A Burden for Lost Souls

When Christians think of Romans 9–11, some think of hotly contested doctrinal debates over predestination and the future of Israel. A closer examination reveals an even more dominant theme: Paul’s burden for lost souls. The thought of watching his friends and relatives perish in their sins brought the apostle such “great sorrow and continual grief” that he nearly wished himself “accursed from Christ” for their sake (9:1-3). Above all, it was his “heart’s desire and prayer for Israel that they may be saved” (10:1-2), which is why he labored so tirelessly to “save some of them” (11:14-15).

For Paul, the notion of God’s sovereign grace ignited a passion for soul winning. Sadly, this is not always the case in Reformed circles today, where it often functions as a theological anesthetic to numb our sense of “the terror of the Lord” and deaden our urgency to “persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11).

If we are not careful, this “frozen chosen” mentality can radically alter our motives for evangelism. Our God-centered burden for eternal souls can gradually be replaced by an inordinate concern for numerical growth, church-planting quotas, balancing the budget, easing our guilty consciences, or appearing outwardly vital. Does the evangelistic urgency in our congregation tend to increase when we sense the need for another tithing family and then subside as soon as the budget stabilizes and attendance figures return to respectable levels? Could it be that the eternal well-being of our unsaved neighbors has taken a backseat to the temporal well-being of our congregation? While we may not initially perceive this new self-serving air about us, unconverted visitors can smell it all the way from the parking lot. “My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (Jas. 3:10).

Biblical Evangelism

Our evangelistic zeal must be according to knowledge. If Scripture alone is sufficient to equip us for every good work, then Scripture alone must define our evangelism. In particular, we must pay careful attention to our Lord’s Great Commission to disciple all nations (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8).

Most evangelicals today believe that the Great Commission defines the purpose of evangelism, while few believe it defines the methodology. This is a mistake. In no uncertain terms, our Lord commands His Church to employ the Word (preaching, teaching, witness bearing) and the sacraments (focusing on baptism), prayerfully relying upon His abiding presence.

This twofold method is both universal (“from Jerusalem…to the ends of the earth” [Acts 1:8]) and permanent (“to the end of the age” [Matt. 28:20]). Hence, our methodology today in North America should reflect that of the apostles at Pentecost in Acts 2. To be sure, Pentecost is a unique and unrepeatable redemptive event. However, considered in a more limited sense—as the greatest revival the church has yet seen—Pentecost remains as relevant as ever.

How so? Let’s look at four examples.

1. Evangelistic Prayer

Following our Lord’s ascension, His disciples “all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14). Rather than responding to the promise of the Holy Spirit with presumption and prayerlessness, they cried out to God for revival, for spiritual power, and for a great harvest of souls in Jerusalem—the very city where our Lord was crucified. The fact that 3,000 lost souls were converted soon afterward is no coincidence. Could it be that our congregations would see more conversions if our prayers were less dominated by temporal concerns and more passionate for an outpouring of the Spirit?

2. Evangelistic Power

In response to the church’s prayer, the Holy Spirit descended in great power upon the whole church, from the least to the greatest. The result was a vital, organic spirituality that could not be contained. These revived saints did not need clever marketing gimmicks or sales tactics to turn Jerusalem upside down. They did not need to woo the unconverted crowds by handing out free barbecue sandwiches, organizing sack races, or hosting talent shows. They had the power of godliness to adorn their message and that was all they needed.

Revival, like judgment, begins with the house of God. We can talk all day long about being “salt and light,” but talk is cheap. If we are not serious about maintaining the distinct savor of Christ in all we do, our salt might just as well stay in the shaker. If we are too squeamish to expose the darkness of sin and the subtle shades of compromise, then our candlestick, however ornate, is not long for this world; and our testimony, however orthodox on paper, is not worth the price of the ink to print it. Without the power of godliness, we will fail.

