"And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty.)" (Acts 1:15)

Back in the Sixties and Seventies a great pioneering spirit swept through the hearts of young men who were called to preach and start churches. Some were coming out of Bible colleges and going forth to obey the great commission.

Others, with no college experience, were building great, exciting, soul-winning churches. God was blessing their vision to reach the lost.

Occasionally, in their joy and zeal, some preachers like to let it be known how fast their church was growing and how many they had on their bus routes or in Sunday School.

In the fellowship meetings there was an incentive to go forth and do likewise. Many of us attended Dr. Jack Hyles' Pastor's school and came back with a new challenge to increase more and more.

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Then came the gasoline crunch, during the Jimmy Carter years, and many of the smaller churches, located in the harder places, could no longer afford to keep their old broken down pieces of junk, called busses, running. Many pastors spent about as much time under the hood as they did between the pages of their Bible. Some became discouraged because of lack of laborers. After awhile we began to hear the cry: "ARE NUMBERS IMPORTANT?"

We heard more than once some pastor say, "well, I don't think "Hyles" (or whoever) really cares about souls. All he cares about is numbers." I am sure some of these utterances were a matter of envy.

It is always easy to take pot shots at the big churches who are still interested in numbers. The fourth book in the Bible is called Numbers! When a church is no longer interested in NUMBERS they have lost their vision to fulfill the great commission.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

"All the world" kind of sounds like numbers to me.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)

"All nations" sounds like it might involve numbers.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

I think some NUMBERS might be involved here.

SOME PASTORS FORGET THAT EACH NUMBER REPRESENTS A SOUL.

God, the Holy Ghost, was concerned enough about NUMBERS to tell us about them in the early formation of His church. Was the Holy Spirit interested in souls or was He only interested in numbers? Some pastors of the larger churches are accused of only being interested in numbers. What about the Holy Spirit? Was He only interested in numbers in the book of Acts? We need to be careful what we accuse others of!

"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." (Mark 3:14)

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41)

"Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." (Acts 4:4)

"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." (Acts 5:14)

Twelve, three thousand, five thousand, multitudes must have something to do with NUMBERS.

When we start thinking numbers are not important we are on the way down.

But some preacher might say: "Well, to emphasize numbers is ok for the big guys in the big cities but my church is in a little town out in the sticks. Why should I be interested in numbers?" What's wrong with going after the country folks? How about stirring up your town and all of the little towns around you?

About twenty-five years ago a young country preacher went from North Carolina to the little town of Washington, Iowa. His name is Larry Brown. A most unlikely candidate to succeed in a cold, rather stiff community.

He started a church. He knocked on doors. He got a bus route started. He preached. He stomped. He yelled. He started another bus route. He got his people excited about reaching everyone in his town, everyone in the surrounding towns and everyone in the county.

The reach for NUMBERS meant more souls going to heaven. Although I have never been to Washington, Iowa, or Brother Brown's church, I am told it is an exciting place. The attendance has reached well over one thousand on a Sunday in "a little town." The presence of God is there.

Some of the brethren criticize the methods of soul winning of some of the great soul winning churches who are out to reach "numbers." They start crying: "easy believism."

Some of the brethren criticize the methods of soul winning of some of the great soul winning churches who are out to reach "numbers." They start crying: "easy believism."

The term "easy believism" is used to identify some soul winning tactics that is no more than a sales job. To be sure, we all have occasionally been too hasty to set the hook before the fish has the bait in his mouth. (Under conviction.) I can get a devout catholic to pray a prayer if that is my only purpose. This does not mean he is convicted by the Holy Spirit of his lost condition.

Back in the early days, the old circuit riding Methodist preacher, Peter Cartwright, would knock a man down and sit on him and tell him to trust in Christ or he would hit him again. One could go to all kinds of extremes but this does not produce true conversions.

Some soul winners try to play the Holy Spirit in their presentation to the lost sinner. It is very important that the lost person recognize his lost condition. A sinner cannot repent just because he wants to.

Repentance is an attitude of the heart that comes through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit as the word of God is preached. It is not some kind of decision to reform or clean up one's life. That would be works and not grace. True repentance is a gift from God as the gospel is presented to the lost sinner.

"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18)

I heard of one young faker who wanted to tell everyone how many he had won to the Lord. His method was to stop people on the street and ask them if they believed in Jesus. If they said yes he would count them as his converts.

However, the danger we must beware of, is not to allow the exceptions to overthrow the rule. This is what the liberal, politically correct crowd likes to do. If we dwell on the crooks in soul winning, we will stop soul winning all together and start criticizing others who are still trying to reach the multitudes.

It does not bother me for churches to publish how many souls were saved or baptized. It does not bother me because some churches advertise as the fastest growing or they had reached their attendance goal in Sunday School. This is good. It should challenge the rest of us to reach for higher numbers. Each number is a soul. Souls are important to God. So are numbers.

"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13:52)

"And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed." (Acts 14:1)

LET'S NOT TELL ANYONE, DR. LUKE, THEY MIGHT THINK WE ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN NUMBERS! †