The Art of Soul-Winning Part 3

Memory Verse: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."--(James v, 16.)

Scripture for Meditation: Gen. x.x.xii, 24-30; Luke xi, 1-13.

Nothing is more essential to the soul-winner than prayer. Prayer will generate a spiritual atmosphere in the individual life. The prayers of many will generate a spiritual atmosphere in a community. In answer to prayer, the Holy Spirit will do his office, and produce such pungent conviction of sin that men will carry out, as on the day of Pentecost, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

In the Life of Mr. Finney it is related that, during a revival at Rome, New York, the air seemed surcharged with Divine power. A sheriff, who had laughed about the meetings, came over from Utica. He felt this strange influence when he crossed the old ca.n.a.l, a mile west of town.

When he sat in the hotel dining-room, he had to get up and go to the window two or three times to divert his attention and keep from weeping.

After dinner he hurried away, but was afterwards converted.

See what spiritual triumphs and great revivals the early Church witnessed; but the secret of it all was that "they continued steadfastly in prayers." Why is it that to-day many have so little courage and so little power to win others to Christ? They neglect prayer. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." How little time we spend daily in prayer! Study the life of Paul, and Savonarola, and Catherine of Siena, and Martin Luther, and John Knox, and see how they all gave themselves continually to prayer, and so prevailed. All they who have become ill.u.s.trious as great soul-winners have been, without exception, men and women mighty in prayer. They came to understand that G.o.d's storehouses of wisdom, prayer, and grace are inexhaustible, and with the key of prayer they unlocked every door.

Prayer avails for the salvation of others when every other means seems to fail. The disciples spent ten days in prayer. Then came Pentecost and a revival that brought thousands into the kingdom. John Livingstone, with a few friends, spent a whole night in prayer, and the next day five hundred persons gave themselves to Christ. Two sisters agreed to spend the night in prayer in behalf of an unconverted brother. That night, although twenty miles away, the young man tossed on his bed in agony of conviction, and next day started for home, and found salvation.

Prayer is omnipotent; and, if we would see the kingdom of Christ come speedily in the world, we must have a great revival of prevailing prayer.

STUDY XIII.

FAITH.

Memory Verse: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."--(John xiv, 12.)

Scripture for Meditation: Heb. xi.

Not the mystery of faith, nor the philosophy of faith, does the soul-winner need to study; but the simplicity, the childlikeness of faith. To believe G.o.d implicitly is to have victorious faith. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," said Paul; and everywhere in the Bible we find the clear teaching that "G.o.d and one make a majority." To realize this in one's own life is to live the victorious life.

But perhaps we should distinguish between trust and saving faith. Trust gives the life to G.o.d; faith takes from G.o.d that which he has promised in his Word. Trust is continuous; faith is a definite act. "Faith is the giving substance to things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. xi, 1.)

It is true that we walk by faith now; but faith has a clear eye. Faith can see the clouds full of chariots and horses. Faith can see legions of angels marshaling themselves for our defense. Faith can see that every promise of G.o.d is steadfast, and will surely be fulfilled, and can claim its fulfillment.

"Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to that alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries, 'It shall be done.'"

Of Barnabas it is said, "He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." The fullness of faith will make unbelief and moral darkness impossible in the soul, and will generate a triumphant confidence in G.o.d.

To have faith is to have power; and the little child, as well as the grown man, may possess this power, and exercise it in winning souls for Jesus. A little girl who had bowed at the altar and given her heart to G.o.d, pulled the pastor's coat at the close of the service, and said, "Will you please pray for my mamma?" "Certainly," said the pastor. And the next evening the little girl brought her mother to the service. When the invitation was given, she took her hand and led her to the altar.

That little girl's faith won her mother to Christ.

Faith will give courage for personal work. With a strong, unfaltering confidence which takes G.o.d at his word, we shall not hesitate nor fear to approach the unsaved and seek to win them to the Savior.

Faith is nourished by the Word. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of G.o.d." If we feed our faith upon the Word, and exercise it, then we shall have the faith of those mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and we shall prove the promise of the Savior, "All things are possible to him that believeth."

STUDY XIV.

SELF-SACRIFICE.

Memory Verse: "For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it."--(Matt.

xvi, 25.)

