Evangelism Examination (+playlist)

Evangelist and Pastor in Partnership: Alan Harris

 Sometimes we as Pastors forget that the Lord has called Evangelists.
 

What I have learned as a Pastor is that I need someone to come to our church for special occasions and present the Word of God in a manner different from the way I do.

                                        It's called a  Partnership.


 When  I was in Altoona, Kansas, Alan Harris would come every year to our church.  It seemed that someone would be saved each year, and that person would continue to come and be baptized and join the church and become a faithful Christian. Even today after 20 years those who were saved in our church are still serving the Lord.

And more than this, those who were Christians were given a new joy about their salvation.

Now I will be honest.  I am not an evangelist.  I am not what you would call a soul-winning preacher. I am primarily a teacher of the Word and exhorter to serve the Lord.  I gave the people the Word of God, and then Alan would come in for a week of revival to stir the people up, and get them  to put the Word that was in their mind into action.

 Alan and Angie in those early years would have small skits that would illustrate a biblical principle.  Each night they would have a skit. (Which I might add was very good, and the young people loved it) Then they would sing, Alan is a Gospel Southern style singer and this singing comes from the heart.
 
Alan is as good a preacher as he is a singer.

 

 Andrew and Angie and Alan Harris  Singing He's Still Working On Me Rivers of Joy Baptist Church June 24, 2012

Then in later years after they had three boys, Alex, Anthony and Andrew have been a part of the ministry.


What Charity and I have observed over 30 years of their ministry is their total dedication  to the work of the ministry and the desire to help churches and pastors accomplish the purpose of the church.

Charity has been amazed how well Angie has been an evangelist's wife. They  raised three boys while traveling the United States in a home on wheels, home-schooling all three while nightly serving in local churches.

It is true they are not perfect, they have problems just like any family, but they have shown faithfulness to the Lord.  The delight of our hearts is to see the fruit of their ministry abundantly flowing through the lives of their three sons as they continue to serve Jesus in their own places of ministry!  To God be the glory!


Alan and Angie Harris not only ministered in the church, but when they are not in church. They have ministered to young people, as well as adults, and especially to this pastor and wife from Rivers of Joy and First Baptist Church in Altoona, Kansas.  Their love for our children continues to minister through a special relationship, even today.  They have laughed with us, cried with us and supported us in some of the hardest trials of our life.  However, the motivation they have given us to keep on keeping on in the service of King Jesus is the gift they give to each pastor and pastor's wife in every church that is blessed to have them.


Alan and Angie, we love you dearly and are so proud to see what God has done!
 

Sharing the Gospel & God's Divine Election Part Two

HOW TO VIEW GOD'S SOVEREIGNITY WITH EVANGELISM from charles e. whisnan t on Vimeo.

It is true that God has from all eternity chosen whom He will save. It is true that Christ came specifically to save those whom the Father had given Him. But it is also true that Christ offers Himself freely to all men as their Savior, and guarantees to bring to glory everyone who trust in Him as such. Note how He Himself deliberately put side by side these two thoughts: John 6:37-38.

Christ means who He says, no less when He undertakes to save all who will trust Him than when He undertakes to save all whom the Father has given Him.

(4) or does it affect the responsibility of the sinner for his reaction to the gospel.

The fact remains that a man who rejects Christ in that way becomes the cause of his own condemnation. The Bible never says that sinners miss heaven because they are not elect, but because they neglect the great salvation and because they will not repent and believe. Ezk 18:31, John 5:40.

II THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN GRACE GIVES US OUR ONLY HOPE OFSUCCESS IN EVANGELISM.

Let me say on the other hand, evangelism would be pointless apart from the Sovereignty of God. Why? Because of the spiritual inabililty of man in sin Paul put it this way: I Corinthians 2:14 and Romans 8:7

• 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:14
  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7
  
  

Here is what Paul is saying: Man’s failure, as a matter of fact. It is a necessity of nature, something certain and inevitable and universal and unalterable, because it is in man to do otherwise than fail.

