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And if you would stand, we'll sing song number 87. Just when I need him, Jesus is near. Just when I falter, just when I fear, ready to help me, ready to cheer. Just when I need him most, just when I need him most, just when I need him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most. Just when I need him, Jesus is true, never forsaking all the way through, giving for burdens, pleasures anew. Just when I need him most, just when I need him most, just when I need him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most. Just when I need him, Jesus is strong, bearing my burdens all the day long, all for my sorrow, giving a song. Just when I need him most, just when I need him most, just when I need him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most. Just when I need him, he is my own, answering when upon him I call, tenderly watching, lest I should fall. Just when I need him most, just when I need him most, just when I need him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most. Let's pray. Heavenly Father Lord, we just want to thank you, God, for the beautiful day that you gave us to hear your word preached, but also to go out and to preach your gospel. Thank you for the souls that were saved, Lord, this week and this afternoon. I pray, Lord, now that you would just receive all the honor and glory out of everything we say and do in this service, in Jesus' name we ask all of it, amen. All right, you may be seated and turn in your song books to song 137. Song 137. We'll sing, In Times Like These. Song 137. In times like these, you need a Savior. In times like these, you need an anchor. Be very sure, be very sure. Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. This rock is Jesus, yes, he's the one. This rock is Jesus, the only one. Be very sure, be very sure. Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. In times like these, you need the Bible. In times like these, oh, be not idle. Be very sure, be very sure. Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. This rock is Jesus, yes, he's the one. This rock is Jesus, the only one. Be very sure, be very sure. Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. In times like these, I have a Savior. In times like these, I have an anchor. I'm very sure, I'm very sure. My anchor holds and grips the solid rock. This rock is Jesus, yes, he's the one. This rock is Jesus, the only one. I'm very sure, I'm very sure. My anchor holds and grips the solid rock. Well, welcome to Mount Baptist Church on this Sunday evening, and so you learn something new every day, right? Yeah, there's definitely songs, though, where when you finally hear it sung, you're just like, whoa, that's a little different than the way we've been singing it, so ... Everyone does it wrong, we just decided to do it the right way. Yeah. Well, yeah. So I want to get the soul-winning numbers for the week before I get anywhere else here with the announcements. What do we have during the week? Do we have any during the week on Monday or Wednesday? Three on Wednesday. And then what was today's numbers? I know that you want, like, a family to the Lord, I hear. Eight, nine, and five. Amen. And then, Brother Shane, one, so six, and then three, so nine, and then 10. If that's not right for today, it would be 10. 13 total, we'll do account Wednesday. Amen. Well, keep up the good work with the soul-winning. So you guys went towards that Shinsen area. Did you hit those apartments here? Yeah, five is the apartments. Wow. And then, well, we should have 11. We should have 11 in total today. She had five. She had one. And then the apartments here had five, right? Yeah. So you had one. You had three. Maybe that's who I'm missing there. Was it Brother Jim? You had one. Maybe I didn't count that one. That's probably it. That's probably it. Okay. So 14. So good job with the soul-winning. That's great. Hopefully you can read this later on. Okay. Keep up the good work with the soul-winning. Again, Brother Richie is going to be leading up the soul-winning marathon. I'm going to put saved 14. Okay. So, 14. So, good job with the soul-winning. That's great. Hopefully you can read this later on. It's like just looking like a big jumbled. I'm going to put saved 14. All right. Keep up the good work with the soul-winning. And Brother Richie is going to be leading up the soul-winning marathon this coming Saturday. What time are you guys planning? Do you have an idea when you're meeting up? Okay. So just get with Brother Richie as far as that goes. And as far as like any – if you guys want to meet up somewhere and get food or whatever, we can try to figure out a way to facilitate that to kind of help out with the – if you guys find up an area, I don't know what's down there. I know there's a McDonald's down there. That's about all I know. So, be in prayer for that either way. And then tentatively speaking, we're going to be going down to Charleston on the 18th of June. So, we'll get that all planned up there. And then service times, we have our Wednesday night service time at 7 p.m. this week. So, everything should be normal with that. The Monday and Wednesday regional time. Now, this week – is it this week or next week that you said with the Wednesday? This week. Okay. So, we'll have the Monday one this week, but the Wednesday is kind of getting pushed to Saturday if you want to look at it that way. So, yeah. Excited about that, see how the Park River area is. And then Colossians chapter 4 is our memory chapter for the month. And then Romans chapter 10 verse 17, so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God is our memory verse for the week. And then upcoming events, we have the prayer meetings on there. Again, going into June we're going to have that soloing marathon in Charleston. Got the birthdays this morning. The anniversary is not yet. Just be in prayer again for all the ladies on the pregnancy list. Specifically for Ms. Ginger because she's coming to that due date. And so just pray everything goes well there with the delivery and the baby and just be in prayer for the Jones family there. And then be in prayer for all the other ladies on here, Ms. Catherine, Ms. Alyssa, Ms. Rachel with all their pregnancies. So May, June is just the next month there, so it's coming up. So be in prayer for that. I feel like there should be some announcements for like people getting pregnant here soon or something, you know, like after – I don't want to – if I say that then I'll be the one making the announcement. Obviously it would be a – well, Holly, I don't know if she's ready yet or not. That's about all I got for announcements. The offering box is in the back there. We have the mother-baby room for the mothers and babies only. That's all I can think of right now as far as announcements. Are they going to sing one more song? And who's reading? Brother Ritchie? Brother Ritchie is going to be reading Romans chapter 10 for us after we sing one more song. All right, take your song books and turn to song 167. One hundred and sixty-seven. And we'll sing All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name. What was that? I'm sorry, brother. What was that chapter? He's reading. Romans 10. All right, picking up Henry's shoes. All right, song 167. All hail the power of Jesus' name, Let angels prostrate fall, Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him Lord of all. Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, Ye ransom from the fall, Hail him who saves you by his grace, And crown him Lord of all. Hail him who saves you by his grace, And crown him Lord of all. Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial balm, To him all majesty ascribe, And crown him Lord of all. Him all majesty ascribe, And crown him Lord of all. O that with yonder sacred throng, We at his feet may fall, We'll join the everlasting song, And crown him Lord of all. We'll join the everlasting song, And crown him Lord of all. All right, take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter number 10. Romans chapter number 10, and we'll have brother Richie come and read that for us. All right, Romans chapter 10, if you're there, say amen. All right, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved, for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth those things shall live in by them, but the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend into the deep, that is to bring up Christ again from the dead, but what sayeth it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made into salvation. For the scripture sayeth, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, if they not heard? Yes, verily their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold and saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Let's pray. Dear Holy Father, thank you for this second church service and just be with pastors as he preaches your word. And I pray that we all have ears to hear. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen. So you're there in Romans chapter 10, and I do want to do another soul winning tip sermon. So this is kind of like a series, if you will, but it may be sprinkled throughout as far as when I do them. But there's just certain things, you can maybe even call it principles of soul winning, but it's more so just tips and things that go along with soul winning. This one is more of a principle, but is to use the Bible, meaning that the word of God needs to be there. And what I believe about preaching the gospel is that the word of God must be there for someone to get saved, and that that is a portion of what, I mean, when you're going out there, if you're not using the word of God, you're not going to see people get saved. You're not going to see people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it really comes in many passages, but in this passage particularly, look at verse 13 there, and you see this progression of, you kind of start off with someone getting saved, but then it kind of shows you all the different elements that led up to someone calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation. And notice what it says here in verse 13, it says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So, amen, the Bible teaches that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, and, you know, salvation is very simple, and it's a moment in time where you ask God for salvation. But, you know, what led up to that? You know, what caused that to happen? It says in verse 14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? So if you don't have faith mixed in, you know, with that calling, then that's not going to save you. You know, you can call out to God all you want, but if you're not believing on him with that confession of faith, if you will, then that's not going to save you. But then it goes down the line even more so when it comes to that, if you will, time when you put your trust and ask him for that salvation. It says, How shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach except to be sent, as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. So then it gets into the aspect that someone has to come and preach you the word and so that you can hear it, but not only that they're preaching you the word, but more so that they're preaching you the gospel, right? But then it goes down the line and says in verse 16, But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Okay, so when it's talking about how shall they hear without a preacher, ultimately you're getting into the idea of hearing the word of God. Someone comes out to you, preaches you the gospel, but they're using the word of God. You hear the word of God. And at that point, if you hear that, you can believe on Christ if you want to. You know, you have that free choice to take that step into believing on him. But faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And the Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So faith is obviously something that is not seen. That's the whole definition of faith. So hearing the word of God is how someone's going to basically put their trust in Christ. And without that, I don't believe someone's going to get saved. I don't believe someone's going to get saved just by basically just explaining the gospel in your own words. Now, someone may have heard the word of God before that, and they had the word of God there before that and all that, and you explained it to them and then they understood it. There's all these different scenarios that people could probably run through there, but if the word of God is never planted and that seed of the word of God was never there, they're not getting saved. And go to 1 Peter 1, 1 Peter 1 and verse 22. This is a very simple sermon, but this really comes down to the fact that we don't believe in using a wordless book for kids where you just have colors and you're explaining the gospel in your own words and then asking them to pray to receive Christ. No, they need to hear the word of God. And you say, well, they can't understand the words that you're saying to them, then they're not old enough to understand salvation because salvation is very simple. And if they can't understand and you say, well, they're not going to really understand that they've sinned against God and that God had to pay that price, then they're innocent. They're too young to understand salvation. They're innocent. They don't need salvation at that point. It's just like Adam and Eve that were innocent. They don't even realize they're naked. That's a good marker obviously when it comes to kids anyway. If your kid will run around in the church building right now