Soul Winning by Dr. Jack Hyles

   
 

Table of Contents

Forward
About the author
1. Lordship Salvation-An Enemy of Soul Winning
2. Ultra-Dispensationalism -An Enemy of Soul Winning
3. Formal Worship-An Enemy of Soul Winning
4. Misunderstood Repentance-An Enemy of Soul Winning
5. False Bibles-An Enemy of Soul Winning
6. Church Leaders (Nobles) Not Soul Winners-An Enemy of Soul Winning
7. Opposition to Pastoral Leadership-An Enemy of Soul Winning
8. The Universal Church-An Enemy of Soul Winning
9. The Modem Tongues Movement-An Enemy of Soul Winning
10. Where Are the Nine?
11. Let's Be Baptists'
12. Lifestyle Evangelism-An Enemy of Soul Winning

 

FOREWORD

The subtle enemies that affect the soul-winning efforts of the local church have too long gone unnoticed as well as unchallenged. Dr. Jack Hyles, Pastor of the church with the "World's Largest Sunday School" and the worlds foremost soul-winning ministries, contests these enemies, one by one.

These enemies must be exposed for what they are: a definite attempt, by Satan, to stop fundamental, soul-winning churches from doing the work God has ordained them to do.

These insights given by Dr. Hyles may seem controversial, but in reality they are logical as well as Biblical.

Enemies of Soul Winning will reveal adversaries you may have thought were your friends!

About the Author

Jack Hyles began preaching at the age of 19 and has pastored for 45 years. These pastorates include churches that varied in membership from 44 to over 100,000. All of these pastorates, other than the present one, where in the state of Texas: First, the Marris Chapel Baptist Church of Bogata, Texas; then the Grange Hall Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas; from there to the Southside Baptist Church of Henderson, Texas; and then to the Miller Road Baptist Church of Garland, Texas. He pastored the Miller Road Baptist Church for approximately 7 years and saw this church, under the Lord, grow from a membership of 44 to over 4,000. It was from the Miller Road Baptist Church that he was called to his present pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana.

Dr. Hyles has been Pastor of the First Baptist Church since August, 1959. This church has a membership of over 100,000 and has averaged over 23,000 conversions and 8,000 baptisms per year for the past 6 years. For many years the church has been acclaimed to have the "World's Largest Sunday School." During Dr. Hyles' ministry the First Baptist Church has increased in property evaluation to over $50,000,000.

Besides his position as Pastor, Dr. Hyles is FounderChancellor of Hyles-Anderson Schools, which enrolled approximately 4,000 students last year. The schools are operated by the First Baptist Church and are housed in separate facilities away from the church property. Dr. Hyles has served as President of the Baptist Bible College in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Hyles is the author of 41 books and pamphlets, exceeding over 12 million copies in sales. Many of his sermons are also available on tape.

Dr. Hyles' experience covers numerous evangelistic campaigns, Bible conferences, etc. He has preached in virtually every state of the Union and in many foreign countries. His annual Pastors' School attracts thousands of preachers from every state and many foreign countries.

Chapter One

Lordship Salvation -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

Exactly what do we mean when we say, "Lordship Salvation"? We are talking about the false doctrine that says that in order for a person to be saved, he must make Jesus the Lord of his life. If that doctrine were true, then no one could be saved, because as long as we are limited by these fleshly bodies, we will be unable to make Jesus totally the Lord of our lives. This can happen only when we are like Him. I John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

The Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest Christian who ever lived, spoke of the battle he had. He said in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing...." Inverse 19, he said, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not want, that I do." In verse 23, he talks about the warfare between the flesh and the spirit, and in verse 24, he calls himself a "wretched man."

Of course, every believer should have a sincere desire and make a sincere effort to make Jesus Lord of his life, but in the flesh, that is impossible, and we will not be satisfied until we awake in His likeness. Psalm 17.15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

1. There is only one Gospel. Galatians 1:6-9, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

The word "another" in verse 6, and the word "another" in verse 7 are not the same words. The first means "another of a different kind"; the second in verse 7 means "another of the same kind." For example, suppose you say to someone at the table, "Pass another cookie to me." You could mean another one of the same kind you have been eating, or you could mean another kind of cookie that is at the table. What the Apostle is saying here is that some people were preaching another gospel; that is, another kind. Then he reminds us that that kind is not another of the same kind. Basically there are only two kinds of salvation: (1) Man does it; or (2) God does it. Someone has rightly said that the two kinds of salvation are wrapped up in two small words: do and done. Anything that we would do to save ourselves, anything that another person would do to save us, or anything that another group of people would do to save us is a false salvation. The true salvation is that it has already been done! Jesus has done it all, if we by faith appropriate what He did.

2. If there is anything that we can do to save ourselves or to help save ourselves, or if there is anything that another person or group of others can do to help save us, salvation is not of grace. We know, however, that salvation is of grace!

Ephesians 2:8, 9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." If it is of grace, works can have nothing to do with

it, and if there is one tiny bit of works, it is not of grace! Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace:

otherwise work is no more work." If we must make Jesus Lord of our lives in order to be saved, then salvation is not all of grace, and what is not all of grace is heresy!

3. David was saved when Jesus was not Lord of his life. All of us know the tragic story of David and his sins. Was David saved? Yes, he was. Was Jesus Lord of his life? Of course not. Look at Psalm 51:12a. David said, "Restore unto me the joy of my salvation." He did not say, "Restore unto me Thy salvation." He was saved, but he was away from God. Jesus was not Lord of his life. If Lordship salvation were true, then David lost his salvation when he ceased to make Jesus Lord of his life.

4. Jesus was not Lord of Lot's life. II Peter 2:7, 8, 'And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)" Was Lot saved? Verse 7 says he was "just," which means he was justified in the sight of God, even though he was living in wicked sin. In verse 8 he is called a "righteous man," which means that he was righteous in the sight of God, having had the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him. Romans 10:1 -3, "Brethren, my heart 's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that just ifi eth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Was Lot saved? Yes, he was. Was Jesus Lord of his life? No, He wasn't.

Look at the awful thing Lot had done. In the first place, he had chosen to go to the well-watered plains toward Sodom.

In the second place, he had not only gone to Sodom, but Sodom had come to him. Two angels had come to visit Lot in Sodom. When the homosexual men heard of this, they came to Lot's house asking for him to give them those men so they could commit their sin with them.

Now look at Genesis 19:7, 8, "And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof" Lot called these wicked perverts "brethren" in verse 7. Then in verse 8, he offered his two daughters to these men if they would leave the angels alone. What a wicked thing! Later on when Lot fled Sodom with his two daughters, both of them became pregnant by him. Each gave birth to a son, and each son fathered a heathen race - the Moabites and the Ammonites. Was Lot saved? Yes, he was. God says that he was. Was Jesus Lord of his life? No, He wasn't. If Lordship salvation were true, Lot could not have been saved, because Jesus was far from being Lord of his life at this time.

5. Noah was saved, but Jesus was not Lord of his life.

Genesis 6:8, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 9:20-24, "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him."

