Jesus was the model soul winner

JESUS WAS THE MODEL SOUL WINNER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 4:7 7Whena Samaritanwoman came to draw
water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"
John 4 is the model for soul-winning, and it is a model to be imitated by all of
us even though the circumstances mayvary widely. When Jesus said"as my
Father hath sentme, even so send I you" (John 20:21), he meant, among other
things, we were to give ourselves to soul-winning, even as he did.
THE MODELSOUL-WINNER NO. 2423
A SERMON INTENDEDFOR READING ON LORD’S DAY, JULY 28,
1895. DELIVERED BYC. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN
TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD’S-DAYEVENING, JULY 10,
1887.
“There came a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saidto her, Give Me a
drink.” John 4:7. THIS was the beginning of that interesting conversation
which not only blessedthis woman, but has been a means of grace to many
others ever since, for this chapter and the previous one must be lookedupon

as among the most soul-winning parts of God’s Word. I suppose that every
portion of Scripture has had its use in the experience of men and women, but
these two chapters have very, very largelybeen blessedin the commencement
of the divine life. Many have been led through the door of regenerationand
the gatewayoffaith by the truth of God so plainly taught in them. I shall not
delay you with any preface, but shall take you at once to the subject
mentioned in our text. I. You have before you, here, first, THE MODEL
SOUL-WINNER. Jesus saidto the woman of Samaria, “Give Me a drink.” I
speak to many here who are wise to win souls. I hope that I also address many
more who, although they have not yet learned this wisdom, are anxious, if
possible, to be used of God to bless their fellow creatures. Here, then, is a
perfect model for you—study it and copy it. First, observe that our Savior, as
the model Soul-winner, was not reservedand distant. “Jesus therefore, being
weariedwith His journey, sat thus on the well.” If He had not been
wonderfully anxious to win a soul, He would have keptHimself to Himself;
and if this womanhad spokento Him, He would have answeredher shortly
and have let her see that He did not desire any conversationwith her. There is
a way of being civil, but, at the same time, of repressing anything like
familiarity. There are some persons who have greatgifts of freezing; they can
freeze you, almost, with a look!You never dare to speak to them, again. In
fact, you stand and wonder how you could ever have had the impertinence to
address such exalted personages!They evidently live in a very distinct world
from that in which your poor selfresides;they could not sympathize with you;
they are too goodor too great, too clever. And if you do not complain of their
conduct, yet you give them a wide berth and keepclearof them in the future,
for they are not at all the sort of people that attract you. They repel you by
their coldness. Theyare not magnets, or, if so, they exercise the very opposite
influence from that of attraction. Now, if any of you are in such a frame of
mind as that, pray the Lord to bring you out of it! But do not attempt to do
any goodwhile you are in such a condition, for you might as welltry to heat
an oven with snowballs as to win souls for Christ with a distant cold, dignified
manner of speech!No, castall that away, for nothing can render you so feeble,
and so useless, as to cultivate anything like separateness fromyour fellows.
Come close to the sinner, draw near to him or to her—show that you are not
keeping yourself to yourself, but that you regard the person you are

addressing as a brother or sister—as one who will find, in you, a sympathizer
who is touched with the feeling of his infirmities, seeing that you have suffered
in many points like he has suffered and are, therefore, on the same level, and
desire to stand on the same platform with him—and to do him good. There
was nothing stiff and starchedabout the Savior. He was the very reverse of
that and even children felt that they might go to Him freely. He was like a
greatharbor into which sailors run their ships in stress ofweather—theyfeel
as if it was made on purpose for them. The very look of Christ’s face, the very
glistening of His eyes, everything about Him made people feelthat He did not
live for Himself at all, but that He desired to bless others! There is the model
Soul-winner, therefore, for your imitation, in Jesus sitting on the well and
condescending evento speak to a poor fallen woman!
2 The ModelSoul-Winner Sermon #2423
2 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 41
In the next place, our Savior was aggressive andprompt. He did not wait for
the womanto speak to Him, but He addressedher. “Give Me a drink,” He
said. He did not wait until she had drawn the waterfrom the welland was
about to go—andso give her an excuse for saying, “I cannot be detained. I
must get home with the water and the sun is hot,” but no soonerhas He seen
her and her waterpot, than He begins a conversationwith His request to her,
“Give Me a drink.” The true soul-winner is like a man who goes out
shooting—he is not half asleepso that when the game presents itself, he waits
till it has takenwing and has gone. He is on the alert—if a feather or a leaf
moves, he has his gun all ready, and he is prepared for actionat once!The
cunning fowler spreads his nets early in the morning before the birds are
awake, thatwhen they first begin to move, they may be taken in his traps.
And the Lord Jesus, witha loving wisdom, went about His work. He began
with the womanat once—assoonas she came to the wellwhere He was
resting, He spoke to her and soonled the talk to the things which concerned
the Christ and her own sin—and the way by which the Christ might lift her
out of her sin and make her useful for the conversionof others. I am afraid
that there are some of you who cannotdo that—you are so reserved, you say.
How often have I told you that the soldier who was so “retiring” was shot?

There was a battle going on and the man was so modest and retiring that he
went to the rear of the fight—and they called him a cowardand shot him
dead! I am not going to call you a coward, nor to shootyou! Still, I wish you
would not get into the rear so much. While souls are perishing, it does not do
to be reservedand retiring! A man who canswim and would let his fellow
man sink would hardly be excusedif he said, “I was so retiring that I could
not push myself upon him. I never had the goodman’s card and I did not
want to force myself upon him without an introduction, so I let him drown. I
was very sorry, but still, I never was a pushing person.” Are you going to let
men be damned? Are you going to let the masses ofpeople in this city perish
in their sins? If so, Godhave mercy upon you! The question will not be,
“What will become of London in this case?”But the question will be, “What
will become of you who let men die in their sins without trying to rescue
them?” Carry the war into the enemy’s country! Speak to people whom you
do not know, whom you have never seenbefore, as Jesus did! Speak to that
woman whom you meet casuallyand providentially, as He did! Speak to her
when the lastthing she wants is that you should speak to her. Speak out at
once and let yours be an aggressive Christianity that is prompt to seize every
opportunity of doing good!What a model Soul-winner, then, you have here!
Next, the Savior was bold, but He was also wise. You cannot sufficiently
admire the wisdom of our blessedLord that He spoke to this womanwhile she
was alone. He could not have said to her what He said and she would never
have said to Him what she said, if anybody else had been there. It was
necessarythat this interview be held in private. But, oh, you who are so
zealous that you are imprudent, you who would gladly win souls but attempt
the task without that care which ought to come naturally to every sensible and
prudent man, remember that although Christ spoke alone with this woman, it
was in broad daylight, at twelve o’clock, by the well. If some people had been
as prudent as the Savior was, they could have afforded to be as zealous as they
have been! In the case ofsuch a woman as this, I would have you remember
the Savior’s wisdomas well as His wondrous condescension!With Nicodemus,
the ruler of the Jews, He speaks by night, but with the harlot of Samaria He
speaks by day. The soul-winner looks about him, he is wise in his plan of going
to work. There are fish that will only bite in troubled waters. There are some
that are not to be takenexceptat night and there are others that are only to be

caught by daylight. Fit yourself to the case ofthe personyou are seeking to
bless!I do not say be so prudent that you will run no risk, but I will say, be so
prudent, especiallyin certain difficult cases, that you run no unnecessaryrisk!
The Saviorcould not have selecteda better time for talking to such a person—
you will see at once that if even the disciples marveled that He spoke with the
woman—it was infinitely wise on His part that it was done at the well side and
done at noon. O soul-winners, win souls any wayyou can! Be willing to risk
your own reputation, if necessary, to win them, but it is not necessary, ornot
usually necessary, and it never should be done exceptwhen it is necessary.
Your Savior sets you that wise example. Follow Him in this speaking to people
singly. I do so much of public preaching that, perhaps, I lose a measure of
adaptation for private conversation, yet have I sometimes done the most
successfulwork I have ever done in private rather than in public! Sitting at a
table, I have marked a young man who was a strangerto me, and I have asked
him to accompanyme to the place where I was to preach. I did not know the
way and I askedhim to walk with me. A
Sermon #2423 The ModelSoul-Winner 3
Volume 41 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 3
few words on the road won him for Christ and he has been, ever since, an
earnestupholder of the gospeland a very useful one! I do not know whether
any were savedby the sermon, but I know that one was convertedby the talk
on the way there! I know an evangelistwho is useful in his public service, but
he is also greatly useful to the families in the homes where he stays. Almost in
every case the minister’s sons and daughters are converted before he leaves
the house, or the servant or a visitor is won by his private conversation. I like
that kind of work!Oh, that we all studied this art of speaking to persons one
by one! So I sayto you, again, here is the model Soul-winner—copyHis
example. Observe how the Saviorbegins with this woman—“Jesussaidto
her, Give Me a drink.” When you are fishing, it is not always wise to throw
your fly straight at the fish’s mouth. Try him a little on one side, and then a
little on the other side, and maybe, presently, you will get a bite. So the Savior
does not begin by saying to her, “You are a sinful woman.” Oh, dear, none but
an amateur in such a business would begin like that! Neither did He begin by

saying, “Now, goodmistress, I am the Messiah.”Well, that was the truth, was
it not? Yes, but that was not to come first—He beganby saying, “Give Me a
drink.” He must first attracther attention and influence her mind—then
would come the closerwork of probing her conscience andchanging her
heart! It was only a very ordinary, commonplace requestthat Jesus made.
“Give Me a drink.” It might have occurredto any one of you to sayit, but not
to use it as He did. Yet it was a word that was wisely chosen, forit fitted in
with the woman’s thoughts. She was thinking about drawing waterand Jesus
said to her, “Give Me a drink.” There could be no more suitable metaphor or
mode of expressionthan that of water and drinking if you are talking to a
person who has come to draw waterfor herselfor others to drink. Besides
that, it was an exceedinglypregnant expression, as full of meaning as an egg is
full of meat. “Give Me a drink.” It contained much within itself. It gave the
Savior as wide a field as He could wish for to talk to her about her spiritual
thirst, and about that living waterwhich He could put within her, which
would abide in her, and be a well—not one to which she should come—but a
well that she would carry about with her and that would be always springing
up within her unto everlasting life! So let us learn how to begin wiselywith
observations that are apparently commonplace, but such as will easilylead to
higher things. I think that the Savior, as the model Soul-winner, is also to be
imitated in that at the very beginning He broke down a barrier. The Lord
Jesus Christ was evidently dressedas a Jew, and this woman came out of
Samaria. Now, at once, there was a barrier betweenthe two, for the Jews had
no dealings with the Samaritans. Our Lord broke through that caste by saying
to her, “Give Me a drink.” No other expressionwould do this so well, for to
eat and to drink with persons was, afterthe Oriental fashion, to come into
communion with them. “Give Me a drink,” therefore, shook off from Him all
Judaism which would separate Him from this Samaritan. If you are going to
try to win people for Christ, always seek to break down everything that would
separate. Are you a man of wealth? Well, I do not believe in converting souls
by making your diamond rings glitter and flash when you are talking to
workingmen. Are you a scientific man? Now, that word of 17 syllables that
you have been so fond of—do not use it, but say something very plain and
simple! Or do you happen to belong to any political party? Do not bring that
question in—you will not win souls that way—you will be more likely to excite

