Give Me Souls Or Else I Die

Give Me Souls or Else I Die

A Topical Sermon by George W. Bailey In biblical times it was customary for a man Timothy as his “child in the faith” (1 Timothy to give a dowry to the father of the woman whom 1:2). he intended to marry. So, Jacob made the ar- rangement with Laban to work seven years for I. THE TRAGEDY OF BARRENNESS Rachel whom he loved. But at the end of the The tragedy of barrenness should make us seven years he was given Leah instead of Rachel. soul-conscious. Since men must be born again, Genesis 29:17 says Leah was tender-eyed but somebody must help bring about their new birth. Rachel was beautiful and well-favored. But Paul spoke of having begotten people in the Rachel was barren. Though she was more beau- gospel. Let me ask, “How many souls have you tiful than her sister, her beauty did not compen- begotten for the Lord?” Are there any people sate for her barrenness. Her barrenness grieved you could point to and say, “Those are my chil- her; it disturbed her; it mocked her. As she prayed, dren in the Lord”? Barrenness bothered people her praying was not a mere routine. She was in the long ago. Spiritual barrenness ought to desperate. Her heart was gripped with grief. She bother us, but does it really? Can we be barren wasn’t content to be a midwife. She wasn’t con- and tearless? There is so little weeping, so little tent merely to adopt children. She wanted chil- concern over spiritual barrenness. dren of her own. When Jesus saw the multitude He beheld Barrenness in Old Testament days was de- them as sheep not having a shepherd. He was spised. Though Leah, her sister, was tender- moved with compassion. He said to His dis- eyed, Rachel’s eyes were redder because she had ciples, “The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the been weeping so much. In Genesis 30:1 Rachel laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of said, “Give me children, or else I die.” Life to her the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his really wasn’t worth living if she couldn’t bring harvest” (Matthew 9:37, 38). How much praying new life into the world. It was so important to are we really doing? Rachel to have children. Many congregations are growing more by You and I must help people to be born again. adoptions than by births. Rachel was not content John Knox echoed Rachel’s cry when he was merely to adopt a child. She wanted children of trying to convert Scotland. His cry was, “Give her own. Likewise, we ought never to be content me Scotland, or I die.” Actually, he didn’t take all until we have spiritual children of our own. How of Scotland, but he wielded a greater influence many people have you fathered in the gospel? over the people of Scotland than Lenin over How many souls have you won to Christ? Are Russia. You and I should say, “Give me newborn we desperate? Is your soul gripped with grief? children, or else we die.” Are we praying day and night, “Give me chil- Jesus said, “Except one be born anew, he dren, or else I die? Give me newborn children of cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). He God, or life really won’t be worth living”? said, “Except one be born of water and the Spirit, God answered Rachel’s prayer. She had he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John prayed for quite some time before the prayer 3:5). Solomon said, “He that is wise winneth was answered, but at long last Joseph was born souls” (Proverbs 11:30). In Daniel 12:3 we are (Genesis 30:22-24). Later on, she gave birth to told that “they that turn many to righteousness Benjamin, but she died in childbirth when Ben- [shall shine] as the stars for ever and ever.” Paul jamin was born (Genesis 35:18). Rachel knew it said he had begotten the Corinthians through would take pain to bring forth children. She was the gospel (1 Corinthians 4:15). He spoke of ready for that pain. She was ready for the long, 1 slow months it would take. She was ready for The salvation of souls was indeed precious in the whatever was necessary. She said, “Give me eyes of Paul. “Give me souls, or else I die,” he children, or else I die.” was saying. What if Rachel had stopped praying? What if she had not really been concerned? What if she III. THE VALUE OF A SOUL had accepted her barrenness without complaint? Thinking about the value of a soul will make Can you imagine the world being robbed of a us soul-conscious. Think about Jesus’ statement Joseph? Joseph was responsible for the salvation in Mark 8:36, 37. What in life do we consider of the entire Israelite nation. What if the world valuable? What in life did Jesus consider valu- had been robbed of Benjamin? Have you ever able? We value material things. He put a greater realized that Paul came into the world through value on the soul. In this passage there is the Benjamin? He was of the tribe of Benjamin figure of a balance. On one side He put the (Philippians 3:5). Had Rachel been content with wealth of the whole world and on the other side her barrenness, the world would have been one tiny human soul. Then He proposed two robbed of an apostle Paul. questions: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own II. THE ATTITUDE OF CONCERN soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for The attitude of concern should make us cry, his soul?” Jesus could see that one soul in value “Give us souls, or else we die.” Are we really far outweighed the combined wealth of a whole concerned about winning souls to Christ? How universe. much time are we spending thinking about souls? How much is a soul worth? We say it is We have done a lot of organizing, but we need to priceless when we are just talking. But by the do a lot more agonizing. It is not enough for heads way we live, by the way we react, what do we to be filled; hearts must be fired. Eyes are dry really say a soul is worth? We put our valuables because hearts are dry. We haven’t lost any sleep in the bank under lock and key. We put our over lost souls. We haven’t shed many tears over securities in a very safe place. But what about a a lost world. How many times have we foregone soul? We give so little thought to the salvation of pleasures or luxuries in order to win souls? a soul. If your neighbor were in danger of burn- Jesus said, “For what is a man profited, if he ing to death while asleep at night, you would shall gain the whole world, and lose his own risk your life to save him. What if his soul were soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his in danger of hell fire, then what would you do? soul?” (Matthew 16:26, KJV). How precious is How much is a soul worth? How much is the the redemption of any human soul in your eyes? soul of your child worth? Is the soul of your child Do souls mean more to you than anything else? worth the expense, effort, energy, education, If so, why do we put so little thought, time, and and disciplining it takes to save that soul? How effort into winning souls? Why is it we shed very much is the soul of another child worth? Are few tears over a world’s lost condition? Have souls worth many of us devoting our entire lives you ever gone to bed weeping because so many toward the salvation of those souls? Are they people are about to miss heaven? In Psalms worth the expense? Are they worth the agony? 