Lesson 387 - Senior

Memory Verse

"I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2, 3).

Cross References

I Zeal for Souls

1. The Apostl e desired the Israelites' salvation at any cost, [ROM:9:1-3]; [ACT:20:31]; [1CO:9:22].

2. Earnest prayer was made, [ROM:10:1-3]; [JER:9:1]; [LUK:19:41-42]; [ACT:4:23-31].

3. Israel was without excuse, [ROM:10:19-21]; [ISA:65:12]; [MAT:23:37-38].

4. The majority of Israelites became blinded and they fell, devoid of faith, [ROM:11:7-14]; [ISA:6:10]; [2CO:3:14-16]; [2CO:4:3-4].

II Proclamation of the Gospel

1. The Gospel brings life through faith in Christ, [ROM:10:4-10]; [GAL:2:20]; Philippi 3:9-11.

2. "Whosoever will" may come, [ROM:10:11-13]; [ACT:10:34-35], [ACT:10:43]; [1JN:5:1]; [REV:22:17].

3. Proclamation is necessary to the Gospel's growth, [ROM:10:14-18]; [MAT:24:14]; [MAK:16:15-16]; [LUK:9:1-2].

III Salvation by Faith

1. The Gentiles are grafted into the True Vine through faith, [ROM:11:15-17], [ROM:11:24]; [JHN:15:1-6]; [ACT:28:28]; [EPH:2:12-19].

2. Boasting is excluded, [ROM:11:18-22]; [JHN:3:27]; [1CO:4:7].

3. The day is coming when the remnant of Israel shall be saved, [ROM:11:1-6], [ROM:11:23], [ROM:11:25-32]; [ZEC:13:6];[ZEC:13:9]; [HEB:8:8-12].

4. God's wisdom is unsearchable, [ROM:11:33-36]; [JOB:5:9]; [ISA:40:28]; [HEB:4:13].

Notes

Throughout the years of history men have pondered the most profitable activity in which to engage themselves. Myriad have been the goals that men have set for themselves to reach as the ultimate or highest possible degree of usefulness while on earth. The financier has used his skill to obtain and distribute wealth; the poet has thrilled the hearts of millions with his ability to arrange and produce rhythm with words; the musician has often brought serenity and harmony to mankind; and the artist portrays his ability on the canvas for all to behold. But, without doubt, the highest calling and occupation ever to thrill and hold the heart of man is the call of God to the winning of souls for the Kingdom of Heaven. Not only does this unique call contain the greatest of earthly joys when followed, but it also is inherent with the promise of eternal reward. "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" [DAN:12:3]).

Utmost Value

The Apostle Paul at his conversion caught this vision of utmost value, and immediately his life's ambition became centred upon winning the souls of his fellow men for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord taught this Apostle, as well as the other Apostles, that entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven was not confined to the Jewish people but was open to all men everywhere who would repent and turn from their sins unto righteousness. Being a Hebrew, Paul felt a great love for the people of his own nation, and with great compassion he did everything possible to help the Jewish people realise and receive the truth of the Gospel. His zeal went so far that it made him willing to give his life and the hope of his own salvation in behalf of the people of his own nation. The price for salvation of mankind had already been paid, and no further sacrifice could have availed anything; but think of this man's willingness and the extent of his zeal! No wonder that Paul became perhaps the most successful soul sinner of all the Christian era.

Consecration

Any man can be a winner of souls, for the call of God is open to all who will answer; but the man must be willing, like the Apostle Paul, to forego any or all earthly gain and pleasure. The law of sacrifice of self and ambitions runs throughout the Bible for those who successfully perform God's work. The man who presents himself "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is . . . reasonable service," is the man who will bring others to God and to the Gospel. The rewards are great. "Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life" [MAK:10:29-30]).

There is nothing so much honoured of God as a holy, consecrated life; nothing so essential to the growth in Christian experience, and nothing that will as surely bring the power for service, as consecration. Think of the consecration of Moses, who, like the Apostle, was so much absorbed in his calling that his life meant less to him than the well-being of Israel. In thinking of these two outstanding men of God and the consecrations they made because of their zeal for winning souls, one should not forget to think of a greater than Moses of Paul, the One who died that sin might be forgiven. Jesus is our perfect example in consecration and implicit obedience to the will of God. He might have looked forward to the joy of lost souls that were to be saved, both through His life and his death; or He might have looked to the glory of sitting at the right hand of the Father; or He might have looked forward to any number of heavenly joys; but His whole soul's delight seemed to be in doing His Father's will. The man or woman who through consecration can reach this plane of living will surely be a soul winner for God.

