Sunday, November 30, 2014

A Christmas Reading Challenge



The Season of Christmas is upon us once more.  As you prepare for the season may you forever remember the reason for the Season,…Jesus, the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, laid in a manger and destined to die for our sins.  


       The Reading will help you to see the focus of God’s redemptive plan.  Salvation is not relegated to a select few who are pure in their genealogy and their religion, but is open to all humanity and you find no greater evidence of this than in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Himself. 


       Simple and short this plan may be but it is packed with great insight.  As always, let the Lord peak your curiosity read before and long after these passages. Enjoy the discovery of God’s Great Word.


Blessings,

Pastor Eric






1 Dec    Genesis 16

17 Dec   2 Kings 18

2 Dec    Genesis 27

18 Dec   2 Kings 21

3 Dec    Genesis 38

19 Dec   2 Kings 22:1-23:3

4 Dec    Joshua 2

20 Dec   Matthew 1:1-17

5 Dec    Joshua 6

21 Dec   Luke 1:1-25

6 Dec    Ruth 1

22 Dec   Luke 1:26-56

7 Dec    Ruth 2

23 Dec   Matthew 1:18-25

8 Dec    Ruth 3

24 Dec   Luke 1:57-80

9 Dec    Ruth 4

25 Dec   Luke 2:1-40

10 Dec   2 Samuel 11

26 Dec   Matthew 2

11 Dec   2 Samuel 12

27 Dec   Revelation 1:9-18

12 Dec   1 Kings 11

28 Dec   Colossians 1:13-22

13 Dec   1Kings 12

29 Dec   Hebrews 4:14-5:1-14

14 Dec   1 Kings 15

30 Dec   Romans 8

15 Dec    2 Kings 8:16-29

31 Dec   Ephesians 2

16 Dec    2 Kings 15:32-16:4

Happy New Year!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Defining Evangelism


I was blessed during my time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) to sit under one of the preeminent Professors of Evangelism any seminary could hope to offer, Dr. Roy Fish (1930-2012).  Years prior to coming to Seminary I sat under Dr. Fish as he served as Interim Pastor at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, the very church I was baptized in and joined as a young believer in Christ.

This godly man made an immeasurable impact into the ministries of countless Pastors, Missionaries and Churches.  There is no doubt his evangelistic efforts and influence placed him among some of the greatest Evangelists such as Billy Graham and Manley Beasley.  My own ministry is forever changed because of the few years I sat under his Pastorate and the months I was able to glean under his teaching at Seminary.

            Below I have shared a few simple notes I had taken while sitting under Dr. Fish.  Many of my fellow Alum from SWBTS would easily testify to the great teaching they too received.  I hope and pray these notes will help you to better understand the role every Christian is to take to accomplish the Great Commission.

Defining Evangelism

What Evangelism is NOT

A) Evangelism is NOT telling people they are already saved
            “Love God and He will love you” or “God already loves you and forgives you

The Bible teaches the present condition of people
                                              is determined by their response to Jesus Christ


B) Evangelism is NOT your presence with lost people

            A believer walking amongst lost people does not save them


C) Evangelism is NOT everything the church does

            Not everything the church does is evangelism
            Everything the church does should be related to evangelism

Evangelism is NOT an umbrella word for what the church does in the world,
                        perhaps ministry, and evangelism fall under ministry


D) Evangelism is NOT a believer living a godly life
            “I witness by my life”

            The New Testament never refers to lifestyle or quality of life as evangelism

New Testament:            See it
                                                     Know it
                                                     Accept it
 Tell it

Witnessing is verbalizing what we know to be true
It is not one or the other; you need the lifestyle, but you must tell why you live that lifestyle
Never let lifestyle be your only witness


E) Evangelism is NOT Social Reconstruction
            “We need political, economic, racial restructuring for change to take place in people’s lives”
            “Redeem from without then those in it will be redeemed”
            “We just want the world to be a better place”

Social Reconstruction rejects the biblical view of the sinfulness of humanity
                        Adam and Eve were sinless and still fell

Social Reconstruction rejects the biblical stance on personal response to the gospel (Rev 3:20)

Society will change only by God transforming the individual from the inside out

 
New Testament Words for Evangelism
Pre-Christian:

            Evangel (Latin) used by the Romans to describe victory in war; good news of victory in war

Christian-Church Era

            The New Testament authors adopted the Latin word and altered the intent of the good news in Greek

            1) Euangellion (Noun) meaning good news, good message

                        Eu- Good (feeling)

                        Angellion- Message

            The New Testament authors transformed the word into a verb


            2) Euangelidzo (Verb) meaning to tell good news

            The New Testament authors used the word to describe the one who tells good news


            3) Euangelistes (Noun) meaning Evangelist

 
Acts 21:8
8 On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. (See Acts 6:1-6)

Eph 4:11-12
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

2 Tim 4:1-5
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.


What Evangelism Is

“Evangelism is the compassionate sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit with lost people for the purpose of leading them to Christ as Savior and Lord that they in turn would share Him with others.”

Dr. Roy Fish

1)     The Spirit of Evangelism--compassionate sharing

2)     The Content of Evangelism (message)--Good News of Jesus Christ

3)     The Power of Evangelism-- in the power of the Holy Spirit

4)     The Recipients of Evangelism-- lost people

5)     The Objective of Evangelism-- leading them to Christ as Savior and Lord

6)     The Perpetuation of Evangelism-- that they in turn would share Him with others


The Great Commission
Matt 28:19-20
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age."

 
God Bless and Get Busy,
Pastor Eric