(Guidelines for Winning Souls) Attitudes That Defeat Us in Soulwinning — Denny Kenaston

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We're very glad to have you wherever you may be from. This evening the lesson is on attitudes that defeat us in winning souls and I'd like to read a few scriptures from 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Before we go into that, if somebody could bring me a glass of water, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 13, we'll read from verse 13. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God. Or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead.

If one died for all, then we're all dead. And we know that one died for all, don't we? We know that. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son into the world that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. The Apostle Paul, among other things, he is laying out some of the reasons that motivate him to be so busy in God's work.

He is laying out things that motivate him to be so busy in God's work and one of them is the very fact that the love of Christ constrains him. The love of God is within his heart and it constrains him to be about the work of God.

It constrains him to reach out to the souls of men. That's one thing that's motivating him. Another thing that motivates him is the very fact that we just read here that if one died for all, then all were dead.

And that's enough motivation right there for every one of us in this room. We know that. We know that in our minds already. One died for all and all are dead. And every person outside the walls of this building tonight who doesn't know Christ as their Savior, they're dead.

They're dead in their trespasses and sins. They're dead and they're going to go to hell if they die that way. And that's a motivation and that motivated Paul the Apostle. It was a motivation to him to move forward.

And the third thing that motivated him here, and that he died for all, that they which should live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him. He wasn't only motivated that they would escape the fires of hell, but he was motivated that those who then turned from death unto life would be motivated to deny themselves and not live after their own flesh anymore, but live unto him.

Paul was in love with God and he wanted others to love God and serve God the way he was. And that also motivated him. Well, I didn't plan to preach tonight, but this is a real blessing. And I guess verse 17 surely would be a motivation to go out and tell people about Jesus.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things become new. What greater motivation could we have than that? But to know the truth and the fact that if any man be in Christ, he becomes a new creature and the old things pass away and all things become new.

Amen? Praise God for that. But the point I wanted to get at is in the verses that follow here. Verse 18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

And tonight, he's given to every one of us in this room the ministry of reconciliation. I don't believe that Paul the Apostle was saying in this verse that God gave to him and his fellow laborers the ministry of reconciliation, and it's not for us.

I don't believe that for a minute. God gave every one of us. He has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Note verse 19. To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

So, verse 19 brings out the truth that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, calling the world unto himself, crying to the world to come. If any man thirst, let him come. If any man is hungry, let him come.

If any man is weary and heavy laden, let him come. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. When Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Believers as Ambassadors of Reconciliation

But now, he's committed that word of reconciliation unto us. It was committed to Christ when he was here upon the earth, but now it's committed to us. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us.

Now God is beseeching the world through his people. He did beseech the world through Christ. He did reconcile the world through Christ. But now that word of reconciliation has been committed to us. And now God beseeches the world to come to the Savior and be reconciled and be made whole again and be made right again.

And he does all of that calling and all of that pleading through us. What a blessing! Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This matter of winning souls is a very urgent thing. And I guess, even though we're having some lessons on how to win souls and just stirring up our minds concerning the winning of souls, I guess every time I put my mind on it to study again, the urgency of the call weighs heavy on my heart.

And I just feel like it's one thing to get up and do a little teaching, but there ought to be some exhorting there also to make us realize that it's an important thing, that it's not a choice that we have in the sense of, well, some can and some can't.

No, it's not that way. And we'll see that as we move on here. So this evening, we want to look at some attitudes that defeat us in winning souls. There are many attitudes that can defeat us. And it may be that some of these attitudes are the very reason why you've never won one soul in all your Christian life.

It may be some of these very attitudes that I'm going to speak about tonight that may be the reason why you've never won one soul in all your life. Must I go on empty-handed? Must I meet my Savior's soul?

Feeling Incompetent to Share the Gospel

Not one soul with which to grieve Him? Must I empty-handed go? Brothers and sisters, no. No, you don't have to go empty-handed. Number one attitude that defeats us in winning souls, feeling incompetent.

We just plain feel incompetent. I can't do it. I can't do it. Somebody else can do it, but I can't do it. May I remind you, the Apostle Paul said, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

I can do all things. You know what he was saying? He's saying, I have tested the power of God and I know it so. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. And this evening, that feeling of incompetence that you have, you need to overcome it.

