Lord’s Day, Vol. 11 No. 34
Gospel Rally 2023
On 3 September 2023, God willing, the church’s Gospel Rally will be held during our 3 pm Worship Service in English at the Worship Centre and 10 am in Mandarin at the William Booth Chapel (Level 2).
The theme “The Gift of God” is based on Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Pray the Lord to help His people to invite their loved ones and friends, young and old to come.
Proverbs 11:30 (KJV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Here is an excerpt from Denis Gibeon’s Devotion published in the Church Devotional on 28 May 2018 entitled “The Fruit of the Righteous”.
The Fruit of the Righteous
1. God’s Work: Most aim at winning something of value, worldly wealth, earthly honours, Olympic medals, or a lottery! Paul had an aim, but it was to win Christ and be found in Him (Phil.3:8-9). He then had an insatiable longing to do God’s work, to share Christ with others, whatever the cost (Rom.1:14-16)!
Romans 1:14-16 (KJV) I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. This should be the aim of every Christian.
First, you must know Christ as your own personal Saviour, and then you must tell others of the wonderful Saviour that found you! This proverb will show how soul-winning relates to God’s work, not to possess the fortune or favour of the world.
a. Your Mandate is to win Souls. The Apostolic mandate is still your mandate too. Think of the value placed on souls by our Lord. Their price is above rubies, yea, above worlds. All we know about the soul is in the Bible. There we learn that man is made in the Image of God. He is the only creature to receive the Breath of God. Man is a compound being of Body and Soul. This soul is indestructible and is, therefore, of infinite value. Let theologians and cultists argue over the immortality of the soul if they want. We dare not doubt that the soul has an endless existence, an eternal value, as reflected in the words of Jesus. Thomas Brooks said simply, “We do all for eternity.” What capacities for good are in a soul when won to Christ, but oh! what potential for evil and eternal loss, if not. The soul is the main spring of life. It is the Breath of God and the envy of devils.
b. Your Motive for winning souls. Salvation has been called the most important word ever uttered, but to the masses, it is a meaningless word, even the butt of jokes! Salvation is surely the greatest blessing that can possibly come to a human soul! Without it, it would be better never to have been born. Salvation is the blessed gift of God, without money and without price, because paid for by the Blood of His Blessed Son.
Yet, sinful man in his pride thinks he can earn it himself! Salvation presumes the reality of sin, and that involves a Holy God, for without such a God there would be no sin, no sinners, and therefore no need for salvation. The reality of sin cannot be disputed or dodged. The Bible doesn’t have one good thing to say about human nature, apart from the in-wrought grace of God (Rom. 8:7- 8). To win souls, therefore, implies that:
i. They are otherwise lost. Men, women and precious young people are perishing without Christ, without hope (Eph.2:3,12). They need salvation, and they need it now. deliverance from the consequences of rebellion against the rule of Almighty God, and they need it now.
ii. They may be won. The hymn writer urges us to snatch them in pity punishment. from sin and the grave. The opposite of everlasting life is, of course, everlasting punishment.
iii. They may be won by someone just like you. Don’t leave it to pastors or missionaries. Sometimes they are the least effective soul-winners, though they must ever seek to do so. Would that we could say with David Brainard, “I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through so that I could but gain souls for Christ.”
“Sin has created a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart” (D. Ackland).
Prayer: Make George Whitefield’s prayer yours: “Give me souls or take my soul.”
And on 29 May 2018, also entitled “The Fruit of the Righteous”.
2. God’s Way: He that winneth souls is wise. The key word is winneth. What a comfort to know that in this sinful world, God’s way is to win fallen souls! Christ has made sure of that. He came to seek and save that which was lost through the shedding of His precious Blood. Before His departure He gave His disciples, what has come to be called, the Great Commission: Go ye into all the world and make disciples. Jesus clearly taught that salvation is a universal need, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The early Christians did just that, and we must follow in their train.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
a. Your Vocation: Consider the root meaning of this Hebrew word translated winneth. It appears over 960 times in the Hebrew Bible! Of that number, 798 times it means to take. It suggests three ideas: snaring birds, catching fish, or taking a city in battle. Did our Lord have this proverb in mind when He said to Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men? These images create a different picture than many have on the subject of soul-winning. This text is not about the ardent evangelist, however valid, going about from place to place holding Salvation Meetings. It is directed to all who would be wise. You do not have the choice to be in the business of soul-winning. When Christ chose you, you were at once conscripted into the business, for a Christian is a man or woman possessed. You may not be called to be a foreign missionary, but you are called to be a missionary where you are. “God had only one Son and He made Him a missionary.”
