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03-31-2013, 10:17 AM
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On the road less traveled
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: On a mountain... somewhere
Posts: 8,369
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Isn't The Gospel Enough?
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?
Of course, the gospel involves death. Death to self. Death to one's will, and surrender of one's life to the Lord. Something people just don't really want to hear.
Yet, isn't giving things away to entice people to come to church somehow poking holes in the very reason Jesus died? Isn't the gospel enough? Why does it have to be sugar coated?
Could it be that people don't really want to hear the real gospel that the apostles preached? Could it be that we are preaching another gospel... and not the one the apostles knew?
The only gospel that saves and transforms lives is where death to self and surrender of our will takes place, and where repentance causes a life to stop and do a 180 turn away from a life of sin and disobedience to Christ.
The gospel involves picking up our cross and following Jesus. The only way to have the true life of Christ living and indwelling us is this way... straight is the gate, and few there be that find it.
Why lie to people with gimmicks, shows and entertainment? Isn't the gospel enough?
Jesus said I am the truth, the way and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. No one comes to the Father without the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus becoming personal in your life! Without death, there is no victory.
Why sugarcoat the gospel with gimmicks and lies? The apostles didn't. Neither should we.
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03-31-2013, 10:35 AM
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Forever Loved Admin
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 26,537
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
The Gospel IS offensive, except to the repentant heart. Deny ourselves? Take up our cross and follow Him?
__________________
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
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03-31-2013, 11:27 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,406
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
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?
Of course, the gospel involves death. Death to self. Death to one's will, and surrender of one's life to the Lord. Something people just don't really want to hear.
Yet, isn't giving things away to entice people to come to church somehow poking holes in the very reason Jesus died? Isn't the gospel enough? Why does it have to be sugar coated?
Could it be that people don't really want to hear the real gospel that the apostles preached? Could it be that we are preaching another gospel... and not the one the apostles knew?
The only gospel that saves and transforms lives is where death to self and surrender of our will takes place, and where repentance causes a life to stop and do a 180 turn away from a life of sin and disobedience to Christ.
The gospel involves picking up our cross and following Jesus. The only way to have the true life of Christ living and indwelling us is this way... straight is the gate, and few there be that find it.
Why lie to people with gimmicks, shows and entertainment? Isn't the gospel enough?
Jesus said I am the truth, the way and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. No one comes to the Father without the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus becoming personal in your life! Without death, there is no victory.
Why sugarcoat the gospel with gimmicks and lies? The apostles didn't. Neither should we.
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Be it a 'church' a home or a street corner, if the power of God was simply being demonstrated the people would show up by the tens of thousands. The problem is, the power of God isn't being demonstrated.
Beginning with me.
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03-31-2013, 11:34 AM
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Apostolic Pentecostal
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 700
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by seekerman
Be it a 'church' a home or a street corner, if the power of God was simply being demonstrated the people would show up by the tens of thousands. The problem is, the power of God isn't being demonstrated.
Beginning with me.
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Amen, my friend! You hit the nail on the head. It can't be stated any better. Paul made clear that the Gospel preached in the absence of signs and wonders, isn't the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
1Co 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:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
You have clearly defined the problem. Only when we return to New Testament patterns and priorities will we begin to experience NT Power.
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03-31-2013, 11:40 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,406
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Like him or loathe him, I'm reminded of William Branham who had, in my opinion, many gifts of the Spirit working through him. People would show up by the thousands, were healed and delivered, and the power of God was manifested.
Where are the William Branham's of today?
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03-31-2013, 12:21 PM
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On the road less traveled
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: On a mountain... somewhere
Posts: 8,369
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Maybe if the simple truth of the gospel were preached and lived, as evidenced by the apostles, we would see the revivals that were seen then in the NT church, and even seen in past years. Living a life died out to sin and the flesh, and alive unto Christ Jesus is the living gospel and THAT is the gospel that reaches lost mankind.
And you're right Seekerman, it does begin with me, and it does begin with you. Christ cannot truly come forth in my life, unless I have surrendered "my" will to HIS will. When that takes place, mighty and wonderful things will come forth through the power of the Spirit of Christ living within me.
