Passages on Evangelism

As I am beginning a new class, I am doing some studies in new ways. I would like to take the opportunity to share those here, in this forum. My current class is cross-cultural studies as it relates to evangelism.

After thinking for a while, I've decided that there are too many passages that address the subject of World Evangelization. As I wrote them down, I decided to categorize them into three topics or categories.

First, there is a reason why we must evangelize. We must realize that God loves us greatly. He wants us to be with Him forever. That being said, he also has no tolerance for wickedness or those that turn away from Him. This is our reason for urgency and evangelization. The Bible explicitly lays this out in many passages. A few of these passages are Proverbs 11:30, Mark 16:16, John 3:3, 3:16-18, 14:6, and Romans 6:23. How can we deny the reasoning?

Second, we are commanded to evangelize. We are not to keep the Good News to ourselves. The New Testament is riddled with passages making sure we know that we are supposed to do this. Some of these passages include Matthew 9:37-38, 28:18-20, Mark 13:10, 16:15, Acts 16:31, Hebrews 10:25, 1 Peter 3:15, and 2 Timothy 4:5. We cannot ignore the commandments of God!

Third, we are told to follow Jesus' example and the example of those that followed Him. Jesus led the way by evangelizing others, teaching about evangelization, and telling stories to show that example. His disciples also taught us about evangelization and we can also follow their examples. We can see this through various passages including Psalm 71:24, Matthew 13, 24:14, Luke 9:23, John 20:21. Acts 2:38, 8:4, Isaiah 6:8, 1 Cor 1:17, and 11:1.

Basically, it's hard to narrow down the list to a few. There are so many passage, a lot of which say the same thing in different ways. How could any be more important than the others?

Take the time to look these passage up and let me know what you think?

A life transforming group to strengthen the entire body

http://jeremy-airforcelife.blogspot.com/

The link above is to the actual blog I've been writing in. However, I will still include it in the notes here so more people can/will read it. The information written below is from some guys at church, but it's been on my mind a lot, so I thought I would write about it. Please let me know if there's something to add, or if I have misrepresented any ideas along the way.

Some time ago, I shared with my gospel community the desire and need for us all to become closer to each other. The idea of knowing each other's hearts was real and present. I wondered why it was so hard, while also knowing that I wasn't 100% willing to share a lot of things myself. Talking with some other guys, we discovered that people are so afraid of what other people might think about them. So, we don't share. However, we don't seem to be afraid of what God thinks. Why?

What do other's thoughts of us matter when compared to those of God? Why are we so eager to please others or change ourselves so they will like us? Why do we not always care about disappointing God? God wants a real relationship with us. We screwed it up, and we continue to do so through our sin. If we read through the Bible, Jesus gave us the example and the answer to fix these problems.

At the same time, I was wondering why the accountability in the high school boys' group I work with wasn't working well. In life, we try to hold ourselves accountable to each other. People will always fail one another. However, God will never let us down. God is always there, people will put us on hold for other things. We need to be accountable to God, and we need to encourage others to do just that.

Back to the example of Jesus. Jesus had different levels of relationships. He had a relationship with those he taught, His disciples, and a closer and much smaller group of those that were even closer. Jesus gave us the example. We have our corporate gathering on Sundays, our gospel communities of yet smaller numbers, and we should have yet smaller groups of just a few.

These small groups have the opportunity to really get to know one another's hearts. Instead of what we know as accountability groups, they could be called encouragement groups, or any other thing you want to call it. The purpose is multi-fold. You encourage each other to stay in the word. You discuss what you have learned and applications. You pray for one another, pray for the lost, share your hearts and pray for healing and relationships. You encourage each other to be accountable to God. You probe your hearts together with hard questions to offer up your true heart to God.

Some of these questions could be: Have you been living the Gospel through your words and/or actions? Have you been prideful about money, possessions, etc.? Have you been intentional with your time with your family? Have you damaged someone with your words or actions? Has someone damaged you? Have you talked to your mentor? Do you have a mentor or prayed for one? Have you allowed something to control you and who you are (fear, anger, drugs, pornography)? Have you been honest with me and more over God in answering these questions?

