Sept. 30 | Just One More

Series | The Heart of Soul Winning

Scripture | Luke 15:4, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”

Lesson 30 | Just One More

Jesus in the above passage gives the heart that every gospel preacher should have- just one more.  We in the church shouldn’t be comfortable and content with our own salvation while people around us are perishing and headed to an eternal lake of fire, Revelation 21:8.  The gospel is not an option for man’s benefit; it is the only means for his salvation and deliverance from the wrath of God, Ephesians 5:6.

Paul said concerning God’s judgment on the sinful in 2 Corinthians 5:11 (KJV), “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”  As a result, we should be motivated both by God’s amazing love to save everyone who calls on His name and by the certain expectation of His terrifying judgment which will consume His enemies, Hebrews 10:26-27.

I would like to end this chapter on soul winning with a true story about a man in history who loved Jews and helped save many of their lives during the Nazi Holocaust. His name was Oskar Schindler and he lived in Poland during World War II. He secretly bought Jewish people’s freedom and helped them move away from German held territories. Though he was a rich man, at the end of the war he was poor because he gave all he had to help over a 1,000 Jews live and avoid the Nazi death camps.

In the movie, “Schindler’s List,” he is shown at the end of the war taking off his watch and saying, “Just one more, this watch could have helped me buy just one more Jewish person’s freedom. I wish I could have saved just one more.” Over six million Jews lost their lives during the holocaust, and he was only able to save 1,000. What if others would have done the same? How many more could have been spared?

Thank God for what Oskar Schindler did, but I wonder how many others just sat by and did nothing? How much more valuable is the eternal soul of just one person? Today there are literally millions of souls headed for hell right now. How much of your life are you willing to give so that others can know Jesus?

I pray that you will join with me in the cause of Jesus Christ and preach the gospel to all those around you because there is always, “Just one more.”

Reflection | Are you doing all that you can to preach the gospel to all the lost people around you?

Action | (1) Repent of a hard heart if you haven’t been giving your all for the sake of others and the gospel. (2) Pray for God to give you a heart of compassion that can always see the one lost sheep. (3) Lastly; preach, pray, and plug away because there is always, “just one more!”    

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Isaiah 60:1-62:5, Philippians 1:27-2:18, Psalm 72:1-20, & Proverbs 24:11-12. Click here to read online.

Sept. 29 | The End Times and the Gospel

Series | The Heart of Soul Winning

Scripture | Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Lesson 29 | The End Times and the Gospel

According to the “Joshua Project,” an online database for Christian missions, there are around 16,791 total people groups in the world and 7,275 are still unreached which is about 43%.  In other words, there are 7.13 billion people in the world and 2.91 billion (40%) have never heard the gospel one time. 

The majority of the unreached people groups (over 6,200) live an area known as the “10/40 Window.”  The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia approximately between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude.

In the above passage Jesus taught that His second coming was directly related to the whole world hearing the gospel.  Therefore, the most important job the disciple has in the end times is to preach the gospel to every nation, tribe, and language!

Here are four ways you can spread the gospel to those who have never heard it: (1) Pray for the governments and the people in these nations to be open to the gospel.  The two greatest hindrances in these nations are Islam and Communism.  (2) Pray for the local churches, leaders, and foreign missionaries to be granted boldness to preach the gospel despite the hardships they face. 

(3) Give to missions programs that send missionaries and supplies to these parts of the world.  (4) Go and do mission trips to these parts of the world.   

I believe we are living in the greatest times of harvest every known to the world- may we not grow weary in well doing, but instead reap the nations for Jesus Christ!

Reflection | Are you actively doing something to help reach the unreached people groups with the gospel?

Action | (1) Repent of the sins of laziness and selfishness if you haven’t prayed or supported the work of reaching the unreached people in the world with the gospel. (2) Pray, give, and support the gospel around the world. (3) Lastly, reach all those you can around you with the gospel- especially those from the 10/40 Window countries.  For example, in Chicago where I live, we are surrounded with people from the Middle East, China, and India- let’s reach our neighbors!   

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Isaiah 57:15-59:21, Philippians 1:1-26, Psalm 71:1-24, & Proverbs 24:9-10. Click here to read online.

Sept. 28 | Persecution in Sharing the Gospel

Series | The Heart of Soul Winning

Scripture | Matthew 5:11-12, “11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Lesson 28 | Persecution in Sharing the Gospel

If you do what Jesus did you be treated like how Jesus was treated.  Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:24, “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.”  And in John 15:18 Jesus promised, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

Therefore, when you go and preach the gospel some people will love you, accept what you say, and follow Jesus’ commands.  Others will hate you, persecute you, and some may even try to find a way to harm you.  However, we as Christ’s disciples should not fear death or man, but rather we should fear God. 

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  As a result, we should fear being disobedient to God’s command to preach the gospel more than we fear what people might do to us.