prejudice and opposition. If I were talking to the French, I would devoutly
wish I were a Frenchman. If I had to win a German, I should wish to know as
much of the idiosyncrasies ofthat nation as I possibly could. I shall never be
ashamedof being an Englishman, but if I could win more souls by being a
Dutchman, or a Zulu, I would gladly have any kind of nationality, that I might
get at the hearts of men! And our Lord Jesus actedjust in that spirit when He
said to the woman, “Give Me a drink.” He sank the noble dignity of being a
Jew—for, mark you, a Jew is the aristocratof God—Jesus, evenin His
humanity, came of a race that is made up of the oldestand noblest of earthly
nobility, but He dropped that dignity in order that He might talk to this
Samaritan womanwho was nothing better than a mongrel, for her race was
made up of nobody knows what! They pretended to be Jewishwhen there was
anything to get by so doing—and to be Gentile whenever the Jews were in any
kind of difficulties. But Jesus did not snub her, nor did He hint that she was in
the leastdegree inferior to Himself. There is no winning souls in any other
way than as the Saviorwon them. God teachus how to win them! This must
suffice for that first point, the model Soul-winner.
II. Now for just a few minutes I want to exhibit our divine Lord and Masterin
another light. Notthis time as the model Soul-winner, but as THE MASTER
OF CONDESCENSION.He seems to me to be so thoughtful—this blessed
Lord of ours, the Sonof God, the Creator, the first-begottenof God. He takes
His seatthere on the wellin wearinessand thirst. Do you not see Him almost
ready to faint? What condescensionthis was, that He was so straitened that
He had not even a drink of water, or the means to getit. Makerof all springs!
Bearerof the key of the rain! Lord of the ocean, and yet He needs waterto
drink? What a stoopis this, for your Lord and mine to come to this! When He
said, “Foxeshave holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man
has not where to lay His head,” He had come very low, but now, even the
water, which is such a common thing around us that it ripples from the hills
and streams through the vales—eventhat has fled from Him—and He says,
“Give Me a drink.” Bless your Lord, O you who love Him! Kiss His feetand

wonder at His marvelous condescension! I wonder at His condescension, next,
that He not only came into such straitness, but that He was so humble as to
ask for a drink of water. He that hears prayer, Himself prays! He that listens
to the cries of His redeemed, and with the fullness of His majestic bounty,
opens His hands and supplies the needs of every living thing, sits there and
says to the woman, “Give Me a drink.” O Master, how You have straitened
Yourself! How You have humbled Yourself, that You should be a beggarof
one of Your own creatures, asking fora sip of water! Admire that
condescensionstillmore when you think that HE askedit of her, of her who
had had five husbands, and he with whom she was living was not her
husband! Yet Jesus says to her, “Give Me a drink.” Some of you goodwomen
would not have touched her with a pair of tongs, would you? And some of you
goodmen would have passedby her on the other side. Jesus, however, wasnot
only willing to give to her, but He was willing to receive from her! He would
put Himself under obligation to a Samaritansinner! So He says to her, who
was not fit to come near Him to unloose the laces ofHis shoes— Johnthe
Baptist said that He was not worthy to do that—but what was she worthy to
do? Yet Jesus says evento her, “Give Me a drink.” Then notice His
condescension, again, when she answers Him tartly with a reply that was
perhaps civil in tone, but that was virtually a refusal, He did not upbraid her.
He did not sayto her, “Oh, you cruel woman!” No, not a syllable or look of
reproof did He give her. He needednot the water that was in the well; He
meant to have her heart, and He did have it, and, therefore, He went on to
speak to her. Is not that a beautiful text, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not”? So the Savior
will not give this woman a word of upbraiding—she shall be led to upbraid
herself—but it shall be for her sin! She shall not be upbraided for her
ungenerous reply that the Saviorhas passedover. This is the crown of
Christ’s condescension, thatHe led her not to do what He askedher to do, but
He led her to confess hersin. He said, “Give Me a drink,” but apparently she
did not let down that waterpot, neither did He put it to His lips, parched as
they were. But He led her to her confessionof sin, her faith in Him, her
running to call the men—and all this gave Him meat to eatand waterto drink
that others knew not of! He had won a soul and this had refreshedHim after
His weariness. We do not hear of His being wearyany more; He shook it all

off at sight of that sinner saved! He was Himself, again, for He had received
what He would die to win. He had receiveda heart returning to the great
Father, He had found a soul that trusted in Him! I wish that I knew how to
preach better so that I might lead you to my Master, for I do want you to
glorify Him. I have often tried to setHim before you as He hung upon the
cross, and as He will come againin His glorious SecondAdvent; but just now
I ask you to adore Him in His weariness as He sits upon the well! He is never
lovelier than in His lowliness. There is a grandeur about Him when He rides
to battle on His white horse and summons the kites and eaglesto devour the
slain, but we start back from that terrible vision of majesty to the
attractiveness ofHis love when He thus humbles Himself and makes Himself
of no reputation and talks with a fallen woman! Seeing Him thus
condescending, we love, reverence, admire, and adore Him! Let us do so now.
III. I shall have done when I have taken up my third point with considerable
brevity, but with no little earnestness.It is this. You have seenthe model Soul-
winner and the Masterof condescension. Letus now notice THE MANNER
OF THE WORKING OF GRACE with the view that we may see it here this
evening.
So you have come here, my friend. You have not come to be saved. Oh, no!
That is very far from your mind. You came to see the place, you came to look
at a building to which a crowdwill come and listen to a minister of the gospel.
Yes, yes, but even that is no reasonwhy you should not get a blessing, for this
woman only came to draw water. “There came a woman of Samaria to draw
water.” She had no desire to see Jesus, orto learn of Him. She was only
looking for water! Saul went to seek his father’s asses andfound a kingdom!
So you may find what you never sought and you may be found of Him whom
you never sought! Listen! Open your ears!Perhaps your day of grace has
come, and the greatsilver bell is striking the hour of your salvation—Ihope
that it is so. It may be so, though you have no thought of it. You are not
converted, you are not a Christian, but you would like to do goodin the world,
would you not? You desire to do some kindly action, something generous. I

have known that thought arise in a greatmany who yet did not know the
Lord. Some people will not ask an unconverted person to give money. I would,
for my Mastersaid to a woman who was a greatsinner, “Give Me a drink.” It
may be to the everlasting goodof some of you to do something for the Church
of God, to do something for the Christ of God! Before you know where you
are, it may be that you will commit yourselves by some kindly act. I wish you
would do so. The way to win a person to yourself is not always to do him
good, but to let him do you good. Jesus knew that, so He began by saying,
“Give Me a drink.” So sometimes it may be wise—andI would try it now—to
say to some of you, “You would like to do someone good, wouldyou not? You
would like to do some kindly action.” Well, notice, the Masteris here, tonight,
and He has come with much the same cry as He came to the Samaritan
woman. Jesus says to you, “Give Me a drink.” “Oh,” you say, “What could I
give Christ to drink? If He were here, I would gladly give Him a drink. I am
sure that if I were at my cottage doorand He passedby on a dusty day, I
would gladly turn the handle of the well and bring up a bucket of water.
Though I am not converted, I would do that.” Well, dear heart, you may do
that! I want you to do it! It is your privilege to refresh the very heart of
Christ! If you were not a sinner, you could not do it, but being a guilty sinner,
you cando it! Your very guilt and sin give you the possibility of refreshing
Him. “How?” youask. Why, repent of your sin! Have done with it, quit it, and
turn from it. “There is joy in the presence ofthe angels of God overone sinner
that repents.” It does not say that the angels rejoice, though I have no doubt
that they do, but it is said, “There is joy in the presence of the angels.” Thatis,
the angels see the joy of Christ when a sinner repents! They spy it out, and
notice it. If you let fall a tear of repentance;if in your heart there is a sense of
shame because ofyour sin; if in your soul there is the resolve to escape from it,
you have refreshedHim! Next, guilty as you are, you can refreshHim by
seeking salvationfrom Him. Did He not sayto the woman, “If you knew the
gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have
askedof Him, and He would have given you living water”? And when she said
to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water,” that refreshedHim! Ask this of Him, now,
quietly in your soul. Oh, may God the Holy Spirit persuade you to do so! Cry
to Him to save you! Say, “Lord Jesus, save me! I am but a girl and careless,
but save me.” “I am a young man and thoughtless, but save me tonight.” By so

doing, you have given Him a drink, and He is already refreshed! The sweetest
drink of all is when you perceive that He is the Christ, and that God has sent
Him to save you—and you give yourself up to be savedby Him! Trust Him
now—may the goodSpirit lead you to trust Him now! So will you refresh
Him—this is the recompense for all His wounds and even for His death—
when sinful souls come and trust Him. I remember hearing of one who, while
walking the fields, found a little bird fly into his bosom. He could not
understand why the creature should come there, but when he lookedup, there
was a hawk which had pursued the bird, and the little thing had flown into the
bosom of the man for shelter. What do you think? Did the man tear it in
pieces? No. He kept it safely till he had taken it awayfrom the place where the
hawk was;and then he gave it its liberty again. The Lord Jesus Christ will do
just that with you if you trust Him! Sin pursues you—fly to His bosom, for
only there are you safe! I have heard of a greatking who had pitched his
royal pavilion and when he was about to move it, he found that a bird had
come and built its nest there. He was such a king that, although the pavilion
was of silk, he ordered his soldiers not to take it down until that bird’s young
ones were hatched and could fly. I love the generosityof a prince who will act
like that, but my Lord is a nobler and kinder Prince than all others!Oh, what
a Prince He is for generosity!Poor bird, if you will dare to trust Him and
make your
nest in the pavilion where He dwells, you shall never be destroyed, nor your
hope, either, but you shall be safe forever! Oh, that I knew how to bring you
to Christ, dear hearers!This is a hot summer’s night, and you are weary,
perhaps, of my talking, but I would not mind that if I could bring you to
Jesus!Oh, that I might have fruit from this sermon! This week I believe I
might say that I have met and heard of hundreds who, in past years, have
been brought to the Saviorby the printed sermons. They came to me, grasped
my hand, and thanked me—and I praised God; but then I thought, “Yes, God
did bless me, and He has blessedthe printed sermons, but I want present fruit,
and to see sinners, now, close in with Christ and be eternally saved.” Is all that

