SOUL-WINNING:The Field
Text: Mark 16:15, 16.
Devotional Reading: Subject: “Every Man Heard Them Speak,” Acts 2:4-8.
Aim: To impress pupils with the fact the field is the world, and soul-winning endeavors should reach out to every person.
Home Readings:
Monday: “The Field is the World,” Matthew 13:36-43.
Tuesday: “Field…White Already to Harvest,” John 4:34-38.
Wednesday: “Preached…Among All Nations,” Luke 24:46-48.
Thursday: “Witness Unto All Men,” Acts 22:10-15.
Friday: “ Sowing Seed on all Soils, Luke 8:4-15.
Saturday: “Into the Highways and Hedges,” Luke 14:21-23.
Sunday: “The Gospel to Every Creature,” Mark 16:14-20.
1. The World.
If a church goes out of business, it is because the members quit trying to fulfill the commission. A church does not die from a lack of prospects. There will always be an abundance of prospects. If all are lost by nature and the Lord died for all, then the whole world is the field for New Testament churches. No business in the world has such a tremendous field of prospects.
“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;” (Matthew 13:38). The Lord’s interpretation of the parable of the wheat and the tares emphasizes “ the field is the world.” To be a personal worker, one must realize how vast his field of prospecting are.The task of carrying the Gospel “ unto the uttermost part of the earth” was a tremendous task for the Jerusalem Church (Acts 1:8). Yet, God commanded and expected it of that church. Also, each church of the Lord is as obligated to cover the same field today. But, unless individual members accept the challenge of winning souls, the church will not cover the field.
The Lord related the spreading of the Gospel in all the world to end-time prophecy. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14). Regardless of one’s interpretation of that passage, it should challenge every Missionary Baptist to do his part in giving the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. If God’s churches won’t do it, who will ? The world needs a witness of the truth, and Missionary Baptists have the truth. Moreover, if the world is to get the truth, Missionary Baptists must do their part in evangelizing the world.
2. Every Person.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15). “ To every creature” makes every human being the object of the witness of the Gospel. It puts the field on a more individual personal basis.
The mission work of Missionary Baptist churches has a scope of evangelism to “preach the Gospel to every creature.” Many local associations have missionaries and mission work to win the lost and to establish churches in the local area. State associations have missionaries to do mission work on various fields of the state. As the churches associate on a national and international basis, their main purpose for such association is to cooperate in interstate (in the U.S.) and foreign missions. Although there are many fields at home and abroad which have no witness for Christ and His churches, Missionary Baptists have a mission program which enables the Lord’s churches to cooperate in going “into all the world.”
However, it makes little sense to send missionaries to far away places and to neglect telling those nearby the Good News of the Savior. The duty of individual witness is not fulfilled by supporting missions. Both should be done. That is the only way the Gospel can go “to every creature.”
The parable of the sower indicates the field has all sorts of hearts (Matthew 13:18-23). Some are hard, as in the case of the wayside soil. Others are shallow and emotional, as in the case of the stony soil. Then, there are those who are receptive and willing to delicate their lives to God, as in the case of the good soil. However, it is not the responsibility of workers to determine the type of hearts people have toward the Gospel. The Word was given “to every creature” in the parable, regardless of their purpose.
3. Every Nationality.
Paul’s debt was to all people. “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” (Romans 1:14). It doesn’t really make much sense to send missionaries to Mexico, Japan, etc. and neglect those same nationalities at home.
Matthew’s account of the commission deals with “all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Luke’s account stresses “all nations” (Luke 24:47). The word “nation” is the same word in the Greek which the word “ethnic” comes from. It means nationality. It is the same word the Lord used in Matthew 24:14.Many Missionary Baptists are Gentiles. They should be grateful the Gospel was not allowed to remain with the Jews only (Acts 15:7-11). The commission is to preach the Gospel to all nationalities. That was difficult for the Jerusalem Church to accept (Acts 11:1-3). Even Paul was slow about that (Act 13:46;18:6). Finally, they were willing to reach all nationalities. “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18). “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28).
The personal worker must love those he seeks to win, but he must love Christ more. Christ loves all lost people and give Himself for them; therefore because of a love for Christ and his work the soul-winner must love those he seeks to lead to Christ. Christ commanded His people to go to “all nations.” Those who truly love Him will try to do just that (John 14:15; 15:14; Luke 6:46).
4. Every Class.
The parable of the great supper indicates every class of people needs the Gospel (Luke 14:16-24). Furthermore, it teaches the Lord’s servants are to invite all classes of people to receive the Gospel.
First, there were those who had promised to come, but they rejected the opportunity. Second, the servant went into the streets and lanes of the city to bring in ‘the poor, and the mained, and the halt, and the blind” (Luke 14:21). Third, as time went on the work of bringing men to the supper become more urgent. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23). The point is each one of those were in the personal reach of the servant to invite them. That indicates “every creature” within the reach of the soul-winner is a prospect for being won to the Lord.Too many personal workers are in the culling business. Some say, “He is not a prospect, because he drinks.” Others say, “Boy, if we could win that guy, he could really help us financially.” It is the believer’s business to witness. It is God’s business to save and lead those who respond favorably. “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:9). Each personal worker should also read James 2:1-8.
Missionary Baptists must be evangelistic, not for themselves, but for Christ. They must try to get people to love Christ, trust in Him, and commit their lives to Him. The whole world is their field in trying to tell every person in every nationality and class in very place Christ is their only hope.