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph 2:1
2. Wholly incapacitated for any positive response to God’s word
3. Deaf to God’s speech blind to God’s revelation
4. Not influenced to God’s inducement
   

Why? Eph 2:2 Satan is active in this matter. 2 Corin 4:4 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR REACHING PEOPLE FOR CHRIST?

It means quite simply, that evangelism, described as we have described it, cannot possibly succeed.

1. Can we by our talking break the power of Satan in man’s life?

Sharing the Gospel and God's Divine Election

EVANGELISM AND GOD'S SOVERIGNTY from charles e. whisnan t on Vimeo.

This message is the second lesson on this subject, and the first part of the second lesson. (I am in the process making available the first lesson)

TWO VIEWS OF GOD’S WORK IN SALVATION AND MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY

CAUTION: HEAR BOTH VIEWS TO MAKE THE CONNECTION.

The fact remains that God in the gospel really does offer and promise justification and life to “whosoever will.” Romans 10:13. As God commands all men everywhere to repent, so God invites all men everywhere to come to Christ and find mercy.

Definition of Evangelism:

1. Is a task appointed to all God’s people everywhere. It is the task of communicating the message from the God to bring about salvation to mankind.
2. The message begins with information and ends with an invitation. (I am not talking about a church invitation at th end of the service)
3. The information concerns the work of God of making His Son a just right Saviour for sinners.
4. The invitation is God’s summons to mankind generally to come to the Saviour and find life.
   God commands all men everywhere to repent, and promises forgiveness and salvation to all who do. (Acts 17:30)
5. The Christian is sent into the world as Christ’s speak and Christ’s ambassador, to sent forth this message as far and wide as he can. It’s a duty, it’s a command, it’s a privilege to tell people about Christ.

HOW IF THE ABOVE IS TRUE, AND IT IS, HOW IS ALL THIS AFFECTED BY OUR BELIEF IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD?

EVANGELISM SHOULD NOT BE ANNOYING

Things We Can Mistake for Evangelism

1. Annoyance

We mistakenly take evangelism to be manipulation. But that's what the world says. In truth, we're not trying to impose our beliefs on anybody. Biblically, we can't impose our beliefs on anybody. Force and coercion cannot finally bring about the change that God demands. You can't expand Christianity by the sword. Evangelism is not some sort of intellectual imposition.

To believe that something is true and to share that with others is not coercion. We don't impose when we evangelize. We freely offer it to all and do not, cannot, force it on anybody

CHURCHES GOD MIGHT NOT SHOW UP IN ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY

I AM AFRAID GOD DOESN’T SHOW UP IN MANY CHURCHES TODAY?

James MacDonald pastor of the Harvest Bible Chapel wrote an article this week, about the church. Of course I read a few articles on the church during the week. And since I am back in the pulpit (we still have one) I am more interested in the subject. James writes this “When God Goes To Church!” James writes:

• "We have to get back to vertical church. Somewhere along the line, well meaning people have hijacked the church. Some in the name of organizational excellence, some because they want to see more people coming to Christ, some because they feel the church has become too stale to actually reach this so-called postmodern audience, and some because of countless other motivations, good and bad, that I can’t think of right now."

I believe well meaning pastors and churches have had the desire to reaching the community and the world with for Jesus Christ. I read daily of church innovation, they are continues in the process of inventing or introducing something new, technological innovations, preaching and teaching innovation. Cultural modernization, that is to change something in order to make it conform to modern tastes, attitudes, or standards, has become to form today in many churches.

I am amazed at the crowds that attend churches. I was watching Brian Houston, Hillsong Church, in Sydney, Australia, this week, and to see the crowds (20,000) of people come. Its innovated, yet how 20,000 people are involved is another question. Of course there are a number of other just works across the world. (By the way I do not view Houston’s ministry as a model for Church ministry). I am just pointing out the technological, musical, preaching, and teaching, innovation of the church. I don’t accept the gifts of tongues nor in women preachers, speakers yes, preaching no.

