Intercession and Evangelism

When I was an awkward teenager, there was a man who cared about my soul, and he continually prayed for my salvation. He not only prayed for me, this dear man would invite me over for breakfast to his home with his family, and allow me to sit in on their daily devotions. From his hand I received my first Bible, and he wept real tears over my lost condition.

God in his mercy saved me. But I believe, friends, it was this man's intercession to the Almighty that played a big part in my salvation. I believe that when God goes to work on a lost person's heart, if you look close enough, there is someone in the background who is on their knees in prayer.

The title of my message today, friends, is Intercession and Evangelism, because they both go hand in hand, and my text can be found in Acts chapter 1 and verse 14. You can turn in your Bible there now, friends, and come with me as I read us our text, because it describes a little prayer meeting that preceded Pentecost, before sinners could cry out under Peter's convicting sermon, what shall we do? We see there was a work of intercession going on before sinners could be awakened to their lost and guilty condition. Look at verse 14.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. I want to say something here, friends, and believe I'm right. When the churches in this country killed off the weekly prayer meeting and replaced it with yoga classes and self-help groups, there has been a drastic decrease in real conversions.

I have witnessed the deepest work in churches in the salvation of souls, when that church was willing to stay on their faces with importunity before God in intercession and prayer for the lost. The times in my own preaching ministry where God has shown up by his Spirit were due to the fact that the church had a praying pastor and praying members who had a deep burden to see souls saved. Let me ask you, friend, do you have a burden to see souls saved? If you answered yes to that question, then let me ask you another question.

What are you doing about it? You say you have some loved ones who need salvation. Are you investing the time on your knees before the throne of the Almighty, begging him to woo by his Spirit and bring awakening and conviction of sin? Or your eyes dry when you pray for the lost? I don't drive a car and listen to the radio. Rather, there's a holy solemnity in my car as I pray for the lost and intercede on their behalf to such a degree I can hardly see the drive from the stinging tears.

If you claim you want to see someone come to Christ safely, do you spend more time in prayer for their soul than you spend in front of your TV watching your favorite ball game? Like I said, I believe we don't see the conversions as we should today because we've not bathed our witness with anguished prayer. How can we call ourselves a church if the carpet in our sanctuary isn't wet with the tears of broken-hearted saints crying out to God to save the lost and their community? I believe, friends, that if Christ came back today and visited his churches, his number one complaint would be their faithlessness and prayerlessness. Years ago, I was invited to preach at a church where there was a great division in that church before I got there that I didn't know about.

And the Saturday night before the Sunday morning service, I couldn't sleep. At 2 a.m., I felt compelled to get out of bed and stay on my knees in prayer for that church body. Several times that night, I wept and prayed for that church.

While I was preaching the Sunday morning service, God was pleased to show up by his spirit and a young man came running down the aisle, claiming God just saved him. He was so happy he just kept jumping up and down. I hadn't even asked him to come.

He came anyway. Was he saved? I don't know. I'll see him at the judgment and find out then.

But I know this, friends. There was a reason why I was so burdened for that church and prayer, who were utter strangers to me. I was only the visiting evangelist.

How about the folks you know who are lost and on their way to hell? Who's praying for them if you're not? Who's on their knees weeping over their souls if you aren't? God yearns for sinners to be saved in Ezekiel 33 11. He states through the prophet Ezekiel, say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die? Rolf Barnard, the greatly used evangelist of whom it was said one hundred thousand souls were saved under his penetrating preaching, that before he was saved he was an avowed atheist, not only that, he was the president of an atheist club on the campus of his Baptist college.

He'd hold campus meetings in the evenings on Friday night, denying the existence of God. Rolf Barnard said he had a college professor who cared enough about his soul to pray for him. The professor would often stop the young Barnard as he walked to class and look him in the face, and with tears in his eyes, he'd say, Rolf, I can't let you go to hell.

I'm praying for you to find Christ. Rolf Barnard said that behind his salvation was a professor who cared about him enough that he labored in prayer over his soul. Let me ask you, friend, who have you lately labored in prayer over their soul? If you feel somebody just kicked you in the stomach, there's a reason why.

I believe we'd see more conversion today if we spent more time before God in prayer, in bold and desperate intercession, crying out to God to not let that person go to hell. I see a man every day who needs Christ Jesus, and it breaks my heart that this man is not a Christian. I pray every day to God with tears in my eyes that God will show mercy and awaken this man to his lost condition in need of a Savior, and I often say out loud, Lord, don't let this man go to hell.

If this man dies in his sins and goes on to hell, at least I have a clear conscience that I continually brought this man's soul to God in prayer. How's your conscience, friend? Are you going to drop the ball and fail to pray, or are you going to drop to your knees and bathe that lost sinner with hot tears of intercessory prayer? Let us pray.