Pastoral Page
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT EVANGELISM?
IN A RECENT SURVEY... of Pastors, Elders, deacons, teachers in 184 churches surveyed averaged only one visit to an outsider per week, per congregation! Less than one-third of the congregations had any kind of systematic program of community outreach. The same number of congregations had no working program for working with new converts. The number of personal contacts that members had with non-Christians averaged less than 1% of the membership... Members gave less than 4% of their estimated income to the church and all works related to Christianity... And here is the SHOCKING FACT, less than 5% had won a soul to Christ.
(Proverbs 11:30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
EVERY MINUTE 156 PEOPLE IN THE WORLD DIE WITHOUT HOPE!
It would appear obvious from these STARTLING STATISTICS that we need all of the "stirring up" we can get.
WHAT IS TRUE SUCCESS?
Please remember, success is not always determined by mass numbers flooding into the churches. (Seeker friendly... packed God on their terms) For example, Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and often even Jesus, taught truth and yet found few receptive hearts.
However, even Isaiah said in Isaiah 55:11 that his word as it goes forth from his mouth "shall not" return to me void but that "it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
I am convinced that if you sow enough seed, in enough hearts, that God will produce an increase...
(Remember:
WE HAVE BEEN 1. TAUGHT TO TEACH, 2. WON TO WIN, 3. SAVED TO SERVE!
THE GREATEST NEED Is the Need for Personal Evangelism The greatest need today is for the church to get back to its mission and "seek to see the lost saved"!
THAT’S WHY JESUS CAME AND THAT IS WHY THE CHURCH EXISTS
God could have done anything he wanted with His Son but He made Him a soul-winner! The first twelve men Christ chose were soul winners except Judas -- and he was a traitor to the cause. The church has many capable workers in their pews but it is in desperate need of personal workers out in the field Christ needs you. He is the head but you are His hands and His feet He can't get His work done unless you do it
WE ARE TO BE THE SALT AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (Matthew 5:13-14) "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
1. Salt both seasons and preserves. (it must be poured out)
2. We need personal contact. How can we preserve anything sitting on a shelf?
3. What we all need is more genuine concern for the lost. Paul's heart had in Romans 9:1-3 "great grief and unceasing sorrow" over those lost... I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
If everyone had a terminal illness and you found the cure, would you share it or keep it to yourself? (Walk down the streets in your community and look at the houses. How many are lost?) WHO CARES?
The un churched don’t really care what you believe... Until they believe that you really care...
THE NEED OF THE WORLD IS FULFILLED THROUGH GOD'S PLAN OF EVANGELISM
The Lord adds people to His church as they are saved (Acts 2:41-47), but in regards to church growth (as those who are converted reach out to others, who reach out in turn to others, who reach others, etc.) GOD’S PLAN IS MULTIPLICATION.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER If just one individual converted five per year, and after a year each of his converts did the same, at the end of the second year there would be 25, the third 125, the fourth 625, the fifth 3,125, the sixth 15,625, and so on until the fourteenth year 6billion would be reached.
Six Reasons why we need to be involved in Personal evangelism
1,It is a direct command (Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
We'd never dream of forsaking the Lord's Supper or lying or stealing, yet we think very little of disregarding Christ’s last words to go teach.
IT IS NOT AN OPTIONAL THING.
Let’s not make the great commission, the great omission.
1."Go ye" means "go me".
2. Christ said "go" not "invite".
Instead of an outreach we have developed an in drag!
HOW MANY CHURCHES WOULD BE STILL BE A GOD INFLUENCE TODAY IF THEY HAD COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE WORK OF SEEING OTHERS REACHED?
As Christians, we should go out into the "streets and lanes of the city" and out into the "highways and hedges" and constrain the lost to come to Christ. A Christian is someone who comes to Christ and learns of Him and who then goes and tell others. Jesus said to Peter, "...and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:32) Paul told Timothy, "...for in so doing, thou shall save thyself and them that hear thee" (I Timothy 4:16).
2. It is necessary for self-preservation Like the barren fig tree we must produce -- or be cut down Personal evangelism is one of the best means of personal growth. We are called to faithfulness -- not results (Romans 5:1, I Corinthians 3:6) Noah preached for120 years -- no results -- yet he never quit. If he had, do you think it would have pleased God?
3. It should be a natural result of our Love for others. What greater gift could you give to someone you love... than to help him to find God’s salvation? We love to share our favourite story about our children/grandchildren. Yet we rarely share the greatest story on earth -- the gospel James 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. Romans 1:16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
4. Because of the value of a soul. We will never really consider the lost until we stop and count the cost! In this day and age man knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Our soul is our most valuable possession Matthew 16:26, for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul what will a man give in exchange for his soul? I Peter 1:18-20 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
5. Because of the terror of the Lord (II Corinthians 5:11). Do we really believe in Hell and that our friends are going there (Mark 16:16) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). Because the loss of men and woman’s souls will be accounted to us (Ezekiel 3:18) When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
6. The joy of being used to reach someone for Christ. First, there is the joy you give your heavenly Father. You can cause the angels to rejoice (Luke 15:7) I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance Second there is the personal joy you experience. Paul referred to his "joy and crown" (Philippians 4:1) John states he had "no greater joy than to hear of my children walking in the truth" There isn't a more satisfying feeling than to see someone you've witnessed to come to faith and grow in God.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE VISION IN THE CHURCH! YES AND FOR THE COMMUNITY
Something to consider "It doesn't take much vision to see how many seeds are in each apple -- but it does take vision to see how many apples are in each seed!" We must fulfil this Need or the Church will decline. The "lifeblood" of any congregation is its commitment to evangelism. If a church becomes lukewarm about Evangelism/community then its community will react with apathy toward the church. (Rev. 3:15-16) I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. The church that doesn’t reach out will lose its influence. Internal problems always arise when we look inward instead of outward.
WITHOUT MEN AND WOMAN COMMITTED TO PERSONAL EVANGELISM THE CHURCH WILL STAGNATE AND DIE!!
EXCUSES
1."Not enough talent?" Consider Matt. 25:14-30 the parable of the Talents. They all had some talent...what are you doing with what you have? Everyone can be involved in some way. 2."Afraid"? So was the one talent man and He was called into judgment. The Gospel has power -- it works!! Just let it shine through you. (D.L. MOODY) We are not called to defend the Gospel but to declare it.... open the cage....
3."Don't know much"- Share what you do know. (Best way to learn truth is to practice it as you learn it.)
CONCLUSION:
Trust in God. God believes you can do it, so do it! Do you? Will you? This is perhaps the greatest test of our spirituality (Matthew 7:16). You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? The answer lies in ten of the shortest yet most powerful two letter words in the language: "If it is to be it is up to me." God doesn't need POWER (He dipped his hand into chaos and spoke into existence the universe)! He doesn't need BEAUTY, (one look into a babies face or beautiful sunset makes that abundantly clear), but he does need YOU (committed men and women who are willing to do His cause and His bidding on the planet earth)! We have read with interest the recent reports of how much the church has shrivelled and that congregations are much fewer than ten years ago. Why? Because the church has learned to depend upon gadgets and programs, and the foot soldiers are disappearing. We want to pay our way, rather than do the work it takes. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” This was the choice of God, which demonstrates the wisdom of God -- that they can’t believe in whom they have not heard and they can't hear without a preacher.
THE POWER IS STILL IN THE FOOT SOLDIERS. THE LORD'S ARMY IS NOT A MACHINE, DIRECTED BY ARMCHAIR GENERALS.
Ninety-nine percent of all conversions come from someone being there -- The Lord didn't lay the task of evangelism upon machinery; he laid it upon men. All the mass media however helpful, cannot substitute for one saint communicating the one gospel to one sinner. That's the way the world will be saved -- if it is ever saved. God did not give his commission to angels, or even to a committee, but to men -- to individual men (and women). The church is shrinking because members of the church are shirking. And Heaven isn't prepared for shirkers. We do need enthusiasm in the pulpit but we need commitment in the pew. The Lord needs a commitment from every one of us that we will duplicate ourselves. I believe we could double the size of the church If we would commit to reaching one person each. We are part of our own problem when we could provide the solution
HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT PERSONAL EVANGELISM?
How many people have I helped lead to Christ?________________
How many people do I NOW have my heart set on to win to Christ? _______
To what extent have I gone to try to win these people? ____________
Approximately how many times per week do I average talking to people about matters concerning faith? _________________
How often do I pray for certain individuals to be restored or come to Christ? __________________
Do I ever pray FERVENTLY that I might become a soul winner?_____ Do I SINCERELY TRY to help that prayer be answered? _________
Am I generally embarrassed to converse with people about Christ? _____
Do I know enough Scripture to help someone become a Christian? ______
Have I offered the excuse, "I DON'T KNOW HOW," for not witnessing? _______
Do I think I can ever really learn how until I try? ________
When do I plan to begin? __________________________________
Has it ever occurred to me that many will die and go to God unprepared while I'm wasting time thinking I don't know how? _____________
Am I interested enough in Heaven, and does it mean enough to me that I earnestly desire others to go with me? ___________
REMEMBER:
1. God knows what you really CAN or CAN'T do!
2. I will be held responsible for not making some attempt!
AFTER PONDERING YOUR ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE, THINK ABOUT THIS
Maybe you do not feel that you can play a part in pointing another person too Christ, or that you don’t feel called too evangelism, or you have just simply become so lukewarm with the things of God that you just don’t really care enough.
Will you begin praying with me, every day, "Lord, revive the church, beginning with me?" I have added that short prayer to my prayers for a number of years now and it really makes a difference! It helps me to not focus on them and what they are to do but on me and what I have to do.
Pastor Stephen Mitchell.
True biblical evangelism is when we bring the life changing Christ and His message to society where it is at, not where we would like it to be… and when the gospel reaches a people where they are, their responding to the gospel is the church in a new place...
Pastor Stephen Mitchell (Senior Pastor Ards Elim)
The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed
- - Hudson Taylor
The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christ’s. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.
--C. S. Lewis
Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell. -- C.T. Studd
The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.
-- Henry Martyn
We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.
-- Oswald J. Smith
Someone asked Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved? It is more a question with me whether we -- who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not -- can be saved.
-- Charles Spurgeon
No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.
-- Oswald J. Smith
Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.
--John Wesley
'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face -- whose mercy you have professed to obey and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.
--William Booth
I don't know how your theology works, but if Jesus has a choice between stained glass windows and feeding starving kids in Haiti, I have a feeling he'd choose the starving kids in Haiti.
--Tony Campolo
While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!
--William Booth
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