stark naked, they're innocent. They don't feel the shame of nakedness, if you will. But that being said is that if a child can't understand what's being said, and obviously you're not being overboard and you're using verses that are very simple to understand, but if they can't understand the fact that they're a sinner and that Jesus paid that price when he died for us and that sin would ultimately cause you to die or to go to hell, they're not old enough to understand salvation. And at that point you kind of have to wait until they're ready to understand it. You can still give them the Gospel and you can still give them the Word of God, but we don't need to just pray with kids that are like two, three years old with some wordless book. It's just not – if anything, you're going to make them feel like they're already saved and they don't need salvation once they get to that point of understanding. But in 1 Peter 1 and verse 22 it says, Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. So when I'm talking about preaching the Gospel of peace and it talks about how beautiful are the feet of him that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things, that's done by having the Word of God. Okay, so you preach it – the Word is how you're preaching that Gospel and the Word is how they're going to end up believing, but the Word is how they're born again. So we're born again by the Word of God, the Bible says. Go to James chapter 1, James chapter 1. So I just want to kind of show you some verses that really hit on this. And it's baffling to me, you know, when you have – you'll have Baptist churches that will even be for soul winning, but they'll say things like you don't need the Word of God. And, you know, in a lot of cases in these Bible colleges, they'll even go to the fact where you don't even need the name Jesus. And it's just ridiculous and it goes against Scripture, but I just want you to see these verses that it's very clear that faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God, that we're born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God, right? So these verses are being very clear that how are you going to believe on Christ? By hearing the Word of God. How are you going to get born again? By the Word of God. And it says in James 1 and verse 17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So you think about 1 Peter where it says we're born again by the Word of God, that incorruptible seed of the Word of God, and the idea that we're begotten again until a lively hope, it says in that same chapter. Here it's stating that he has begotten us, or begat us, with the Word of truth. So we're getting saved, we're being born again by the Word of God, essentially. And verse 21 of that same chapter, James 1, verse 21, it says, Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. So it's really crazy to me when people will try to negate that the Word of God is needed. And this is also why you need to know that you have the Word of God. We're King James Bible only, and the reason we're King James Bible only is because we believe that this is the perfect Word of God. And I've heard people say, well, you know, could you get someone saved with an NIV? Could you get someone saved with a new King James? Well, the question that you have to ask yourself is that, do you want to play that game? Because the new King James is going to have verses that are exactly the same as the King James, right? And you could play that game. But when I'm going out soloing, I'm not playing games. Because I know for a fact that this is going to get someone saved. You're playing with an NIV, you're playing with a new King James, you may find some verses that say the exact same thing that the King James Bible says, and you can maybe get someone saved, okay? But I'm not playing that game. And just to be frank with you, I've seen so many mistakes when it comes to verses dealing with salvation, that's definitely not a game to be playing, because there's verses where they clearly change the meaning, and they change what it actually says, and I believe that's the corruptible seed then, not the incorruptible seed. So when it comes to soloing, I'm King James Bible only. When it comes to preaching, I'm King James Bible only. When it comes to reading, I'm King James Bible only, so you get the point. But especially out soloing, does that make sense? It's kind of one of those things where I'm King James Bible only across the board, but if there's ever a time that I'm going to definitely be King James Bible only, it's that soloing, okay? Because I'm not going to play with people's souls, I'm not going to play that game. And whenever I'll hear Baptists say something like, but could you, though? Well, I go out there and I win them, and it's just like, why are you even trying? What are you trying to prove with that? Like, why are you doing that? And I just don't understand the logic behind that, because even if you were to say, well, it's easier to understand, and let's say there was no mistakes in it, the idea here is that if it's not broke, don't fix it. And the King James Bible has been winning people to Christ for over 400 years, and so why would I even try to mess with that? I don't even want to be messing with the 21st century King James where they're basically changing some spellings and trying to change some other things in it. I just don't trust, pardon me if I don't trust Bible translation, like these committees to do anything right, okay? With all these other versions, they've messed them all up, right? So pardon me if I don't trust anybody when it comes to them translating the Bible these days, okay? So, and that being said, what if they did make one? I'm just going to stick with the King James Bible that we've been reading, and it is what it is. And people, I never run out, when I'm out soul winning, and we talk to people from people that are probably more highly intellectual to the people that are not, right? And I never run into people that are just like, they don't understand what I'm talking about, right? You say, we're all of a sudden to come to the glory of God, and you say, hey, we've all sinned, and they're just like, yes, right? Most everybody you run into, they know what that means. I've broken a commandment. You know, you're a transgressor, you know, and they'll even trespass. You use the word trespass, which is used a lot in the Bible. Most people know what that means because they have no trespassing signs, you know, when you walk up to their door. You're like, I don't know what a trespass is, and why do you have this sign up that says no trespassing, you know? So that being said is that when it comes to the word of God, you need to know, first of all, that you have the word of God, and so go out there with the King James Bible. Here at Mountain Baptist