6/16/15

From Mark Copeland... Evangelism Made Personal Having The Right Motivation In Evangelism (The "Steam" That Drives The Train)



Evangelism Made Personal

Having The Right Motivation In Evangelism

(The "Steam" That Drives The Train)
With the right motivation behind our efforts in evangelism, the job will get done. Whenever evangelism does not occur, lack of motivation (or in some cases, improper motivation) is always at the root of the problem!
What Is "motivation?"
As defined by Denis Waitley in his book, "The Joy Of Working"...
  • "Motivation is an inner drive, an idea captured in the imagination."
  • "Motivation can be harnessed to an intense drive toward a goal."
  • "Men and women who are motivated push themselves forward, plow through the inevitable setbacks, heading ever onward to their dreams."
  • "Motivation is essential to succeeding in any endeavor you try."
Motivation is like "steam." Properly channeled it can move large objects, like a steam powered train. But without it, the train remains motionless. All the careful construction in preparation for travel is for nothing if there is no steam to propel the train.
So it is with us. If motivated and properly channeled, great things can be done in the area of evangelism. Unfortunately, many people, despite all of the spiritual education they have received on the subject of evangelism, still do very little with what they know. The reason? Lack of proper motivation!
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR MOTIVATION IN EVANGELISM? Well, what motivated Jesus? Certainly He was successful in reaching His goals. Since He is to be our example (1Pe 2:21), whatever motivated Him should be the motivating force driving His disciples.
I can identify at least five things which moved our Lord. The first was...

COMPASSION FOR LOST SOULS

Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the mass of lost souls (Mt 9:35-36; 14:14; 15:32). Such compassion motivated Him to do two things.
  • First, to ask His disciples to pray that God might "send out laborers into His harvest" (Mt 9:37-38).
  • Then, to do something about it Himself (that is, to select and send out His apostles (Mt 10:1,5-7).
Do we ever find ourselves filled with compassion for the lost? And doing something about it? If we can only have this same compassion for lost souls, we will not rest till we are doing something to save their souls!
How can we develop or strengthen this compassion for lost souls? The best way is LET GOD TEACH US TO LOVE, as He did with the Thessalonians (1Th 4:9). This He does through the example of Christ (1Jn 3:16- 17). I am suggesting, therefore, that the more we meditate upon God's love for us as manifested in His Son's sacrifice, the more we will come to love others!
It also helps to BE AROUND PEOPLE. To love people, you have to get to know them. When we do, we can begin to appreciate the saying attributed to Will Rogers, "I never met a man I did not like." So beware of becoming "wrapped up in your own little world." Remember that Jesus was one to become involved with "the multitudes."
Have we allowed the love of God to fill our hearts with compassion for the multitude of lost and dying souls? Are we making an effort to be around people and getting to know them?
Jesus also had...

A SENSE OF PURPOSE

This motivating force is seen in our Lord's conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. While speaking with her, his disciples marveled at what His motive might be (Jn 4:27). Jesus explained: "To do the will of Him who sent Me...to accomplish His work" (Jn 4:34).
He stated this same purpose in life on many other occasions (Jn 5:30, 36; 6:38; 17:4; 19:28-30). And what was the will of His Father? To save a dying world (Jn 3:16). To "seek and save the lost" (Lk 19:10).
Do we have this same "sense of purpose" in our lives? To put first the Father's will? Jesus taught that we should (Mt 6:10,33). But people often have "DIFFERENT PURPOSES" for living. The "workaholics" make their jobs their purpose in life. Many make their families, friends or hobbies the reason for living.
But the "RIGHT PURPOSE" comes from studying God's Word. As we understand God's will for us, we learn that our purpose for being His special people centers around proclaiming the praises of Him who called us (1Pe 2:9-10). One way we do this, of course, is through evangelism.
Have we let the Word of God develop within us the "right sense of purpose"? If not, our motivation will be inadequate!
Another force that moved our Lord was...

THE LOVE OF THE FATHER

Jesus had experienced "the love of the Father", which prompted Him to love others (Jn 15:9). But it went beyond that. This "love" was such that He wanted to share it with others (Jn 17:26), even if it was necessary for Him to go the cross to make it possible!
Have we experienced "the love of the Father" in our lives? If so, how can we not be moved (motivated) to want to share it with others? Is it not worth sharing? Of course it is! But if we must confess that our sense of the Father's love is not as strong as we would like, how can we develop a greater sense of God's love for us?
The way to experience the Father's love is to "KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS" (Jn 14:21,23). A most important commandment in this regard is the one to love one another as Christ loved us (Jn 15:12). This is because loving one another is crucial to experiencing the love of the Father in our lives. As John wrote: "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us" (1Jn 4:12).
Another way to increase our experience of the Father's love is to "MAKE OUR LOVE FOR JESUS STRONGER." This is because the Father's love for us is directly related to our love for Jesus (John 16:27). How can one increase their love for Jesus? The best way is to spend time learning more about Him from the Word of God.
Have we experienced the Father's love by loving Jesus and keeping His commandments (esp. loving one another)? If not, we will not have much worth sharing, nor be motivated to share it!
We can also add to our list of the things that motivated Jesus...

