Matthew’s version of the Great Commission reads like this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The first part of that assignment (verse 19) has to do with making disciples for Jesus, followers who will commit their lives to Him. This part of the commission is important and is often emphasized, that we must convert people to Christ. The second part of the Great Commission (verse 20), however, is just as important, but often is not emphasized as much as the first part.

“Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” refers to helping these new Christians to grow spiritually. The term that is often used for this is follow-up. There are many passages that deal with this concept of growing stronger in our relationship with Jesus.

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

“You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away by the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

This growth needs to begin as soon as the new Christian is dried off from baptism. And, in the physical realm, who is responsible for the growth of a new baby? Isn’t it the ones who brought him into the world? Giving birth is only the beginning of parental responsibility and if a father and mother don’t take care of that need, it is looked upon in society as a criminal act of abuse and neglect. But often, in the spiritual realm, we baptize someone into Christ, make sure they have a Bible to read and study, and then move on to the next prospects.

Those of us who help to teach someone the gospel need to stay with them and help them mature in faith after they become disciples of Christ. There are several words which are used in the Bible to describe this spiritual growth process. It is called being grounded, rooted and settled. New Christians are encouraged to develop in the faith and to grow to maturity. The process is compared in the Bible to a new baby who grows to adulthood.

Of course, this parallel is not exactly the same, because the new Christians are old enough to have some responsibility for this as well as those who have taught them. But we must not just assume that they can take care of themselves in every regard now that they have obeyed the gospel. They probably will not realize how important certain things are in helping with their growth. We have a responsibility to help protect new Christians from those temptations that could lure them away from Christ and back into the world.

The parable of the Sower (Luke 8) tells us that some of those who become Jesus followers will not remain faithful to Him. And Jesus also tells us why they will stumble and fall.

The seed that falls by the wayside (verse 12) will not produce a Christian in the first place because the devil prevents the word of God from even entering their hearts.

The seed that falls on rocky soil produces a new Christian (verse 13), but then they are drawn away by temptations of the world that can include such things as old friends who will convince them to quit the Christian life and old bad habits that will not let them go on to spiritual maturity. We need to warn new disciples about these things and provide them with a whole new set of godly friends who can help them overcome the old bad habits (sins) that they used to love.

The seed that falls among thorns (verse 14) represents people who obey the gospel because they want to serve God, but then Satan makes certain that they have problems in their lives which can cause them to doubt their decision and often, to give up on their newly discovered faith. Verse 14 warns about “the cares of this life.” This includes things like job or money problems, family concerns, health issues or any number of other things, that may or may not be sinful in and of themselves, but which can distract and discourage new Christians, often causing them to reverse their decision to follow the Lord. (It is no coincidence that the Bible tells us that, immediately after His baptism, Jesus Himself was tempted by the devil; see Matthew 3:13-4:11.)

We must be certain that we warn new Christians of the many ways in which Satan will try to deceive them and convince them to quit serving God.

There are several things that will help to stabilize a new convert and assist him or her to grow spiritually.

Bible studies must continue with this individual. Just because he now knows enough to become a Christian and has done that, this doesn’t mean he knows everything he needs to know about serving the Lord. The church can offer regular Bible classes that will enable the Christian to learn more about the Bible, about prayer, about worship, etc. A course in “Bible Basics” can help the new follower of Christ to know the Bible and how to find answers to the ways in which Satan will attempt to discourage him from growth and development.

Private Bible studies should continue with the new Christian and, in most cases, it is probably best for the brothers and sisters who taught this one the gospel to stay with the study and help him to continue his spiritual journey to heaven. It might be helpful to have others from the local church to join some of these follow-up studies so they can become familiar and comfortable in studying with others. Statistics have shown that a new Christian needs at least three or more members of the church to become friends with, so that they are not tempted to go back to former, worldly friends who might draw them away.

Ask the new Christian to suggest people whom they would like to see become Christians, like family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, and others. They will likely want to share their new faith with long time contacts that we would not have a chance to know otherwise. They may set up more Bible studies with non-Christians that will result in even more conversions.

Invite new Christians into your home for a meal and, perhaps, a short Bible study. Get to know them and let them get to know you as well. The first century Christians spent a lot of time together outside of their assemblies (Acts 2:44-46; Acts 4:32) and this helped the new disciples to be close to one another.

