Participants: Geoff Youlden
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR001035
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01:01 Well, good evening, everybody.
01:03 We're happy that you're here. 01:05 I'm delighted I'm here. 01:07 I've just been in Melbourne, running a series of meetings 01:10 for the last six weeks and the weather is nothing like 01:13 the weather here. 01:15 So I'm delighted to be here. 01:17 Some years ago I visited Nablus which is over in Israel 01:23 and I got up very early on the morning, 01:27 in fact about 4 o'clock. 01:28 I'd hired a car and I was driving up to Nablus. 01:32 Now Nablus, in case you don't know, 01:34 is in what we call the West Bank. 01:37 Now that's highly, highly ignited area, 01:42 it's where no Israeli would go 01:47 if he values his life 01:49 and up there you don't hire a Jewish car, 01:52 otherwise you'd get stoned. 01:56 I mean, literally stoned. 02:00 Make sure your numbers on your car are Arabs 02:06 because it's highly volatile. 02:09 But I wanted to go to Nablus 02:11 because Nablus is the place 02:14 where Jesus met the woman of Samaria. 02:19 And you remember His meeting with her, 02:23 she had come down to get some water at the well 02:28 and Jesus met her there and if you have your Bibles, 02:31 and I hope you do, I want to turn to John 4:35. 02:38 The fourth Chapter of John and verse 35 02:40 and He said these words to the disciples. 02:43 John 4, after the woman had left to get back to Samaria. 02:47 By the way Samaria is only within walking distance 02:50 of Jacob's well. 02:54 And Jacob's well is famous, of course, 02:55 for two things not only because of what Jesus did 02:58 with the woman at the well but also going back to the time 03:02 when Jacob actually dug it 03:04 and the water is still drinkable 03:08 after all of these long years 03:10 and I had a drink of that water there at Nablus. 03:15 But Jesus made a statement which I want to 03:20 preface my remarks today with John 4:35 03:25 and He says "Do you not say, 03:28 'there are still four months and then comes the harvest'? 03:32 Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes 03:35 and look at the fields, 03:37 for they are already white for harvest!" 03:41 In other words as far as Jesus was concerned, 03:44 the harvest was now. 03:46 It wasn't in the future. 03:50 And if those words were true 2,000 years ago, 03:52 they are even more true today. 03:57 The harvest is ready. 04:00 The harvest is ripe but the problem is, 04:04 Jesus stated the problem over here in the Book of Matthew, 04:09 the 9th Chapter and I'd like you to turn there to 04:12 if you wouldn't mind talking of the harvest 04:14 and the issue of the last days, 04:17 Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 9 and verse... 04:24 Well, verse 37 and 38. 04:27 He said, "Then He said to His disciples, 04:30 'The harvest truly is plentiful, 04:35 but the laborers are...'" what? 04:38 "Few." 04:41 So when it comes to wining souls, 04:43 is there a problem with people 04:46 that are looking wishfully to heaven. 04:48 Is there a problem with that? Not a problem at all. 04:52 There are plenty of people outside who want to know 04:56 the truth, they may not be able to articulate 04:59 that that's their need because they don't really understand 05:03 but they have a longing in their heart 05:04 there's something better than they've got at the moment. 05:08 And Jesus said here, the harvest is plenteous 05:12 but He said the laborers are few and then He said, 05:16 verse 38, "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest 05:20 to send out laborers into the harvest." 05:26 So what is the need? 05:28 The need is for laborers and in the church today 05:33 that's what we need to understand, 05:35 we need people. 05:38 We need young people like you. 05:41 We need men and women who will devote their life 05:46 to the work of winning souls. 05:49 That's our greatest need. 05:51 You know, I visited India some years ago 05:55 and I went there to see a number of things 05:57 but one of the things that I wanted to see 05:59 above all things was the Taj Mahal. 06:03 One of the most magnificent buildings in the world. 06:07 And I was intrigued and also... 06:14 not only intrigued but rather shocked to hear 06:18 the story of the Taj. 06:21 I remember it was built by Shah, a Mughal, 06:25 Shah Jahan for his wife, 06:29 his favorite wife who died. 06:33 And he was so devastated by her death 06:36 that he wanted to build something in honor 06:38 of his favorite wife. 06:42 So when her remains were placed in a box, 06:46 he put this box in the field 06:50 and then he began construction of the building 06:54 around the box. 06:58 And of course as the days went into weeks 07:02 and then they went into months, 07:06 gradually the grief that he had for his dead wife 07:14 was surpassed by the desire to build 07:18 and the passion to build this building. 07:23 And on one occasion he was walking around the field 07:27 sizing up the building and his foot kicked this box 07:34 and it was so dusty and everything, 07:36 it just threw dust all over his shoes and over his trousers 07:41 and he said to one of the servants 07:44 that he had there, get rid of that box. 07:48 Little did the Shah realized 07:50 that the box was the remains of his wife. 07:55 It had been forgotten in the building of the Taj 08:00 because he had become so consumed with the building, 08:03 he'd forgotten the reason for the building. 