“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.“-{Prov 11;30}.
Matthew Henry said, “He that is wise, by communicating his wisdom, wins souls. . . . The wise are said to turn many to righteousness (Dan. 12:3), and that is the same with winning souls here.”
God’s heart is for the souls of people. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”-{Matt 28:19}. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”-{Mark 16;15}; “He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations,beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” -{Luke 26;46-49}. “For not only has the Word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”-{1 Thess 1:8}. Paul commends this church for they were known for spreading their faith!
When Jesus cast the demons out of a person and they went into the swine and they were destroyed, the men were upset and the people wanted Jesus to leave. Why were they upset? They placed PROFIT before a PERSON. -{Read Mark 5:1-20}
What you live for is revealed in who or what you value most? Profit or the souls of people.
Jesus said He had to go through Samaria. Why? for one woman’s soul and He changed her eternal destiny.-{Read John 4}.
Philip went to the desert for one soul and his life was changed and we read everywhere Philip went he kept preaching Jesus. It had nothing to do with his location but his vocation- wherever he was to preach Jesus Christ. -{Read Acts 8:26-40}. Paul and Silas were put in a prison because they helped someone for Christ sake and again the owners of the fortune teller girl who was delivered, were so enraged they had Paul and Silas put in prison. The owners put Profit before a Person. Were Paul and Silas bitter? No. They were singing the praises of God and the prisoners were listening, when an earth quake hit and all the prison doors were flung oven. Surely this was their chance to escape. But they were not thinking of themselves but the soul of the Suicidal Jailer who asked what he must of to be saved. He and his family called to the LORD and were saved! -{Read Acts 16:16-40}
Paul was not concerned with Self-Protection, but Christ Exaltation and the Liberation of a Soul in the circumstances he found himself in!
We all can Participate
We are to Pray for the lost– “ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men… “-{1 Tim 2:1-3}
We are to Pray the Lord compels laborers into His harvest-“Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”- {Matt 9:37-38}
We are to Proclaim The Excellencies of Christ-” But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” {1 Peter 2:9}
We are to Preach Christ– ” For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”-{1 Cor 2:2}
We are to Proclaim Repentance For Forgiveness-” He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem “- {Luke 24:46-47}
We are to further the Gospel in our Circumstances –“Brothers and sisters I want you to know my circumstances have worked out to further the Gospel.”- {Phil 1:12}
In the circumstances we find our-self in with the people in our circumstances. In verse 13 he evangelized, though shut in. incarcerated, he would not shut up but shared the Gospel!
Do you share the Gospel? Scared, afraid? Ask Him to help you. He will. And may it be said of you as it was of David,”For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;”-{Acts 13:36}. This is, as it were his “obituary.” How would God sum up your life, my life? This Is not condemnation but a time of EVALUATION… and to trust Him for favor with people and courage to share the PROCLAMATION of the gracious Gospel of the Word of God, that ultimately they may turn and submit to Him and worship him, because He is worthy!