Church, if you go out soul winning, representing Mountain Baptist Church, you better be using a King James Bible, okay? Now, people can come and visit, and they may not have a King James Bible, and, you know, they may not be on that stance yet, and that's fine, you know? Like, I'm not here to, like, just, like, bash that over people's heads if they're just new to that subject and don't know all the details about it. But when it comes out to soul winning, though, we're not playing that game. We're not going to even play with the fire of, you're given some of the gospel that would get saved, but you're using some corruptible seed, and therefore they are not going to get saved because you're not using the actual word of God, okay? Go to Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1. Say, are you done with verses about needing the word of God? Nope, not yet, but this is going to be a very simple sermon. One, someone needs to hear the word of God to get saved, period, okay? And then two, I'm going to be getting into the idea of just using the Bible out soul winning and just the physical Bible, okay? And this is just kind of a tip that I kind of want to say that I do this. I think that we should all be doing this to a certain extent as far as physically showing them the verses, okay? And that's kind of what I'm getting into with this tip, if you will. So most of you all know our stance on the fact that you need the word of God to get saved. But I just want to kind of preface it with this that it's very clear in the Bible. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11, it says, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, notice this, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. So unpack this a little bit here, right? It's basically saying, you know, you're predestinated, but it's based off you first trusting in Christ, okay? God foreknew who would believe, who would trust in him, and from the foundation of the world he predestined those that he knew would believe on him to be conformed unto his image, to be unto the praise of his glory, all that. I've kind of preached on that before. But that being said is that the trusting, though, before that happens, it says it was after, the trusting happened after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. And then it says, In whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So see that progression there? You hear the word of truth, you trust in him, and then you're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, okay? Kind of that same progression you see in Romans chapter 10 where it's stating that, you know, For whosoever shall call upon in the name of the Lord shall be saved, but how then shall they call on him in whom they may not believe? How shall they believe in him in whom they may not have heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And it goes into this like, here's the progression. You send out a preacher to preach the gospel with the word of God. A person hears that. Now they have a choice to believe it and call upon in the name of the Lord for salvation. And that's the progression that goes down the line, okay? But it really kind of starts off with the fact that you have the word of God and you're sent out with that word of God to go preach the gospel, okay? Now go to Hebrew chapter 4, Hebrew chapter 4 and verse 1. Hebrew chapter 4 and verse 1. Hebrew chapter 4 is actually a really great soul winning passage. One, it shows you that the gospel has been the same since back when they were in the wilderness, when Moses and them were in the wilderness, because notice the way it's wording this here. In Hebrew chapter 4 and verse 1 it says, Let us therefore fear, lest the promise being left us of entering into this rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. So this is Paul, I believe, who wrote Hebrews, but it doesn't matter whoever it is. It's in the New Testament that they're writing this. It's saying that any of you should seem to come short of it, meaning the promise, the gospel, salvation, right? It says in verse 2, For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. Now if you know in chapter 3 who they're talking about, all those people that died in the wilderness because they didn't believe, okay? So that's where they were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years in Moses' day. So you're talking about like at the very beginning of the Old Testament or the First Testament that he's referring back to saying the gospel is preached unto us as well as unto them. So they heard the same gospel, but notice what it says here. But the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. So there's a couple things here. One, the word was preached unto them as much as the word is preached today. But as much as back then if they didn't put their faith in it, it didn't profit them, right? But if you put your faith, if it's mixed with faith, because you can hear the gospel and you can know how to get saved, right? You know that's what it takes, but you have to make that choice to put your faith in it. And that's a free will choice that you make. And in Hebrews 4 and verse 12, and actually right before that it talks about let us therefore labor to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. That's why it's such a great soul winning passage because it's talking about the fact that there's certain people that may not know this or may not believe this and we're laboring so that they don't fall after the same example of unbelief, but that they do believe and that they mix that preaching of the gospel with faith and that they get saved. And then it says in verse 12, it says, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So when you're going out soul winning, you need the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And you need that sharp sword if you're going to actually get someone saved. And you say, well, I think that someone can get saved without any Bible verses. One, why would you do that? The question that I have with anybody that has these hypotheticals, one, the Bible doesn't teach that. The Bible actually teaches the opposite of that, that you actually need the word of God. But second of all, why are you playing that game? What's the reasoning? What's your reasoning behind that? That's what I always want to know is why wouldn't you want to use the Bible? If the word of God is the most powerful, most alive words that are out there, why wouldn't you use those? I mean, think of someone that does a speech or an oration of some sorts. A lot of times, what do they do? They quote, they use quotations or they quote things that are powerful sayings to add basically power to their speech, if you will. I mean, outside of the Bible, and you just went to some speech that someone's given to you, you'd be like, Abraham