I preach to you only a dream or a fiction? Then, fling it awayfrom you and
despise both it and me! But if it is true, and if I only tell you of a true
salvation, and a true Savior, come and have it, come and trust Him now, for
He casts out none who come to Him! May this be the deciding time with many
of you, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake!Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON:JOHN 4:1-32.
Verses 1-4. When, therefore, the Lord knew how the Pharisees hadheard
that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus
Himself baptized not, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed againinto
Galilee. And He neededto go through Samaria. When He was needed in so
many places, He did not care to stay among the Pharisees where He was not
wanted. They would not receive His message, so He left the lordly professors
and went to look after a fallen woman! Christ’s estimates of usefulness are not
always the same as ours. We think it a grand thing to be the means of
converting a greatman; Christ thinks it a worthy work to convert a great
sinner! 5. Then He came to a city of Samaria which is calledSychar, near to
the parcelof ground that Jacobgave to his son, Joseph. You remember how
the patriarch said to his favorite son, “MoreoverI have given to you one
portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with
my swordand with my bow.” This was “the parcelof ground” which was near
to Sychar. 6. Now Jacob’s wellwas there. Jesus, therefore, being weariedwith
His journey, sat thus on the well. What could the weariedSaviordo? Why,
He could save a greatsinner! And now that He is no more wearied, what can
He not do? Brothers, when you go to preach or to teach, you like to feel fresh
and vigorous, but do not think that this state is at all necessary!Your wearied
Masterwon the woman at Samaria. So may you win souls, evenin your
weariness!Let us not make excuses forourselves becausewe do not feelfit for
our work. Godmay bless us more when we feelweary than He does at any
other time. 6. And it was about the sixth hour. Twelve o’clockin the day, I
suppose. Was that the time when the womenusually came to draw water? No,

but it was the time when a woman who was shunned by other women would
be most likely to come—andthe Savior knew that. She had to take odd times
to get to the well, for her neighbors did not care to be seenin the company of
such a reprobate as she was, and she was probably just as anxious to avoid
them. 7, 8. Then came a woman of Samaria to draw water:Jesus saidto her,
Give Me a drink. (For His disciples were gone awayunto the city to buy
meat). Or, “food.” 9. Then saidthe woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it
that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink, which am a woman of Samaria?
For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. The woman seemedto
say to the Savior, “You Jews will not acknowledgeus until You want
something from us! Now that You happen to be thirsty, You do not mind
asking for a drink from me, but, at other times, You will have no dealings
with us.” This was a tart reply to our Lord’s request, but He did not answer
the womanin the tone she had adopted. When you are dealing with a soul, you
must not lose your temper because ofa sharp word, a hard saying, or even a
blasphemous reply. Soul-winners must be very tender and gentle. God make
us so!
10. Jesus answeredandsaid unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it
is that says to you, Give Me a drink; you would have askedofHim, and He
would have given you living water. Oh, that ignorance, that baneful
ignorance!“If you knew, you would have askedof Him, and He would have
given you.” Sometimes, my brothers and sisters, the keyof a man’s salvation
may lie in your instructing him in the simplest matters of the gospel, forif he
does but know, he will ask—andChrist will give! Great issues may depend
upon this, which seems but the turning of a straw. Therefore go and tell men
the wayof salvation, for in the most of cases,ignorance,alas, bars the door! I
mean not among those who have long heard the gospel, but I mean the
outsiders who do not know anything about it. Tell it to them and you may,
thereby, open to them the kingdom of heaven. 11-14. The woman saidto Him,
Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where, then,
have You that living water? Are You greaterthan our father Jacob, which

gave us the well, and drank thereofhimself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answeredandsaid to her, Whoeverdrinks of this watershall thirst
again:but whoeverdrinks of the waterthat I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life. So you see, my dear hearer, if you get grace from Christ,
you really possessit, and it is of that nature that it remains in you and
becomes, itself, a spring within you, “springing up into everlasting life.” It is
not that temporary, trumpery salvation which some preach, which saves you
for a quarter of a year, and then lets you perish! It is everlasting salvation!
Once received, it does not pass away like that little dribbling showerthat
wateredthe pavement just now, and is gone, but it shall be in you a well of
water, springing up, a living and enduring principle, or, to use another
Scriptural expression, “incorruptible seed, which lives and abides forever.”
This salvationis worth your having! Then, get it! It is worth your pining after,
praying for, and believing. Oh, that you might have it, even you! As soonas
you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, it is yours, and yours forever! 15. The
woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come
here to draw. The woman had not even the faintest idea of the spiritual truth
of which Christ had spokento her. The fact is, convictionmust come before
conversion. No sinner is made alive till he is first killed. You cannot clothe him
till he is naked. So now the Saviorbegan that convictionwork in this
woman—and He did it very wisely. He did not, at first, charge her with
criminality, but He led her to accuse herself. 16, 17. Jesus saidto her, Go, call
your husband, and come here. The woman answeredand said, I have no
husband. And, as she said it, no doubt she tried to look as innocent as
possible. But a guilty flush stole over her face despite her attempt to keepit
back. 17. Jesus saidto her, you have well said, I have no husband. Always
give people credit for what is well said. If you want to win them, you must
mind that you are not rough with them, but admit what you can of the truth
in their utterance—“Youhave well said, I have no husband.” 18, 19. Foryou
have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband: in
that said you truly. The woman said unto Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a
prophet. It would have been better if she had perceivedthat she was a sinner!
Perhaps she did perceive it, but scarcelycared, yet, to confess it openly, so she
said, “I perceive that You are a prophet.” Now she has a religious difficulty,

and what man or woman is there in the world, howeverfar gone from
morality, who has not some religious difficulties? And the more immoral they
become, the more difficulties they are pretty sure to have! I hate that style of
preaching which is everlastinglypandering to difficulties which never would
exist exceptin a dissolute generationlike the present! We preacha plain
gospel, and when men’s hearts are right, it is all plain to them. To him who
desires to understand, difficulties sooncease to be a trouble! We had better
deal with men’s hearts and lives than try to answertheir quibbling questions.
This was the woman’s dilemma— 20. Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain. That is, Mount Gerizim— 20-23. And You saythat in Jerusalemis
the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saidto her, Woman, believe Me,
the hour comes whenyou shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father. You worship you know not what—we know what we
worship: for salvationis of the
Jews. Butthe hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Fatherin spirit and in truth: for the Father seekssuchto worship
Him. You see, brothers and sisters, all the difficulties that arise are but
temporary! Put them away, and get to the greatspiritual business that
concerns us all—the truly seeking afterGodin spirit and in truth! If you
really want to find God, you shall find Him. He is already seeking you, and
your very desire after Him is the proof that He has already had dealings with
you by His Spirit! Therefore, come unto Him, and come at once, “for the
Father seekssuchto worship Him.” 24-27. Godis a Spirit: and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The woman said to
Him, I know that Messiahcomes, whichis called Christ: when He is come, He
will tell us all things. Jesus saidto her, I that speak unto you am He. And upon
this came His disciples. This gracious work ofthe Masterhad been done in
private. Christ knew that such a person as this womanwas not to be spokento
in the presence ofHis disciples, who were scarcelysympathetic enoughfor
such service. But her heart is now won by the Messiah!So now you may come
in, you disciples!Providence shut the door, and kept them waiting a while

until this delicate piece of work was done! 27. And marveled that He talked
with the woman. These men who had, themselves, been pickedoff the
dunghill, marveled that Christ spoke to this woman! So have I known some
who were, themselves, once grievous sinners, yet they have become horribly
conceitedsome years after conversion. And they have thought that other great
sinners might not be savedas they were!God deliver from such abominable
pride any soul that professesto be saved! Every believer should feel, “If the
Lord has savedme, He cansave anybody.” And that state of mind ought
always to be ours. 27. Yet no man said, What seek You? or, Why talk You
with her? They had some sense left, sense enoughto keepsilent. 28. The
woman then left her waterpot— Possessedonly with one thought, going to tell
others the glad news she herselfhad believed! She “left her waterpot.” 28, 29.
And went her wayinto the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man which
told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? They must have been
surprised to hear her talking about goodthings. There was no more likely
messengerto win men, or to strike them with curiosity, than such a woman as
this. 30-32. Thenthey went out of the city, and came to Him. In the meantime
His disciples urged Him, saying, Master, eat. But He said unto them, I have
meat to eat that you know not of. So has every man who lives to win souls for
Christ! There is a table which he enters where the very delicacies ofGod are
brought before him, and his soul is sustained, and his strength is renewedby
the dainties that the Lord has provided for those who do His will! Brothers
and sisters, may we often feed upon this heavenly meat! Amen.
JESUS A MODELSOUL WINNER
"…he that winneth souls is wise." Proverbs 11:3
"He left Judea, and departed againinto Galilee. And he must needs go
through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called
Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacobgave to his son Joseph. Now
Jacob's wellwas there. Jesus therefore, being weariedwith his journey, sat
thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometha woman of

Samaria to draw water: Jesus saithunto her, Give me to drink" (John 4:3-7).
Oh, where would we be without this model for soul-winning? Here and in
John 3, we have the only dialogues that focus purely on soul-winning in all the
gospels. Withoutthese stories, we would be much amiss in knowing how to go
about winning a soul to Jesus. We may say, yes, we know that Jesus came to
seek and to save that which is lost, but we wish he had given us at leastone
example of how specificallyit is to be done. Glory to God - we have an
example in the story of the Samaritanwoman.
The Distinction betweenWitnessing and Soul-winning.
For the purpose of this letter, let me define these terms: in witnessing, we
identify ourselves with Jesus, and in soul-winning, we go beyond that
identification, making an effort to actually lead a soul to Christ.
We are encouragedto witness from many passagesin the Bible, such as
Proverbs 3:5,6: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths." This tells us that if we want to be led by the Holy Spirit, we
must identify ourselves with the Lord in all our ways.
Jesus also stressedthe importance of witnessing in Luke 9:26: "Forwhosoever
shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Sonof man be
ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the
holy angels."
In a practical way, we identify ourselves with Jesus. Forexample, we witness
when we meet someone atthe gas stationor at a bank. We may say, "We
surely want to thank the Lord for this beautiful day," or "I am thankful for
Jesus'cleansing bloodtoday," etc.. These little words and testimonies please
the Lord and satisfy his command, "In all thy ways acknowledgehim."
However, important as such a witness is, in many situations, God wants us to
go beyond that. He wants our witness to develop into an effort and
determination whereby we are truly endeavoring to win a soul to Christ.
Witnessing is similar to throwing bait to a fish, but soul-winning is catching
that fish.

