Week 10: March 11th, 2018

Topic: Winning souls for the Lord – Part 6

Bible Reading: Proverbs 11:23-31

We shall continue our discussion with the people mentioned in the Bible who won souls into the kingdom of God during their lifetime.

People who won souls for the Lord

Believers must know that winning souls for the Lord is an inevitable task. If anyone refuses to win souls for the Lord, God will replace him/her with another person who will work tirelessly to win souls into His kingdom.

We must realize that if humans refused to praise God, then non-living things and other creatures will fill in the gap and praise the Lord continuously. Jesus Christ replied to the Pharisees who asked Him to rebuke His disciples and the crowd of people that were praising God during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem by saying that “I tell you that if those should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” Luke 19: 37-40. If people forsake their duties of winning souls for the Lord, He is capable and abundantly able to replace them with stones or better creatures. So do not deceive yourself that if you abandon the work of God, it will come to a halt or an end. The work of God will continue with or without you.

The Prophets/Messengers: All the prophets/messengers that were mentioned in the Bible starting from Isaiah to Malachi were sent to preach the repentance and proclaim the salvation of the Lord in order to win souls into the kingdom of God. Prominent among them was Jonah who was sent to the people of Nineveh. The Bible affirmed that the people of Nineveh repented through the preaching of Jonah “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on a sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them” Jonah 3:5. Turn to God, and zealously win souls into His kingdom so that He will resolve the issues of your life quickly.

The Apostles won souls for the Lord: Jesus Christ sent the apostles out to win souls with the commandment that “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” Matthew 10:5-6. The apostles were sent to win souls because it is an unavoidable task. Christ gave the commandments because their priority must be the children of God that had backslid and the believers that has strayed due to one reason or the other.

After the death and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles did not depart from the soul winning mission, but they continued to teach and preach that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour. They continued with teaching and preaching daily in the temple and from house to house to win souls for the Lord Acts 5:42. If the apostles continued to win souls for the Lord during their lifetime, then you are not exempted from winning souls for the Lord.

When great persecution arose against the Church which was at Jerusalem and the disciples excluding the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word to win souls for the Lord Acts 8:1-4. Whatever you are passing through, do not cease winning souls for the Lord, but emulate the disciples whose lives were disrupted, still they continued to win souls for the Lord.

Punishment for failing to win souls

There are several punishments that will come upon anyone who fails to win souls for the Lord, most especially the novice and the ignorant people who put their trust in their wealth, post/position and fame or connections. These people must know that their silver and gold will not save them on the day of the Lord’s anger Zephaniah 1:18. Since you know that your wealth, position and fame cannot deliver you on the day of the Lord’s wrath, it is better for you to yield today and start winning souls for the Lord.

You will be punished for your sins: It is written, that “Can two walk together, unless they agreed?” Amos 3:3. It means you cannot walk with God unless you are blameless, you cannot please God unless you obey His commands and keep His statutes among which is to win souls for Him. People that defy this command of the Lord will be punished accordingly. Remember that Christians are the chosen generation, royal priests, a holy nation and God’s special possession so we will be punished for our shortcomings 1 Peter 2:9. It is for this reason that the Bible says “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” Amos 3:2.

Child of perdition shall perish: Anyone who belongs to God listens to the words of God and obey His commandments; but anyone who neither harken to the words of God nor obey Him does not belong to God. Such people do not have any portion in the Lord and they are neither in fellowship with Him nor in harmony with God because they are destiny for destruction John 8:47. So the child of perdition will certainly be destroyed according to the Bible passage which stated that “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled” John 17:12. Listen to the warnings form the Lord so that you will not perish with the world.

Many will not enter the eternal rest: The scripture testified that God rested on the seventh day from all His works Hebrews 4:4, Genesis 2:1-2. Anyone who has entered God’s rest has also rested from the weariness and pain of human labour just as God rested from His work. All the people who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their toil and struggle, just at God did after creating the heaven and the earth Hebrew 4:10. But many people will not enter God’s rest because though God rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this Good News failed to enter due to their disobedience. The promise remains for some believers to enter God’s rest, but majority of those who formerly had the Good News preached to them failed to grasp it and did not enter because of their unbelief and disobedience Hebrews 4:5-6. Jesus Christ will declare to these people that “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” Matthew 7:23, Luke 13:27. We pray that all of us will enter the eternal God’s rest and the unpleasant voice “I do not know you, so depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity” will not greet us on the last day in heaven.

Judgement will start at the House of God: It is written that “For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17. Since we have confirmed that it is time for judgement to begin with the household of God and if it begins with the believers, then you can imagine what terrible fate awaits those who neither respect nor believe nor obey the Gospel of God.

Benefits of winning souls

There are many benefits that will accrue to the people who are winning soul for the Lord. Since countless of these benefits were written in the Bible, we will only mention few of them as reference points.

You will become a friend of Christ: The easiest way to become a bosom friend of our Lord Jesus Christ is to obey His commandments. If you want to become a close friend of Christ do whatsoever He commands you including winning souls for Him John 15:14.

You will be rewarded on earth and in heaven: Everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will be repaid many times over in this life and will have eternal life in the world to come Luke 18:29-30. Bear in mind that if you leave your household and relatives together with your earthly possessions because of God’s work, you will be rewarded bountifully in this world and the world to come. Furthermore, you will rest and rise again to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the age Daniel 12:13. If you neither stray nor backslide, when you sleep in the Lord, you will enter God’s rest and then at the end of the days, you will resurrect again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.

You will be glorified with Christ: Jesus said, “I have given them the glory and honour which you have given Me, so that they may be one as We are one” John 17: 22. If you want to be glorified and honoured with your Lord and Saviour, do not cease winning souls for Him.

You will not be put to shame: The scripture says “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” Romans 10:11. No one who believes in Christ and adheres to Him will ever be put to shame. So if you don’t want to be disappointed or disgraced in life, rely on the Lord and put your trust in Christ.

You will be given many crowns: If you are steadfast and continue to win souls for the Lord, then you will be given the following crowns:

· You will receive the crown of righteousness 2 Timothy 4:8.

· You will be given crown of glory that will never fade 1 Peter 5:4.

· You will be granted crown of life Revelation 2:10.

You will reign with Christ: If you are obedient and endure till the end, if you continue to testify that Jesus Christ is the Lord and you never stop proclaiming the Word of God. If you do not worship any contrary god or idol and you do not have any satanic mark on your body, then you will resurrect and reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrections; during this period, the rest of the dead people will not come back to life until the thousand years has ended. Blessed and holy are you if you partake in the first resurrection because the second death will have no power over you. You will be among the priests of God and Christ, and you will reign with Him for a thousand years Revelation 20:4-6.

Finally, we must realize that the Good News about the kingdom of God will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear of it, and then the end will come. The Gospel will be proclaimed throughout the globe as a testimony to the nations of the world; after which the end of age will come Matthew 24:14.

The Seal: Revelation 14:6: Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people.