The Soul Winners Six Mighty Motivations | Part 1

From the Love We're Finding studios in Memphis, Tennessee, I'm Byron Tyler, here with Kerry Vaughn, the CEO of Love We're Finding. Kerry, today is a special day for me because it was 37 years ago today that my wife and I stood before Adrian Rogers, and he married us. It's our anniversary. Oh, that's great. Happy anniversary. What a hallmark event. That's awesome. Well, I'm so thankful to have a special bride for all these years, and Dr. Rogers tied us together.

I did not tight. Well, today Adrian Rogers talks about the soul winners, six mighty motivations. And, you know, Kerry, when I think of the legacy of Adrian Rogers, of course, he was a prolific and anointed preacher and teacher of God's word. But I'm also reminded of his passion for lost souls.

Oh, all the time, right? He was his mantra was come to Jesus, right? He had a very sensitive approach to introducing people to a saving knowledge. Of Jesus Christ, it was very, he was a pastor of urgency, if I can say it that way. Well, Kerry, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. This day exists to mobilize unified public prayer for America. And can you think of anything more needed right now than to pray? No, I think as you look at the National Day of Prayer, love, life and liberty. I think, you know, prayer is a critical foundation of that God's word.

All that comes together for one day, you know, where they also have the the prayer breakfast in February and they have the National Day of Prayer in May. And so it's that time of year where we just pause and say it's time to pray for our leaders, pray for our nation and pray that God will move in a mighty way across our land. Well, prayer was always a concern of Adrian Rogers. And when we talk about having effectual and fervent prayers of a righteous man, he had this to say. Prayer is not prayer. You know, God says, you stretch forth your hands, but I will not hear.

And he said, your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hidden his face from you that he will not hear. And actually, the prayers of an unrepentant people anger God. So prayer is not some sort of a smokescreen that we can hide in and just say, God bless us anyway. God blesses people who seek his face.

And turn from their wicked ways. And then the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. You know, I pray with a group on Monday evenings, and it's a joy for me to do that. But one of the things we pray is God keep us hungry, keep us holy and keep us humble. Now think about that, Byron. You know, if we can be holy and humble, God can do a lot of things.

Yes. And that's what we need right now is some humility. It's no doubt that we're in a crisis here in America.

With this pandemic, social unrest, plus people have lost their jobs. I mean, many have lost family members. Adrian Rogers offered this prayer for our listeners and for America. Lord Jesus, you're the one who teaches us to pray. And Father, you've said in your word unto the God that answers prayer shall all flesh come. And Lord, I'm so grateful you described yourself as a prayer answering God. And Lord, you've said call upon me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

Lord, these are your words. And so, Lord, your people who are listening to this program bring our unified hearts and voices to praise you. Together, Lord, we pray for our nation. And God, please, please, God, forgive us of our sins that have mounted up to the heavens. Oh, God, have mercy on America.

And give us space to repent in the strong name of Jesus. Amen. We also appreciate the fuel of hearing from our listeners when they write to us. And we have this listener who says, Dr. Adrian Rogers lessons bless me every weekday morning.

I listen on radio and I love his messages. They teach, they edify, and they instruct me in ways I just cannot explain. God is blessing me through his work.

Thanks for all you do. Well, with today's message from Adrian Rogers, the sowinner's six mighty motivations, here's part one. Take your Bibles, please, and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And when you found it, would you look up here for a moment? Let me tell you something. Your achievement in life will be primarily impelled by your motivations.

Now, what motivates you, impels you, drives you, and will cause you to be whatever you end up being. I heard of a little boy one time who, a young man, really, who was going through the woods. And he heard a growl and looked behind him. And there was a great grizzly bear. And the boy began to run and the bear began to run. And the boy said, this bear is going to get me and devour me unless I find some way of escape.

But there seemed to be no way of escape. And then he saw a tree. And there was a limb that went out. The limb was 15 feet high. He said, nobody has ever jumped 15 feet high straight up.

But I've got to do it if I save my life. And the bear was right there with his warm, moist breath on the nape of that man's neck. And with a prayer, this youngster gave a leap as hard as he could.

Now, he missed the limb, but he caught it on his way back down. That's motivation. I want to speak to you about the soul winner's mighty motivation. The mightiest soul winner that I've known anything about or read about is the Apostle Paul.

And in this 2 Corinthians chapter 5, we find out what motivated Paul, what drove Paul, what impelled Paul, what made him the greatest missionary the world has ever known. And we're going to learn from that. And if you've never been a soul winner, I want you to listen today very carefully. If you are a soul winner, you will be blessed and encouraged by this.

Now, there's several things I want you to learn. The very first thing I want you to learn is the soul winner's compulsion. The soul winner's compulsion. Paul had a compelling motive that drove him. What was Paul's compulsion? They said, Paul, why do you work so hard?

And here's his answer. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9. Wherefore we labor.