This is NOT accountability with each other, but accountability to God. We are just encouraging each other with this. Through this we build a stronger relationship with God, which will reflect in our lives, strengthening our relationships with each other. As the small group grows in relationship, the gospel community will grow in relationship, and the corporate church will grow in relationship.

This is what I have gathered from the guys that I talked with about this initially. This is what has grown in my heart. I know that there is more to it, and I encourage you to add to this post with it. Once again, if I have misrepresented anything, please tell me, but it was on my heart so I thought I would share. I pray that this can change your life as I know it has changed others'. It is yet another way to help display and declare Christ to the community and world around us.

The idea of our relationship with Christ as a marriage

I heard a chaplain talk about this one Sunday. I had heard the analogy, but never really applied it. I did some research, and even used this as a lesson with the youth group. Please let me know if there's anything wrong with it, or if you have anything to add.

First step in a Jewish marriage was the betrothal. The groom would travel from his father's house to that of the bride. The bride's father and the groom would negotiate a price for the covenant or contract. As soon as the groom paid the price, they were considered to be married. As a symbol of this, the groom would offer the bride a cup of wine. If she drank of it, she agreed. At this point, the bride and groom would be separated. During this time, the bride would prepare herself to begin her married life to the groom. Meanwhile, the groom would be preparing the dwelling place and accommodations for his bride.

At a time of the groom's choosing, unbeknownst to the bride, the groom would gather his wedding party, and go to collect his bride. She would know he was coming, but not the exact time. In order to warn her of his arrival, he would raise a shout. I am not really sure what this shout was like, but I'm sure it was interesting. Something like, "Hey baby, here I come!" That's at least what came to mind. When the bride and groom would return home, the house would be filled with wedding guests. At this time, the bride will remain hidden for seven days during the festivities before she is revealed to the attendants.

John 14:1-3 shows us the promise that Jesus makes that aligns itself with these traditions. Here Jesus tells us of His father's house and that He will be leaving to prepare a place for us. Eph 5:22-23 takes it further showing us again the analogy of the Jewish wedding. We see that Jesus traveled from His Father's house to earth, to find us, His bride. He offered us the cup of the covenant, and we drink from it, acknowledging Him as our savior and groom (1 Cor 11:25). He paid the price of His life, that we may be with Him forever. Therefore, we belong to Him. He paid the price for us (1 Cor 6:19-20). We have been set aside, exclusively for Christ (Eph 5:25-27; 1 Cor 1:2, 6:11)!

As the bride and groom remained separated in the interim, we remain separated from God, although we are able to share in the knowledge that we will soon be with Him. Just as the groom traveled at an unknown time to the house of the bride, Christ will come back for us (1 Thes 4:16). He will shout for us, and we will know that the time has come. Once this has happened, the church will remain hidden in heaven during the seven years of tribulation. This corresponds to the bride remaining hidden during the week of festivities. Col. 3:4 shows us that the church will be revealed at the end of that time, so that everyone will see, know and bow to Jesus.

Yes, communion represents the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It also represents a covenant of unending love. Communion is a promise, each and every time you take it. You are renewing your vows to Jesus. This is not something you do to go through the motions. It's serious. Would you just go through the marriage ceremony without meaning it? Why would you to that with Christ.

Think of the vows in a wedding. Now think of it this way. Jesus, takes you, the sinner, as His bride. He will love you and honor your all the days of eternity. He will be faithful, through sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, regardless of how you treat Him, with God as His witness.

Some notes from this morning: Romans 11

Did God reject His people? How often to we exalt ourselves and look down on others, because we are Christians? Verse 17 sets us straight. We have been "grafted" in among the natural branches. We share in the nourishment. The roots nourish us, not the other way around. Because of God's grace and mercy, we have been offered salvation. Not that we deserve it, but God has given us mercy and grace. Even though branches have been shed that we might be saved, we could be broken off just as easy. John 15 says that if the branch does not produce fruit, it will be pruned. Why, then, are we arrogant and not humble? Do we display and declare Christ in all aspect of our lives?