-- Roger Hillis

The limited number of things that Jesus spoke from the cross have been the subject of much preaching over Christianity’s two millennia. The gospel writers record seven comments that he made during those six hours. Two of them are quotes from the Old Testament, and both have been in our daily Bible readings these past few weeks.

When he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, he was quoting from Psalm #22. And when he said, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” he was quoting from Psalm #31. When heard from one hanging upon the instrument of his death, both seem to ring with a clear tone of defeat. And yet... In both of the psalms that Jesus quotes, the final assessment of the situation is more about hope and redemption than about death and defeat.

Psalm 22 begins by questioning why God is away from the psalmist, but it ends in celebration of the psalmist being drawn into the presence of God (read Psa. 22:22-24)! And while it may sound that his quotation of Psalm 31:5 is a sign of Jesus’ giving up, the psalm continues on to say, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness!” (Psa. 31:19)

Two observations here:

1) Jesus knew that in his death, the will of God was being accomplished, so his comments did not reflect his perspective on failure, but rather on the ultimate triumph of faith in an almighty, all-good God!

2) We may rightly lament our troubles—for they may be great—but we can always turn our eyes upon on the throne of God and find hope. As another psalm says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psa. 30:5)

- Dan Lankford, minister

There are several things we need to do to make certain that we are sensitive to the needs of our guests. They are, after all, a great source of numerical and spiritual growth.

1. Extend a warm, friendly welcome. Do so whether the guests are on the way in or on the way out. Have you ever felt, when visiting other places, like you were basically ignored? It’s a horrible feeling and we must make sure that those who are guests at our services feel like we really were glad they came.

2. Help our guests find the appropriate Bible classes. They would like to be in the right class for their age group and spiritual level and they also want their children to be comfortable.

3. Help the visiting family find seats together. They don’t want to be separated from each other and they don’t want to sit in a cramped, uncomfortable setting. If the building is filled, move to the center of your row and let our guests find room. Statistics have revealed that if a building is filled to 80% capacity, many guests feel uncomfortable and will not return. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen here.

4. Be careful in Bible class about your comments and the tone with which they are offered. If you find it necessary to express disagreement with others (and, at times, this will be necessary), do so gently, not harshly. Comment on the comment, not the person.

5. We must make certain that our building and grounds are well cared for. They make an important first impression. Guests need to find a place to park close to the door. The lawn must be well groomed. Bathrooms must be clean and odor-free. The walls should be painted and we should be careful about throwing trash around on the floor or seats (this includes gum wrappers, etc.).

6. Song leaders need to be careful to lead songs that the congregation knows and can sing well. Our singing is really important in making a good impression with our guests and when we sing a song that we don’t know well, it leaves the wrong idea in their minds. If there are unusual words or phrases in a particular song (Ebenezer, Ebon pinion, etc.), explain those terms briefly before the song is sung.

7. A guest packet with information about the church would be helpful and much appreciated by those who are considering attending regularly.

8. Do not monopolize the time of the preacher and/or elders. They need to greet our guests and many will be offended if the preacher does not even say “hello” to them. There is nothing wrong with talking with the preacher after services, but, if a guest approaches, let him talk to the guest and then return to you.

Many of these things are simple ideas that we know are important to us when we visit elsewhere. Let’s realize that they are important to our guests also and do our best to make them feel welcome. “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

--Roger Hillis

Young people play an important role in the spiritual life of a local church. In the Bible, there are many references to young people and their significant role in God’s plan.

• Timothy was a young preacher for whom Paul had a special place in his heart and in his work.

• Titus was also a young evangelist that Paul worked with and encouraged (at least, he was younger than Paul who referred to him as a “son in the faith”).

• John Mark is believed to be the young man who fled when Christ was arrested (Mark 15:51-52). Later he wrote the book of Mark in the New Testament.

• Many Bible scholars believe it is possible that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a teenager when the angel told her that she would bring God’s Son into the world.

• Joseph was only 17 years old when his brothers sold him into slavery, beginning his journey toward a life of serving God.

