Fly High – Acts part 12
On The Lighter Side of Life: See e-mail power point from Blair’s.
Thesis: How to present the Gospel to unbelievers according to the mission’s approach of Paul and Barnabas.
Scripture Text: Acts 13:13 - 14:7
13From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
16Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, 18he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, 19he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. 20All this took about 450 years.
“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
23“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
26“Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead, 31and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
32“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.’
34The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words:
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
35So it is stated elsewhere:
“‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’
36“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. 37But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
38“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
41 “‘Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’
42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 14:1-7:
1At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7where they continued to preach the good news.
Introduction:
Over the last few months we have been exploring power evangelism. We have observed the disciples of the New Testament Acts church being filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit. From the 1st outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost the church has exploded onto to the scene of this ancient middle-eastern civilization. The Apostles were dramatically affected after the Holy Spirit came and filled them. They truly became the type of Christians Jesus wanted them to be. He promised them the Holy Spirit so that they could be the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus told them in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So here we are in Acts 13-14 and we have observed that this church and its leaders do have power-they are His witnesses and they are reaching this entire area with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We have seen these men and women of faith raise the dead, heal the sick, deliver the possessed, confront the false prophets and even blind them, confront kings and leaders over this Roman Empire, and it says many believed. The disciples themselves have been on the assault for many years now and the Gospel is spreading and taking root in the lives of Jews and Gentiles, in the lives of the poor and the rich, in the lives Governors and soldiers. It is spreading in spite of the persecution from the religious leaders of the day.
I want you to notice something about our heroes of the faith and ministry. They were not always highly successful. Sometimes they only converted a few, sometimes they were driven out after arriving, sometimes they were beaten, sometimes they were mistreated, sometimes they were killed and in the eyes of some they thought to be failures-to be rejects-to be nuts-to be deceived but the truth is they were on the right track and most important they were doing the will of the Lord Jesus. They knew their purpose in life and their mission in life. They took seriously Jesus Words of the Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20:
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus kept His promise of being with them through the thick and the thin –through good times and bad times. These individuals had imperfections and at times failed or made mistakes but Jesus hung in there with them if they repented and changed their ways. He helped them through the failures, the disappointments and the hardships of being a witness for Him in hostile secular society.
Illustration: Famous Failures from Blue Fish TV
Thoughts from the clip: Remember God uses imperfect people to do his perfect will. We will have failures in life even with those we witness too but we must risk telling people the truth so that in those moments we can really be alive. If we fail to do the Great Commission and share the truth then we fail at life. If we fail to tell people about our testimony then we fail the purpose for our being here on the earth. We are all called to be his witnesses on this planet. Maybe if we have never tried to be a witness for Jesus it’s because we have not allowed the Lord to fill us –baptize us in the Holy Spirit – so that we have the power to witness – so that we tap the resources of the Holy Spirit in our presentation of the Gospel to the lost.
Quote: "Jesus . . . wants us to see that the neighbor next door or the people sitting next to us on a plane or in a classroom are not interruptions to our schedule. They are there by divine appointment. Jesus wants us to see their needs, their loneliness, their longings, and he wants to give us the courage to reach out to them" (REBECCA MANLEY PIPPERT, Draper’s).
T.S. - Today we will continue and to explore the risk taking lives of Paul and Barnabas. These men went out onto the mission field and chose to risk it all for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul and Barnabas had a methodology for doing evangelism that I believe we can all learn from today – listen to how they presented the Gospel:
I. Paul and Barnabas would actually go were there were non-converted people (Acts 13:13-16).
a. Friends evangelism is not rocket science – to win the lost you must go to the lost!
i. The biggest myth in the church is to think “Build it and they will come!” Our problem is in America we watch to many movies.
1. Jesus said – go and tell them that I died for them and that I love them. Go to were the lost are and share the “Good News “ of Jesus with them
2. It’s not build a great cathedral and they come to get the truth it says go to the pits of this earth and into their regions filled with sin and depravity and speak the Word, pray for them and confront the demonic spirits in my power.
a. Then they will come to Jesus! Not to a grand building!
b. "When it comes to community ministry, we finally put our program where our mouth is. Instead of expecting the community to come to church, we decided to take the church to the community." Mark Krenz from Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
ii. The gospel is a message of encouragement. When the Jewish leaders asked Paul to share – remember he was a trained Pharisee and studied under a famous rabbi teacher. He got up and shared the encouraging news about Jesus Christ.