Prayer

After showing how deep was his feeling toward the Israelites and how willingly he consecrated himself to win their salvation. Paul took the next natural Christian step of praying for his unsaved countrymen. The heart of every true Christian should feel the same disposition. God wants His children to be a holy priesthood that their prayers may ascend to Heaven in behalf of a dying world. He wants intercessors at the Throne of God to beat back the power of sin in the world today and rescue souls. God's people must prevail in prayer if souls are to be delivered from the power of the enemy.

If one is born again, his prayers are precious " and how much more so after he is sanctified! It is then one becomes a priest of the living God, so separated from self and personal desires that he can go into the very presence of God and plead for a lost world.

Jesus wept in tender love and pity for the lost, and His Spirit today makes one feel, in a measure for the lost as He felt. The more one is filled with the Spirit, the more one is like Jesus. Self-enjoyment is lost sight of, and one has fellowship with Him in His sufferings and in prayer and labours for souls. The highest enjoyment of a true Christian is seeing some poor sinner brought to the feet of Jesus.

Everyone who has a clean heart and a pure conscience can and should pray. It may be on the streetcar, at the workbench or in the office; but the soul can breathe a prayer to God, and the incense of praise can be ascending from the heart. God Himself will meet the heart when lifted in prayer before Him for the salvation of lost souls. May this fervency of spirit and wrestling before the Throne of Grace spread until God's immortal presence will be brought down and hearts everywhere will cry out to God in desperation for mercy while mercy is to be found!

Proclamation

After deep consecration and prayer, the child of God is ready to enter the most wonderful of all fields of labour -" that of bearing the good news of salvation to the hearts of men. Every man, woman, and child is a candidate for God's salvation, therefore the soul winner's field of activity is unlimited. God's plan is for those who are saved to tell the Gospel story of redemption to those who are not saved. Proclaiming the Gospel in this manner is so necessary that the Bible declares: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

One naturally thinks of a preacher as the man who stands in the pulpit to deliver a sermon, but the application is much wider. Among the dictionary definitions of "preach" is "to proclaim, to publish, to declare publicly"; which opens the field to all the redeemed ones. The sermon from the pulpit, delivered under the anointing and unction of the Spirit, has its important place; but the layman or the laywoman, talking to his neighbour, to his fellow workman, to the shopkeeper, to the individuals of his acquaintance and contact, can in many instances influence someone to Christ who might not otherwise come within the minister's scope. A sermon is usually confined within the four walls of the church, and many people will not come to the church to listen; but the lay worker's activities are not confined in any wise. His story of God's love, backed up by a consistently lived Christian life, can influence the person who never enters the place of worship.

It is not left to the individual Christian whether he witnesses for Christ or not. The Apostles and disciples were commissioned specifically to this duty and sent out by the Saviour. Paul stated that "necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" [1CO:9:16]). "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" [ACT:4:20]), is another statement of responsibility spoken by the Christians of old. "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" [1PE:3:15]). "They overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" [REV:12:11]). These are but a few of the statements of the Bible that show the importance and necessity of Christian people proclaiming the wonderful things that God and the Gospel have done for them. It is God's method of making the Gospel heard in the uttermost parts of the earth.

"If you'll bring the one next to you,

And I bring the one next to me,

In no time at all we'll have them all,

So win them, win them one by one."

Questions

1. Why was Paul an outstanding soul winner for God?

2. What three things are necessary in a Christian's life to win souls?

3. Who are included in the Lord's plan of salvation?

4. What must a person do in order to be saved?

5. Why is it so very important for Christians to testify and tell the Gospel story?

6. How can a person obtain faith?

7. Why were some of the Jewish people broken from the Lord's olive tree?

8. What people took the place of the Jewish people in the Lord's olive tree? How?

9. When will the Israelites again come into God's favour?