Category: Evangelism

The lesson is taken from the text of 2 Corinthians 2:12-17. The text describes Paul, and by extension all Christians, as God’s fragrance. In effect, as we diffuse the fragrance of God (knowledge of Him), we become God’s fragrance. Rejected by the lost, received by the redeemed.

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The lesson points out that one important purpose in preaching the gospel is to warn the sinner of his sin, that he may repent. Those who are unwilling to serve as watchmen in Israel will be held accountable.

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The sermon makes a distinction between the congregational work of evangelism, and the preaching of truth that is the unique responsibility of the individual Christian. No one can do your teaching for you.

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(Note: This short article was written by a member at West Side, Tommy Davis. As the article is brief, in the bulletin I added the quotes from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I commend Tommy’s article to you. Stan).

One of man’s greatest leaders said something that made me think. Being a Christian, I tried to put the saying in perspective.

President Ronald Reagan said:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

What will you do to keep the greatest nation on the earth from perishing? If we use worldly wisdom, our response would be to join the US Armed Forces! After all, America is the first country in history to have the power to conquer the earth and yet restrains itself. It is the only country in history to conquer other nations to free them from tyranny (and then let them rule themselves again). We are the good guys!

Continue reading “America – A Godly Nation?” →

The sermon discusses various events surrounding the ministry of Paul in Ephesus, as recorded in Acts 19.

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This Sermon is an examination of Jesus’ commission to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 where He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, 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.”

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The world hated Jesus, and put him to death. It should not surprise us that the world will hate us as His disciples. We must endure persecution as we spread the word and live righteously before Him.

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Because of the blessings and privileges we attain in Christ, we have the responsibility to look to the Lost, to Pray for Laborers in the Harvest, and to Go to preach the gospel to the Lost.

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AOTS Number 5

It is perhaps the saddest words a Christian could hear, “You never mentioned Him to me.”

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The lesson emphasizes the necessity of each Christian sharing the gospel of Christ with family, friends and neighbors, and then establishes what component elements make up the preaching of Christ. (cf. Acts 8:5, 35).

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Cecil May is the President of Faulkner University, and holds meetings in institutional (liberal) churches throughout the nation. He has some conservative inclinations, and from time to time in his bulletin, Preacher Talk, complains about the direction that institutional churches are heading in attitudes and worship. The following recently came from his pen.

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord God, ‘when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord’” (Amos 8:11). While Amos was not talking about us or today, his words fit.

Many changes taking place today indicate a decline in appreciation for preaching.

Contemporary services typically focus on “praise and worship” and down-play preaching. Instead of two sermons on Sundays, Sunday night preaching is replaced by small group meetings. (These are not wrong in themselves and are often beneficial, but they do replace preaching.)

In the preaching that remains, popular demands are requiring shorter and shorter sermons. Film clips from television programs or movies replace significant parts of the sermons. Drama is deemed more effective than preaching. Preaching designed to make us feel good replaces preaching to convict and call to repentance.

The Bible still says, “How shall they hear without someone preaching” (Romans 10:14) and “It pleased God by the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).

Cecil May, Jr.
Preacher Talk, Vol. 23, No. 1, pg. 2

Analysis:

When the movie The Passion of the Christ came out I wrote an article for the River Oaks News mentioning the furor surrounding the movie. (You may remember that certain representatives of the Jewish community took exception to the movie’s premise that the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ. I guess they would not appreciate Peter’s statement, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36).

Regardless, in the article I mentioned that I had no desire to go see the movie. I had the New Testament itself, and felt no need to see the dramatization of the words I had read. The editor of the paper and others in the office had watched the movie, were very moved by it, and were convinced that it would bring some to Christ. So, she feared some would be offended by my words, and declined to run the article.

The attitude is typical. But, the idea that we need to spice up and dramatize the words of God (if you carefully think about it) is rather insulting to the Spirit of grace. While emotion certainly has its place in the lives of Christians, it should be noted that the types of emotional responses which lead to true zeal, ardor and love come as a result of edification. And edification is the byproduct of preaching and teaching.

Churches that are interested in truly lighting a fire under members would do well to remember that a movie, play or skit may cause someone to walk out the door sad, happy, or angry (depending upon the purpose of the dramatics); but the preaching of the gospel of our Lord (if heeded) will lead to lifetime commitments and zeal. “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). As always, God’s way is the best way!

The Christian Chronicle claims to be “An international newspaper for member of Churches of Christ.” We have mentioned the paper in the past, noting that it chronicles the efforts and activities of the most liberal of congregations that go by the name “Church of Christ.”

In the last issue (February 2007) the Chronicle began a series entitled Are We Growing?, intended to run through the remainder of the year. In the initial article, statistics are cited to indicate that while the population of the United States grew 32% from 1980 to 2006, membership in the church of Christ grew only 1.6% in the same time.

It is not our purpose to discuss the methodology which led to the numbers cited, nor to determine the actual accuracy of the estimates. It is enough to note that in many instances the lack of growth is obvious. In fact, we should as a congregation redouble our efforts in this area. It would be a wonderful thing if we could substantially increase the number of souls who worship here, especially if said numbers came through the conversion of the lost.

Continue reading “Are We Growing?” →

Podcast Number 19

What do Christians need to be able to preach the gospel to the lost? Education? Charisma? Eloquence? No, none of these. There are certain things, revealed in this podcast, that Christians need to be effective in sharing the good news.

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We need to have big evangelistic goals, coupled with the desire and steadfastness to share the gospel with the world.

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