Was Noah saved? Yes, Genesis 6:8 says he "found grace in the eyes of the Lord," and we know that salvation is by grace. Was Jesus Lord of his life? In Genesis 9:2 1, we find he got drunk and that he was naked inside his tent. In verse 22 his son saw his nakedness. Obviously from verse 24, his younger son had

done something to him. Perhaps this was a homosexual act committed with his own father while his father was drunk. To say the least, Noah was anything but a Christian who had allowed Jesus to be Lord of his life. Was he saved? Yes, he was. Was Jesus Lord of his life? No, He was not.

6. The Corinthian church members were saved, but Jesus was not Lord of their lives. I Corinthians 3:1-4, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" Notice in verse 1 that they were "carnal," which means "fleshly." Notice in verse 1 that they were "babes." Notice in verse 2 that they were so immature in their Christian life that they could not take spiritual meat, but had to have spiritual milk. In verse 3 it again says they were carnal. It also mentions that there were envyings and strife and divisions, and they walked as men, not as Christians ought to walk. Was Jesus Lord of their lives? No, He was not. Were they saved? Yes, they were. Look at the last two words in verse 1- "in Christ." II Corinthians 5: 17a says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Were they saved? Yes, they were. Was Jesus Lord of their lives? No, He wasn't.

7. Babes in Christ are saved, but Jesus is not Lord of their lives. I Peter 2:1, 2, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." If one must make Jesus Lord of his life in order to be saved, he would have to be a mature Christian then, but the Bible says there is such a thing as a "babe in Christ," which means that such a person is saved, but he has a lot of growing to do.

8. The fact that the Christian must grow in grace means that a person can be saved without Jesus being Lord of his life.

II Peter 3:18, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge ofourLord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." The word "grow" here means that the Christian has not yet "arrived." He is not yet mature. The words "in grace" mean that he is saved. Is such a person saved? Yes, he is. Is Jesus Lord of his life. No, He is not.

9. A person can be righteous in the sight of God and be saved without making Jesus Lord of his life. Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Here is a person who does not work for God. All he does is believe. The Bible says his faith is counted for righteousness. Is he saved? Yes. Is Jesus Lord of his life? Absolutely not. Jesus commands us to work, to win souls and to serve God, but here is a man who does not do those things; yet he is righteous. He is saved, but Jesus is not Lord of his life.

10. A person can be saved and not have his body yielded totally to Christ. Romans 12:1, 2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacnfice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Were the people to whom he was speaking saved? Yes, they were. Notice the word "brethren" in verse 1. Was Jesus Lord of their life? No, He was not. The Apostle Paul was beseeching them to present their bodies a living sacrifice, to be holy, and not be conformed to the world, but be transformed in order that they might do the perfect will of God. Were they saved? Yes, they were. Was Jesus Lord of their lives? No, He was not.

A person can be saved and even call Jesus "Lord" without the Saviour actually being the Lord of his life. Luke 6:20, 46, 'And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor :for your's is the kingdom of God. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" This entire passage was written to the disciples by Jesus. Were they saved?

Yes, they were. Verse 20 plainly calls them His disciples. Now what did He say to His disciples? Among other things, in verse 46 He said they were calling Him "Lord," but doing not the things which He said. In other words, they were like the Lordship salvation crowd today. Since none of us can totally do everything He says until we awake in His likeness, it is foolish for us to say that Jesus is Lord of our lives. Were these people saved? Yes, they were. They were called "disciples" in verse

20. Was Jesus Lord of their lives? No, He was not, because verse 46 tells us that they did not the things which He said.

Yes, Jesus is Lord. He is Lord of the universe, and, of course, we believe that He is Lord. However, to believe that in order to be saved one must make Him the Lord of his life is just another form of salvation by works.

May God help me day by day to give Him more control of my life and yield more and more to Him so that He can become day by day more and more the Lord of my actions, my will and my life; but, I must realize that I am hampered by this body of clay, and that there is a battle being raged. I must yield myself to Him constantly, making Him more and more the Lord of my life, but I am looking forward to the day when I shall be like Him, and He, in fact, will be the Lord of my life.

Chapter Two

Ultra-Dispensationalism -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

I have no problem with the word "dispensation." It is a Bible word, but I do have a problem with dispensationalism which says that salvation comes in different ways in different dispensations. For example, the Scofield Reference Bible, page 1115, in subpoint (2) of footnote 1 on grace, notice the words, "As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 3. 24-26; 4. 24, 25)." The note continues as follows, "The point of testing is no longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, but acceptance or rejection of Christ...."

Now it is certainly true that salvation in this age is by acceptance or rejection of Christ, but Mr. Scofield is wrong when he says that before the death and resurrection of Christ the condition of salvation was legal obedience! This is what I call "hyper-dispensationalism." There are those who likewise erroneously believe that salvation will be other than grace through faith during the millennium. This is also heresy! Salvation has always been and will always be by grace through faith in Christ. From the first sin in the garden of Eden until the last person who is saved in the millennium, every person who goes to Heaven will go there by grace.

I take even stronger issue with the hyper-dispensationalism which says that the letters to the seven churches in

Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3 represent seven ages of church history. For example, Mr. Scofield says that the message to the church in Ephesus is the church at the end of the apostolic age. Where is that in the Bible? Then he says that the letter to the church in Smyrna represents the "Period of the great persecutions to A.D. 316." Where is that in the Bible?

Then he says that the letter to the church in Pergamos represents "The church under imperial favour, settled in the world, A.D. 316 to the end." Where is that in the Bible? Then he says that the letter to the church at Thyatira represents "A.D. 500-1500: the triumph of Balaamism and Nicolaitanism; a believing remnant (vs. 24-28)." Where is that in the Bible?

Then he says that the letter to the church in Sardis represents "The period of the Reformations; a believing remnant (vs. 4, 5)." Where is that in the Bible? Then he says that the letter to the church in Philadelphia represents "The true church in the professing church." Where is that in the Bible? Then he says that the letter to the church in Laodicea represents the final state of apostasy. Where is that in the Bible? This kind of heresy is no where to be found in the Word of God, and the danger of it is that these hyper-dispensationalists enjoy teaching that since this is the day of apostasy, God does not do any great works anymore and that this is the day where we just hold out faithful to the end. According to them, no great churches can be built, and no great revivals can be had.

What a sad commentary! What a pitiful look at the Scripture! There is absolutely nothing that says we cannot have revival today. We can have revival anytime God's people will pay the price!

These seven letters to the seven churches are exactly that. There were churches named, "the church at Ephesus," "the church at Smyrna," the church at Pergamos," "the church at Thyatira," "the church at Sardis," "the church at Philadelphia" and "the church at Laodicea." These churches had problems like all churches do. The Holy Spirit inspired the

Apostle John to write letters to these churches to help the churches get straightened out. Would somebody please show me in the Bible where these letters represent the seven ages of church history?

There Is a False Teaching Also

Concerning the Last Days

The first time the term "the last days" is mentioned in the Bible is in Isaiah 2:2, 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." Here we have something that is predicted to happen in the last days.

Now we come concerning the last days to Joel 2:28, 29, 'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."

Please note what will happen in the last days. It is talking about the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon people. Please notice Acts 2:14-1 8, "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy."

It is Pentecost; 3000 people are about to be saved. Peter stands up to speak. He explains that what is happening there on Pentecost is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28, 29, which he quotes. Notice also in verse 17 that he calls these the last days.

