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I'll read for you Proverbs 11 30. The Bible says, the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise. What is our fruit that we bring forth? It's souls. It's winning people to Christ. You have to have the mentality to do that. Now, the sad thing is, lots of Christians don't even believe in soul winning. In fact, yesterday, when I was writing this sermon, I was at a barbecue place over by the new church, Soul Man's Barbecue. This message is brought to you in part by Soul Man's Barbecue. I was writing my sermon there, and I was just sitting down to eat. I hadn't written it yet, but I had my laptop, and I had my Bible. And there was like eight or ten people there talking, and I could hear that they were probably Christians. I heard some buzzwords, Jesus, spirituality, discipleship. And I was like, okay, they're new evangelicals. They're having their little Bible study. And so they come over to me, and they see my Bible. And they're like, hey, we just want to invite you to this Bible study. I was being really nice to them. I was like, oh, thank you very much. I'm not going to be able to make it. I'm actually writing a sermon right now for tomorrow's service. And they're like, oh, great. What are you writing your sermon on? I was going to talk about the difference between those that quit on God and those that keep going. And they're like, tell us. And I was like, well, a lot of people get offended. A lot of people are deceived by the deceitfulness of riches. But those that bring forth fruit are those that are focused on soul winning. And they're like, oh, yeah, yeah. A lot of people do get discouraged and quit on God because they don't see any fruit. Because we really can't bring forth any fruit. It's only God that can do that. All we can do is just abide in Christ, you know, and try to try to live our lives the best way we can. And then God will bring forth the fruit. Hey, what is that? They don't believe in soul winning, right? They don't believe in soul winning. Now, here's the thing. They say that we cannot bring forth fruit. Is that true? Is my question. Go to John 15. And here's what's funny. He's like, make sure you go to John 15 because it talks about abiding in Christ. I'm like, I will go to John 15. Except in his mind, he thinks that abiding in Christ is just like this mystical thing like, I'm a Christian. Look at me. You're going to get saved now. It's like, so stupid, this lifestyle evangelism. But verse number one, I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. So he's using an example of husbandry, of planting and gardening. He says, Jesus Christ is the vine. God is the God. The Father is the husband. And verse two, every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. So Jesus already told us he is the vine. Now, whoever these branches are, Jesus says that God the Father purges them so that they can bring forth more fruit. So we're going to keep reading, find out who these branches are. Verse three, now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Obviously, this is talking to save people. Verse four, abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can ye except ye abide in me. And notice he says, abide in me and I in you. How do we abide in Christ? How does Christ abide in us? I'll read for you Romans 8, 9. The Bible says, but ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. This is just talking about salvation, right? If we're saved, we're abiding in Christ. Christ is abiding in us. Now notice, does this say that only the vine brings forth fruit? No, he says, hey, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. But does that imply that the branches are bringing forth fruit? Yes, they're just not doing it by themselves. And see, I would agree with these people that without Jesus Christ, we can never get anyone saved. But let's keep reading and see what he says. Verse five, I am the vine, ye are the branches. So here's my question for these new evangelicals that don't believe in soul winning. Why is it that the Bible says the branches bring forth fruit and we are the branches and you're going to tell me that soul winning doesn't work and that we cannot bring forth fruit? It's ridiculous. You know what it is? You don't bring forth fruit because you're lazy, because you'd rather sit at a barbecue place and have a stupid discipleship program instead of going out and preaching someone the Bible and preaching someone the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing forth fruit. You see, you want to talk to me and invite me to your little discipleship. I'd like to invite you to go soul winning so that you're not discouraged and you could actually see us bear forth fruit. How do we do it? By abiding in the vine. Yeah, of course we can't do it by ourselves. Of course, we're not going to get people saved with our testimony. Of course, we're not going to get people saved with our lifestyle. Hey, that is doing it by yourself. You're saying, oh, you can't do anything without Christ. Really? Is that why you're saying you can get people saved by your lifestyle? It's ridiculous. That is the exact opposite of what this verse is saying. Verse six, if a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. What does this mean? Hey, of course we can't do it without Christ. How does, what does this actually mean though? How do we in practicality say we can't get anyone saved without Christ? It's by his words. Unless his words abide in us, we cannot get anyone saved. We cannot get anyone saved by our testimony. You cannot get anyone saved by a tract. You must have the words of God. That is how you abide in the vine. That is how Christ abides in us. That's how both together bear much fruit. The difference today with those that quit on serving God and those that bring forth fruit is those that bring forth fruit realize this and have a mindset focused on that mission today. When you're focused on that mission, when you understand this doctrine, it's going to make you want to go out and bear much fruit. Why is that? Verse 8, Herein is my Father glorified. Why? Because God is glorified when we bear forth fruit that ye bear much fruit. So shall ye be my disciples. Hey, have your little discipleship program by soul winning because Jesus says, you want to be my disciples? It's going to be by glorifying God through bearing forth much fruit. That's what soul winning is. That's being a disciple of Christ. That is abiding in the vine. And this stupid doctrine of lifestyle evangelism, I don't believe in it. This church doesn't believe in it. And Paul the apostle didn't believe it either. Go to Romans chapter 1 verse 15. So as much as in me is I am ready to preach how amazing my life is. I'm sorry. It's not what he said. So as much as in me is I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. What is the power of God unto salvation? Is it your lifestyle? Is it how great your marriage is? Is it how great your children are? Is it how great of a career you have? It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. How is that revealed from faith to faith? From saved, Christian, Spirit-filled, soul winner to the lost, they receive that faith by the word of God, by the gospel. That is how the power of God unto salvation is revealed.