Lincoln said this one day, or so-and-so said this, and they'll quote off some famous quote from some famous leader of some sort. Why? Because it carries weight. It's not just you up there pontificating your view in your own words. You're stating, well, Abraham Lincoln said this, and George Washington said that, and maybe they're just talking about the forefathers, but I'm just using that as an example that you're basically, they're going to use other people's words because a lot of times they carry weight, and when you're out soul-winding, don't you want to carry weight with what you're getting across, and what is going to get that across, and what's going to carry more weight and gravity and power than the word of God? So even if you didn't believe that you needed it, like it had to be there, why wouldn't you use it? Just logically thinking through there, but obviously I believe that it has to be there. It needs to be there. Now, what you'll find, especially looking in the book of Acts, go to Acts chapter 2, is that the apostles over and over and over again are using the word of God to make their points. Look at the passages where they actually, and I'm not going to go to all of them. I'm just going to use Acts chapter 2 as an example, okay, for the sake of time, but if you went to where Paul preaches, this is where Peter's kind of preaching, and then preaching to the crowd, and then obviously everybody's witnessing to all these disciples where the Holy Ghost is coming upon them, and they're speaking to them in their own languages and stuff like that. In this passage, he's going to hold off. I'm going to show you three different verses that are quoted from the Old Testament that he's using in his preaching, and look at verse 14 there. So Acts chapter 2 and verse 14. It says, But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. Now he's going to quote off from verse 17 down to 21. It's just a straight up quotation from Joel chapter 2. And look what it says here in verse 17. It says, It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams, and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy, and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke, the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Do you think he picked that passage? I mean, obviously he's pulling that passage out because it is pertinent to what just happened. But you know what? They were already preaching the gospel before Peter even got to this point. He's kind of answering to them what's going on, but all these like both men and women are full of the Holy Ghost and they're preaching and prophesying, you know, basically preaching the gospel, and he's explaining to that by going to Joel, and it just so happens that in Joel it says who serves to call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And that's what's quoted in Romans chapter 10, one of the most famous soul-winning passages in the Bible. And where do you get that from? Joel chapter 2. Other places does talk about calling on the name of the Lord, taking the cup of salvation. There's other places that state it, Go down to verse 25. Acts chapter 2 and verse 25. And I'm not going to read this whole chapter here for sake of... I want to show you that, hey, what's he do when he starts talking to the people, especially the people that aren't getting it, right? They're kind of wondering what's going on. He gives them Bible verses. He's like, Joel chapter 2. If that's not enough, he goes to verse 25, it says, For David speaks concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Now he's quoting Psalm 16. And obviously he then goes into the fact that, hey, this spake he of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. And saying, hey, this is talking about Jesus, this is talking about the Christ, this isn't talking about David. So he goes to Joel chapter 2, goes to Psalm 16, then in Acts chapter 2 and verse 34, it says, For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. So now we're going into Psalm 110, I believe. So, if I'm wrong on that, forgive me, but I think it's Psalm 110. So, three different passages, you know, two of those are Psalms, and then we have Joel chapter 2 there. Then in Acts chapter 2 and verse 40 it says, And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. So, just over and over again, he's just using the Bible, isn't he? And just using that as a soul winning tool. And I personally believe that all those that were filled with the Holy Ghost were speaking the word of God with boldness. And you'll see that through the book of Acts, they're just praying for boldness, to speak the word of God with boldness. And so, the idea of, like, taking the word of God out, the question I have for anybody that says this, why are you doing that? What's the reasoning? Even if you could somehow prove to me that you don't need the word of God to be saved, why wouldn't you use the word of God? You know, like, to me, if I'm going to go out and I want to win something to Christ, I'm not playing games. And when you go out and you talk to somebody at the doorstep, you should be talking to them as if it's a family member, someone that you would want to see get saved more than anything else in the world. And you should have that attitude, so why would you play games with it? And say, well, you know, I'm going to try to prove my theory correct here and see if I can win somebody without the word of God. What if you make some false converts because you convinced them of something, but they didn't really believe it because you're not using the word of God? Or how about that they gave you the time of day and then you go through all this, but they don't believe because they don't have the word of God, they don't have that incorruptible seed to where they're going to be born again, and then they're like, ah, I got to go, and you just wasted that opportunity. So that's something to think about there when it comes to that. Now, also go to John chapter 15. John 15, one thing you've got to realize, too, is that Jesus is the word. His name is called the word of God. So to me, saying that you don't need the word of God, you don't need the Bible to get someone saved is like saying you don't need Jesus to get someone saved. That's the equivalent to me. I mean, he is the word made flesh. In the beginning it was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. So to think that you can take away the word from salvation would be like this where it's talking about the fact that he is the true vine and we are the branches. And to think that it would be like taking away the vine from the branches and thinking you're going to bear fruit. And notice what it says in John chapter 15 of verse 1. It says, I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Ah, that's interesting. How are you made clean? Through the word. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. Except abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. Without who? Well the vine, but what's another name that we could use for Jesus? The word. The word of life. And it even says in 1 John chapter 1, it says, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon in our hands and handled of the word of life. For life was manifest, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father. And we declare, and I'm going to mess that last portion up, but you get the point there. What is that last word that's stated there? And which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. That's it, which was manifested unto us. So that word of life, that word of God, that word that was from the beginning, was with God, was God, was made flesh, and I believe that stating that if you abide in him, and you'll bear fruit, but if you don't abide in him, you can do nothing. You're not going to bear fruit. And when we're talking about bearing fruit, we're not talking about doing good works here. We're talking about bringing forth after your own kind. You're bringing forth, you're a Christian, you're a believer, you're going to bring forth another believer. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise. That's what we're talking about here when we're talking about, in John 15, about bearing fruit. In verse 6 here, it says, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. This is kind of getting into the year of the salt of the earth. If the salt has lost its savior, it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be trodden unto men. That idea of you're either profitable or you're not. If you're abiding in him, you're profitable. If you're not abiding in him, you're not profitable. Just like a branch that would be withered and be cast off. Verse 7, it says, If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples. This also shows you, too, that being a disciple is different than being saved. You're saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. You're a disciple if you're a fruitful Christian, if you're abiding in the vine and doing what you should be doing. Not everybody that gets saved is a disciple. Facts. When you're dealing with this, like I said, saying that you don't need the word of God to win someone to Christ, to me, is like saying you don't need Jesus. See the slippery slope that it goes on? Those that went to Bible college could probably testify this, how that slope goes down to where it's like, you don't need the King James Bible. You could use these other versions, which means then you don't need any Bible. And then, well, not only don't you need the Bible, you don't even need to use the name Jesus. Do you see that slippery slope? Whereas the Bible says there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And you're just going to turn the Bible on its head when it says that it has to be by the name of Jesus? That it says that it's by the word of God that you're born again? That it's by His own will that begat us with the word of truth? That you're just going to negate all those verses? So when you're out soul winning, you need to use the word of God. Now, when it comes to soul winning, can you win somebody by just quoting off verbally the words of God? Yes. Yes, you can. One, what about a blind person? I mean, if someone was blind, they wouldn't be able to read it anyway. I guess if you had a Braille Bible, you'd be able to do that. I'm not against that, but how often do you really run into that situation? But yes, you can win somebody just verbally. And listen, I've won somebody to the Lord over the phone. Now, a lot of times I'll tell them, hey, pull up this on your app. I mean, in the day and age we live, it's like, look up Bible Gateway, King James Bible, and look up this verse so you can see it. But just to be honest, I've won people to the Lord just over the phone or even in a case where you'll run into people that can't see very well. Or you're in dark quarters. You're in that apartment complex where that one light bulb is flickering and you're in this haunted area. And you're like, can I get a flashlight? Something like that so they can see it. So in those cases, you're just kind of like at the mercy of just quoting it. And that's why it's also good to have it memorized because what do you do in those cases if they can't see it or if you can't see it and you're trying to read it all? So yes, you can win people to Christ. Go to Revelation 1 and verse 3. Revelation 1 and verse 3. And this is really the tip I want to get down to here. Well, I just want to lay that foundation that the Word of God, I believe, is absolutely needed for someone to get saved. But the tip that I really want to get to is actually using the Bible physically out solely. I'm talking about like you have an actual Bible with you, paper, ink, and you're using that so that the person you're talking to can see it black and white. Now, look what it says here in Revelation 1 and verse 3. It says, Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. So notice how there's a blessing reading it and there's also a blessing listening to it or hearing it. Now, I do a lot of Bible reading through audio Bible and a lot of people are just like, that's not reading. You're not getting anything out of that. I beg to differ. I get through the Bible four times a year just by hearing it, just by listening to Alexander Scorby, which is the only way you should go. However you want to do it. But he's the original. To me, he's the best. But all that aside is that reading it, there's a blessing there because you're not bound to where you're just making sure you're pronouncing it and saying everything correctly and you're reading it correctly. There's also a blessing reading it. So when you're listening through the audio, you're just kind of at the mercy of that speed and they're going. You could maybe even have a thought about what's being said there, but it's just going past it. It's not stopping. Whereas when you're reading it, you could be reading and be like, oh man, that's interesting, and you kind of stop there, look at it, see it. And there is a visual aspect, especially with memorizing the Bible. When you're memorizing the Bible, there's a big visual aspect of seeing it on the page, seeing those words kind of in your mind as you're trying to quote it off and memorize it. So both are good. I don't want to take any out of that. But when it comes to this, I just want to make it clear that reading, there is a blessing in reading, though, as far as I believe where someone's going to look at that and be like, there it is. So someone can get saved just by hearing it and you're just quoting it off to them, but some people I think need to see it. Let me give you a story in the Bible that I believe kind of