08:06 Now when I read that experience, 08:09 I thought that's exactly what can happen to us. 08:16 That the church today existed originally for winning souls 08:24 and the greatest danger is, as we have become occupied 08:28 with the church and building the church, 08:32 all good, the same as building the mausoleum by the Shah, 08:37 nothing wrong with that, but the danger is 08:42 that in the building of the institutions 08:45 and the building of the church, 08:47 that we can forget the reason that we're here 08:51 and the reason is not the buildings, 08:54 the reason is not the institutions, 08:56 important as good as they are, 08:59 the reason is soul winning, to grow the church, 09:02 that's the reason we're here. 09:04 That's the reason the church exists. 09:07 All the other things are there to help us 09:10 in the work of winning souls. 09:16 And today I want to talk to you on the characteristics 09:19 of a growing church, 09:22 because over the years one gain some information 09:26 as one watches what is taking place 09:29 in some areas and what isn't taking place in others. 09:33 And I want to suggest to you that there are 09:36 a number of reasons for a growing church. 09:42 The first reason that I have, if the church is not growing, 09:46 it's not healthy. 09:49 In other words it's a sick church. 09:53 I have a little granddaughter who some years ago 09:57 was three years of age. 09:59 She's a bit older than that now but she was three. 10:02 And she'd come to me and probably she'd say, 10:05 look at my drawing and then because I couldn't understand 10:09 all the scribbles and the lines and so forth, 10:12 just appeared to me scribbles. 10:14 I said to her, Gracie, tell me what does that represent. 10:17 Tell me what is this, what is this 10:19 and she would explain that the scribble represented the trees 10:22 and this scribble represented a house 10:24 and this scribble represented the sky. 10:28 I would never have guessed it, except she told me. 10:32 But I understood at the age of three, 10:35 that's what I'll expect of a three year old. 10:40 But now that she is nine, if she came to me 10:44 with scribbles like that, 10:47 I know there would be something seriously wrong, 10:49 isn't that right? 10:50 Very wrong. 10:53 And so it is with the church. 10:57 The church is not growing, it's not healthy. 11:02 And if the church is still doing scribbles, 11:05 when it should be doing proper paintings, 11:08 there's something very, very wrong. 11:10 The second suggestion I have for a growing church 11:14 is that the church does not grow by accident. 11:19 It just doesn't happen, it's got to be planned. 11:23 Just as a baby grows if it's fed 11:25 and nurtured and trained, 11:27 you see development, the same is true of the church. 11:31 The third reason I want to suggest 11:33 is that the Pastor is the key 11:38 to the growth of the church. 11:41 Now why do I say that? 11:43 Because he or she must be totally committed 11:48 to the fact that the church 11:50 that he or she is in charge of must grow. 11:55 They must be totally committed to evangelism. 11:59 And unless we're committed to that as leaders of the church, 12:02 the church is never going to grow. 12:04 I'd like to think of the paid pastor, 12:06 and by the way when we talk about the pastor, 12:08 we're not necessarily talking about the paid pastor. 12:11 There are two groups of pastors. 12:14 There is that group that are paid, 12:16 that's the small group, 12:18 but then there is the rest of us who're not paid 12:21 but we are called to do the work of ministry, 12:24 to do the work of a pastor. 12:28 And we've all got to work together. 12:31 And the paid pastor is really the CEO, 12:36 if I could use the business model, 12:39 the CEO of the church. 12:41 He sets the tone, he sets the bias of the church 12:46 and if he has that bias, the church will have that bias. 12:51 I was talking to a pastor just recently 12:53 who was very successful and is very successful 12:58 in growing his church. 13:01 And he told me that the successful pastor, 13:03 he must breathe evangelism. 13:06 Now I like that expression. 13:07 He went on to say that he sees the pastor as the... 13:14 what should we say, the... 13:16 playing coach, not just a coach he said 13:18 but the coach must be a playing coach. 13:21 He must get in the trenches with the members, 13:23 he must do what he expects the members to do 13:26 and if he expects the members to get out door knocking, 13:29 he must get out and do some door knocking. 13:32 If he expects the members to entertain, 13:36 he must entertain. 13:38 He must be in the trenches with the members. 13:44 Another in characteristic of a pastor who is having, 13:48 has a growing church is that the pastor must believe 13:51 in the Adventist message, and must preach 13:55 the Adventist message and preach it regularly. 13:58 And he must have a strong, 14:00 and she must have a strong commitment 14:03 and strong convictions. 14:06 And if that pastor has those things, 14:08 the church will get catch that enthusiasm. 14:16 It will catch the disease of evangelism 14:18 if I could use that word because it is contagious. 14:23 The fourth suggestion I have is that the growing church, 14:28 a soul winning church will have a pastor 14:31 who trains his lay folk to be soul winners. 14:37 I want to read you a verse that I'm sure 14:39 you're familiar with over in the Book of Ephesians. 14:41 If you've got your Bibles, 14:43 I'll prefer you to turn them up, 14:44 and not look on the screen, 14:47 because we have television here but... 14:52 you know, I was talking to my group today on Bible studies 14:56 and you know there is a desire 14:59 and there is nothing wrong with this, 15:01 don't think that I'm having a go at iPads and so forth. 15:04 But there are many of us, in particularly the age 15:07 that we are here who have iPhones 15:13 and iPads and all the things that go with it 15:16 and you have the Bible on the iPad. 15:21 Now I heard before, there was a question 15:24 about memorizing scripture. 15:27 I want to suggest if you want to memorize scripture, 15:29 that is not a very good way to try to memorize it 15:32 because memorization is helped by position on the page 15:38 and sometimes your memory will not always be clear 15:42 as to exactly the verse, but you remember, 15:46 uh, it's up the top left hand corner, 15:48 I remember there in the Book of Romans 15:50 but you can't do that 15:51 if you're going to follow it on an iPad. 15:55 And so said I'm not speaking, I'm not here 15:57 riling against iPads because I prefer 15:59 you'd have an iPad than nothing 16:00 but the best is to have the soul here in your hand, 16:03 get the idea. 16:05 So let's turn up Ephesians, the 4th Chapter 16:08 and notice here, Ephesians the 4th Chapter 16:12 and Paul is writing here to the church 16:15 and he's saying in Ephesians the 4th Chapter 16:19 that describes something that's very interesting. 16:23 In Chapter 4 and you'll notice here in verse 11. 16:31 He says, "He Himself gave some to be apostles, 16:34 some prophets, some evangelists, 16:36 some pastors and teachers." 16:38 Now why did He give all of those gifts? 16:41 Verse 12. 16:42 "For the equipping of the saints 16:43 for the work of the ministry, 16:48 for the edifying of the body of Christ, 16:50 till we all come in to the unity of the faith." 16:52 In other words, the text there should not have a comma in, 16:56 other translations says in order to fully equip His people 17:00 for the work of serving. 17:02 That's the work of the paid ministry 17:04 is to train the church members to become soul winners. 17:10 That's his primary job, to equip God's people 17:14 for work in His service, the New English Bible says, 17:17 "In order to get his holy people 17:19 ready to serve as workers." 17:21 Another translation says, "His gifts were made 17:23 that Christians might be properly equipped 17:26 for their service." 17:28 And let me read you what Ellen White says, 17:32 "Let the minister devote more of his time 17:35 to educating than to preaching." 17:38 Now I never understood this for many years, 17:41 I'll have to confess. 17:43 But she says here that our efforts must go 17:48 into educating than into preaching 17:51 and I'm not minimizing preaching, 17:53 I think preaching is so very, very important 17:56 and we need to become better preachers, 17:59 better preachers and better preachers. 18:02 But that's not the most important work, 18:06 the most important work is educating. 18:12 "Let him teach the people how to give to others 18:15 the knowledge they have received." 18:22 And I'm challenged by that. 18:27 In fact most pastors including myself for many years 18:30 devoted most of our time to equipping ourselves 18:34 that that we could become better preachers. 18:38 I have learned over the years 18:39 that's not the primary responsibility, 18:43 important as preaching is, and I'm not minimizing it, 18:46 I'm just trying to elevate the necessity of education. 18:52 In fact she goes on to say, "It is not the Lord's purpose 18:56 that ministers should be left to do 18:58 the greatest part of the work 18:59 of sowing the seeds of truth." 19:04 That's why many ministers get burned out 19:06 because they feel all they're left to do 19:09 all the responsibility of evangelism, 19:12 that is not the way it is. 19:16 In fact she goes on to say, "In laboring where there are 19:19 already some in the faith, the minister should at first 19:21 seek not so much to convert unbelievers, 19:23 as to train the church members for acceptable cooperation." 19:27 Doesn't it make sense when you think about it? 19:29 You can do more as a team than you can as one individual, 19:32 even though that one individual might be 19:34 very efficient and proficient and the best preacher 19:37 and the best person that there is, 19:40 but if you've got a dozen people, 19:43 you can multiply, your effecting is far greater, 19:45 isn't that true? 19:47 It just makes sense. 19:50 And we need to as leaders in the church 19:54 and I look upon you as the leaders of the church, 19:57 you young people have the church in your hands, 20:02 you are the generation, the now generation. 20:05 And young people have a tremendous influence. 