1. I sometimes wonder if people in the church look at the Gospel and the Word of God as encouraging?
a. Why is it encouraging?
i. He gives us hope
ii. It shows we can be forgiven
iii. It tells us that God has made a away for us to get into Heaven since none of us can get their on our own.
iv. The Word says God loves us! He does not hate us – however he does hate sin!
v. The Word says He will answer our prayers if we choose the path of forgiveness to others.
vi. The Word tells us that there is a better place coming called heaven and eternal life.
vii. The Word tells us that if we are believers we are blessed not cursed.
iii. Quote: CT STUDD: A, "Wealthy, nationally famous athlete put it all aside to disappear into the mission field: China, India, and then Africa. Lost from sight for 13 yrs without contact. WHY? His reason, “Some people love to dwell near church with choir and steeple bell. But I want to run a rescue station a yard from the gates of hell." From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
b. Paul and Barnabas would always enter a new city and always end up going to the synagogue to share with the God fearing Gentiles and the Jews the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
i. They would take the message right into the “Fire.”
1. They would enter the place were they knew some would receive the truth and others would stir up riots against them for sharing the truth.
a. They went anyways – always looking to bring a word of encouragement to God’s people.
b. They went in the boldness and the confidence of the Lord.
c. They went because sharing the message of Jesus to the lost brought them a sense of fulfillment and that they then were truly living.
i. Quote on Evangelism: A free flowing river purifies itself and is alive with life. So also is the Christian who becomes involved with others in sharing the Gospel. That Christian will discover the reason for his or her existence. Being involved in the ministry of a witness is essential to finding the fulfillment we desire as humans. From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
T.S. - Paul and Barnabas would enter the hot spots that needed the truth and then without fear or hesitation present the Gospel verbally.
II. The second point in evangelism is you must share the Gospel to the lost by communicating it to the listeners (Acts 13:16-41).
a. Paul and Barnabas had an effective way to communicate the “Gospel” they went to a crowd of people – or even individuals and actually talked about the life of Jesus and His ability to set them free from sin and hopelessness in this world.
i. Quote: Dr. Ellin Greene, of the University of Chicago, has said, "We get so quickly sidetracked from the simple story nature of our faith. We begin to think that theology saves us, that truth is somehow embodied in our theology of the Atonement, or our mastery of eschatological charts. But when Jesus wanted to communicate the truth of God’s kingdom, he left out the polysyllables and told a story about a woman who lost a coin or a man who dug for treasure. The kingdom of heaven is like this he said, “ Dare we ask for more scholarly explanation from the Son of God?" From Paul Fritz on sermoncentral.com.
ii. I believe that for New Life Community Church to make a difference in our community we must open up our mouths and speak about the difference Jesus has made in our lives and then invite the one listening to come to church to hear more.
1. Michael S. Hamilton, Assistant Professor of History at Seattle Pacific University wrote, "In the 1930’s, most missionary agencies emphasized evangelism, church-planting, and discipleship. In 1998, however, four of the five largest overseas ministries specialized in relief, development, and education work. For many of these agencies, evangelism is a secondary concern." From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
a. Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium."
2. I do believe we need to do good works for the Lord but our primary goal in evangelism is to present people with the Gospel so that they can believe in it and then be transformed and by the Word of truth.
b. Paul and Barnabas in our text today reveal their usual pattern for presenting the Gospel in the Jewish synagogues:
i. In this section of Acts and I believe it’s alluded to in other sections of Acts our preachers shared a message to the people about God – His work on behalf of Israel and the Jesus connection:
1. God choose them
a. God has not only chosen the Israelites but he has also chosen those who believe in Him to be blessed and a witness to this lost world.
i. I Thess. 1: 4-8: 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
ii. Colossians 3: 12-14: 12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
2. God prospered them
a. God not only prospered the Jewish nation but he will also prosper the ones who place their faith in Him.
i. Proverbs 28:25 “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.”
3. God led them with His mighty hand of power out of bondage.
a. God delivered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and God promises to deliver those who call on Him from their own bondages created by sin and rebellion.
i. 2 Cor 1:10: 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…”
1. Paul reminds us and the Corinthian church that we have been delivered and he will continue to deliver us as we stay faithful to the call.