b. Your Validation: The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life. “The object of the proverb in both its clauses is to lay stress upon the attractive power of goodness,” says Perowne. It has to do with outward conduct, words and works, with motives and principles. It stresses the fruit, not the tree (Mt.7:15-20). It speaks of the influences of a godly life. It calls for the highest character, not catchy slogans like the Four Spiritual Laws. The challenge before us today is that many Christians are disqualified by their inconsistent lives. The way to win souls is to live wisely. That’s your validation. Recall the words of Peter to, be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason (1 Pt. 3:15). What is often overlooked is how that verse begins and ends. First, it says, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and ends, with meekness and fear. Soul winning requires both holiness and humility. We too often suppose a person is wise because he or she wins souls. That is not the main thrust of this text. Rather it is this. A man (or woman) wins souls because he (or she) is wise. Such a person may never speak an audible word to a soul, yet may win that soul for Christ. The Tree of Life symbolises the influence of a godly life. What’s accented here is not, in the first place, doctrine, that’s the tree; but the life, that’s the fruit, the everyday flow of a person’s behaviour. In this case, it is this fruit that leads many to righteousness (Dan. 12:3).
We have power with men in proportion to our power with God.
Prayer: Lord, give me more wisdom on how to deal with souls.
And on 30 May 2018, also entitled “The Fruit of the Righteous”.
3. God’s Wisdom is for us to win souls by taking or catching them. This does not mean forcing the gospel down unwilling throats. Many children attend service with their parents, but once they enter their teens they begin to balk. Such parents must either go alone or, find a church where their teenagers will be catered to by the aid of rock music! Something is wrong when the fruit of righteousness does not attract those nearest and dearest to us! Much soul-winning is filled with gimmickry that discredits the Gospel. Numbers and professions, however, distorted or extorted, is the name of the game. Saved today, even though there is little or no evidence of the fruit tomorrow (Titus 1:16).
Titus 1:16 (KJV) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
a) The Happiest Crown: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” said Shakespeare. To win souls is God’s appointed work and man’s Happiest Crown. Consider the benefits to others.
i. It stops up old streams of evil, the full consequences of which are impossible to estimate. Covers a multitude of sins!
ii. It starts up new streams of holy and helpful influences, turning many a home from hell to heaven. It produces a change in the whole course of a life!
iii. It shouts up new songs. Oh, the joy of seeing a soul won to Christ! There is joy in heaven and joy on earth, the joy of the purest kind.
iv. It stocks up true riches. Thus, the wise lay-up treasure in Heaven, and lasting memorials here as well. “The poorest man is the man who has nothing but money.” The happiness of a believer’s crown will never fade or fall till cast at the feet of the Saviour.
b) The Hardest Cross: The devil mounts his strongest, fiercest attacks when we enter his domain. Heavenly wisdom flows from the right application of God’s revealed Word, and holy zeal must also be tempered with that wisdom. The wise take souls!
i. By Alluring them, by sweetly drawing them. This is heaven’s force and the magnetism of a holy life and testimony. They simply lift up Christ by their lip and life, and Christ does the drawing (John 3:14-15; 12:31-32).
John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.
John 12:31-32 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world ne cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
c) The Highest Calling: This is spoken to every sincere believer. Many use pious evasions when challenged on the subject of personal soul-winning. “It’s better felt than telt”, said a minister to this writer, quoting his old Scottish grandmother! This is a very dangerous response and hides the fatal heresy which lay at the heart of the old German Modernism, and which has reappeared in the charismatic movements of our day. Souls that are taken or caught as the fruit of the righteous will also speak with righteous lips unashamedly and boldly for their Lord. A feeling theology makes the Bible irrelevant!
The root of all persuasion is the love of God and the love of man.
Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to be that Tree bearing the fruit of righteousness.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee