The New Testament Church - 5

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The New Testament Church - 5
The Work of Evangelism
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What is the work of the church?

• Evangelism seeking the lost
• Edification building up the saints
• Benevolence relieving material needs of the
  saints
• Worship

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Evangelize

• Evangelize to convert one to another religion
  (Webster)to convert one to Christianity (Random
  House)
• Evangelist Acts 218, Eph. 411, 2 Tim. 45

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Evangelize

• e?a??????? (euangelion) Gospel, to tell the good
  news (LN, 33.217)Gods good news to humans,
  good news as proclamation (BDAG)Some 77 times
  in NT

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Evangelism

• A primary function of the church
• The church of the first century continually grew
  through evangelism

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Evangelism

• It is through the preaching of the gospel that
  man is saved Rom. 116,17, 1014-17James 121,
  1 Cor. 121

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Evangelism

• The Great Commission Matthew 2818-20, Mark
  1615-16Cf. Acts 18, 84, 5-13, 2 Tim. 22
• Evangelism is important

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Evangelism

• Christians are to evangelize Acts 841 Peter
  3152 Corinthians 510-11Philippians 214-161
  Peter 29
• Every example of conversion!

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Evangelism

• Churches and evangelism
• 1 Thessalonians 18
• Acts 131-3
• 1 Timothy 314-15
• The survival of the church depends upon this!

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How Churches Evangelized

• They edified the saints built them up
  spiritually to teach
• Ephesians 411-16

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How Churches Evangelized

• They supported efforts to preach the gospel -
  locally
• 1 Thess. 18
• Paul Ephesus, Acts 1910, 2031
• Jerusalem and its growth

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How Churches Evangelized

• They supported efforts to preach the gospel -
  abroad
• Philippians 13-5, 225-30, 414-20They
  supported Paul in Thessalonica and perhaps
  elsewhere

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How Churches Evangelized

• The support of Phillipi
• No human organizations (i.e. missionary
  societies) or sponsoring churches.
• Funds sent directly to Paul (not to a local
  church)
• They maintained independence and autonomy

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How Churches Evangelized

• Philippi was NOT a sponsoring church!
• Consider Phil. 415, shared and Phil. 14,
  fellowship BOTH words are from the Greek
  ???????a, (koinonia) which means fellowship.

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How Churches Evangelized

• Philippi was NOT a sponsoring church!
• IF Philippi was a SC, then other congregations
  had NO fellowship with their resources which
  defeats the arguments being made.

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How Churches Evangelized

• They supported efforts to preach the gospel -
  abroad
• 2 Corinthians 117-8While in Corinth, more than
  one church supported Paul

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Examples today

• In this electronic age there are churches that
  are doing good works with websites, television
  and radio programs, social media, etc. as well as
  more conventional ways of reaching the lost
• IF a local work takes on such an effort by
  itself, it is authorized.

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Examples today

• BUT, there are also churches that have chosen to
  sponsor works larger than itselfTruth in love
  Broadcast (ttil.tv, Bedford, TX)In Search
  (searchtv.org, Edmond, OK)gbntv.org (Southaven,
  MS)
• Such violates scriptural examples of autonomy!

Where in Scripture?
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Examples today

• Other examples Sometimes churches might
  sponsor the evangelism of a particular country.
• They hire and send preachers. They solicit funds
  from individuals and other churches.
• WHERE is the Biblical example?

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Examples today

• NOTE That what these churches are doing is good
  works is NOT disputed!
• They may even be teaching the truth!
• BUT WHERE is the authority?

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Is It A Big Deal?

• Respect authority such are additions, NOT
  aidsIt is NOT the pattern of NT!
• Such things tamper with autonomy of the local
  church
• They divide brethren
• They denominationalize the church
• Where does it end?

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Thoughts

• NOTE There are churches that are failing to
  carry out their responsibilities in evangelism!
  They do not encourage members, or engage in what
  efforts they can!
• But such is no excuse for going outside of Gods
  boundaries (1 Cor. 46)

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Final note

• ANYTHING a church does that is authorized in
  scripture
• IS no substitute for each of us carrying our own
  load!

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Gods way WILL work!

• Can He count on us to do our part His way?