Principles of Soul-winning.
In John 4, we find some basic principles for soul-winning.
1. We must be led by the Spirit: "…he must needs go through Samaria."
The term "being led by the Spirit" may be new to some of you, and yet it is
scriptural. The apostle Paul said, "Foras many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). We read in Luke 4:1, "And
Jesus…wasled by the Spirit into the wilderness." If the Holy Spirit is leading
us, then the Holy Spirit can work through us in witnessing.
It is the Holy Spirit who led Jesus through despisedSamaria from Galilee to
Jerusalem!And, of course, to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit always
requires self-denial. Self will never, and cannever, be led by the Holy Spirit. It
must be denied, our plans being laid at the foot of the cross.
We must realize that we are all calledupon to win souls.
John 4 is the model for soul-winning, and it is a model to be imitated by all of
us even though the circumstances mayvary widely. When Jesus said"as my
Father hath sentme, even so send I you" (John 20:21), he meant, among other
things, we were to give ourselves to soul-winning, even as he did.
At his ascension, Jesus'disciples askedhim, "Lord wilt thou at this time
restore againthe kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). And Jesus'last words were
related to soul-winning: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons….
But ye shall receive power… and ye shall be witnesses"(vv. 7,8). The disciples
wanted to know about prophecy, about the whens and hows, but Jesus said:
Forgetit - be witnesses!
Too many believers are wrapped up in prophecy, but they do nothing toward
leading souls to Christ.
Witnessing and soul-winning got into the hearts of the early Christians, for
when they were driven out of Jerusalem, allthe lay people "wentevery where
preaching the word" (8:1,4). May that fire of the early Christians once again
burn in our hearts.

We must press through when we don't feelup to it: "Jesus therefore, being
weariedwith his journey, satthus on the well" (John 4:6).
Jesus was tired. It was noon. The sun was mercilesslyblazing upon his head.
Jesus wantedto rest. Restwas on his mind. When you have rest on your mind,
you do not feellike witnessing.
We may make a host of excuses:"I am exhausted… I don't feel in the spirit…
I don't know what to say… There will be a better time… Surely, this is not
God's time… Somebody else will reachthem better," etc..
If we allow feelings to govern our soul-winning - we might as wellforget it!
Those who only make their beds, cleantheir houses, take out the garbage, visit
the sick, and pray when they feel like it, are not fit for the kingdom. A soul-
winner goes by three solid facts:he is saved, the poor sinner is lost, and God
has said, "Rescue the perishing." He does not go by feelings. In fact, our very
weaknessesand inadequacies are the qualifications we need to trust the Lord
with all our heart and to engage his all-sufficiency.
Soul-winning Means Breaking DownBarriers.
Let us considerthree barriers Jesus had to break down in his encounterwith
the Samaritanwoman.
1. Jesus Broke throughthe SexualBarrier: "There cometha woman…" (v. 7).
If you dream about the ideal soul-winning situation, it will never happen.
Every soul-winning encounterI have had lookedimpossible - some more than
others.
In many places in the Middle East, there are barriers betweenmen and
women. Furthermore, a single man and an adulterous womanalone at a well
was an uncomfortable situation. There were only two options for Jesus:to
leave, or to witness. Jesus chose to abandon accepted, earthly etiquette,
choosing insteadto witness. In doing so, he greatlysurprised his disciples, for
it says, "And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talkedwith
the woman…" (v. 27a).

2. Jesus Broke throughthe Religious Barrier:"Then saith the woman of
Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askestdrink of me, which
am a womanof Samaria? Forthe Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans"
(v. 9).: "Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being
a Jew, askestdrink of me, which am a womanof Samaria? Forthe Jews have
no dealings with the Samaritans" (v. 9).
The Samaritan population arose during the Assyrian occupation, were the
children from mixed marriages betweenJews andAssyrians. These people
had adopted the five books of Moses, they had a messianic expectation, and
they expecteda temple to be rebuilt in Samaria. The Jews hatedthese
"corrupted competitors." Hence, no dealing with the Samaritans. But Jesus
broke through this barrier also. The Holy Spirit led so, and divine love did so!
When you are walking in the Spirit, you must not allow any barriers to stop
you.
Many people start to witness, stepping into the way of soul-winning, but when
the barriers come up, they become wearyand quit before the battle is won.
They quit when they are confronted with blank stares ofdisinterest, with
statements like, 'I'm a Hindu," or "I have my own religion," or "Christians
are hypocrites."
3. Jesus Broke throughthe Sin Barrier: "…thou hasthad five husbands…"
(v.18).
The Samaritan womanwas an adulteress. She could have been a prostitute, or
the town sinner. Scholars tell us that it was uncommon in that day for
someone to go to a well to draw waterin the heat of high noon, except for the
outcasts. This womanwas a woman who had no morality. To her, there was
no sin - only pleasure and then disappointment.
Why witness to the wicked, to sexual perverts, to the immoral, or to the
rebellious? Why witness to a man who has tattoos all over his arms and chest,
holding a glass ofbeer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, with
pornographic pictures on his walls? Friend, is that a barrier to press through,
or is it a stopsign to give up and back off? Oh, keepon, my friend. Didn't
Jesus say, "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into

the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. 21:31b). Rejecting a religion of
escapism, soul-winners see saints in sinners and encounterthem at every level
of wickedness. So Jesus said, "Go, callthy husband…" (v. 16).
Soul-winning Requires Exposing Sin.
Conviction will not fall until you dealwith the sin of the person you want to
win. It will not do for you to talk about sin in general. You must talk about,
and deal with, the sin of the person you are trying to win. It is not the world's
sin that keeps the sinner from God, but his sin. If you are not dealing with
that individual's sin, leading to a prayer of confession, youmay be doing great
damage. If there is no conviction of sin, there is no confession. If there is no
confession, there is no forgiveness and cleansing. In this process ofconvicting
a sinner, more often than not, the sinner will become perturbed, offended, or
angry with you. Do not let this deter you. I once witnessedto a man. After I
left, he saidto his wife, "I never, ever want to see that preacher again." Three
months later, I returned anyhow, and the man gave his heart to Jesus
immediately and became my friend.
Soul-winning Requires Resisting Diversions.
The woman acknowledgedher sin, but now, as the conversationwas getting
"too hot" for her, she introduced a controversialsubjectto change the
conversation:"Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in
Jerusalemis the place where men ought to worship" (v. 20). When you get to
the personalsin issue, the sinner gets nervous, and the devil gets nervous, and
he puts in his last attack:his diversion is to change the subject. And the soul-
winner who wants to be kind, and look good, and still be liked, will fall for the
trap and go along with the diversion. Oh, how many have abandoned the
course to win the lost by giving in to diversions?
Soul-winning Requires the Revelationof Christ.
"Jesus saithunto her, I that speak unto thee am he" (v. 26). In the whole
process ofsoul-winning, Christ must shine through you - his love, his
compassion, his holiness, his firmness and kindness -- so that the sinner will be
drawn into the kingdom. Yes, the Samaritanwoman became the first Gentile

missionary. Indeed, Solomonsaid, "…he that winneth souls is wise" (Prov.
11:30). May you be wiserfrom now on in this greatcalling of God.
http://www.wgbd.org/tozersoul.html
Jesus, the Model Soul-Winner
(John 4)
INTRODUCTION
A. ReadJohn 4:29. 1. This verse tells of Jesus saving a sinful woman. 2. If also
tells of a woman bringing others to Christ.
B. Jesus was always where sinners were. 1. ReadJohn 4:4. a.Why did Jesus
need to go through Samaria? b.It was not the nearestroute to the Sea of
Galilee. c. He went to Samaria because a sinner was there. 2. Jesus was
interestedin the individual (Luke 19:5). 3. In Luke 15 Jesus is the seeking
Shepherd who leaves the ninety and nine and goes to the mountain side,
amidst the howling storm, amidst the darkness of the night to searchfor a
sheepthat was lost.
C. Jesus lookedforall kinds of souls. 1. In John 3 He talked with Nicodemus,
an up-and-outer! 2. In John 4 He talkedwith the sinful woman, a down-and-
outer!
D. Jesus was a complete soul-winner. 1. He was not just interested in baptizing
people—He trained those whom He won. 2. He not only won them and trained
them, but He also sent them.
3. Any church that does not win, train, and send them out to win others is not
in the complete soul-winning business. a.He sent out the seventy, two by two.
b.He sentout the apostles, two by two. c. He sent the maniac of Gadara back
home to tell his friends of the greatthings the Lord had done for him (Mark
5:19).

E. Jesus is our perfectmodel in this matter of soulwinning. 1. Jesus won
Nicodemus, James and John, Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, Matthew, the
lepers, the blind, and the sick. 2. He loved the lost.
F. From the highestpoint on the socialladder to the very depths of
degradation, Jesus won sinners. 1. Jesus was a seeking Savior. 2. No wonder
the womansaid in John 4:29, “Come, see a man, who told me all things that
ever I did: canthis be the Christ?”
G. Let us see whatwe can learn from this story of conversionin John 4 about
Jesus and His soulwinning.
I.HE WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
A. Here is an excellent example of a soulwinner being at the right place at the
right time. 1. I have no doubt that Jesus knew all the time about this woman.
2
2. Jesus meantto be sitting on that curb when she showedup with her water
jug.
B. If we will work with God, I believe He will put us at the right place at the
right time. 1. He put Philip where He could reachthe Ethiopian nobleman
(Acts 8). 2. He put Ananias at the right place to tell Paul what to do (Acts 22).
C. “He must needs pass through Samaria.” At noon when the sinful woman
showedup at the well God had a soul-winner waiting on her.
II.HE WAS INTERESTEDIN REACHING THE RELIGIOUS AS WELL AS
THE IMMORAL.
A. Listen to this woman talk (vv. 12, 20, 25). She conversedwith Jesus about
religious matters.
B. Think of some of the great religious men who were saved in the New
Testament. 1. Paul, Nicodemus, Cornelius, and the eunuch were religious but
lost. 2. Often very religious people need to be saved. a.Some who attend
services everytime the doors are opened have not been scripturally baptized.

b.Some religious people are worshipping in error. c. Some are following man-
made creeds and doctrines.
C. Religionwithout Christ and His Word is empty and void (Matthew 15:8, 9;
Psalm127:1).
III.HE REGARDED THE VERY BAD AS PROSPECTS.
A. The womanwas immoral, having had five husbands and currently living
with a man who was not her husband.
B. What was probably true of this woman?
1. She was probably as mean as the devil! 2. She was probably goodlooking. 3.
She probably had a goodpersonality, when she wanted to. 4. She was
probably the kind who had an answerto everything and wanted to run the
show. 5. She probably did not have a thimbleful of character. She was as bad
as the thief on the cross, as roughas Zacchaeus,a crookedpolitician, and as
wickedas the maniac of Gadara.
C. The salvationof really wickedpeople shows that God can save anyone. 1.
Jesus savedthe sinful woman in John 8. 2. He saves from “the guttermost to
the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25).
D. God has saved many whom we thought were not even prospects. He has
savedalcoholics, athiests,prostitutes, liars, thieves, and murderers. He can
change the very worstinto the very best.
E. He can save you! He can save anyone!
IV . JESUS WAS INTERESTEDIN ALL RACES.
A. When Jesus beganto talk with her she said, “The Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans.” 1. The Samaritans were half-breeds. 2. She wondered
how Jesus, a Jew, couldbe interestedin her, a Samaritan. 3. Soonshe found
that Christ and God’s love make an infinite grace leapover all racialbarriers.
B. I believe one of the most receptive and ripest mission fields today is the
blacks of America. 1. They will listen. 2. They are eagerlearners. 3. We need
to help train and support men to work among them.

C. Another people who are most receptive is
3
the Jews ofAmerica. 1. A woman said to a preacher’s wife at the gardentomb
in Jerusalem, “You people make a mistake when you do not speak to the Jews
about Christ the Son of God and the Saviorof the world. The hearts of our
people are hungry and afraid, but you Bible-believers are leaving them
alone.” 2. I baptized a Jew some years ago who informed me that many of the
young Jewishmen and womenare taking a close look atthe claims of
Christianity.
D. We need to remember these verses:John 3:16; Mark 16:15, 16;Acts 10:34.
E. God loves all men equally, regardlessofthe colorof their skin. 1. It may be
that men and womenof a particular race can worship better by themselves
and need to be together, but we had better be carefulthat we do not close our
hearts and doors to them. 2. God expects His people to see to it that all people
have an opportunity to be saved.
V. SOULS WERE FIRST IN THE HEART OF JESUS.
A. If you do not learn anything else learn this: The first thing in the heart of
Jesus was the souls of people. Jesus was interestedin the spiritual
development of every person.
B. Look at the story of the text. 1. The disciples had gone to the city to buy
food. 2. Jesus was hungry but when they returned He refusedto eat, saying, “I
have meat to eat that you know not of.” 3. Jesus was saying that this soul was
more important to Him than food.
C. Think of other examples of people who had souls first on their hearts. 1.
Paul is an example (Romans 9:3; 10:1). 2. In Africa there is a preacherby the
name
of Apollo. a.He was a medical student in Johannesburg. Only one in a million
Africans get a chance to become a doctor. b.In his village three out of every
four babies die before they reach the age of four. They do not know about
sanitation and medical treatment. c. While in medical school, he was

converted. Soonhe told the missionaries, “Iam checking out of medical school
in the morning.” d.They wanted to know why. They said, “Man, you have one
chance in a million to make a doctor and render tremendous service to your
people. Why are you checking outand throwing awaythe two years of work
you have already spent in medical school?”e.He said, “I will tell you why.
Becausemy mother and daddy, my brothers, my sisters, and my friends are
dying every day out there in the bush country without Jesus. Thatis why.” f. I
do not know what has happened to Apollo, but I do know that the lastreport
we had he had establishedsome 17 congregations in Africa! 3. There was a
blind preacherby the name of Godwin McGwakwa. a.Twoofour missionaries
over in Africa kept hearing about a congregationthat was indigenous. b.One
day they finally got over to that village and askedabout the church of Christ.
They were told that there was one there. They askedif they could meet with
some of the brethren. c. When some of the brethren gathered, they asked
them who started the church there. d.“Why the blind man did,” they said.
e.His name is Godwin McGwakwa. He was baptized into Christ. He losthis
eyesightat the age of 43. This blind man walkedand crawledthrough eighty
miles of African jungle to take the gospelto his loved
4
ones. I am told he often reads the Bible all night long!
VI.SOULWINNING WAS A MATTER OF URGENCYWITH JESUS.
A. ReadJohn 4:35.
B. Jesus was saying, “Do notever wait awhile.”
C. Many die while we wait (Matthew 9:36– 38)!
D. There is a harvest of children, sick people, and old people. The jails are
filled with them. There is a harvest of broken-hearted people.
E. All are in need of a Savior.
II.HIS NEW CONVERTS CONVERTEDOTHERS.
A. ReadJohn 4:39, 41.

B. How much training do you need to bring someone to Christ?
C. The reasonmany are never saved is that those of us who are Christians do
not getvery excited about it.
D. A brand new convert can win people to Christ.
CONCLUSION
A. Jesus teachesus how!
B. Let us go do it!
©Copyright, 1984, 2003by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://biblecourses.com/English/en_lessons/EN_198404_14.pdf
JESUS – THE PERSONALSOUL WINNER
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by Christian Penn: One of the greatestneeds ofa soul winner is to have a
greatconcernfor eachindividual to whom he witnesses. So oftenwe forget the
person to whom we are speaking and become enraptured with the
presentationof the gospel, forgetting that soulwinning is basicallydealing
with individual people.
Jesus is the perfect example of a personalsoul winner. His goalwas not one of
talking just of himself, but rather dealing with people personallyand through
His personalconcern, leading them to a point of faith in Christ.
Christ came to seek and to save that which was lostand eachindividual was
important to Christ and He dealt with eachone in a personal, individualistic
manner. That is the job we have as soul winners. We are to keepour minds on
men and our hearts on Christ and try to lead the two to come together. Jesus
showedus a perfect example of concernfor people in many ways.
He was concernedwith people’s concerns.
In Luke 5 we see that Jesus came and saw the fishermen fishing. They had
trolled throughout the night, but had caught nothing. This was their livelihood
and obviously they were discouraged, forwhen they caughtnothing it meant
there was no income for them. Jesus did not come to them and tell them to
take their minds off of worthless things and think on eternal things, but rather
discussedthat problem at hand and dealt with it first. He told them to cast
their nets out a little bit further into the deep and they did so and the fish that
were caught were such that the nets and the boats could not contain them.
What a delight and a thrill it was to these fishermen, for this was the thing
that meant the most them.
Then Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” He first of
all dealt with their personal concerns before dealing with them concerning
their souls. In this we see Jesus and His personal concernfor people and their
concerns. As a soul winner we too ought to be concernedwith people’s
concerns. Thatwhich is heavy upon their heart ought to be dealt with and that
would be the easiestwayto then lead them to Christ.

He was concernedwith their activity.
Christ was interestedin people and what they were doing. He came by a
woman at the welland spoke to her concerning water. He came to Zacchaeus
and offeredto go home with him and dine with his family. When He was at
the marriage feasthe was concernedthat the people enjoy their party and so
He turned the waterinto wine. Christ never seemedtoo important or cold
hearted to be concernedwith the things that people were interested in. His
interest causedthem to be interested in Him and causedthem to put their
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We too need to be concernedwith the activity
of man in order that we might draw them to listen to us when we present the
gospel.
He was concernedwith their confusions.
Jesus showeda tremendous amount of sincere interest when a man was
confusedwith the matter of salvation. So in John 3 Christ was concerned
about the confusions of Nicodemus. He didn’t reprimand Nicodemus, but
carefully instructed him in what it meant to be a Christian. It’s very
important that as a Christian we tell others what it means to be savedand
carefully deal with them when they are confused, not chiding them or
embarrassing them but rather, carefully showing concernfor the confusion
they face in their life and leading them to an understanding of the gospel.
He was concernedwith their needs and hurts
One of greatcharacteristicsI see in Christ is the wayHe was concernedwith
people who were sick or who had loved ones who were ill or afflicted; the way
that He carefully dealt with those who hurt with sorrow, pain, and suffering,
the wayhe healedthe blind man, causedthe lame man to walk, raiseda dead
one from the grave, healed another from leprosy. Jesus was concernedwith
people’s needs and that is what turned their hearts towards Him. He did not
come speaking of himself, He came meeting the needs of people. The example
of love and compassionfortheir hurts and their needs drew people to Him.

Oh, how Christians need to care about people. Everyone is hurting. Everyone
has sorrow and pain from time to time. As Christians we need to come to a
point where we care about the needs of others. Love them when they are
unloved, comfort them when they are in sorrow, easetheir pain in times of
hurt. This would be the most effective way to bring people to Christ.
He was concernedwith their sinfulness.
Jesus was not a judgemental person, but rather one that was concernedwith
the sin in someone’s life and used sin as an opportunity to lead a personto
faith in Christ. Such was the case with the woman that was caught in the act
of committing adultery. Jesus’tenderness and love towardher lead her to a
saving knowledge.So it was with the womanat the well. Jesus showeda great
amount of concernfor her in spite of the sin in her life. Perhaps because ofthe
sin, knowing how desperatelyshe needed a Savior. We too ought be concerned
with the sinfulness in people’s lives and the hurt when we see it and it ought to
make us want to lead them to knowledge ofJesus Christ.
He was concernedwith their hunger.
For this reasonHe fed the five thousand and the four thousand when there
was no food, but took the few loaves and fishes and broke them and fed the
multitudes with them, for Christ was concernedwith meeting their physical
needs. We too need to realize that a lostperson is more concernedwith the
flesh than they are with the spirit and oft times when we take the time to feed
them when they are hungry, clothe them when they are unclothed and find a
place for them when they are without shelter, this will cause that person to
turn to Christ.
He was concernedwith their desperation.
The thief on the cross was ata point of death and Jesus showedconcernin
spite of his own suffering. The woman that had an issue of blood that touched
His garment in desperationfor healing, Jesus turned and took time to deal
with her on a personalbasis. When a person had reacheda point of
desperation, He showedthat He cared and was interested in their need. How it

ought to be with us as Christians, if when we see someone indespair, we do
our best to be there, to help and to lead them to Christ.
He was concernedwith the children.
How sweetit is to know that Jesus took the time for the little children and
because ofHis interest in children, no doubt many adults turned their faith
towards Him. We too ought to be concernedabout the children of people and
this is one wayof causing many to come to know the Savior.
He was concernedabout their wickedness.
Jesus took time for the maniac at Gadara, who for most purposes was a
hopeless man, and who we all would have felt had no chance of salvation, yet
there he was sitting clothedin his right mind and desiring to be with Jesus.
What a miracle of a concernthat Christ has for desperate men and wicked
situations. We too ought to be concernedwith the wicked, that one that has
fallen into the depths of sin, we ought to live and do our best to reach.
He was concernedwith their fears.
When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples and the storm and the winds
were causing the waves to rise up and disturb the boat, Jesus stilled and
calmed the waves and wind in order that the fears might be erasedfrom those
that were with Him. He was concernedwith their fears. We ought to be
concernedwith the fears that man has in his life and our concernfor his fears
can bring him to a liberty in Christ.
He was concernedwith their individual personalities.
How wonderful it is to know that Christ deals with men on an individual
basis, dealing with their personalitycarefully. When He dealt with Matthew
the tax collector, He did so in an exacting sort of a way. When He dealt with
Peter, He did so in a way that would have drawn a rugged fishermen. In every
dealing with man, Jesus dealt with them according to their personalityto
make them feel at ease and to cause them to come with faith to Him who could
setthem free and give them eternal life.

