gardening on Saturday morning because
we'd rather I've had a tough week and you know Saturday's my day to
sleep it well you know what they're gonna have a tough week when they die
and go to hell you know there's unsaved people out there who say man I'm not
just looking for something and I don't just need somebody to study they're just
saying I just need some help they're saying sir I have no man when the
water is troubled to put me into the pool but while I'm coming another step
it down before me Jesus say that to him rise take up thy pad and walk you
know that there's unsaved people out there that have no man they just need
help I'm thinking of a young man just this last Sunday we had a young man
another family not my wife this is another family went out on Sunday
morning and they picked somebody up one of their converse they had a young
man get saved on Saturday and they went out and picked them up for church and
they picked him up he apparently wasn't saved so after the service one
of our personal workers got him saved on Sunday morning after the service and
our personal worker talked to him about baptism and he said yes I'll come
back tonight and I'll get baptized he came back on Sunday night and he brought
his mom brought his mom to see him get baptized on Sunday night his mom was so
happy and and and it turns out this young man had just
recently got out of jail he's a young man I don't know 24 25 years old
and he was telling some of the guys there that that he just got out of
jail and his mom was very worried his mom was very worried because this is
now his second strike I don't know how it is here in Georgia or other states I
don't know there's a federal thing but in California if you it's three strikes
and you're out it doesn't really matter what your third strike is it
could be a small thing but once you've had three of them you get 25
years in prison his mom was worried for him and she was excited that he was
coming to church and that he was gonna get baptized and and all those things
and at our church we've got some guys that have been in prison and they
went out and we're reaching out to them I was talking to the mom as I was
listening to these guys talking they were exchanging phone numbers they're
saying hey we're gonna pray for you and don't worry about that we're gonna
help you and you're gonna but he was saying he was telling them he was
telling just my mom is very excited that I'm coming to church because all my
friends all my friends are pretty much in prison or in the same state that I
am all my cousins and all my family it's all the same thing they're all just
in in in crime and and drugs and and and and gang-banking it and all these
things and he said you know I just don't have anybody that's how that's
going in my life that's going in the right direction you know I just don't
have anybody in my life but that that's helping me go on the right
direction you know what he was saying he was saying sir I have no man
he's saying if there's just somebody look there are people in your
neighborhood there are people in your community that just need help I'm
thinking about the single mother they got pregnant when she was a teenage
girl and she wasn't even saved and she just needs help we're obviously
against fornication and we preach against fornication but when people
sin and they get saved and they realize that the sin we we need to be
there to help them I'm thinking about I'm talking about the the man that just
got out of prison I'm talking about the family that just had their family
their kids taken by CPS I'm talking about the marriages that are struggling
and heading for divorce I'm just telling you there are people out there
they are seeking they need someone to find them because they're in trouble
this man says sir I have no man I have no man this man says I just need
someone to care can I give you a testimony tonight I'm a very fortunate
man the Bible says in Psalm 16 6 this is what David said he said the lines
are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage you
know I can claim I'm talking about me personally I can claim that verse
tonight I was saved when I was just a little boy very young I was raised in
an independent fundamental Baptist Church I went soul winning before I was
even saved I I just remember going so in my whole life with my dad and just
going soul winning and knocking doors as a kid I can say like David here the
lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage you
know I'll tell you the truth pastor Shelley we joked about it tonight but
I can tell you the honest truth I never growing up saw my parents fight never
once I don't have any memory of my parents ever arguing or fighting I'm not
saying they didn't fight they just had enough sense to not do it in front
of us I mean I just the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places I
have a goodly heritage I always think it's funny sometimes people try to try
to you know what's what's the the the phrase I throw shade sometimes people
try to throw shade on you on on on my my wife and I or people like Pastor
Anderson you know sometimes people will look at us and say oh you guys
don't have a history like that's a bad thing you just don't have this
testimony of sin hey that's a good thing it's a good thing that children are
raised in homes where mom and dad's like we heard tonight love each other
we're we're men love their wives and wives submit to their husband and
they're raised up in the direction of the Lord that's a good thing but I'm
here to tell you that some of us some of us have been given much some
of us have been highly blessed some of us I mean the the the the the the
odds were stacked in our favor to be saying to be used of God in a mighty
way but that's not the story that every man has some men would say sir I have no
man I'd have a dad that cared I didn't have a dad that was there I didn't have
a dad that was present I had a mom that was a drug addict I had a mom that
would would bring different men into the house just on a regular basis I I
have no man and they just need somebody that would care somebody that would care
enough to remember their name somebody that would care enough to pick them up
for church on Sunday somebody that would care enough to bring them back
on Sunday so they could get baptized somebody that would care enough to
write down their phone number and give them a call and take them out to
eat somebody to care enough to put them on the prayer on their prayer
list and pray for them there are people out there who just need
somebody to care and we've been given so much. You know when we hide the gospel we
hurt those who need it the most. The Bible says if our gospel be hid it is
hid to them that are lost. The truth is I've been given much. I'm saved.
