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!
|
Re: Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 05:13:42 PM |
Age 51, MN |
I'm glad that your church does follow up on the names on the cards after the church musical. Our church has people fill out the cards after the musical, takes a count to see how sucessful it was, and then throws the cards away. They wouldn't want to take away someone from their own church! I wonder why they even bother with the cards.
|
Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 05:04:58 PM |
Age 56, MN |
to the author of take the PLANK out of YOUR OWN EYES.
YOU need to go and buy yourself a LIFE, WALMART is selling them cheap, with that LIFE comes a brain.
WAKE UP! RAY was 155% correct in his article.
ITS people ASLEEP at the WHEEL like you that cant see that. PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT.
|
Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 05:01:41 PM |
Age 56, MN |
to the writer of GOD does the chosing for salvation here is RASBERRIES to you.
GOD doesnt do the chosing for salvation, WE DO.
we make the choice if we want to live with him or the devil.
ANYONE know knows the character of GOD knows better than to say GOD CHOOSES who will be saved.THAT Is bologna.
Christ died on the cross to give all men a CHANCE to be saved.
NOW if they want to take that CHANCE and chose to be saved they will.
STOP THE TWISTING OF GODS WORDS. UGH GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
|
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.
|
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!
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 03:15:54 PM |
Age 19, MN |
I think Mr. Baumann has a very valid point. I am left wondering, however, whether he disapproves of such attractions as plays, productions, and thrift stores, or sees them as a very small (albeit valid) part of a much larger evangelism picture. Just curious...
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 03:11:04 PM |
Age 24, GA |
I've just completed a 90 week study on the Book of Acts and NOWHERE do you see ANYONE being invited to "church"...If anything it was the total opposite; believers gathering together for edification, and commissioning, and then going out to preach the Gospel. The apostles never hung a sign outside the upper room that said "Worship Service - Upper Room 7 p.m." Now, since hardly anyone is interested in evangelism, it is the total opposite of the early church; we invite people to worship service and let the pastor "evangelize" the lost (which now the Gospel is preached as a cure to sadness/depression/self-esteem). It went from God-centered saving with fear, to man-centered sitting with apathy.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 02:56:18 PM |
Age 40, FL |
I think it is important to witness one on one, but this artile "cheapens" and disregards the hearts of those who work diligently to do their best to present the Gospel at the events you are so much against. If the heart of the people in the event is to reach the lost, who are you to judge the methods. I have a sister and brother in law and niece who asked Jesus into thier lives at a Christmas Presentation after the Pastor's Invitation. Their lives show true conversion by the fruit of their changed lives. They were not from the area and drove 4 hours to see their family in the Christmas Pageant and had thier lives changed. They now attend a local chuch regularly, read their Bibles and do personal devotions. All because the hearts of the people in our music and drama ministry bathed the performances in prayer and were striving to present the Gospel to people in any setting possible. Are you living in today's world? Many people turn a deaf ear on one on one witnessing, but have their hearts softened by a presentation that speaks to them and prepares them to see their sin and aceepts Christ's gift of forgivenness. I once sang the song "I want Jesus in Your Heart" at an open air concert in Boston and saw a man break into tears and one of the Pastors was able to minister to him and help him turn back to his Savior after running for years. That was just the Holy Spirit using an available vessel to reach out to someone who had strayed. It was not done for my glory but for the Savior's Glory and for HIS Use! You can't "Box" the Holy Spirit's ability to work by one type of witnessing. A wise New England Preacher once reminded his congregation, "we may be the only Bible someone ever reads", so now I am reminding you. Everyone is different and different things affect people in different ways. There is one Gospel, that leads to salvation, and I will not let you tell me that there is a right or wronng way to present it. If we are availble for the Father's use, he will reach the lost through us. I will continue to pray for you and other narrow minded Christians who believe this article, and I will continue to thank God for a sister and her family who were changed by attending a Christmas Pageant that touched their hearts and brought them to Jesus.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 02:50:37 PM |
Age 17, PA |
THIS SOOOO TRUE !!! Unfortunately people who really need to hear it will just get offended. People are too lazy, too careless and just too absorbed in their own lives to have to think about evangelism in their day to day lives. They would MUCH rather focus on an event that they can schedule in on their calendars than be annoyed and convicted daily to witness to friends and coworkers. Why else do you think there isn't revival ? It's because we decided to dump all our personal responsibility to witness on our pastors and programs. If we want people to come to Christ then JUST TELL THEM !!! When there is an opening for you to share the gospel don't say, "you should really come to my church sometime." Instead tell them that they are sinners, tell them that they are destined to hell and then tell them what they can do about it !!!!!! THEN you can invite them to church and THEN that seed you planted will get watered !!!!
