Isn't The Gospel Enough?

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Why do you have to interject something negative about me and my thoughts into this?

Sometimes I have a big mouth and I don't think before I type.......it happens out of my mouth all the time. I am a big mouth.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

Sometimes I have a big mouth and I don't think before I type.......it happens out of my mouth all the time. I am a big mouth.

Well...that's two in a row...eh...something we agree on

[Farfel]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

Sometimes I have a big mouth and I don't think before I type.......it happens out of my mouth all the time. I am a big mouth.

It's ok navy. At least you didn't reveal Prax's affinity for wearing dirty underwear. Right Prax?

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Well...that's two in a row...eh...something we agree on

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Farfel

It's ok navy. At least you didn't reveal Prax's affinity for wearing dirty underwear. Right Prax?

You promised you'd never reveal that!

[Farfel]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

You promised you'd never reveal that!

Sorry.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

After reading another thread referencing the mainstream church's tricks and gimmicks to try to get people to come and visit on Easter Sunday, I thought I would ask this question....

What happened to just preaching the gospel? Why do we think we have to entice people to come to visit with gimmicks and giveaways? Isn't the gospel enough?

The above was the original starting point of the conversation. "Gimmicks
AND giveaways". I pointed out before that "giveaways" was the original idea that had gotten my attention. On Easter Sunday there were "giveaways" at various churches all over the country.

When we compare the Easter Sunday scenario to the scene of Peter and John coming to the lame man, and saying to him "silver and gold have I none"... we realize Peter didn't offer the man material possessions. He didn't offer a gimmick. He didn't offer a gift. He didn't offer the man a gift card, ipad, kindle or .... Peter simply offered the man Jesus.

That was the original premise and thought behind this thread. I stand behind my opinion, but Prax, you ARE entitled to yours too.

By all means ... go ahead and utilize all the "gimmicks" of material things, or whatever it is you do to try to get people in to hear the gospel, but, in the end... while those methods may bring some results... the most amazing and life changing results will no doubt come from personal relationship evangelizing with the gospel message.

The early church turned their city upside down because the message they were preaching was transforming lives wherever they went. They didn't need material things to give away (silver and gold have I none), but they just preached Jesus. Preaching the gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was enough to convince the hungry hearts of their need for salvation.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Did it or did it not get the publics attention allowing Peter to preach to them the gospel?

Isn't going around and witnessing to people face to face an advertising tool?

Jesus used the miracles and word of mouth to gather a large crowd so he could preach to them

Mat 4:23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Mat 4:24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.
Mat 4:25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Mat 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

No...I see absolutely nothing wrong with gathering a crowd together to preach to them the gospel

Jesus was preaching and ministering as he went. Because of the miracles and the transformations in people's lives, the crowds followed Him. These things are not gimmicks! Calling the miraculous intervention of God in a life is NOT a gimmick! I disagree with calling the above scenario a "gimmick" to get people to hear the gospel. The exact opposite. People were coming to hear what Jesus had to say, because word of mouth had spread it like wildfire that this was a MAN like no other man! Everyone wanted to see and hear what He had to say.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I never denied the gospel message reached the people...Im talking about HOW to get the people to HEAR it...You can gather them into one place and preach to them or you can do it by the confront and preach method of personal evangelism but either way if you stand by yourself with nobody to hear what you are preaching..it won't matter.

Faith comes by HEARING and there has to be someone there to hear

When one has been personally transformed by the power of the gospel message, they begin to tell everyone they meet. Word of mouth evangelism.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

But HOW did they SEE unless they went OUT and presented themselves to be SEEN? That is a gimmick. That is a method of gaining attention to a cause.

The church did not hide in caves and preach the gospel to themselves did they? No...they had METHODS of gathering crowds or finding crowds or preaching one on one.

How to get people to hear the gospel? Personal relationship is the best way. Word of mouth. A soul whose life has been transformed by Jesus is the best testimony and "gimmick" (as you may call it) there is. What did the Samaritan woman do after Jesus dealt with her? She went and told the whole village that here is a man who told me all the things I have ever done! Wow. It didn't take a mass flyer mail out here. She told her friends, who told their friends, who told their friends, and so on, until the whole village had come out to hear.

So, what made the difference? A flyer? A giveaway? A mass mail out? Nope. Word of mouth. Personal relationship.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

We are told to SPREAD the good news, not hide in caves and preach the gospel to nobody.

It spread first of all because a large group of people gathered to witness the miracles...that's a method Jesus used

Then Peter preached to them. He could not have unless a crowd had been gathered first.

Then they went out and witnessed to others face to face and in the temple (where there would be a crowd of people)

I agree with this.

Each of us are tools used in spreading the gospel. Each one of us are commissioned to share the gospel wherever and however we can. If you want to call this a gimmick, then so be it.

But this is the first time I've ever heard personal relationship called a "gimmick" .... but if you say so ... you, me, all of us need to be busy spreading the gospel everywhere we go. We are personal messengers each day. The gospel is best spread through personal relationship, as I've already shared the story about the Samaritan lady.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Each of those are GIMMICKS. They are devices designed to spread the word

How you choose to SPREAD IT will be your gimmick.

BTW Why? Because it works!

Because the bible says

Jud 1:23 But save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire; hating even the garment having been stained from the flesh.