Eachone of us has the responsibility of dealing with individuals for Christ. Be
the kind of soul winner Jesus was. Be the type of Christian who is not so
caught up in your own world that you fail to recognize the lost individuals you
around.
[box]Written by Christian Penn[/box]
Article submitted to IndependentBaptist.com
1 I want to be a soulwinner
For Jesus ev’ry day;
He does so much for me;
I want to aid the lost sinner
To leave his erring way,
And be from bondage free.
Refrain:
A soul winner for Jesus,
O let me be eachday;
He's done so much for me.
And bring the lostto Christ,

That they His grace may know;
I want to live for Christ ever,
And do His blessedwill,
BecauseHe loves me so. [Refrain]
Till Jesus calls forme,
To lay my burdens down,
I want to hear Him say, Servant,
“You've gatheredmany sheaves,
Receive a starry crown.” [Refrain]
Source:Soul Inspiring Songs #18
All representative texts • Compare texts
^ top
Author: J. W. Ferrill
Born: October31, 1879, Texas.Died:May 13, 1975, Park Place Nursing
Home, Mart, Texas. Buried: FaulkenberryCemetery, Groesbeck,Texas.
James W. Ferrill was born on Oct. 31, 1879, andraisedon a farm at Davis
Prairie near Thornton in Limestone County, TX, outside of Grosbeck and
about thirty miles eastof Waco. His family were members of the church of
Christ, and he became a Christian too. At about age fifteen he beganhis study
of music under J. E. Thomas and Franklin L. Eiland. After graduating from
North Texas Normal College atDenton, TX, where he receivedhis teacher’s

degree, he beganconducting singing schools withhis first one at Forace
Chapel near Grosbeckin 1901. Continuing to teachsinging schools regularly
fr… Go to personpage >
Jesus:The Soul Winner
John 4:1-30
(Prov 11:30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth
souls is wise.
"He that winneth souls is wise." Knowledge is the accumulation of
information, but wisdom is seeing things from God's perspective. We know
that God is interestedin the eternal destiny of souls. If we are to be wise, we
must also be interested in souls. No greaterexample can be found in the
Scripture than that of Jesus Christ. In our text this morning, He is presented
as One who cares for the souls of others. From Nathanielin the beginning of
His ministry to the thief on the cross at the end of His ministry, Jesus was
busy about bringing sinners unto Himself. He genuinely caredfor the fallen
and was willing to reach out to all, whateverthe cost!
In these verses, we see Jesus as He speaks with a poor, lost, sinful woman. As
we prepare to look to this passage,letme ask a couple of questions. Do you
know the Lord? Are you genuinely saved today? If not, please know from the
outsetthat Jesus cares foryou.
(Psa 142:4)I lookedon my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that
would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
That was the cry of David many years ago when he found himself in the midst
of a crisis. In fact, it may be true that no man on this earth truly cares about
you or what happens to your soul. But Jesus cares!He caredso much that He

willingly left Heaven and proved His love by dying for your sins and mine on
the cross.
(Rom 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
For those here without Christ, please let the Lord to speak to your heart this
morning. Come to Jesus for salvation. He cares foryou, and He will
demonstrate that fact if you will allow Him the opportunity.
Christian, learn from the Savior's example. He longs to use us to reachthis
lost and dying world.
I. The Confrontation With A Sinful Woman v1-8
A. First we see the Savior
1. In these opening verses, Jesus is shownin His compassionand in His
humanity.
2. While Jesus was God, He was still a man and He was acquaintedwith the
trials and problems of life.
3. He demonstrates that He does indeed care for the lost.
B. Next we see the Sinner
1. Here is a woman who is sinful and is in need of salvation.
2. According to verse 6, it is about the sixth hour or around 12 noon.
3. Fora woman to be drawing waterat this hour would be an unusual
occurrence.
4. Normally, the women from the village would gathertogetherearly in the
morning, while the day was still cool.
5. This was also a socialtime for the women as they drew waterfor their daily
needs.
6. Becausethis woman is alone and is coming at during hottest time of the day
is an indication that she was a socialoutcast.

7. It seems that the other womenof the village would have nothing to do with
her.
8. She probably came to the wellalone to avoid the insults and attacks ofthe
other woman.
C. All have sinned…
1. This lady is no different from any other sinner who has ever walkedupon
the face of the earth.
2. Like all sinners, she had deeperproblems than being a socialoutcast.
3. The problem that she and all sinners face is that, as sinners, we are
estrangedfrom God.
(Isa 59:2) But your iniquities have separatedbetweenyou and your God, and
your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
4. It is our sin that stands betweenus and a relationship with the Lord.
5. Until we come to Jesus by faith, we will continue to be a spiritual outcast
from God.
6. But, Jesus bridges the gapbetweenGod and man.
(1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator betweenGod and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
II. The ConversationWith A Sinful Woman
A. They TalkedOf Wells. v9-11
1. When Jesus askedherfor a drink, apparently He had no means by which to
draw water.
2. She responded with amazement that a Jew would ask for a drink from a
woman, much less a Samaritan.
3. It was consideredinappropriate for a Rabbi to speak to a woman in public.
4. Jesus, then, offers her a drink of "living water."

5. She confuses the physical with the spiritual.
6. Salvationis not a transaction that canbe explained in human terms.
7. At this point, she is not ready for salvation, but Jesus is leading her along in
that direction.
B. They TalkedOf Water. v12-15
1. Jesus tells her that she candrink from Jacob's Wellevery day and she will
still getthirsty and will have to come back and draw again.
2. However, He tells her that He can give her a drink of waterthat will forever
satisfy her.
3. This is the nature of salvation.
4. One candrink of the pleasures of this world, like this poor woman, and will
still have to try to find more ways to satisfy themselves.
5. However, one trip to the fountain of living water will forever satisfy the
thirsty soul.
6. Coming to Jesus will forever meet the needs of life and of the heart.
7. But she is still confusing the physical and the spiritual.
C. They TalkedOf Wickedness v16-19
1. In an effort to awakenherto her spiritual need, Jesus plainly touches what
must have been the sorestspotin this woman's life.
2. He pointed out her sinfulness!
3. I canalmost imagine the guilt this woman lived with day after day.
4. I would imagine that her heart was in constantturmoil because ofher sins.
(Prov 13:15) Goodunderstanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors
is hard.

5. This may seemcruel of the Lord, but nobody will evercome to Jesus for
salvationuntil they are first awakenedto their own personal need.
6. Until a sinner knows he is lost, he will never desire to be found.
D. They TalkedOf Worship v20-24
1. Since they are on the topic of religion, the woman proceeds to show Jesus
that she is no slackerin that area either.
2. She tries to start an argument about the proper place to worship.
3. Jesus simply ignores her attempt to argue, and tells her that true worship is
never found in external rituals and substitutes for God.
4. True worship canonly be found in worship that comes from His indwelling
Spirit.
5. There are billions who give themselves to external forms of worship today
in an effort to get close to the Lord.
6. These things will never work!
7. Worship is not some ritual or form, worship is a state of the heart that
exalts a greatGod.
8. To do that, you only need His Spirit and a willingness to give glory unto
God.
E. They TalkedOf Wisdom v25-26
1. This lady displays openness to the words of Jesus.
2. She reveals that she is concernedabout salvationand about the things of
God.
3. Jesus simply reveals Himself as the supply she needs.
4. This is what He does for every sinner.
5. He doesn't come to judge or to condemn.

6. He simply come as the Way, the Truth and the Life and offers Himself as
the only way of salvation.
III. The ConversionOf A Sinful Woman v27-30
A. It Was Immediate v28a
1. As soonas Jesus revealedHimself to her; she responded in faith and her
salvationwas instantaneous.
2. There was no long process to complete, no praying through, no holding on,
etc.
3. She simply trusted and she was instantly saved.
4. It still works the same today.
5. When a sinner comes to Jesus, and places his faith in Christ, the
transformation is immediate.
6. The sinner is instantly changedfrom a dead, lost sinner into an eternally
alive child of God.
7. What a change takes place!
B. It Was Incredible v28b
1. She ran right off in her excitementand forgotall about why she even went
to the well.
2. She just left her water pot behind.
3. She came to the well for physical waterand discoveredspiritual water.
4. She met Jesus and was forever changed.
5. When a sinner comes to Christ, there is an immediate transformation that
takes place.
(2 Cor 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passedaway;behold, all things are become new.

