Soul Winning

          “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Psalms 107:2). The Word of God is clear; God intends for each and every one of us, whom He refers to as redeemed, to carry out the Great Commission. The commission of which I make reference is the challenge that Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended from the earth after His resurrection from the dead. Here’s exactly what Christ said, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Our Lord was burdened throughout His personal ministry that we might evangelize the waiting world with the Gospel. This is evidenced by passages such as Matthew 22:9, “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” John 20:21, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21).

          I am praying that God will help us as a church to make soul winning more important than it presently is. The Bible says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). We have been involved in all manner of men and ladies Bible studies. When we are finished with the ladies’ study on prayer and the men’s Experiencing God, I would like us to combine our forces and energy to come to a six o’clock Wednesday Bible training session on soul winning. Then prospectively, go out before the Wednesday evening Prayer and Bible Study and put into practice what we are learning. We are the local expression of The Body of Christ. Just like our physical body can become lethargic and unhealthy without exercise, so can the Body of Christ become atrophied if she refuses to move. It is time for Christchurch to move beyond our perimeters to reach the unreached for our Savior who so loves this world (John 3:16). We need to:

1. Lift up our eyes and see.

          Jesus said in John 4:35, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” May the Lord help us to see this world through His eyes. With broken heart Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). Although this rejection our Lord experienced continued all the way to the cross, still even then He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Christ saw men without Him as lost and undone headed for doom. If we fail to capture our Lord’s revealed concern for the lost, there will be a price to pay: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). A young preacher some years ago pled with his congregation to have a vision.

          He even made a sign with hand-carved letters of Proverbs 29:18. He hung it up in the back of the building so the folks would see it on the way out of the auditorium. The church never got the vision. The shepherd went to other pastures. One day he returned to the old church. As he walked through the empty building, he recalled where families and individuals sat and missed them. He walked into the pulpit where he pleaded for the members to have a vision. As he poured out his heart to the Lord, he began to ask God why? What happened? Why did the church fall into demise? It was as though the Lord directed his attention to the sign he had placed years earlier in the back of the auditorium. What he saw gave him his answer. The sign was in perfect condition, except the “W” in the word “Where” had fallen away. The sentence from Scripture, in its abbreviated form read, “…here there is no vision, the people perish.” Indeed, the people in our midst and especially those for whom Christ intends us to reach will perish if we fail to lift up our eyes and see. Then let us:

2. Lift up our hearts and pray.

          “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). We can all pray that God would send forth witnesses into His vineyard. The avenue of prayer leaves no one out. I have known bed-ridden saints of God that, although they would be unable to physically make the effort to go see someone who needs the Lord, they could pray from their bed. When we combine the practice of prayer with the activity of soul winning, miracles happen and power for witnessing is supplied. I would encourage all of our members to lift up hearts and pray for God to move in the hearts of potential laborers. Finally, let us:

3. Lift up our feet and go.

          Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19). God blesses us when we obey Him. Just this morning I received a phone call form Larry Harrison. God has given him a unique ministry of finding hard to find books and great books that edify at good prices. He simply said, “Thank you for winning me to Jesus.” Thirty-two years ago, we met and he prayed the sinner’s prayer after I presented him the simple plan of salvation. I used the Roman Road method. Larry’s brother (now with the Lord) was a college classmate of mine. He had called me and asked me would I please talk to his brother. Gary lifted up his eyes and saw. While I was witnessing to Larry, his mother was on her knees praying for her son to be saved. She lifted up her heart and prayed. The one thing remaining is that we must put some “feet to our prayers.” We must eventually lift up our feet and go. The Bible says, “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?” (Romans 10:14).