Another gimmick Paul had was to become as the gentiles to save them and as the jews to save them. Paul said

1Co 9:22 To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some.

When you knock on a door, do you just start preaching as they open the door or do you introduce yourself and your mission? You probably introduce yourself...you set up the stage before actually tell them the gospel. Because if they open the door and you just start preaching the gospel without any introduction they will think you are a nut and close the door. You want a favorable condition to preach the word don't you?

Well, I guess we both agree on this point, as long as I agree to accept your definition of spreading the gospel as a "gimmick" which sounds quite strange to me.

It is obvious from the NT early church examples that personal relationship, personal evangelism, word of mouth witnessing was the tested, tried and true method of reaching the masses. When lives began to be transformed, the friends, family and associates of those who had been changed suddenly showed up to see what was going on. That is what drew the crowds - personal testimonies to friends, neighbors and acquaintances who showed up to see what all the fuss was about.

Can we have the revival of the NT church again? I pray we can. But I do believe it starts with me... and you... all of us.

All believers have all been commissioned and called to tell others about Jesus. We don't need to give away material possessions "Silver and gold have I none" .... but offer them Jesus. Offer them the life saving transforming power of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus. If their hearts are hungry, and God is drawing them... and the Spirit of Jesus is indwelling you ... do the seed planting. God will do the watering.

The gospel is enough.

[Praxeas]

By ALL MEANS...I will...Yes by ALL means the rest of us will....

You can count on it! Because saving the Lost is the most important mission of the church.

1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

By ALL MEANS...I will...Yes by ALL means the rest of us will....

You can count on it! Because saving the Lost is the most important mission of the church.

1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Just realized you had responded to this post. I will address your "by all means" response... with scripture:

1 Cor. 2:4 "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit, and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. "

Yes, Paul used all the means available at his disposal, but it was NOT the means of man's materialistic thought process. He used all the available means and disposal available to him through the demonstration of the spirit, and of power, in order that one's faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

This is where you are wrong Prax.

It is in demonstration of the power of the spirit of Christ that we truly reach the lost souls, not enticing words and vehicles of man's wisdom.

Peter and John did NOT offer the lame man silver or gold, but they offered him Jesus.

Offering people a materialistic human object in order to "entice" them to hear the gospel, is NOT what the apostles used. They demonstrated the POWER of the spirit in order that "your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

I reject any attempt of man that tries to woo souls to the gospel with materialistic things such as giving away pricey electronic items, or raffles, or some kind of flashy entertainment in order to "entice" people to the gospel. You may get a few results, here and there... but does the Word of God really find a deep place in their heart, or are they merely coming for the loaves and fishes, and leaving unchanged?

This was NOT the way of the apostles...

The only way to completely and truly transform the hearts and lives of mankind is to demonstrate the spirit and power of God, not with enticing words, or man's wisdom, or materialistic efforts, but we are to demonstrate the power of the Spirit of God.

Spreading the gospel in this way is much more difficult to come by. It involves one being ready to surrender completely to the will and plan of Jesus, to be ready to love those who are unlovable, and to carry the gospel in full demonstration of the spirit and power.

The gospel spreads best by word of mouth:

Mark 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Luke 1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

What is "noised abroad"? It means word of mouth. Someone heard something, and told someone else, and that someone else told someone else and so on.

(Perhaps in our modern day things might be "noised abroad" via twitter or facebook, or email, using the Internet.) But what were they saying? They were talking about the power and the demonstration of the spirit!

No better way to spread the gospel and to find people to share it with then to do it in demonstration of the SPIRIT and of POWER.

Why don't you try this avenue and see if it works? Begin sharing with each and every soul you meet demonstrating the power and the spirit of the gospel! See what happens! See if lives aren't transformed. If you get no results, maybe you need to spend some time at the feet of the Master renewing your relationship with HIM, but I guarantee that if you take the time at the feet of JESUS and then begin to proclaim the gospel message to anyone around you who will listen, demonstrating the gospel not in the wisdom, or words of men, but in demonstration of the SPIRIT and of POWER, you will see results.... results that man-made material efforts will never be able to touch!

I challenge all of us.... INCLUDING MYSELF.... to do this.... I believe a revival like never before could break out across our land if more of us were willing to spread the gospel like the apostles did!

[Praxeas]

1 Cor. 2:4[/URL] "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit, and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. "

Yes, Paul used all the means available at his disposal, but it was NOT the means of man's materialistic thought process. He used all the available means and disposal available to him through the demonstration of the spirit, and of power, in order that one's faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

This is scripture out of context and badly exegized. Paul was speaking in my verse of reaching those that are not saved

In yours he was speaking to the church

1Co 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
1Co 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
1Co 2:4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1Co 2:5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

The question is what did Paul do before speaking preaching the gospel to unbelievers to GET them to HEAR that gospel message? How did he gather a crowd? What method did he use to FIND people to HEAR? Did he hide in a cave and preach to the walls hoping "the gospel would be enough" or did he use his human legs and intuition to find venues to preach the gospel where more people would hear?

That is what we are speaking of, how to get people into a location to HEAR the word and where the power and demonstration of the Spirit can be experienced.

The "us four and no more" model does not work where you hope people will just walk into your meetings by driving or walking by. You have to go out and invite them. Knock on doors. Witness to friends etc etc etc...