Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 11:57:35 PM |
Age 66, UT |
You know, before I read this article, and the responses to it I thought that perhaps I was almost all alone.
Certainly it isn't that we should never preach a Salvation message from the pulpit, but that is not to be the primary message the Pastor presents. He is to feed the Flock! He is to teach the Flock! He is to protect the Flock! He is to warn the Flock! He is to comfort the Flock! His primary duty is to shepherd the flock of God!
I was an MK whose Father and Mother were heavily involved in Evangelism and Church planting. From the time I was 7, I must have heard, almost exclusively, more than two to three thousand messages which either were aimed at informing Believers about the work we were involved in in Korea or were straight Salvation messages. I even went to Bible College at one of the better schools, and returned to Korea to serve as a missionary myself for two and a half years. All with a poor understanding of what it meant to be a godly man. As a result my faith was stilted, and after spending three years as the "prodigal son", The Lord Jesus set me free to mature in the faith.
As I said, there is a place for Salvation messags in the Church, but that is not to be the primary thrust of the Pulpit.
For that dear soul who casts God as acting sovereignly of us in bringing men to Salvation, please don't forget that Scripture clearly declares that, as Believers, we are in partnership with Him in both living the Christian Life, and in ministering to the Life Changing Power of The Blood of Christ. I like what the Apostle John did that got him into so much trouble, "who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw." (Revelation 1:2) As an individual in my contacts with the World, I am to be faithful to this commission. As a Pastor in my contacts with The Church, I am to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2nd Timothy 4:2), that is that I am to grow and mature the men and women who have already come to know The Lord Jesus. It is not my primary purpose in my pulpit to evangelize those who are in the pews. Unfortunately though, I believe that a great many of the people in the pews of most Churches have never come to right relationship with The Lord Jesus. Two men that I know and respect, J. Vernon McGee, and Billy Graham, have said that they variously peg the number of those truly born-again in the pews to be no more than 10 to 25% of the population of the average Church. I tend to agree with them. If you're a Pastor, bring your people to right relationship with God, then use these dear ones to evangelize your community. Don't try to do it the other way around.
Also, for those who don't think we ought to be involved in social work I say hogwash! Just make sure that everything you do and say directly and very forthrightly demonstrates and clearly says that The Love of God called me to do this for you. He loved me when I was worthless. He rescued me, gave me help, hope, forgiveness, and power to live above habitual sin. He gave me Eternal Life, and His own dear presence. He called me to the same message that Jesus delivered to the congregation in Nazareth. Don't be afraid to quote His words from Luke 4:18&19.
Again, thank you for letting me know that I may be a lonely Pastor in my pulpit preaching the unadulterated Word of God, I am not alone.
By the way, since The Lord Jesus became both Lord and Master of my life, I have served Him faithfully for 37 wonderful, and incredibly fulfilling years. I am 66 years old now, and am just as eager to serve Him now as I was when He made me a new creation in 1970.
Hallelujah, Maranatha!
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 11:48:28 PM |
Age 20, GA |
I totally agree! This reminds me of a youth camp I went to a few years ago, when we were told to be friendly and invite people to church and let the pastor evangelize them. I brought up the point of sharing right then, and they said, "Well, yes, you can do that, but that puts more of a burden on you." Where in the Bible did that come from?
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 09:58:28 PM |
Age 40, NC |
"...by all means some may be saved."
There is a place for churches to hold fun community events. While the gospel may yet be shared, the event may not be evangelistic in nature. However, it should be evangelical in nature in that it helps the church develop a relationship with the community where the gospel can be shared poignantly with individuals by individuals. Building relationships is important. Sharing the gospel up front is also important. The two activities are not mutually exclusive and to suggest that they are is to argue a false dichotomy.
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- Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/18/07 09:27:06 AM | | Age 19, MN |
Very well-said. Thanks.
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 08:47:55 PM |
Age 51, OH |
It is refreshing to learn that someone is seeing the pitiful condition of today's church. The church teaches that you have to practically sneak up on someone to share the gospel - you have to build a "friendship" with someone BEFORE you can speak of Christ. I have been learning from the Way of the Master (Ray Comfort/KirkCameron) and have found it totally exhirating to share my faith with complete strangers!
It has been a sad commentary on the church to see the lack of interest in seeking to reach out to the lost. Everyone has time for everything else BUT! It saddens me to hear the pastor say "with every head bowed and every eye closed, will someone who is wanting to give their hear to Jesus raise your hand" as if it is something to hide or maybe even be ashamed of! Jesus died on the cross in public for our sins - what happened to the idea that a person walked forward to accept Christ?! Praise God for men and women who still speak the truth of the gospel - straight out - for anyone to hear. That's the way Jesus did it - and that's the way of the Master - follow Him all the way!
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 07:35:40 PM |
Age 52, MI |
I think it is great that someone else is preaching the need to 'not just invite' people to church but to make sure a person knows what it is to be saved and how to find Jesus 'before' they get to the church they are invited to. Ray Baumann is not saying not to invite people to church but rather he is saying to stop 'ONLY' inviting them, Tell them about Jesus and How to get Saved right then and there. As a farmer is a seed planter so are Christians; but a farmer is also a reaper and so are Christians when we are led by the Spirit of God to a soul which is ripe for the harvesting. Oh What Great Joy there is in Heaven when a lost soul is brought into the sheepfold of God by a faithful servant. Go out seed planting but as Ray Baumann has said, stop only inviting people to your church, make sure they know right then and there on the spot (if they will let you) how to find and accept Christ Jesus as their Lord, Savior and King. Who knows, they might just be called into eternity by an accident before they get the chance to follow up on your invitation. If that does happen, you will have led that soul to Christ Jesus because of the time you took to explain Salvation to them instead of making them wait to get to your church. Heaven will be Jumping for Joy as that once lost soul enters and you will have another Jewel in your Crown which you will someday receive when we finally meet our Savior Face to Face. Rev. S.R. Elwood, TheMasterspoet
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 06:52:19 PM |
Age 42, AL |
Right On! Yes, the church is for equipping believers, including those who already believes in their heart, but need more input.
Evangelism is giving people a thirst for God through our lives, it is not merely sharing a message without a life. People will look at our life and compare with our message. So focus on your walk in LOVE.
Anyway, with the last days, any churches that continues to have a church building is an anti-Christ church. Whether you like this truth or not, it is the TRUTH - written in the BIBLE!
So let the Church become the Body of Christ spread throughout the world as Light and Salt, instead of useless institutions that rediect all mission money into dead building and facilities. The worse is causing a few to do God's work while the rest are entertained.
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- Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 05/22/07 08:21:36 PM | | Age 28, MD |
You said: "Anyway, with the last days, any churches that continues to have a church building is an anti-Christ church. Whether you like this truth or not, it is the TRUTH - written in the BIBLE!"
Can you please share the scripture reference with us? Thanks!
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 05:19:08 PM |
Age 56, MN |
PREACH IT BROTHER!
ITS about time someone stands up against the FARCE out there today in LA LA LAND Of the SO CALLED CHRISTIANS! GRRRRRRRRR
THis love them into HELL business, and the watered down way of wittnessing is enough to make ME throw up, no wonder JESUS said he would SPEW them out of his mouth.
EACH time I get told IM doing my wittnessing wrong I WANT TO UPCHUCK.
WHY do they think that way, this LOVE them INTO HELL GOSPEL being SPEWED today ISH!
Im so tired of it.
I have no problem dealing with the UNSAVED< ITS the SO CALLED SAVED that DRIVE me up the wall, and again I can SEE why the LORD says they make HIM sick to his STOMACHE.
SICKENING beyond belief!
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 04:24:41 PM |
Age 59, IL |
Ray, I agree with your sense of urgency... but I hope you're not suggesting that we literally quit inviting people to church. How could you ever know... if a pastor or someone else at your church will be the one who God uses to touch someone's heart? You don't. My point is, we do everything that we can to help a person cross the line of faith. And we don't stop doing something, just because some church may have done it badly. Evangelizing AND inviting someone to church should never be mutually exclusive. Not if you really care for the lost. In Him, scott.
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Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 04:18:18 PM |
Age 52, AL |
Ok guys. First of all we are called to share the Gospel. We're seed planters not harvesters. Did Jesus hold back feeding the 5K because he thought some would follow only because they were being fed? No. Did he question the motive of the disabled man healed because some friends let him down through the roof? No. Did Christ offend the woman at the well because she was ignorant of the truth? No. Meeting peoples needs and sharing the Gospel with those same folks is not a cop-out!
Our church had a living Christmas tree last year, at which over 5K people attended. There's no room for an invitation at the altar therefore, we did a card and planted a staff minister at each exit to retrieve those cards and we followed up on every decision with a visit in the home so that we could better explain the Gospel and confirm their conversion experience.
We give an altar call because we feel it's important that a person respond publicly to be a witness to the whole world that they are giving their life to Christ. We also believe that life is fleeting and that a person could walk out and die. John the Baptist called for a public display of baptism as an outward expression of an inward decision.
I have much more to say but haven't got the room here. God bless! Hang tough! Share the Word!
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