represents this. Go to John 4. John 4 is dealing with a woman at the well, and I know people a lot of times will take this out of context to try to say, well, see, you don't need the word of God, and they'll try to use this story, they'll try to use this woman to say that, but I believe it's saying something differently, actually. Because the Bible, Jesus talks about if they believe my sayings, they'll believe your sayings. But I don't believe he's stating, like, don't use my sayings, or you don't need my sayings. Does that make sense? I think what he's stating there is that if they're going to believe me, like Jesus walking on the earth and giving them the gospel, what he's trying to state there, I think, is that you can also win them and that they'll believe you as well. Like, you're an ambassador for Christ and they will believe you as well, but I don't believe it's negating the word of God there. Are you saying, don't use my sayings, just use yours? And I believe that's the same thing that's going on here, is that I do believe that the woman, when she went into the city, used the words that Jesus said, or repeated what Jesus said to her, and what it's going to say here is that some of them believed, but then some came back and had to come to Jesus firsthand to believe. So look at what it says here in John chapter 4 and verse 28. The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and said to the men, come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. It is not this the Christ. Then they went out of the city and came unto him. So to get the story, this is the famous story where she's at the well and he's saying, I'll give to him that is a thirst, the water of life, and basically that they'll never thirst again, and that it's springing up into eternal life, and just getting into the aspect of eternal life and salvation. She's just talking about physical water, but then it gets into the fact that she's realizing, hey, this is a prophet. This is not only the prophet, this is the Christ. He starts off basically stating, call thy husband, and kind of pointing out that you're a sinner. That's where he gets into that idea which I covered last time, I believe, as far as having a plan. We always start off with the fact that you need to realize you need a savior, and that she's a sinner and gets into that. But look at verse 39. It says, and many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman which testified, he told me all that ever I did. Now, I don't believe that's the only thing that she said to them. She went into the city, and there's a man out here who just told me everything that ever I did, and they're just like, we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Does that make sense? I believe she repeated the stuff that he ever told me ever I did. Does that make sense? The whole point of that testimony would be the fact that she's testifying on what he said that she did. So what's going on here, I believe, is that she goes back to the town and basically repeats what Jesus said to her. So at this point, she's hearing it firsthand from the savior, from the word of God. He's obviously in the flesh, so he can win her to Christ and win her so that she can believe. She takes that word or what he said to her and takes it to other people, and some believe. But not everybody did. Notice what it says here in verse 40. It says, so when the Samaritans were coming to him, they besought him that he would tarry with them and he abode there two days, and many more believed because of his own word and said unto the woman, now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the savior of the world. So what I believe is going on here is that basically she took her testimony of what he said to her, took it to them, some actually believe that by just hearing that story of what Jesus said to her, which would have the word of God in there, right? It's kind of, you say, well, where did Jesus use the Bible to win someone to Christ? It's kind of hard because he is the word, right, to really like pin that down, because there are places where he says as it is written and stuff like that, but just to be honest, everything he said in John 4 is the word of God. So I could use that argument all day and be like, he is using the word all the time when he speaks, okay? But basically, I believe that is what is going on there, but then when they come back, they are hearing it and seeing it themselves. So what I believe this is likening unto is if you were to quote off the verses to somebody, but they need to see it in writing themselves, right? They heard it, but they need to come back and see it themselves. Now look at Acts chapter 17, I'm going to give you an example of this. In Thessalonica in chapter 17, this is the story where they assault the house of Jason, so obviously I like this chapter, it's got my name in it, but there is a lot that believed in Thessalonica, but then they flee Thessalonica and they go into Berea, okay? And notice what it says here in verse 10. So Acts 17 and verse 10, it says, And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed, also of honorable women, which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. So they didn't just hear it and believe, they heard it and then they had to see it and search it out, okay? And I believe that's kind of the same thing that's going on with these Samaritans, is that some just heard it, believed it, and then others had to look at it themselves. And I think this happens a lot out someone, even when it comes to, you'll give someone the gospel, they'll be right there, but then they just kind of have to look at it and search it and look at it and make sure that that's right. Because some people just aren't going to be one right at the doorstep. And they'll just have to kind of look over it and make sure, yeah, that's what it is. But I think that's where they're seeing, they're going to be looking in the Bible, they're going to read that for themselves and be like, yep, yep, yep. That's exactly what it is. It's by faith. It's eternal life. And just kind of searching it, whether those things were so. So, why not, when you're out soul winning, give a little taste of that, right? Of them searching the scriptures to see whether it's so. Does that make sense? Like when you're going out soul winning, yes, you could just quote them the verse. But one, sometimes people need to really take it in, right? And when you show them the Bible and you're like, hey, here it is right here, they can kind of just look at it, stare at it, and be like, there it is. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Or, you know, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house. And then you look at it and you're like, does that say you have to go to church and live a good life? And they're like, no, it doesn't say anything like that there. You see how that visual, seeing it, will kind of just like, I don't want to, it's not taken away from that it's faith. Because obviously, you know, it's by the word of God, you know, it's by faith. But when you see it on the page, there is something there that kind of shows, like, this is tangibly, like, man, it's there, black and white. You're not just making that up. You're not just saying, they don't have to go back and be like, let me look up these verses this guy said to me and see if those are actually verses in the Bible. Or, you know, these are actually there. You're seeing it right there, black and white. And I believe that kind of puts that aspect of, like, we've seen, we've heard his words ourselves. Right? Whereas, you know, so you're going to have both because how many times on Soul Bending have we, you've probably won somebody where you couldn't actually read it to them because they couldn't see or you're in the circumstance where you're just going to have to quote it. You know what I mean? Like, you're in this case where they're, like, behind this door that they can't see anything, you can't see them. You're just kind of quoting them verses. And I believe people can get saved that way. But I think that it really does help and it really just, you're going to end up getting more people saved if you have that visual of, like, the Bible right there. Okay, so that's why this tip is use the Bible. Obviously, use the Word of God. But use the physical Bible, okay, to where you're actually showing them those verses. Now, I'll say this. When I go out Soul Bending, I don't show them every single verse that I quote off, okay? But I'll say this. The main verses, when we talk about that plan, having a plan, those main verses, I show them every one of those. So those main points that I'm trying to get across, I'm showing it to them. I'm pointing at it. I'll even have them say, what does that say right there? I'll have them read it off. There's a couple things that go on there. One, they're seeing it black and white. So it's kind of like I'm seeing it from the source. So if you think about the woman at the well, they're hearing it, and she got it from the source. They're getting it straight from the source, right? Whereas, like, when you show them the Bible, it's like, I'm not even saying anything. You're reading that, aren't you? You're getting it straight from the source, okay? So I'm a firm believer in using the Bible. And, you know, I want all our soul owners to have that, what's the word, like, just kind of ingrained that you're going to show verses, okay? You don't have to show them all, but I'll say this. Use your discretion, because let's say someone's stuck on one point, right? And you're just trying to get them past that point. The best thing you should do is have them read off that verse. Have them, like, say, what does it say? Am I making, you know, like, am I adding anything to that? You know, what does that say? And that really helps them say, like, that's from the source. You're not twisting it. You're not trying to make it say something that's not saying. They're getting it straight from the source. So that's a tip that I have. Again, this is kind of a simple sermon when it comes to soul winning tips, but it's just using the Bible. One, knowing that the Bible's needed, but two, actually using your physical Bible out, soul winning. I believe this is going to cause more people to get saved. And if anything, it's going to give a lot more confidence in that person, too, as well. Because I believe people can get saved by hearing it, but when they see it, they're just like, boom, yeah, there. And plus, it also validates you. You're not just, like, up there spinning yarns with them, right? You're just like, well, I mean, this is the Bible, right? I mean, this is what it says. And you go to John 3.16 and be like, you've probably heard this verse. And then you show them that, they see it black and white, and it's just something that's going to stick, and even stick in their memory. Like I said, when it comes to Bible memorization, reading it, I've never memorized anything by just listening to it. Now, maybe some of you can, and more power to you. I've never memorized anything by just listening to it over and over again. I've only memorized by reading it and memorizing it. There's a visual thing that's going on there. Maybe that's just my synesthesia problem that I have, where I'm, like, thinking of colors when it comes to, like, numbers and words. But there's something visual that's going on there. You're almost like, I know on that side of the page is where that was at. I remember, like, this is where it's at. All of you have probably done this with your Bibles, right? You're like, I know where that verse is at. It's on the right top corner of the page in the book of John somewhere, right? And you're like, I know where it's at. And there is something to that. There's something to that visual memory, that visual idea, like, man, yeah, that's there. And it's kind of like that idea of sight. You know, you kind of see it. You know, that old phrase, seeing is believing. I don't like that phrase because obviously faith is, you know, like, seeing and believing are two opposite things, okay? If you see it, you just know it to be true by sight. But if you believe in something, if you have faith in something, it's because it's the evidence of things not seen. It's basically the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And so I know it's a shorter sermon, but my sermon was longer this morning, so there you have it. But, you know, using the Bible when out sowing, one, the Bible is needed for salvation, for someone to get saved. Two, it's extremely powerful and the most powerful words that are out there, so why wouldn't you want to use it? And then three, I believe that visual aid of actually using that Bible and seeing it black and white is going to end up seeing more people saved and having that confidence, too, that, hey, they're believing it and they know it straight from the source of the Bible. So let's end with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. Thank you for your word. And just pray that you'd help us to be a witness to you as much as we can. And Lord, just pray that you'd bless the time that we have together and be with us throughout the rest of the week as we go to work. And Lord, just bring us back at the appointed time. Lord, we love you. We pray this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. So, brother, they have a comment. Sing one more song and then we'll be dismissed. Alright, take your song books and turn to song 169. Song 169 in your song books. And if you would stand, we'll sing Come Thou Fount, song 169. Praise, teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming grace.