4. God endured their ungodly conduct and complaining.
a. God was patient with Israel and He is patient with us also -- the key is to believe and allow Him to transform our lives and make our lives a story worth telling in Heaven.
i. Romans 2:1-11:1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
b. God is patient and he has been patient with all of us but there is a limit to his patience.
5. God overthrew 7 nations to give them the Promised Land.
a. God moved the nations out in front of the nation of Israel and all those who follow Him will see God move obstacles out of their way to bring them to the Promised Land.
i. God not only moved obstacles out of the way for the Israelites but he will do the same for the believer.
1. Ephesians 4:11-16: 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
6. God gave them judges or leaders to lead them.
a. The nation of Israel had many leaders sent by God to lead the people through various struggles and trials. God has done the same today and if we learn to honor and respect the leaders He sent then it will go well with us.
i. Same as above applies for the leadership in the church being sent there by God.
ii. Hebrews 13:17- “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
7. God gave them their kings.
a. The nation of Israel wanted a King so the Lord gave them Saul-then David and so on. David is said to “be a man after God’s own heart” and the result was under his leadership the nation of Israel grew and became a regional power. Why because God was in the right position in the hearts of the leaders of this country. God has also sent these types of leaders today into this nation and we need follow their lead and support the direction they are going so that the USA stays powerful because of God’s intervention.
i. Romans
8. God sent Jesus to the World to save it.
a. Paul makes sure that this room filled with Jews and God fearing Gentiles heard that the hinge pin of success in the life is found in understanding that Jesus was sent by God into the world to save it.
i. John 3:16
9. God gave the Jewish nation Jesus
a. Not only was Jesus sent as the Savior of the word – The Gentiles but he was sent as the messiah for the nation of Israel.
10. God gave them the message of salvation and redemption
a. It is found in the Gospel of Jesus and it is rooted and affirmed in Jesus ministry.
11. God raised Jesus from the dead to prove His authenticity.
a. Jesus resurrection from the dead was proof positive that what he said would come to pass.
b. Jesus resurrection proves –verifies the authenticity of Jesus divinity and position in heaven
12. God fulfilled His promises about the Messiah in sending Jesus.
a. Jesus is the fulfillment of 1,000 of prophecies in the OT and if you study the scriptures closely you will see that he did fulfill the promises.
ii. Summary of the message from Paul to this synagogue:
1. Jesus is the Messiah the promised Savior of the nation of Israel and the world. He is the one who fulfilled all the prophecies in the OT and did the miracles to prove His authenticity. It is through Jesus that the forgiveness of sins is possible. Those who believe and place their faith in Jesus will be saved and justified in the sight of God. Jesus resurrection is the ultimate sign that he is the Messiah. He did not die or experience decay like all other men of God in the past. The resurrection is the hinge pin to prove that Jesus is the chosen one of Israel.
2. Quote: Richard Baxter, the Puritan preacher of the 17th century conveys the urgency, the zeal of Christian witness when he said, "I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men!" from Paul Fritz sermon central.com.
T.S. – The message is delivered verbally and some believe while others have questions.
III. The next step after the message is delivered is that you need to answer the questions of the ones seeking and the ones who just believed (Acts 13: 42-44).
a. It is important to remember that just because you share the message of Jesus once does not mean that there will be no questions. Not everyone is going to believe immediately.
i. Yes some will believe right away but others will have questions and it’s important to dialogue with them about the truth and how it applies to everyday life.
1. Quote: Howard Hendricks said, "In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering." From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
ii. Paul and the other disciples regularly discussed the truth on a personal level and on a practical level with the seekers and with the new converts.
1. "Our English word witness comes from an Old English word we do no use very much anymore but we used it in Elizabethan times and afterwards. It is the word wit. ’To wit’ means ’to know’ A ’wit’ is ’a knowledgeable person.’ So a ’witness’ of some who knows something and testifies to it." From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
b. Quotes: David Brainerd, the famous missionary to the American Indians, proclaimed this truth throughout his ministry. He said, "I never got away from Jesus and Him crucified in my preaching. I found that once these people were gripped by the great evangelical meaning of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, I did not have to give them many instructions about changing their behavior."
i. The truth of the Word will impact some greatly they will know that they need to change so we must start the process of discipleship.
c. Please Note: The usual result of the preaching of the Word from these men of faith is people believed! The Gentiles would usually receive the “Good News” and respond in the following manner:
i. They were glad about the truth.
ii. They would honor the Word.
iii. They would follow the Lord Jesus and believe.
d. Quote: Paul Little in his book "How to Give Away Your Faith" defines witnessing: "Witnessing is that deep-seated conviction that the greatest favor I can do for others is to introduce them to Jesus Christ." From Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
T.S. - After preaching the word some will believe were others will become angry and mad at the truth.
