The Purpose of Being a Soul Winner | Guillermo Maldonado | Sunday Sermon

God is preparing the bride for His coming, and the process is not soft. The fire of God is coming to purify, cleanse, and bring to the surface what is hidden in the heart. First Peter says faith is more precious than gold, but gold has to go through fire so the fake things melt off. God brings out impurities, motivations, intentions, and wrong attachments because without holiness, no one will see God.

The bride will go through testing because God wants to trust the church with more of His presence. The fire comes through children, jobs, business, brothers, sisters, and situations that expose character. God is not trying to destroy the bride. God is after purity. The pure will see God, and a contaminated spirit cannot carry the same level of glory.

True discipleship always demands detachment. Jesus called men to detach from possessions, comfort, family priority, and anything that interferes with total devotion to Him. The rich man had to be detached from his possessions. Another man had to be detached from comfort because the Son of Man had no place to lay His head. Another had to “love less” father, mother, brothers, and sisters, because Jesus must be first. The fire coming upon the church will detach hearts from people, places, and things.

The church must not only be purified. The church must become a soul winner. The early church did not depend on occasional crusades. Acts says daily, in the temple and from house to house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. The biblical method is door to door, house to house, publicly, with the message of the kingdom, power, signs, and wonders. Every believer must be a soul winner, not only leaders, not only evangelists, not only those with a title.

Jesus is the greatest soul winner. The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. To be Christian means to be like Christ, and Christ went after sinners in the marketplace. The good shepherd left the ninety-nine in the wilderness and went after the one that was lost. The woman did not polish the nine coins while ignoring the lost coin. She swept the house diligently until she found it.

God is calling the church to stop polishing saved people while families, neighbors, young people, and cities are lost. The Holy Spirit empowers boldness where Jesus is shared. Fire, freshness, and power come when the gospel is preached. The old wineskin stinks, but the fresh fire of the Spirit makes believers soul winners because Jesus is a soul winner.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Fire exposes what is not gold The testing of faith is not proof that God has forgotten the bride. The fire brings hidden impurities to the surface so that motives, intentions, and attachments can be dealt with before greater glory is entrusted. Gold is not proven by being admired, but by being put in the fire. [02:29]
• 2. Discipleship detaches the heart first True discipleship is not just adding Jesus to an already crowded life. Jesus calls for detachment from possessions, comfort, family priority, and anything that interrupts total devotion to Him. The heart cannot follow Christ fully while secretly negotiating what it refuses to release. [07:17]
• 3. Every believer carries souls Soul winning is not a special department for a few gifted people. Christian means Christlike, and Christ came to seek and save the lost. A believer who carries the life of Jesus must also carry the burden of Jesus. [27:02]
• 4. Jesus leaves ninety-nine for one The good shepherd does not stay comfortable with the ninety-nine while one sheep is lost. Love goes into mountains, valleys, danger, offense, immaturity, and backsliding until the lost one is found. Ministry to souls always costs something, but the joy of finding the one reveals the heart of God. [38:08]
• 5. Fresh fire follows shared Jesus The Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus, not to entertain believers who refuse the gospel assignment. Where Jesus is preached and souls are pursued, power and boldness begin to move. Freshness replaces the smell of old wineskin when the church returns to the burden of the lost. [63:03]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:46] - Faith Tested Like Gold
• [03:33] - Holiness, Purity, And Seeing God
• [05:26] - Discipleship Requires Detachment
• [07:17] - Fire Detaches The Heart
• [12:21] - Rejoicing In Testing
• [17:56] - Why Believers Must Win Souls
• [20:17] - The Early Church Method
• [23:57] - Miami Needs The Gospel
• [27:02] - Every Believer Is A Soul Winner
• [33:15] - Jesus Came To Seek And Save
• [38:08] - The Good Shepherd Leaves The Ninety-Nine
• [48:40] - The Lost Coin Must Be Found
• [52:35] - Prayer Of Detachment And Commitment
• [58:07] - Young People Called To Boldness
• [63:03] - The Holy Spirit Empowers Witnesses

Bible Reading
1 Peter 1:7 (ESV)
"so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Luke 15:3-7 (ESV)
"So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.’"

Acts 5:42 (ESV)
"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

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Observation Questions

1. According to 1 Peter 1:7, what comparison does the passage make between faith and gold? What role does "fire" play in this process?
2. In Luke 15:3-7, what does the shepherd prioritize over the ninety-nine sheep, and what does this reveal about God’s heart?
3. What specific methods did the early church use to spread the gospel, according to Acts 5:42? How does this contrast with modern approaches mentioned in the sermon? [20:17]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why is purity necessary to "see God" (Hebrews 12:14), and how does testing through "fire" prepare believers for greater spiritual responsibility? [03:33]
2. Jesus called people to detach from possessions, comfort, and family priorities. Why might detachment be a non-negotiable requirement for true discipleship? [07:17]
3. The parable of the lost sheep emphasizes leaving the ninety-nine to find the one. What does this imply about the value of individual souls compared to maintaining comfort or stability within a community? [38:08]

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Application Questions

1. What attachments (possessions, relationships, habits, or comforts) might be interfering with total devotion to Christ? How could detachment in one area create space for greater spiritual growth? [11:29]
2. When was the last time you intentionally shared your faith with someone outside the church? What practical step could you take this week to engage in "door-to-door" evangelism, even if it’s as simple as reaching out to a neighbor? [20:17]
3. Are there people in your life who have left the faith or grown distant from God? How might you actively "go after the one" instead of assuming they’ll return on their own? [42:46]
4. The sermon warns against "polishing saved people" while ignoring the lost. In your daily routines, how can you shift focus from maintaining comfort to pursuing opportunities to share Jesus? [50:40]
5. The early church prioritized daily evangelism. What would it look like to incorporate intentional, regular gospel conversations into your life—not just occasional events? [21:01]
6. Reflect on a recent trial or testing in your life. How might God be using that "fire" to purify your motives or detach you from something holding you back? [12:21]