1109. Evangelism in the Church

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform or continuing a study series about the role of the church called Christ's body, the church, today's message will be about evangelism and the church. Dr. Greg Mae Zach of the Bob Jones University seminary will be speaking today, a member be to use faculty since 1986 Dr. May, Zach has taught numerous classes relating to biblical counseling psychology and church ministry and has also spoken at hundreds of camps and conferences throughout the United States. Greg is also senior pastor at Trinity Bible Church in Greer, South Carolina. It's a privilege for me this morning to be able to fellowship with you this morning and chapel and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to continue on this theme that Dr. Pettit has given to us on evangelism in the church and I hope that is we consider some really basic things this morning and will encourage you to help you be a patient with me on fighting some kind of cold or whatever and I tried to get lots of cold medicines and me in time it just right.

That hopefully I won't sniffling things like that and that if I say something inaccurate or incorrect to help you be gracious to me. If it's really bad just raise your heat wave and then whatever I just said I go back and try to repeat, I want to talk about this topic. Evangelism in the church. It is such an important topic. Just this idea of the church and I so appreciate my colleagues who were ready, and brought wonderful messages that are helping us and I want to begin with just a very simple question for you what is wrong with these questions, I would put up just three simple questions, and these are questions we ask a whole lot of time and I wanted you know overly parse words and get overly semantic but guys what is wrong with these questions. Questions like what do you go to church or how about a second question where do you go to church or maybe even 1/3 question where is your church know what's wrong with all three of these questions and maybe the answer is obvious, but let's just make sure guys, what's wrong with these questions is a snotty or business. Well that that's not the right answer. Okay, what's wrong with these questions, every one of these questions assume something inaccurately. And what is that a sump document. It assumes that the church is a place. It assumes that the church is a physical structure location right do you go to church. Yes, I go there right or maybe someone asked where do you go to church. Well, you know you go up Wade Hampton and you turned down the super road and there you find where I go to church or where is your church well again just go on.

Super.

Take a left upper Wade Hampton and you're right there, as if that were our church and you know we even perpetuate this. I think a lot of times in our church signs.

Now I want to make fun of someone church sign because that's kind of a personal thing. It's maybe like making fun of someone's mother. You know you don't do that so I have assigned then I'm going to use as a negative example. But I want to be clear, this is our church sign. Okay, so not making fun of your church is okay. What's wrong with the sign.

Now some of you are thinking. It's very faded.

I don't believe you know I'm not talking about that, it does need to be redone. I admit that what's wrong with the sign. Some of you are saying wow it looks like that one in a little ball to saying it down now that that needs repair. Okay to give you a hint that's not a mechanical answer. What's wrong with this sign. This sign that says Trinity Bible churches in front of the building as if the building is our church, but the buildings not the church. So maybe now you're thinking okay so what should the sign say well I actually found a sign that I like better. Why don't like the whole sign but there's one part of the sign I like so you tell me what's better about this sign can use it. You see the sign that says what if you can read that now I'm not saying we should go to the church of Christ.

That's not my thing this morning but it says the Church of Christ. Can you see what it says are guys, let's read together the church of Christ meets here.

I like that you know that's what it should say on the church sign because why because the buildings not the church. The location is not the church. The people are the church and that location is just where a group of people meet. Now some of you are thinking while you're really in the signs you know well I think it matters you might be thinking okay if you could change your church sign. What would it say well I don't even know if it would say Trinity you know when you become an elder or pastor teacher of a certain church.

You don't want to just come in and change the name of the church is not necessarily a blessing you know. But see, but if I were to plant a church from scratch and I were just a start from the very beginning you say what would that church plant sign look like I this is one idea I saw this sign and I found that this one kind of appeal to me and maybe you would like this one something like this can and when I when I saw that sign. I just felt the warmth in my heart and I thought boy that would be a good one now now just to clarify, that's really not the signs that say St. Gregory the great, but our pastor is actually my a daughter who does photography gonna budget a little bit of editing on that okay and so II you got the idea might my main point this morning is what is a church while I church as people and as we think about that. I think that'll help us on the topic of evangelism the church. I have two points this morning that I hope will be a blessing in encouragement to what's taken one at a time and date number one believers gathered together as the church to be equipped to serve. So what do we do when we get together on the Lord's day when we come together on Sunday. Let's take them one at a time. Believers gather as the church, the body of Christ. The church is a group of believers, the church is the body of Christ and you know that we've already had this verse Dr. Remus pointed out out to us, but on Ephesians chapter 1, I will look at verse one chapter 1 verse 22 and verse 23.

If I can bring it up it says, and have put all things under his feet and gave them to be the head over all things to the church which is his body, a lot of wonderful truth and that verse, but let me point out something just very, very simple. The church is his body.

So what we do, we come together as the church. What is the church.

The church is the body of Christ.

