| Poster | Thread | NLONG
Member
Joined: 2006/8/17
Posts: 111
Middlebury, Indiana
| | Re: | | We all at least individually witness. We go to nursing homes and sing to the residents. Since I work in the cancer ward, we will often sing and witness to patients when they are admitted. We have gone to the local jail to preach--that was pretty interesting! Most of the guys go street preaching about twice a week to area cities. I have a full time job and so get out when I can. We also hit big events that are within 3-5 hour drive (i.e., super bowl, world series, notre dame football games (of which we have all but been banned), brickyard and indy 500). In the summer the entire church gets out, entire families, to local parades (holiday and fairs). This is by far my favorite--big turnout and they're there to see you!!! Beyond this 2 men in the fellowship have their vans covered in scripture. Finally, about every month or two we visit a local church or fellowship and encourage and/or challenge them to live godly in Christ Jesus. Have anymore ideas we'd be game!
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Neil Long
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|  2006/11/27 12:11 | Profile | GraceAlone
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Joined: 2006/8/23
Posts: 232
Orlando, Florida
| | Re: | | Thats really great!
Quote:
Have anymore ideas we'd be game!
malls, shopping centers, colleges, universities... Can't really think of more... You can go door-to-door... We go preaching to the clubbers and partiers on the outskirts of downtown Orlando (open-airing).... our church holds alot of events at the church for baptisms and holidays, it is a way to get people you know to visit considering there is free food and fellowship afterward. We make it a point to talk to the people who visit our church too.
Its good to have a big get together so that the younger believers can be trained to witness themselves mabey once a week!
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Kristy
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| | 2006/11/27 14:16 | Profile | roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777
| | Re: Following Christ is sooooo imporant | | This is key:
Quote:
Mark 1:17, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.
This is not:
Quote:
Its good to have a big get together so that the younger believers can be trained to witness themselves maybe once a week!
In my years in the evangelical church I noticed that, for many, evangelism was far more important than following Christ. Of course no one would admit that. We meant well. We just planned all kinds of evangelistic things. Really we were leaning on mans devices, mans ingenuity to build GODS kingdom. And we prayed that God would bless OUR efforts. We were blind to our own hypocrisy.
Nothing has changed. In fact, its getting worse, generally speaking. The modern evangelical church has a lot of repenting to do. For several years it has had a very shallow view of salvation, and what it means to be a follower of Christ. It has made a lot of proselytes followers of the churchs view of salvation more than followers of Christ. These people live by the power of their own flesh, their own cleverness a form of godliness, but with out the power. We can make Christian-looking people zealous ones at that, but we cant make true Christians. We can make hundreds of little "evangelists" out of dead these dead people, but they only spread a dead gospel, thinking they are obeying God, because they were told so by their church leaders.
May God send his fire and purify us so that the true light will shine through us. And may he begin with me.
When the Spirit is in us and working though us the light will shine. People WILL see it. Let us invest our lives in following Christ. Only then will we have an answer for the faith that is in us because we KNOW him and hear his voice. Then we will see the absurdity of dispensing formulas for getting saved to whomever, indiscriminately.
Consider this: Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan was a clever and timely Gospel presentation. Why?
Diane
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Diane
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| | 2006/11/27 14:55 | Profile | GraceAlone
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Joined: 2006/8/23
Posts: 232
Orlando, Florida
| | Re: | | Quote:
When the Spirit is in us and working though us the light will shine. People WILL see it. Let us invest our lives in following Christ. Only then will we have an answer for the faith that is in us because we KNOW him and hear his voice. Then we will see the absurdity of dispensing formulas for getting saved to whomever, indiscriminately.
I'm not talking about Arminianism I'm talking about obeying the great commision! We don't save anybody by our own strength or "formulas". Yet, we still evangelisze because we know that God will save.
The point I was presenting here is that if a professing Christian isn't evangelising regularly he's probably lost. He's definitly lost if he doesn't evangelize at all.
1 Corinthians 9:16
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
Jeremiah 20:9
Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.
Luke 24
"46 Then He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
Mark 1:17
"Then Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Matthew 28:18-20
"18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."
Acts 1:8
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
2 Timothy 3:12
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (You don't get persecuted by keeping your mouth shut, sitting in a room and studying Greek.)
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Kristy
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| | 2006/11/27 15:06 | Profile | roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777
| | Re: evangelism | | Quote:
The point I was presenting here is that if a professing Christian isn't evangelising regularly he's probably lost.
In a sense, I agree with you, we WILL be witnesses when the Holy Spirit comes on us (promised at Salvation)
However, bearing witness of Christ is not necessarily the same as evangelizing about Christ. I suspect that you agree with that.
The main evidence (witness) is a changed life. We will: " ...live godly" And others will see the evidence - or rather, they see Christ in us.
