How Much Is A Soul Worth

The modern church, with enough resources, hire experts to lead ministries for everything. There are pastors who mainly just lead and preach. There are associate pastors who visit people in the hospitals and take care of the shut ins. There are executive pastors who run the day to day administrative needs in the church. There are pastors who do all the counseling. There are music ministers. There are multiple media ministers. There are children ministers and student ministers. In some churches, one person does all those things.

Outreach efforts come in various shapes and sizes. Some select a target group they are going after. Others engineer their worship services with lost people in mind. Some do old fashioned visitation. Others do specialized training. There are mass mailings, door hangers, gospel tracts, mass evangelistic gatherings, as well as servant evangelism projects. A few even do personal evangelism.

From the Bible, what is a soul worth? What does God think a soul is worth?

John 3:16 (NKJV)
16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 (NKJV) 

8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Luke 15:10 (NKJV) 

10  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) 

9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

Now, the question is put before us. How much is a soul worth to you as a follower of Jesus? How much is a soul worth to the local churches? Worth giving your best energies toward reaching one soul? Worth risking rejection? Worth overcoming fear and cowardice with conviction and courage? Or is this one more thing the church gives lip service to with empty words? In this case, actions speak louder than words.