Envision The Harvest… The
Soul-Winners Programme
By Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam
The Bible is
the textbook on the subject of soul winning. Psalms 126:5-6 is a prophetic word
from the Lord to soul winners. It reads: “those who sow in tears will reap with
song. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of
joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
There is a
programme suggested here- a command, a marching order.
There is a
passion that is expressed.
There is a
promise
The Soul-Winner’s Programme
Let us look
at this programme. Who is involved in this programme of sowing and reaping? In
verse 6, it is he who goes out weeping. The programme of evangelism is not
given to angels. Angels will not go out to sow. It is given to people. People
like you and I who will go out to sow and come back rejoicing, praising and
giving glory to God.
Why did God not use the angels?
It is
because angels know nothing about forgiveness. Angels have never sinned, and
therefore, they do not know what it is to be forgiven. You and I, however, were
in sin, are forgiven, saved and redeemed, and therefore, we have a message that
the angels cannot proclaim-the message of good news. We know what it is like to
have walked in sin, in disobedience, in wickedness, in shame, and then to be
redeemed, to turn around and find love, peace, joy and redemption in Jesus Christ.
This message is for us to proclaim.
Another
aspect of this programme is the going. It speaks of an action of going to where
the sinners are. Sinners cannot find God. The Scriptures say that they are
lost. We are the ones who are to go and find them who are lost and then sow the
seed. We are to go forth from the comforts of our environments, which is a
physical sacrifice. It calls for the sacrifice of our time, finances and
talents. To be involved in evangelism requires putting oneself out.
When the Samaritan
Woman met Jesus at the well and knew that she had met the Messiah, she became
so excited that she forgot her water pot in her eagerness to return to the city
to declare what she had found. We leave things behind when we go forth to tell
people about Jesus.
The Bible
refers to he who goes out bearing precious seed-this seed is the Word of God.
God’s Word must be in our hands, head and heart. Let us take this precious seed
and sow it. Seed in the basket will not bring a harvest. It must be planted in
the ground, in the hearts of men.
The Soul Winner’s Passion
The
programme of evangelism is also a programme of passion. Verse 5 describes the
sowing in tears. There is a motivation-a sowing with tears, a passion for the
lost, a weeping for those who live in sin. Jesus wept over
General
Booth once said that he would like to send all his officer candidates to hell
for 24 hours as part of their training in order to make them feel the need to
save the lost. J.H. Jowett said in his book, “The gospel of a broken heart
begins with the ministry of a bleeding heart” and “as soon as we cease to
bleed, we cease to bless”.
Nothing
should prevent us from taking a tract to our friends, neighbours and
colleagues, and talking to them about Jesus Christ. We need to ask God to help
us see the privilege and opportunity that is uniquely ours. We do not know how
long it will be there. Ezekiel 33 says that God made us watchmen. If we do not
tell the people that they live in sin, and they die in their sin when the
judgment comes, God requires us to be answerable. On the other hand, if we have
shared the gospel with them, and they turn their backs and refuse to accept
Jesus Christ, then we are no longer held accountable. It is not a choice that
we have. We are held accountable for the people God brings to us, and we must
share the gospel with them. We are in a church building for no other reason
than evangelism. Money that is spent is spent because evangelism is a serious
business. With God, the salvation of souls is a serious business indeed. Every
empty seat in church speaks of a soul that should be sitting there. Somebody
has to reach the soul that would fill that seat. You need to be challenged to a
commitment to evangelism. In our hands is the seed that could spell life to
somebody.
The Soul Winner’s Promise
When the
seed sown finally finds suitable ground-when passion, prayer and labor result
in germination of that seed-we will come back rejoicing and bearing sheaves.
The Bible promises that those who go and sow shall come back with a promise
fulfilled, with rejoicing, praising, and with a song. The Samaritan woman went
out, and many came to hear and believed in Jesus. In Luke 8:38-40, the city was
opened to welcome Jesus.
Remember,
he that winneth souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30)
CALVARYNEWS
July 1999