At the same time there are good men in the body of Christ today that are in to this new form of ministry. Many are following after Mark Driscoll Seattle Washington, Mars Hills, Acts 29 Network of churches and Rob Bell, in Michigan. I was amazed as I read about our local churches who are following in their pattern of ministry. And even more amazed at the church in Lexington Kentucky that I attended for five years has now planned a Mars Hills Conversations. What churches and pastors will do to see people come to church is just amazing to me. I am even more amazed to see fundamental churches of the past follow suit to the form of NewSpring churches network, pastured by Perry Noble in Anderson South Caroline. And these fellows are off shoot of Bill Hyber at Willow Creek.

From a general observation, you will believe what a wonderful way to worship, and 100’s of souls are getting saved each week. But upon a careful watching and recording of the facts, you will began to see another form of worship. Good man I believe, they are, but they have the overpowering desire to worship Jesus, and see His commission fulfilled.

In my humble opinion we are headed down the wrong road to the kind of Church, God is going to attend.

James MacDonald, writes (so would John MacArthur, Jr.)

• "Bottom line: at Harvest Bible Chapel we now have almost 20 years invested in the notion that church should not, better, must not be an audience-centered effort. NO MORE AUDIENCE-CENTERED CHURCH, unless of course we return to the biblical priority of God Himself being the audience. My thesis is that God simply does not attend most churches in America. He won’t work or manifest His presence in places where His Word is apologized for, His Son is polished and marketed, and His power is not sought in prayer or even anticipated. God does not attend churches where the gospel is watered down to a self-help pep talk about felt needs. God does not attend churches where Jesus’ crucified life is not proclaimed as the only hope for a fallen humanity. God does not attend churches where Bibles are not brought, and the gospel is reduced to a formula that a person can recite in 60 seconds. God does not attend churches where words, biblical words, like holiness, repentance, and Lordship are scrubbed from the vocabulary in an effort to . . . ? You may be able to get people to attend churches like that but God doesn’t show up much at all."

Of course at the same time, I have a very hard time accepting the altar calls and mass appeal to sinners to be saved that happen at James MacDonald’s church. From their website.

• Here is how you can receive Christ:
• 1. Admit your need. ("I am a sinner.")
• 2. Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent.)
• 3. Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
• 4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)


• How to pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Its not that the above is not correct, but far too many people just say those words without meaning them, and are led to believe they are saved, Christians, going to heaven.

And I would say that MacDonald would say the same, and is doing a good in discipline them in Christ.

Otherwise, I like what he is saying.

• 'God shows up with power to save where Jesus is passionately adored without shame or pretense, without entertainment or needless comedy. God shows up where His Word is proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit. God shows up where He can be certain that His Word will be heard and held up for the sufficient, saving, sanctifying word that He promises it to be. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth” (John 17:17).'


• The church has fallen and is now, on most fronts, floundering in the abyss of cultural analysis and human approval. Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” The western church in our day is floundering in silly attempts to be pleasing to an audience that does not conceptualize the stench of our lives in the nostrils of a holy God. Attempting to become ‘relevant,’ the church has become impotent and irrelevant. At the end of the day people want to meet God when they go to church, but His Spirit is so grieved by what happens in most churches, He simply refuses to attend."
  

I heard a pastor say recently that the past 20 years have been about “church done with excellence in the flesh is better than church done poorly in the flesh.” How insightful!

• How about church done according to God’s Word and in the power of the Spirit?
  
• How about Doing God’s Work, in God’s Way?
  
• How about church on fire, led by men on fire, burning a swath of God’s power across our land like a tornado across a Kansas wheat field?
  

1. Where is the mighty prevailing church (Matthew 16:18) moving with God’s power, seeing lives transformed frequently and totally?


2. Where is the church that sees miraculous answers to prayer and marvelous interventions of grace?

I want to spend the rest of my days working to see the true church, the grace AND truth church, (John 1:14) the spirit and power church, the overcoming, Christ-adoring, prayerfully dependant, Word-proclaiming church return to prominence. I believe it is only then that God will begin regularly attending the churches of our land. If that were to happen it would make ALL the difference, would it not?