• Jeremiah referred to himself as “a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6). He felt inadequate to his task, but God trusted him to do the work and be faithful.

• Much of the book of Proverbs was written as advice from an older, experienced person to a younger one struggling with difficult challenges in life.

• And there are other examples, as well.

The primary responsibility for rearing children in the Lord belongs to the parents, especially the father. “And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). But there is no reason why the family and the church cannot work together as partners in helping young men and women grow and mature in the faith.

Parents need to plan spiritual activities for their children to train them to love and serve God. It is obviously going to be helpful to take them to all of the classes and services of the church and to visit other faithful congregations during special times of Bible study and sermons. Often the key to success in a young person’s Bible class is not the teacher during a 40 minute study period, but rather the parents in making certain that the child is prepared and has studied well before he or she comes to class. If teenagers, for example, do not have their lessons prepared for class time, that is as much a parent problem as it is a young person issue.

Bible classes at the church building should be available to supplement, not replace, the Bible studies that the family is doing together at home. But, because many children are not receiving any, or very little, Bible teaching at home, it is vital for the church to have a great Bible class curriculum set up to make certain that young people are learning as much of God’s word as possible, in an organized and helpful arrangement.

One of our goals in Bible classes must be to not only teach Bible facts to young people, and that is very important, but we must also teach these tender hearts to love the Lord. Teachers must stress the application of Bible teaching to the young person’s life and show him/her how following the Bible will lead to a happier, more successful life as well as to an eternal reward. Churches must do their best to choose teachers who do not simply relay Bible truth to young people, but whose lives also match the message. That was one of Christ’s criticisms of the first century Pharisees, that “they say, and do not do.” Our lives must be living illustrations of how Jesus can change our lives for the better and really emphasize that He should make a difference in how we do everything, not just “church things.”

A recently published book, entitled Already Gone, makes a strong case for teaching Biblical evidences to young people. It claims that many young folks make the decision to leave the Lord in late elementary school or middle school, rather than high school or college. Mentally they have checked out long before they possess the freedom to act on that decision and we only realize it when they go away to college and immediately quit serving God. In reality, they quit in their hearts long ago.

So we must emphasize why they should believe in God, why they must believe that Jesus is His Son and why it is consistent to trust that the Bible is a special book, breathed out by God for man’s eternal guidance and direction.

Elders, preachers, teachers and other faithful Christians need to realize that many children we see regularly at services are not getting the father and mother example they need to be well rounded in their faith. If you know of young people whose father is not a godly example, try to help the mother and the child by providing an excellent example of a righteous man who shows an interest in helping others to mature in Christ. If the mother is lacking in her influence, other godly women should make it a special point to encourage her children to be faithful to God. Many of us were encouraged by an older Christian, to whom we were not necessarily related, who took an interest in us and spent time helping us to learn to love Christ.

Some parents have expressed remorse over having lost their children because the parents didn’t place enough priority on spiritual things while their children were growing up. We don’t get a second chance to do a better job at that, but we can perhaps make a difference for our grandchildren or for the children of other Christians whom we can influence in a godly way.

It has been said that children are the church of tomorrow and there is certainly truth in that statement. But we can’t wait until they are grown to try to instill in them the value of serving God. We must start now. Training classes for both boys and girls can show them some of the things that they should be working toward as they mature. Let young boys do what they can in the worship services. Give them some instructions about how to lead singing, or to lead a public prayer or to give a short talk from the Bible or how to serve the Lord’s Supper.

Many religious groups have engaged for years in fun and games and food and have turned to many other unscriptural forms of entertainment in an attempt to excite the young and keep them coming to planned activities. It is not the responsibility of the church to provide entertainment to try to keep young people interested in God. Entertainment is fine, in its place, which is to say, when it is provided by the home and family, not by the church. Families do need to provide such opportunities for their children. Those who do not will regret it later. But do not involve the church in things that are not a part of the God-given mission of the church.

Young people can inject energy and excitement and zeal into older, more complacent Christians. The older Christians can add much in the way of experience and wisdom and understanding of the Bible to make certain that young people are not expressing “zeal without knowledge” (Romans 10:1-2). We need each other. So let’s do what we can to help our young people love and obey God, starting when they are still young (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

--Roger Hillis

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Well, that sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Just preach God’s word and don’t turn aside to other things that would keep you from speaking the truth. Anyone who thinks being a gospel preacher is an easy job has never done it. It is a highly rewarding pursuit, but an extremely challenging one as well.

We are discussing, in this series on Strengthening the Local Church, some things that will help Jesus followers to grow, spiritually in our personal lives and numerically on the congregational level. Preaching is vital to both spiritual and numerical growth.

Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation” (Romans 1:16). We must learn to preach God’s word always, in its purity, without apology and without reservation or compromise.

Luke also records Paul’s words for us, in Acts 20:27, in which he reminds the shepherds from Ephesus, that he had preached “the whole counsel of God” while in their city. We must preach the Bible in its completeness, both popular and unpopular subjects.

A church will only be as strong, or as weak, as the preaching it receives.

And the pulpit, through the messages that emanate from it, will determine the “tone” or “culture” of the local church. Strong, solid, faithful gospel preaching can raise the commitment level of the entire church, from the weakest disciple to the strongest. It is said that a rising tide raises all ships and that principle applies spiritually as well as nautically.

Paul told Timothy to convince, rebuke and exhort with patience and careful instruction. He was not suggesting, as some have said, that our teaching should be 2/3 negative and 1/3 positive. Paul was reminding his young preaching friend, and it is preserved by inspiration for us today, that there will be a need for both tearing down false ideas and teachings and for building up the truth of God’s will among the members of every local church.

Timothy was also encouraged by Paul (1 Timothy 4:16) to watch both his life (how he conducts himself day by day) and his teaching (what he says in the pulpit and the classroom and also as he teaches from house to house). Much of the success or weakness of a congregation can be traced directly back to the preaching the church receives.

An evangelist must be friendly and outgoing. That doesn’t mean he has to be the life of every party and the chief entertainer of every assembly. It means that guests must feel welcomed when attending our services and told repeatedly by the members that they are glad the guests came. And while you and I know that the preacher is not really more important to God than any other member of the church, those who visit our services will often think he is and if he doesn’t project warmth and friendliness, many will not feel comfortable returning to hear more. This is just a simple matter of understanding human nature.

Is the preacher evangelistic in his own life? A non-evangelistic preacher is not going to be able to motivate others to really get out there and save the lost, if they know he talks about it a lot but does little in this area. (Frankly, is there really even such a thing as a non-evangelistic evangelist? Maybe he should be honest enough to call himself something else if he is not really doing the work of an evangelist.) There must be an emphasis on evangelism that begins in the pulpit, but everyone must see that it reaches beyond those who enter our facilities to include those who have never attended a service or a study. This is one of several areas where the preacher really must practice what he preaches or no one else will practice it either.

Does the preacher show an interest in young people, older members and everyone in between? Often a preacher has a natural tendency to spend more time with those his own age and with whom he shares similar interests. But sometimes this can make others feel unimportant, more like an outsider than a real member of the spiritual family.

There must also be a focus on telling people about Jesus, the Savior of the world. He said of Himself, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). Of course, He was speaking of His crucifixion, but we must lift Him up in our messages and classes as well. Paul said that when he preached in the first century city of Corinth, “…I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). We need to speak constantly of Him. When I began preaching full-time, I decided that I would deliver a lesson about Christ at least once a month and often even more than that.

Often our preaching is centered around certain truths about the Lord’s church, the need for Bible authority, what constitutes Biblical obedience to the Lord (faith, repentance, confession, baptism), how to worship God correctly (especially no instrumental music and being sure to take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday) and other similar doctrinal issues. I believe what the Bible says about every one of those matters and we cannot be faithful to the Lord without a proper understanding and obedience to those important truths. They must be taught regularly.

But we are not told to simply teach people to accept the truth on an important group of items. We must teach them to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength and to be converted to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I believe that a person who is taught to love Christ will also want to know all of the truth that can set them free (John 8:32). But it is also possible to only learn what the Bible says about some key, important issues and not really be in love with the Christ.

Gospel preaching must point people to Jesus who alone can take away their sins and make them right with God (John 14:6). And then when they become one of His, we can teach them “to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).

--Roger Hillis

RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  (Heb. 13:1-2)

The possibility of entertaining angels in the passage above is an idea full of potential excitement. Some of God’s people did show hospitality to angels before they realized they had done so (Gideon, Abraham, Lot, etc). However, in our excitement about that possibility, I think we can easily overlook the most obvious implication of it: they would have never entertained angels if they were not given to hospitality.

The simplest things are often the easiest to overlook, and such is the case with demonstrations of hospitality. Contrasted with the grand scope of a missionary journey, hosting a visiting preacher or an elderly couple for dinner in your home may not seem like much of a contribution to the kingdom… but it is. Contrasted with the notoriety of a preacher who publicly proclaims the eternal gospel in front of large crowds, thanklessly welcoming a repentant and recovering brother to live with might not seem like much of a contribution to the kingdom… but it is. When contrasted with the high commendations spoken at the funeral of a long-tenured elder in the church, perhaps the simple act of giving gifts to a few widows seems insignificant… but the Lord once raised a woman from the dead to continue giving such gifts.

Don’t show hospitality in hopes of entertaining angels. But do show hospitality. Be a blessing. Love your brothers. Live as a Christian.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Many churches do not have a deliberate evangelism strategy. Of course, there are notable exceptions. But most churches conduct services, including one or two gospel meetings per year, and just hope that members will bring guests (they often do not) or that prospects will just happen to show up on their own (this rarely happens either).

Nobody gets too overly concerned that the church isn’t growing, but will occasionally change preachers in the hopes that the new man will be just what the church needs to start saving the lost. That is rare also.

Do you know any other area of life where good results just accidentally happen? Where nobody has to plan and organize and promote but great things happen anyway?

If you want to raise a nice garden, you have to work at it. You have to prepare the soil, use good seeds, water the growing plants and pull some weeds along the way. You don’t just pick a plot of ground, throw out a bunch of seeds and then come back in a couple of months ready to eat. It doesn’t happen accidentally.

A sports team has to practice, exercise, discipline themselves and work on plays together in order to have a winning season. It doesn’t happen accidentally. And the examples could be multiplied.

But sometimes, when it comes to evangelism, we expect results without much effort and without a plan to work. We may occasionally convert someone without a strategy but we will not experience the kind of growth that we read about in the book of Acts.

One of the jobs of leadership is to give guidance and motivation to those in the group. This is being written primarily for elders, preachers and men and women of spiritual conviction who have the ability to influence others to do better in the Lord’s service. What is your strategy for evangelism? What kind of leadership are you providing in this vital area? What does your example teach?

A deliberate, intentional strategy will include two things: a plan for study and a plan for getting studies.

A plan for study must cover at least three basic truths – a standard for determining what God wants from us, an understanding of sin and how it separates man from God, and the Lord’s solution to this sin problem, including our response of obedience. There may be other important lessons that you will want to include or at least study as follow-up material with those who are converted, but those three principles are the essentials to know before obedience. There are many different study series available which teach these truths, or you can arrange your own. As long as the truth is taught, people will respond. (Not everyone, of course, but many will.)

And we must have a plan for making opportunities to study those principles with the lost. Some have held neighborhood Bible studies in their home and invited everyone who lives close to attend. It helps if you have established a relationship with your neighbors over a period of time. They are more likely to come to a study if you have been friendly and helpful to them in other ways.

Some have mailed out Bible correspondence courses to everyone living in a certain zip code. Follow up is required to visit them and try to set up future opportunities to study with them.

One of the best ways (it is also the most effective and profitable and inexpensive method) is for members to simply invite their friends, family and acquaintances to study. Many of them will, if we will just ask.

Others have set up booths at county fairs and even the state fair, if you have enough available funds. Give them something to study and something to send back in (like a correspondence course) that will give you their address and phone number to follow up with.

Newspaper articles that teach the truth can often result in Bible studies. Include some material that challenges people’s thinking religiously, even to the point of upsetting them because you have touched on some area especially important to them. They may call you or write you just to defend what they believe.

Special services with an important and vital theme lesson that is widely advertised and announced can sometimes draw people in.

Some disciples have used the website called Meetup.com to set up community Bible studies and Scripture readings in places like restaurants, libraries, and other public facilities. These sessions usually cover a chapter of the Bible per week, or something similar to that. It is a way to introduce interested people to New Testament Christians and the word of God.