But it takes my willingness to surrender my will to His, before His life can manifest itself through me. I must decrease, HE must increase.
My prayer every day is of surrender... surrender of my will to HIS... my dreams, desires, wishes and plans... are not mine... they are His. When I have surrendered completely to Him, only then can the life of Christ work through my life to minister to others. That is why Paul said "I DIE DAILY".... I want to pray that prayer meaningfully every day, because more than anything, I want Christ to indwell and live in me. And I know that can only happen after I've "died" out to my flesh .... today.
Not my will, but thine be done.
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03-31-2013, 03:59 PM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,774
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
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?
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How do you just preach the gospel to everyone? You have to encounter them somehow. One way is to gather them together in one spot...Jesus did that you know...and preach to them.
Yes you can preach the gospel to an empty building and say "isn't the gospel enough?"
Yes you can stand on a street corner and shout at cars flying by and smuggly say "the gospel is enough"
Yes you can walk around knocking on the same doors the JWs tried and hope they have time to stand there and hear your particular gospel presentation and walk away telling your door knocking buddy "the gospel is enough"...be my guest.
For us..we have to use overflow parking today. Seating was completely full People who never been here before came and heard the gospel preached and sung in song...I think the gospel is enough and I am glad for the many that heard it today.
I am glad for the many that hear it week after week by whatever means we can to get their attention
Yes the gospel is enough 
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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03-31-2013, 04:04 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,406
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DKB
In hell??
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And why?
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03-31-2013, 05:07 PM
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of 9!! :)
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South
Posts: 5,852
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord
Why sugarcoat the gospel with gimmicks and lies? The apostles didn't. Neither should we.
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Amen.
The Gospel should not need any sugarcoating.
But, there are so many who don't want the pure,
because it will cut to the quick alot of times
revealing where we really stand with God.
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04-01-2013, 09:28 AM
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On the road less traveled
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: On a mountain... somewhere
Posts: 8,369
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Re: Isn't The Gospel Enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
How do you just preach the gospel to everyone? You have to encounter them somehow. One way is to gather them together in one spot...Jesus did that you know...and preach to them.
Yes you can preach the gospel to an empty building and say "isn't the gospel enough?"
Yes you can stand on a street corner and shout at cars flying by and smuggly say "the gospel is enough"
Yes you can walk around knocking on the same doors the JWs tried and hope they have time to stand there and hear your particular gospel presentation and walk away telling your door knocking buddy "the gospel is enough"...be my guest.
For us..we have to use overflow parking today. Seating was completely full People who never been here before came and heard the gospel preached and sung in song...I think the gospel is enough and I am glad for the many that heard it today.
I am glad for the many that hear it week after week by whatever means we can to get their attention
Yes the gospel is enough |
I'm glad to hear that many people got to hear the gospel yesterday at your church, and I'm sure this happened yesterday at churches all around the world.
When the gospel of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection is preached, and if the one preaching has completely surrendered his life to the Lord, there will be signs and wonders that follow the Word preached. We see that in the NT.
The gospel is enough... but until those who preach the gospel have completely sold out and surrendered their life to Jesus, the signs and wonders will not be able to follow.
The gospel is enough. It can stand all by itself.
But if we want to see the POWER that the early NT church had... it takes a completely surrendered and obedient heart to Jesus for the signs and wonders to follow... and this is what is sadly lacking in the churches today.
We want the goodies without the sacrifice. We want the signs and wonders without surrender. We want the miracles without a sacrifice. We want our wish list answered without any suffering on our part.
We want the resurrection, but we don't want any part of the death and burial.
The gospel is simple. Die out to sin. Buried in the blood of the lamb. Miraculous transformation takes place after a complete death of self and will and then, and only then will the power that Jesus bought with his blood be able to take hold in our lives.
When we put the gospel into action in our lives each and every day, by dying out to sin, immersing ourselves in His blood, and living an overcoming life each and every day... it is then that we will begin to see the signs, wonders, and mighty works that the apostles saw in their day...
So yes... the gospel is enough... but if we want the POWER.... we must live out the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus each and every day!
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