Because of the difficulties of reaching the lost, too many churches are becoming “progressive.” They do so because they can attract more people. If you attract people to your church with the methods of the world, you can expect to get worldly people.
In the 1980s, some changed the historic Baptist definition of repentance. Two of the leaders of this were Jack Hyles and Curtis Hutson. I suspect that it was to justify their idea that bigger is better. Remember, the first question you were likely to be asked at a preachers meeting was, how many did you have Sunday?
I realize that all of us like to be looked up to. I also realize that those who pastor larger churches have more respect from men than those who pastor smaller churches. It ought not be this way. If you take a good look at early Christian history, one of the things that brought about the Catholic Church was larger churches dominating smaller churches.
Many “soul-winning” churches are not growing. One pastor in Colorado said his church won 200 souls to Christ each year. This continued for about 10 years. At the beginning of the 10 years the church was running about 200 on Sunday morning. At the end of the 10 years, the church was running about 200. Don’t you think something is wrong with this picture?
Someone who is in Christ is a new creature. It does not say he should be, he will be someday, it says he IS, present tense, a new creature. This means that it is not optional, it is automatic.
There is no shortage of evangelistic activity, it is the results that don’t measure up to the biblical standard. The product of our efforts gives little evidence of being truly changed by their “salvation experience.”
I am starting a series of articles that deal with what I think is the greatest area of compromise in Bible Believing Baptist circles. It has to do with how we present the Gospel in our efforts to win the lost to Christ.
Evangelism is one of the most important functions of the New Testament church. It should be done according to the examples found in the New Testament. In the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments present the wrath of God, not the love of God when calling sinners to salvation. We should do the same.
One of the most important parts of presenting the Gospel to the lost is showing them they are under the wrath of a holy God. If something is not done, they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is something that is missing in most Gospel presentations today, and it is the reason so many “professions” don’t seem to stick.
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