While in prayer on the isle of Patmos, the apostle John was lifted into heaven and set before the throne of God. Here he witnessed God's awesome majesty. splendor and power and heard the heavenly crescendos of heartfelt worship and praise that rise to Him continuously. The following scripture is some of what he saw.
Behold, a throne set in heaven and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald... and around the throne were four living creatures...and they do not rest day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" ...The twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever...saying "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created (Rev. 2,3,6b,8b,10,ll)."
Worship to God is a natural response to the revelation of who He is and what He has done for us. God is our creator and desires each one of us to know Him personally and to enjoy His presence and blessings forever.
COMPLETE EVANGELISM BEGINS with under-standing the purpose of the church, human nature, and how to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants His church to grow numerically. Visible disciples in local churches should be the fruit of evangelism. They often are not because churches fail to take into account the social as well as the spiritual nature of unbelievers. Finding the most open persons to Christ and the church while they are open is the key to growth. These individuals are found by looking for common indicators of receptivity and being led by the Holy Spirit.
Evangelism Jesus' Way
JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES principles of complete evangelism. His followers in the early church knew of them and practiced them. Christ described this complete evangelism when He outlined His plan for the church in Matthew 16. The disciples listened carefully to His words and in their lifetime saw the church He described grow.
Matthew 16:13-19, "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, `Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven..' "
There are five points made in this statement of Jesus that give insight into His vision for complete evangelism that produces growth in the church.
The Church Is To Be Built On Jesus
Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Jesus called this declaration the rock on which He would build His church. Evangelistic efforts to add people to the church, but not to relationship with Jesus have no eternal value. Evangelism must include a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus. It is possible for a church to grow numerically by allowing the uncon¬verted to become members. A church can also grow solely by adding transfer¬ring Christians from other churches. Surely, neither of these growth methods were meant when Jesus said, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). Jesus wants laborers to reach the lost.
The Church Is Designed To Grow
The word build in this passage refers to the building of a house. The church will not become a completed building until it adds all the people destined to make up that building. Jesus told His followers to go into all the world and make disciples. He told them to preach the gospel to every person. While there remains someone who has not heard the gospel, potential disciples exist. As long as there remain potential disciples for Jesus, Christians must be working to add them to the church.
It is the will of God that the church find lost sheep and grow as a result. The early disciples understood this clearly and worked to see God's will come about.
"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." Acts 2:41
"…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:47
"And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women," Acts 5:14
"For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord." Acts 11:24
***This is an excerpt from CE Series 1, for the complete teaching visit: http://www.equipper.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=255
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By Using a Two Question Test Booth-Over the past twenty years, churches around the world have constructed and used Two Question Test booths as an effective means of outreach. These booths have been set up at a variety of places, including county fairs, college campuses, and special, local festival sites. Thousands have prayed to receive Jesus using these booths, and Christians have been greatly blessed as unbelievers have come to them wanting to hear the gospel.
Any local church can construct and use a Two Question Test booth. This article will outline some helpful guidelines for such an outreach. We encourage you to seek God for specific application for your situation.
In the Book of Acts, there were four main methods God used to convert men to Christ. The preaching of the gospel was the sole agent of conversion used in most of the situations (32 out of 56 total situations recorded). Today, God also mainly uses this method. However, as in the Book of Acts, people are converted through other means as well.
For example, on 13 separate occasions in the Book of Acts, the miraculous accompanied the preaching of the gospel. Mark 16:20 says, "...and they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs and wonders." To exclude the miraculous is to limit effectiveness in evangelism. There are people who need a power encounter with God to convince them of the Gospel message.
On ten other occasions in the Book of Acts, signs and wonders occurred without the mention of the gospel being preached. These cases all resulted in someone becoming a Christian. The gospel could have been preached on these occasions but the Biblical accounts mention no record of this happening.
The fourth way conversion took place was by direct intervention from God. This was perhaps the case of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9. The charts that follow list each of these conversion occasions.
The Four Ways People Became Christians in The Book of Acts:
This is an excerpt from our Complete Evangelism Materials. To read more click on the download PDF
It is not only important for us as Christians to know what we believe, but also why we believe it.
In establishing these beliefs, unless the doctrinal teachings of a Church are based 100% upon the Holy Bible they are of no value.
On the following pages we have listed the essential doctrines found in the 1st Century Church, and where they are taught in the Word of God.
HOLY BIBLE
We believe that the Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is 100% the Word of God.
It, alone, is the final authority in determining all Doctrinal Truths.
THE HOLY BIBLE SAYS THAT:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" II Tim. 3:16
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." II Peter 1:20-21
To read more click on the download PDF link