We are to follow the example of Christ who loved His enemies, forgave His tormentors, and willing gave His life for us all.  When faced with the plan of God to suffer for His people He humbly prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done,” Luke 22:42.  Consequently, Jesus was obedient to the Father even unto death and we should be willing to do likewise, 1 John 3:16.

When we face times of persecution may we have the same humility and love for God to pray what the first disciples prayed in Acts 4:29-30, “29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Therefore, whether by life of by death, may Jesus be glorified in us.  May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.   

Reflection | Are you willing to suffer persecution for the sake of Christ?

Action | (1) Repent of the fear of death or the fear of man if these fears have prevented you from being fully obedient to Christ’s command to “preach everywhere.” (2) Ask God for boldness to preach in the midst of persecution. (3) Lastly, forgive your enemies for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34.  

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Isaiah 54:1-57:14, Ephesians 6:1-24, Psalm 70:1-5, & Proverbs 24:8. Click here to read online.

Sept. 27 | The Role of the Church in Preaching the Gospel

Series | The Heart of Soul Winning

Scripture | 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Lesson 27 | The Role of the Church in Preaching the Gospel

The role of the church in preaching the gospel is two-fold; first, to train up soul winners and send them out to preach and second, to disciple and teach the new believers.  Every good church should have elders and deacons who oversee this process of rising up, sending out, and training new believers.

Luke recorded in Acts 14:23, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”  These new elders were to lead the church in making disciples that would make new disciples.

Also, Paul commanded Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:10 to appoint deacons to serve with the elders, “They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.”  Thus, deacons are considered the assistants or the helpers of the elders.

Though the deacons are under the authority of the elders, both elders and deacons are to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3), empowered with the nine spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7), and active in one or more of the five ministerial gifts (Ephesians 4:11). 

When we truly have a church functioning the way God intended it to we can receive Jesus’ promise to build His church and the gates of hell will not overcome it, Matthew 16:18!  Therefore, let us all, “Reach one, to teach one, to reach one… and repeat it until Jesus comes back!”    

Reflection | Are you committed to a good church with godly elders and deacons?

Action | (1) Prayerfully join a good church if you haven’t already. (2) Get trained up and sent out to preach the gospel. (3) Lastly, bring the new believers your reach to the church to be trained and mentored by the elders and deacons so they can be sent out to preach!

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Isaiah 51:1-53:12, Ephesians 5:1-33, Psalm 69:19-36, & Proverbs 24:7. Click here to read online.

Sept. 26 | The Role of the Sinner in Receiving the Gospel

Series | The Heart of Soul Winning

Scripture | Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Lesson 26 | The Role of the Sinner in Receiving the Gospel

The role of the sinner is to freely accept the universal gift of salvation and confess Jesus as Lord.  Why? Because God has given all men the right to choose to accept Him or reject Him, Joshua 24:15.  God desires all mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) however, James said in James 4:8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  Therefore, when sinners hear the gospel preached they have a free choice to either come to God and be saved or remain in rebellion and condemnation. 

Some theologians have falsely claimed that the sinner has no real role in their salvation because whomever God wants to save, He will save by irresistibly drawing him to salvation.  They deny that man has a genuine free will or a real choice in the matter- they teach that the choice of salvation is totally and solely dependent on God. According to them God chooses to lovingly save some and willing damn others. 

This kind of “fatalistic” thinking makes the gospel a charade because they claim that the sinner is so dead in their sins that they can’t even choose to have faith to believe in Christ, thus, they have to be “dragged” by the Spirit into believing in Jesus.  However, this is the exact opposite of the clear and practical teachings of the Bible.  Not to mention that this horrible belief system also states that Jesus didn’t die for the sins of the whole world, but only limited His atoning sacrifice for the “elect” and “chosen.” God have mercy! 

This kind of man centered philosophical thinking can easily corrupt the character of God from being a loving and merciful Creator to being a merciless dictator who joyfully dams His own creation simply because it pleases His sovereign will!

On the other hand, Jesus clearly taught that God loved the whole world (John 3:16) and John in his first epistle boldly stated that Jesus, “Is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world,” 1 John 2:2. Therefore, I praise God for Jesus’ great universal love and sacrifice!

As a result, when the message of God’s grace and salvation is preached to the sinner all they have to do is willing choose to obey Jesus and declare Him the Lord (or God) of their lives.  This simple act of obedience brings them from death unto life, from lost to found, and from a child of wrath to a born again child of God!

In light of God’s great love let us preach the glorious truth of the gospel to sinners having full assurance that Jesus loves the whole wide world and desires everyone to be saved and confess Him as Lord!

Reflection | Do you believe God loves the whole world and desires everyone who hears the gospel to be saved?

Action | (1) Repent if you have ever believed in the false teachings of Christian fatalism. (2) Preach the gospel to all people believing that God desires to save everyone. (3) Lastly, teach the lost to freely put their faith in Jesus and confess Him as the Lord of their lives.  

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Isaiah 48:12-50:11, Ephesians 4:17-32, Psalm 69:1-18, & Proverbs 24:5-6. Click here to read online.