20:10 The evangelistic program I've just conducted, 20:12 we had young people, a male and a female 20:15 do the introduction similar to what we're doing here. 20:17 It was very, very effective 20:21 because it drew other young people to come 20:24 and it's something that's fresh and vibrant 20:27 and very wholesome about young people leading out 20:31 and let no one despise your youth as the Bible says. 20:35 You have a tremendous responsibility 20:37 to take up the opportunities that is ours. 20:44 Listen to this, "Those who would be overcomers 20:48 must be drawn out of themselves," 20:50 listen to this, 20:52 "and the only thing which will accomplish this great work 20:56 is to become intensely interested 20:58 in the salvation of others." 21:00 Isn't that a powerful statement? 21:02 As you become interested in helping others, 21:05 it'll help your own experience. 21:07 You become a different person once you start sharing 21:13 and for your own salvation sake, 21:15 you must become involved. 21:19 "The greatest help that can be given our people 21:22 is to teach them to work for God." 21:26 Because an entirely new experience takes place 21:28 once we begin to work for God. 21:32 "And to depend upon Him, not on the minister." 21:38 If you think about Jesus, what did He do? 21:41 He spent very little of His time 21:43 with the multitude, is that true? 21:47 When you think about it, Jesus didn't spend 21:49 a lot of time with the large mass of people, 21:53 He spent most of His time with the 12 21:57 because He realized that the success of the church 22:01 in the future lay with those 12. 22:05 He was going to leave and go back, 22:08 so His time with the large numbers is fairly minimal 22:16 but He trained the 12. 22:21 "So long as church members make no effort 22:24 to give others the help given them, 22:26 great spiritual feebleness must result." 22:32 No wonder some of our churches are feeble 22:35 because very few members are being trained 22:39 and being equipped to do the work of evangelism, 22:43 that's why our soul winning 22:45 is not as high as it ought to be. 22:49 And why our churches are not growing as they should do. 22:52 Now, there are exceptions to that and thank God there are. 22:55 I'm talking in a general sense. 23:00 The fifth point that I'd like to make 23:03 today is the healthy growing church 23:06 takes the Great Commission as their modus operandi. 23:13 You know the statement that Jesus gave over here 23:16 in Matthew Chapter 28, the last recorded statement 23:21 that Jesus made before He went back to heaven, 23:23 Matthew 28:18 onwards where Jesus said, 23:30 He came and spoke to them saying, 23:32 "All authority has been given to Me 23:34 on heaven and on earth. 23:35 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 23:38 baptizing them in the name of the Father 23:40 and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, 23:43 teaching them to observe all things 23:45 that I have commanded you, and lo, I'm with you always, 23:49 even to the end of the age." 23:52 I notice that there are four verbs 23:53 that Jesus used here. 23:55 First of all He said go. 23:58 Then what did He say next? 24:01 Baptize. Then what did He say next? 24:04 Make disciples. And then what did He say? 24:08 Teach them. 24:12 Four great verbs, go. 24:15 That's the preparation, that's an indication 24:18 to my mind of the preparation that we need to do 24:20 before evangelistic meetings ever take place. 24:23 That's when we run our five day plans, 24:24 that's when we run our cooking classes, 24:26 that's when we run our depression classes, 24:28 that's when we do all the seed sowing. 24:31 We go out, we do door knocking. 24:36 We use the beyond and any other method 24:38 that we can think of that will get some interests. 24:42 That's the preparation that we have to do 24:45 and listen, if we don't do the preparation 24:47 before the program starts, 24:49 the results are always going to be very minimal, always. 24:54 But some of us have learned that if we till the ground 24:57 before we try to harvest, 24:59 then we naturally get a good harvest, 25:01 but if we try to harvest that which hasn't been sown, 25:05 we'll have very minimal results 25:07 and that's why some people are negative 25:08 regarding public evangelism 25:10 because when the public evangelistic meetings 25:12 have been run, very little preparation is ever been done. 25:15 We blame the evangelist then for a failure. 25:18 It's not the evangelist's fault. 25:20 It's the lack of preparation that's been done. 25:24 But if we will do the preparation, 25:26 then good results will always follow... 25:30 always. 25:32 And we need to do those four things 25:34 that Jesus outlines in these verses 25:36 and it's a bit like a stool, you know, 25:38 you have a four legged stool and only have three legs on it, 25:41 and see what happens. 25:43 It'll never be stable, you can't sit on it. 25:46 We need the four things in order to be successful 25:50 in our evangelism 25:52 and we'll talk a little bit more about that. 25:55 Then the sixth point that I've got 25:57 is the growing evangelistic church 26:00 has a leader who has a very clear vision 26:05 of where the church needs to go. 26:10 Very, very clear. 26:13 And he's able to convey that vision 26:15 to every person in the pew, 26:20 so that members understand the vision. 26:25 You know the Bible says without a vision 26:27 what will happen to the people. 26:29 They perish. 26:32 And one of the greatest things that we can do as leaders 26:35 in the church is to convey the vision 26:38 that we have so that every person in the congregation 26:42 will get that vision. 26:48 My next point, point seven. 26:52 The healthy growing church has clear goals 26:57 for the next five years. 27:02 How important that is? 27:05 What might those goals be? 27:09 Well, one of the goals might be 27:12 that we would like to see this church 27:15 increase its members by 40% 27:18 over the next five years. 27:22 Now that's a quantitative, it's a realistic number, 27:27 40% over the next five years. 27:32 That means that if we break that down into five, 27:37 how much growth would you need each year? 27:45 You're foundation members of the math's class I can see, 27:51 some mathematician tell us... 27:53 Eight percent. 27:55 Yes, 8%, that's not hard to work out, is it? 27:59 40/5=8, all right, 28:02 then if we're going to have 40% growth 28:04 in our church over a five year period, 28:07 we break it down into 8%. 28:12 So this year we're planning to win 8% 28:15 to grow our church by 8%. 28:18 Now why is it important to do that? 28:20 Because if we're going to do that, 28:22 then we need to put in place 28:24 programs to make sure that happens. 28:26 It's not gonna happen just because we decided 28:29 that's going to happen. 28:30 It's going to happen only when we make that decision 28:34 and then we put into operation plans 28:37 that will facilitate the growth of the church by 8%. 28:41 And I tell you, look, 8% is not a huge number, 28:45 because the larger the church is, 28:47 the more people you've got to help. 28:49 If it's only a small church if it has say 50 members, 28:54 well, how many baptisms would you need in membership of 50? 29:03 You folk are smiling when it comes to mathematics. 29:07 How many 50? 29:09 Four. Yeah, four. 29:13 Now surely, four members shouldn't be hard, 29:17 is that right if you've got 50 members? 29:20 Dear, oh, dear. 29:23 The problem is that our thinking 29:25 is often being too small, 29:29 therefore I put into operation all the plans 29:33 that will need to be added if we're going to be successful 29:36 in growing our church in the coming year 29:39 and those plans will vary. 29:42 For example, I think one of the good things these days 29:45 is that we can run depression classes 29:47 and down in Melbourne, we had Cheri Peters come 29:51 and some of the best interests that we got 29:53 came from her program. 29:56 Because you see people 29:58 who come to her program have a need 30:03 and until the person has the need, 30:05 I don't think they're ever gonna turn their hearts to God. 30:08 But these people came out 30:09 and many of them are studying now 30:11 and attended the meetings all the way through 30:13 and are planning to be baptized. 30:16 Quite a few of them said to me, 30:17 pastor, we're going to be baptized soon. 30:19 Wonderful, wonderful. 30:23 And it happens when we plan. 30:27 And not only that, depression courses, 30:29 many people are suffering from depression 30:31 in our society today, 30:33 and we can run those programs 30:35 because that's all on video and DVDs 30:39 and you don't have to know all the information 30:41 because the information's been done by a professional. 30:45 Helping people give up smoking if that's what you want to do, 30:48 cooking classes, wonderful avenue, 30:52 when we use it evangelistically, 30:54 not just to teach them how to cook 30:56 because if we just teach them how to cook, 30:59 all they're doing is extending their life a little, 31:01 to sin a little bit more. 31:03 So that's not our purpose, 31:07 our purpose has to be evangelistic, 31:10 that we are extending their lives 31:12 so that they've got time to not only to live longer 31:15 but to get to know God, isn't that right? 31:18 Yes. 31:20 And so we will have plans, 31:23 we'll have plans for the next five years. 31:25 We'll then break that down into three years, 31:27 into one year and when we have plans like that in our church, 31:33 then there are plans that we can all accomplish 31:39 and I talk to you not because I'm expecting you 31:41 to be the paid ministry at the moment, 31:43 some of you are and some of you will be, 31:45 thank God for that but many of you won't 31:48 but you are board members, 31:50 you are members of your church and it's time that you spoke up 31:54 and helped on your board meetings 31:56 and your business meetings to talk about these things, 31:58 bring these subjects up. 32:01 It may be a new thought to some of the members of the church, 32:04 but if you get passionate about it, 32:06 it's amazing how your passion 32:08 will start to filter through to other members in the church. 32:15 Eight percent growth, and I have found 32:20 that evangelism is best divided into three simple sections. 32:23 The first is the sowing and we've been talking 32:26 all about these preparation programs, the sowing. 32:31 And the better the sowing is done, 32:33 the better the reaping is going to be. 32:35 Then there is the reaping and as we said, 32:39 it's no good trying to reap what you haven't sown. 32:44 And it's no good sowing unless you plan to reap, 32:47 isn't that right? 32:49 One of the strange things that I have noticed 32:52 in some of our churches is that they are very keen 32:56 on running all over these programs. 32:57 This is not a new thought to many at all. 33:00 We've been doing a lot of these things, 33:02 but those same churches often never reap 33:06 the interest that they stimulate. 