Everyone in my immediate family is saved. My wife is saved. My children are
saved. My parents are saved. My siblings are saved. They all attend my
church. The church I pastor. All my close friends are go to my church or in a good
church somewhere. Honestly if I never went out on a Saturday morning and
preached the gospel to anybody it wouldn't affect me one bit. But there
are people out there that have not been blessed like you and I have been
blessed. There are people out there that are seeking and we must seek for those
that are seeking. We must look for those that are looking. The call of the
unsaved is like the Greeks who said sir we would see Jesus. The call of the
unsaved is like the Ethiopian eunuch who said how can I accept some man
should God be the call of the unsaved. It's like this impotent man who said
sir. You want to know what the problem is? I have no man. I have no man.
You and I have been blessed. You and I have been blessed. People often try to
tell me I can't be done. Everywhere I go people tell me about California.
California this and California that and I get it look California is a hellhole.
So is Georgia. I'll remind you that you're the ones that gave us Joe Biden.
You know the gospel works anywhere? You know the gospel works everywhere?
People say you can't go soloing in California. Nobody there will get saved.
You're just not looking hard enough. You'll find them. You just go out
consistently and look and to seek and to save. You'll find them. I got this
email. I was working on this sermon and this email came in. I got this
email this week. By the grace of God we get lots of emails like this and we
appreciate them. I'd like to just read it. I won't read you the whole thing.
I'll just read you a little bit of it. It says this dear BBC I think this
email is long overdue because I've been feeling the need to write this for
a while now. I just want to share a few of the things that God is doing
here in Romania and how you have helped. First of all I was personally
moved by Pastor Jimenez's sermon from the RHPC 2019
when I was there and how pastors answer make an uproar
which is a sermon I preached that year to my question how can we do something
great in Romania. It really stayed with me up until now. I may have
seemed like a shy person but God was moving every step of the way in my trip to Sacramento
that year. It was a huge blessing and I want to thank you again for it. Anyway
the following months God has led me to what I now believe is the best church in my city
in the capital of Romania. And a long story short God has started
since a soul winning movement here that is growing month by month.
Teenagers, young adults and missionaries led by our soul winning leader are going
out every week and preach to the young generation the gospel with great success.
We are amazed every week to see God orchestrate and lead us in His work.
There is also a teen activity here that focuses on preaching prayer and finally
going out there to preach which is going really well. All this time I've been encouraged
by your weekly sermons with the special mention of Job 8 the one on assumptions.
Each one helping me to grow and change my life for the better. So thank you very much.
He says I'll skip some of these things. He says so those were some of the things
that God has been doing here. I have much much more to write but I know you're
busy so I hope you were encouraged. Please pray for us here in Romania.
I feel like God is really moving the souls of His people to do great things for Him.
I will continue to pray for you as well. Keep fighting the good fight. God bless you abundantly
and give you His amazing grace and He signs His name. Let me tell you something. It can be done anywhere.
People would say Romania, just forget about Romania. One soul winner
can get fired up for the things of God and decide I'm going to seek, I'm going to study,
I'm going to sympathize, I'm going to go, I'm going to care and God can use them.
And God can use you. God can use me.
You say Pastor Jimenez, what's the call of the unsaved?
It's a call to seek. Sir, we would see Jesus.
What's the call of the unsaved? It's a call to study. How can I,
except some man, should guide me? And by the way let me say this to you church members.