Here's the reason now we work so hard. Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. That doesn't mean that we work to get to heaven. What he is saying is, I want to be acceptable to God. I want God to be pleased with me.

Ladies and gentlemen, look up here. If you're not endeavoring to bring souls to Christ, you are not acceptable to God. I don't care how much money you give. I don't care how faithfully you attend. I don't care how eloquently you may preach. I care not how faithfully you may live.

I care not how circumspectly you may walk. Listen. If you are not endeavoring to bring souls to Jesus Christ, you are not acceptable him. You're not pleasing him. And no matter whom you may please, if you displease God, you're a failure. And if you please God, it really doesn't matter how many people you displease. And the way to please God is to bring souls to the Lord Jesus Christ. That is your compulsion. Andrew Murray, a great Christian of yesteryear said, there are two classes of Christians, soul winners and backsliders.

Now you're one or the other. Paul said, you want me to tell you why I work so hard? I am compelled, I am compelled to be acceptable to God.

That's the first reason. The soul winner's compulsion. Number two, I want you to see the soul winner's compensation. Look, if you will, now in verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.

There is a day coming when we will be compensated. The Bible calls that the judgment seat of Christ. Now, this is not the great white throne judgment where the unsaved will appear. The word judgment seat here is the word Greek word Bema, B-E-M-A. And what it was was a raised platform in the middle of the Olympic field where runners would come and receive their reward or else they would be disgraced and receive no reward. And there would often be a laurel placed on their head that sooner or later would wilt and fade away. But we are going to be compensated as we win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, what is our compensation going to be? Just put in your margin there 1 Corinthians 9 verses 24 through 26. Know ye not that they which run a race run all, but one receiveth the prize. So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. That is, if you're going to run a race, you've got to train yourself. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown.

That is just a wreath around the head. But we an incorruptible, therefore so run, not as uncertainly. So fight I, not as one that beateth the air. Paul says, look, if you want to get the crown, you've got to train yourself. You have got to discipline yourself. You have to run with all of your might. And when you box, it's not shadow boxing as one who is beating the air.

This is a fight and it is a real fight. Have you ever come to the place where you realize that one of these days you're going to face the Lord and receive a crown if you're a sole winner? I am a has-been athlete, but I did play some football. I was the captain of a championship team and our award was a little gold football, which I gave to my sweetheart, Joyce. A little gold football. And then because we played football, we were called lettermen. That is, we got a sweater with a letter on it.

Our letter said PB, Palm Beach High School. And then because God blessed me with some success, I got some loving cups, some trophy cups. Now let me tell you what happened.

The thieves came into our house one night and got the golden football. It's gone. Who has it now? I have no idea. What about the sweater?

The moths got the sweater. It's gone. What about the cups?

I have no idea where they are. I don't know. But I'm going to tell you something, friend. When you win souls to Jesus Christ, you don't receive a corruptible crown. You receive a crown that fadeth not away a crown of glory. What is this judgment seat of Christ? Well, it's going to be a reward for some and it's going to be a regret to others. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 this time.

Put this in your margin. Ephesians 11 through 15, for other foundation can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, that's one category.

Wood, hay, stubble, that's another category. Now listen to this. If you are Sunday morning bench warmer, listen to this. Every man's work shall be made manifest. One of these days, the way that you've lived is going to be made manifest, for the day shall declare it. What day? The day of the judgment seat of Christ, because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Not what size it is, but of what sort it is. God is looking for quality, not quantity. Now listen to this. If any man's work abide which he have built thereupon on Jesus Christ, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Now what is this telling us? It tells us why Paul labored.

He said there's a compensation. There's the judgment seat. Every mother's child is going to come to the judgment seat of Christ, the bema, if you've been saved.

One of these days, you're going to see a replay of that old television program. This is your life. And the life that you lived is going to come into review before the Lord. Now if you're a soul winner, your life will be gold and silver and precious stones. If you're not a soul winner, your life will be wood, hay, and stubble. Gold and silver and precious stones can't burn, they've already been through the fire. Wood, hay, and stubble will be consumed by the fire. Your life will be revealed, it shall be tested by fire. Now what's it going to be?

I want you to imagine yourself right now standing before the judgment seat of Christ. Are you going to be satisfied? There's going to be a reward for some. Some people say, I don't believe in rewards.

Well, God does. Jot these scriptures down. Revelation chapter 22 verse 12. Jesus said, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be.

What is that? Whether it's gold, silver, and precious stones or wood, hay, and stubble. Put this down. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Did you see that? His own reward according to his own labor. Look, if you will, to Matthew chapter 6 and verse 20.

Jot this down. Jesus said, Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. They're treasures. Don't get the idea that everybody's going to be the same in heaven.

They're not. That verse from the Lord Jesus Christ makes absolutely no sense at all if we all have the same treasure. There is treasure that we're going to lay up. The judgment seat of Christ that Paul is talking about here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is a time of reward. But it will also be, listen Christian, listen to me.

