6/5/2021 - A Conversation with Kirby Winstead

CNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together is reason relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane in Matthew 1618. Jesus said this, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Hi Alex McFarlane your listing to truth for a new generation radio and on today's program were going to talk about a problem that a lot of churches are facing. They are plateaued or declining and we lived in an era where we've seen the Lord bless America. In so many ways and God has blessed this nation through the church. They estimate that right now there some 345,000 churches in America. There are according to the Barna research group may be as few as 60 million adult born-again Christians. Sometimes they say maybe as many as 100 million only the Lord knows Barna has a seven question survey about what constitutes a biblical worldview and I've heard George Barna speak.

I've heard other experts have talked with Barna on the phone and let's let's put it in the middle. Let's say there's something like 80 million born-again adults and again. Only God knows, but with 300,000 churches, 6280.

Perhaps even 100 million adult born-again Christians and well over 1/2 million ordained ministers, not to mention all the blessings of a Bible and most hotel rooms Christian radio stations Charles Stanley and David Jeremiah were on television. We have lived in an America that has had great ministry resources and yet the number of people that profess to be nonbelievers, agnostics and atheists is is rising dramatically and so I want to talk with a friend in just a moment that you meet about what can churches do that are plateaued or declining.

Let's talk about leadership.

Let's talk about evangelism. Let's talk about the gospel that our nation so desperately needs. I'm here at first Baptist Myrtle Beach with the a dear friend.

His name is Kirby Winsted Kirby I know you've been a pastor you been a director of missions we call a DOM. You've been a ministry strategist and a few other things. I hope we get to talk about sports related but you you've given your your life to the great commission. Someone asked this question.

First of all, what is the great commission and and why should every believer, especially American Christians. Why should we care about what the Bible calls are our commission the great commission will relate that to what I do.

The guard on the chopping the Guardian, South Carolina. The great commission is our standing orders.

It is our orders are marching versus what we do. I have standing orders as a chaplain.

I can go into nursing homes, ministry veterans and the funerals of visit with people all the cost of the great commission is our standing order to go to love, to preach to teach to evangelize and to bark those disciples that means make them different. That's where the baptism comes but that's where the teaching comes in that so important yet. It's been my privilege to travel all 50 states. I love the church and you look around and clearly there was a time when people were being evangelized.

There are large buildings, some of them have some age on them now but why suddenly, maybe even in the last decade have we suddenly seen of the evangelization of the lost its we've hit a brick wall. Somehow another. In your opinion, Kirby why are we not seeing people saved like we once did in our nation. There's a variety of reasons. Alex, but it boils down to the fact that our theology is not what it was our practice is not what it was. We've allowed certain things to take the priority over that and I really believe one of the biggest issues as we are spending most of our energy on fruitless questions.

We are debating things and I'll just give you an example like Calvinism you know our job is to go out with the lost. The best explanation I've ever heard of this came from one of our heroes of the faith to be a crystal what he was getting ready to preach old old the subject. He said predestination for organization election. That's God's business, whosoever will buy come going all the world and preach the gospel. That's my business. We got away from that, you know, I agree and do know what I think about George Whitfield and John Wesley. This is back in colonial America, Wesley, if you've heard of Wesley and theology very much on free will. George Whitfield was a Calvinist and but yet Whitfield was an evangelist and preached and in fact one of the people he led to the Lord was Benjamin Franklin and Whitfield would be in Boston preaching the thousands of people. Very interesting the way that the National Guard measures people at the mall in Washington. They lay a grid and every square is a certain number people and they can pretty accurately estimate crowd size will that was developed by Benjamin Franklin because Franklin would love to try to estimate how many people Whitfield was preaching to, in Boston, but here's the thing. Here's Calvinist feel Arminian John Wesley and asters Whitfield I said do you expect to see John Wesley in heaven and he said no I don't and I said really and George Whitfield said no because Wesley will be so far up there. Close beside the throne and I'll be so far back on the back row, far away. I'm not even worthy.

My point being, there was a collegial spirit of love between two different theology diseases. They agreed. Let's tell the world about Jesus. That's what's basic is the collegial atmosphere of love.

Jesus said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another, and now we think our enemy is the goddess of the different church down the street our enemies site.

We have forgotten that you tell your story about the Whitfield there's a marker not too far from this church for the Little River United Methodist Church of the total travel or community delivering north of the grand Strand. It tells about Whitfield, who came through here often on his project recites okay.

Alex just grabbed his chest radio. You can't see that we feel paid to this area and he stopped at a tavern in Little River that was there as part of the fishing village and they were singing and dancing, and he where they had talked a while, but he said every step you take with your dancing makes the devil happier but they actually stop the slinging of the dancing and they let Whitfield preach to the people in the tavern and he led one young man to the Lord and baptized that day had started that church Whitfield was so passionate with people to Jesus that he went into a tavern and preach the gospel we would have been listening to truth for a new generation with our very special guest Rev. Kirby Winsted TMG radio is back after this. America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors, the life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of patient economy is crashing crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex Farland has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow. Regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstore join Alex McFarlane for spiritual awakening in our times and studying the book of acts. June 25-27 in the Billy Graham training center at the Cove near Asheville, North Carolina, tax records, the first days of the early church and tells the story of a powerful spiritual awakening among Jews and Gentiles alike. The book of acts also contains personal lessons about revival for believers like us today in the seminar. Alex will examine God's principles for spiritual renewal and evangelism that work in every age, including ours, you also discover how you can personally walk in the power and joy of the Holy Spirit, regardless of your circumstances to register for spiritual awakening in our times and studying the book of acts with Alex McFarlane June 25-27 go to the Cove.org seminar packages include options for seminar meals and lodging.

Register online@fico.org timeless truths in a soundbite culture for a new generation radio that the program were talking about gospel in our culture and our love in the book of Revelation believers Revelation chapter 14 it says that an angel flew across heaven, proclaiming quote the everlasting gospel. I love Jude verse three that says we are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. My point during those verses. The everlasting gospel. The faith once delivered see the gospel doesn't change God gave us a message that was relevant in every generation from the first century to the horse and buggy era to the 21st century. The message of new life in Jesus is still relevant and it always will be. As long as history goes on Alex McFarlane here were talk with Kirby Winsted hey Kirby before the break you were mentioning here on the grand Strand in South Carolina First Baptist Church and Kings Hwy., George Whitfield went through here. I had no idea that we were on such historic ground.

Yes, he is one of many preachers that came through here. Kings always actually named in honor of the kings of England was the first highways that was laid out here in South Carolina, George Washington, all traveled this way when he came to the South or his historic tour as president, you know. Let history for minute, because I personally believe the United States of America is a covenant nation built on biblical principles.

Now, not a covenant nation in the sense of Israel. God called Abraham.

Genesis 12 but we were built on biblical principles. I've been to many places around America, where people prayed and maybe a century ago godly people prayed and the Lord did things that the promises of God the prayers of the saints. The valves and commitments.

They have a certain timelessness about them, don't think, yes, it would got away from those things. I think there are three elements to really renewal in our churches. It has to start individually not just corporately and I used to think that revival would start when people begin to be saved, they would troubled the fringes of the fridges would start expanding. That's not right. Revival has to begin with the best we've got. It's gonna start with the core people. It has to start with some very basic elements and this is not a sermon that I've ever preach with their 40 basic things that you gotta do the first one devoted much of this is prayer. We don't pray anymore we give it lip service, but we don't actually pray and spend time with God in prayer we go back to reading. People like Andrew Murray and hereby else it would need to read what they say about prayer. Andrew Murray has a composition of his books called on player and it's a number of his books and it was put in one big paperback form and I'll read it was revolutionary that 800 B's work only experience a gobble to break revolutionary flexibly but prayer we need to pray. Spent time pray I have somebody people come up with a site. Pray for my love will not but that's lost. When I look at the buffets I'll be glad to pray with you was last time you spent all my papers that loved one prayer. The second one is surrender. Surrender is a really good word is like lay down your arms in battle and you got to give it unconditionally. That's what surrender is you surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ to the Holy Spirit and the third thing is obedience. Just hear what he tells you to do get up and do it. Was it Evan Roberts, the Scottish minister who cried out to God, oh God, give me Scotland or I die. It was a desperation for a plateaued or declining church that needs to turn around for a nation that is prodigal in sin sick like our own funding do we have to get before God, pray interceded and really cry out with desperation yes exactly right you Richard Evan Roberts that Taber used to tell about the revival that he walked into preach, however, was one of my heroes. He said Evan Robert showed up at a meeting and said to the great congregation.

Where do you believe God is here. I said yes. He said do you believe that you shouldn't God he'll do everything you needed to do. Yes, and that he said of accommodation you don't league-leading put on his coat left. It was a dramatic representation that it's all about God, not us. You know I was in a place called Enfield, Connecticut EN FI ELD and in 1748, a pastor in that area was named Jonathan Edwards and had death there is a church in Thiel Congregational church and you and I went to it. We started out we found it and it was a little granite marker and it was there that for the first time Edwards preached a sermon.

Many people studied it in school. Probably a sermon call centers in the hands of an angry God and the Lord use that mightily and they said that people were clinging to the pews for dear life and they said that sometimes men would call out in a hurry up, tell us how to get saved what you we believe it but what a lot of people don't know Edwards had spent months in prayer he would get in a closet and he had written in a diary that it broke his heart. He felt like three out of four of his parishioners were unsaved and he had spent months praying, praying, praying really asking for the Holy Spirit to cultivate the soil and and listen I know God in a blink, God Almighty God can send a revival God can change this nation.

But we've got to wanted him to make a comment and Kirby I want your response. Philip Yancey, who years.

Yours goes with Christianity today is talking about revival in 125 years ago. Methodist missionaries begin to cultivate the soil in China that we seen a lot of fruits here in the last 20 years, but 100 years ago there were missionaries going to China. Some of the students that died at Tiananmen Square were led to the Lord by Methodist missionaries. Philip Yancey said God goes where he's wanted I'm afraid here in prodigal America. Only God would come if we wanted him but we just not prayed and shown him yet how desperately we we want him. The Old Testament says verse Jacob has settled always leaves LES has not been shaken from vessel to vessel that that vision. They are that that reference is to a wine bottle that is been settled for a long time. It is developed discoverable the top and the reason is develop that skill is because it hasn't been shaken and Alex am afraid that what is good and take to shake but don't wait the church to wake of the church is just something happened to shake us to our very core, get this, hate stating folks looking to continue talking with Rev. Kirby Wednesday hearing Tiffany generation some exciting stuff about plateaued or declining Christianity and how God might work through us to help turn things around. Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government abortion and war. Too often, we manage these disagreements by ignoring them network called to engage the world for the sake of Christ.

How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions in 10 issues that divide Christians Alex McFarlane challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice evil and suffering, photography, and environmentalism as he echoes the biblical invitation, it is reason together only by engaging the Scriptures deeply thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we, in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians find this book and many others@alexmcfarlane.com are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country but you don't know what to do about it.

That's why truth and liberty coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it educate broadcasts conferences in our website resources that form equip and motivate unified by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the family research Council, the family policy and my faith. Mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community as Christians we are called to make disciples of together we can change the course of our good joint truth and liberty to connect with believers in organizations not only want to see change in our nation but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast describe the relevant updates on our website. Truth and liberty.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism.

Alex McFarlane is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way.

You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio neglect program, folks, Alex McFarlane here talking with a very special friend that I want to resume the conversation with Chris Winstead in just a moment to remind you that we are going to have one of our truth for new generation of apologetics conferences at first Baptist Beach October 15-17.

Of course I'll be here Frank turmeric renowned apologist, award-winning journalist Sandy Rios from American family radio and much more.

You can go to my website which is Alex McFarlane.com solicit Myrtle Beach as America's beach there plenty of hotel rooms and we've got registration information up on the website so you want to be here and the theme for the TNG conference. The fall 2021. Our first post coded TNG event is going to be this worldviews the battles we must win this friends, listen, there's militant secularism among the under 30 crowd rising atheism.

There's moral relativism and it wasn't enough abortion on demand.

No legal protection for the unborn.

The redefinition of marriage in the overfilled decision of 2015, now transgender is and to say that a man can't give birth and a woman is a woman that's hate speech now work talk about eliminating police departments defunding the police. We're digressing into a culture of lawlessness. Now let me say Christianity is the truth.

The Bible is the word of God. Plus, the church has prayer and there's the Holy Spirit friend do not think that America is going to die. Although we could when we've got this residue of God's people. We got the powerful life-changing gospel of the risen Lord Jesus, we have the spirit of God so you can be equipped to make a difference. You need to come to truth for new generation First Baptist Church, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina October 15-17 look Myrtle Beach is great. It's one of this nation's most desired destination points you got every reason to join us. No reason not to come. Go to Alex McFarlane.com and let's join together in prayer with people from across America. Fall of 20, 21, and let's begin to see God save this nation. Kirby I want to talk you mentioned in the other segment I just smiled Vance having I had a very godly grandmother. One month after I accepted Christ. She went to be with the Lord.

She had prayed for me and she said there's a box of books, a box of books. Well after she died. We were going to my grandmother's effects and she had left.

She wanted me to have them a box of books. Now there was a book or two by Gunn and John R.

Rice. There was a couple of books by Billy Graham. There were half a dozen books by amending Vance Hafner and I didn't read those books I devoured those books that you and I are smiling when I mention names like W.A. Criswell Vance Hafner you mention Andrew Murray. We've talked about DL Moody plot. Why do those names mean a lot. What those men of God have that hundred years later were still talking about I don't know that it was what those men had. It was who had them either.

They that were controlled by God, and basalt kibble a daily basis, and even hourly basis. Their prayer life was different.

There devotional life was different. We think that we could just have up a Sunday thing with God and were okay with that we could have a just five minutes or 10 minutes or 30 minutes with them and the more they were okay, but that's not what it's all about the possible also pray without ceasing, that we walk Ronald W. Ross closed the course, but it means that you keep the channels of communication open and you could hear him of had the privilege of having a number of – surrender to the ministry under Bobby district and out of talk with them enough solicit guys and I tell young guys the salt of upright chaplains in the guard of tri-chaplains for hospice work in healthcare chaplaincy and I've told her that if you will just listen to God's listen to his still small voice, listen for it intentionally. Listen for and obey what he tells you do, you'll do more work administered by accident than most guys dual-purpose for the church that is graying. You know Christian magazine fears that talk about the graying of the evangelical world as an gray-haired church that has not seen people saved and the youth group is small if not nonexistent what what you say, what advice you have for the plateaued or declining church. Kirby be a digital site. I bought to do something to change, but most churches don't want to change. Alex shall not talk about going to contemporary music or anything like that.

Anybody that knows Kirby which knows I'm an old-school garlic toast work okay but I'm talking about being intentional in reaching people working staff that have a bird and Bridget developed a bird within yourself to to reach people let it become an all-consuming passion to reach people with the gospel and Cecil saved the I heard a quote you may recall, who said this said, we are a harvest minded church in an on seeded generation. What does that mean things that we've got to start understanding that we're going have to have a long view with timeshare when you have to reach people with the gospel and sow seeds. The best way you socially just by showing the Jesus of your life. Live it in front of them. Let them look at you and say you've got something that there's something different about Ed and I go to some places here just have a people look at me and I know what I want the door to stop the different and they talk to me about that.

They confront me about that and I have an opportunity to reach them with the gospel led people to Jesus tailgating at football games and had a beard. Okay, don't be intimidated by people love people see the way that Jesus folks we've been talking with Rev. Kirby Wynn's data friend and colleague here at first Baptist Myrtle Beach.

I would encourage you to pray but I want to encourage you to equip yourself with your not a lot of names but one of the books that absolutely changed my life was by amending Robert Coleman was called the master plan of evangelism, incredible book, the Billy Graham ministry has promoted that book for years and years and years I think about the book by Bill Bright witnessing without fear. I think about Billy Graham's book peace with God, and of course just your Bible if you will read books like this, you'll get equipped. I'm the least likely guy you would ever think would be a soul winner and evangelist a minister I was such an introvert so shy I could never talk to anybody, but I I wanted people to be saved wanted to tell people that Jesus and I begin to read books different.

You can make a difference.

God is called you to make a difference.

God will equip you to make a difference and remember first Corinthians 1558 that your labor in the Lord is not anything. TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarlane ministry, PO Box 10231, Spero, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God in the number one or give online@alexmcfarlane.com while you're there, listen the program archives.

Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarlane.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time.

As we bring you more true for a new generation TMG radio