IV. Paul and Barnabas also had to deal with those who rejected the truth and persecuted them (Acts 13:43-52).
a. The Jewish nation as a whole would respond to the “Good News: usually in the following manner:
i. A few would believe and follow the Lord
ii. The Others would incite people against the disciples because of jealousy
iii. They would seek to have them expelled from their regions
iv. They would be verbally abusive
v. They would poison the Gentile leaders minds toward the “Good News”
vi. They refused to be the light
vii. They would lie about them and stir up dissension
viii. They would cause riots to drive them out of the area
ix. They would try to kill them
x. They would stir up persecution toward the messengers of Jesus
xi. They considered themselves unworthy of eternal life says Paul.
b. Evangelism does have it unpleasant moments but we still need to willing to share the “Good News” even if we are ridiculed and persecuted for presenting the truth.
c. When the disciples were rejected and driven out they would move on and not allow the past pressure to affect their next destination.
T.S. – rejection and persecution comes with the presenting the truth in a world that believes and lives a lie so expect it and deal with Like Paul and Barnabas dealt with it.
V. The Disciples presented the gospel were rejected by some but they believed and lived the Life that the Lord wanted them to live (Acts 13:52).
a. This verse says they left with filled with joy and filled with the Holy Spirit.
i. Quote: Evangelism is not what we tell people, unless what we tell is totally consistent with who we are. It is who we are that is going to make the difference. If we do not truly enjoy our faith, nobody is going to catch the fire of enjoyment from us. If our lives are not totally centered on Christ, we will not be Christ-bearers for others, no matter how pious our words. [Show and Tell, Citation: Madeleine L’Engle, quoted in Christian Reader (May/June 1998, p. 50)] from Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
ii. Quote: Recently, I saw a letter written by a relatively new Christian to the person whose life had influenced hers so greatly. She actually lists about a dozen qualities she found contagious in the life of this older Christian. Listen to some of what she wrote: You know when we met; I began to discover a new vulnerability, a warmth, and a lack of pretence that impressed me. I saw in you a thriving spirit - no signs of internal stagnation anywhere. I could tell you were a growing person and I liked that. I saw you had strong self-esteem, not based on the fluff of self-help books, but on something a whole lot deeper. I saw that you lived by convictions and priorities and not just by convenience, selfish pleasure, and financial gain. And I had never met anyone like that before. I felt a depth of love and concern as you listened to me and didn’t judge me. You tried to understand me, you sympathized and you celebrated with me, you demonstrated kindness and generosity - and not just to me, but to other people, as well. And you stood for something. You were willing to go against the grain of society and follow what you believed to be true, no matter what people said, and no matter how much it cost you. And for those reasons and a whole host of others, I found myself really wanting what you had. Now that I’ve become a Christian, I wanted to write to tell you I’m grateful beyond words for how you lived out your Christian life in front of me. Basically, she was saying, "Thanks for being a Contagious Christian." Reading a letter like that motivates me to live as a contagious Christian too. How about you? I’ll bet you want your life to count for a whole lot more than trinkets and toys and zeros on a pay check, too. From: Becoming A Contagious Christian from Paul Fritz sermoncentral.com
iii. A thought from Paul Fritz on seroncentral.com stated, “Recently I heard Dieter Zander, the pastor of the first GenX church in America speak at a conference about reaching people in the age of relativism. He cited a Barna study that asked people to use single words to describe Jesus. They responded, "wise, accepting, compassionate, gracious, humble." Then he asked them to use single words to describe Christians, they said, "critical, exclusive, self righteous, narrow and repressive." "There is a difference between knowing the good news and being the good news," Zander said. "We are the evidence! How we live our lives are the evidence. Everything counts--all the time." "With previous generations, a strong preacher could give a good message, even if the church was hypocritical and critical and people would still get saved," Zander continued, "but not any more. I’m seeing a change in what seekers are looking for. Not something they can relate to. They are looking for a transcendent God. They don’t want to be entertained they want to be transformed." There is something wrong when people are leaving the church to find God.