Now I'm not saying that there are no signs that must precede the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. I'm fully aware of the tribulation plagues, of the end time war, of Russia and her allies attacking Israel and the Western Confederacy defending Israel, and of the Eastern Confederacy coming from the land of the sun rising to join Russia, etc. Though I do believe that the rapture is an imminent event that could take place anytime, I nevertheless do not discount that there are some signs that could point to the soonness of the tribulation period and the second coming of Christ at the end of that period. However, the term "the last days" describes the days from the resurrection of Christ even until this day and until the consummation of the age.

Now turn to II Timothy 3:1-8, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."

Notice there in II Timothy 3:1 the term, "the last days." Likewise notice the condition of the last days, bearing in mind that the last days started at the resurrection of Christ, as we learned a while ago in Acts 2:16, 17. We find such things

characterizing this age as people being lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, etc. It goes on to say, "without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, "etc. Then it mentions "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" Now these are not things unique to the days in which we live. People have always been lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters. People have always been trucebreakers, false accusers, high minded, disobedient to parents, lovers of pleasure. People have always had a form of godliness.

However, we should notice here that whatever these last days are, in II Timothy 3:5 Paul tells Timothy, "from such turn away." He was saying, "Timothy, you turn away from these people," showing that these were already the last days. Notice the words in verse 6, "for of this sort are they...." Notice the word "are." That word is in the present tense. These people were there then. These people then were covetous, unthankful, unholy, false accusers and disobedient to parents. They were alive then, for the apostle said, "are they."

Notice also in II Timothy 2:6 it says, "and lead captive silly women laden with sins...." Notice the present tense. They were doing it then.

Now look down to verse 8. Notice the words, "so do these also..." In other words, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, there were people at that very time who did the same thing. Paul is saying to Timothy, "In these last days, these people will do these things, and this is the way you are supposed to respond to them."

Now turn to Hebrews 1:1, 2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Notice that Paul (probably the writer of Hebrews), used the present tense, "hath in these last days," so in Hebrews 1:1 the last days were already there.

Now turn to I Peter 1:19, 20, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." Notice especially in verse 20 the words, "in these last times." Once again, Peter is saying what Paul had said - that these were the last days.

Now notice II Peter 3:3-5, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water." In verse 3 he mentions the last days. In verse 5 he says, "for this they willingly are ignorant of...." Notice the present tense - they "are ignorant of." In other words, these "last days" were in existence at the time that this was written.

Now notice I John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last time:

and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." Notice the words in the first part of verse 18, "it is the last time." The word "is" indicates present tense. John said the same thing that Peter and Paul said.

Again you find in the last part of verse 18, "it is the last time." How much more plain could it be? Paul, John and Peter all attested to the fact that the last days were in existence at the time they were living.

Now turn to Jude 18, 19, "How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."

In Jude 18 the term "last time"is mentioned. In verse 19, it says "these be"-notice present tense. "They who separate themselves"-notice present tense. There Jude joined with

Paul, Peter and John in attesting to the fact that the last days were days during which they were living.

God's people can do great things

for Him now!

Daniel 11:20-23, "Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people."

Daniel 11:32, 33, 'And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shallfall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days."

In verse 20-23, it is obvious that God is talking about the end time. He talks about the antichrist and his work; he talks about the league that will be made with Israel. All Bible teachers who hold the premillennial position would agree that these verses deal with the end time. Now, notice the last half of verse 32, "but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Then look again at verse 33, 'And they that understand among the people shall instruct many...." It sounds to me like exploits will still be done in the end time. The truth is, one of the greatest revivals (as far as evangelism is concerned) that the world has ever seen will take place during the tribulation period, and certainly God's grace is not limited to this generation.

It is a wicked thing for dusty Bible teachers with their dusty theology to compartmentalize the Bible concerning salvation and soul winning. It doesn't bother me for someone to talk about dispensations, and it doesn't bother me for people to divide the Bible, as long as they do not divide it up concerning the plan of salvation, concerning the power of God, and concerning soul winning! People can be saved today like they were in the book of Acts! God's people can have revival just like they always could!

I was preaching in the deep South. On Tuesday night I made a statement that startled myself. I made the statement that if somebody would pay the price in this generation, a church could still have 3000 people saved on one Sunday. I could not believe I said it. Flying back to Chicago the next morning, the Lord seemed to impress that upon me. In fact, I could almost hear Him speak and ask me if I believed what I had said the night before. I was somewhat stunned that I had said it. Somewhat to my own surprise, I went to my people that Wednesday night and told them that we were going to have 3000 people saved on the third Sunday of March of that year. (That date was about two months away.)

The First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, began to work and pray as I've never seen a church work and pray. We were asking God to give us 3000 people saved on, as it were, another Pentecost. On that special Sunday, 5195 people walked the aisles of the First Baptist Church of Hammond receiving Christ as Saviour! The next year we had a second Pentecost Sunday, and over 3300 people were saved! Then the next year we had another Pentecost Sunday, and over 4900 people were saved, as Dr. Curtis Hutson was our guest speaker.

I'm not a great preacher. I don't profess to be a great Christian. I just profess to serve a great God Who is the same yesterday, today and forever, and Who will give revival when God's people pay the price!

I believe that II Chronicles 7:14 is still valid, and while the ultra-dispensationalists are saying it cannot happen today, there are men of God all over America who are seeing it happen! More people are being baptized today than in the history of the United States of America. More great soul-winning churches are being built than have ever been built.

Let the dusty theologians say it can't be done, but give me a generation of young preachers on fire for God who believe the Word of God, believe the promises of God and claim the blessings of God, and we will prove by the grace of God that it can be done today! I am not fighting dispensationalism; I am attacking vigorously the heresy and false teaching that says it can't be done today. Whatever God could do, God can do! Whatever God can do, God will do, if His people meet His conditions!

Chapter Three

Formal Worship -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

Of course, the word "formal" comes from the word "form," which means "an outline." From this we can believe that formal worship then would be an outline of worship - going through the form.

II Timothy 3:5, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such turn away.

The first mention of worship in the Bible is in Genesis 22:5, "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."

This is the story of Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah. Notice the words, "I and the lad will go yonder and worship." This is a far cry from what we call worship. The worship that Abraham was going to do was to go to a mountain, build an altar, take a knife, kill his son and offer him for a sacrifice.

The next mention of worship in the Bible is in Genesis 24:26, 48, 52, "And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. And I bowed my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter

unto his son. And it came to pass, that, when Abraham 's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth." Abraham had sent his servant back to the old country to choose a bride for his son Isaac. At each step in the accomplishing of this task, the servant worshipped.

Neither of these two instances had anything to do with a public worship service.

Worship in the Bible

Was an Individual Act

There is not one single mention of a worship service in the New Testament. There is not one single command or even an implication to the church to have a public worship service. Worship was a private matter.

In Genesis 22:5, Abraham and Isaac went to Mount Moriah to worship. This was an individual act. In Genesis 24:26, 48, 52, Abraham's servant worshipped in an individual act.

In Exodus 34:8, Moses worshipped individually upon the receipt of the second tables of the law. "And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped."

In Judges 7:15, in the midst of his battle against the Midianites, Gideon worshipped individually. "And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian."

In I Samuel 1:19, when Hannah was told that she would bear a son, she worshipped individually. "And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned,

and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her."

In I Samuel 1:28, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli, and Samuel worshipped individually. "Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there."

In I Samuel 15:3 1, Saul worshipped individually. "So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD."

In II Samuel 12:20, David arose after the death of his illegitimate child borne by Bath-sheba, and after having repented, he worshipped individually. "Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat."

In II Samuel 15:32, David came to the top of the mount, and he worshipped individually. "And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head."

In Job 1:20, Job worshipped individually upon hearing of the death of his children. "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped."

In Matthew 8:2, a leper came to Jesus and sought cleansing. When he came to the Saviour, he worshipped Him saying. "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." He worshipped individually.

In Matthew 9:18, a certain ruler came to Jesus interceding for his daughter, and he worshipped individually. "While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler,

and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

In Matthew 15:25, a woman seeking healing for her daughter worshipped individually. "Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me."

In John 9:38, a blind man was healed by Jesus, and he worshipped individually. "And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."

In Acts 16:14, Lydia by the riverside worshipped individually. "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller ofpurple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

In Acts 18:7, Justus worshipped individually. "And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named .Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue."

In Hebrews 11:21, Jacob, at the time of his death, leaned upon the top of his staff and worshipped individually. "By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff"

Worship in the New Testament

The word "worship" is mentioned 35 times in the New Testament. Not one time does it deal with a public worship service.

In Matthew 2:2, the wise men came to worship Jesus. This was not a public service. "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews ?for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."

In Matthew 2:8, Herod enquired of the wise men so he could come and worship Jesus. Had this been done, it would not have been a public service, but an individual matter. "And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."

In Matthew 4:9 and Luke 4:7, Satan promised to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world if He would fall down and worship him. "And saith unto him, All these things willl give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." "If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine."

In Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7, we have the mention of vain worship. "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." "Ho wbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

In John 4:20, 22-24, we have Jesus rebuking formal worship as He talked to the woman at Sychar's well and explained to her that they who would worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. He was telling her that she worshipped one place and the Jews worshipped another place, but that worship was an individual matter and could be done anywhere. The woman at the well said, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus answered her, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

In John 12:20, the Greeks came to worship at a feast. This was done by bringing offerings. "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast."

In Acts 7:42, 43, we have the word "worship" mentioned concerning the golden calf in the wilderness. "Then God turned,

and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 0 ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacnfices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon."

In Acts 17:23, Paul mentions on Mars' hill that the Greeks were worshipping an unknown god. "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

In Acts 18:13, worship contrary to the law was rebuked by some. "Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law."

In Acts 24:11, the word "worship" is connected with Jewish worship. "Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship."

In Acts 24:14, the worship was done by believing the Bible. "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which were written in the law and in the prophets."

In Philippians 3:3, we have individual worship. "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ .Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

In Hebrews 1:6, we find the mention of angels worshipping. "And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."

In Revelation 3:9, we have worship at the synagogue of Satan. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."

In Revelation 4:10, 11, we have worship pertaining to the judgment seat; that is, worship that will be done in the air after the rapture. "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying. Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

In Revelation 9:20, we have worship of idolatry in the tribulation period. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk."

In Revelation 13:8, 12, 15, we have the worship of the Antichrist during the tribulation period. "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

The consequence of those who worship the Antichrist is stated in Revelation 14:7, 9-11, "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture.... And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the

beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

In Revelation 15:4, we have the tribulation worship. "Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glonfy thy name?for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

In Revelation 19:10, John worshipped an angel and was rebuked for doing so. "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: lam thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

In Revelation 22:8, 9, we have the same rebuke given to John again for bowing down and worshipping before an angel. "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, Ifell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."

We have just covered every time the word "worship" is mentioned in the New Testament. It mentions not one public service where they worshipped, not one formal worship, not anything like the average formal church does on Sunday morning-no anthems, no "Gloria Patri," no "Sevenfold Amen," no liturgy, no high-church public service.

The Church Assembled for Things

Other Than Worship

Though worship was a private matter and not a public matter, we nevertheless are commanded to assemble ourselves together as God's people. Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the

assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

According to the New Testament, the public meetings were for strength for God's people, for fellowship, for the taking of the Lord's Supper, for praying, for studying the Bible, for praise, etc. The soul winning was to be done publicly and from house to house. The worshipping was to be done alone, and the church assembled for the aforementioned reasons.

When formal worship is substituted for the real purpose of the assembly, Christians do not get strengthened, encouraged, exhorted or motivated to do the main task of the church, and that is to carry out the Great Commission, which is soul winning. To that end, formal worship becomes an enemy of soul winning!

Chapter Four

Misunderstood Repentance -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

Over and over again the question is asked me, "Is repentance necessary for salvation?" Of course, this is of utmost importance. Anything that deals with the way a person can escape the fires of eternal Hell and go to Heaven to live forever is of vital importance. In this chapter, we will address this most important question.

1. First, we need to find what makes one lost. Please notice John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned:

but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." It is very plain in this verse what makes a person lost. Notice the words, "he that believeth not is condemned already." A person who does not believe is condemned, so not believing is what makes a person lost.

Bear in mind, the word "believing" is the Greek word which means "to rely upon." When one believes on Christ, he simply relies on Him to save him and take him to Heaven when he dies. It is very plain here that what condemns a person is believing not. Then notice it says, "because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Once again, we are told what makes a person lost - because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. It is as simple as that.

Now look at John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Again, we are trying to decide and determine what makes one lost. It is very plain here. Notice the word believeth, "and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." What keeps a person from seeing life? Believing not! What makes the wrath of God abide on a person? Believing not! So, from what must a person repent in order to be saved? He must repent of that which makes him lost. Since "believing not" makes him lost, "believing" makes him saved. The repentance there is a turning from the thing that keeps him from being saved to the thing that saves him. So, yes, there is a repentance from unbelief in order to believe. It is simply a change of direction. It means a turning around. You are going away from believing, and you decide to turn around and believe. You change your direction; you change your mind. With your will you believe and rely upon Christ to save you. In order to believe, you have to repent of unbelief. That which makes a man lost must be corrected.

Now turn to John 5:40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." Oh, how simple this is, and yet how plain! Why does a person not have life, according to this verse? Because he will not come to Christ. So, if a person is going away from Christ, he must turn around and come to Christ, which is a change of direction or a change of mind. This is repentance - repenting of the thing that keeps one from being saved, repenting from "going away" to "coming to."

Notice Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Especially notice the words, "we have turned every one to his own way." That's what not being saved is - turning to our own way. Now if we turn to God's way, which is putting our faith and trust in Jesus, we turn around from going our own way to going His way, from unbelief to belief. This is Bible repentance. Bear in mind, it is the faith that saves. The turning around is necessary in order to put our faith in Christ. One must repent from that thing that keeps him from being saved in order to be saved.

If a person were saved by good works, then he would have to repent of bad works, or of not doing good works, in order to be saved. If a person were saved by quitting his sinning, then he would have to repent of his sinning in order to be saved. A person is saved by believing, so he repents of his unbelief or turns from his unbelief in order to be saved.

Let us look at the verses that teach us we are saved by belief.

