Most of the people in our church are not active soul winners and this is tragic. One of the reasons is Churches do not focus on teaching the body of Christ to be soul winners. They think they do. Oh yes, they teach all the good nuances of being a Christian, goodness, love, attending church, tithing, and honoring Christ in our daily lives, etc. but they do not seem to ask themselves the most important question after salvation. Where did Jesus dispatch His disciples? Into the world! He didn’t say to focus on fellowship with each other, worship music, or making the church building beautiful which is all good. Jesus didn’t sponsor hanging out with Christian people in church and for sure, He did not say, to stay spiritual by not being involved in the public square. No, Christ commanded His believers to go out and be His personal representatives in their jobs, community, and circumstances, because He taught them winning souls is their most important reason why they are on this planet.
Jesus explained our divine commission when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:12 that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are all “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.” Well-equipped saints do the work of the ministry and the result is the body of Christ is built up by soul winning. This is an undeniable Law of sowing and reaping which is the cause and effect of our actions. The sowing is the cause that teaches and the reaping is the effect of the teaching. Jesus said, “as the father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Christians are not called to only study the bible, sowing, and stay in our confront able church buildings. No, Christ is sending us to reap which is the effect of engaging the world with His truth. He said, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, (Matt 10:16) therefore, soul winning is not always going to be a pick-nick. It takes four divine possessions for sheep to operate among wolves; total faith in Christ, courage, and speaking the word of God, backed up by the promise of the intercession of Holy Spirit of truth.
My church, like 90%+ of the Churches in America, somehow has taken over the responsibility of bringing people to Christ by encouraging the attendees to invite others to church, rather than teaching the body to go out and make disciples. This plays into Satan’s hands because he profits when the voices of millions of Christians are reduced to the voices of thousands of churches. This is evident in many churches when they put the majority of their emphasis on bible study, which is sowing, but an inferior amount on going out and reaping souls for Christ. Could this be sinful? The brother of Jesus wrote, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Christians, what happens if we are not trying to win souls, and are not right with God? God will require us to answer to Him, because we are commanded to warn the wicked and if the person dies without us declaring Christ, God as an impartial judge will render to each person according to his deeds (Eze 3:18-19; Acts 20:26-27; Proverbs 24:11-12 & 1 Peter 1:17). This is why James wrote, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).
Why is this happening? Has the church lost it way? Has the church moved into the people pleasing business, when Paul stated “…if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). Is there a reason why, when there cannot be a reason why? Ponder this, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess 2:19-20). The Crown of Glory and joy is waiting for every soul winning Christian.
Saving souls requires a focus on three key actions every Christian already must perform for his faith reading the Bible, praying every day, and bearing witness to everyone who is lost. Most Christians realize bearing witness is the hard part of being a Christian. However, in life as it is in our new life, to be an effective doer we must find a way and strive to do it well, or we will not be right with God. People fear resistance and possible condemnation, but have to be taught, to not bear witness of Christ’s profound lifesaving truth is keeping salvation a secret through possible ignorance and/or fear. However, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit (Acts 17:30 – 1 Peter 3:14 – 2 Timothy 1:7). This is why it is church leadership’s primary responsibility to teach and encourage the body of Christ to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” or their leadership is not right with God.
If you ask Christians today what is their main duty to Christ, they may come up with many things because many do not know. Some may say, to love God and love others. Others may say, I tithe and attend regularly and faithfully. A few may say they teach in church and serve the church. Some will even say because of Christ, I live a clean moral life, which is all good. When pastors and ministers are asked how they prepare the body to be disciples of Christ they will tell you they focus on bible study, sowing and even how to study the bible, more sowing. They also say they try to create an atmosphere for people to grow in church through fellowship, which is more sowing. None of this is bad, it is just not hitting the mark of focusing on going out to reap souls. Most churches today are like a football team that doesn’t play the game and never wins. They teach the theory, and the rules, (bible study) but never teach the players how to go out to play the game. This is sowing without a focus on reaping, it is the cause without the effect. Church’s even design their game to be played inside their own church. Sowing knowledge without teaching how to go out and reap souls. On the surface this seems ridicules, but is normal in today’s churches. Could this be like “A man that wanders out of the way of wisdom, shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16)?
How would Christ respond to all of this? Would He say, if you are not trying to bring souls to Me, no matter how eloquently you preach or teach, attend, engage in fellowship or serve the church is of little value. Didn’t Jesus the Christ tell us that salvation of the lost was and is the reason He was born, lived, died, and now sits at the right-hand side of God. Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). Then Disciples are to emulate Jesus by living and speaking as Christ did, willing to suffer, following in His steps, and showing we love Him by keeping His Commands (1 John 2:6 – 1 Peter 2:21 – John 14:15-16).
Christ gave us the tools to win souls. Christ is “…the Word (who) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus confirmed to God, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:14-17). Now the power of the spoken word of God is in us, His disciples. Christians “you are endued with power from on high” to initiate salvation (Luke 24:49). Endued is what we become by being clothed with the power to speak for God. Therefore, we must honor our cause, our commission from Christ, to go out and effect witnessing Christ by speaking the word of God into the darkness of mankind so the Holy Spirit can save the lost.
Shepherds, Ministers, and all leaders have to teach the body of Christ that all disciples are called by God to speak the power of God’s truth into the darkness of mankind. This is so the Holy Spirit can save souls by turning their darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ, (Acts 26:18) Jesus gave us His mighty power to speak for Him to win souls when He said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me …to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Therefore, we are God’s mouthpiece and are to use great boldness of speech, (2 Cor 3:12). For we war against evil by speaking the power of God’s Word, for pulling down arguments against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4-6). Knowing, we will be hated by all for Christ’s name’s sake (Luke 21:17), and if persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Christ will bless us for great is our reward in heaven, (Matthew 5:12).
James reminds us, if Christians fail to apply our faith into the world, we have no faith at all (James 2:14-26). Pastor Andrew Murray (1828 – 1917) said there are two classes of Christians, soul winners and backsliders. The question is which one are you? If church leadership does not have a passion and focus to teach the body to go outside in the community to bring people to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, I personally wonder if they know the Jesus, I know.
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry