Newsletter Vol.1, #30—July 17, 2005

Matthew 6: 1 Take heed that you do not do your merciful deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in Heaven. 2 Therefore when you do your merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.

GROWTH

Everything grows … or is supposed to grow. Plants, animals, people, Christians, the church… Is the Caprock church capable of growing? I believe it is!

It will take the efforts of every member of Caprock to accomplish this goal. It will take every member believing that growth is possible. No one of us can sit by the sideline and think, “That won’t work.” “What’s the use?” “We can’t grow.”

TOOLS

Various tools are at our disposal to promote growth. We are using one—sending invitations to folks in the surrounding area to visit our services.

Another tool is contacting folks who move into our area. This may prove to be elusive, but if you know how we may learn of people moving into this area, let us know so we can utilize it and contact them!

The primary tool that is available depends upon you as an individual Christian and member here at Caprock. I know it seems as though we have invited folks and invited folks and … to no avail, but don’t despair—continue to invite folks! The largest increase in the membership of any church comes from the efforts of the members of that church to invite others to visit the assemblies.

BIBLE STUDIES

You can promote growth by trying to get your friends, relatives, acquaintances to have a Bible Study in their home. Or, at least, to take a correspondence course. We have several available, just ask folks if they would be interested!

All this is not just for the growth of the church, but for the salvation of souls!

Personal Evangelism

Donald Willis ~ Conroe, Texas

Why are not more people being baptized into Christ? Churches of Christ have moved into nice neighborhoods, constructed beautiful buildings, and have grown through efforts that have been used. But, it seems that the church is not reaching as many souls as would be desired, and that churches are not growing as fast as they could. Why?

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He has bound upon the apostles and ultimately all saints the duty of preaching the saving gospel to the lost. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt.28:19-20). The church is the ' . . . pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim.3:15). God ordained that "…unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph.3:10). The primary goal of the church is evangelistic:  i.e., the preaching of the gospel. While the church is a worshiping institution in which individual Christians are edified, the purpose of this training and encouragement is to further the name of the Lord among the lost!

Congregational Problems in Personal Evangelism

Misplaced Emphasis. Too many churches are content with the status quo, and are simply keeping house for the Lord. A commodious meeting facility has been constructed, and if people genuinely desire truth, they can come to the building where the college-trained preacher will teach them. Churches contribute to this cold attitude by demands made upon a preacher relative to his work.

A pulpiteer is desired to spoon-feed the members. There is a definite place for the outstanding preacher among us! All preachers are not equally qualified. One is ready to stand for the truth before any person or group, but may not be fitted as a debater! One may enjoy the preaching of the gospel, but many who have spent more hours over books can do a much more capable work of public proclamation. Some preachers are capable writers; yet their ability in a congregation or in personal conversation is not conducive to bringing the lost to salvation. Each Christian should prepare himself to understand people, the subject, and the means of presentation that will enable him to reach the lost person.

Many churches are content with the numbers they have. Brethren form a clique of friends, and spend their social time together. By the time the required hours on the job are spent, family duties fulfilled, and social obligations enjoyed, little or no time is left to care for the Lord's work!

Lack of Faith. The Lord commanded Ezekiel, "O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou has delivered thy soul" (Ezek.33:17-19). Paul commanded, "… Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, 'Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.' See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Eph.5:11-16). Christians must teach, reproving and exhorting, those who are walking in error with a view to leading them to Christ.

Establishing the power and adequacy of the gospel to accomplish the purposes that God had for mankind, Paul concluded, "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak" (2 Cor.4:13). If a Christian believes the truth, he will speak the truth. When one does not speak, he does not believe as he should! Thus, the closed mouth of the church is the product of a lack of faith! Men are to be judged by their human activity, "... knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Cor.5:11). If one believes that the neighbor, friend or family member is to be condemned, he will attempt to teach! Lack of faith is the indicting cause of apathy among members of the church!

Lack of Knowledge. Members are expert in secular fields, but babes in the handling of the word of God. Some have adopted the religion of their parents, know little about the truth, and are not interested in learning exactly what the Bible teaches. Christians should have the '… eyes of (their) understanding...enlightened …" (Eph.1:18). Paul wrote the revelation, and the saints were to read it: "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Eph.3:4).

The Bible and Personal Evangelism

Jesus taught the individual: Zaccheus (Luke 19); Nicodemus (John 3); and the woman at the well (John 4). He commanded the disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations . . ." (Matt.28:19). "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). The command is to go! Until members of the church go, the Lord's command has not begun to be fulfilled within our personal obligation.

Jesus told the apostles, "… ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Philip went to the city of Samaria to preach; later he met the Eunuch and taught him the truth (Acts 8). Paul told the Ephesian elders, "… I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house" (Acts 20:20, my emphasis, DW).

The Scriptures reveal that the early church conducted worship assemblies, but the burning desire of the hearts of those Christians compelled them to seek and save those who were lost.

Concluded Next Week