STS SUMMARY, LESSON 99: CHRIST’S CALL TO SOUL-WINNING

Last Week study: Topic: Korah’s Rebellion and Approval of Aaron’s Priesthood; Text: Numbers
16:1-50; 17:1-13; M/V: Numbers 16:26. Lessons learnt: (i) Rebellion leads to dire consequences; (ii)
humility is key in leadership; (iii) divine confirmation validates God's appointments.

CHRIST’S CALL TO SOUL-WINNING

Memory Verse: Luke 5:10
TEXT: Luke 5:1-39

From our text, Christ calls His disciples to embrace soul-winning and fruitfulness. Standing by the
lake of Genesaret, He encounters a mixed crowd of sincere seekers and less genuine individuals.
Despite this, Christ responds positively to their eagerness to hear the word of God.

QUESTION 1: What is the challenge before present-day gospel ministers concerning the mixed
crowd that attend Our church programmes?
ANSWER: Just as Jesus encountered both types of individuals by the lake of Genesaret, ministers
today must be sensitive to the needs of the diverse audience, recognizing that some may be earnestly
seeking God while others may not be as genuine in their pursuit of spiritual truth (John 2:23-25).

POINT 1: PRIMARY QUALIFICATION AND COMMISSIONING OF SOUL-WINNERS (Luke

5:1-11; Matthew 4:17 -22; Mark 1:16-20; John 1:35-42; Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15;
Matthew 28:18- 20; Mark 16:15 -20)

Jesus demonstrates the importance of courtesy and wisdom in soul-winning by using Peter's boat to
preach to the crowd. Despite initial reluctance, Peter obeys Jesus' instructions to cast his net again,
resulting in a miraculous catch of fish. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees,
saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).

This event led Peter to recognize his sinfulness and repent, after which Jesus commissioned him and
the other disciples to "catch men." "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when
they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him" (Luke 5:10,11). The
phrase "catch men" underscores the command to win souls. This is a solemn charge to all believers.
We must give all our treasures, time and talents to fulfil the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20;
Mark 16:15-20).

Question 2: From Peter's encounter with the Lord, what is the basic qualification to be a
soul-winner?
Answer: Salvation, humility and prompt obedience

POINT 2: POTENCY OF PRAYER IN SOUL-WINNING MINISTRY (Luke 5:12-26; Matthew 4:23-25;

9:1-8; John 20:30,31; Acts 4:31,33; 10:38; Mark 16:15 -2; Luke 10:17-19)

From the passage, two remarkable miracles stand out: the cleansing of a leper and the healing of a
paralyzed man. These miracles affirm Christ's threefold ministry of teaching, preaching, and
healing. The faith of the leper was remarkable as he besought the Lord saying, "...if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean" (vs 12). Despite the societal taboos surrounding leprosy, Jesus healed the
man instantly "And immediately the leprosy departed from him" (Luke 5:13).

Jesus emphasizes the importance of prayer in ministry, withdrawing to commune with the Father,
the source of supernatural power (Luke 3:21; 6:12; 9:18,29; 11:1; 22:44).

QUESTION 3: From Christ's personal example, what is the place of prayer in the soul-winning
ministry?
ANSWER: Christ's personal example emphasizes the crucial place of prayer in the soul-winning
ministry. Prayer births boldness, and helps during follow-up and conservation of the fruits of
evangelism (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:31,33; 6:3,4; 12:5; Galatians 4:19). Believers who desire a fruitful
harvest in soul-winning ministry must spend quality time in fervent prayers.
As Jesus Christ taught in Capernaum, the Pharisees and doctors sat by and watched, and "...the
power of the Lord was present to heal them". The manifestation of God's power in healing
confounds the Pharisees who criticize Jesus, but cannot hinder His mission to rescue humanity
from sin and Satan. Believers should pray for the practical manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit in
their ministry to bring solutions to people's problems and draw sinners to Christ (Acts 4:29-33; Mark
16:17-20).

QUESTION 4: What significant role can the demonstration of divine power play in soul-
winning ministry?
ANSWER: The demonstration of divine power confirms and validates the truth of God's Word and
draws sinners to Christ (Luke 5:12-26; Acts 4:29-33; Mark 16:17-20).

The healing of the paralyzed man demonstrates Christ's authority to forgive sins, highlighting sin
as a root cause of sickness. The friends of the paralysed man had strong faith that Jesus would
heal him and showed it by their determination to bring him to the Lord (verses 18,19). The four
men demonstrated compassion, commitment, courage and creativity. In the face of the difficulty of
passing through the crowd, their ingenuity made a way for them. This is a challenge to all soul-
winners.

QUESTION 5: What can soul-winners learn from the four men who brought their friend to
Jesus?
ANSWER: Soul-winners are to be compassionate, committed, courageous, creative, resourceful and
persistent in overcoming barriers to reaching people with the message of salvation (Luke 5:18-26).
There should be no excuse or barriers in bringing people to Christ

POINT 3: PROVEN METHODS OF SOUL-WINNING (Luke 5:2739; Matthew 9:9-13; John

1:40-42; Acts 8:29-35)

In Luke 5:27,28 Jesus calles a Levi, also known as Matthew (Matthew 9:9) a tax collector, to follow
Him. His response to follow the Lord would cost a lot but just as anyone who responds to the call of
God, he was significantly and became one of the apostles of Christ and a writer of one of the gospels.

QUESTION 6: Identify and discuss the different methods of soul-winning.

ANSWER: The different methods of soul-winning include (i) personal evangelism, (ii) mass evangelism,
(iii) gospel campaigns, (iv) literature evangelism, (v) carriage evangelism, (vi) conventional and (vii)
social media evangelism.

Levi hosts a feast for Jesus (vs 29), demonstrating his new-found faith and inviting other tax
collectors, his associates, acquaintances, and sinners. The Pharisees objected, but Jesus
emphasized that His mission which was to call sinners to repentance.

In Luke 5:33, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about why His disciples didn't fast. Jesus responded
that fasting wasn't necessary while He was with them, but they would fast after His departure.
Scriptural fasting is enjoined as found in the Scriptures (Isaiah 58:6; Acts 13:2; Mark 9:29). It is
beneficial for contemporary believers in our personal walk with and work for the Lord.

In Luke 5:36-39, Jesus tells three parables to illustrate the incompatibility of the old and new
dispensations. The first parable compares the legal system to an old garment and grace to a new
one, warning against mixing them. The second parable likens putting new wine into old wineskins
to trying to fit the joy of the new covenant into the rigid traditions of Judaism, resulting in loss. The
third parable highlights people's reluctance to embrace the new by preferring the old, explaining the
difficulty some had in accepting Christ. This passage emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant
of grace and the need to pray for those entrenched in old traditions to accept the gospel.

QUESTION 7: What is the place of parables in Christ's method of reaching the people?
ANSWER: Parables play a crucial role in Christ's method of reaching the people by conveying spiritual
truths in a relatable and memorable way. Parables engage the listeners' hearts and minds, inviting
them to reflect on deeper truths and prompting them to respond to the message of the Kingdom of
God (Luke 5:27-39; Matthew 13:10-17).