The church is a group of believers when we come together when we assemble we assemble as believers in Jesus Christ. The ball is never to see how many unbelievers we can get together it's very common today to say let's get unbelievers in here and let's get unbelievers say so, whatever unbelievers want. Let's give it to them. Isn't that what we should do. And the answer is no because the body of Christ does not include unbelievers. The body of Christ includes believers and we assemble as believers yesterday had the joy of a preaching sermons in the morning and in the evening and when I'm doing my preparation. I'm sure your pastors the same way. I'm not continually thinking what would an unsaved guy think about this. What would an unsaved woman. Think about this, make sure you don't say anything that an unsaved person would want to hear. Caution. We love having unsaved people visit our assembly we go out of our way to make them feel at home and were glad for them to come, but that's not the purpose you know if it was the purpose. What would we do it we would just stop the average unsaved people and say what you want and if they said short sermons we give short service if they said we want this kind of music than we give them that kind of music. Just give unbelievers what ever they want and then just do a quick hit with the gospel. Why do many churches do that because they don't understand the nature of the church. A church is aim assembly of believers. The body of Christ and thus we all assemble together you say why do we assemble together. Well, we come together. It says in first Corinthians chapter 11 verse 18 when you come together in the church. Or we could translate that as a church. Paul writes, I feared that there be divisions among you, I just want to point out one thing now, not on the divisions just noticed we assemble together as the body of Christ life because individually I am not the church individually. I am not the body of Christ. You know sometimes people say why would I come together with the group of believers I could sit at home. I can go on the Internet download a sermon. Listen to Christian music and I can worship in my bedroom that is accurate. You can worship in your bedroom. But you're not the church. I am not the church you are not the church. We are not the church until we all come together and assemble. Thus, Paul even says in text like this. First Corinthians 1423. If, therefore, the whole church become we could translate that assembles together in the one place all speak with tongues and their coming. Those that are unlearned to run believers will they not say that you are mad it may be that unbelievers come, that's true, but notice what the main point of the initial part of the verses. It's when the whole church assembles together because were not the church, individually rolling the church corporately and so what do we do we assemble together as the body of Christ in which the focus will believers gather together as the church so that we can be equipped to serve and we see that clearly in Ephesians 411 right. Paul writes he gave some, apostles and prophets and evangelists.

Some pastors and teachers are why do we have men in places of leadership. Why are there spiritual leaders in a local assembly and many of us think because their job is to do the ministry and so their quote unquote ministers and that's what they're supposed to do. But that's not what the next verse says let's go to Ephesians chapter 4 in verse 12 and notice what Ephesians chapter 4 verse 12 says it's for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and I know you might look at that verse and say okay so the guys that are in leadership there supposed to number one perfect the saints number to do the work of the ministry. Number 3/5 the body of Christ, but really that's not how were going to read that verse were going to read it just a little bit differently. Let me put up new American Standard rendering of verse 12 is for the equipping of the saints. No, for the work of ministry, to the building up of the body Christ, Pastor and I love the opportunity to be a pastor and one of the things I do is I preacher say will what's the goal in preaching. What's the goal ministry to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. My job is not doing the work of the ministry primarily. My job is to equip people that gather together believers as the body of Christ to engage in the work of the ministry. So the first thing I wanted to hit today is just why do we come together we come together as a church we come together as the body of Christ, we come together to be equipped to serve. So when you gather together on the Lord's day, you should be gathering with other believers and through the ministry of the man that lead that assembly. You are being equipped to serve you say you haven't talked about evangelism yet that is correct.

As believers we gather as the body of Christ as our first point second point, as believers, what we do as believers we scatter to evangelize. I like it. Open up your Bibles to one passage of Scripture will spend the rest of our time your Colossians chapter 4 would you turn the Colossians chapter 4 please and will get a look at verses two through six Colossians chapter 4 as the body of Christ, we gather to be equipped to serve and then as the body of Christ.

We scatter to witness and to evangelize if I can say at this way the ball is not to get unsaved people into the church building. The goal is to get say people out of the church building, sharing the gospel that would be a biblical view of ministry. I want to be careful in many of our assemblies including ours.

We have days of community outreach.

On Christmas we may have a cantata on resurrection Sunday.

We may have special music and we make a special attempt to invite unsaved people link to hear the gospel. We had vacation Bible school. We do the same thing like that that that that's not wrong, but that's not the main focus. The focus as we assemble with other believers is the body of Christ and then were equipped to serve and then we go out and when we do will look at Colossians chapter 4 Paul writes in verse two continue in prayer and watching the same with thanksgiving were supposed to pray. What are we supposed to pray about verse three with all praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. You say what is Paul clearly encouraging us to pray for praying for gospel opportunities with unsafe people. Paul says pray and then he says oh yeah, pray for us to so that will have an open door of utterance. What is that gospel opportunities we come together with other believers were equipped to share the gospel, then we should be praying as we all go our different ways. Okay Lord, would you give me an opportunity to share the gospel with someone. Maybe the waiter maybe the waitress right maybe.

Maybe the neighbor maybe the friend maybe the police officer pulls you over right will hire you to Stephen whoever you're talking to. Maybe, maybe just a man at the gas station and you're paying for gas. The person at the store. Lord, would you please give me opportunities for the gospel with unsafe people, and you must go little bit further please. Paul says, verse five walk in wisdom towards them that are without the second thing we should be doing is not only pray for gospel opportunities with unsafe people, but number two. We should be building redemptive relationships with unsafe people say people should not be isolating themselves from unsaved people and I know a lot of people will see this differently, but based on the Scriptures, God did not say use so you could live your life apart from unsaved people, and yet that's what a lot of people do in a misguided but yet perhaps sincere quest of holiness. They think now that I'm saying I want to turn my back on the world him to turn my back on all the unsafe people in the world and I'm just gonna hang out with Christians and see this is kind out what we frequently do, and I've been guilty of this and I want to be silly, but I would give you just a very simple illustration. Let's pretend I'm unsaved. And let's pretend these two guys on the opposite brothers were to pretend there unsaved okay so here I am and I'm unsaved and I'm hanging out with Eric and Dave. Dave and I ride motorcycles together. Eric and I watch boards I'm unsaved round shape. Hey, look at all those guys. Every Sunday, going to church. What a waste of time. I mean they go like twice on Sunday. Dave you want to go riding Sunday on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. you're unsafe we can say yes okay there you go. And then what happens here I am, and however it works God gloriously brings the gospel in the my life and now I'm a believer and here's what frequently happens.

Now I'm going to go to church so I'm laying on your Macomb brother a brother and was going on.

Man I love being in church so you look at those guys. They never come, boy. We should get them to worship with us on, I wonder. I wonder how we could get them.

Maybe we should change the name of the church was not called the church right let's call it the likely skull we want to call the experience.

Maybe they'll come all, they're not coming. What kind of music to their like maybe they might rock music right I'm at the piano, but I can't place looks okay. If I could play right you know whatever it takes to get them in. Let's get them in and they're not coming and we think will what are we supposed to do. But the verse tells you what to do walk in wisdom toward I'm not supposed to be a believer with my back on unsaved people walked in wisdom towards and now that I'm a believer. Dave maybe you want to want to go riding sometime. Now you know what not. Not Sunday because I don't know put my faith in Jesus. I know you don't understand that it sounds weird, but maybe we'll talk later sometime maybe some Saturday we went right up to the Blue Ridge Pkwy. and Eric you know there's Saturday big football games on and you want to come over and watch a game together and in a just, you know some friends a stop in Inman.

Maybe we could talk. We yeah yeah I know I don't want to go watch it at that at that bar anybody Naomi and I put you down but I just can't do some things that happened maybe I could say later on and what am I doing walking in wisdom towards those that are outside. That's what Paul is talking about in Colossians so number one we pray for gospel opportunities with unsafe people. Number two, we build redemptive relationships with unsafe people.

The longer your say the more unsaved friend, you should have. Who's that true of virtually no one, and to my shame. It's not true of me the longer I'm saying the you run say friends I have, but that wasn't Paul's final think that's the heart of Jesus Christ and the number three. Why are we walking in wisdom towards those that are without redeeming the time, we need to share the gospel with unsafe people and that's what we should be doing.

We gather is the body of Christ were equipped to serve as we gather as the church and then the goal is not to change everything so unsaved people think it's cool to worship with us right will only make it this way will when you invite an unsaved person the church. I'm not saying that's a bad thing on, I mean the church run about when you invite an unsaved person and he doesn't, don't be surprised if you stop me after Chappell said Dr. Meza were having a birthday party for my grandma you want to come, to say no and if you say why I say I don't know what your grammar is and you say, but she's wonderful. I would say I don't care okay and that's how the average unsaved person thinks about coming to church. The goals not to get the unsaved people in the goal is to get believers out. We put this all together and we conclude and what would that conclusion look like evangelism in the church we gather with other believers to be equipped to serve and secondly we scatter as witnesses to evangelize unbelievers. This is kind of an illustration of what should be happening.

We've all gathered together this morning. This is not a church but there's an illustration. We've all gathered together this morning many different places and we've all come together to be equipped to serve. So as were here, we should be thinking about the gospel we should be rehearsing the gospel we should be growing in the gospel we should be learning more about Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Savior.

He is, and then as we leave, we all go in different places. We scatter and where ever we go were talking about Jesus and were sharing the gospel and the gospel just keeps going out and out. It's going everywhere. It's going across the lands and that's what should be happening in our churches so we come together we assemble and then were equipped for ministry and then by God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. We scatter we talk about Jesus and the gospel continues to go across the lands you been listening to a sermon preached at Bob Jones University by Dr. Greg Mae Zach which is part of the study series about the church, titled Christ's body, the church since were in the study series about the church we thought you would be blessed by hearing the song. Oh church arise sung by the Bob Jones University student body.

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