119:136 David said, “Streams of water run down Are they worth all the effort? We would say mine eyes, because they observe not thy law.” “Yes” when we are just talking. But by the way Paul warned night and day with tears (Acts we live, how much are souls really worth? 20:31). It wasn’t just a cold fact to him. He was Souls are worth far more than I have ever serious about it. It wasn’t a professional thing. It estimated. They are worth more than anyone meant everything. Again, he said, “For many else has ever estimated. A soul is worth more walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you than the world because the world will end, but even weeping, that they are the enemies of the the soul will live on and on. The soul is worth cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18). In more than the sun, moon, and stars. A time will 2 Corinthians 2:4 he said he wrote with many come when they will cease to exist, but the soul tears. “Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, will continue throughout all eternity. The soul we persuade men,” he said at 2 Corinthians 5:11. will spend eternity in one of two worlds, heaven 2 or hell (Matthew 7:13, 14; John 5:28, 29). The soul let go by without any consciousness whatsoever is worth more than health and yet, we are very concerning somebody’s spiritual welfare? concerned about our health. Think of all the effort we put forth in order to keep our health or V. THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH regain it when it is gone. Think of the money we The purpose of the church should make us spend. Think of the medicines and the care. Why soul-conscious. I believe that a congregation ex- couldn’t we also be just as concerned about our ists mainly to win souls. It should not exist just own soul? We have our lives insured and that is for its own self-edification. Self-edification is good business. We have our property insured important. But a light doesn’t burn for itself but and that is good sense. We wouldn’t think of to send forth light for others. Jesus said, “Even so buying a home without insurance. We wouldn’t let your light shine before men; that they may see think of buying an automobile without having it your good works, and glorify your Father who is insured. But what insurance do we have on the in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Let us be soul-con- soul? Is a soul worth so much that we can say, scious. Let us think souls. Let us encourage all “Give me souls, or else I die”? who are participating in the reaching of souls. A soul is worth more than the body or any- “Give me soul, or else I die.” one member of it. Jesus said, “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill Thou must save another’s soul the soul: but rather fear him who is able to If thou would save thine own. For heaven’s doors are closed destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew To those who come alone. 10:28). Jesus said, “And if thy right eye causeth (Author Unknown) thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee” (Matthew 5:29). You can get along without He who lives for himself and none besides must one member of the body. It is better to go through live as though Christ never lived and die as life with one member missing than that the whole though Christ never died. body should be lost eternally. What about wealth? Jesus said to not lay up treasures upon earth, but VI. THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). The example of Paul should inspire us to The soul is worth so much. If it is lost, it is cry, “Give us souls, or else we die.” Think about eternally lost. Paul and all he endured for the salvation of Have you ever considered the cost of being souls. We see him as he is persecuted, arrested, lost? Have you ever thought of one of your loved and imprisoned. Five times he receives thirty- ones spending eternity in hell? We don’t like to nine stripes across the back. But he gathers his think about that thought. We like to think of garments around those lacerated shoulders and something more pleasant. But some of our loved whispers, “None of these things move me” (Acts ones, no doubt, are going to be lost eternally, if 20:24, KJV). He is taken to the edge of a city, something isn’t done. Let us be more concerned stoned, and left for dead. See him as his friends with the salvation of souls. Let us be soul-con- raise him up and whisper, “Paul, you’d better scious. not preach anymore; they’ll kill you!” But when his breath returns, I can hear him again say, IV. THE MIND OF CHRIST “None of these things move me.” We see him as The mind of Christ should make us cry, “Give he is drawn out of the water. He has spent a us souls, or else we die.” If we would be the body night and a day struggling in the deep. Nature of Christ, we must have the mind of Christ. overcomes him. He lies fainting on the beach Christ’s mind was centered upon one main inter- with water dripping from his hair. Some are est—the salvation of souls. “For the Son of man saying, “Surely he’ll never preach again.” But came to seek and to save that which was lost” when his strength returns, he musters enough (Luke 19:10). On what is my mind centered? Do strength to utter, “None of these things move I really have the mind of Christ? Jesus didn’t go me.” We see him as he talks to the elders of through any day without being conscious of the Ephesus, who have met him at Miletus. He is on spiritual needs of people. How many days do we his way to Jerusalem. He doesn’t know what 3 will befall him in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit but also to all them that loved his appearing” testified that bonds and afflictions await him. (2 Timothy 4:6-8). He was still saying, “Give me He tells the elders about his future. They weep souls, or else I die.” because they probably won’t see him anymore. Paul, even unto the end, was unmoved and But then he says, “None of these things move unmovable. He said, “Be ye imitators of me, me, neither count I my life as dear unto myself’ even as I also am of Christ.” We ought to take (Acts 20:24, KJV). Bonds and imprisonment did time out occasionally to thank God for Paul. await him. He finally stood before Nero con- demned to die. But out of that dungeon cell in CONCLUSION Rome came that heroic and brave message sent As a gospel meeting closed, the preacher was to Timothy in which Paul said, “For I am al- quite disappointed because only one little girl ready being offered, and the time of my depar- had been baptized. But that little girl later came ture is come. I have fought the good fight, I have to be the mother of five great gospel preachers. finished the course, I have kept the faith: hence- You never know when you win a soul just what forth there is laid up for me the crown of righ- will be accomplished through that one soul. teousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, Let us pray, “Give me souls, or else I die.” Let shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, us become desperate about winning souls.