It's also going to be a time of regret for some. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. He himself shall be saved, yet so is by fire.

What does that mean? You're going to be singed but saved. You'll get into heaven with your coattails smoking.

Everything that you live for will go up in flames. Our church this morning is filled with people whose lives are wood, hay, and stubble. And I'm telling you as surely as I stand here, one of these days and much sooner than you may realize, you're going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the things done in your body, whether it be good or evil. There's not going to be any soul winning in heaven. You're going to come to the judgment seat and receive the things done in your body while you're here now living, breathing, all the soul winning you're ever going to do for all eternity.

You must do now. How sad it will be to go to heaven and not have won souls and brought souls to Jesus. Must I go empty handed? Must I meet my Savior so without one soul with which to greet Him?

Must I empty handed go? Don't you want to bring somebody to heaven with you? I had a denominational worker work for the entire Southern Baptist Convention call upon me. I went to visit him. He was on his death bed. I shall never forget what he said to me. He said, Pastor, I am saved and I'm going to heaven. He said, I am not afraid to die.

But now listen to this. He said, I am ashamed to die because I've not been a soul winner. I've not been a soul winner.

I'm ashamed to die. Can you imagine facing the Lord Jesus Christ and never ever even really trying to bring a soul to Christ, to go empty handed to heaven? Oh, my friend, you say, well, if I just get to heaven, it'll be fine with me. Just build me a cabin in the corner of glory I am. Friend, I don't know how.

I cannot explain it. But the Bible says clearly and plainly and unmistakably, if any man's work should be burned, he shall suffer loss. One of these days in the clear light of eternity, you would say, oh, God, why was I not a soul winner? Now, you don't win souls in order to get to heaven.

You get to heaven by the grace of God. I cannot work my soul to save. That work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear Son. Paul said, you want to know what motivates me? What is my compulsion to please Him?

What is my compensation? I am going to the judgment seat of Christ. Here's the third thing that motivated Paul, the soul winner's conviction. Look, if you will, now in verse 11, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, knowing the terror of the Lord. But we are made manifest under God, and I trust also made manifest in your conscience. I want you to underscore that phrase if you don't mind writing in your Bible, the terror of the Lord. We persuade men. Paul didn't have a take it or leave it attitude.

This is a motivation. Paul knew there was a death to die, a judgment to face, and he said knowing the terror of the Lord, knowing what it means for a soul to die unredeemed and to die and go to hell, the terror of the Lord. And I realize today that you don't hear hell from many pulpits, but I want to tell you surely as I stand here, there is a place of everlasting fire that the Bible calls hell. And when you lead a soul to Jesus Christ, no longer are they facing an eternity in hell.

No longer must they face the terror of the Lord, but they can know the grace of the Lord. Now, you say, I don't believe in hell. Well, if you don't believe in hell, let me ask you some questions. If there is no hell, is not the Bible a bundle of blunders? Because the Bible itself warns us over and over against hell. Now, if you don't believe in hell, just jettison your Bible.

Just announce to God that you're smarter than God. You don't need the Word of God. The Bible is a blunder. If there is no hell, is not Jesus Christ a deceiver? Do you know who the greatest hellfire preacher in the Bible was? Not some backwoods preacher, but Jesus Christ himself. Mark 9, verses 43 and 44.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm doth not, and the fire is not quenched. If there is no hell, is not the Bible a bundle of blunders? If there is no hell, was not Jesus Christ a deceiver? If there is no hell, was not Calvary a mistake? Why did Jesus die on the cross?

To save us, to save us. I want to tell you, by every mouthful of spit they put on the Savior's face, by every handful of beard they jerked from his cheeks, by every stripe the lash marked his back with, by every bruise that the rods put upon him, by the searing nails that were driven into his quivering hands, by the blackness, the utter midnight of his heart as he cried, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? With all of that, do you mean to tell me that Jesus died to save souls from hell that doesn't exist? Was not Calvary a blunder if there is no hell?

Now, I want to ask you another question. If there is no hell, how can there be any heaven? The same Bible that tells us about heaven tells us about hell.

You can say, well, I'll only believe the part that tells us about heaven. Paul said, let me tell you what motivates me, the terror of the Lord. Now, this is a generation that has failed to understand the terror of the Lord. The Bible speaks of people living in the last days and it says there's no fear of God before their eyes. You say, well, isn't God a God of love? Yes, He is, and we'll get to that in a moment. But if you preach the love of God and the exclusion of the judgment of God, you haven't given a whole picture.

You've only given half the truth, and when half the truth becomes the only truth, half the truth is an untruth. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry and the community praying continually for one another's needs. We can't wait to hear from you today at lwf.org slash radio. Are you motivated today to win souls for Jesus Christ? Spend some time in scripture and prayerfully decide to live boldly for Christ. We hope you'll tune in tomorrow for part two of the Soul Winners Six Mighty Motivations right here on Love Worth Finding.