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 02:13:04 PM |
Age 65, WA |
To start I say yes, He told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, the JEW first..not many do !! and how in the world did the church think they replaced Israel? Gen 12 and Ezekiel and many others tell us the story. G-d was talking to the Jews till Acts...He hates paganism and traditions of men. He is coming to the MT of Olive and bring up the dead and take away the sins not NYC. Apostasy is big as it has to come just before the rapture. It is a heart thing but with the ONE gospel. We are not to learn the ways of the heathen..He said so. Now most are all signed up under the Catholic church who says they searve the same god as the muslims..HELLO !! the world is in the church, the true followers are leaving not setting up His Kingdom cuz He said it was NOT of this world. the church left will hand power to antichrist. Rev 12- 17. we need sorrowful repentance not the world in the chruch with Constatines ways.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 01:45:33 PM |
Age 66, WA |
We would all do well to study closely the Gospel of John; keeping in mind John does not contradict the rest of Scripture.
Salvation is the sovereign act, that is, the sole act and choice, of God on whom He chooses, apart from any works of man. John clearly states the only requirement for man to have eternal life in Jesus Christ is believe on Him. Paul and Peter are supportive of John in this regard in their epistles.
In addition, the Scriptures clearly state our sanctification is also the sovereign work of God apart from any works of man. Paul argues this effectively in Romans and Galatians.
It is most important to guard against preaching another gospel, that is a gospel of faith plus works, which is no gospel at all.
We are held responsible for what God says in His Word. (Read 2 Peter and 2 Timothy) We must take what God says in His Word at face value without adding anything to it.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 01:24:33 PM |
Age 64, NE |
"Comfortable" best describes so many churches, and so does lack of genuine communication and concern. It is especially sad to see the next generation learning those same "Christian" traits where there can only be surface friendships held at arm's length. But the "gospel" has been preached!!
How then shall we live? How shall we conduct ourselves in our "real" life? Does what we do otherwise have anything to do with what we hear and do on Sunday morning? (I have been told "NO, it does not") Does it matter who we elect to public office? Does it matter that our children come home from school convinced that we evolved out of primal muck and slime, and have become the highest lifeform, and there is None greater?
But the above questions, and so many more, have no place in such a comfortable church, where the gospel is preached. When questions like these are not discussed, the Gospel becomes little more than a history lesson about long ago people who walked around all day in their bathrobes. But the Gospel is preached!
God Bless America, the land where it once was proclaimed that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalianable rights, including life and liberty.
Preaching salvation and repentence is half of it, but we also need to put that information to work. That is the other half.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 10:44:16 AM |
Age 51, MI |
I have walked with the Lord for over 20 years and sadden as believers we are always critical of churches that don't function the way we think they should function. If the church is a bible believing church with sound doctrine, what is wrong with reaching people in other ways. I have seen many people come to Christ in these churches and get involved. It's not totally our job to change a heart. We are part of the process in someone life. We are to plant the seed and encourage yet we are not always the one who gets to pray the prayer with them. The Holy Spirit works in different ways. What about God's timing? Someone could come to the Lord after the service. I just wish we were not such critical people. Maybe we need to take the plank out of our own eye before looking at the speck in someone elses. In Christ.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 09:10:18 AM |
Age 46, PA |
Using the authors analogy, I think his Grandfater would have been pretty upset to be awakened and told the house was on fire when there was no proof, only a belief that the house was on fire.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 09:06:54 AM |
Age 65, IA |
An excellent article.
Easter/Istar having just passed, I read with disgust in the local papers what various "churches" were employing to bring in audiences. "egg hunts, continental breakfasts, sunrise services(hailing the rising sun), tenebrae services (right out of Roman Catholicism). The most outrageous was that of a completely apostate group (Disciples of Christ) that referred to "Holy Week". This group has A COURSE IN MIRACLES classes every Thursday and they dare to use the words "Holy Week". The liberals bring them in via social activism and acceptance of homosexual behavior.
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 09:00:34 AM |
Age 21, TN |
I think the article does raise a valid point, in that we should be more active in witnessing in our daily lives. but I am not sure that it means we should not witness at events at church as well. Why not at a Christmas drama? It is the most powerful story that has ever been told about the very person that has the power to save them. Does that mean we should just say "OK good show, go home" And miss out on what could be a chance to win people to the Lord? And in response to the whole "one more stanza" deal, who are we to say God is not telling the preacher that one more person needs that last verse? To write of everything that a preacher does during the invitation as egotistical is an unfair and hasty judgement. I believe we whould witness everywhere we have the oppurtunity. Be it at church or at the supermarket
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 08:45:31 AM |
Age 52, AR |
The article rightly said, "people need to repent for their sin. Jesus is not a life enhancement, He is life saving." HERE'S THE TRANSLATION: People need to be saved from their sin, not just the consequences of it.
Ministers that offer a salvation which does not require life transformation are inoculating millions against the real thing.
If you were the devil, could you devise a more effective way of assuring sinners they need not fear hell (and God who will send them there)?
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 08:27:46 AM |
Age 46, MI |
I believe that would be hunger "pangs", not "pains."
|
Re: Quit Inviting People to Church
| Posted On: 04/17/07 08:18:21 AM |
Age 47, FL |
AMEN! Keep speaking the truth my brother.
|
|
|
|
|
