For those who have grown up around churches of Christ, the term, gospel meeting, will be a familiar one. But for those who grew up with a denominational background or no religious history at all, this term will not have much meaning.

In the past, churches would have a series of gospel messages in consecutive evening (or morning) meetings. So the phrase, gospel meeting, refers to an effort to preach the gospel to both the church and any unbelievers that Christians could convince to attend. Some denominations (and perhaps some faithful churches as well) used the term, revival, to describe such meetings as the hope was to renew and encourage a new sense of spiritual commitment to God.

Years ago, many churches did not have a full-time paid preacher who spoke almost every Sunday. A lot of churches (but not all) in the southern and central Illinois area where I grew up would only have “preaching services” one or maybe two Sundays per month. On the other Sundays, the church would meet for Bible study and then have a short worship service that would include the Lord’s Supper, and maybe, a short talk by one of the men and then everyone would go home until next week.

But once a year, the church would have a gospel meeting. It would often be held in the Summer months because many of the members were farmers and they were busy planting in the Spring and harvesting in the Fall. The Winter always threatened bad weather so the Summer months were usually the best time to have such an effort. In the early and middle parts of the twentieth century, such meetings would be 2-3 weeks or even a month or more long, if the interest remained high. People didn’t have as many distractions as we seem to have now and it was not uncommon for these long meetings to include many sincere people who would visit from their denominational churches and when they heard the true gospel, many of those who were genuinely seeking the truth would respond in obedience. If you invited family, friends, and neighbors, many of them would attend. Even among the local families in the church, some people would wait until the gospel meeting to be baptized and so it was not uncommon to hear of gospel meetings that would last a month and scores of people would be baptized into Christ.

When I was just getting started trying to preach, I preached for a while at a small church in central Illinois one Sunday per month and different members would tell me on Sunday afternoon when it was their turn to feed the preacher about the gospel meeting in the 1970’s when 13 young people were baptized on the same night of a meeting. Although they didn’t have 13 young people attending any more when I was preaching there, their dream was always to repeat the success of that one meeting.

As people’s schedules got fuller and busier, churches began to shorten the length of gospel meetings, but perhaps have two per year, one in the Spring and another in the Fall. Most meetings started on Monday night and went through the following Sunday. Then they switched from Sunday through Friday and now, many meetings run Sunday through Wednesday (or maybe Tuesday). And of course, we now try to encourage people not to wait for anything once they are convinced they need to be baptized. So most people aren’t even baptized during a regular service time, but many are immersed during the week as soon as they know they shouldn’t put it off.

We have very few baptisms these days in gospel meetings (although every one that we have is important and precious in the sight of God). I do not have any scientific research to back up this statement, but I have noted, in the places I have worshiped, that more meetings have no baptisms than those that may have one or two.

I am not writing this to convince us to quit having meetings, but there are a few things we can do to make them more effective.

First, although some preachers will think I am speaking blasphemy, perhaps in some cases, we should not call them gospel meetings. I say that only because most of our unsaved friends won’t know what we mean if we invite them to a gospel meeting. Of course, we can explain it to them and if they come, that is great. But, it is just as appropriate to call them a teaching seminar or a Bible lectureship, or, as the preacher where I worship likes to call them, a guest speaker series. We only call them gospel meetings by tradition (gospel meeting is not a phrase that the Bible uses either) and perhaps a different designation might stir up more interest and bring more sincere people who are seeking the truth. This is just something to consider.

Secondly, we should ask ourselves, what are we wanting to accomplish with this series of Bible lessons? Because our member’s schedules (and those of our lost friends) are so busy, we need to be wise about the time it takes to attend a week-long series (or even one night for some people).  Let’s use the time wisely. Isn’t that what Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5 teach us? Make it really worth their while to attend and have a theme or series of lessons that really speaks to their every day lives and then show them how that applies to their eternity as well.

Maybe we can use the time as a focused, intensive study time on a particular subject or a book or series of books from the Bible. Perhaps we should have fewer meetings but make them more targeted times of Bible instruction.

Several years ago I was away in a gospel meeting and my wife got a phone call from the preacher at another church where I was supposed to speak in about a month. He told her they didn’t really have a theme in mind but they wanted me to preach lessons that would appeal to non-Christians. That’s a great idea, of course, one I highly recommend, and so she asked him if they typically had a lot of non-Christians attend their meetings. He admitted they almost never had anyone to visit their meetings and so she asked him if they were doing something different this time that might attract non-believers to this meeting. Again he said no, so she kindly and politely asked him why they wanted me to preach sermons for non-Christians if they weren’t going to be there? He told her that they just hoped that maybe this time some might come. (That was in 1986; we had about 250 souls there on Sunday morning and now, 30 some years later, that church has about 40 on a good Sunday morning.)

Wouldn’t it make more sense to preach to the people who typically come to such services or to have a theme or study that might appeal to those who didn’t normally attend? But to just randomly preach lessons that would help unbelievers if they were there, in the empty hope that they might accidentally show up is not wise.

We cannot afford to waste the Lord’s money and the efforts, energy, time and good will of the members, just because 50 years ago, we had a gospel meeting and a dozen people were baptized. Without changing the message, we need to change the methods we are using to try to spread the best news in the universe to those who desperately need it.

--Roger Hillis

RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com

I don’t mean how is the local church doing? I mean, how involved are you personally in the work of the Lord?

Too many Christians are content to sit back and let others do the behind the scenes work in the church. And then, some are quick to criticize and complain that the church just doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. If that is true, how much of that is your fault?

God’s design for the church is for every part of the body to be active and working. We learn this all through the New Testament, in passages like Ephesians 4:11-16, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

Are you doing your part?

As you examine your relationship with God (2 Corinthians 13:5) and the things you do for Him as a disciple of Christ, think about how long it has been since you did some of these basic, easy things. When was the last time you…

• Visited a person who is sad and lonely, just to try to cheer them up?

• Told a teenager how proud you are of him (or her) spiritually?

• Invited a non-Christian to services?

• Told someone that you love them? It might be your spouse, your children, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or simply friends.

• Sacrificed a personal item you wanted so you could give a little more money to the Lord’s work?

• Hugged your children for no real reason?

• Thanked the elders for doing their often thankless job of trying to help us make it to heaven?

• Invited another family to come to your home for a Bible study or maybe for a fun evening of food and games?

• Wrote a card of love and encouragement to someone who is hurting for attention and understanding?

• Read through the New Testament in your Bible? (You could easily read the entire New Testament in six months.)

• Wrote a note of appreciation to your adult Bible class teacher or those who teach your children?

• Expressed your appreciation to our great song leaders for the marvelous job they do in leading us in worship?

• Thanked the deacons for their hard, mostly behind the scenes work?

• Prayed for more laborers to enter the harvest (Matthew 9:37-38)?

• Offered to babysit for a young couple so they could have a date night without their small children?

• Thanked the Lord for the good church where you worship and all the godly people who are not perfect but are trying with all their heart to serve the Lord.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
• “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the LORD your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV). Did you catch that word, abounding? Could your work for the Lord be described as abounding? Or is it lacking? Or missing entirely? Could you do more?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “If it is to be, it is up to me?” That could easily be the motto of every disciple of Christ. If we would all take the personal initiative to do what we can in the Lord’s service, this world would be a much better place in which to live. And more souls would be saved for eternity in heaven.

Are you familiar with the 80/20 rule? That’s the situation in too many churches where 20% of the people do 80% of the work. The key to success is to change that statistic, having every member (100%) doing all that he or she can. Everyone is important to God and we are all needed to accomplish what we can.

What are you doing to help the local church to grow, numerically or spiritually?

--Roger Hillis

One of the keys to converting people is learning how to initiate a spiritual conversation.

Direct – a question that opens up a discussion of spiritual things

• Are you saved?
• If you died tonight, would you go to heaven? (only with a close friend)
• Do you go to church anywhere? (this was Grover Stevens’ favorite opener)

Indirect – talking about something else, you shift the conversation to spiritual things

John 4

Verses 1-6 – just an ordinary meeting (we pass up a lot of opportunities)

                In many cases, there are no second chances.

Verses 7-9 – made personal contact

                Treated her as important; friendly and kind in spite of her wickedness

Verses 10-14 – shifted from secular to spiritual

                Listen to what they are saying – issues in their lives, what’s important to them

                Let them know that Jesus has the answers

Verses 15-26 – showed her need for God

Notice what happened:

                Verses 27-30 – she became a believer

                Verses 39-42 – many others became disciples (the multiplying effect)

Applications

• Things that can indicate a spiritual need: a job change, moving into a new town, birth of a child, sickness, death of a loved one, a divorce, family problems
• A political discussion – many issues have spiritual implications (avoid harsh criticisms of other viewpoints) – we want to save their souls, not convert them to a political party
• Current headlines – almost always have a spiritual dimension
• My favorite – “That reminds me of something we talked about in Bible class recently”
• At a restaurant, grocery store, gas station, drug store, barber shop – “Thank you for helping us today. We are part of an undenominational church and I’d like to invite you to visit with us sometime.” Give her a card and leave.
• If you’ve been afraid to bring up the Lord to a long-time friend – “You know, Bill, we’ve been friends for a long time and I’ve wanted to talk to you about spiritual things, but I’ve always been afraid to bring it up.” See how he reacts.
• Colossians 4:5-6

--Roger Hillis

It is fair to assume that most people who attend Bible classes and worship services on a regular basis do so because of their desire to know the Bible better and, therefore, to learn how to obey God and serve Him. Even for guests, who may not realize how important the Bible is, we need to be teaching them the word of God.

All Christians need to grow spiritually and young people need to learn God’s word and both of those things happen the same way, through Bible study, in our private lives and corporately, in the teaching program at the church. (Much learning should also take place at the home and family level and both private and public Bible study can work together in that way.)

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:1-2).

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).

“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with 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).

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Many Christians have been in the church for a long time, some for almost their entire lives, and still have not studied certain parts of the Bible (especially in the Old Testament) in an organized Bible class with a qualified teacher. This should be a matter of concern for those who lead local churches, whether they are elders or those who have to lead in the absence of elders.

You have to be able to help new Christians and teach them to grow and develop spiritually in their knowledge of the Bible and in their relationship with God. It is helpful to have a plan for how you are going to accomplish that important work (the Bible calls it edification).

Every local church needs an organized teaching program that is planned out and is not random or accidental. It should also be flexible enough to change in order to meet specific needs that will arise both in young people and in the lives of those of us who are older.

We need to teach the whole church what is said in the whole Bible and then take that same message to a lost and dying world. We can make a difference in people’s lives and in their eternity. Every Bible class has the potential to take someone who is headed for hell and point them toward heaven. We need to teach others to love Jesus the way we love Him, with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

There are several organized programs that Christians have developed over the years and many churches rely heavily on these curriculums to spiritually educate their members. Other churches have come up with their own schedule and some are hybrids of the available commercial material, combined with material that local members have written themselves.

There are difficulties with a schedule of this type. Singings, special meetings, etc. sometimes cause classes to be missed. The teacher must be able to catch up by covering the material in fewer weeks. Workbooks and other printed literature are not all equal in quality. Some are excellent and some are not. Some of the literature may be out of print at various times. But, even with the problems, a planned curriculum is much more effective than a haphazard method of study or no method at all. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Suggestions to consider

• If it is possible, teachers should be alternated regularly. If enough teachers are available, those who teach in one year’s classes should be allowed to rest the next year. Of course, smaller churches have fewer teachers to work with and some may have to teach on a regular basis until the church grows and new teachers are added to the number.

• When using a workbook or class outline, consider these thoughts:

• Every part of the lesson does not have to be read word for word, every question does not have to be answered, and even every scripture does not have to be read in class. A good teacher will use the text, questions and scriptures which will be the most helpful to the class.

• Never forget that you are studying the Bible, not the workbook. The workbook is only an aid to Bible study.

Goals of the Curriculum

Here are some ideas about the goals that we should want to reach in developing a structured, quality teaching program in the local church.

1.  To help people grow to be more like Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21)

2.  To teach the entire word of God (Acts 20:27)

3.  To instill a sense of “doing” (James 1:22)

4.  To develop positive attitudes about the word of God and how it applies to every day life (Philippians 4:8)

5.  To develop each person’s individual faith and conviction (Romans 10:17)

You can reword these principles or come up with your own goals, but the idea is to teach people to love and obey God and His word. Let me know if I can help in some way.

--Roger Hillis

RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com

The Lord Jesus Christ offered this invitation. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). He simply invited people to “come.”

When two disciples began to follow Christ, they asked Him where He was staying. His answer was uncomplicated, “Come and see” (John 1:38-39). He invited them to “come.”

When Philip heard the Lord and went to tell Nathanael that he had found the Messiah, Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And Philip said to him, “Come and see” (John 1:46). Philip asked Nathanael to “come.”

The Samaritan woman became convinced through her personal discussion of spiritual matters with Jesus that He was truly the Christ and she went back to her friends and acquaintances and told them, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). She just invited those closest to her to “come.”

The New Testament ends with a similar offer. “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).

All too often, we want to take what is very simple and make it much more complex. We read books like “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” We study the latest sales techniques to figure out more clever ways to package the gospel. We bring in the latest “Personal Evangelism” specialist in the brotherhood for a weekend gospel meeting. And, all of that is fine. There can be some value to those approaches.

But, the bottom line is really that we just have to invite them. We have to learn how to overcome our reservations and fears and just open our mouths around our friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, fellow students, and ask them to “come.” This is one of those areas of life where, when all is said and done, too often much more is said than done.

The most successful efforts we will make along these lines are with those we know well. “Cold call” selling is not very productive in the business world, although this does work occasionally. Knocking on doors in a given neighborhood may produce a few meager results (hence, the unflagging zeal of our Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness friends). But, by far, the people we know and have already developed a relationship with are going to be our best “prospects” for reaching with the gospel.

But, at some point, we just have to swallow hard and say, “Come and see.”

There are some practical suggestions we can make to help you develop this courage.

• Be yourself. Don’t try to come up with some fancy, slick sounding sales presentation. A simple, “I’d love to have you  to come to our services this Sunday” is really all you need. When you are friends with someone, it will be harder for them to turn you down than to throw away a flyer from the church that they get in the mail.

• Use special services, like gospel meetings or Vacation Bible School, to invite. Let them know the theme of the week or the specific topic on particular nights. Tell them, “We are going to have a sermon this Tuesday evening that I think will help you as a parent to train your children in the right way. I know I need that and I’d like for you to hear it also.”

• If they don’t come to that service, follow up by handing them a CD of the sermon and say, “I know you couldn’t make it the other night, so I made you a copy of the lesson. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.” And then, be sure to follow up on that. Let them know regularly when a class or sermon would be useful for them. Don’t be pushy, but do be persistent.

• Mention the church’s website and point out some of the things on it that might help them spiritually.

• Be excited about the local church where you are a member. Mention exciting things that happen from time to time. If you can show them the difference that being a member of Christ’s church has made in your life, maybe they will realize that there is something good for them there also.

We need to just focus on those we know and love. They will appreciate our sincerity, they have seen our lives up close for years, and they will not think we are inviting them out of some impure motive.

Three words might be all it takes to set someone on a path that will lead them to heaven. Three words can change an eternal destiny. Three words can save more souls than we can ever imagine. “Come and see.”

--Roger Hillis

Biblical Insights

January 2009   

How many times have you heard that young people are the church of the future? This is true, but this will be effective only if we are already using them and developing them into leaders now. “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him” (Proverbs 23:24, ESV).

Starting Early

Basically, leadership is simply influence over others. Early on we need to help our young people develop the strength of character to be “influence leaders” among their peers, leaders rather than simply followers. Sermons and Bible classes need to emphasize God’s truth on subjects concerning moral issues, character qualities, and having the right kind of attitudes. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

The single most important thing to teach our young people is the proper respect they should have for authority. Initially they learn this respect at home in their relationship with their parents. Later, it is reflected among other adults, including family friends, Bible class teachers, neighbors, school teachers, and others at school. They need to be taught to behave politely and to answer properly. “Yes or no, sir or ma’am” should be the standard response, not “yeah” or “nope.” They should be taught to respect property, and to act on the first statement, not after several empty threats. Children will be children, of course, but they need to learn early in life to be obedient children. Respect for others in authority makes it easier for a person to develop respect for God and His authority.

As children grow into adolescence, their Bible knowledge should grow as well. Hopefully, the congregation will have an active and comprehensive Bible class program that will fill them with both a complete knowledge of God’s word and a heart of love for the Lord that will serve them well throughout life. However, the primary responsibility for the spiritual development and nurturing of children was not given to the church, but to the parents, especially the father (Ephesians 6:4). Bible classes conducted by the church should only supplement the teaching they get at home, not replace it. Unfortunately, we all know of situations where all the Bible children learn is what they get “at church.” That emphasizes the importance of a well-organized program in each congregation.

We also cannot overstate the importance of adults providing the best possible example for young people. It does little good for the Sunday morning teacher to tell our children the need to put God first in all things, if that teacher doesn’t even attend mid-week services. Most important in this area is the example that young people learn at home. The good teaching and preaching that many young people receive is often undone in the car on the way home. Very few of these young people will grow up to be strong leaders in the church.

When young men obey the gospel, they need to be worked into the public services of the church, at a rate with which they can be comfortable. They should not be pushed, but often do need to be encouraged to use and develop their talents. I would never have agreed to lead singing, if one elder had not stayed with me and helped me to see that this was something I could do, if I only would.

Young men’s training classes can be very helpful in this area. When conducted properly, with a positive tone and encouraging suggestions, young men (and maybe some older ones also) can be helped to understand the extent of what they can do for the Lord. And beyond the typical classes on song leading, Bible reading, praying publicly and waiting on the Lord’s table, classes need to be held on leadership, what makes a leader, what a leader does, problems a leader faces, qualifications of elders, etc.

At a congregation where I formerly preached, I used to make a Wednesday night talk once a year on the subject of Preparing Young Men for the Eldership. Here are the points I discussed in that short lesson.

Some Practical Steps

Do not wait until you are 40 or 50 years old and then decide that you might like to serve as an elder. Start now to think about it and work toward this commendable goal for the rest of your life.

1. Learn the Word.

Titus 1:9 speaks of the importance of being able to convict those who oppose truth. The only way to do that is to know the truth yourself. Be serious in your Bible classes. Have fun, but don't forget why you are there. The purpose of Bible classes is to transform your life for eternity. An elder must be “able to teach.” You can't teach what you don’t know.

2. Maintain a Life of Purity.

Shepherds are to be held in high esteem by others both inside and outside the church. Don’t do foolish things that people will remember and that can haunt you for the rest of your life. 1 Timothy 4:12 reminds young people to set a good example for other believers. Use your talents now; do not wait until you get older to start serving.

3. Marry a Godly Woman (1 Timothy 3:11).

Your mate can help you to qualify as an elder or could be a permanent disqualification. Choose wisely. Young ladies should try to qualify themselves to be elder’s or preacher’s wives to be the kind of person a leader can rely on as a helper.

4. Read the Elders’ Qualifications Often and Grow in Needed Areas.

You will not develop these leadership qualities accidentally or overnight. They are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Parents need to encourage their sons to be elders (or gospel preachers). Others can be a great encouragement to young people also. There is no greater service we can do for the Lord than to help young people grow up and develop themselves as spiritual leaders of the church of the future.

--Roger Hillis

Biblical Insights

April 2004

(slightly revised)

There may be any number of reasons why churches in some areas of this country and around the world are not growing.

I do not want in any way to imply that, if a local church isn't growing, then the group is not pleasing to God. They may be doing something wrong that displeases God, but numerical growth, or lack of it, is not a singular indicator either way. It is not my purpose in this series to imply that all a church has to do to grow spiritually and numerically is to follow my advice. This is not intended to be a fool-proof, works every time, money back guaranteed program.

These blog postings are simply things I have observed over the years that have helped some churches to grow. It is my desire that these articles encourage some Christians, who have grown despondent and believe that nothing can be done to help struggling churches, to develop hope for the future. The last thing I want to do is to further discourage the down-hearted. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we had hoped they would.

• Noah preached (2 Peter 2:5) for 100 years and didn’t save anyone outside of his family. He had to have been discouraged at times. But he did save his own family. And that is awesome.
• In Acts, Paul did not have equally glowing success in every place where he went to plant a new church. In some places he was ignored; in some he was thrown into prison; in some he was stoned or otherwise persecuted. (Read 2 Corinthians 11:22-30). 
• And, lest we forget, even the Savior Himself did not convince everyone He taught to become Christians. As a matter of fact, He was killed by some of the very people He tried to teach.

And sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, we work very hard with little visible results.

There are many factors that can lead to a church that is shrinking in size, rather than growing. Churches age (because all of us as people do also), sickness and death occur, people move away from a community, the culture of an entire city or town can be affected by outside influences and all of these things can have a shrinking effect on the Lord’s people. Some places are just harder fields to work in than others are.

Churches go through cycles, sometimes up and sometimes down, and it can be difficult to know if a downturn in attendance is part of a cycle that is beyond anyone’s control or whether it is evidence of a decline that will ultimately lead to the death of that church.

The easiest thing that churches often do is to blame the preacher if things begin to go badly. It may be that he is the problem and I am convinced that most churches need to do a better and more thorough job of choosing a preacher. More time should be spent in finding out if the churches where he has worked before have grown spiritually and numerically or if they have declined in number. Sometimes they decline and it isn’t his fault, but there are preachers who systematically destroy every church they work with. They don’t mean to, but they don’t have a very realistic view of themselves that will allow them to admit that they hurt the church more than they help it. Not everyone who preaches should be preaching, but it is hard for most men to admit that they are the problem and the churches that have been in decline would have grown if someone else had been preaching there.

My family attended a church once while we were on vacation and the preacher told me that they were getting ready to move to a newer and smaller building. He said, “We’ve grown so small here that we don’t need this much space.” We’ve grown so small? That is an interesting way to describe a church that is dying. I am afraid to even try to find out if that church is meeting at all now, about 20 years later.

Before I give a few suggestions about what to do in this type of situation, please allow me to give a word of warning about what not to do.

Do not turn to gimmicks, games, entertainment and other unbiblical “methods” to try and draw a crowd. It can be tempting to try something that the big denominational group down the road is doing that has resulted in huge crowds attending there now. Never forget that the gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16) and “food, fun, and fellowship” may well attract bigger numbers, but they will not save souls.

But what we can do sometimes is to try to find different ways to reach the lost with the gospel than we have used in the past, without changing the message. We can look for better, Biblically authorized ways to do what God wants us to do.

I have previously suggested going back to the basics of the gospel to try to ground the members you already have and encourage them to share the truth with their lost friends and neighbors.

A suggestion I have made to churches that are disheartened (to help them not give up) is for every Christian to take an entire year and focus on one lost person. Then pray for that person, spend social time getting to know him better and when the opportunity arises, invite him to attend a service or to have a Bible study at his convenience, wherever he would be willing. Just concentrate on one person for a whole year. If a church of 20 people would do that and not drop the ball, but stay on task, in one year the church would be 40 people. And then, if everyone would choose one person for the next year and stay with him, the second year, there would be 80 people. And, if they all did it again for another year, after only 3 years, those original 20 members would number 160 members. After 4 years, you would have 320 members and after 5 years, 640. Now, of course, some would move away, some would pass away, some would fall away, but is it that difficult to think about spending a whole year working on one lost soul, to bring him or her to the Lord?

Acts 14:21 says, “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to…(other cities).” That’s how it works, friends. We preach the gospel to people and it results in new disciples. If your garden isn’t producing as many fresh tomatoes as you want, you plant more tomato seeds. If the church isn’t producing new Christians, you have to plant more gospel seeds.

How long has it been since you personally met and taught someone who became a Christian? 10 years? 5 years? 1 year? 25 years? Have you ever done that? It isn’t that hard; we just have to stay with it.

So whatever else you do, don’t quit trying. Don’t give up. Lost souls, who need the Lord, are out there, everywhere. They need you to keep trying to reach them. Their eternal destiny is on the line here.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). Don’t grow weary and do nothing. Never give up.

--Roger Hillis

Answer those questions that apply to you and your life.

1.   How would you rate yourself spiritually, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest?)

2.   Attendance (Hebrews 10:25)

• Do you miss services when you could come?
• Do you put other things first on a regular basis (Matthew 6:33)?
• Do you attend Sunday morning Bible study? If not, why not?

3.   Giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

• Do you give sacrificially?
• Do you think you contribute your fair share to the Lord's work at this church?
• Do you consider yourself to be materialistic (where on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1, not at all and 10 being completely so)?

4.   Personal Bible Study (Romans 10:17)

• Do you study the Bible regularly (most days, if not daily)?
• Do you study merely to prepare for class or do you also study for your own personal growth and development?

5.   Nurturing your children (Ephesians 6:4)

• Do you help your children prepare their Bible class lessons?
• Do you work with your children to help them apply the classes, sermons, etc. to their lives?
• Do you bring the Bible into personal situations, like accepting defeat, getting along with other children, obeying your requests, etc.?
• Do you have any questions about specific problems with your children that the elders could help you with?
• If you do not have children of your own, do you try to help encourage the children of others spiritually?

6.   Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

• How would you rate your prayer life (again, 1 to 10)?
• Do you pray regularly with your spouse about your relationship and other things?

7.   Using talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

• Are you helping by teaching classes?
• Are you currently working with someone to convert him/her to Christ? If so, do you pray about it regularly?
• Is the man of the house working to prepare himself to serve as an elder or deacon? If so, what qualifications do you currently lack?
• What areas of your life should you work on so you can serve in this way?
• Are the other members of the family trying to qualify themselves to be the child/spouse/etc. of an elder or deacon?

8.   What kind of influence are you at work, school, etc.?

9.   Do you help with visitation of the sick, shut-ins, etc.?

10.   How do you feel about the goals, congregational direction, etc.? Is there anything about the church (positive or negative) that you would like to discuss with the leaders?

--Roger Hillis

My suggestion is that, if the church has shepherds, it would be a great idea for them to visit every family in the church and have each member of the church to discuss this survey with them. This should be encouraging for the members and eye opening for the elders. Hopefully, it would be a time for spiritual growth and development for all of the disciples of Christ to examine themselves and make any changes that might be needed.

RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com

Years ago, many Christians were opposed to a church hiring a fulltime preacher. Their concern (in many cases) was not that the practice was unbiblical, but simply that it might be unwise. They were afraid that, if the church had a fulltime, paid minister, too many Christians would just stop doing much of anything and expect the paid preacher to do it all.

Some referred to this as the “paid pastor” system or the “one man pastor” system. This was especially a concern for churches that did not have elders.

We have all heard the description of many churches that says, the preacher does the work of the elders, the elders do the work of deacons and the deacons and other members do little or nothing. Have you ever known of congregations that could be described in that way?

There will always be people who expect others to do their work for them. That is true in the workplace, often in the home and in almost every circumstance in life. It can also be true of a local church.

There are many jobs that often fall to the preacher.

• Visit all the members in the hospital or who are sick at home
• Teach all of the adult Bible classes
• Take people to the doctor
• Run someone to the grocery store
• Be the social director who plans all the get-togethers
• Organize the teaching program
• Order all of the class material
• Recruit all the children’s teachers
• Mediate family disputes
• Change the church sign
• Pacify the critics
• Teach all of the prospects
• Encourage the weak
• Shoulder the blame if the church isn’t growing
• Send gospel meeting announcement to area churches
• Mow the lawn
• Clean the building
• Write the bulletin articles – type, print, fold, etc.
• Be responsible for newspaper or other advertising
• Follow up with all the guests

I am not suggesting that it is wrong for the preacher to do anything on this list, but I am saying that it is wrong for a church to expect the preacher to do everything on the list while others do nothing. And if he does some of these things, it should be understood that he does most of them because he is a Christian and not because it is part of his work as the preacher or because he doesn’t have anything else to do.

People have often said, “That’s what we pay him for.” And some of the things on this list should rightly be considered to be the work of an evangelist. But the idea that many have expressed that it must be nice to have a job where you only work two days a week, Sunday and Wednesday, displays little real understanding of the Bible description of a preacher’s work. Most preachers I know do not do too little work, but many of them are expected to do too much.

This may explain to some why there are preachers who burn out trying to do too much and quit preaching. Have you ever known a gospel preacher who quit preaching fulltime? Have you wondered why?

A preacher needs some time to recharge and refresh himself personally and spiritually. He needs adequate time off for personal or family vacation time and for additional learning opportunities, such as attending lectureships or a special series of Bible studies at another congregation.

Does the preacher ever get to sit in a Bible class and learn from others? Do other men of the church take a turn filling the pulpit every once in a while so he can listen to the gospel rather than always being the one to deliver it?

There are times when serving God fulltime is just overwhelming and can make a person feel like he is doing it alone. Elijah felt that way (1 Kings 19) and although God reminded him that he was not the only faithful servant in Israel, He gave Elijah 40 days off to go into the wilderness and refresh himself for the days ahead (verse 8).

A friend of mine commented recently in a Bible class that her father, who is an elder in the Lord’s church, has often said that a preacher gets too much credit when things go well and too much blame when things go wrong.

The Bible teaches that every member of the body of Christ is important and has a vital function to perform in the work of a local church (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Ephesians 4:11-16). The truth is that many Christians expect the preacher to do far more than God expects of him and, as a result, those Christians often do far less than the Lord expects them to do.

(There is also the situation where some preachers want to be the center of attention and have their hand in everything that anyone else does so they can get part of the glory. But that’s another problem for another day.)

A church where everyone else sits back and does little or nothing and expects the preacher to do all of the work (because that’s what we pay him to do) is going to fail. We are a team, working together to serve God, to defeat the devil and to win souls for the Lord.

The apostle Paul wrote, in Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” The phrase translated as “striving together” is an athletic term that speaks of brothers and sisters in the Lord working as a team to accomplish the work that He has given all of us to do – together.

The song says, “There is much to do; there’s work on every hand.” Let’s all put our hands to the plow (as Jesus describes in Luke 9:62) and do the work God has assigned all of His children to do. The church will grow, souls will be saved, God will be glorified and the preacher can be happy and fulfilled as he devotes his life to “the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

--Roger Hillis                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            RogerLeeHillis@gmail.com

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