Some of these ideas will work better in some areas than in others. In some places, newspaper articles are too expensive; in other areas, they are quite affordable. Do something that will be helpful in your particular part of the world.

If you develop a strategy and it doesn’t work, try something different. Maybe you will need to keep the parts that work and modify the parts that don’t. But do something. Do not quit trying.

What it all boils down to is this: Are we going to be intentional and deliberate and steadfast in our efforts to teach the lost or are we going to be satisfied with doing very little until the church we worship with eventually goes out of business?

Is this our evangelism strategy? “If somebody accidentally wanders into our services, we are ready to teach them.” Really? Do you think that is what God meant when He told us to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord?” Brothers and sisters, think on these things.

--Roger Hillis

Biblical Insights

November 2010

Several years ago, I was asked to preach for a church that had just experienced a division. Many members had left and it was heartbreaking for those who remained. A wise and experienced elder told me, “I’ve never known a church to grow that didn’t emphasize the basics. If a church is struggling, they just need to get back to first principles and preach them like the people have never heard them before.” That good advice helped the church to recover and continue to grow.

If Christians do not have a basic understanding of the elementary principles of the gospel, they have no solid foundation on which to build and grow. One of Christ’s parables spoke of the need of making certain that we build on the right foundation (see Matthew 7:24-27). That reminds us of the importance of teaching some of the same lessons over and over again.

There are several reasons for this.

First, there are always young people growing up who have heard these lessons from the time of their birth. But, at a very young age, most of these studies do not sink in. At some point (and really, only God knows when it will be), a lesson that young people have heard numerous times finally takes hold and they understand an important truth for the very first time. We should never assume that our young people know and understand Bible subjects just because we know they have heard them before.

Secondly, we can never be sure when a guest will show up and, perhaps, hear a vital Bible lesson at a crucial time in his life. It may be the first and only time that person will ever have the opportunity to understand an important doctrinal point, one that could make the difference in his eternal destiny. That’s also why we should make certain to explain the plan of salvation during a lesson, every time. You just don’t know who may be listening carefully and seriously considering obedience. He might have listened many times in the past and have done nothing about what he was learning and still be receptive this time.

Also, we must not assume that our older members (those who have been around a while) can always remember everything they’ve ever heard. It might have been a long time since they have studied a particular subject. Or they might be aware of the truth but not know where the verses are found that teach that truth. It is always helpful to be reminded of things we know to be true so that our convictions are deep and not easily shaken. These things help to mature and stabilize us spiritually. “…till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:13-14).

Here is a sample list of the types of sermons that we need to preach at least annually. Of course, we must work hard to present them in a fresh, interesting way, taking a different approach to the same lesson each time.

*Baptism

*Instrumental music

*Distinguishing the covenants

*Bible authority

*Organization of the local church

*Worship of the church

*Work of a local church

*Significance of the Lord’s Supper

*Evangelizing the lost

*Strengthening the family

*Silence of the scriptures

*The power of prayer

*God’s grace

*The one, true church

*The cross of Christ

There are probably other topics that should be added to this list. These are merely some of the Bible topics that disciples must be firmly grounded in. “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).

There are certain subjects that we will never outgrow. We must never be afraid to preach lessons that members have heard many times. When someone has been a Christian for several years, there is almost no way to preach something new to him. As people have said, “If it’s new, it isn’t true and if it’s true, it isn’t new.”

I’m not suggesting that a preacher should just get one lesson together on baptism and preach it with exactly the same approach to the same people every 3 or 4 months. In order to stay fresh and vibrant himself, a preacher needs to restudy, rethink, restructure his lessons. I have been told that, after he had preached for more than 40 years at the Haldeman Avenue church in Louisville, Kentucky, brother M.C. Kurfees was just as fresh in his sermons as when he started. Think about that. To preach for forty years for the same congregation, one would have to continually study and learn new insights from the Bible. If he had four years worth of sermons and preached them all 10 times, people would have grown weary of hearing the same things every week and would probably have left in large numbers. Instead, the church grew, Christians matured and the lost were brought to Christ.

No matter how much “strong meat” of the word people can handle, those who are the most mature spiritually will never grow tired of hearing these basic principles of truth, because they know how important they are. They love all truth and do not have to be entertained with “some new thing” all the time.

It might also be helpful for a local church to purchase or write a set of “Bible Basics” material that is taught to all new members. A class like this could be repeated at least one quarter per year (more often if the church is really growing) and use it to help ground new converts in the first principles.

Of course, not all sermons should be basic material. Those more mature saints deserve, on some occasions, to hear lessons on some of the more challenging subjects that aren’t preached or taught every week. But in a year when most people hear approximately 100 sermons, there are plenty of opportunities for both milk and solid food to be taught.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12). If people are not growing spiritually, if the church is struggling with carnality and division, if souls are not being saved, look first at the preaching. Maybe we need to just get back to the basics.

--Roger Hillis

Biblical Insights

September 2003

A general assessment of the current situation among conservative churches of Christ reveals some widespread problems.

*Many churches are shrinking with no plan or prospects to reverse that trend.

*Many Christians are discouraged.

*A lot of churches are growing older and smaller and, after a few more funerals, will soon be out of business.

*We face an increasingly secular and immoral society. Moral standards seem to be suffering, even for those who are in the church.

*Young people are leaving the church in large numbers.

*Far too many seem to expect the church to go backward and often look with suspicion on those churches that growing as though they must be doing something wrong.

*Many local preachers feel overwhelmed and realize that they just cannot get the job done alone.

Let me state that there are many churches that are doing quite well and we are grateful to them for their positive example and influence on the rest of us. Keep up the good work.

The churches I have worked with that have grown the most are those that have had the most people in the church working to teach their neighbors. It is just that simple. If it is all left up to the preacher, some growth will occur, but many of those preachers have worked so hard and been appreciated so little at times, that many of them are ready to give up if they have not already done so.

An important business principle teaches us that the more contacts we make, the more sales will occur. This same principle applies to gospel work. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are well aware of this and are willing to endure ridicule and persecution to serve the Lord as they believe they should.

An insurance salesman once approached my father and said, “You don’t want to buy any insurance, do you?” If we approach prospects for the gospel with the same attitude, we will end up with the same results. (I understand that we are not “selling” the gospel. This is said to illustrate the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping.)

So what can we do about the situation?

Perhaps the best place to start is by doing what Jesus suggested we do. (That’s always a good idea, don’t you think?)

“Then He said to His disciples, ‘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). Is it a regular part of your prayers to God that He would send out more laborers into the harvest? I confess to you that it has not been my consistent practice.

If that’s true of you also, why is that? Is it because we don’t really care? I don’t think that’s the case. Is it because we don’t believe that the Lord will do what He has promised to do? I don’t believe that’s it, either. Is it because that kind of prayer would have helped in the first century, but now it won’t do much good? We know that is not true as well.

In my case, I fear it is because I have grown weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). I’m afraid that many of us have lost heart that much will ever change, no matter what we do. I’m convinced that we don’t pray for more laborers because we have believed the lies of Satan that have told us that churches just aren’t going to grow much anymore.

We have invited family, friends or acquaintances to study and either they haven’t been interested or they have not obeyed and so we have concluded, “Nobody is interested in the gospel these days.”

We have worked with weak Christians and poured blood, sweat and tears into their lives only to have them fall away and we have despaired and said, “What’s the use?”

We have tried to encourage other Christians to get to work in personal evangelism or at least to set up studies and, when they haven’t responded, we have just quit asking.

When we quit trying, the devil wins and we lose. Is that acceptable?

Is the gospel still the power of God for salvation or not?

Is the God of the gospel still in control of the world?

Are there still souls out there who want to be right with the Lord, but just don’t know where to turn?

Have you prayed for open doors to have more opportunities to preach the truth to lost souls looking for hope?

Have you prayed for more workers to enter the harvest field, both locally in the congregation where you worship and worldwide in areas where the gospel still needs to go?

Do you agree that things could be better? Do you agree that things can get better? Will you agree to do your part to make things better?

Let’s begin by praying for more workers every day. If several thousand Christians began to really pray that prayer in faith (James 1:6-8), do you believe the Lord will answer us? Brothers and sisters, it is time to rebuild.

--Roger Hillis

Biblical Insights

September 2010

Lord willing, I plan to write a series of blog articles that I hope will be helpful for the church. It will be titled, Strengthening the Local Church.

I love the local church. It is an important part of God’s plan for the spiritual growth and development of His people. He has not left us to serve Him all by ourselves, but has put us into communities of like minded followers, who seek to honor and praise Him, to reach out to the lost souls in our lives, and to build up (the main Biblical term for this is, to edify) one another.

I do not travel extensively around the country, and certainly not, around the world, but I have been concerned in the last several years, when I have had the opportunity to visit Christians in other places, to see that many congregations are suffering losses of numbers, workers, and morale. Many have resigned themselves to just keeping house for the Lord and not to prospering and growing as the Lord intends for His people to do. That doesn’t mean, if I have been to the congregation where you worship that I am automatically talking about you. There have been many that are doing quite well and that I have learned some really good things from.

But many churches are struggling mightily. And nobody in those churches wants that to happen. But it is easy for discouragement to set in and for disciples to mentally give up. I want to give Christians something to work on, some ideas to try to incorporate in their collective activities and some goals to try to achieve for the glory of God.

I have developed a long list of ideas over the years through the experiences that I have had, both good and bad, that I believe will be practical and helpful for others to read about and consider. Everything I write will not work for every individual Christian or for every local church. But I have had my share of disappointments and failures in certain areas of my work for the Lord, as well as some successes, hopefully defined from a Biblical perspective, not a worldly one. I trust that I have learned from both success and mistakes and would like to share some of those lessons.

Over the years, I have written a few articles (not many, but some) for gospel magazines published by Christians, that people have responded to in a very positive way. They have written or emailed me to thank me for the things I have written and told me that they hope to utilize some of the ideas in those articles to help strengthen the local church they are a part of. That kind of feedback has always encouraged me greatly. Most of those articles were published in Biblical Insights, which is no longer in publication. A few of the articles I will include in this weekly blog will be a reprinting of those articles, but most of them will be additional thoughts and ideas that I would like to share with others.

I hope you will read the postings and I do pray that they will help you and the local church where you are a member. Please feel free to print these articles off of the blog and to distribute them to other Christians where you worship, if you are so inclined. If you know of preachers who might be encouraged by these articles, you can let them know about the series. The internet has been the source of much bad stuff that goes on in the world, and we hope to use it to accomplish some good.

The plan is to post a new blog article each Monday morning, for however many weeks it seems to be profitable. If you wish to be notified of each new posting, you may sign up for that notification on our website.

A few of the blog articles that I plan to publish include: Time to rebuild, A Deliberate Evangelistic Strategy, One Generation Away, New Convert Follow-up, Effective Teacher Training, Restoring the Fallen, Balanced Preaching, Tightening Up Our Services, Strengthening Our Young People, Effective Gospel Meetings, and many others.

In Ephesians 4:16, Paul speaks of Christ, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” If each of us, as Jesus followers, will do his or her part, using our talents and abilities in every circumstance where God gives us opportunities, the local church will grow and prosper.

We often hear prayers that ask the Lord that our work of evangelism will “enlarge the borders of the kingdom” and I hope that we all believe that God can and will answer those prayers. That happens at the local church level, but as each congregation grows and is strengthened, the universal church will grow as well.

It is my desire that these postings will contain helpful information for preachers, shepherds, teachers and all faithful disciples who wish to serve the Master in an ever greater way.

Please understand that these articles will be my opinion about important Bible subjects. I don’t expect anyone to agree with everything I will write. That is fine and I would be happy to hear from fellow Christians about these writings, even if you don’t agree with what I have suggested. I don’t want to get into any on-going debates with those might have a different view of these ideas, however.

It should be the desire of every child of God to see the body of Christ grow spiritually and numerically as we faithfully serve Him who loved us and gave His Son to die on the cross for our salvation. May we all seek to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. If this series of blog posts will help us toward that goal, it will have been worth my time to write them.

May God bless each of us as we seek to love, serve and obey Him. And may we all assemble around His throne some day to praise Him for all eternity.

--Roger Hillis

RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com