Church building & Evangelism
This is probably the most difficult dilemma for pastors and church leaders: how to balance nurturing church members with the desire to save people around us.
Commending Christ - Message by Mark Dever
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” These Jewish Christians (often called “Judaizers”) came to the congregation in Antioch and taught that Gentiles may become Christians, but only after first becoming Jews, and submitting to all Jewish rituals, including circumcision.
... These Christians were from Judea, and were not content to keep their beliefs to themselves, but felt compelled to persuade other Christians. They taught the brethren, coming all the way to Antioch to preach this message.
... these certain men from Judea made a negative judgment on all of Paul and Barnabas’ missionary endeavors. On their recent missionary journey, they founded churches among the Gentiles without bringing them under the Law of Moses..
Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
Their first response was to persuade. We can imagine there was no small dissension and dispute with them indeed. These two who saw God work so powerfully through the Gentiles would not abandon that work easily.
i. In this, Paul and Barnabas showed the hearts of true shepherds: To confront and dispute with those who insist on promoting false doctrines in the church.
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The full article is here
The Church and Evangelism
Desiring God 2009 Conference for PastorsCommending Christ - Message by Mark Dever
This article emphasizes developing a culture of evangelism within the church while building up believers, noting that the church calendar should be kept simple so members aren't clogged with church responsibilities and can instead live the Christian life with their families and non-Christian friends
Two things we pastors must teach on evangelism
1. We need to understand the congregation’s responsibility for evangelism
2. Pastors should teach the history of God’s displaying himself through a people
1. Pastors should lead in equipping a congregation in evangelism
2. You want to lead your church in evangelizing congregationally
The full article is here
1. We need to understand the congregation’s responsibility for evangelism
2. Pastors should teach the history of God’s displaying himself through a people
1. Pastors should lead in equipping a congregation in evangelism
2. You want to lead your church in evangelizing congregationally
How Evangelistic Should Sundays Be?
John Piper
Piper argues that evangelism should always be secondary in corporate worship gatherings, which should primarily focus on communing with God, though evangelism naturally happens when people authentically meet God through the preaching of His word.
I think we are called to corporate worship as the people of God...
..
There are a lot of people who think that because there are many good things in the Christian life, all of those should be dumped into that one church service. We need a place for a ministry to children. We need a place for community communication. We need a place for...
..And when you are done, week after week, something becomes very man-centered. The vertical focus is blunted and it weakens, and a power goes out of the church even while you are trying to empower all of those things.
... So the implication I think this has for direct evangelism is to say that it is always secondary in the corporate worship gatherings of God’s people.
If people prophesy in the service, that is, if people speak with remarkable, penetrating insight from God, then an unbeliever is convicted and called to account and “the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Corinthians 14:25). So I believe evangelism happens when people meet God authentically because the word of God is being spoken. “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
The full article is here
There are a lot of people who think that because there are many good things in the Christian life, all of those should be dumped into that one church service. We need a place for a ministry to children. We need a place for community communication. We need a place for...
..And when you are done, week after week, something becomes very man-centered. The vertical focus is blunted and it weakens, and a power goes out of the church even while you are trying to empower all of those things.
... So the implication I think this has for direct evangelism is to say that it is always secondary in the corporate worship gatherings of God’s people.
If people prophesy in the service, that is, if people speak with remarkable, penetrating insight from God, then an unbeliever is convicted and called to account and “the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Corinthians 14:25). So I believe evangelism happens when people meet God authentically because the word of God is being spoken. “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Why Doesn't My Church Share the Gospel?
Jeff Vanderstelt
This article provides practical guidance on encouraging evangelism through leading by example, offering intentional training, making space for hospitality, and rethinking 'metrics' of success.
Every Christian leader I know realizes that Jesus calls his disciples to make disciples for Jesus. And yet, as I interact with leaders of churches small and large, and from any number of denominations, I hear the same sentiment: Our people don’t know how to make new disciples — they don’t know how to share the gospel with nonbelievers. We can build strong Sunday experiences, preach compelling exegetical sermons, design and lead creative programs, but so many of us don’t know how to equip and mobilize believers to do one of the most basic things Jesus commanded us to do.
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Change starts with the leader. Jesus said, when a student is fully taught, he resembles his teacher (Luke 6:40). The church you lead or the ministry you oversee will inevitably become some reflection of your own life and ministry. I have found that most believers are good followers. They follow the example of their leaders. So, good leaders begin with the same question: What example am I setting for our people to follow?
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The full article is here
..
Change starts with the leader. Jesus said, when a student is fully taught, he resembles his teacher (Luke 6:40). The church you lead or the ministry you oversee will inevitably become some reflection of your own life and ministry. I have found that most believers are good followers. They follow the example of their leaders. So, good leaders begin with the same question: What example am I setting for our people to follow?
...
Acts 15 Commentary
Bible study by David Guzik ..notes that Paul's work included both pioneer evangelism and strengthening churches, showing he had the heart of both an obstetrician (bringing people into the body of Christ) and a pediatrician (growing people up in the body of Christ)
... These Christians were from Judea, and were not content to keep their beliefs to themselves, but felt compelled to persuade other Christians. They taught the brethren, coming all the way to Antioch to preach this message.
... these certain men from Judea made a negative judgment on all of Paul and Barnabas’ missionary endeavors. On their recent missionary journey, they founded churches among the Gentiles without bringing them under the Law of Moses..
We can just imagine how Satan wanted to take advantage of this situation. First, he wanted the false doctrine of righteousness by works to succeed. But even if it didn’t, Satan wanted a costly, bitter doctrinal war to completely split and sour the church. This may be the greatest threat to the work of the gospel yet seen in the Book of Acts.
Their first response was to persuade. We can imagine there was no small dissension and dispute with them indeed. These two who saw God work so powerfully through the Gentiles would not abandon that work easily.
i. In this, Paul and Barnabas showed the hearts of true shepherds: To confront and dispute with those who insist on promoting false doctrines in the church.
...
From Gospel in Life
Timothy Keller's 2 sermonsThe Path to Renewal
Keller emphasizes the need to integrate evangelism and teaching with doing justice and mercy, while balancing spiritual revival with building institutions, and neither neglecting individual spiritual experience nor the importance of the local church. He brings up some great revivals and movements too.
Basically—we need a revival that only God can provide, and a new movement to capture the fruit of that revival for the renewal..
.. Notice that the terms ‘revival’ and ‘movement’ are often used almost interchangeably to describe these times of church renewal. It would be more accurate to say that revivals—times of spiritual refreshing, reality in prayer, and awakening—lead to movements...
Looking back in history, we see how revivals provided the spiritual momentum on which movements were built. One of the most well-documented was the Wesleyan revival, which led to the establishment of a major new world denomination—Methodism—which itself was originally built on the at-home small group system of the earliest awakening. That revival also led to a major awakening in the Church of England, the evangelical Anglicans...
.. The purpose of a revival is always, supremely, to please, enjoy, honor, and glorify God. It is to become the church God wants us to be. And when that happens even to a small degree, there is always an impact on non-believers and society...
The revival prayers of the psalms themselves exhibit heart attitudes and practices on the part of believers that invite and invoke God’s invigorating power. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a very strong Calvinist, in his lectures on revival said this:
The full article is here
.. Notice that the terms ‘revival’ and ‘movement’ are often used almost interchangeably to describe these times of church renewal. It would be more accurate to say that revivals—times of spiritual refreshing, reality in prayer, and awakening—lead to movements...
Looking back in history, we see how revivals provided the spiritual momentum on which movements were built. One of the most well-documented was the Wesleyan revival, which led to the establishment of a major new world denomination—Methodism—which itself was originally built on the at-home small group system of the earliest awakening. That revival also led to a major awakening in the Church of England, the evangelical Anglicans...
.. The purpose of a revival is always, supremely, to please, enjoy, honor, and glorify God. It is to become the church God wants us to be. And when that happens even to a small degree, there is always an impact on non-believers and society...
The revival prayers of the psalms themselves exhibit heart attitudes and practices on the part of believers that invite and invoke God’s invigorating power. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a very strong Calvinist, in his lectures on revival said this:
“The way to revival is not just to say, ‘Let’s pray about it.’ Of course we must pray, and I hope to emphasize that…strongly. But there are preliminary conditions attached…”
.. Christians must recognize that they do have things to do to prepare for renewal, but that ultimately it is God’s wise sovereignty that will determine whether and how the church is renewed...
A Church With an Evangelistic Dynamic
This sermon describes how evangelism connects people to God, while community formation connects people to each other, justice and mercy connects Christians to city needs, and faith integration connects Christians to public life
This sermon has not been issued in written form. The page gives you an access to the audio.
Duration:
41:43
The full audio sermon is here
Duration:
41:43
