He That Winneth Souls is Wise.

1. Introduction: What does this mean?
   1. Proverbs 11:30: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
   2. What is the fruit of the righteous? Salvation, mercy, grace, forgiveness of sin, peace that passes understanding, joy unspeakable and full of glory, eternal life and an abundant purpose-filled life.
   3. What does it mean to win souls? Winning souls is when you share the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ with others, leading them to the saving knowledge of Christ. When you have won a soul to Christ, you will have led them in a prayer to ask Jesus into their hearts.

2. It says “He that Winneth Souls is Wise.” Why was this said, and who said it?
   1. Let’s look at this verse, along with the 2 before it to get move of the context. Proverbs 11:28-30: He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
   2. God, through King Solomon was writing about the importance of trusting in God, and surrendering your life to Him.
   3. He was telling us not to trust in our own riches, for they will fail, as they certainly have in this time we are living in.
   4. He speaks of the righteous flourishing, and in the midst of this dark time in our world, God’s People are still flourishing. We are still blessed. He is still meeting our needs as we walk close to Him.
   5. He speaks of the fruit of the righteous being a tree of life. If you have the Righteousness of Christ, you have eternal life. As a result, you are wise if you share that life with others, talking to them about God, praying for them, giving, and doing other good deeds. The ultimate purpose is to win them to Christ so they can have that tree of Life that you have.

3. Can people that are unsaved win souls?
   1. Though God will use anyone and anything to plant a seed in someone’s heart, you can’t give someone what you yourselves have not experienced.
   2. If you listen to 2 people trying to convince you to buy something, and one of them has tried it, used it, and is convinced that it is the best thing ever, and the other person has never heard of it and is only pitching it because it is their job, which one are you most likely to listen to?
   3. Similarly, someone who has experienced the love, peace, forgiveness, and freedom that is available in Christ, is going to have a better chance of winning someone to Him, than someone who has never personally experienced salvation.

4. What must one do to be qualified to win souls, and be considered wise?
   1. You must first be a Christian yourself. Have you heard and accepted the gospel message? At the end of this message, I will give an invitation and lead you in a prayer to accept Christ. This must be the first step. Romans 10:9-13: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
   2. Study God’s Word. Get a print bible and become familiar with it. A lot of people have the bible on their electronic devices but if you are trying to show someone where a passage is, by the time you get past all the notifications and get to the bible app, they are ready to leave and you’ve missed an opportunity. With a printed bible you can quickly flip it open and get right to what you are trying to share. 2 Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
   3. Pray for your friends and loved ones. Ask God to send laborers to them. The one who prays is as important in the process as the one that leads them ultimately to salvation.  The laborer God sends could be you, so be ready! Matthew 9:37-38: Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
   4. When God presents an opportunity to share His Love with someone, don’t miss it, but be obedient to share what He has given you to share with them.

5. If I have a PH.D or Masters in Theology, or other education, does this mean I’m qualified?
   1. The Kingdom of God is set up in such a way that we can not boast in our own strength, merit, or education. Like salvation, soul winning is dependent on God. We are His Messengers. He does the saving. A degree does not qualify you to be a soulwinner. Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

6. How important is this scripture in your life when you know Jesus as your personal Savior?
   1. Jesus did a lot of things when He walked on the Earth. He made the blind to see, the lame to walk, raised the dead, and brought about many healings and miracles, but His main Mission was to seek and save that which was lost. Luke 19:10: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
   2. As Jesus’ followers, this is also our main mission. We’ve all been given unique ways to go about this, but we are all called to bring souls to Him. Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

7. Is this something you would like to be, a soulwinner for Christ.
   1. Would you pray that God would make you this man, woman or child or is this something you’d like to forget about?
   2. We are called to go into the world and preach the Gospel, as we read a minute ago. This is known as the Great Commission. It is something we’re all commanded to do.
   3. Too often, we stay in our church buildings and wait for people to come in. We may get a few stragglers, but for true growth, we need to go out and get the people and bring them in! At the Little House, we often go out and get people, bring them in, and they accept Christ. We give rides to people and help them any way we can, and with great results.

8. Is it enough just to be a Christian, or does this scripture call you out to be more?
   1. What about you? Is this you he’s talking to? If it is, take heed.
   2. Are you one who said a prayer some time ago, and went on your merry way, or are you living for Christ, studying the Word, praying, and sharing Christ as opportunity arises?