THE TERROR OF THE LORD

Jesus was very much aware of God's "righteous indignation". He taught that we should "fear" God (Mt 10:28). He warned of the judgment to come (Mk 9:43-48). Knowing the "terror of the Lord", Jesus was willing to go to the cross that man might be saved. He even prayed for those crucifying Him (Lk 23:34).
Are we willing to make the effort to save others, like Jesus? We may not have to die for them... But are we even willing to speak to them? Or could it be that we don't take the "terror of the Lord" as serious as Jesus' early disciples did (cf. 2Co 5:11)?
How can we develop a healthy appreciation for "the terror of the Lord"? I recommend frequent "MEDITATING UPON THE WORD OF GOD", especially those portions which describe God's judgments in the past (cf. 2 Pe 2:4-9), and that provide warnings of the Judgment Day to come (2 Th 1:7-10; Re 20:12-15; 21:8).
Have we, like many, become complacent to the fact that there will be a day of judgment and condemnation? Could it be we have not let the Word of God have its true affect on our lives? A lack of concern and involvement in trying to reach the lost for Christ would certainly imply this to be the case!
Finally, we see that the Lord was moved by...

THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM

As expressed by the writer of Hebrews (He 12:2), Jesus was motivated by the joyful prospect of being with His Father, at His Right Hand. Notice that this enabled Him to "endure the cross" and "despise the shame".
Does not the prospect of spending eternity with God move us to do what we can to save souls? It must, if we also are to be willing to "endure the cross" or "despise the shame" that might be involved in evangelism!
To increase our level of appreciating what lies ahead for the faithful, I recommend regular "CONTEMPLATION UPON WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US" as described in the Word of God. I find especially helpful those scenes pictured in Re 7:13-17; 21:1-7.
It also helps to "THINK OF WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR THOSE WE REACH". Paul did, as he describes in1Th 2:19-20; and it gave him great joy that I am sure helped him to PRESS ON teaching others.

Conclusion

The ability to press on...this is the VALUE of proper motivation. Remember our earlier definition of motivation?
"Men and women who are motivated push themselves forward, plow through the inevitable setbacks, heading ever onward to their dreams."
Such was case with our Lord... He fulfilled His goals, being motivated by:
  • Compassion for lost souls
  • A strong sense of purpose
  • The love of the Father
  • The terror of the Lord
  • The joy set before Him
Since Jesus is the "AUTHOR" and "FINISHER" of our faith (He 12:2), we should be "looking unto Jesus" for the motivation we need to do His will. We should "consider Him" (He 12:3), lest we become weary and discouraged in doing God's will.
I am convinced the early church looked to Jesus, and found the motivation necessary to grow as they did. I believe that we can do the same today!
It should be apparent by now that the "KEY" to developing and strengthening the proper motivation is to let the Word of God have its intended effect upon us. But if Christians are not daily reading, studying, and meditating upon the Word of God, THEN HOW CAN WE EVER HOPE TO STAY MOTIVATED LIKE JESUS, PAUL AND THE EARLY CHURCH WAS?
I believe that if we DO read, study, and meditate upon the Word of God, then we will be like JEREMIAH...who at first made excuses (Jer 1:6), but as he fed upon the Word found great joy (Jer 15:16). So much so, that when ridiculed for speaking, he first tried to refrain, but found that he just couldn't keep it in (Jer 20:7-9)!
May we also allow God's Word and the example of Jesus to motivate us in evangelizing the lost!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

eXTReMe Tracker 

Fred W. Franz by Brad Bromling, D.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=372

Fred W. Franz

by Brad Bromling, D.Min.
Charles T. Russell died in 1916. His post was filled by Joseph F. Rutherford, who boldly predicted that the end of the world would come in 1925. His predictions died with him in 1942.
While the Watch Tower Society’s third president, Nathan H. Knorr, did not play the role of prophet, under his administration Fred W. Franz (his vice president) did issue a prediction. In his book, Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, published in 1966, Franz wrote that it would be “appropriate” and “most fitting” for Jesus to begin His millennial reign in 1975 (which would mark the end of 6,000 years of human history). He said: “...it would not be by mere chance or accident but according to the loving purpose of Jehovah God for the reign of Jesus Christ...to run parallel with the seventh millennium of man’s existence” (as quoted in Franz, 1983, p. 61).
Although this prediction was worded cautiously, the point was clear enough that the Jehovah’s Witnesses looked forward to 1975 with tremendous expectation. That year passed, of course, as had 1914 and 1925. The prophecy failed, and disillusionment gripped several hundred thousand Jehovah’s Witnesses who subsequently abandoned the Watch Tower (Chretien, 1988).
Mr. Franz served as president of the Watch Tower from 1977 until his death in 1991. He, like his predecessors, failed the decisive test of a prophet: “If the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously” (Deuteronomy 18:22).

REFERENCES

Franz, Raymond (1983), Crisis of Conscience (Atlanta, GA: Commentary Press).
Cretien, Leonard and Marjarie (1988), Witnesses of Jehovah (Eugene, OR: Harvest House).
[See related article: “Prophecies—True and False”]


Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference by Kyle Butt, M.A.




http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3788

Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference

by Kyle Butt, M.A.
In his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth, Richard Dawkins declares that “the ‘theory’ of evolution is actually a fact—as incontrovertible a fact as any in science” (2009, p. vii). He wrote the book because he noted that in his previous books he “realized that the evidence for evolution itself was nowhere explicitly set out, and that this was a serious gap” that he “needed to close” (p. vii). In his failed attempt to close that gap, Dawkins delineated the kind of “evidence” that he would be relying upon. He noted that much of the “evidence” for evolution is necessarily not direct, eyewitness evidence. He stated:
Obviously, the vast majority of evolutionary change is invisible to direct eye-witness observation. Most of it happened before we were born, and in any case it is usually too slow to be seen during an individual’s lifetime.... With evolution, as with continental drift, inference after the event is all that is available to us, for the obvious reason that we don’t exist until after the event. But do not for one nanosecond underestimate the power of such inference (p. 16).
Along those same lines, Dawkins wrote: “I shall never again be tempted to give eyewitness testimony an automatic preference over indirect scientific inference” (p. 15).
The important point to notice in this regard is that often the creationist is criticized by the evolutionary community for suggesting that creation at the hand of a supernatural Creator is a scientific idea. We are told that since scientists cannot touch, see, taste, hear, or smell the Creator directly, here and now, then that “hypothesis” simply cannot be considered scientific. Yet such an assessment of Creation is inaccurate. Creation is simply, in the words of Richard Dawkins, “inference after the event” that deserves as much or more credit, according to Dawkins, as “eyewitness testimony” (cf. Butt, 2007).
In fact, the biblical explanation of Creation clearly defines the concept almost exactly as Dawkins has defined acceptable evidence. Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world His [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” A cursory look at the verse shows that (1) people in Paul’s time (as well as our own) were not around to directly observe the act of Creation, (2) the evidence available to Paul’s readers (and modern people) is enough to positively infer the concept of Creation and the existence of a Creator, (3) improper scientific inference from the available evidence would result in a complete misunderstanding of the origin of the Universe.
Dawkins is exactly right that real scientific inference based on indirect observation is an excellent way to arrive at facts and knowledge. Sadly, he is woefully incorrect in his assessment that such inferences substantiate evolution. The fact of the matter is, all properly formulated scientific inferences based on factual scientific evidence establish the conclusion that a supernatural Creator designed our amazing Universe.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), “Indirect Observation,” http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3243.
Dawkins, Richard (2009), The Greatest Show on Earth (New York: Free Press).

Apparent Age by Kyle Butt, M.A.




http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=548

Apparent Age

by Kyle Butt, M.A.
How old is the Earth? No one knows the exact number of times this globe has orbited the Sun. However, using biblical chronology a person can calculate the age of the Earth to be in the neighborhood of 6,000 years old.
“But the Earth looks millions of years old,” some people will protest. There are at least two responses to such a statement. First, one might ask: “Compared to what; what does a young Earth look like?” We do not have another Earth that we know is younger than this one, so how would we know what a young Earth looks like. Second, it should not surprise us if science occasionally calculates older dates for the Earth, due to a concept known as the “doctrine of apparent age.”
This idea suggests that the things God made during the Creation week were formed complete and fully functional. For instance, how old were Adam and Eve two seconds after God created them? They were two seconds old! Yet they walked, talked, and looked like adult human beings, and even had the ability to reproduce (which was one of the commands God gave them—Genesis 1:28). If a tree were cut down in the Garden of Eden one day after the Creation week, how many rings would it have had? Possibly hundreds, yet it would have been only five days old (trees and other plants, remember, were created on day three of the Creation week). So, the real age of the tree and the apparent age of the tree would have been quite different. Just because this Earth may appear older than 6,000 years, that does not mean it is older than that.
Some people have suggested that if God made the Earth appear older than it actually is, then He has deceived us because things aren’t really as old as they look. This criticism can not be true since God told us what He did! He did not leave us in the dark or try to “trick us” or “test our faith” by hiding from us important information that we would need. Rather, He was very straightforward and honest with us. Considering the material found in the first eleven chapters of Genesis (and elsewhere through the Bible), no one can justifiably accuse God of deception. If we ignore His Word regarding what He said He did, is it God’s fault? Hardly!

As Goes the Home... by Brad Bromling, D.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=292

As Goes the Home...

by Brad Bromling, D.Min.
“As goes the home, so goes the nation.” The truth of this maxim can be recognized by Christians and non-Christians alike. After decades of decline, the home is beginning to receive an immense amount of attention. Working without the objective standard of God’s Word, however, many people have been trying to rebuild the home according to novel and aberrant paradigms. But “the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). God has not left humanity without direction. From the very beginning, while our parents were still in the paradise of Eden, God established the home as He wanted it.
Homes that please God begin with the joining together of one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4; Genesis 2:22). This plan excludes polygamy (a man with a plurality of wives), and polyandry (a woman with a plurality of husbands). God underscored this fact when He presented the woman to Adam and said: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Also excluded is the concept of homosexual marriage. The Creator did not present Adam with a choice between Eve and another male companion—He made only woman. Adam was not incomplete simply because he lacked human companionship; he lacked female human companionship. Further, the Word of God categorically condemns homosexual behavior (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26ff.; 1 Corinthians 6:9, etc.).
Jesus based His teaching about the home upon the original pattern established by God. He said: “He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6). Thus, sexual relations are authorized only within marriage (see Proverbs 5:15-21).
All deviations from this “one flesh” pattern are condemned: “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). The Bible affirms that God “hates divorce” (Malachi 2:16). Yet, if the sacredness of marital love is violated in any act of fornication (all forms of sexual immorality), the innocent spouse is allowed (though, not required) to obtain a divorce and may marry another person (Matthew 19:9). There is no other reason for divorce approved by God.
The home that follows the divine pattern is one that will strive to be in fellowship with God. Genesis 3:8 portrays the Creator as “walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Precisely what this entailed we can only conjecture (see John 1:18), but it seems that Adam was not unaccustomed to this kind of communion (how else can we account for his impulse to hide?). When Eve was tempted by the serpent, she repeated God’s injunction regarding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:3). When Cain was born, Eve credited God (Genesis 4:1). When Cain and Abel were of age, they approached God with offerings (Genesis 4:3). These facts imply that Adam and Eve had built into their home a reverence for—and fellowship with—God.
The home is humanity’s primary center for religious and moral instruction, hence the inspired dictate: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). It is a tragedy of mammoth proportions that modern families have abdicated this role to the school and church. Both these institutions have their functions to perform, but God never assigned to them the work of the home.
Moses set forth a wonderful example of the home’s spiritual environment when he said: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Logically, parents who practice this are more likely to see their children convert to Christ than are those who expect the church to be the sole source of spiritual training.
The state of the nation is a reflection of the state of its homes. The homes that are built according to the divine pattern will serve as the backbone of our nation. Because of weak and dysfunctional homes, the church is hindered in her task. But, from solidly built Christian homes, the church can draw a mighty army to overcome the forces of darkness and proclaim the Gospel of the triumphant Christ to the world. Therein lies hope for our nation.

From Gary... A study in contrast


Always wanted a boat, I guess because it brings me back to my early childhood, when my father had one. I don't remember much about that boat, only the feeling of water and wind on my face and the joy it seemed to bring.  Then reality kicked in- due to ear problems, I get seasick easily, so NO BOAT!!  But in my imagination, I am sailing (and always will)!!! And so, I was quite pleased to see this picture yesterday.  Water, sky, sun, darkness- the contrast is breathtaking!!!!  And then it hit me- this picture is a study in contrast.  But contrast is not restricted to just the physical world around us, it is also exists in how we perceive truth from error.

Next, the question naturally arises- How do we know truth? Evidence, logic and appropriate conclusion are the path to truth. Christianity is not some pie-in-the-sky, made up thing; it is based on fact, documented fact. And the facts that are most pertinent are: Jesus really lived, he was crucified, buried and rose again and was seen by hundreds of people over many days. One of Jesus' apostles says... 

1 Corinthians, Chapter 15 (WEB)

 1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,  2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.  3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.  7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,  8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.  9 For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.  10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. 

  12  Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.  14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.  15 Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.  17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. 

  20  But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.


Facts all, and one more thing- no one ever found his body. Why, because the facts and the teachings of the Bible are true!!!
Consider...

Beginning to see the contrast between truth and lies yet?  The tomb is empty, there is absolute truth and it is found in Jesus, who said...

John, Chapter 14 (WEB)
 6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

Which would you prefer, truth or just a pleasant philosophy? I can't answer for you, but I prefer documented truth. Hope you will too...
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)