33:11 They get these people on the cooking classes 33:13 and the depression classes and maybe Cheri Peter's program 33:18 and this program and archeology 33:20 and all these other programs that we can run, 33:22 but we never then take in the next step 33:25 of trying to reap them, 33:26 that's where the public meetings must be run. 33:32 And then the third section, the sowing, 33:34 then there's the reaping and then the third section 33:37 is the nurture, 33:39 because we must nurture these new people, 33:42 otherwise they'll drop out 33:44 because we've got to nurture them with new friends. 33:47 We've got to nurture them to help them 33:50 overcome bad habits. 33:51 We have to nurture them in all the things 33:53 that they need to be supported in 33:55 when they have accepted a new way of thinking. 33:59 That's where the nurture comes in. 34:02 And those three things must always be put together 34:05 and when we put them together, we'll have great success. 34:09 I'd like to suggest to you that a healthy growing church, 34:15 board meetings are very different 34:17 to ordinary board meetings. 34:22 Very different. 34:24 A growing church has board meetings. 34:27 We cannot do away with board meetings. 34:29 When we're running a church, 34:31 you've got to have organization. 34:33 I meet some people who always are bit negative 34:35 about all these meetings. 34:37 Now there is a place we've got to organize. 34:40 You can't have everyone 34:41 running in different directions, 34:42 otherwise you do nothing. 34:44 It must be organized but a growing church's 34:48 board meetings are very different 34:50 to another church's board meetings 34:51 because a growing church's board meeting, 34:53 the first thing that they discuss at the board meeting 34:56 is the soul winning. 34:58 And every department that gives a report 35:01 then is reporting on how they are helping 35:05 achieve the aims that the church has 35:08 for the year, get the idea? 35:10 How is the Sabbath school contributing 35:12 to growing our church by 8% this year? 35:16 How the youth department, how is that contributing 35:19 to the growth of the church? 35:20 What are they doing to help grow the church? 35:24 What is each department doing 35:26 and that's what's discussed at the board meeting. 35:29 Ahead of what color carpet we're going to have 35:31 and whether we're going to paint 35:32 the church today or next week, 35:35 they are important things 35:36 but they're not the most important thing. 35:38 The most important thing is the evangelistic emphasis. 35:41 And so the first thing that we discuss 35:43 on a growing church's board meeting is the evangelism. 35:47 That's the first thing on the agenda. 35:50 And then we relate that back to our growth aims and plans. 35:57 Our budget is set, the church sets its budget 36:00 with evangelism as its top priority, 36:04 not just by giving a few dollars at the end 36:06 when there's everything else been cared for. 36:08 No, evangelism is the most important thing 36:11 and if there's anyone going to suffer, 36:12 it's not the evangelism 36:15 because that is top priority. 36:18 I'd like to suggest my point number nine is this. 36:23 A growing evangelistic church will have a public evangelism 36:27 as part of its yearly outreach. 36:32 Now I cannot emphasize this too much. 36:35 Now you say, well, it's all very well, 36:37 you love public evangelism and that's what you do, 36:39 so you're going to emphasize this. 36:40 Now, let me explain why it must 36:43 fit into every growing church's program. 36:47 Any church that is not using public evangelism 36:50 is not growing by very much. 36:54 Now you can have some growth 36:56 without running public programs, that is true. 36:59 It'll be one or two here, the youth of the church 37:01 and there's nothing wrong with that, 37:02 that's important, very important. 37:06 But if we're going to see real growth, 37:08 you got to have a reaping segment 37:10 in your church program every year. 37:15 Not just once every so often like it happens. 37:19 You know, I got to a church 37:20 and we run an evangelistic program 37:23 and then they sit back and don't have another one 37:25 for the next five years. 37:28 This is what happens over and over and over again. 37:31 That's not the plan that we have. 37:32 There must be a reaping component 37:35 in the church program every year. 37:38 Now when I'm talking about a reaping campaign, 37:40 I'm not necessarily talking about someone standing up 37:43 the front and doing it solo. 37:46 That is a very important 37:48 and a very effective way of doing it 37:51 but it's not the only way. 37:53 Running Daniel and Revelation seminars, 37:56 seminar evangelism is very, very effective 38:00 and we've already got those seminars, already done for us. 38:05 All we have to do is to make a path 38:07 of our church plan for this year. 38:09 In other words, if I'm believing 38:11 in a reaping campaign as a pastor, 38:15 I'll work out and say well, at this particular month, 38:18 for these two months, 38:20 this is going to be our reaping segment of the year. 38:22 We're going to be sowing here and sowing there 38:24 and we're going to be keep sowing 38:26 but we're going to have a reaping campaign 38:28 because the cream that comes to the surface, 38:31 we can reap as that cream surfaces, get the idea? 38:35 Because cream will come to the surface at different times. 