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SERMON DATE AND TITLE: 20180318 EVANGELISM FRUIT OF REVIVALThis page streams the audio-only sermon, when available, in downloadable SWF flash format. It begins playing shortly after opening this page
Senior Pastor Phil Roland Pastor Ray Scott
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EVANGELISM, THE FRUIT OF REVIVAL SERMON STARTER Billy Graham's death and home going marks an end of what I call the Era of "Just As I Am" altar calls and emotional invitations (appeals) to come to Christ. During Graham's lifetime, Born Again Evangelism became accepted and promoted outside the walls of a local evangelical church and summer tent meetings. Under Dr. Graham's influence revivalism and evangelism became divorced. The hallmark of the revival was personal introspection, deep prayer, repentance, conviction and personal renewal. Dr. Graham's altar calls were to make a "Decision for Christ." They were mostly devoid of emotion, but did feature what evangelical's call today, "The Sinner's Prayer." I remember my paternal grandfather's words, "Christianity is a heart religion, not a head religion." He was a Baptist itinerant evangelist. Looking back over my 75 plus years I realize the wisdom of his words. Churches have become filled with heart religionists who have never had a transformational encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Billy Graham has given countless thousands the opportunity to both hear the Gospel of Jesus and respond to it. The Call of Christ is to enter His Kingdom of Love. Revival is needed when we substitute "Church" ianty for Christianity. Our hearts grow cold to the things of God. When a personal revival begins to happen, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin that leads us to deep remorse, repentance and change. Today's message examines several approaches to Jesus command to "make disciples."
19 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, 20 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
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March 18, 2018 Sheepfold Ministriespastor Phil RolandEVANGELISM, THE FRUIT OF REVIVAL John 4:27-42 "All believers are personal witnesses to the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ. Not all believers are evangelists, but each believer can share the Good News with the world." pastor Phil Roland <><<
35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4:35
WHAT ARE YOU DOING EVANGELISM FOR? The Church or the Kingdom of God?
FIVE BASIC TYPES OF EVANGELISM: I. "FELT NEED" EVANGELISM - Matthew 11:28-30 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
A. Human needs are all around us "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. . ." Henry David Thoreau 1. Loneliness 2. Relationship breakdowns / divorce family 3. Parenting issues 4. Money worries / Credit Debt Problems 5. Coping with stress and worry 6. Vocational and workplace problems 7. Un or Under employment 8. Physical or mental illness 9. Bereavement B. You have a need, we're the answer - "Let US Help You!" 1. Find a Need and Fill it 2. Find a Hurt and Heal it C. God can help you with all of your problems - "Let GOD Help You!" 1. Point seekers to Jesus 2. He can help you no matter what your problem a. Church becomes a Life-Saving Station b. Can reduce to the Gospel to social programs 3. Calls for special needs pastors on staff
EVANGELISM, THE FRUIT OF REVIVAL, cont. p.2
THE SECOND TYPE OF EVANGELISM: II. PROCLAMATION EVANGELISM - Matt. 24:14 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
A. Declaring, Announcing and Explaining the Gospel 1. Must be clearly understood by the hearers 2. The hearers must "Hear The Word!" B. Those who proclaim the Gospel but possess three traits: 1. Credibility 2. Authenticity 3. Sensitivity C. Four elements must be present in Proclamation Evangelism His life ,death resurrection and ascension and return
THE THIRD TYPE OF EVANGELISM: III. DECISION EVANGELISM - Acts 26:28 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." (The focus is on the moment or event or act of the will when a DECISION for Christ is made. Eg. Billy Graham Crusade Evangelism) A. Program Evangelism - Roman Road to Salvation 1. Universal sin of mankind -Romans 3:23 2. Death is the consequence of sin - Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. Death has come to ALL people - Romans 5:12 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 4. Jesus laid down His life for our sin - Romans 5:7,8 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 5. You must respond w/your mouth and heart - Rom. 10:9,10 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 6. Invite Jesus into your heart / life - Romans 10:13 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." EVANGELISM, THE FRUIT OF REVIVAL, cont. p.3