It will not stand at the judgment. It will not stand. You will not be able to say to God at the judgment day, Lord, I didn't win any souls because I just didn't feel like I could do a good job. That will not work.

It won't stand. And if it won't stand then, then it doesn't stand now. You won't be able to say to the Father, Father, I was a real quiet person. You don't understand. I was raised in a home where everybody was real quiet and real fearful and we were taught not to speak up very much and it was real hard for me to open my mouth and I just didn't feel like I could do it.

That won't stand in the judgment day. It simply will not stand. May I remind you of this also? Probably the greatest prerequisite that you need to be a winner of souls is simply a right heart attitude.

That's all you need. Just a burdened heart for some soul who's lost and gone astray, that is what you need. That's not hard to get. The quietest, the shyest person in this room can have that. Just a burdened heart for the soul of some man or woman somewhere that you know.

Waiting to Feel Led Before Going

If you have that, you've got the greatest thing. That will drive you if you'll let it. Number two. Another attitude that defeats us in winning souls. I don't feel led to go. I just don't feel led to go.

I'd go if God led me to go. I'd go. But I don't feel led to go. That is an attitude that defeats people from winning souls. Do you know why it defeats them? Most people who only go when they feel led to go, don't go.

They don't go. Do you know why you don't feel led to go sometimes? There's a devil and he doesn't want you to go. There's a devil who doesn't want you to open your mouth and tell anybody out there that Jesus is alive and well and that He can change their life.

So, we don't feel led to go. The Bible says, go. That's all the leading you need. That's all the leading you need. The Bible says, go. Think of it for just a moment with me. On Sunday morning, when the plane goes by, do you only give when you feel led to give?

Say, Lord, should I give my tithe this week or shall I keep it for myself? We don't do that. We don't need a leading of the Lord on giving of our money. We know what the Bible says and we do what the Bible says.

And we find a joy and we find a blessing in doing what the Bible says. This matter of soul winning is the same way. If we wait until we feel led to go, we may not go very often. Or we may not go at all.

If we'll go because it's right to go, if we'll go because the Bible says to go, if we'll want to go because the Bible says to go, then we'll be out winning souls. Here's another. Another attitude that defeats us.

Treating Soulwinning as a Special Gift

It takes a special talent to win souls. Many people feel that way. It takes a special talent to win souls. That's not my gift. That's not my gift. I'll let the ones that are gifted go soul winning and I'll sweep the church floor or I'll clean the benches or I'll go over and help move on a moving day.

And I think all those things are right and honorable and I think we all ought to do them. Winning souls is not a gift. It's not listed with the gifts there. You know, the spiritual gifts? There's no spiritual gift listed there of winning souls.

None. It's not a gift. It's a command. It's a command. You know, I read a little tract one time. I think I read it to my family. It was such a blessing to me. I think the tract was called Crippled Tom.

How many ever read that before? A few. Oh, Crippled Tom. He couldn't get out of his bed. He lay there in his bed. And while he's laying in his bed, somebody gave him a Bible. I believe the story goes.

And he began to read that Bible. And he had such a hunger. He wanted to find God. And he wanted to find the salvation that was in Christ Jesus. And he read his Bible there. And finally, he got converted.

And there he is. He's converted. The love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. And he's up there in an attic somewhere and he can't get down. He's crippled. He can't go out into the streets.

He can't go anywhere and tell anybody about Jesus. But it didn't stop him one bit. There was a burden on his heart. And the command to go was there. And he only had one tract, I think. And he'd take the tract and he'd take a piece of paper and copy the tract and then throw it out the window of the attic.

The attic window where his bed was. And he'd throw it out the window. And while he saw the little piece of paper floating down to the ground, the cry came out of his heart to God that God would bless those words that fall to the ground and let the right person pick up the piece of paper and read it and get converted.

He had the go, didn't he? He surely wasn't waiting for a spiritual gift, was he? I think of the story of the deaf man who could not talk and got converted. And he wanted to tell others about Jesus and he didn't know what else to do.

He was so excited about this newfound faith in Christ that he had, he didn't know what to do so he got himself a cross and he went up on a hill by a highway where lots of cars go back and forth and he just stood up there on the hill jumping up and down and pointing at the cross, pointing at the cross.