John 3:15, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3.18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Acts 16:31, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

There are those who say we have to repent of our sins in order to be saved. No, we have to repent only of the thing that makes us unsaved, and that is unbelief. If a person needs to turn from his sins in order to be saved, what sins does he turn from? Does he turn from pride? Does he turn from selfishness? Does he turn from covetousness? The truth is, nobody can turn from all of his sins until he is raptured and he receives a body like the body of the Saviour. I John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." According to Psalm 19:12, we do not even know all of our sins. David said, "Cleanse thou me from secret faults." What he is talking about here is being cleansed from faults he doesn't even know he has. A person, when he is first saved, does not know all the things that he is doing that are wrong, and if a person has to repent of all of his sins, where is growth in grace? Where is being a babe in Christ? Where does the carnal Christian fit in here?

Now don't misunderstand me. I am certainly for separation and for living a godly life, but the cleansing of our lives is not done by us any more than salvation is done by us. Salvation is simply repenting of unbelief, and believing, and letting Christ save us. We yield to Him to save us; He does! Immediately the Holy Spirit comes in to live. The Holy Spirit begins His work of cleansing in our lives. He is the one Who cleanses, just as he is the one Who saves. He is the one Who points our sins out to us after we are saved just as He is the one Who saves us when we are saved.

This chapter is being dictated in San Antonio, Texas. I am sitting in a Holiday Inn. Tomorrow morning early I will catch a plane for Chicago. Let's suppose I get on that plane, and I am trusting the pilot to take me to Chicago. I do not know how to operate the plane, nor do I know the route to Chicago by air. There is nothing I can do to get myself to Chicago by that plane. I trust the pilot to get me there. So, we get up in the air thousands of feet high, and let's suppose I get a knife and cut up the seat in front of me. Now, where am I going? I'm still going to Chicago. Why? I repented of "not trusting the plane to take me" to "trusting the plane to take me."

The stewardess comes and says, "Mr. Hyles, what are you doing back here?" I say, "I'm just cutting up a little bit!"

Then suppose I reach up and cut off a lock of her hair. Now where am I going? I'm going to Chicago. You see, how I behave on the flight does not determine my destination.

So, the stewardess goes to the pilot and says, "Mr. Hyles, back in seat 14A is causing some disturbance. Look at my hair. Go back and look at the seat." The pilot leaves the plane in the hands of the co-pilot and comes back to seat 14A and says, "Mr. Hyles, what are you doing back here?" He looks at the seat I've cut up, he sees the lock of hair that I've cut off the stewardess, and I reach out and cut off his tie. Now where am I going? I'm going to Chicago. That was all determined when I got on the airplane. Now the truth is, I will not enjoy Chicago as much as I would have enjoyed it, nor will I go to the part of Chicago I'd planned to, but I'm still going to Chicago.

When we put our faith and trust in Christ, and repent of unbelief, and believe, God's Holy Spirit comes in to live and begins to straighten us out. He points out our sins, and as we yield to Him, He cleanses us from our sins. If we misbehave on the journey, we are still going to Heaven, because we go to Heaven by trusting Christ to take us there. The Holy Spirit Who came in to live begins to point out things that we should and should not do. If we do not obey Him, if we misbehave on the journey, we will still go to Heaven; we simply will not enjoy it as much as we would have had we behaved, just as I would not enjoy Chicago as much as I would have had I behaved.

I know a young man who recently got married. He got an apartment several months before he got married and lived there alone until the wedding took place. What a mess that apartment was! His pants were hung on the bedpost, his shoes were left on the floor beside the bed, and the bed was never made. Then one day he got married. Now how did he get married? He got married by turning from being single to being married. He repented of not being married and got married. When he took his new bride to the apartment, she was aghast, but immediately she began to straighten things up. She put his shoes in the closet, took his shirt off the chair, removed his clothes off the bedpost, and made a lovely little apartment out of the mess that he had made. Now he was not married because he cleaned up his apartment; he was married because he

repented of that thing that kept him from being married. He repeated the vows and accepted her as his wife. It was then that she came in; it was then that his apartment began to get clean!

Practically every false doctrine comes from getting things out of order. God's divine order is salvation, then change; not change and then salvation! If one has to be changed to be saved, that's salvation by works. It is also salvation by the flesh. The truth is, one is cleansed from the sins of the flesh just as he is saved; by yielding to the Holy Spirit and letting Him do His work.

2. You can repent of something other than sin. Matthew 7:3, "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." Notice that Judas repented. Now what does it mean? It means he repented about keeping the money. He had sold our Saviour for thirty pieces of silver; he changed his mind and took the silver back. A change of mind and change of direction took place, but it had nothing to do with salvation. He had made a bad deal; he regretted he had made that bad deal, and he tried to correct it.

Everybody who lives in sin eventually repents, but they do not repent of unbelief. They change their mind about sin. No one lives in sin without realizing later that it did not bring the joy, happiness, peace and contentment that it claimed to bring. I talk to people every week who are tired of their sins, unhappy in their sinful life or living a miserable, wretched life because of the results of sin. What have they done? They have changed their mind about sin, and in some cases, they even quit their sin - at least that sin which was most predominant in their lives. You can repent of sin without repenting of unbelief. Such was the case with Judas. No doubt he repented that he had done wrong. He certainly repented of the bad deal he had made. He turned around, changed his mind and brought the money back, but he did not repent of that thing from which he must repent in order to be saved, and that is unbelief.

3. God repents. Notice Genesis 6:6, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Bear in mind, the word "repent" means "change of mind." God made man and wished He hadn't. He was grieved because of what man had done, and He repented that He had made man. This does not mean that God repented from sin, because God could not sin; He simply changed His mind, which He does often. Basically, that is what answered prayer is much of the time.

Now notice I Samuel 15:35, "And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel." God had made Saul king over Israel. The truth is that God did not want to do so, but Israel clamored for a king. Saul was chosen to be that king, but it then did not turn out as it should have. So, in this verse it simply says that God repented that He had made Saul king. He changed His mind.

What I'm saying is, there is repentance other than repentance from sin. A lady can change her mind about the kind of perfume she wears. A man can change his mind about the kind of food he eats or the kind of clothes he wears. He can change his direction concerning his manners. You can repent from discourtesy to courtesy. You can repent from stubbornness to leniency. You can repent from impatience to patience, but those things don't save. Repenting from the thing that makes you lost is the thing that makes you saved, and that is, repenting of your unbelief.

Now notice Exodus 32:9-14, "And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak,

and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and thy shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."

Let me paraphrase the story. God said to Moses, "I'm sick and tired of the people and their rebellion. Get out of the way so I can consume them." Moses came to God and said, "Lord, don't do that. You're the One Who brought the people out of the land of Egypt, and if You consume them, the heathen people are going to criticize You. Not only that! You promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that you would multiply their seed and that You would give them the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession." Moses pleaded his case before God, reminding God what God had promised. Then verse 14 simply says, "The LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." The word "evil" here means something that would cause them pain; it's not talking about sin. God decided not to hurt them after all. He decided not to consume them after all. He changed His mind, but He did not change His mind concerning a sin, because God cannot sin.

Now turn to Jonah 3:9, 10, "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."

God was going to punish Nineveh. Jonah had preached in Nineveh and had warned the people that destruction was coming. The people believed God, turned from their unbelief to belief, and God changed His mind about punishing the people. In verse 10 the Bible says, "And God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."

Again, God simply changed His mind and changed His direction. He was going to punish; they believed; He decided not to punish. He changed from the direction of punishing to the direction of not punishing. This is repentance, but not repentance from sin, because God cannot sin.

