Place: Lurgan Baptist 25:8:2002

Reading: Romans 9:1-5 10:1

A BURDEN FOR SOULS

Many years ago Dr. Wilbur Chapman went to hear D.L. Moody preach. He so fired his heart that he went back to his country church and tried to preach as Moody preached. A great work for God was accomplished. It did not start immediately and initially Chapman was discouraged. Then he called his church officers together and he said to them, " You will have to help me." They promised to do so. An old farmer rose to his feet and said, " I have not done much work in the church, but I will help you." Later a few of the officerbearers came to Wilbur Chapman and said, " Do not ask him to pray, for he cannot pray in public." Another said, " Do not ask to speak for he cannot speak in public." The very next day a snowstorm struck that country community, and this old farmer rose and put his horse to his sleigh, and started across the country, four miles to a blacksmith's shop.

He hitched his horse on the outside, and went into the shop, all covered with snow, and he found the blacksmith alone. The blacksmith said, " Mr. Cranmer, whatever brings you out today ?" The old farmer walked to the blacksmith's bench and putting his hand on the man's shoulders said, " Tom !" and the tears started to roll down his cheeks. Then with sobs choking what he had to say, he said, " Tom, when your old father died, he gave you and your brother into my guardianship, and I have let you both grow to manhood and never asked you to become a Christian." That was all. He did not ask him then. He could not. He got into his sleigh and drove back home. Indeed he did not go out again for months, he almost died from pneumonia.

But that night in the meeting the blacksmith stood up and said, " Friends, I have never been moved by a sermon in my life but when my old friend stood before me this morning with tears and sobs, having come through the storm, I thought it was time I considered the matter, and settled the destiny of my precious soul."

A Burden For Souls ! William Booth the powerful soul-winner and founder of the Salvation Army was asked, " Do you think you have the best witnessing school in the world ?" Booth replied, " No, I don't think my methods are the best methods. I think the best method of giving people a burden for lost souls would be to take them to the devil's hell and allow to experience what it is to be lost in hell, separated from God for an eternity in the fire that could never be quenched. Then I believe that men would truly have a burden .... " A Burden for Souls ! Is this not what Moses had ? The people had sinned grievously, the holy nature of God had been insulted. God said, " Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them."

( Exod 32:10 ) The response of Moses to all of this is probably the classic example of all time which involves human travail for souls. Hear him as he prays,

" Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin .... and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written." ( Exod 32:32 ) Moses literally broke down with emotion and tears and travail of soul. A Burden for Souls ! Is that not what Christ had ? Indeed the Master stands alone in His continual sorrow and anguish of heart for souls. We read that He was a Man of " strong crying and tears, " ( Heb 5:7 ) He was a Man of " sorrows and acquainted with grief." ( Is 53:3 ) A Burden for Souls ! Is that not what Paul had ? Isn't it remarkable how Paul moved from the joy of ( Rom 8 ) into the sorrow and burden of ( Rom 9 ) ? When he looked at Christ, he rejoiced, but when he looked at the lost people of Israel he wept. A Burden for Souls ! Is that not rare among many believers today ? The great mass of Christian people do not feel the slightest responsibility for the souls of their fellow-men. It never so much as dawns on them that they are their brothers keeper. If they can manage to save their own souls, that is the end of their concern. But how different was the apostle Paul. For in these opening verses of ( Ch 9 ) he brings before us the subject, A Burden For Souls.

(1) A REAL BURDEN FOR SOULS

Do you see what he says in ( 9:1 ) ? Now the Jews had beaten Paul, imprisoned him, cursed and castigated him. Wherever he went, they stirred up the people against him. ( Acts 17:13 ) Even Christian Jews added to his burdens by adding a damnable plus to the gospel.

( Gal 6:13 ) Paul perhaps expected that his love for his own people would be denied so he states it in words easily grasped. He says " I say the truth in Christ .... " You see, in these words, the spring of a real burden for souls is traced to:

(a) A TRUE EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST:

" I say the truth in Christ I lie not .... " A paraphrase puts it like this, " I am telling you the truth as a Christian." The thought here is that a saving experience of Christ is linked to a passion for souls. In other words, no one can be a real Christian without sharing something of the Saviour's travail for the lost. To say, that unconverted people do not concern us, is to reveal that our profession of Christ is nothing more than head knowledge which puffs up into proud orthodoxy.

You see, a real burden for souls springs from a saving experience of Jesus Christ. Gypsy Smith pointed a boy to the Lord Jesus. After a little the lad said, " I think I see it .... first you bring yourself to Jesus, then you leave yourself with Jesus and keep going on." " Yes, thats it," said Gypsy and the lad went away rejoicing in his new found Saviour. The next night the evangelist found him in the inquiry room again, his eyes shining like stars. " Why, Sonny, Gypsy Smith said, " I thought you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour last night."

" So I did," was the bright reply. " Then why are you here again tonight ?" " I came to bring my mother," was the simple answer.