He didn't have any special talents, did he? No spiritual gift working there. No, he just got burdened about the souls of men and he decided, I'm going to do all I can do and expect God to do the rest.

Persevering Without Immediate Fruit

Here's another attitude that will defeat you. It won't do any good to go. It won't do any good to go. Maybe I'll put two points together here. I don't see any fruit, so I don't want to go. I didn't see any fruit, so I don't want to go.

Do we have to see the fruit to go? What does the Bible say? Sow. Sow the seed. Sow the seed. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again bringing his sheaves and rejoicing.

It won't do any good to go. We don't have to have fruit to go. That is not a prerequisite. Fruit is not a prerequisite to go and tell others about Jesus. It's nice to have the fruit. It's a blessing when you come with your sheaves.

But we don't need to have the fruit to go. The Scripture says in Isaiah, I believe it's Isaiah 55, My word shall not return void, but it will perform that which I purpose for it. My word shall not return void.

You see, we're not just carrying a bunch of words, we're carrying God's Word. When we sow the seed, it's not just words, it's the Word of God. And God promises that His Word will not return void, but it will go forth and it will accomplish that which He purposes.

You see, sometimes we get our expectations. We expect what we think that the Word is going to accomplish. But God doesn't say, you take My Word out and it will accomplish what you think it will accomplish.

It will accomplish what I purpose for it to accomplish. And we don't always know what God's purpose is. But that attitude will keep us from going. It will defeat us from going. I know people who never go for that very reason right there.

No fruit. I didn't have any fruit when I went the last time, therefore I'm not going again. You know something? That person will never see any fruit. Never see any fruit. But oh, the faithful soul winner that just keeps on going and keeps on going and keeps on sowing and keeps on sowing, he'll bring his sheaves.

Overcoming Unbelief in the Gospel's Power

She'll bring her sheaves along with. I've seen it over and over again. Another attitude that will defeat us in winning souls, and that's simply an attitude of unbelief. We just don't believe God. We don't believe the Gospel is the power of God and the salvation to those who believe.

We don't believe it. And if we don't believe it, we're not going to tell it. But oh, if we believe it, if we believe that that Gospel is the power of God and the salvation to all who will believe, if we believe that in our heart, if we truly believe that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, if we believe that this Gospel will change that man and make him a new creature and change his attitudes and change his habits and change the goals of his life, we'll be motivated to go.

But unbelief stops many people from going. And I might say this, of God's people, most of God's people would never say the words. But the attitude is in their heart. They'd never say those words. They'd never say, the Gospel doesn't save.

The Gospel isn't the power of God anymore. They would never say the words. But how many are permeated with those very attitudes? And those attitudes control their thinking and control what they do and they don't go because they don't believe that God can change a person's heart.

Well, tonight, I want to assure you that God can change the heart of any sinner through the power of the Gospel. He can do it. I think there's enough examples in this room. What are there? A hundred people here tonight?

If He saved you, He can save others by the same power. If He came upon you and convicted you and showed you your need and led you out of darkness and brought you into light, then He can do the same for anyone else.

Seeking More Power Before Taking Action

God is not a respecter of persons, but an attitude of unbelief will hinder us. Here's another one. And I say this one with carefulness. I must have more power to go. I need to have more power to go. Well, I agree with that.

You need to have more power to go. But don't stay home for six months waiting for more power to go. That's not right. But yet that attitude will often keep somebody from going. I'm just not fit, they'll say.

I don't have enough power in my life. May I remind you of these words? You see, the Bible and the Christian life is a life of faith. You know, like the Israelites when they were ready to cross the river Jordan, God said, just start walking.

Just start walking and I'll park the river. Now, the way we are, we want the river to part and then we'll walk. And that's exactly how people are with winning souls. They'll sit back and say, God, park the river and I'll go.

And God says, go and I'll park the river. And we sit and sit and sit and sit waiting for the river to part. And it doesn't part because we never win. We never took the step. I must have more power to go.

Amen. But hear these words. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore. He told them, Disciples, I'm going to give you a secret. I'm going to tell you a secret.

All the power of heaven and earth is given unto me. And because it's given unto me, it's given unto you. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit.

He gave them the command based on the power and told them, based on the power, go. That's what we need to do. But you say, I must have more power. I don't have power. Well, amen! If you don't think you have enough power, then what you need to do is spend a couple hours alone with God before you go.