WHY I BELIEVE GOD SAVES

THE JOHN 3 16 CONFERENCES In 1954 in my father's church in Roanoke Virginia, I heard the message on John 3:16 "Whosoever believe in Him shall be saved." And I do believe that day the Lord saved my sinful seven year old soul.

I have heard, read, preached, taught on John 3 :16 a number of times. "WHOSOEVER" has been the point of many sermons I have heard many times. And the point that is pointed out is that any person who desires to be saved can be saved. Just call on Jesus to save him and Jesus will respond and save that person who by his faith desires to turn to Jesus. As a matter of fact I have even said that in those early years of ministry.

I remember the first time I heard "Whosoever" was not for everyone. That would be Dr. George L. Norris in Seminary in 1966. That was a shocker. Not every one will be saved. I almost quit Seminary over that idea. Theology was the topic of Seminary. Dr. Norris taught from the theological perspective. He taught from the God perspective. How does God see salvation, how did God plan for the salvation of mankind. Now that was an idea that I had not heard.

Most preaching is always from man perspective. Most fundamental, Norris fundamentalist, taught from man side of salvation. "Whosoever". Preachers taught that all man should be saved, and that any man can come to Christ, if by their faith they trust in Christ. Salvation, being born again, being saved was started by man, by his faith, and God responded to that faith.

I have heard most of my life, "Jesus died on the cross for all men, and all men can if they will be saved." "The blood of Jesus Christ, can save all man of all times."

I heard that man is not really so dead spiritually as Ephesians 2:1 says, "dead in trespasses and sins" that he by his own faith can say he wants to be saved. "Even when we were dead in sins," as verse 5 tells us, we were alive enough to have enough faith to be saved.

Now I could not really figure out, why so many people would come to the altar in our churches and say they wanted to be saved, and then they would never come back to church.

I can remember Ephesians 2:8, preachers would say, "For by grace are ye saved, through faith." but I didn't hear a lot about the next phrase, "And that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." What did that mean. Did it mean that been saved, is a gift of God. I did hear that. Its a gift! Salvation is a Gift. Not of works, but a gift from God. Our salvation is a gift from God. Usually you do not ask for a gift. So do you ask for a gift from God? Do you have to ask God for His gift?

In Dr. Norris Seminary Class, he said, "Salvation is a gift of God, given to those whom He will." WHAT! I remember every time Dr Norris would walk or speak in chapel, they would sing, "Whosoever will". Because they believe he didn't believe whosoever will could believe.

After Seminary, I went to another Norris fundamentalist church, and heard the same whosoever will, Jesus died on the cross for everyone, and whoso ever wants to be saved, and call upon Christ, by their faith can be saved. And a number of people did just that, and they were short lived in their will to follow Christ.

Then another few churches and then to Hyles Anderson College, and FBC of Hammond and I got a real good taste of the whoso ever will preaching. The whosoever folks were coming in by thousands. By 1980 FBC had over 80,000 members, those who had been baptized. But for some reason FBC was only having around 17,000 of those people coming to the church. (The numbers are correct) The whosoever was never in church.

I don't know if I had really taking a biblical study of that word "whosoever." The John 3:16 conferences will have seven different seminary professors who will look, respectively, into the Hebrew meaning of whosoever, the Greek meaning of whosoever, the Latin meaning of whosoever, the King James meaning of whosoever, the historical meaning of whosoever, the contemporary meaning of whosoever, and, most importantly, what John Wesley taught about the meaning of whosoever. (I would like to get their notes in November 2008)

These John 3 :16 conferences will be sponsored by the following:

• Jerry Vines Ministries, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

All those Theological Seminaries are very good. WHOSOEVER WILL CAN BE SAVED.

So what does it mean "WHOSOEVER WILL?" That is the question isn't it.


Let's look at this word "whosoever." Next time.

ATTRIBUTES OF A BIBLICAL CHURCH

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Are you tired of churches trying so hard to "entertain the lost" in their worship services that they’re forgetting to "feed the sheep?" Are you tired of churches whose agendas and traditions trump the Word of God?



Maybe you’re looking for a church that is striving to be what God told us to be, and that is “The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). If the latter describes you, then this Baptist Church might just be what you’re looking for!



"Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults."- John Calvin

1. The Bible is inerrant and infallible: "All Scripture is breathed out by God" 2 Timothy 3:16 That is the Bible is true 100%. God can be known! Truth can be known.
2. The Bible is the guide for all faith and practice. "and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
3. God has called each Christian to share the Bible and God's teachings (evangelize) "God therefore and made disciples....Matthew 28:19-20. Every Christian is called to share with others the Gospel with others.
4. Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1
5. All people are eternally lost; salvation is by faith alone, by Jesus Christ alone, by God's grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9
6. The glory of God is the motive of the church ministry. I Corinthians 10:31

HERE IS A PRACTICAL APPLICATION TO WHAT I BELIEVE WOULD BE A BIBICAL CHURCH'S DESIRE. A focus on people.

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When God speaks through song, sermon or prayer we want us to stop……and pray, repent and seek reconciliation to God and others. We want people sitting and praying with one another after a service or crying together in joy or pain to be a standard picture of how much we care for one another. We want to pray for the sick, doubting, confused, depressed or tired. We desperately need to provide avenues for people to partake of the graces of God, not just hear about them. People hear about the compassion of Jesus every week, but how many experience it through the ministry of the local church? People hear that God longs to connect to them and teach them but how many hear from God through godly counsel? It is our job as a local church to see this happen and to build a team of experienced, caring people to care for the family of God.

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I believe this kind of desire for a church fellowship would cause members to share the gospel with others and invite them to come to their church.

HAVE YOU WONDERED WHY MEMBERS DO NOT INVITE OTHER PEOPLE TO ATTEND THEIR CHURCH? pt 2

^

Of course this is not true in some churches, but in many churches members may go for years and never invite another person to come with them to visit their church..

Why do some churches have a difficult time seeing visitors come, and if they do come, they don't say very long?

There is a sample of some responses to this problem:

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A survey of responses to this questions were:

1. Its pretty simple. If people love being there then they will invite others to share that experience. If they are only there because they feel the have to be there even though they hate being there then it makes no sense at all to invite others.



2. maybe it’s to hun drum and do not want to bore other people, or no one wants to invite anyone to a troubled church, or they are just plain lazy, if the works of god is going on in a church you could not keep people away. there would be standing room only. hey no power no people, if it is just a form of godliness but they are denying the power there of , what do you really expect. if a church is full you can believe the works of god is going on or they are making a lot of people feel good about how they live,



3. For starters, I generally won’t invite someone if I know they’re already attending another church; the main exception would be if I know they have a particular need that isn’t being addressed there and is likely to be (better) addressed at a different church.
   
4. If I’m going to invite someone to church, I want to be sure that is the right "next step" for them; I don’t want to give the impression that the church will meet their needs, but rather that it is a relationship with God that is ultimately needed. Relationships with His people are vitally important, but secondary nonetheless.
   .
5. Final point: we should never be afraid to invite someone to a church other than ours. My church may not be the best fit for Joe, but if he needs to plug in somewhere, I want to be able to refer him to another church that will be a better fit. That means I need to do some homework about other churches in the area.
   .
6. Part of this is of course laziness, or church irrelevance. But let me question the analogy of the concert a little bit. Whether or not outsiders are invited to ‘church’ is a function of what we think the Sunday service is. If it’s primarily an ‘event’, then yes, properly orchestrated, it should cause members to invite others.
   .
7. But if it is primarily a gathering of believers, the fact that non-believers aren’t systematically invited may be a sign of health. We don’t invite nonbelievers to take communion, because it presupposes the appropriate response to God’s invitation to become a part of his people has already been taken (viz. baptism).
   .
8. It’s of course possible that ‘church’ is a little bit of both (event AND gathering of believers), but lack of clarity on this point will mean regular attenders will be wary of inviting outsiders. I also want to suggest that if church services are taken to be the gathering of believers, then ‘outreach’ needs to happen in a different manner. I’ll let you imagine just what that might look like……
   ashamed would be the biggest issue!!
   .
9. I agree with you. Not to be too cynical, but I think churches that lack excellence in their services tend to make excuses more than adjustments. Too often when something is called less than great, the accusation is attacked rather than heard and examined.
   .
10. I don’t think that every critique needs to be taken to heart, but if it is coming from an involved, invested, and committed individual, than it needs to be prodded for more detail. If more churches did this, there would be a better dialogue on how to be more effective and visitor friendly at our services, and more effective at making an impact spiritually when people are there.
    .
11. I will probably get some grief for this comment, but one of the things that often makes it difficult to invite friends to church is the quality of music that is presented…… for me, bad music is embarrassing is all……
    more often than not, the bad music comes as a result of a worship team (aka "a worship band") trying to present music that is beyond its level of expertise…
.