The next night the same boy was in the inquiry room once more. " What brings you here to-night, Sonny ?" inquired the evangelist. " Oh, I came tonight to bring my Grandfather," was the reply.

Immediately this little boy came to Christ, he had a concern to bring others to the Saviour. My .... do you have a real burden for souls ? If not, is it because you have never had a real saving relationship with Jesus Christ ? The spring of a real passion for souls is also traced to:

(b) A TRUE EXERCISE OF CONSCIENCE:

" .... my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." ( 9:1 ) You see, what Paul is about to say concerning his love for his people is so startling, that he feels he must call in an extraordinary witness to attest to his sincerity in the statement he is about to make. So his conscience, strengthened by the Holy Spirit attests to the truth of what he is to say. Intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus is always followed by an exercise of conscience regarding the lost. The Holy Spirit sees to it that the heartthrobs of the Saviour for the lost are made real in the believers conscience. I mean so often we have a conscience about jealousy, pride, lust, gossip, and the like, thats good. But my .... why do we fail to have any exercise of conscience concerning souls who are going to hell ? There is fair bit of put on in evangelical churches to day. There is far more talk about winning souls than there is prayer, burden, and heart agony that souls be won. Often, there is plenty of pomp and circumstance about winning people to Christ, but Paul testifies, " The God in heaven witnesses the sincerity of my heart. I have a real burden that people be won to the Saviour." (1)

(2) A REGULAR BURDEN FOR SOULS

For he says in ( 9:2 ) " I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." It is clear that the apostles passion for souls was nothing spasmodic or intermittent. The word " sorrow," here means pain. Paul had a continual pain. It was there day after day. The longer Paul lived, the pain in his heart grew heavier and heavier until it broke his heart. My .... can you say that ?

Is it not true that our experience is so often the

opposite ? In the glow of our first love we were to eager to win the lost. We prayed, we watched, we sought. But as the days have passed, so the weight of that early concern has lifted. We find it much easier to escape into administrative and organisational aspects of the work of God. We become absorbed with things, instead of being concerned for souls. (2) My .... is it not true that often our concern for souls is too seasonal ? We become burdened when times of mission come around, when tragedy strikes. But listen to Paul's testimony, " I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." What was it that kept Paul regularly burdened for

souls ? Well, he was:

(a) CONSTANT IN PRAYER:

Paul knew how to pray. " Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God .... saved." ( 10:1 ) Paul knew what it was to be constantly in prayer. He kept his heart aflame in prayer for those who were lost. He said,

" Night and day praying exceedingly." ( 1 Thes 3:10 ) He said, " Pray without ceasing." ( 1 Thes 5:7 ) Only heaven's records will reveal the nights and days Paul spent in prayer.

My .... if we are to win souls to Christ, we must spend time much time in prayer. How much have you prayed lately for the lost ? How often, have you prayed, mother that your son might be saved ? Father, are you praying for your children ? Men on the job, are you praying for your fellow-workers ? John Knox used to pray, " Oh, God give me Scotland or I die." When he was old he was led to the pulpit and placed there. Knox would stand there and begin to pray for the lost in Scotland and almost shake the pulpit to pieces as he interceded for them. Do you recall David Brainerd ? That young missionary who gave his life for the missionaries of North America ? He wrote, " I was making my way through the snow to my place of study and God burdened my heart for the Indians. I pray for them until sweat pours from my body." Only God knows how many lives were changed because of this man !

(b) CONSISTENT IN WITNESS:

He was able to say, " Having therefore obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great." ( Acts 26:22 ) Paul was able to affirm,

" From the time of my conversion until now, I have consistently witnessed to the small and great. I have not missed an opportunity to witness." My .... have you ever failed to grasp an opportunity ? D.L.Moody had a plan. He would not let a day go by regardless of how busy he had been without speaking to someone about the Saviour. One night he had gone to bed after a very busy day, but the Lord reminded him that he had not witnessed to anyone that day. So he climbed out of bed, put his clothes on and went out into the dark, rainy night to fulfil his promise to the Lord. He stopped a man running down the street, took him under a shelter, told him about Jesus Christ and than man was gloriously saved. My .... do you know what that is ? That is consistency in witnessing ? Most of us are afraid we're going to offend someone, or hurt their feelings. But what does it matter if we rescue someone from hell ?

Paul had a regular burden for souls for he was (a) (b)

(c) CONVINCED IN HEART:

You see, the Bible had taught him certain truths and Paul was convinced in his heart about these things.

Paul believed in the lostness of mankind, unlike many churchmen of the 21st century. My .... do you believe

that all without Christ are lost ? Do you believe that all without Christ are going to hell ? I heard about a professing Christian who said a few weeks ago, " I don't believe in that hell-fire preaching. Give them the gospel of love, the gospel of Christ." Well, listen to the loving Saviour for a moment. He speaks about " the fire that never shall be quenched." ( Mk 9:45 ) This loving Lord Jesus speaks about the " danger of hell fire."

