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SERMAN SERIES ONE |
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CONSTRUCTIVE EVANGELISM |
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THE KEY WORD WITH REFRENCE TO THE GOSPEL IS /EVANGELION/, WHICH MEANS ,GOOD TIDINGS. IT HAS TWO BASIC SENSES OF MEANNING... ACTIVE PROCLAIMATION OF THE MESSAGE AND THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE. PAUL VEIWED THE GOSPEL AS CENTERING UPON JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT GOD HAS DONE THROUGH HIM.THE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE GOSPEL IS THE STATUS OF JESUS CHRIST AS GODS SON, HIS GENUINE HUMANITY, HIS DEATH FOR OUR SINS, HIS BURIAL, RESURRECTION, SUBSEQUENT APPEARANCES, AND FUTURE COMMING AND JUDGMENT. IN ESSENCE, THIS IS THE MESSAGE IN WHICH WE PROCLAIM AS EVANGELIST. THE PROCLAIMATION OF THE MESSAGE IS WHAT WE CALL, EVANGELISM. WHAT IS CONSTRUCTIVE EVANGELISM? WHEN WE TEACH THE GOSPEL AS THE THE HEART OF THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH AND THAT IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION TO EVERY ONE WHO HAS FAITH, WE THEN BEGIN TO CONVINCE OTHERS THAT ONLY THE GOSPEL CAN BRING SALVATION ALONG WITH ALL OF ITS BLESSINGS. THE GOSPEL IS ALL INCLUSIVE AND ABSOLETE. NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO IT OR TAKEN AWAY FROM IT, NOR IS THERE ANY ALTERNATE ROUTE TO ACHEIVE IT.
KNOWING THAT THE GOSPEL IS THE ONLY ROUTE TO SALVATION, WE HAVE TO BE DETERMINED TO DEFEND IT. BY DEFENDING IT I MEAN TO STICK TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE. IF WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF ONE DOES NOT REPENT AND ACCEPT JESUS AS LORD HE WILL LIVE THROUGHOUT ETERNITY IN FIRE AND DARKNESS, WE WOULD BE DOING MORE TO GET THOSE THAT ARE LOST SAVED. ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOM ARE CLOSE TO US, THOSE THAT WE SAY WE LOVE. IF WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT HELL IS A VERY REAL PLACE, WE WOULD NOT WISH IT ON OUR WORST ENEMY, SO WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CALL UP THAT ESTRANGED FAMILY MEMBER AND SAY , HEY GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF CONSTRUCTIVE EVANGELISM. WHEN WE FORGET ABOUT WHATS HAPPENNING IN OUR LIFE RIGHT NOW AND FIX OUR MINDS ON ETERNITY. WHEN WE DO THIS WE WILL FORGET ABOUT HOW AKWARD IT IS TO SPEAK TO OUR BOSSES ABOUT CHRIST OR THAT STRANGER ON THE STREET. WE WILL BECOME SO FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE SAVED WE WILL LAUNCH PAST HUMAN FEELING AND GET THE JOB DONE MORE EFFECTIVELY, MORE CONSTRUCTIVELY. |
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--GO BACK-- |
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THE CALL TO EVANGELIZE IS A COMMAND, NOT AN OPTION. I TELL PEOPLE THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT IF YOU ARE A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER, YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY, WHAT THE LORD HAS BROUGHT YOU OUT OF, AND THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST. YOU NEED NOT WAIT FOR THE APPROVAL OF THOSE WHO ARE SO-CALLED IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU, JESUS SAID," ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME." (MATT. 28:18) HAVING ALL AUTHORITY, HE COMMISSIONED THE DISCIPLES AS HIS AGENTS. THUS THEY HAD A RIGHT TO GO AND EVANGELIZE ALL NATIONS. JESUS SPEAKS OF ALL NATIONS, HE GOES ON TO SAY, " YOU SHALL BE MY WITTNESSES IN JERUSELUM AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA AND TO THE END OF THE EARTH. THERE WAS NO GEOGRAPHICAL RESTRICTION UPON THE COMMISSION. AND HE DID NOT SAY ONLY THE PASTORS, BISHOPS, AND ORDAIN CLERGY SHOULD DO THIS. THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US GIFTS ON HOW WE SHOULD FULFILL THE CALL BUT NEVER-THE-LESS, WE SHOULD FULFILL IT. |
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IF THE BODY OF CHRIST IS TO ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTIVE EVANGELISM, WE MUST BRING THE GOSPEL TO ALL PEOPLE. THIS ENVOLVES PEOPLE WHOM WE LIKE AND PEOPLE WHOM WE BY NATURE TEND TO DISLIKE. THOSE WE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE LOWER CLASS CITIZENS, THOSE WE ARE INTIMIDATED BY AND CONSIDERED TO BE UPPER CLASS CITIZENS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE MIDDLE CASS, TO INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE IN A CLASS ALL BY THEMSELVES. THIS MAY VERY WELL GO BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE SPHERE OF CONTACT AND INFLUENCE. WE MUST BROADEN OUR MINDS AND STOP PUTTING THE CHURCH IN A BOX. WE SHOULD NOT BE SO SQUARE OURSELVES AND ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MOVE FREELY BECAUSE GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY MAN SHOULD PERISH AND IF WE ARE TRYING TO CONFORM TO THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD, NIETHER SHOULD WE BE WILLING TO LET OTHERS GO WITHOUT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT SALVATION. |
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AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY, JESUS ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD BEEN ANNOINTED SPECIFICLY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. LATER HE TELLS THE DISCIPELS TO DO THE SAME. JESUS ENTRUSTED THE BELIEVERS WITH THE GOOD NEWS JUST AS HE DOES WITH US TODAY. ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCRIPTURES IS LUKE 4:18-19. "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME BECAUSE HE HAS ANNOINTED ME TO TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR, HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVER SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO RAE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." THE GOOD NEWS IS CHARACTORIZED BY JESUS'S OWN PREACHING AND TEACHING STYLE FROM THE BEGINNING. WE SHOULD BE DOINIG THE VERY THING THAT JESUS DID BECAUSE THE SAME SPIRIT THAT WAS UPON JESUS IS THE SAME SPIRIT WE ARE ALSO ANNOINTED WITH. |
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THE DISCIPLES WERE NOT SENT OUT IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH. JESUS PROMISED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD COME UPON THEM AND THEY WOULD RECIEVE POWER. MOST POEPLE IN READING THIS PRESUME THAT JESUS IS MERELY TALKING ABOUT CASTING OUT DEVILS AND HEALING THE SICK. IN ALL ACTUALITY, JESUS GAVE THEM POWER TO DO THIS WHEN HE GAVE THEM HIS NAME. HE SAID ANY THING WE SHALL ASK IN HIS NAME IT BELIEVING, IT SHALL BE DONE FOR THEM. THE POWER THEY WOULD RECIVE CAME THE DAY OF PENTECOST. SO THEY WERE IN ESSENCE AUTHORIZED AND ENABLED FOR THE TASK. IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE EVANGELISM, WE MUST ALSO BE AUTHORIZED AND ENABLED FOR THE TASK. THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AVAILIABLE TO THOSE WHO ASK FOR IT. THE DISCIPLES WERE ASSURED THAT JESUS WAS NOT SENDING THEM OFF ON THEIR OWN, ALTHOUGH HE WAS TO BE TAKEN FROM THEM BODILY, HE WOULD BE WITH THEM SPIRITUALLY TO THE VERY END OF AGE. |
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