I found this ad in my Spam folder today and could not help but comment on it.
Here are some excerpts from this EMAIL AD. And by the way, remember, that this is an AD or ADVERTISEMENT that is trying to SELL me something for the wonderful price of ____.
[... I remember praying for God to give us the opportunities to reach more people for Christ and as a result increase our weekly attendance so that one day the number of people who attend on a given Sunday would be equal to (or even greater) than those who attended in a given month… I would have to find a way to equip our people for evangelism and raise the evangelistic temperature of our church… Since then, I've taken the lessons I've learned and the lessons from over 2,000 coaching alumni and put them together in my best-selling resource "The Evangelism Seminar." And today through Friday, January 30th, I'm offering you this complete "done for you" three-hour seminar for just $49. This is the same exact resource that has already helped churches - of all sizes, denominations and geographical locations - reach more people for Christ… HURRY - THIS HALF OFF OPPORTUNITY ENDS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 30th! ...]
Is this what we are coming to in churches and Christian communities today? Is this what pastors feel they must be doing in churches? This overwhelming push and drive for numbers?
The Lord tells us about pastors (spiritual shepherds):
Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
That knowledge and understanding come from the Word of God and point to Christ (see II Peter 3:18, John 5:39, Luke 24:27, I Corinthians 1:30-31 to name a few)
Let’s look at this ad a little more closely in the LIGHT of Scripture (Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path) :
(1) You want people to be evangelized?
You wanna do that, really? Then point people (saved and unsaved) to CHRIST! The ONLY way to increase the temperature of a church is to start with the INDIVIDUAL believers and their personal walk with the Lord. Don’t believe me? No problem, believe God:
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love.
The Lord is concerned about our RELATIONSHIP with HIM FIRST. He commended the Ephesians for their efforts, but ONE thing they had forsaken, was their personal walk with Christ.
The Laodicean Church had numbers :
Revelation 3:17 Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Frankly, in today’s modern world, many people HAVE been reached in first and second world countries. The problem is NOT “getting the Gospel out” or the “message” of the Gospel. The PROBLEM is the PEOPLE bearing the message:
Who are NOT walking in the light of the Word of God:
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth
Who are not getting to know the very God who saved them:
Job 22:21 Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you.
Who are NOT showing a holy lifestyle:
I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
Who are NOT living the Spirit-filled Christ-centered life:
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Who are not studying the Word of God and simply sharing in with others through lifestyle, attitudes, or behaviors
II Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I Peter 1:15 But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation
Who are turning others OFF by their continuous PUSH to “evangelize.”
Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Why? Because their leaders are NOT teaching them the things of God.
Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
I am not against evangelization, but what we are doing is NOT what the Lord had in mind when He said GO... in Matthew 28. We were told to GO, to TEACH, to WITNESS, to TEACH again.
That means TEACH people first who God is (a holy but merciful God), not just by word and fierce “creation” debates, but by DEED.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
It means that we are to share CHRIST with them when they see our lifestyle and are drawn to it, seeing the good deeds and glorifying God.
I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
It means TEACHING believers BEYOND salvation into a maturity in Christ:
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God (NIV)
There are so many shallow, spoon-fed brethren sitting in pews today who cannot even navigate their Bibles to find verses. There is lively music with it’s hopping beat and feel-good sound, causing the brethren to be led more by feelings than the written Word of God (Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 28:26). They are babes with no depth of understanding and knowledge regarding the things of Christ (I Corinthians 3:1). These brethren are fed just enough to keep them happy in the pews, too weak to leave, content with the status quo, when Christ came to give us an abundant life IN HIM:
John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
(2) I'm offering you this complete "done for you" three-hour seminar for just $49.
Why does this wonderful “system” have to be SOLD? Freely we have been given, freely we should give (Matthew 5:8). The salvation of the Lord can be illustrated as one beggar telling another beggar where he got the bread.
I Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
I Corinthians 4:7 ...what have you that you did not receive?
The answer may be… I must keep my ministry going. True, but the Lord did not charge for His ministry. Paul, did not charge for his ministry, yet people gave to it. the brethren of the early churches did not charge for their ministries. Indeed, EVERY believer has a ministry, a ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18). Maybe we should focus on the Lord first and the ministry, if it is approved of God, will flourish.
(3) HURRY - THIS HALF OFF OPPORTUNITY ENDS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 30th!
So now I must “hurry” to get this wonderful offer. What about “testing” the spirits?
I John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. What about hasting with my feet is sin
Proverbs 19:2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; and he that hastens with his feet sins.
This “pastor” is pushing, coercing, manipulating, and hurrying people to buy this product who may be convinced that they NEED this in order to fulfill the Lord’s command to “go” and teach, evangelize, and teach again, without even realizing that this is not what the Lord teaches us in His Word. If we would but love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls (Luke 10:27) and love one another; if we would saturate our lives, hearts, and minds with the Word of God instead of the words of men (Colossians 3:16); if we would put Christ at the center; if we would return to a warm, first-love relationship with Him, He who stands at the door outside of His own church (Revelation 3:20); we just might begin to realize what the Lord meant. Simply this, LOVE HIM FIRST, love Him with your WHOLE HEART, and everything else will FOLLOW, There would be no need to push the sheep, or pull the sheep, or whip the sheep, or trick the sheep into doing what they would NATURALLY do if they were walking in a Spirit-filled, loving, childlike, holy walk with the Lord:
Ephesians 5:1 Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children.
Jerry Smith
Overview: These days in many churches and fellowships, there seems to be an almost over-emphasis on and even demanding push to make disciples (which seems to turn off many non-Christians) and ministry but very little emphasis on getting to know Christ more intimately. In Revelation 2:4, the Lord reminds us that loving Him is our FIRST priority; the works (including the Great Commission, making disciples and soul-winning) will naturally follow; meaning that the Lord is FIRST concerned with our RELATIONSHIP. Beauty... is meant to be inspirational and devotional for the Christian and evangelical for the non-; drawing us to see more of the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, and return us to our First Love, OR bring others to Him for the first time.