C. It Was Evident v28c-29
1. She ran to the city to tell the others about this Man she had met.
2. She felt compelled to tell others about the salvationthat she had just
experienced.
3. Salvationwill give you a message to share and a heart to share it.
4. When you have been delivered from death and Hell, you want to help
others find their way out of sin as well.
Jesus makes the difference in every life He touches. Has He touched your life?
Has He redeemed you from your sins? I invite you to come to Jesus today and
to allow Him to save your eternalsouls. There is absolutely nothing more
important than where we will spend eternity, and that all rests upon what we
decide about Jesus. Come to Him today and be saved.
The MasterSoul-Winner
John 4:1-42
I. Jesus Overcame PhysicalConditions to Win a Soul (vv. 1-7)
A. He goes through Samaria, tired and weary from travel. - “neededto go
through Samaria” (V. 4). B. We must be ready for inconvenience.
C. Jesus was wearyand saton the well.
II. Jesus Breaking DownBarriers to Win a Soul (vv. 9, 10)

A. The woman was a Samaritan: a racialbarrier for the Jew. B. She was an
immoral person: a socialbarrier for many. C. Are you erecting barriers that
keepyou from witnessing? D. All people need salvation: the up and out and
the down and out.
Romans 3:21-23
But now the righteousness ofGod apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessedby the Law and the Prophets, 22eventhe righteousnessofGod,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no
difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
III. Jesus Making the MessageSimple to Win a Soul (vv.13-14)
A. “Give me to drink” everyone understands thirst. B. Living waterfor her
spiritual thirst…would end her searchfor completion. C. Notour task to
make the simple difficult: but the opposite. D. Go to someone with the simple
messageofJohn 3:16.
IV. Jesus Brushing Aside a Religious Argument to Win a Soul. (vv.19-26)
A. “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, but you say…” B. The woman
wanted a religious argument; Jesus refused. “I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” ( John 14:6) C. Remember: An
ounce of testimony is worth a pound of argument. D. Getto the point: lead
the personto Jesus!
A witness:
(1) is concernedwith one individual; (2) begins with felt needs and desires of
the lostperson; (3) directs the conversationto the person’s basic spiritual
need; (4) shows the person his or her sin and need of salvationwithout

condemning them; (5) keeps the conversationfrom straying from the real
issue; (6) points to Jesus as MessiahandSavior of the world; and (7) leads
the new convert to witness to others.
http://storage.cloversites.com/cedargrovebaptistchurch/documents/120205%2
0The%20Master%20Soul-Winner.pdf
Jesus, the Soul-Winner John 1:35-51 by Leon Barnes The whole goalof
Christianity is to partake fully of the benefits God offers us and to bring
others to Christ that they might share the same blessings. Every Christian
wants to see others wonto Christ. There is no greaterjoy than to see a friend
or loved one converted. The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal
son emphasize this truth (Luke 15). But most of us feel inadequate for the job
of bringing others to Christ to be saved. Jesus was the greatestofall soul-
winners. He knew man and God; He could relate with both sides. He
understood how to reachout to another person to save him. I. HE REALIZED
THAT WINNING OTHERS WAS TEAMWORK(1:35, 36)John pointed
men to Christ (1:35, 36). Jesus took up from there to finish the process of
conversion. It must be the same with us. Soulwinning is the job of parents,
Bible schoolteachers, friends, and companions on the job or at school. We all
must work togetherto point people to Christ. We should not be concerned
about credit, but conversions. We all need to do our part in reaching others. If
teamwork does not exist, Christianity is crippled in its outreach. The Great
Commissiondepends upon the cooperationofChristians. II. HE TOOKTIME
FOR PEOPLE (1:38-42)When two of John’s disciples followedJesus, He
asked, “Whatdo you seek?” Theyneededtime, and perhaps privacy, to talk.
They asked, “Where are You staying?” Theywanted to sit down and talk with
Him. Jesus invited them in and spent time listening and teaching them the
way of salvation. We must learn that many people need time. They must have
personalattention to getthe answers that will help them become disciples. The
result was, that when they left, they were fully convincedthat their immediate
work was to get someone else to come to Jesus. One of the disciples, Andrew,

found Peter, his brother, first. We do not know if first means that finding
Peterwas the first thing he did or if Peterwas the first of many found.
Andrew declaredChrist as deity and brought Peterto Him (1:41, 42). III. HE
SOUGHT OUT GOOD PROSPECTS(1:43, 44)Andrew, John, and Peterall
came to Christ. But not all will come to us to be taught. Some of our best
prospects may be visitors to church services, but many will not be reached
that way. We may have to look for people to save. We are told, “He found
Philip.” The indication is that He went looking for him. Jesus may have
known some truths about Philip already. He may have been told of his
character, orHe may even have knownhim personally. If we are to be like
Jesus in soulwinning, we must put forth the effort to find people who are lost.
We must develop friendships and relationships that will open doors. IV. HE
COMPLIMENTED THE GOOD HE SAW IN OTHERS (1:45-51)Johnsaid,
“Jesus saw Nathanaelcoming to Him, and said of him, `Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile!’ “ (1:47). Christ could have focusedon
Nathanael’s prejudice (1:46), but He chose insteadto focus on the good. Note
that this was not flattery, but truth. Jesus knew him. He had observedhim in
his meditation and prayer. We need to get to know people so that we can offer
compliments that are accurate. This approachwill encourage themand open
the door to offer them salvation. CONCLUSION Who do you plan to win for
God this year? ©Copyright, 1986, 1998by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS
RESERVE

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Fountain Of Living Water
John 4:6-15
D. Young
I. AN EVIDENT PHYSICAL NEED. This chapter connects spiritual truth
with one greatphysical need of men, even as ch. 6. connects spiritual truth
with another greatneed. Both Jesus and the woman were exactly in the
position to appreciate the value of water, and the opportunity of getting it
easilyand freely. Jesus is a thirsty Traveller;the woman is one who has
frequent journeys from her home to get the indispensable supply forevery
day's needs. We cannotall getthe same amount of goodout of the
conversationbetweenJesus andthe woman. Those whose toil often makes
them thirsty, and those who get their supplies of waterwith difficulty, they
will be the people to relish the figure by which spiritual benefits are here set
forth. Our very difficulty in profiting by this conversationshould be a matter
for thankfulness. If we are thirsty we very soongeta drink; and if others in
their thirst ask from us, we very soonget them the requisite supply.
II. AN UNFELT SPIRITUAL NEED. This womanis an excellentspecimenof
a very large class. Theyfeel the physical need so much that the spiritual need
is altogetheroverlooked. It is little wonder that the womantalked as she did in
this conversation. How was she to know, without a gooddeal of instruction
and experience, whence Jesuscame and what he meant? By this conversation,
as well as other recordedones of his, Jesus would evidently stir us up to
considerwhether there be not other wants just as necessaryto be met in their
way as the wants that are met by a supply of water. When we are hungry we
all know the use of bread; when we are thirsty we all know the use of water;

why is it, then, that we know not the use of Jesus? it is either that we have not
yet felt the deeperthirst of the heart, or, having felt it, we do not yet
understand how in Jesus alone that thirst canbe effectuallyquenched. This
woman was wholly and solelyoccupiedwith the idea of getting natural water
more easily. Her journeys to the well must have been very frequent ones, and,
though they might not be long ones, yet they might be quite enough to add
very considerablyto the toil and burden of the day. What a warning there is
for us in this woman's gross spiritual ignorance, her inability to comprehend,
even in the very leastdegree, whatJesus was talking about! She had come out
to get as much water as she herself could carry back. There she stood before
Jesus, and so ignorant was she of his mission and his power, that at the
moment she could think of nothing better to ask him than the opening up of
some natural fountain of waters such as would render needless any more
toilsome journeys to Jacob's well.
III. THE CONTINUAL READINESS OF JESUS TO SUPPLY ALL
SPIRITUAL NEED. He is weary with travel and heat, and needs rest. But the
need of this ignorant, degradedwoman is far greaterthan his, and, more than
that, in speaking the words that may go far in instructing her as to her need,
he speaks the words that may instruct many others also. The physical want of
Jesus is soonsupplied; a draught from Jacob's wellwill do that. But the want
of the woman is not so easyto supply. It would be easyenough if she were only
in the right state of mind; but, first of all, what ignorance, misconception, and
wrong desires have to be removed! A deal has to be done for us before we care
to appropriate our share in that fountain which, because ofits unfailing,
fulness, can do nothing else but leap forth to everlasting life. But what an
encouragementto know that Jesus is so ready to do all when we are willing to
have it done! If we are unsaved, unblessed, unbelieving, unhoping, unloving, if
no fresh, deep spiritual stream runs through our nature, it is because we keep
awayfrom the fountain that Jesus has openedup. It is not he who has to
discoverthe need and make the preparation. Jesus has everything in perfect
readiness so soonas the heart begins to feel its thirst.-Y.

Biblical Illustrator
There was a certain nobleman whose sonwas sick at Capernaum.
John 4:46-54
The secondmiracle at Cana
DeanVaughan.
Who shall persuade us that we have not here a true story?
I. Notice SOME OF ITS LESS OBVIOUS POINTS.
1. Mark the word "for" in ver. 44. He went into His own country because
there was no honour for Him there.
2. Mark the setting of the text. A father pleads for the life of his son. Who
would not have thought that the kind Saviour would instantly say, "I will?"
Yet He treats the application as a greaterror. "Exceptye see." He disregards
the man and treats him as the mouthpiece of a mistaken multitude, whose
prevalent fallacy was to make miracles the condition of belief. No ordinary
man would have thought of that answer.

3. This apparent rebuff, however, was only a trial of his constancy. "Like the
rest of your nation you set aside Divine holiness, wisdom, and love and fasten
on power, You forget how many works of powerthere are which are not
God's, and not until you have marked the adjuncts — holiness, wisdom, love
— can you pronounce them Divine." The nobleman responded, "Come down,
ere my child die," as though he had said, "I am not thirsting for evidences."It
is the voice of nature, and the God of nature hears it. The trial is ended and
the victory is won.
II. NOTICE THE WONDERFULINTERTWINING OF NATURE AND
GRACE IN THE GOSPEL. The Gospeladapts itself to all that is best and
beautiful in man's heart.
1. It has been found in some hour of mortal peril that persons of no religion
will invoke the mercy of that Being who, up to that moment, they had denied.
Scepties, no doubt, can accountfor this in the survival of old prejudices.
Christians naturally accountfor it by supposing that a belief in God is a
primary principle in man's nature.
2. As in individuals so in families.(1)Fathers who have made shipwreck of
faith for themselves wantChrist for their children. The immoral man would
fence his child from. vice;the sceptic refuses to rearhis child on negatives and
chooses, therefore, a Christian school.(2)And if the father sees his child
stretchedon a couchof pain from which he may never rise, is there not a voice
in his heart crying, "Sir, come down, ere my child die." I know the case is not
rare in which the doubting or disbelieving father hag desired, has sought, for
his sonthe spiritual healing, has calledin some man of God whose repute was
highest for communication with the invisible, has encouragedhis visits, has
even knelt in the cornerwhile he prayed, and has joined with strong cries and
tears in the "Rock ofages, cleftfor me," sung or saidin the chamber where
the staying pray with the going;and has gone off from the experience and
trial strong in the Son of God, to say at last, "Let me die the death of the
righteous; let my lastend be like His." Christ is marching to complete the sum
of happiness and to round the circle of being.
(DeanVaughan.)