Look at Amos 7:3, "The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord."

Amos 7:6, "The Lord repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord God."

So, repentance does not always deal with salvation and sin; it is simply a change of direction or a change of mind.

4. Now we consider repentance and salvation. Look at Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

Peter is preaching here. He tells the people to repent and be converted. Now we have to go back to what saves. John 3:14-16, 18, 36, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Acts 16:31, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

So these people had to repent from not believing and believe in order that they might be converted. They had to change directions, change their minds.

Let me say again that I do not believe for a second that Christian people should live like the Devil. No preacher preaches separation more than I do. I simply believe that that separation is a work of the Holy Spirit just like regeneration is a work of the Holy Spirit, and it starts after one has repented from that which makes him lost, and that is unbelief. When this is done, he believes, he is saved. Then the Holy Spirit comes in and begins to tell the Christian what sins from which he should repent. The man changed his mind about unbelief. The Holy Spirit directed him there. Now the Holy Spirit comes in to live and begins to change his mind about other things.

Now look at Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus

Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Peter is saying, "Change your mind and be baptized." Now, about what did they change their minds? This is answered in verse 41. Look at what they did in response. They gladly received His Word, and then they were baptized. So what was this repentance? It was repentance from not receiving His Word to receiving His Word. That's all Peter was saying. He was saying, "Change your mind about receiving the Word," which states that you must believe and repent from unbelief in order to be saved.

Now turn to Acts 17:30, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." Notice God commandeth all men every where to repent. Repent from what? Repent from the thing that keeps them lost, and that's unbelief. What corrects this? Look at Acts 17:34, "Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Dammaris, and others with them." Notice it said, "certain men believed." So, when he said, "repent," he was saying "repent from unbelief and believe," because just as in Acts 2:38 and 41 a command was given to repent, and the believing was the obedience to that command. They changed their mind about belief. They decided to believe instead of not believe.

Now look at Mark l:15, "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."

Jesus Himself is saying repent, and notice immediately He says, "repent, and believe." What He was saying is, "Quit unbelieving, and believe. Quit not believing, and believe." Again, I'm not saying a Christian should live like the Devil, but I am saying that changing your life does not save you. That's salvation by works. Faith is what saves you. You turn from unbelief to belief; from no faith to faith, and then repentance from sins begins, because He Who convicted you from the sin of unbelief to believing now lives in you. How easy it is now for Him to convict you day by day of other things from which you can repent and about which you can change your mind.

5. Repentance from sin is directed to God's people.

Revelation 2:5, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Here is a case of a church that was a good church. It was a church that worked. It worked hard. It hated sin. It was doctrinally sound. Revelation 2:2, "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." It was a patient church. It was a church that believed in the name of Jesus and did not faint in their standing for that. Revelation 2:3, "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted." However, it was a church that had left its first love. It does not say that that church lost its first love, but they left their first love. When you lose something, you don't know where it

is. When you leave something, you know where to find it. It does not say that this church did not love any more. The truth

is they did love. Love is what made them faithful, what made them work, what made them have patience, what made them hate sin, what made them stand for the name of Jesus, what made them hate false doctrine. This was a church of people who loved God, but they had left their first love - that first sweet love - maybe more shallow than the love they had then.

It does not say that they loved Him less. The truth is they probably loved Him more, but God is saying, "I want both. I want the deep, mature love that you have now and the sweet expressive love that you used to have.

The only sin this church had committed was the sin of leaving their first love -that "Amen!" love, that "Hallelujah!" love, that "Glory to God!" love, that sweet, expressive love. Nevertheless, they sinned, and God told them to repent. Repent from what? Repent from drinking? No. Repent from adultery? No. This is not the subject here. It's repenting from not loving Christ with the first love.

This same type repentance was commanded to the church in Pergamos. Revelation 2:16, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and willfight against them with the sword of my mouth." The same thing was said to the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2:21, 22, "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." The church in Sardis was told likewise to repent in Revelation 3:3, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." The church at Laodicea received the same command in Revelation 3:19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

So you can see that God tells individuals to repent; He also tells groups to repent. He tells nations to repent. Time and time again He called Israel to repentance.

Now let us review, as follows:

1. God says to the unsaved, "Repent of your unbelief."

It's very interesting that in I John the word "repentance" is never mentioned, and yet the purpose of I John was to give people the assurance of salvation. I John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." Of course, repentance is certainly implied throughout the entire book, because the book tells us that what saves is believing on Christ (or relying on Him) to save, which, of course, implies that that person must repent of what makes him lost, which is unbelief.

2. God says to the saved people, "Repent of sin." This is done by the Holy Spirit as He comes in to live to remind us to take the clothes off the bedpost, the shirt off the chair, put the shoes into the closet, etc.

3. If a person must repent of his sins to be saved, of what sins must he repent? Can he repent of all of them? Isn't that sinless perfection or holiness? Isn't that salvation by works? Of what sin must one repent? He must repent of the sin that makes him lost, and that's the sin of unbelief.

4. If turning from sins would get you saved, then turning back to sins would get you lost. In Acts 16:30 the very simple question is asked, "What must I do to be saved?" This is the one time in the Bible where this question is asked. Now the answer to this question must be what saves a person. Acts 16:31, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." There's the answer-belief. There is nothing about repentance here, except, yes, there is something about repentance, because you can't believe without repenting from unbelief.

5. If a person has to clean up his own life before he gets saved, we are back to Arminianism or salvation by works.

6. We cannot do what the Holy Spirit can do. The Holy

Spirit first convicts us of our sin of unbelief to bring us to Christ. Once He brings us to Christ, He comes in us to live. Romans 8:9, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spint of Christ, he is none of his." I Corinthians 6:19, 20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Then when the Holy Spirit is in us, He begins to convict us of things in our lives that should be changed. Then the Christian life becomes a constant repenting until we wake in the likeness of Christ.

Chapter Five

False Bibles -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

In order to live as a child of God, I must have a perfect Bible. Matthew 4:41, "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Notice the words, "every word."

If I have my prayers answered, I must have a perfect Bible. John 15:7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." That means that somewhere in the world, there has to be a perfect Bible.

God has told us that His words are pure. Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in afurnace of earth, punfied seven times."

God has told us that these pure words would be preserved forever. Psalm 12:7, "Thou shalt keep them, 0 LORD, thou shalt preserve them for this generation forever." Since today is a part of forever, somewhere in the world there must be pure words of God. Hence, it does not satisfy me for someone to say that only in the original do we have the pure words of God. Since there are no original manuscripts today, or for that matter, there are no manuscripts even near the original manuscripts as far as time is concerned, then what these people are saying is

that we do not have anywhere today any book that contains the pure words of God. Yet, I am commanded to preach the Word.

II Timothy 4:2, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

Now since the words of God are pure, and since all of the so-called Bibles do not have the same words, only one can be the real Bible that contains the very words of God, the pure words of God, and the preserved words of God. The purpose of this chapter is not to enter into a discussion about the Textus Receptus or Westcott-Hort; it is simply to say that if God commanded me to preach His Word, He would have to give me His Word to preach, and certainly His Word is pure, because the words of God are pure according to the aforementioned Scriptures and will be preserved forever. This preacher believes that those preserved words are in the Bible that I hold in my right hand at this very moment-the King James Bible!

