“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” (Matt. 13:8) Can you count how many, or have you ever really given it any thought, how many you have brought to the cross of Christ, how many when they came to Him accepted His offer of eternal life. The Word is quite clear, profitable servants produce fruit, and that fruit is the souls of men.
Today we seem to believe that bringing people to the cross is the responsibility of the pastor, or deacon, anyone but us, it is left in the hands of those more capable, but in reality it is a task shunned by many who profess Christ today. The excuses abound, “I don’t know the Word of God well enough,” “I don’t feel called to lead them to Him.” I often wonder about these individuals, I wonder what they believe the Lord is going to say to them on that day of their accounting, and I pray that it will be moments after their death, not at the great white throne judgment. (Rev. 20:11) “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:16) These individuals must believe that Paul was only speaking about himself, or perhaps only of those who have attended seminary or had extensive Scriptural training.
My friends, if you have been called by Christ, if you truly are a born-again believer, you will produce fruit, it is inevitable, the man or woman who cannot recall leading anyone to Christ, who believes that by his lifestyle alone he can be an effectual witness for Jesus is deceiving himself, no one comes to Christ because you go to church, because you don’t cuss or swear, because you wear the right clothes and have the proper haircut, your examples mean little without your words. It is the will of God and the Word of God that draws a man to Christ, (John 6:44) good intentions draw only good feelings.
Those who have been blessed to lead someone to the Lord will tell you that it is one of the greatest highlights of their lives, they seek for more to serve, they continuously hunger to reach the lost, there is little that can be compared to being in the presence of a fellow human being when the weight is lifted off their shoulders, their eyes are opened, and they become your brother or sister. Those who are ashamed to speak His name to the lost, those who fear men more than they do God are missing out on blessings that could change their walk with Him at that moment, and without being part of those who have increased the kingdom, for those who have produced no fruit for the glory of God, I feel great pity.
It is these when I meet them that I have difficulty calling my brother, for the Scriptures are clear, the children of God will produce fruit, none who have the Holy Spirit within them will arrive at home empty handed, as it were, in this matter it astounds me the amount of people there is who will not speak His name, will not tell the lost of His love for them, the price that was paid for them, those who claim to serve Christ, but live almost completely for themselves and the world.
I am led to write letters such as this because of a sadness that all who serve the Lord should share, a great sadness mixed with righteous anger. To profess Christ on Sunday morning or only in certain company, but to rarely if ever bring His Holy name to those they know for a fact do not serve Him is hypocritical in the extreme. These are they that will say to Him in that day “Did we not cast out demons,” in their own words they will condemn themselves, and are living a life that already does so today. If you know this person my friend, you must confront them, in love but with firm truth, for their very soul is at stake. Better they hate you than burn, better they rebuke you, deride you and ostracize you from their presence than face eternal damnation.
The burden of the lost should always be upon us, and for some, that burden is sitting in the pew right next to you, if you will not speak to them, then you must ask yourself, am I willing to speak to any about the Lord.