You might say, "We see that the Israelites have fallen numerous times throughout the Bible. God gave them chance after chance, but they kept turning away." Are you perfect? Am I perfect? Have any of us fallen beyond the reach of God's grace?

That is grace. We do not deserve it! Verse 6 shows us that our works have nothing to do with grace. If we pay a price for it, it is not grace.

There's a lot of stuff in Chapter 11. I don't want to talk about all of it right now, but this is what I'm chewing on right now. This whole book is amazing, each chapter equally so. What I find so amazing in this chapter is that Paul teaches and convicts, yet concludes with praise to God.

I find myself searching my mind and trying to ask myself questions to be accountable to Christ. I have spent so much time as accountability partners with people, and I wasn't sure what was really wrong with that. However, Jeremy C. stated it well today. When we are accountable to each other, we will undoubtedly let each other down. We should encourage one another and stay accountable to Christ.

I'm going to try and use an outline suggested this morning. I'm going to use it with the youth discipleship group, my small group, and hopefully some friends at work. I will share with anyone else who finds this helpful and wants to try and be more intentional.

Pray for humility. Thank God for grace! Stay in the word, living it out daily; displaying and declaring Christ. Thank God that we are not beyond saving. Thank Him for sending His only Son that we might have eternal life with God. God bless!

Long time, no chat

Well, I almost forgot this was here. However, I thought of it today, and I figured I'd try and update a bit. Since my last one, I've graduated OTS, gone to training in California, and graduated. Now, I'm on my way to FEWarren to be a missilier

Things have been great. I finished ASBC, and Kate is pregnant with a boy. He is due March 9th, 2010. There are pictures on my facebook.

We're staying in Barstow, California tonight. It is very interesting, and I don't think that I will ever stay here again. Mostly, it is because after looking for someplace to eat, the only thing I could think to say was, "If I eat at any of these places, I will get sick."

I guess, we're hoping and praying for good weather for the next few days, and that we can find the house for us in Cheyenne. I'm excited to be within a days drive to Omaha, and be back in the midwest with restaurants that are good, etc. I liked living in Cali by the ocean, but seasons and no daily fog is really nice.

Well, hopefully, there will be more later, and not so long between posts.

OTS

Well, I figured out how to do this from my phone. You see we can't really get to any websites that aren't for OTS.
The first few days sucked, but we are starting to get the hand of things. There's no way you can prepare for anything like this, so that's all I have to say about that.

We have our first test coming up on monday (1 week from tomorrow). Its one of the graded measurements that we really have to do well on.

So much has happened here, but I either cannot talk about it, or it would take to long. So, just know I'm okay, and if you want to send me goodies, ask kate or my mom for mý address.

OT STOBER OUT!

Elvis in Memphis

Elvis has left the building!

Chris and I are in Memphis, TN. We are going to drive to montgomery today. It was nice to have a trip with someone else that's going through the same thing. If I had to travel by myself, I would be so much more stressed. We have done well so far, shaving two hours off our drive time yesterday.

We have no idea what lies ahead, and we're excited and nervous for it all. It was hard, yesterday, to leave. I can't imagine how hard it is for Chris and his family, having a week old new born and all. It's hard enough leaving my wife and dog.

I think that taking a couple weeks away this summer for work has helped a little bit, but I think it will really set in once we've been there for a couple of weeks. Luckily, they will keep us busy enough that I don't think I'll even have time to think about it.

I think we're getting ready to leave for Montgomery now, so I will talk with you all later.

Later that day....


On our way to Montgomery, we decided to stop by Graceland to see if we could find Elvis. I could've sworn I saw Elvis leave the building, and I looked at Chris and said, "I'm all shook up!" Anyway, he disappeared.

Well, we made it to Montgomery. We are entering the service in an amazing time in history. We ended up walking to the stadium near the hotel and ran into the Montgomery Democratic National Convention....

We got to see our new boss, and are part of the history that shows just how far our country has come. Who would've imagined, 40 or more years ago, tha we would've had a black candidate, or a women, not to mention both on the same election. Needless to say, either way, we have made strides and are entering a new era that is unknown to everyone in the nation.