The nobleman of Capernaum
J. Harding.
Notice —
I. THE PROMPTITUDE WITHWHICH HE APPLIED TO CHRIST AS
SOON AS HE HEARD WHERE HE WAS. Would that we all were as anxious
for the welfare of our own and other's souls as this man was for the health of
his son's body. Your souls may be in like danger — at the point of death. Lose
not another day.
II. THE ADVANTAGE WE HAVE IN KNOWING THAT WHEN WE
DESIRE TO SEEKTHE GREAT PHYSICIAN HE IS EVER AT HAND. The
nobleman had to travel from Capernaum.
III. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE NOBLEMAN EVINCED HIS BELIEF
IN CHRIST'S POWER, AND YET THE IMPERFECT IDEAHE HAD OF
THAT POWER. He felt that Christ could heal, but only on the spot. So we are
tempted to prescribe to God the place and manner of His blessing, but God is
the only judge of what is wise and best. Christ's rebuke had its due effectand
in sending him awayHe required him to manifest the faith for the feebleness
of which he had been rebuked.
IV. THE MANNER IN WHICH JESUS SHOWS MERCY TO SUCH AS
CALL UPON HIM.
1. Pity in distress.
2. Firmness in demanding the proof of confidence which it becomes us to
show. Christ would not decline because ofweak faith, but He would not go to
Capernaum.
V. WHAT IS THE DISPOSITION HE REQUIRES US TO SHOW
TOWARDS HIM? Simple and implicit reliance on His word and belief in His
power. "Go thy wayAnd the man believed and went," without a token.
1. This dispositionis the grace of the Holy Spirit imparted to the heart.

2. This dispositionhonours Christ.
VI. THE REWARD WHICH FAITH SHALL RECEIVE.. "Thyson liveth."
A cure.
1. Instantaneous.
2. Complete.
(J. Harding.)
The nobleman of Capernaum
J. A. Seiss, D. D.
I. EVEN THE NOBLE HAVE THEIR TROUBLE.
1. No earthly dignity lifts above the reach of trouble. In the eye of God and in
the operations ofHis laws all are alike. We need, therefore, never to expectto
reachan estate free from trial.
2. But troubles are not always calamities. To the true hearted they are
instruments of good. Nobility must suffer that it may become more noble. The
fruitful branch must be purged that it may become more fruitful.
II. EVEN THE BELIEVING NEED UNDECEIVING.
1. The nobleman was a believer.
2. There was strength and substance in his faith. It was not mere sentiment.
Knowledge, howeveraccurate, opinion, howeverorthodox, is not faith. But
this man's faith had an active quality; it moved him to Jesus and to make
every effort to obtain His help. True faith cannever be idle (James 2:20).
3. But even with this living faith the nobleman laboured under misconceptions
and infirmities. He locatedthe Saviour's power too much in the outward. It
was bent on signs and wonders. And just here believers have their greatest
troubles. They go honestly and humbly to Christ, but unless they see signs
they doubt whether all is right. Some change must be felt ere they can fully

rest. But the requirement is to undoubtingly embrace Christ and leave Him to
make all other things right in His own time and way (Romans 8:24, 25).
4. Here is the true consolationoffaith; not that the sick child is healed, but
that we have a competent Saviour, and in the meantime patience is the proper
exercise offaith.
III. WHEN MAN DESPAIRS THE LORD REPAIRS.
1. The manner in which he was receiveddistressedthe nobleman. He looked
for Christ to accompanyhim, and when no signs of compliance appeared his
heart sunk within him.
2. And yet this last flickerof perishing expectationwas the signalof the
greatesttriumph. It was not according to Christ's method that His healing
should come "with observation." His restorative energyis in His word, which
is independent of distance or signs. Even His "Go thy way" is a benediction.
While we are being wrung with disappointment grace is invisibly entering our
house.
IV. AS WE BELIEVE SO WE RECEIVE. A mere word had gone out. He
went his wayclinging to that word, and as he believed it was done unto him.
He came believing Christ to be a wonder workerand he found Him one. He
trusted in what the Saviour had said, and he came back to find the Saviour's
word potent. What then if society, the Church, ourselves, our whole house are
sick;if our movements are Christwards, His seeming repulse is but a
preparation for a sublimer triumph. No honest attempt at faith is ever a
mistake.
(J. A. Seiss, D. D.)
The fame of Christ
H. W. Watkins, D. D.
The distance of Capernaum from Cana was from twenty to twenty-five miles.
The report of Christ's return to Galilee had spread, then, over this wide area.

(H. W. Watkins, D. D.)
The nobleman's son
Sunday SchoolTimes.
I. JESUS BEHOLDING THE WOES OF MEN.
1. Jesus and His countrymen (ver. 45) (Matthew 13:54;Matthew 21:11;Mark
6:1; Luke 4:44; John 4:3; John 7:41).
2. Jesus and the sorrowing (ver. 47) (Isaiah 53:3; Mark 5:39; Luke 7:13; Luke
8:52; Luke 23:28; John 14:1).
3. Jesus and the sick (ver. 47)(Matthew 4:24; Matthew 8:17; Matthew 10:1;
Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:56; John 11:3).
II. BESTOWINGTHE HELP OF GOD.
1. Importunate pleading (ver. 49)(Psalm 130:1;Matthew 14:30;Matthew
15:22;Luke 11:8; Luke 22:44;Hebrews 5:7).
2. Generous responding (ver. 50)(Matthew 8:2, 3, 13; Matthew 9:29; Luke
7:50; Luke 18:42; John 14:13).
3. Confident believing (ver 50) (Psalm 27:13;Psalm106:12;John 4:53; Acts
16:34;Numbers 15:13;1 Peter1:8).
III. RELIEVING THE WOES OF MEN.
1. Goodnews (ver. 51)(Genesis 45:26;Numbers 21:8; 2 Kings 20:5; Luke
2:10; Luke 10:17; John 14:3).
2. Convincing coincidence (ver. 53) (Exodus 14:27;Joshua 3:15, 16;Daniel
5:5; Matthew 8:13; Matthew 9:22; Matthew 15:28).
3. Believing household (ver. 53) (Acts 10:2; Acts 16:15, 34;Acts 18:8;
Philippians 4:22; Hebrews 11:7).
(Sunday SchoolTimes.)

The nobleman's son
Sermons by the Monday Club.
A spiritual miracle is greaterthan a physical one. This was of both kinds —
the healing of the boy's body, the conversionof the father's soul. The
nobleman is a representative man.
I. HE IS DRIVEN TO CHRIST BY AN OUTSIDE NEED. He takes his case to
Christ as a lastresort. In his selfish thought, the Saviour of souls is
overshadowedby the Healerof bodies. But such is the love of Christ, that
those seeking a lessergoodare sent away with a spiritual gift.
II. HIS FAITH RUNS PARALLEL WITH HIS MOTIVE. It began as a belief
that Christ could work a physical miracle by contact;it was consummated in
a faith which trusted Christ for both physical and spiritual blessing at a
distance. The father's faith securedthe health of his child; the personalfaith
of the man securedhis own salvation.
III. THE DIVINE METHODS FOR CULTIVATING FAITH IN MEN.
1. Directness andconscious superioritycharacterize Christ's meeting with the
nobleman. Christ rebukes his carnal mindedness and his low thought that
Christ's mission was merely to play the doctor — a rebuke which causedhim
to look up into the Master's face and feelthe subtle power of His spiritual
presence.
2. Having thus made a spiritual roadwayinto his heart, Christ grants his
request.
3. The answercarries a testof humility and faith with it. Christ not going with
him touched his pride; but it strengthened his faith by exercising it.
IV. THE OBEDIENCEOF FAITH AND ITS REWARD. This faith is shown
by his leisurely procedure. The twenty miles' walk could not have been
accomplishedthat night. The reward was bestowednot only on the sick child,
but on the whole household. Learn —

1. A lessonofhope.
2. That all the roads of human experience lead to Christ — our needs,
sorrows, joys.
3. Once in Christ's presence, allis well.
(Sermons by the Monday Club.)
The nobleman's faith
C. H. Spurgeon.
1. Trouble led this courtly personage to Jesus. Hadhe lived without trial, he
might have been forgetful of his God and Saviour; but sorrow came as an
angelin disguise.
2. The particular trial was the sickness ofhis child. No doubt ha had tried all
remedies, and now he turns to Jesus in desperate hope. How often does it
happen that children are employed to do what angels cannot!
I. THE SPARK OF FAITH.
1. The faith of the nobleman restedat first entirely on the report of others.
Evangelicalfaith often begins with the testimony of others that Christ
receivethsinners.
2. This faith only concernedthe healing of the sick child. The father did not
know that he wanted healing for his own heart, nor of Christ's spiritual
power. Can you believe that Christ canhelp you in your present trial? Then
use the faith you have; if not of heavenly things, then earthly.
3. He limited the power of Jesus to His localpresence. Limitation of the Holy
One of Israelin children of God is sinful; but weaknessoffaith in seekerswill
be excused. Betterto have a weak faith than none at all.
4. This faith, although it was but a spark, influenced the nobleman. It led him
to take a considerable journey to Christ. This is the more remarkable that he

was a man of position, and did not send his servants. If you have faith enough
to drive you personally to Christ, it is of an acceptable order.
5. This man's faith taught him to pray in the right style. Notice his argument
— the misery of his case. Notthat the boy was of noble birth, or lovely. When
you pray aright, you will urge those facts which revealyour danger and
distress. This is the key which opens the door of mercy.
II. THE FIRE OF FAITH struggling to maintain itself.
1. It was true, as far as it went. He stood before the Saviour, resolvednot to go
away. He does not getthe answerat first, but he stays. So it was a real
persuasionof the powerof Jesus to heal.
2. It was hindered by a desire for signs and wonders, and was therefore gently
chided. So some of you want to be converted in the extraordinary way
recordedin some religious biographies, and expect, like Naaman, Christ to do
some greatthing. Do net lay down a programme and demand that the free
Spirit should pay attention to it. Let Him save you as He wills.
3. It could endure a rebuff. He answeredour Lord with still greater
importunity.
4. How passionatelythis man pleaded, "Lord, do not question me just now
about faith; healmy child, or he will be dead." If his faith failed in breadth, it
excelledin force.
III. THE FLAME OF FAITH.
1. He believed the word of Jesus overthe head of his former prejudices. He
had thought that Christ could only heal by personalcontact;now he believes
that Jesus canheal with a word. Will you believe Jesus onHis bare word?
2. He at once obeyed Christ. If he had not believed, he would have remained
looking for favourable signs. When told to believe in Christ, do not say, "We
will continue in prayer, read the Bible, attend the means of grace."Believe
and go your way.

Jesus was the model soul winner

Jesus was the model soul winner

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