B. "Make a Decision" - Billy Graham Crusade Evangelism 1. Graham's appeal was to "Decide to accept the Lord Jesus" 2. Confess Him publicly before men
THE FOURTH TYPE OF EVANGELISM IV. POWER EVANGELISM - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
A. John Wimber - "See, Hear and Believe!" 1 John 1:1 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--
1. Published his book in 1984, "Power Evangelism" 2. Taught at Pasadena's U.S. Center for World Missions 3. Missionaries taught in traditional schools returned after 5 years, burned-out exhausted from 3rd world countries 4. Third world countries worshipped their supernatural, animistic false Gods. 5. They needed a demonstration of the Power of Jesus B. "You have Seen and Heard, NOW BELIEVE!" 1. John Wimber taught classes at Pasadena, MC510 2. Miracles happened right in his classroom 3. He equipped a generation of missionaries how to preach the Gospel of Jesus with Signs and Wonders following https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxda3Y57cX4
THE FIFTH TYPE OF EVANGELISM V. RELATIONAL EVANGELISM - Matt. 28:19,20 (The emphasis is on developing a hunger to know more of Jesus by becoming a disciple/learner.) A. Become a Lifelong Follower of Jesus B. Incorporate followers into Christ's Body - Acts 2:42 C. Build Bridges of Love to the World D. Mine the Relational Veins - The Friend's network
FIVE OPEN DOORS FOR EVANGELISM: 1. Begin a Home Bible Study. 2. Invite a attendee to your church or a special Christian Event. 3. Share a Video, Book or Pamphlet, and follow-up for feedback. 4. Give your testimony. Don't rehearse it. Use your own words. 5. Ask questions that provoke thought, not argument. EVANGELISM, THE FRUIT OF REVIVAL John 4:27-42 (NKJV)
Closing Illustration: The Bridge of Love I was interviewing a young man for my Anger Management Classes. Lashon was about 22 years of age. When I asked him about his background, he related that his parents abandoned him to his grandparents when he was 6 years old. One by one his grandparents passed away. By the time he was 14 he was totally orphaned with no supporting family to encourage him. He ran the streets until he ended up in George Junior. When he was 18 he did his first hard time in a state prison. As he told me about what life had dealt him he was dry-eyed, but I felt my own tears begin to well up. I spoke directly to my tears. "What you're saying is that by the time you were 14 you were abandoned, totally alone in the world." I took off my glasses, "When I think of where you were then, I just feel like crying." I grabbed at my box of Kleenix and dabbed at my eyes. I looked into his for a moment, and then resumed our interview. All of my ministry has been relational evangelism. Its all about building what I call Jesus' Bridge of Love. I've done it scores of times over the years. Some blow up the bridge. I rebuild it again and again as the Holy Spirit directs. Unknown to me I built the bridge to Lashon. If anything it was a bridge of tears. I simply loved him with Jesus' love. A week later Lashon called me and told me of a job offer and that he was moving on out of our region. He finished our phone conversation with this remark, "Goodbye pastor Roland. I love you." Then he hung up. I was astounded. I built the bridge without being conscious of it. The young man heard that two people loved him: myself and Jesus. TR Jesus built the Bridge of Love between us and Himself. Because of His Sacrifice on the Cross for our sins, we have access to God's Throne and Jesus with His incredible love. The Communion Table is a celebration of His love.
Acts 2:24 (NKJV) 1 John 3:18 (NKJV) 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
A.
2 Cor. 5:11 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
loneliness managing relationships, relationship breakdown and divorce family and parenting money worries, debt finding fulfillment coping with stress and worry workplace problems, unemployment physical or mental illness bereavement
ILL.- Dr. Kermit Long said, "With all our education, our fine buildings, our image of the church, we are doing less to win people to Christ than our unschooled forefathers did. We’re no longer fishers of men, but keepers of the aquarium, and we spend most of our time swiping fish or swapping fish from each other’s bowl."
PETER APPLES ILLUSTRATION I read the story of a man named Peter Apples in Gipsy Smith’s book The Beauty of Jesus. Gipsy Smith told about Peter Apples, a man (during the Civil War) who went into the enemy’s territory. Peter Apples did not know much about being a good soldier. He just knew that when his superior officer said, “Charge!” he was supposed to go. And he was the kind of man who never came back until he made contact with the enemy. One day his officer said, “Charge!” Peter Apples charged. But they came under such severe fire that the superior officer asked them to retreat, to come back. Peter Apples didn’t hear that, so he kept going. He went across “No-Man’s Land” and finally into the enemy’s territory. He went down in a ditch where the enemy soldiers were lined up one behind the other, took hold of the first one in the ditch, grabbed him by the nape of the neck, drug him out and started back toward home with him. The enemy soldiers took aim and started to shoot, but since their own soldier was being dragged behind Peter Apples, they couldn’t fire. About the time they thought they had a shot, their own soldier would get in the way again. Peter Apples continued to travel with the soldier. Finally he dragged him across “No-Man’s Land” and back into his own territory and dropped him at the feet of his superior officer. The officer looked at him, took a deep breath, and said, “Where in the world did you get him?” He answered, “I got him over there in the ditch. There’s plenty of them over there, and all of you could have had one if you had wanted one.”
SAVED FROM ABOVE WILLIE WHITE tells a story that happened many years ago. Workmen were constructing a rocky parapet along one of the trails leading to the top of Niagara Falls. Proper safeguards had not been installed, and one of the tourists, leaning far out to gaze over the cliff, lost his balance and plunged into the raging pool at the base of one of the falls. The tourists watched with horror, as they saw their companion’s body buffeted to and fro. Then as they watched, he seized a jutting pinnacle of rock and held on for dear life. The watchers began to ask, "Can we save him? Can we get a board or a boat to him?" But a boat could never live in that raging sea. They realized that if they could save him it would have to be from above. They attempted to lower a rope, but it was tossed by the breeze, and the victim dared not loose his grip on the rock in an effort to seize the swaying rope. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 5/30/14 (Ref 52 Sermon Outlines/W.White)
GLOBAL EVANGELISM "When you arrive at church next week there will be 1 million more lost people in the world than when you arrived last Sunday. About 200,000 people will die around the world in the next 24 hours. Most of them will not know Christ as Saviour and Lord. About 200 per minute. A line made up of all the lost people in the world would circle the earth 30 times. This line grows a the rate of 20 miles per day. Every year the world population increases by over 50 miles, and only 2 miles are ever touched by the Gospel. 2 out of every 3 Christians accepted Christ before age of 18, yet 80% of evangelistic resources is targeted to reaching adults. Churches put $4 into real estate for every $1 in evangelism. On the positive side, about 100,000 are finding Christ as Saviour every day. The world is reverting to heathenism 30 times faster than it is being evangelized. Countless millions are still lost without Christ. "While we tarry someone else is reaping". The Enemy is busy reaping. Hundreds of millions have never heard - the responsibility is ours." (Fair Dinkum, Issue 46, Feb. 1998)
John Wimber Power Encounter It was the end of a long day of ministry and I was exhausted. I had just completed a teaching conference in Chicago and was flying off to another speaking engagement in New York. I was looking forward to the plane ride as a chance to relax for a few hours before plunging back into teaching. But it was not to be the quiet, uneventful trip I had hoped for. Shortly after takeoff, I pushed back the reclining seat and readjusted the seat belt, preparing to relax. My eyes wandered around the cabin, not looking at anything in particular. Seated across the aisle from me was a middle-aged man, a business man, to judge from his appearance, but there was nothing unusual or noteworthy about him. But in the split second that my eyes happened to be cast in his direction, I saw something that startled me. Written across his face in very clear and distinct letters I thought I saw the word “adultery.” I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and looked again. It was still there. “Adultery.” I was seeing it not with my eyes, but in my mind’s eye. No one else on the plane, I am sure, saw it. It was the Spirit of God communicating to me. The fact that it was a spiritual phenomenon made it no less real. By now the man had become aware that I was looking at him (“gaping at him” might be a more accurate description). “What do you want?” he snapped. As he spoke, a woman’s name came clearly to mind. This was more familiar to me; I had become accustomed to the Holy Spirit bringing things to my awareness through these kinds of promptings. Somewhat nervously, I leaned across the aisle and asked, “Does the name Jane [not her real name] mean anything to you?” His face turned ashen. “We’ve got to talk,” he stammered. The plane we were on was a jumbo jet, the kind with a small upstairs cocktail lounge. As I followed him up the stairs to the lounge, I sensed the Spirit speaking to me yet again. “Tell him if he doesn’t turn from his adultery, I’m going to take him.” Terrific. All I had wanted was a nice, peaceful plane ride to New York. Now here I was, sitting in an airplane cocktail lounge with a man I had never seen before, whose name I didn’t even know, about to tell him God was going to take his life if he didn’t stop his affair with some woman. We sat down in strained silence. He looked at me suspiciously for a moment, then asked, “Who told you that name?” God told me,” I blurted out. I was too rattled to think of a way to ease into the topic more gracefully. “God told you?” He almost shouted the question, he was so shocked by what I had said. “Yes,” I answered, taking a deep breath. “He also told me to tell you … that unless you turn from this adulterous relationship, he is going to take your life.” I braced myself for what I was sure would be an angry, defensive reaction, but to my relief the instant I spoke to him, his defensiveness crumbled and his heart melted. In a choked, desperate voice he asked me, “What should I do?” At last I was back on familiar ground. I explained to him what it meant to repent and trust Christ and invited him to pray with me. With hands folded and heads bowed, I began to lead him in a quiet prayer. “Oh God …” That was as far as I got. The conviction of sin that had built up inside him seemed virtually to explode. Bursting into tears, he cried out, “O God, I’m so sorry” and launched into the most heartrending repentance I had ever heard. It was impossible, in such cramped quarters, to keep hidden what was happening. Before long everyone in the cocktail lounge was intimately acquainted with this man’s past sinfulness and present contrition. The flight attendants were even weeping right along with him. When he finished praying and regained his composure, we talked for a while about what had happened to him. “The reason I was so upset when you first mentioned that name to me,” he explained, “was that my wife was sitting in the seat right next to me. I didn’t want her to hear.” I knew he wasn’t going to like what I said to him next. “You’re going to have to tell her.” “I am?” he responded weakly. “When?” “Better do it right now,” I said gently. The prospect of confessing to his wife was, understandably, somewhat intimidating, but he could see there was no other way. So again I followed him, down the stairs and back to our seats. I couldn’t hear the conversation over the noise of the plane, but I could see his wife’s stunned reaction, not only to his confession of infidelity, but also to his account of how the stranger sitting across the aisle had been sent by God to warn him of the consequences of his sin. Eyes wide with amazement (and probably terror!), she stared first at her husband, then at me, then back at her husband, then back at me, as the amazing story unfolded. In the end the man led his wife to accept Christ, right there on the airplane. There was little time to talk when we got off the airplane in New York. They didn’t own a Bible, so I gave them mine. Then we went our separate ways.
John Wimber Power Evangelism Quotes:
“Instead of a call to the King and His kingdom, people are hearing a gospel that emphasizes self: come to Jesus and get this or that need met, be personally fulfilled, reach your potential.”
“I also visited several healing meetings... and became angry with what appeared to be the manipulation of people for the material gains of the faith healer... Dressing like sideshow barkers. Pushing people over and calling it the power of God. And money - they were always asking for more, leading people to believe that if they gave they would be healed..." - John Wimber”
“Christian signs and wonders are beyond rationality, but they serve a rational purpose: to authenticate the gospel. The gospel is opposed to the pluralistic lie that says all religious experience is equally valid. Signs and wonders validate Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His lordship over every area of our lives.”
“unbelief is the evil that is conquered in a power encounter.”
“The test of spiritual maturity is not the ability to speak in tongues, prophesy, or memorize Scripture. It’s the ability to love God and others. Learning to serve others by loving the unlovely, the less fortunate, the lost, and the broken. This is the highest call, that we would fulfill our purpose on earth.”
You can’t learn how to heal the sick by reading a book or mastering a technique. You believe what Jesus promised and then you get out and do it .”
”It’s not just about being biblically literate, we must also become biblically obedient.”
Jesus came not only to bring the Kingdom of heaven to others, but to impart it to us as well..”
We don’t seek God’s power. We seek His Presence. His power and everything else we need is always found in His Presence.
Show me where you spend your time, money and energy and I’ll tell you what you worship.
Find out where God is and get behind what He’s doing. He always wins. . .
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