38:42 And as it does, we skim it off and we're always reaping-- 38:47 we're always sowing and always reaping 38:51 and of course that implies 38:53 that we're always nurturing as well. 38:56 The three things, we're rowing the boat 38:59 with now three oars. 39:03 Two at the front, one at the back, 39:10 keeping the boat straight. 39:13 Because each of those things is very important, 39:16 vital if we're going to have success in our church. 39:20 In fact let me read you a text that supports what I'm saying. 39:23 It's found over here in the Book of Acts, 39:26 the 20th Chapter, I call this 2020 vision. 39:31 That's how you can remember it. 39:33 Acts 20:20. 39:35 This is talking about the work in the Book of Acts 39:38 and how the church grew in the early days, 39:42 in the 1st Century and Paul outlines 39:45 how he grew the church. 39:46 It says, verse 20, "How I kept back nothing that was helpful, 39:52 but proclaimed it to you, and taught you--" what? 39:56 "Publicly and from--" what? 40:01 House to house. 40:03 There's the combination of both things together 40:07 and that's what we must do. 40:11 We must have the personal work as well as the public work 40:17 and unfortunately often we find churches 40:20 that want to major in one or the other, 40:23 but we've got to have both as to have a balance 40:27 and that's one of the strange enigmas 40:33 of many of our churches. 40:36 And today the idea that public evangelism 40:39 doesn't work is a myth. 40:42 It's a greatest myth that continues to be repeated. 40:45 And unfortunately it's given some legs 40:48 because sometimes we try to run evangelistic programs 40:52 and we've done very little preparation 40:53 so what's gonna be the results 40:55 I don't care if Gabriel was the preacher. 40:58 And no preparation is done, very little results 41:01 will take place because there's nothing magical 41:04 about just standing up in front of an audience. 41:06 That's not magical. 41:08 What is important is to have people who are interested 41:13 and who have been prepared in the audience, 41:16 then you can do something with those people, 41:19 and then it becomes a reaping campaign 41:22 and unfortunately some have tried to go to 41:27 Sunday keeping churches 41:28 to try to emulate the way they do evangelism 41:31 and has never worked in the Adventist church. 41:36 I've been to places like Willow Creek 41:39 and churches like that and it never ever has ever worked 41:43 inside the Adventist church because our message 41:46 is different to theirs. 41:49 We are not just changing them 41:50 from one Sunday keeping church to another. 41:53 We have to teach them a completely new lifestyle, 41:57 a completely new set of doctrines 42:00 and so with public evangelism goes the teaching emphasis 42:04 and Adventist public evangelism is different 42:07 to Sunday keeping evangelism 42:09 because it involves a teaching aspect 42:14 and a very deep teaching program. 42:19 Now I also believe in small groups. 42:24 I believe that no church is really going to grow 42:27 except it has a small group ministry going on, 42:34 because in the small groups, 42:36 that's where the nurture takes place, 42:39 that's where the relationships are built 42:42 in those small groups. 42:43 And any church that seriously wants to grow 42:46 must have small groups. 42:50 And unfortunately I have noticed 42:52 that those who are into small groups 42:54 and we have some who are very high on small groups 42:57 in the Adventist church, and that's good, 43:00 but what's not so good is that often those people 43:05 are not into public preaching, into the reaping aspect of it. 43:09 So they're so high on developing small groups 43:12 but they never do the reaping. 43:15 And then there are others who want to major 43:17 in the public program that they are not interested 43:19 so much in the small groups, both are wrong, 43:23 because we need both to go because one feeds the other. 43:27 I was in Melbourne just recently 43:30 and I went to one of these small groups 43:33 and they were actually celebrating 43:36 the communion service in the small group. 43:38 Now I've never been in a small group which celebrated 43:40 the communion service before and I was very intrigued 43:43 by took place, very intrigued. 43:46 I saw there the interaction with the people, 43:50 I saw the encouragement that took place, 43:53 I saw the fun that they had together as they laughed 43:56 and so forth together. 43:58 And then I noticed that they affirmed 44:01 one another in that group. 44:04 And the social interaction that took place, 44:07 no wonder they're keeping their people 44:09 because the people love meeting together 44:12 and then public program, 44:14 when it comes in the church on Sabbath, 44:16 simply all the church comes together 44:19 but the real work is done in those small groups 44:22 and I want to encourage you as leaders in your church 44:24 to get small groups going. 44:28 It's vital, it's important. 44:30 And by the way, small groups are not something 44:32 that we've copied from Sunday keeping churches, 44:34 they copied it from us. 44:36 Ellen White talked about small groups, 44:41 she calls them cottage meetings. 44:46 And she said that the cottage meetings are so 44:48 very, very important 44:52 and so we need to follow her counsel 44:56 and follow that through. 44:59 And people are best nurtured you know, 45:02 sometimes I have noticed that some of our small groups 45:06 are groups that are concerned with only nurture, 45:10 not evangelism, so talking to one another. 45:16 Church members who are only nurturing people 45:20 will never grow strong Christians. 45:24 There needs to be more than just nurture. 45:26 Nurture is important, but there needs to be 45:30 an outreach as well, 45:32 because the nurturing takes best 45:34 as we read before as we share with others. 45:39 As we help others, we help ourselves 45:43 and nothing is more wonderful than to be able to share 45:46 with something else and I often go home 45:48 from an evangelistic meeting on cloud nine 45:51 simply because to have had the privilege 45:54 of speaking to people and to see their reaction 45:56 and their positive reaction and accepting the message 45:59 lifts my own spirits and it'll do your spirit 46:03 just so much good when you're visiting people 46:05 and you're studying with them 46:06 and you see the light in their eyes, 46:09 suddenly adorns on them what you're saying, 46:11 and it makes sense they will tell you. 46:14 That change that takes place in people's hearts 46:17 will encourage you like nothing else. 46:20 And as Ellen White has reminded us 46:22 the way to grow spiritually is to help others. 46:26 My last point is 46:30 prayer is vital, 46:34 a vital strategy in growing the evangelistic church. 46:39 Prayer for our own conversion and prayer for the lost 46:42 in our communities. 46:43 I have been with pastors who have taken me out 46:46 in their churches, 46:49 when we're organizing evangelistic programs 46:51 and on Sunday morning we've gotten up early 46:53 and we have gone to strategic places in town 46:57 and we have prayed for the town. 47:01 I think that's a wonderful idea, 47:04 praying for the lost and this particular pastor 47:08 used to take his elders and his leaders up 47:10 and they would pray at different sections 47:14 around the town. 47:16 Wonderful idea. 47:20 And if you'll do that, you'll find the transformation. 47:26 Now I said there was 11, there's actually 12 points. 47:32 What's the 12? 47:34 Every member has an assigned territory. 47:39 You know, the older I get the more 47:41 I'm convinced that we all need to have 47:46 our own territory and work, 47:47 we've done that with your upheld permissions 47:49 over the years and it's been very successful 47:51 because if you go back year after year, 47:53 my wife goes back to a territory 47:55 that they haven't and they know her now 47:57 and they just give her very large sums of money 48:01 because they've gotten to trust her. 48:03 Now the same is true, if you work your territory, 48:06 then you'll find that the people will begin 48:10 to develop a relationship with you. 48:12 And so we need to have our own territory. 48:16 You know, I have a vision, 48:19 if I could borrow Martin Luther King's phraseology. 48:25 I have a vision today 48:29 that every pastor in our church 48:34 will have a passion for the lost, 48:39 not just the administration of the church 48:41 but a passion for the lost. 48:43 I have a vision where I see lay people 48:46 everywhere supporting their pastors 48:49 and helping them and being trained by their pastors 48:52 so that they can go out to win souls. 48:58 And I have a vision where I see the last great work 49:04 that's going to take place on this earth 49:07 driven by young people 49:09 who are committed to this cause, 49:13 committed to spreading the Adventist message. 49:18 That is their passion, that is the other job 49:21 that they do is only done to provide them with money 49:25 so that they can do their passion. 49:28 Their passion is their main drive in life, winning souls. 49:33 Everything else is there to support that. 49:36 I have a vision and I would like to think 49:39 that it's going to start with those of us 49:41 who are in this conference. 49:44 As we go back to our churches to inspire and to lead 49:50 and to provide an impetus, 49:57 because if we will stand and if we will explain 50:03 our enthusiasm and folk will see it, 50:05 it'll be contagious. 50:09 And I want to encourage you as we pray now 50:13 that God will be able to transform our life 50:17 not just into believing what we believe 50:19 but in sharing what we believe because Jesus is coming soon. 50:24 Is that right? 50:25 I believe that and you believe it, 50:27 that's why you're here. 50:28 And I want you to be ready when Jesus comes. 50:31 Let's just bow our heads in prayer. 50:33 Our wonderful Father in heaven, 50:34 I just want to thank You today for the privilege 50:37 that is us to be a member of Your family, 50:40 the last great work on this earth. 50:43 Lord, You have called us from darkness 50:45 into marvelous light and I pray Lord 50:48 that You will just be continue to be with us 50:50 and inspire us and enthuse us and just help us 50:54 to take the lead in our churches, 50:56 to support our paid ministers 50:59 so that together we can march toward that heavenly kingdom. 51:03 There are so many people, the harvest 51:05 Jesus said is plenteous, it's the reapers 51:08 and so I pray for the reapers today. 51:10 Bless us now I pray and be with us 51:13 until Jesus comes, is my prayer for His namesake. 51:17 Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17