Lets NOT tell people about God

When it comes to being a Christian there is one job that we most do. This is the job of evangelism and it is a must.  But why are Christian not doing their jobs and worst of all, why are churches/pastors not teaching their members how to evangelize? 

The Great Commission Matthew 28:16-20

16 The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

What does this passage mean to people today.  I have heard a lot of people clam that Jesus was only talking to His disciples, well for those people I say, “Get behind me Satan”. It is getting so bad in the USA that now Churches from oversea are sending missionary’s to the USA.  This is the country that was founded on Christians principles but now need Christians from other lands to show us were we have went astray. 

I found this quote in a Sunday School booklet, tell me what you think.

“We will win the world when we realize that fellowship, not evangelism, must be our primary emphasis. When we demonstrate the Big Miracle of Love, it won’t be necessary for us to go out- they will come in.” - Jess Moody

What the Crap!!! I am sorry but where in the bible does it tell to give up on evangelism?  Again; 

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you

For those who don’t know, I live in Utah.  Utah is a very unchristian state. I have 2 Mormon churches down the road from me. There are a total of 5 Mormon churches in the town that I live.  The town in which I pastor, there are 4 wards in 2 Mormon Churches (The only reason I live in another town is because we have not moved yet, our house has not became open yet.)

The point is that here in Utah, the Mormon church tells it’s members that they are the only true church and that every other church is wrong and that if they are seen in another church then they can be kicked out.  This is something that Mormons fear and in no way will they come because of our fellowship style. I have to Go and reach them with the truth. In other word, I HAVE TO EVANGLIZE TO THEM ARE THEY WILL LOSE THEIR SOULS, THEY WILL NOT COME IN.  

But this is the same everywhere.  You have to preach to the people.  I have been preaching over the book of Jonah and Jonah was called to go to Nineveh to preach the Word of God to them.  He did not show them his fellowship style and hope for the best, no, he preached to them about the sins they were committing and told them to turn to God.  

Did Jesus say, “Hey guys, have a seat and watch us fellowship, it will be great”? NO, he told the people to turn and repent.  JESUS EVANGLIZED because He knew that people need to here the truth. 

As a pastor I am so sick of churches and it’s pastor being cowards to evangelism.  They look at evangelism as some kind of dirty word.  They do not what the church to be the black eye in the community or the pastor just does not want to lose his appeal for being the guy that’s always inviting people to church. 

A pastor’s job is to preach the gospel to everyone and that does not mean just the people inside the church. It also does not mean that members can leave all the work to the pastor.  If anyone calls themselves a Christian then they need to preach the Good News about Christ. 

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! Romans 10:15 (HCSB)

The Happy-Go-Lucky Message

Over the Years I have read, saw on TV, and heard in person the Health and wealth message. These people are false teachers. They preach a message that will only make them rich and famous and grow their churches.

22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. Mark 13:22 (HCSB)

If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, 1 Tim 6:3 (HCSB)

A lot of people have become lost to these teachers and if do not listen to the truth will be lost to the evil one. As a pastor I am charge with teaching the truth about Jesus Christ and preparing Christians for the life they must live for Him. Now I am not saying that God has not blessed people with money but the problem is that people are being taught that if they accept Jesus, then they will become rich and everything will be great for them. But what does the Bible Say?

The Rich Young Ruler

17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”

20 He said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But he was stunned at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. Mark 10:17-22 (HCSB)

This Young man had a lot of money and he did not want to give up that life. He gave up eternal life for a happy easy life on earth. Some preachers of today have read this and now believe that they can have they cake and eat it too. But if had to give up their money, could they. Jesus went on to say;

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:23-27

Rich people can make it to Heaven but only if they put God before their money. But again the message of God has nothing to do with becoming rich. Jesus tells us that we must give up everything for Him. We must give up our money, jobs, even our lives if need be.

We will become rich but that will come when we get to Heaven and in will not be with money but will be with glory. The joy that we have when Jesus tell us, “Well done” will be better than any money on earth.

The problem is that pastors are not preaching out of the bible. Yes they may read verses but they take those verses out of context and never truly read the bible for the reason that God intended it.