Just get alone with God and cry out to Him and clean your life up and clean your heart up. And when you go, go out and go as a vessel that's meat for the Master's use. Go with a clear conscience. Go with the anointing of the Spirit of God upon your heart.

You know the anointing is already with us if we're clear, if there's no sin in our lives. The anointing is with us and teaches us. I made the mistake many years ago in the youth of my Christian life of waiting and waiting and waiting for the power.

And I waited and waited and I cried and I prayed and I fussed and I fasted and I cried and prayed. Oh, God, do this. You know what I was doing? I was staying in the basement of my house saying, Lord, part the waters!

Oh, God, part the waters! Please, Lord, part the waters! You know, God's not going to part the waters. You can holler all day, all night, 10 days, 20 days. God's not going to part the waters if you're supposed to go.

We have the anointing with us. Get clear. Stay clear. Claim the power and the promise of God's Word and then go. Go. And God will bless you. You say, well, I'm not very much of a Christian. I don't have much to offer.

I think you'd have something to offer some old derelict on the street. I think you'd have a little more than he would. What do you think? Say, oh, I've got a lot of struggles in my life. You don't have as many as he has.

Expecting Dramatic Conversion Experiences

See how those things can creep in and just keep us sitting around for years and the devil's just clapping his hands. Here's another one. Sinners must have a mountain-shaking experience. If I can see sinners having a mountain-shaking experience, a real salvation experience, then I'll go.

Well, I'd have to say this. Salvation is more commitment than it is experience. It's commitment. A true commitment will bring an experience, but salvation is more commitment than experience. Many, many people have cried and hollered and shouted and all kinds of things and a week later went back out into the world.

I don't think that we should expect a mountain-shaking experience when we go out and win souls. But I think that we should go after a commitment to Jesus Christ and trust God for whatever kind of experience He may want to give to that individual.

Refusing to Speak to Unprepared Hearts

Some people cry their hearts out when they get converted. Other people with sobriety of heart make a decision for Jesus and hardly shed a tear. Here's another one that defeats us. We must only deal with prepared hearts.

Only deal with prepared hearts. If somebody comes up to you and asks you about your faith, they must be coming to the light. It's okay to talk to them. But if nobody comes and asks anything of you, then it's giving your pearls to the swine.

That's an attitude that defeats us in soul winning. I don't want to give my pearls to the swine. I'd like to say a couple of things about that tonight. There is such a thing as that. There is such a thing as casting the precious pearl of salvation before the swine.

But I think more people, especially in this county, use that in a wrong way and excuse it away and sit home and do nothing and let people die and go to hell, all in the name of not wanting to cast their pearls before the swine.

And I feel that's an attitude that defeats us in winning souls. There is such a thing. If you're sitting down and you're telling somebody about Jesus and they're a scorner and they're despising you and they're despising God, I believe that's a swine and you shouldn't spend a whole lot of time talking to that person.

Tell them that Jesus can save them and go your way. But oh, listen, there's all kinds of people out there that are not the swine, but are people with an open heart. And no, they may not get converted the very first time you walk up to them, but their hearts are open and the seed can be sown in there.

And they may even balk a little bit at you while you tell them about Jesus, but that's not a swine. Somebody who doesn't understand, somebody who kicks a little about the preaching of the Gospel, that's not a swine.

A swine is somebody who just simply and vehemently is opposing God and despising what you're saying and scorning everything that you're saying. That is a swine and there you need to use some wisdom and discernment how much of the pearls you lay out before them and then let them turn around and trawl them underfoot.

We need to be jealous over the Gospel. I believe in that. But that is something that many use to hide behind. And they never have won one soul. Oh, but they didn't cast their pearls before the swine, but they never won one soul either.

Rejecting the Claim That Society Is Gospel-Hardened

That's an attitude that defeats us in winning souls. And last of all, and then we want to open this up for some discussion, and there may be many, many more attitudes that defeat us, but these are some that I wrote down as I was meditating.

Here's one that really defeats a lot of people. They say that people are Gospel-hardened. This area is Gospel-hardened. America is Gospel-hardened. New York City is Gospel-hardened. That is an attitude that defeats us in winning souls.

