A Message From Keith Songtext
von Keith Green

It is reported that there were seven thousand churches that did not
Win a single soul for Jesus Christ this entire year. That means that
Seven thousand ministers preached the gospel for a whole year without
Reaching even one lost soul. Supposing that they preached even at a
Low average of forty Sundays, two sermons a Sunday, not including any
Extra meetings or midday meetings, that would mean that these seven
Thousand ministers preached 560,000 sermons in a single year. Think
Of the work, the labor, the money expended in salaries, lights
Building, etc., to make this possible. And yet, 560,000 sermons
Preached by 7,000 ministers in 7,000 churches to millions of hearers
During a period of twelve months failed to bring a single soul to
Christ this year. Now, my brethren, there is something radically
Wrong somewhere. There is either something the matter with these 7
000 Ministers or with their 560,000 sermons or with both. In reading
Over the twelve rules of the early Methodist church, I was struck
With the fact that they aimed at and looked upon soul-winning as
Their only task. Let me quote from one of them. These are the twelve
Rules of the early Methodist church. Oh, that it would be this way
Now. "You have nothing to do but save souls. Therefore, spend and be
Spent in this work. It is not your business to preach so many times


But to save as many souls as you can, to bring as many sinners as you
Possibly can to repentance and with all your power to build them up
In that holiness without which they cannot see the Lord." From "The
Twelve Rules" by John Wesley. Glory to God. The revival we need. And
Today, in 1979, how many churches are there that don′t have one
Convert in a full year? Well, there's 600 churches in this town
Alone. I′ve been to many churches where altar calls, altars have been
Barren because the fire had gone out not on the altar but in the
Hearts of the men and women of God in that believing fellowship that
Wasn't believing very much anymore. If the shoe fits, we must wear
It. If my message tonight does not apply to you, you can sit back
And rejoice and enjoy it. I mean, you might enjoy the music, but how
Can you enjoy the bleeding heart of our Lord Jesus? Oh, God, that
You'd raise up men on this campus and women on this campus and in
This city and in this country. The apathy that runs rampant in our
Country, due to several things, from the Vietnam War that we fought
Against a little itty-bitty nation, but we didn′t win. We left. We
Lost against a little country of several million people. You know
Have you ever thought of that? Have you ever conceived? Why is
Vietnam so brave as to take on China? Because they beat the United
States! And then Watergate came along and everybody′s love for
Government and love for the system got a little dirty and got a
Little pale and a little appalled, a little apathetic. And the nation
Started thinking, "Well, look, those guys aren't working for me
They′re working for them, so I better take their advice and their
Example and work for me too." It is reported in Time magazine, $198
Billion every year go unreported by American taxpayers. $198 billion
In unreported income. How much of it is yours? The pilfering that
Goes on, called blue-collar crime, is something like $40, $50 billion
. Pilfering, that means people that don't work the hours they punch in
On the clock or taking just a ream of paper home for the kids or
Calling in sick when they′re not. If but one half of that amount
Could be restored to our economy, we would be the most flourishing
Economy in the world. When God wants to talk to His people, He talks
To them in three ways. First, He touches them where it hurts in their
Economy. If that doesn't get their attention, then He touches their
Ecology, the rain, the locusts, the famines, the earthquakes, so on
And if that doesn′t work, He raises up a nation to come and invade
Them. I think we have struck out in two of those areas. I'm not a
Prophet of doom. I'm a prophet of love. But love will bid a warning
Doom to those children that play on the freeway. And I tell you this
We need to wake up. For Jesus wept over Jerusalem and said, "Bid that
The Father, the Lord of the harvest, send laborers into the harvest
" Now, why would Jesus tell His disciples to pray, "Beseech the Lord
Of the harvest to send laborers in"? Why would He bid them pray such
A thing? Didn′t He have enough faith for it? Doesn′t Jesus have
Enough faith? Why bother asking disciples to pray when Jesus has
Enough faith? In fact, right now, Jesus lives, ever liveth to maketh
Intercession for us. Hebrews says He's our intercessor. Right now
Jesus Christ is praying for everyone in this room. His ministry is
Prayer. That′s all He does. It says He liveth ever to make
Intercession for His bride. Right now, on the throne, on the right
Hand of the Father, He's interceding. What is intercession but prayer
? How many people here believe that Jesus is praying for them right
Now, interceding for them by the right hand of the Father? The Bible
Tells us so. Did you ever think of that, that He′s praying for you?
Why bother praying? He's got lots of faith. Why bother asking? I′m
Trying to tell you something important. The prayerlessness of this
People, called the children of God, the children of the Father, is a
Crime. It's lawlessness. All hell breaks loose upon the earth. And
The fire department, us Christians, we're the fire department
Our prayers can extinguish the fiery darts of the enemies. What
Would you think of the Tulsa fire department if a school was
Burning with children in it and they were sleeping or reading a
Nice novel or even the evening newspaper or just sitting around
Doing nothing? Every day, people go down to the pits of a deepest
Dark hell. Your neighbors, your friends, your relatives, and you
Don′t want to blow your witness. You don′t want to turn them off
You don't want to make them feel like you′re trying to get them
Saved, so you don't, and so they go to hell. And I′m asking you
What are you giving them in return? A cool friendship? I'd rather
Have people hate me and the knowledge that I tried to save them