I have more respect for the person who says that one of the false Bibles contains the very words of God than for a person who says only the original contains the very words of God. At least he believes, though wrongly, that we still have the words of God which are pure. For many, many reasons I believe that the King James Bible has been preserved in the English language word-for-word. I have to believe that. I must have the words of God, if I live, if I preach and if I get my prayers answered.

1. There are some things that are incorruptible. The word "incorruptible" means "perfect," "cannot change," "cannot be improved." If you change something, it must go to perfection or from perfection, so if something can be changed, it must have been imperfect and been made perfect, or it must have been perfect and made imperfect. Let us notice some things that are incorruptible.

(1) God. Romans 1:23, "And changed the glory of the

incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible

man, and to birds, and foutfooted beasts, and creeping things." This means God is perfect. He cannot be improved; He cannot change. He cannot be taken from imperfection to perfection or from perfection to imperfection.

(2) Our future crown. I Corinthians 9:25, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." Once the crown is received, it cannot be improved; it cannot change. It will be perfect.

(3) Our glorified bodies. I Corinthians 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." I John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Notice that our glorified body will be like His, and it will be incorruptible. His glorified body is incorruptible. You cannot improve it; you cannot change it. Then, my glorified body will be incorruptible. It cannot be improved; it cannot be changed.

(4) Our inheritance. I Peter 1:4, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." Our inheritance will be perfect. It cannot be improved; it cannot be changed.

(5) The Word of God. I Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Luke 8:11, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." You will notice the seed from which we are born again is incorruptible. It is the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Consequently, you cannot improve it; you cannot change it. If you do, you must go from imperfection or to imperfection. Notice in

I Peter 1:23 it is called "incorruptible." Just as God is

incorruptible, just as our crown is incorruptible, just as our glorified body will be incorruptible, just as Jesus' body is incorruptible, just as our inheritance is incorruptible; likewise, the Word of God is incorruptible.

Notice in Psalm 126:6, it is "precious seed." This implies that there is some seed which is not precious. Luke 8:11 teaches us that this seed is the Word of God. It is perfect; it cannot be changed; it cannot be improved.

2. The words of God are the genes of regeneration. Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Actually the word "regeneration" means "to be re-gened." Just as the genes of my parents brought my old nature into existence, even so the genes of God brought my new nature into existence. Your old nature is sinful because there was sin in the genes, but the genes of the Word of God are incorruptible, meaning that which is born of God; that is, the new nature, cannot sin.

Now if the very words of God must be pure, and if in fact the King James Bible contains the preserved words of God, then any other words are not the words of God. This means that the Revised Version is not precious seed because it is not incorruptible. This means that the Good News for Modern Man is not precious seed, because it is not incorruptible. This means that the Living Bible is not precious seed because it is not incorruptible. This means that the Reader's Digest Bible is not precious seed, because it is not incorruptible. This means that the New King James Bible is not precious seed because it is not incorruptible. This means that the New Scofield Bible is not precious seed, because it is not incorruptible. This means that the New International Version (NIV) is not precious seed, and it is not incorruptible. This means that the American Standard Version is not precious seed because it is not incorruptible. If the versions do not agree, then all of them cannot be the very words of God that have been preserved for us.

3. The genes of the new birth must be incorruptible. I Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." These words were penned in the first century, but it says that the incorruptible seed "liveth and abideth for ever." Since today is a part of "for ever," we must have the incorruptible seed in order to be re-gened, or regenerated, or born again.

4. Suppose corruptible seed is used. Can a person then

be born again from it? You answer that question. According to I Peter 1:23 we read, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed...." Then, if corruptible seed is used, one cannot be born again. I have a conviction as deep as my soul that every English-speaking person who has ever been born again was born of incorruptible seed; that is, the King James Bible. Does that mean that if someone goes soul winning and takes a false Bible that the person who receives Christ is not saved? I believe with all of my soul that the incorruptible seed must have been used somewhere in that person's life. If all a person has ever read is the Revised Standard Version, he cannot be born again, because corruptible seed is used, and I Peter 1:23 is very plain to tell us that a person cannot be born again of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, and it explains that that incorruptible seed is the Word of God, and it explains that it liveth and abideth forever.

This is also borne out in Psalm 19:7, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Notice the words, "the law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul." It is the law of the Lord that converts. It is the Word of God that regenerates. The Word is the seed, and the seed must be incorruptible.

7. The perfect Word of God must be used if a person grows in grace. 1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Notice that it is the "sincere" Word of God by which we grow in grace. So, to grow in grace, we must have the sincere (pure) Word of God.

This same thing is taught in Deuteronomy 4:10, 36, "Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire."

Notice the words of God are what teach us, and from the words of God we are to be instructed. If they are in fact words of God, they must be pure, because a pure God could not give impure words, and an incorruptible God could not give corruptible words.

8. These words of God are perfect. There are several things in the Bible that are called perfect.

(1) His work is perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4, "He is the

Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a

God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

(2) His way is perfect. Psalm 18:30, "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him."

(3) The Heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48, "Be

ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

(4) The glorified body will be perfect. I Corinthians

13:10, "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

(5) The law of the Lord is perfect. Psalm 19:7, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of theLord is sure, making wise the simple." So we must have an incorruptible, perfect Word of God. To say that this could be found only in the original manuscripts is to say we have no words of God today that are perfect, which means we have no perfect Book to preach, we have no perfect Book to read, we have no perfect Book by which to grow, and we have no perfect Seed by which we can be born again or re-gened or regenerated.

9. There are several ways that the words of God are made into impure words by translators and theologians (selfstyled).

(1) They add to the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5, 6, "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Notice several things in these verses. First, every word of God is pure. Psalm 119:140, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." Psalm 19:8, "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes." Second, in Proverbs 30:6, we are told not to add to these words. Third, in verse 6 the Bible says that He reproves those who do add to His words.

Then in verse 6 also, the Bible says that those who do add to His words are liars.

Now notice Deuteronomy 4:2a, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you...." We are commanded not to add to His Word.

(2) They take away from the words of God.

Deuteronomy 4:2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." God plainly commands that we not diminish His Word.

Now notice Revelation 22:19, "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God

shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" A stern rebuke and warning is given to anyone who takes away from the words of God. This means that God's judgment will rest upon those who try to give us a condensed Bible.

(3) They will try to change the Word of God. Jeremiah 26:2, "Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word." Here we have a command not to diminish one word. It is not talking here necessarily about taking words away but changing a word or diminishing a word. Let the translators of the many versions take heed and take warning.

In conclusion, one may ask, "What does this have to do with soul winning?" Beloved, it has everything to do with soul winning. If the words of God are the incorruptible seed, and if seed must be incorruptible, if someone is born again, then the soul winner must have a perfect Bible. Thank God, we do!

Chapter Six

Church Leaders (Nobles)

Not Soul Winners -

An Enemy of Soul Winning

Nehemiah 3:1-5, "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord."

My ministry has spanned two generations. I have preached in the great churches of both generations. I have preached in the great fundamental colleges and Bible institutes of both generations. I have watched the deterioration of churches and colleges and Bible institutes. I have wondered what caused it. I have studied the cause, and in this chapter I present

at least one thing that has aided the deterioration of our churches and schools.