"His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones;"
Jeremiah was under God's restraint - to give the word (the burden) when GOD called him, not when Jeremiah wanted to, or to "get it off our chest". You may enjoy [url=http://www.benisrael.org/prophecy.html]Prophetic Ministries by Art Katz[/url] This is a fascinating read - and helps us understand the problems with modern evangelism.
"... woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"
Preaching the gospel is not automatically the same as evangelism. I shudder when I think of all the evangelistic methods I have experienced over the years - that lacked the power and witness of the true gospel, and were more liked forced attempts than energized by the power of God's Spirit.
"you are witnesses of these things"
Exactly. We are witnesses. When you are a witness you testify to your experience of what happened.
Do you see where I am going with this? In a sense I am not disagreeing with the essense of your burden. I am, however, disagreeing with the implication that we should and aught to be "evangelizing" first and formost, when Christ has called us first and foremost to himself.
The Pharisees where zealous evangelists, and you know what God thought about their eforts! They were making their converts twice the son of hell that they were. Why? Because they were making a lot of little legalists - just like they were. They were more concerned about making converts than BEING converts.
It's easy to have evangelistic zeal about anything we strongly believe in, but that doesn't make it right.
I share your burden, just would differentiate between genuine witness and evangelism.
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Diane
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| | 2006/11/27 20:49 | Profile | GraceAlone
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Joined: 2006/8/23
Posts: 232
Orlando, Florida
| | Re: | | I'm picking up a hosility towards this simple truth.
Quote:
"... woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"
Preaching the gospel is not automatically the same as evangelism. I shudder when I think of all the evangelistic methods I have experienced over the years - that lacked the power and witness of the true gospel, and were more liked forced attempts than energized by the power of God's Spirit.
Youve got the wrong definition of evangelize. Evangelism is the same as proclaiming the gospel. I pray that you are evangelizing in your life.
G2097
εὐαγγελίζω
euaggelizō
yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo
From G2095 and G32; to announce good news (evangelize) especially the gospel: - declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).
Quote:
Do you see where I am going with this? In a sense I am not disagreeing with the essense of your burden. I am, however, disagreeing with the implication that we should and aught to be "evangelizing" first and formost, when Christ has called us first and foremost to himself.
I know what you are saying and Im not contradicting you. Im saying that IF YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, you are faithfully evangelizing and witnessing especially with your life. It is most importiant that you yourself are saved, then after you proclaim to be you evangelize PERIOD.
Quote:
The Pharisees where zealous evangelists, and you know what God thought about their eforts! They were making their converts twice the son of hell that they were. Why? Because they were making a lot of little legalists - just like they were. They were more concerned about making converts than BEING converts.
That again has little to do with the topic. Im saying that IF YOU are a convert, you are making converts. Besides, its even easier to be a pharisee and NOT evangelize.
Quote:
It's easy to have evangelistic zeal about anything we strongly believe in, but that doesn't make it right.
We know that the gospel is right and true.
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Kristy
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| | 2006/11/28 8:44 | Profile | GraceAlone
Member
Joined: 2006/8/23
Posts: 232
Orlando, Florida
| | Re: | | G2097
εὐαγγελίζω
euaggelizō
yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo
From G2095 and G32; to announce good news (evangelize) especially the gospel: - declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).
1 Corinthians 9:16
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
WOE to you if you don't preach the gospel.
Romans 10
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!
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Kristy
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| | 2006/11/28 8:54 | Profile |
| | Re: | | Quote:
I was wondering what people on this website forum have at thier church for evangelism!
How does that matter? How is this relevant to anything at all?
I don't define myself by what my church offers, does, or says. I define myself by Christ and His standard for my life. I mean, sure, I attend the same church week after week and I refer to it as my home church, but I don't refer to it as part of my beliefs. I'd rather not live by the standards set forth by man... call me crazy if you will. |
| | 2006/11/28 14:36 | | myfirstLove
Member
Joined: 2005/11/26
Posts: 496
| | Re: | | i'm sensing a lot of zeal without knowledge.
strange fire, and NOT Holy Spirit fire.
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Lisa
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| | 2006/11/28 14:57 | Profile | GraceAlone
Member
Joined: 2006/8/23
Posts: 232
Orlando, Florida
| | Re: | | Quote:
I don't define myself by what my church offers, does, or says. I define myself by Christ and His standard for my life. I mean, sure, I attend the same church week after week and I refer to it as my home church, but I don't refer to it as part of my beliefs. I'd rather not live by the standards set forth by man... call me crazy if you will.
I don't get it. It was a simple question. All I was asking was what you guys did to evangelize. If you don't believe what your church teaches then why are you there? Also, what was your point?
Again, I'm saying that if you don't evangelize you're probably lost. That my friend is a standard set by God not man.
G2097
εὐαγγελίζω
euaggelizō
yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo
From G2095 and G32; to announce good news (evangelize) especially the gospel: - declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).
1 Corinthians 9:16
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
WOE to you if you don't preach the gospel.
Romans 10
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!
_________________
Kristy
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| | 2006/11/28 15:09 | Profile |
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