I don't believe that. I do not believe that. Now, there are other countries where the Gospel is more easily and readily and happily received, but America is not Gospel-hardened yet. Oh, the fields are white unto harvest, even now.

They are white. The grain is ripe and full already now. The problem is still the same as it was in the day that Jesus walked upon the earth. The problem is not the field. The problem is not the harvest.

The problem is the laborers. That's where the problem is. When Jesus viewed the whole thing, He saw the fields white unto harvest, but He saw that the laborers were few. And I believe that's the problem today.

It's not the harvest. It's the laborers. Think of it this way. You know there's an illustration there in the Gospels where Jesus, I think He healed ten lepers, and only one came back and gave glory to God, and the other nine just went their selfish way.

If only one in ten that you talk to would give their heart to the Lord, wouldn't that be worth going? One in ten? Wouldn't that be exciting to go through the nine and know, here we go, number ten is coming?

Wouldn't that be exciting if one in ten? No, the fields are not gospel-hardened here in America. They're not gospel-hardened in Lancaster County. They're not gospel-hardened in the city of Lancaster.

They're not. They're white unto harvest. But if we have the other attitude, it'll defeat us, and it'll convince us to just sit still and let somebody else do it. The only problem with that is nobody else does it.

Nobody else does it. Attitudes that defeat us in winning souls. Now, we want to open it up for discussion here for just a few minutes. Just a few short minutes. Maybe you would have something to add. Maybe you have another attitude that will defeat us in winning souls.

Discussion: Time, Fear, and Knowing What to Say

You see how we think will determine our actions very clearly. Who would have something to add? Yes, Brother Lou. I don't have the time. Amen, Brother. Amen, Brother. And besides that, if we go while we're going, we always have time.

We always have time. Yes. I'm afraid I won't know what to say. How many have that problem? Let's be honest. I'm afraid I won't know what to say. What did Jesus tell the disciples when they were brought before the council?

What did He tell them? In that hour, it will be given to you what to say. Amen. See that river out there? I'm afraid it won't part, so I'm just not going to step into the water. But God says, right open, and I believe that it applies tonight, God will give you what to say.

He will tell you what to say. Everybody in this room knows the Gospel. Everyone knows the Gospel in this room. We know that Jesus saves. We can say that. God will give you something to say. Someone else.

Amen. I'm going to answer that question in two weeks. We're going to deal with some of those things in two weeks, but that's a very good question. How do you deal with somebody who says he's a Christian, but you really can't tell that he is?

How do you deal with him? Alright? A fear of persecution will keep us from winning souls. Amen. Persecution from the world, sometimes persecution from people who know us. Just people who know us. What will they think?

What will the people at the grocery store think if when I'm in there, I start telling others about Jesus? What will they think of me? Amen, brother. Yes, brother. And we don't truly believe that, do we?

That we're going to stand in judgment for this matter. Are we God's people? Are we God's people? God's people win souls. God's people tell others about Jesus. Yes, Emmanuel. Yes, Aaron. Luke. He does a real good job about that, doesn't he?

Okay. Alright. John is saying, could I say a few more things about the matter of being led by the Spirit of God in soul winning? I'll balance it. I do believe that we need to be spirit led in soul winning, just like we're spirit led in going to work, and spirit led in our homes and in every area of life.

We need to be spirit led. But I don't believe we need to wait on the Lord in the sense of the Spirit of God moving us, and if we're not being moved, then we don't go. I feel like that's a, in most cases, it's a cop out.

But at the same time, I do believe that we need to be spirit led in soul winning, and many times, as we're going, the Spirit of God will lead us right to the right place to say the right thing at the right time.

It will often happen that way. Yes, it's the fear of man. I believe if we would get bold for God, the heathen would quiet down in this county, if we'd get bold for God. But because we're quiet, the heathen rage.

They rage.

I know one thing that I find for myself is, when I see a certain person, maybe I know what type of church they go to or something, it comes to me, well, they already know about the Lord, so why shouldn't they know about the Spirit of God?

Whereas they may be living in sin, they may not be living right at all, but it comes to me, well, they already know about the Lord, so why shouldn't they know about the Spirit of God? That's good. Yes.

Yes.

Yes, that's right. That would be along the lines of what Ross said also. We don't believe that we'll stand before the judgment for it. The young brother says we don't believe in hell.