When I became Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Hammond over 33 years ago, I inherited an unusual situation for an old-fashioned, hellfire-and-brimstone preacher such as I. I inherited a church with 22 committees. It seemed to take five people seven days to put flowers on the communion table, and it seemed to take seven people seven days to plan the music for Sunday.

I inherited a church where my predecessor preached in formal attire with striped pants and a scissor-tail coat. The church would not allow the piano to be played on Sunday morning. They allowed only a pipe organ for accompaniment. They would not allow a congregational song leader on Sunday morning. Sunday morning was the formal worship service. Sunday night was an informal service, attended by a handful.

When I went to the First Baptist Church as Pastor, my Associate Pastor, now Evangelist Jim Lyons, went with me. Shortly after we arrived, Brother Lyons went to his office on Sunday morning to find a picture taken from his wall. This picture was one of his wife and children. A note was placed beside the picture from one of the trustees saying that he could not hang a picture on his wall without permission from the Board of Trustees.

In the church there was a constitution committee. Every adult Sunday school class was required to have a constitution. Each constitution was submitted to the constitution committee for approval.

Shortly after I arrived we had a missions conference. Dr. John R. Rice and Dr. Walter Wilson were scheduled to preach. The missions committee came to me and said, "You can't have the missions conference without permission from the missions committee." (They soon found out that they were wrong on this!)

At the first service of the missions conference we took an offering, whereupon I was advised by the finance committee that I could not take an offering without permission form the finance committee. (They soon found out that I could take an offering without permission from the finance committee!)

It wasn't long until we had a deacons' meeting, whereupon the deacon chairman asked, "Pastor, do you have any speaking engagements that you want us to approve? The deacons must vote to approve where you speak." (They soon found out that this would not work either!)

Soon the deacon chairman said, "We would like to have a list of all the organizations where you serve as a board member so we can approve them." (Of course, I would not submit to this either.)

There are many other things that would simply enlarge upon the situation that I inherited which are unnecessary to be mentioned. What I'm saying is that this church, at that time a member of the American Baptist Convention, had become what so many other churches are now becoming. Now this wasn't the way the church was first organized. Nobody starts a new church with this kind of super-organization and unnecessary baggage. What caused this deterioration? What is causing a similar deterioration in many of our churches today? Such deterioration has brought formal worship services, a paralyzed pulpit, weak pastoral leadership, an over abundance of unnecessary committees and a de-emphasis on soul winning.

When a church is started, it is an exciting time. Especially is this true of an independent, fundamental Baptist church. These churches are started on street corners, in vacant lots, in storefront buildings, in basements, in tents and in many other places. When a church is started, there is a fervor of soul winning; people are getting saved. No one ever thinks about a music committee, educational committee, a missions committee, a flower committee or a finance committee! They are

simply interested in getting people saved and down the aisle and building an old-fashioned, New Testament Baptist church. Notice the step-by-step deterioration of a convert in a young church.

1. The period of spiritual infancy. During this time there is usually a period of adjustment while learning the songs, some Bible, and the Christian vocabulary and manner of life.

2. The period of enthusiastic work at the church. The people become excited about the work. Though awkward, they attempt to win souls; they are zealous. This period continues for some time.

3. The period when the work becomes a ritual. After a while, some get adjusted to the work. They keep on teaching a class but are not too excited about it. They keep on working on the buses but have lost much of their enthusiasm. However, during this time, they become known in the church. They come to a place of great respect. Perhaps at one time they had the biggest bus route or fastest-growing Sunday school class. This made them highly visible in the church. Everybody knows them, and they are becoming, to an extent, church leaders.

4. The period of becoming noblemen. Now one is a deacon, a trustee, church clerk or church treasurer. He can be called a "nobleman" in the church. Perhaps he is Sunday school superintendent or treasurer. Then he becomes so busy in the organization and business of the church and in his place of leadership that his Sunday school class is neglected. His bus route is low on his list of priorities, and his soul winning has diminished. After a while, he quits his soul winning, resigns his bus route, and makes only a token effort in his Sunday school class. He has too much to do as a deacon or a trustee or as a church officer, until finally he resigns his Sunday school class.

While he does this, there is another group of people who have not been saved for long. They are building the church while he is running the church. The new, zealous Christians are

doing the work, so we have a cast system that has developed. The older, seasoned Christian has traded the building of the church for the running of the church. The younger, less-experienced Christian is building the church. This will eventually lead to its destruction. One group builds the church and another group runs the church; the commoner does the work while "their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord."

Every deacon ought to be a soul winner. Everyone who sings a special ought to be a soul winner. Every church officer should be a soul winner. The same people who lead in the church should build the church. There are hundreds of churches in America who have a group of nobles whom the people respect and follow while a bunch of commoners are doing the work! After a while, the church is controlled by the non-builders, and those who are building the church have no part in the running of the church. The builders become second-class citizens. No bus worker or soul winner is a second-class citizen! There should be no division between the work of the church. Every person should be a soul winner. No one has a right to lead the church who is not taking part in building the church, winning folks to Christ, building bus routes and building Sunday school classes.

Sometimes the nobles even get involved in some other project outside the church -perhaps some interdenominational organization which is a parasite off the New Testament churches. The greatest child evangelism in the world should be in the local church. The greatest youth for Christ program should be in the local church. All across this nation there are men who once built the church who have become nobles and stopped doing what they once did in soul winning, Sunday school building, passing out tracts, street preaching, etc. They have become nobles who run the church while another group builds the church.

The same thing happens in colleges. While in college, the student is a soul winner. He brings folks down the aisles, he passes out tracts, he witnesses on the street corner. He may even

preach on the streets. Perhaps he builds a bus route. When he graduates, he has impressed the administration, and he is hired on the faculty. Far too many times, he thinks he no longer has to be a soul winner. He has graduated from the production end. He is now on the faculty. He is now a nobleman. Certainly you wouldn't expect a nobleman to do the work of soul winning! So, the result in many colleges, seminaries and Bible institutes is that the students do the work and the noblemen teach the classes. This, of course, will lead to the spiritual destruction of a college. When the students obey the Great Commission, and the administration and faculty do not, the wrong people are doing the teaching!

This same thing happens in our day schools. Many of our Christian high schools, junior high schools and elementary schools literally ignore the local church. Every teacher in every Christian school in America should be actively involved in the local church, and more than that, each one of them should be involved in the production part of the local church. 'Tis sad but true, many Christian school teachers feel they are doing their job for God in the school and that their work for God ends there. Nothing is farther from the truth! The church is many times more important than the school, and no one is qualified or deserving to teach in a Christian school unless he is doing the work of producing, soul winning, church building in the local church.

Once again, we have arrived at the place where we do not think the nobles have to put their necks to the work of the Lord. The faculty is supposed to win souls just like the students. The administration is supposed to win souls just like the faculty and students. The staff is supposed to win souls just like the laymen. The deacons are supposed to win souls just like the custodian. The Ph.D. is supposed to win souls just like the illiterate. The old folks are supposed to win souls just like the young people. Nobody has a right to be a nobleman in a church unless he is participating in the carrying out and obeying of the Great Commission. Now how can we avoid this dreadful situation of the nobles who put not their necks to the work of the Lord?

1. The noble should keep working. This should be kept before the church constantly. I preached this sermon vigorously at First Baptist C