iv. Jim Wallis writes in The Call to Conversion (HarperCollins, 1992, p. 108) his testimony: "When I was a university student, I was unsuccessfully evangelized by almost every Christian group on campus. My basic response to their preaching was, "How can I believe when I look at the way the church lives?" They answered, "Don’t look at the church, look at Jesus." I now believe that statement is one of the saddest in the history of the church. ...People should be able to look at the way we live and begin to understand what the gospel is about." From Paul Fritz at sermoncentral.com.
b. These men lived what they preached and revealed the joy that comes with having the truth – Joy and the filling of the Holy Spirit drove them to be the light to a lost world.
i. Evangelism needs to be in our heart and then it will pour out of our lives:
1. Illustration: Brad Bright, son of Bill Bright, said that his dad didn’t have the gift of evangelism, but he loved God so much that he talked about Him everywhere he went to anyone who would listen. Actually, Bill Bright was rather reserved, and he had to overcome the shyness to share with others. Even on vacations, Dad would suddenly disappear, and we would turn around to find him telling someone about the Lord. Brad says, in his book, when Dad got a wrong number caller, he would them about Jesus. When he was riding in a taxi, he would tell the driver about Jesus. He talked to CEOs, carry-out boys, doctors, hotel maids, criminals, lawyers, and politicians. Contributed to sermoncentral.com by: Dan Steadman
Conclusion:
Quote: Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus."
Trueblood, Elton Contributed by: Sermon Central Pro
Paul Wilkes and published by Westminster John Knox Press identified the following 26 common traits among "excellent" churches.
1. They have a vibrancy about living a Christian life...living on the creative and holy edge of the New Testament...being a Christian is not a leisure activity but an adventure.
2. They are entrepreneurial...risk-takers, self-starters, use what works and put aside that which does not work.
3. They draw philosophically, rather than geographically or denominationally, by the spirit of a living and present God.
4. They reach beyond their comfort zone...not afraid of being uncomfortable and not afraid to ask tough questions of themselves.
5. They regularly evaluate themselves...for effectiveness.
6. They have a clear, yet changing, sense of mission...a vision of where they want to be and willingness to redirect energies to be effective in their community and people’s lives.
7. They have a willingness to break up and reassemble...put aside old structures and coalitions when necessary to move forward.
8. They are unafraid of being vulnerable and making mistakes.
9. The laity are integral part of the leadership...they have competence and a desire to serve, they have the ability to learn, the humility to admit mistakes and the courage to continue despite setbacks. These qualities are more important prerequisites for leadership than formal training and ordination.
10. They preach and practice forgiveness and acceptance of others.
11. They practice relationship evangelism...personal contact is the key...most new people come to the church through word of mouth...friend, co-worker and neighbor.
12. They see themselves as a unique community...not as a franchise of their denomination or even Christianity.
13. They are active in transforming the culture, hold government, agencies and institutions accountable...see their work as not only serving their constituency but also transforming the world around them.
14. They believe in partnerships with other churches, agencies and interest groups.
15. They offer an ascent to God, a relationship ... provide the tools and support to forge a real, living and enduring relationship with God.
16. They are traditional without being traditionalist...their tradition is a beginning, a springboard, not a wall, not a barrier.
17. The Bible is at their core.
18. They are innovative about different spiritual approaches.
19. They tailor liturgies and programs to various constituencies...reject one-size-fits-all approach.
20. The practice powerful, life-situation preaching...pastors may be biblical scholars, but are everyday-life scholars even more.
21. Their Pastors have been in place for years.
22. They do training, training, training...use local possibilities but will create their own if necessary...see church as a seminary...serve the needs of the church and their area.
23. They bring new members to full membership and participation...just joining is not enough.
24. They call leaders, they don’t just fill slots... they are deliberate about leadership and claim untapped talent for the Lord.
25. Break out of their walls and into the world...have no walls, property lines...are in the marketplace, civic meetings, the boardroom and around the water cooler. 26. Utilize media well...aware that glitz is not substance...know there is no substitute for real substance and individual care. (LNextra 6/18/01) http://garydfoster.com
Contributed to sermoncentral.com by: Gary D. Foster Consulting