12. if i, as a regular attendee, feel "on edge" or nervous because i am just not sure what sounds will emanate from the singers or instrumentalists who are leading me, i just have second thoughts before i would subject my unchurched friends to the same… "special music" can be even worse, but we don’t have to go there just now……
    that being said, having myself been involved in leading worship and presenting music, without intending to, i may have become overly critical or overly analytical… i recognize that (including myself) every worshiper brings his/her own attitude to the service, and that attitude affects how the worshiper feels about the experience……
    additionally, i would say that about 50-60 % of worshipers don’t even notice "bad music", so for them, it is a non-issue…… all in all, it seems to me that worship music "style"" is less important to many participants than the "quality"… (what i mean by that is that although i prefer modern or contemporary worship music, i personally would choose old hymns "done well", over contemporary music "done mediocrely")…
    if worship teams and bands would stick to what they are able to do well, i personally would find it easier to invite unchurched friends to the service……
    
13. The Lord has many ways in which He can be worshipped, but it really starts with God, working through us, to express Himself in us.

Have You Wondered Why Your People Do Not Invite Other People To Attend Your Church?
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Let me ask this question: How do people see your church? The one on the left or one on the right? Are members more likely to invite people to the church on the left or one on the right?

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"Why do the members attending your church not invite other people to come to the worship and preaching time? They come. They’re faithful. They give and support, but they don’t invite other people. If people in your church are not inviting people, they are not inviting people on purpose. We think they are scared, but they are not. They know very well how to invite people to great stuff. They do it all the time..."

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You take an average person who goes to a great concert; or a great movie, it’s very easy for that person to invite someone to the next one. He went and had a great experience. He was moved, he was touched, it was a great value, and it was worth the time and the effort. He knows that his friend is going to benefit from it and he’s going to thank him afterward. So he invites him enthusiastically. They make the date, they plan, they spend the money, they anticipate. We’re really good at inviting people to places that we love going and knowing there’s a benefit at the end.

So is there a Harmony.com scientific data that would help us as Church leaders to understand the process of getting members of our church to get engage in the Great Commission?

• So at the end of the day, maybe what you should be more focused on is helping your people love to come and to understand the benefit that others may have who come after them. Maybe people aren’t inviting people to your church because they aren’t that enthusiastic about it either.

A THESSALONICA WAY OF EVANGELISM

part two

21st CENTURY APPLICATION

There is an important lesson to learn here. We are a very media-conscious generation. We know the power of the mass media on the public mind. Consequently, we want to use the media in evangelism. By print and tape, by audio and video cassettes, by radio and television and even iPod we would like to saturate the world with the good news. And rightly so. In principle nobody should debate with this ambition. We should connect the gospel to every modern medium of communication which is open to us.

THE WORD OF MOUTH METHOD OF EVANGELISM

Nevertheless there is another way, which (if we must compare them) is still more effective. It requires no complicated electronic gadgetry; it is very simple. It is neither organized nor computerized; it is instinctive. And it is not expensive; it costs precisely nothing. We might call it ‘holy chat’. It is the delighted spreading from person to person the influence which the good news is having on people. "Have you heard what has happened to so and so?" Did you know that such and such a person has come to believe in God and has been completely transformed? Something extraordinary is going on in Thessalonica: a new society is coming into being, with new appreciations and standards, characterized by faith, love and hope."