Scripture for Meditation: Matt. xvi, 24; 2 Cor. iv.

The words of Christ, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," can not be mistaken. The earthly life of Jesus was a supreme example of self-sacrifice. All the way from Bethlehem to Calvary his life was a constant denial of self.

The early Church followed their Master. They were ready to sacrifice all. Men sold their fields and houses for the work's sake. They counted nothing too good for sacrifice, even to life itself; and many went gladly to the arena and the fiery stake rather than be untrue to their Lord. As long as the early Christian Church maintained this spirit, she went from victory to victory. Nothing could withstand her progress. And when the followers of Jesus Christ in this twentieth century shall again put on the beautiful garments of self-sacrifice, the Church will become invincible.

There is now a great opportunity for men and women to sacrifice, in personal liberty, in popularity, in social standing, and personal comfort, for the sake of the peris.h.i.+ng mult.i.tudes. None are too poor, none too old, to do something to win souls.

An aged widow, who had all her money invested in a farm in a drouth-stricken part of the West, found herself almost penniless. She was compelled to find shelter in a Refuge Home. At first she was discouraged and heart-broken; but G.o.d put upon her heart the mult.i.tudes of peris.h.i.+ng women in India. She tried to occupy her mind piecing a quilt. This she sold, and the money was sent to India. Then she made another for Africa, then another for j.a.pan, until now, in six years, she has given four hundred dollars to home and foreign missions, and has six people at work as her subst.i.tutes in foreign lands. And she says, "I was surely called of G.o.d to teach that no one is too poor to give to missions, or too old to work for G.o.d and souls."

A young man, twenty-four years old, working on a farm for twenty dollars a month and board, has, in nineteen months, sent six subst.i.tutes, and says, "I pray G.o.d to make me a Christian drunkard, that I may spend my time and money for him as the drunkard does for the devil." And when the whole Church shall begin to show the same spirit of self-sacrifice in giving time and money, and in sacrificing pleasure and comfort and social standing for the Lord's work, and for dying mult.i.tudes about them, then we shall soon see the dawn of the millennial day.

THE SOUL-WINNER'S EQUIPMENT.

"COMPLETELY FURNISHED."

STUDY XV.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Memory Verse: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom."--(Col. iii, 16.)

Scripture for Meditation: Heb. iv, 12; 2 Tim. iii, 13-17; Ps. cxix, 1-11.

A thorough knowledge of the Word of G.o.d is essential to success in soul-winning. The Word is "the sword of the Spirit," "the hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces." If we are not skilled in the use of the Divine sword and the Divine hammer, then we can not expect that the Spirit will use us.

In an excellent little book on "How to Obtain the Fullness of Power,"

Dr. R.A. Torrey says:

"There can be no fullness of life and service if the Bible is neglected.

In much that is now written on power; also in much that is said in conventions, this fact is overlooked. The work of the Holy Spirit is magnified; but the instrument through which the Holy Spirit works is largely forgotten. The result is transient enthusiasm and activity, but no steady continuance and increase in power and usefulness. We can not obtain power, and we can not maintain power, in our own lives and in our work for others, unless there is deep and frequent meditation upon the Word of G.o.d.... Of course, it is much easier, and therefore much more agreeable to our spiritual laziness, to go to a convention or revival-meeting, and claim a 'filling with the Holy Spirit,' than it is to peg along, day after day, month after month, year after year, digging into the Word of G.o.d. But a 'filling of the Spirit,' that is not maintained by a persistent study of the Word will soon vanish....

Evidently Paul knew of no filling with the Spirit divorced from deep and constant meditation upon the Word."

The most remarkable movement among young men in this generation is the World's Christian Student Federation, organized by Mr. John R. Mott.

Through this movement mult.i.tudes of young men the world over have been led to keep what is called "The Morning Watch," by which they rise at least half an hour earlier than usual each morning, and spend the time in devotional Bible-study and prayer. What a mighty impetus would be given to Christian work everywhere if all Christian young people would form the habit of keeping "The Morning Watch!"

Have a plan for your Bible study, and faithfully follow it. Commit to memory the texts found in Study Twenty-seven, and thus be able to use skillfully the Sword of the Spirit.