( Matt 5:22 ) Does it not burden even a little to think that someone without Christ is going to a place like

that ? Does it not put a burden on your heart for souls ? Many years ago Charles Peace, one of the greatest of criminals, was brought to justice. A thief, forger, and double murderer, he was condemned to death. As he was being led to the scaffold, the chaplain walked by his side, offering what we call " the consolations of religion."

As the chaplain spoke of Christ's power to save, Charles Peace turned to him and said, " Do you believe it ? Do you believe it ? If I believed that, I would willingly crawl across England on broken glass to tell men it was true." My .... do we believe it ? Do we believe the truths of this Infallible Bible ? Well, if we do why do we never bend our knees in prayer, open our mouths in witness, and live our lives in holiness ? Mother, Father, how is it that you believe in the awfulness of hell, and yet you are never at the prayer meeting to weep for your kids ? 1: 2:

(3) A REMARKABLE BURDEN FOR SOULS

Its at this point, the average mind cannot comprehend what Paul writes here for its very difficult to comprehend. Someone has said that these words of Paul in ( 9:3 ) are like a spark off the substitution of Jesus Christ. For Paul here admits, " For I could wish .... flesh." What a remarkable burden Paul had for souls !

Such a remarkable burden reveals itself in three ways.

Notice for e.g.;

(a) HIS IDENTIFICATION WITH LOST SOULS:

Paul refers to his nation as " my brethren, my kinsmen."

He was prepared to identify himself with those he was trying to win. My .... if we are going to be become true messengers of the Lord to the people of our nation, city, town, we must embrace the truth of our spiritual solidarity with them, otherwise we will be speaking down to them as those apart from them. ( Rom 14:7 )

Here was a nation that had been favoured with unique privileges and glory but now they were:

1. BLIND:

" Blindness in part is happened to Israel." ( 11:25 ) Spiritually blind ! My .... do you realise that this condition of your unsaved loved one ? An unsaved person does not have the capacity to see himself as a lost sinner or to understand the gospel message. He has been blinded spiritually by Satan. ( 2 Cor 4:3 ) 1.

2. BOASTFUL:

" Going about to establish their own righteousness," they had " not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." ( Rom 10:3 ) My .... is that you this .... ? Are you strutting about like a peacock thinking that your own good works will secure you a place in heaven ? 1.2.

3. BITTER:

Looking back into history, Paul quotes Elijah saying,

" Lord they have killed Thy prophets and digged down Thine altars." ( 11:3 1 Kings 19:10 ) Paul's own experience shows how the Jews despised him, stoned him, attempted to take his life. Bitter ! My .... do you realise that the folk we're trying to win for Christ are the very enemies of God ? ( Rom 5:10 ) Are you prepared to identify yourself with them ? ( 1 Cor 9:20 ) (1)

(b) HIS SEPARATION FOR LOST SOULS:

" For I could wish that myself were accursed .... "

My .... this is beyond us. We cannot fathom it. What a man this Paul was ! He was willing to stay out of heaven for the sake of the saved ( Phil 1:22 ) and willing to go to hell for the sake of the lost. The word

" accursed," here is the Greek word anathema. This word means to be " utterly consumed." Paul uses it in

( Gal 1:8 ) " But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

( 1 Cor 16:22 ) My .... Paul was prepared to go to hell if by that means his kinsmen in the flesh could be saved.

You say, " Preacher thats impossible." I know that. I know that ( Rom Ch 8 ) promises that believers cannot be separated from Jesus Christ. ( 8:35 ) My .... don't try and analyse this statement, for here is the eruption of a man who is so in love with lost souls that his heart bursts out in compassion, " I would be willing to go to hell to reach them." My .... we can't even give out a gospel invitation for Christ, but here's a man who's prepared to be separated from Christ ! Tell me, how far are you prepared to go to reach the lost for Christ ?

Dr. J. H. Jowett reminds us that " the gospel of a broken heart begins with the ministry of bleeding hearts." And again, " As soon as we cease to bleed, we cease to bless. We must bleed if we would be ministers of the saving blood." Can you see his (a) (b)

(c) HIS ANTICIPATION OF LOST SOULS:

For later speaking on the same subject Paul says,

" Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." ( 10:1 ) Is this not the crown of rejoicing for every soul-winner ? No wonder the soul-winners joy will be full when he stands before the Lord in the glory-land with those he has won to the Master through his faithful witness.

( 1 Thes 2:19-20 )

A Burden for Souls ! Have we got it ? (1) (2) (3)

When Dr. Lyman Beecher lay dying, a ministerial friend said to him, " You know a great deal, tell us what is the greatest of all thing." The dying preacher replied, " It is not theology, it is not controversy, it is to save souls."

A Burden for Souls ! Have we got it ? D.L.Moody said, " There is no greater honour than to be the instrument in God's hands of leading one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light of Heaven." A Burden for Souls ! Have we got it ?

" Oh, for a passionate passion for souls

Oh, for a pity that yearns.

Oh, for a love that loves unto death

Oh, for a fire that burns."