The result of such free advertising was enormous. "So that we need not to speak any thing, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in(1529) we had unto you." (8b-9a). Better, ‘‘we do not need to explain to other people about it: other people tell us...’’ (JB). Not only were the media excessive; the missionaries felt superfluous also! For the message was spreading without them, and everybody seemed to know it already. The"manner of entering" (is a pres. tense) indicates a continuous and repeated action. Travelers from many parts of the world (Roman Empire) met Paul in Corinth and they would immediately begin to tell what they had heard in Thessalonica. They already knew that Paul had entered into the city and established a church.

Please understand, I think the apostle Paul may be forgiven for a little harmless exaggeration. He did not mean literally that he was no longer necessary. At least he did not resign, or apply for indefinite furlough. No. He carried on preaching the gospel, but especially where Christ was not known (Rom.15:20). For we take his point: the gospel news was advancing spontaneously.

Exactly what was the news which was spreading far and wide from Thessalonica? According to verse 8 it was ‘their faith in God.’ But according to verse 9 what people were hearing and reporting was ‘what kind of reception you gave us’ and how the Thessalonians were converted. Paul then goes on in verses 9b and 10 to give a three-part analysis of Christian conversion, which is arguably the fullest account of it in the New Testament. It indicates that conversion involves

• A decisive split with idols,

• A dynaic service of God, and

• A dedicated staying for Christ.

These three steps are summed up in the verbs ‘‘you turned...to serve...and to wait...’’. Indeed, this succinct threefold statement has suggested to several commentators that Paul was making use of an already existing formula.

The Thessalonian believers had made a complete and total change in their lives and worship. Others saw in the Thessalonian believers, serving a living and true (real, genuine) God. AMEN.

Sort of like when Jonah arrived in Nineveh they already knew all about Jonah and were ready to believe his message.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant 01 16 07 Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant 01 17 07

A THESSALONICA WAY OF EVANGELISM

Part ONE

(Footnote: The last series of messages I preached at First Baptist Church in Altoona, was from the book of I Thessalonians)

1 Thessalonians 1:8. THE LORD’S MESSAGE RANG OUT FROM YOU.".

"For from you, sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything." KJV

"For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you"

"The Greek word is "sound" ‘execheo’, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is derived from echos, an ‘echo’ or noise. According to TDNT, it can mean to ‘sound, ring, chime or boom’. It was used in LXX of bells, zithers, trumpets, and other loud noises. In the New Testament the weaker verb echeo relates to the noise of a resounding gong (1 Cor.13:1) and of the roaring sea (Lk.21:25; cf.Ps.65:7). LKGNW "An echoing like thunder or sounding out as a trumpet" And indicates that a sound is made and it is heard spreading out from a center over an area. The word "sound" is a perf.pass. ind. This means the word denotes the continuing activity.

A THUNDEROUS SOUND WAS MADE

Chrysostom thought that Paul was likening the preaching of the gospel to "the sound of a loud trumpet". The verb is also used of "a great thunder" (Eccles.40:13; cf.46:17), and Jerome described Paul’s writings as non "verba sed tonitrua," "not words but thunderclaps". At all events, whether Paul is thinking of thunder or trumpets, the gospel proclaimed by the Thessalonians made a loud noise, which seemed to reverberate through the hills and valleys of Greece.

A FAITH IN GOD WAS SEEN

But there was something more than that: "your faith in God is spread abroad" or "become known everywhere" (8). We must notice carefully the threefold correspondence in verse 8 between the two means by which the gospel spread from Thessalonica.

• The first is between "the word of the Lord" (direct preaching) and "your faith in God" (an implied report).

• The second is between the loud "sounding out" of the gospel and the much quieter "spreading abroad:" or " becoming known" of their faith.

• The third is between the local provinces of Macedonia and Achaia which the preaching reached, and "every place" to which the news of their faith had penetrated (cf. Rom.1:8).
  Even if Paul’s "every place" is embellishment, he is certainly saying that the Thessalonians’ faith was becoming known far beyond Greece, maybe west by land to Rome and east by sea to Ephesus.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant