Monthly Evangelism Bulletin

Click on a topic to read the article:

Studies In Progress
Special Needs People
Sowing The Seed
Things That Will Destroy A Church
Monday Night Bible Class

Studies In Progress

I have no new information on our studies in progress.  I have not had a chance to talk with Judy Mahone as it seems when she was here, I was not and vice versa.  I have had no further communication with Detra’s mom except through Detra.  I know that Jim and Mary Ann are currently in follow-up with Detra.  This is great.  Bill Burton is in follow-up with Kevin Mosby, so let’s continue to pray for that study.  I do not know about the study with John and Debbie’s friend  Robbie Hogg.  Additionally, I do not know of any new studies that have begun.  If you know of someone who would be willing to study with someone, let me know, and I will speak to them about one of our Bible Studies. 

Special Needs People

We often find folks that are lovingly referred to as “special needs people.”  When we hear these words it brings up mental pictures of the disabled or mentally handicapped.  This term has come into prominence because of what our society calls “Political Correctness.”  People are no longer handicapped or mentally retarded, they are simply folks with special needs.

James, the brother of our Lord identified some special needs people.  He wrote,  "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).  Surely, everyone recognizes the simple fact that we have some responsibilities to these folks.  There has been much controversy over how this is to be accomplished, but most all would agree that it must be done and is a responsibility of His church. 

Jesus Himself identified another group of folks with special needs.  He said this, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always" (Mark 4:7).  The idea here, very simply, is, whenever we desire and whenever we can, we should care for the poor.  Jesus does not  give instructions on how, so it becomes apparent that how is not as important as the fact that we must do it; we must care for them.

Jesus had compassion on the hungry.  "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way”   ( Matthew 15:32).

Jesus identified some other special needs people.  Consider these words: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matthew 25:34-36).  All of these folks are special needs folks and need our love and protection because many times they are unable to help themselves. 

However, the most important group of special needs people are those that are lost and destined to spend eternity in hell, separated from the God of heaven, earth, and all creation. Jesus said this about Himself, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  If ever there was a special needs group this would be it. 

Therefore, we must be ministering servants to these special needs folks.  Jesus has commanded it, and we must obey.  Do you remember in Matthew what Jesus said to those who should have been ministering to those special needs people?  They responded to Jesus’ query thusly, “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? {38} When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? {39} Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? {40} And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:37-40), 

Sowing The Seed

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves exactly what our mission and responsibilities to evangelizing the world actually are.  Our job in seeking and saving lost souls is to sow the seed.  Sowing the seed carries with it the responsibility to teach, go, and proclaim the message of Christ.  We must go into all the world and teach folks the gospel message (sow the seed).  Matthew chapter thirteen is an entire chapter dedicated by Christ to relating important messages by way of parables.

In the parable of the “sower” (biblical spelling) we find the following words:

"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. {2} And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. {3} And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; {4} And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: {5} Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: {6} And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. {7} And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: {8} But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. {9} Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:1-9) 

Our charge is a simple one.  Our duty is to sow the seed.  There are a verity of ways each one may do this, but it must be done.  This is a true statement, and there are a host of ways today that have never been available to man before to sow the seed of the gospel.  Many folks are using the internet.  There are many Web sites that proclaim the truth about Jesus.  However, there are many Web sites that do not and supply the world with false doctrine.  There are the airways.  Radio and television are a great way to spread the gospel and there are many fine programs available.  Likewise, there are many who proclaim a false gospel and will lead millions of people to an eternal fire.  The television is full of so called televangelists, a new word from the 20th century, who are spreading a false doctrine of religious death and destruction.  On the other hand, some of our brethren are doing an outstanding job of preaching the truth about Jesus and His plan for redeeming man. 

The fact remains, if we have sowed the seed in some way, in some fashion, we have fulfilled our responsibility to Christ and His blessed Father.  At the least, this is what we must do.  Granted, some people are more adept at studying the Bible with others than other Christians might be, but that does not relieve anyone from their duty to be a sower.  One can learn how to study with others, and many of our members have done just that, and for this I am extremely thankful.  Many of those who have undertaken this task have dedicated between two and four years of study in this godly pursuit. 

Another pitfall of being a sower is that we cannot always see the immediate results of our efforts.  Unlike being involved in a Bible study, where the individual accepts or rejects the Word, and we know immediately the outcome of our effort, not all of our efforts provide such immediate feedback.  Here is what Paul said. 