By emphasizing evangelistic programs at the expense of personal holiness and consistent church discipline, too many pastors have unintentionally pulled the plug on their own ministry. The Holy Spirit is, after all, a Holy Spirit. As the story of Achan demonstrates, we cannot grieve Him by our disobedience and still expect to advance His kingdom (Joshua 7).

3. Evangelistic Witness

Not every Christian is called to the gospel ministry, but every Christian has a part to play through personal witness. This is why the tongues of fire appeared upon all the believers and why all of them went forth to declare “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:3-11). In fact, it was in response to this very witness that the crowds initially gathered to hear Peter preach (vv. 13-14).

Some in our day would like to drive a wedge between personal witness and evangelistic preaching, as if the two were mutually exclusive. This, as my mother used to say, is a lie from the pit of hell. What God has joined together, let no man separate. Both are important and both are designed to feed off each other. Romans 10:14 rightly asks, “How will they hear without a preacher?” We might also ask, “How will they come to hear the preacher if nobody invites them?”

Unlike us, these early saints bore witness using the miraculous gift of tongues. However, the actual content of their witness was not supernaturally dictated. They testified in their own words about God’s grace in their lives. This surely is an example for us today. Moreover, let us never forget, as born-again believers, that even if we cannot do miracles, we are miracles. By the grace of God, that will suffice (Matt. 5:16).

4. Evangelistic Preaching

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit converted sinners “especially by the preaching of the word” (Westminster Shorter Catechism 89). Even before Peter had concluded his exposition of Joel 2:28-32, we read that the multitude was “cut to the heart,” and 3,000 were converted on the spot (Acts 2:37-41).

The prominent role of preaching in Acts 2 should not surprise us. Joel 2:32 predicted that at that time “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.” Those who would call upon God for salvation would first be called by God through gospel preaching. The translators of the Greek Septuagint render the phrase “the remnant whom the Lord calls” as “they that have the glad tidings preached to them, whom the Lord has called.”

The Septuagint is not alone in appreciating Joel’s emphasis on the primacy of preaching. In Romans 10:13, Paul cites Joel 2:32 (“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”) just before describing his own high view of preaching:

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? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom. 10:14-17)

Paul evangelized both Jews and Gentiles primarily through preaching, both in the sacred assembly and in the open air. Ministers today should follow his example. While the Bible sometimes refers to a believer’s personal witness as “preaching” (cf. Acts 8:4), Paul here speaks of those officially “sent” by the church (cf. Acts 13:1-3). He also refers to the prophecy of Joel concerning Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and to the “report” of “Isaiah,” an ordained preacher.

The fact is that sinners are ordinarily “born again…through the word of God…which by the gospel was preached” to them (1 Pet. 1:23-25). This is not a culturally bound idiosyncrasy of the 17th Century. It is a universal scriptural principle that Joel predicted, Peter practiced, and Paul carefully summarized.

In recent years, some have downplayed the role of evangelistic preaching. This is understandable, since much of what passes for Reformed preaching today involves little more than an academic essay, an expository Bible lesson, or a moralistic pep talk. To regard such weak and beggarly elements as our primary method of evangelism would be utterly disastrous! By contrast, Dr. David Murray defines evangelistic preaching far more consistently with the soul-stirring paradigm of the apostles (cf. 1 Cor. 14:24-25):

While all sermons should contain an appeal to the unconverted in the congregation, evangelistic sermons are aimed largely or wholly at the unconverted. This will involve the application of the law’s threatening against their sin, the presentation of God’s provision of a Saviour, the need for repentance and faith, and the urgency of the moment (How Sermons Work, Evangelical Press, p. 67.).

Conclusion

These four observations are just the tip of the iceberg. Time would fail us to consider the importance of ordained church oversight (Acts 1:16-26), evangelistic parenting (2:39), ongoing discipleship (2:42), and personal hospitality (2:44-47), to name a few. In fact, we could spend the rest of our lives seeking to understand and apply these principles within our local congregations and communities. Come to think of it, that might not be a bad idea.