I was talking with a mother of a newly married couple who were trying to find a church close to their new home in a suburb of the St. Louis area. Over a month or two they finally find a church of a pastor friend of mine. As I was talking with the mother, she told me that they finally find a church were the pastor actually preaches from the bible. How crazy is that to hear that pastors are not preaching from the bible anymore. Well that goes to say that the bible may be too hard for them to read themselves, let alone preach out of it.

The way that the USA has been over the past few year, it has became a land were God cannot be seen. Along with that People do not what to hear about Jesus unless some planes fly into some buildings. I know that’s had to say but what happen to the churches after 9/11, they were filled with people. But just like time after time, they heard something good and then got tired of it.

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 2 Tim 4:3-4 (HCSB)

But if you tell the people that they will become rich and health and happy, well that’s what they want to hear.

I remember a time when my dad was feeling “down” and wanted to go with me to church one Sunday morning. I thought that this was it; I could finally talk to him about God and show him the truth. When we left the church he looked at me and said, “Well that made me feel better”, He did not step back into a church until I became a pastor.

That’s what people want, they want to feel good. They don’t want to hear about sin and that they are sinners, but that’s what they need to hear. Pastor care too much about numbers and preaching sin is not going to bring in the people, but fancy lights and cameras and getting their churches on TV so they can become a mega-Church. What faster way to become large if you preach the money news and not the Good News.

For those who are reading this, please understand that I only want all these people who follow the false teachers to come to know what Jesus is really saying. I also want those pastors to see what is right and to start preaching from the bible. I do not write this because I am negative but because I care about the lost. Only Jesus can save man and I ask that you read the bible for yourself and study it. Learn what is says and prepare yourselves for what’s to come. If you live the health and wealth message they when the end comes you will be strongly upset and what Christians have to go through.

It’s in Jesus name

 

 

 

How Cool is God

So this past week I started a new sermon series on the book of Jonah.  I planed to just do a 2 week series but God had other ideas.  I started to work on the 1st week sermon and as I was writing it I wrote one sermon just on the first chapter. So no 2 week series anymore. I wanted to do the 1st sermon over chapter 1 & 2 but now I only had a sermon over chapter 1. 

So Sunday when I got up to start the sermon I had to tell the people that we would be in Jonah for as long as God wanted us to.  HOW COOL IS GOD??? I love being used by God to preach His word. I love when God Does things like this, It show me How awesome He is and you know, it makes me feel good to know that He is uses someone like me. 

Listen to God and He will use you to.

Just something I wanted to put into words.  Talk to you all later.

All Things New

So my family and I moved to Roosevelt, Utah at the first of December. We had never been to Utah and at first I did not want to leave Missouri, but we knew that God wanted us in Utah.

I love St. Louis, everything from the Arch to the Blues to Old Downtown St. Charles. (I know, that’s St. Charles but you know what I mean.)  I had a Job, friends, family (an hour away), but I knew God did not want me there anymore. 

God was calling my family and I to Utah where I had no job to speak of, no family, I knew no one, and its cold… Oh so cold. But God said go and we went. 

We did not have the money to go, but again God provided the way.  We packed up and moved to Roosevelt, UT. 

So your asking, “What’s in Roosevelt Utah?” NOTHING THERE IS NOTHING HERE IN ROOSEVELT. Ok there are things here but again remember I came from St. Louis Missouri, The best place in the USA, at lest for me, and I came to a small small small town where the big city, Salt Lake is 2 hours away.  Plus no comic shop for 80+ miles, Oh Steve at New Castle, How I miss thee. 

newcastlecomics.com

But we came to Utah with a truck of stuff, a rental house, my wife with a job, and me with the kids and time.  Now I had been talking to a church in Duchesne Utah which is about 30 minutes from Roosevelt and to be honest everyplace is 30 minutes from everyplace. But I had been talking to this small church who had lost their pastor about maybe becoming their new pastor. 

The first Sunday we were here we went and on the third week I started preaching. As time went on I was voted in as their new pastor.  (1-24-11)

So here is the point to this little tell.  If you trust in God, He will take care of you. If you lesion to Him, He will tell you what He wants you to do with your life.  God has done so many things for my family and I  and I know that He will work through me here in Utah.  God is Great and I can’t wait to see what happens next.