To preach and do a successful follow-up that establishes the new-convert, one should have the heart of concern and compassion toward the new-convert, which can be likened to that of a nursing-mother toward her sucking-baby.

Wherever a nursing-mother is, her heart and ears are always toward the baby. The safety and comfort of the baby, are always her uppermost concern. This virtue was what made Paul the apostle to be effective in soul-winning (cons. Rom. 1:9-12; Gal. 4:19-20).

Our Lord Jesus Christ was effective in ministering to the needy sinners of His day because, as an express image of the Father, he saw them with a compassionate heart (cons. Isa. 49:15). Matthew says: He saw them “… as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36).

(Rom. 1:9-12, 13)

Compassionate preaching cannot be without the preacher having compassion for sinners. Unless the preacher or follow-up worker takes the new-convert as the nursing mother takes her sucking baby, and feeding it with the nutritious milk (being easy for the baby to swallow and digest) from her cleaned breast (cons. 1Pet. 2:1-2), and not the hard food which is for adults (cons. Heb. 5:12-14)  he cannot profit the new-convert.

Paul the apostle, like a nursing mother who does not want to lose her baby, had a great desire to visit the church in Rome that he might win and establish new-converts there also, thereby increasing the numerical strength of the church (v. 13).

When last did your preaching increased the numerical strength?