Some of you need to study to show thyself to prove unto God as well.
Don't you love these events that our churches put on? I'll tell you something about Baptist, especially the new IFB.
We sure know how to throw a party. I mean good night, look at this place.
This is free. It wasn't free, it cost stronghold Baptist church a lot of money.
But you know, most churches, they're charging you 200 bucks because of something like this.
People come to events like this, they'll come to the Red Hot Preaching Conference,
they'll go to so many marathons we put on, free breakfast, free lunch, free resources.
They come to our churches, DVDs and CDs and anything and everything you could want.
We'll never make the house of God a house of merchandise. And while things are good,
they'll come to camp meetings just like this one. They'll come and enjoy it.
They'll love it. They're like, yeah, the new IFB, everything's great, absolutely.
Till persecution starts. Till the news media shows up. Till the protesters show up.
When the protesters show up, all of a sudden it's, well, I thought maybe the homosexuals could be saved.
Really? I don't think they should be put to death.
Well, maybe you should study to show thyself to prove unto God.
The Bible says if a man also lie with mankind as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed abomination,
they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. That's what the Bible says.
Some of you church people just need to spend some time studying and figuring out,
look, we as the pastors, we're not perfect, but we're not getting up here and preaching what we think.
You know, we preach these things, we preach and people are like, amen, amen, amen.
And then the news media shows up and they're like, pastor, were you serious?
It's like, you weren't? Well, I might lose my job.
And they go off running like a dog with a tail between its legs.
Why don't you study a little bit to decide what you believe?
Why don't you study a little bit and decide who you are?
Yeah, you want to come and join our conferences and our camps and all our free events
because we know how to put on a party, but we also know how to fight.
We also know how to stand up and earnestly contend for the faith.
You got to decide, look, you got to be lawyer or pastor.
I get sick and tired of these people who say, oh, well, the pastor, he did something I didn't like.
Let me let you in on a little secret. I've been pastoring now for 10 years.
I've got a little bit of experience. Maybe I can help you out with something.
I don't know if the other pastors would agree with me, but I'll just give you my personal testimony.
People get mad at us and say, the pastor did something I didn't like.
You know that church people do stuff we don't like all the time?
I mean, virtually every week, a week doesn't go by that somebody in our church doesn't make some stupid decision we don't like.
Do we quit on you? Do we give up on you? Do we turn on you?
Do we start sending angry emails about you and text messages about you and making YouTube channels all about you?
Is that what we do to you? We need a little loyalty.
We need a little studying of the Word of God and deciding, hey, this is the Word of God.
That's the man of God. This is the house of God. I'm going to stick with it.
I'm not going to show up to a camping trip when things are fun and run away like a coward when the fight's on.
I'm going to study to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
Here's all I'm telling you. The unsaved, the unsaved are calling tonight.
They're calling for you. I think it's funny when people say, I don't have the gift of evangelism. I didn't get the gift of preaching.
God didn't call me. Well, let me tell you something. Number one, God did call you when He said go.
But maybe you didn't know it. The unsaved are calling for you tonight.
The unsaved are calling for you. Sir, we will see Jesus. The call to seek.
How can I? Except some man should guide me. The call to study. And lastly, the call for someone to care.
Sir, sir, I have no man. I have no man to help me. I have no man to care for me.
I have no man to bring me the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jude 1 22 and 23 says this, and of some have compassion making a difference.
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Here's the question for you tonight. Do you care? Do you care? Will you answer the call of the unsaved?
Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for your word. Thank you for the Bible. Thank you for these dear people.
Lord, thank you for the fact that somebody didn't drop the ball on us. No matter what our history is, we were all unsaved at some point.
At one point, we all needed the Gospel and somebody gave it to us. Somebody cared enough to reach us with the Gospel.
And Lord, I pray that you would start a fire for soul winning in the hearts of these dear people.
That you start a fire for soul winning in my heart and in the heart of our people back in Sacramento.
Lord, that we might go and seek and save that which was lost. Help us Lord not to be deaf to the call of the unsaved.
Help us to sympathize with them, empathize with them, care about them. Care enough to study and care enough to go.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.