Turns out if you can Acts chapter 17 if you have your Bible turn to Acts chapter 17 pray real real quick
Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for this soul-winding Church Lord. I pray you fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us as we go
out in Jesus name. Amen
Acts chapter 17 there in verse 22 says then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said ye men of Athens I
perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious for as I pass by and
Beheld your devotions. I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown unknown God whom therefore ye ignorantly worship
Him declare I unto you and the title of this little sermon tip is watch just simply watch
So you see as Paul was like heading over to preach the gospel?
He's paying close attention right to the people that he's trying to reach as he walked by he's he's perceiving things
He's he's looking at things to perceive just means that you become aware of something by the use of one's senses
Especially that of sight and he perceived they were superstitious as he passed by he beheld the inscription and to beheld something means you
Look at see observe view take note of watch
so that's where I got the title name, but you know sometimes like especially when we're new we can
Kind of get regimented in our soul winning and where we just doing the same thing. And of course, I'm not talking about like
Straying from Romans Road or using the right verses you should always do that
I'm talking about a lot of times we use analogies we use examples that we might
Find that fit that individual that's right in front of us like Paul like he walked by and he saw this is gonna resonate
With these people so we should take note of who the greatest soul winner that was ever on the face of the earth
What he's doing and pay attention and see that there's things that maybe we should be looking at as well
When we're going out soul winning the Bible often tells us to watch it tells us to observe it tells us to pay attention
Tells us to discern and we want to make sure we're not getting too much on autopilot where we forget that human being
That's like right in front of us
That is a specific person that God brought you to their door to reach and you know, I believe in that
I believe that God just has divine appointments. Sometimes he puts the right person in front of the right people
So maybe you do notice that a bumper sticker as you walk up or something that might tell you a little bit more about them
That's why we ask questions. We say what kind of church you go to right? That's why maybe you see like a
You know some little Hindu idols on a shelf and you know that you're gonna have to tell them
Hey, you're gonna have to put that away if you believe on Christ if they get saved you got to tell them
Hey, you can't just add that to the shelf right you have to God is a jealous God and Jesus said I am the way
Right, you're not gonna be able to continue to worship false gods while you're saying that you believe on Jesus
So there's a lot of things that we could do just by paying attention and being in the moment, right?
and you know
like maybe you might
Perceive that you're in front of a young person right a teenager or somebody that you know is taking tests and I like to use
This test analogy. I think it does a good job of showing people how to believe you may have already heard it
I didn't come up with it, but I think it is a good way to show somebody what it means to believe
So you might say so to somebody
So, you know you take tests, right?
Let's say you have to take a really your final exam and you're worried about it, right?
And I tell you hey, don't worry about that test. I believe in you
What am I saying and you ask them? What am I saying? Right and get them involved. That's another tip ask questions
Because a lot of times if you don't ask questions you might not perceive that that person is completely zoned out
Right and then you're gonna end up preaching the gospel to them all over again at the end
So get them involved ask questions make them answer get them involved because you know
I could probably answer my wife by nod my head about half the time if I didn't hear the question
But you know that one time when you see your eyes light up
I probably know I screwed up, you know, just faking it till I make it so ask those questions
Make sure you understand that they're paying attention because sometimes you might even have to what say
Hey, do you want me to continue?
You know, we've had to ask that to people before right where they just their countenance is showing that they're just this is the last
Thing they really want to be doing so give them that
Opportunity because you don't want to just be preaching to somebody for nothing, right?
So you make them answer and what are they usually gonna say, you know?
Are you saying when I tell you I believe in you in that test that you can pass that test. What am I saying?
They're usually gonna say well you trust that I'm gonna pass and you're just like that's right now
What if I give you all the answers did I believe in you then and then I say no
You know, what if I even give you just one answer did I believe in you and they say no
I'm just like well
That's the same way with Jesus a lot of people think they need to help Jesus out
By being a good person by repenting of their sins by going to church and Jesus doesn't need our help
But they said because what that is, that's you believing in yourself. That's not believing in Jesus, right?
So I think it can relate to somebody who's you know, they take a test that's gonna trigger with them
You're not necessarily gonna give someone like that an example of marriage
Maybe that they might not understand or something like that
But it's just a matter of being in the moment being with that person
perceiving watching paying close attention
and just doing the best you can to reach that person that God's put in front of you because we do have an important job and
Not a lot of people are doing it
And so we should really take it seriously and you know
Look for ways perceive different ways that you can get better with your gospel presentation and don't just keep it the same every single time
Because you're always dealing with it a very unique person that's right in front of you. So with that, let's just pray Heavenly Father
Thank you Lord for a soul-winning church
I pray that you bless us as we go out bring us to somebody who might want to hear the gospel Lord and just help
us to have boldness to preach
What you would want us to say in Jesus name Amen
And