1. We have a duty to “Look” - Jesus told his disciples, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields” (John 4:35). He wanted them to recognize that there were multitudes of people that were lost. He wants that same from us today. That is, Jesus wants us to realize there are multitudes of people living today who are passing into the fiery torment of eternal damnation (2 Thess. 1:7-9). Sometimes, we forget that! We get so wrapped up in “us”–the saved– that we forget about “them”–the lost. A correct look at the great host of lost souls that exist should motivate us to do something to save them.

2. We have a duty to “Pray” - Jesus told his disciples, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Then, as now, there were a great number of lost people, but only a few (in comparison) saved people to labor among the lost (Matt. 9:39). To these few, such a great task can seem overwhelming. Hence, prayer is needed. Those of us who labor (please notice that the Lord requires us to labor) should pray that the Lord, through his Divine Providence, will send forth more laborers into the field to help in the harvest.

3. We have a duty to “Go” - Jesus told his disciples to go to, “all nations” (Matt. 28:19-20) and to “every creature” (Mk. 16:15). The sinner’s obedience to the second part of the great commission (Mark 16:16), is dependent upon our obedience to the first part (Mark 16:15; Rom. 10:13, 14. Those of us who have been blessed enough to learn the truth and to come out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light of God, have a duty to offer the same opportunity to others, that they might receive the Lord’s mercy (1 Pet. 2:9, 10). As a matter of fact, the blood of the lost will be on our hands if we do not offer reasonable efforts to save their dying souls (Ezek. 33:8,9).

The Apostle Paul, viewing himself as a debtor for the salvation that had been given to him, took his duty to offer salvation to others very seriously (Rom. 1:14-16). Considering the fact that we been given the same salvation (1 Tim. 4:8), should we not take it as seriously as he did? God help us to do so!

By Phillip Brannon

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