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. {2} I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. {3} For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? {4} For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? {5} Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? {6} I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:1-6). 

This word “carnal” that Paul used means fleshly or worldly.  We know that the things of the world are sinful.  John said, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15).  Why?  Because the things of the world are sinful and carnal. 

Here however, is the point.  Even though we may not see the immediate results of our efforts, Paul says don’t worry about those sorts of things.  He says, I (Paul ) planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase.  To God be the glory.  Paul said, I am nothing and Apollos is nothing save servants of the one true God, bound by duty to be sowers of the seed. 

The farmer of today knows this.  He tills the soil, and he prepares the soil.  He waters the soil, and he keeps the soil weeded.  Then he sits back and waits for God to give the increase.  And when the increase comes he rejoices with all his household. 

Do you remember the name  Kristina Logan?  I wrote about her in several publications a few years back.  She was a lady for whom the seed was sown through the internet.  She was searching for the truth about her Lord and Savior, and somehow she got to me.   We discussed over the internet God’s plan for redeeming man, and I referred her to a local congregation in the state of Florida.  She contacted the minister there and was immersed for the forgiveness of her sins.  You see, I planted, the minister in Florida watered, but God gave the increase.  This is the way it must always be. 

It is an egregious error, spiritually speaking, when one demands to see the results of the planted seed and expects immediate, visual manifestations.  When the seed is planted, we have done our job.  This is not all God requires of us, but is a major portion of our obedience to Him once we become a Christian. 

This is why it is imperative that we keep on planting the seed in whatever way we can.  This is our duty to our God.  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

The mission of the church is tri-fold: first to seek the lost, second, help the needy, and third to edify the brothers and sisters.  Of these, the greatest, it would seem, is to seek the lost.

 Please do not misunderstand.  It is important to keep the saved, saved.  One need only read the First Corinthian letter to see what kind of problems the church in Corinth had.  One person even had the audacity to have his father’s wife.  If we understand what the scriptures teach about this, then we know “this cannot be good.” 

Likewise, we understand that it is important to care for the needy.  James wrote, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (James 2:15-16).  All would understand it is difficult to feed a man’s soul when he is starving to death for need of physical food. 

However, without sowing the seed, that is, without seeking the lost, the church would be reduced to a remnant and eventually would cease to exist.  God has, however,  promised that there would always be a remnant to carry on until Jesus returns to present the kingdom (church) to His father in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:24).   

Things That Will Destroy A Church

Taken from the Proclaimer, Willow Avenue Church of Christ, February 19, 2009. 

Unforgiving Disposition

Unreliable Workers

Undermanned Programs

Unconfessed Sins

Unsound Doctrine

Undeveloped Potentials

Unscrupulous Dealings

Unread Members

Unheeded Admonition

Unrestrained Behaviors

Unwise Decisions

Undeserved Criticism

Undeveloped Communications

Unnecessary Burdens

Untaught Truth

Unlived Truth

Unscriptural Organization

Unfaithful members

Uninterested Teachers

Unholy Unions

Uncommitted Majority

Uninformed Leadership

Unprincipled Preachers

Unresolved Problems

Unauthorized Additions to the Bible

Unskilled Handling of the Word

Unwholesome Attitudes

Unlawful Practices

Uncaring Feelings

Unmerciful Treatment

Willow Avenue is the congregation where Clarence DeLoach preaches.  Clarence conducted our last gospel meeting here at Cold Harbor Road. 

Monday Night Bible Class

We have had six persons attend the Bible class at my (Bill Snell’s) home.  Maurice Smith, Angela Skelton, Jim and Mary Ann Dalton and Jewell and I. 

The lessons so far on Obadiah and Joel have been great.  There is a wealth of material in these books about the Edomites, their destruction, and the punishment of Israel.

If you desire to participate in the class it is not too late.  I can still make you a copy of the course notes and provide you access to the DVDs you have missed in order that you might get caught up to date.  I know it takes some time from your Monday night activity schedule, but it is worth it.  I should warn, though, this study is not your average children’s Bible study class material.  It is for the serious Bible student and is quite in depth.  It addresses many hard sayings in the minor prophets.

Well, until next time, be a soul winner.  Ask someone to study the Bible with you and think souls (Proverbs 11:30 ).

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