Divine Authority

Divine Authority Lesson 11 The Individual Christian, The Local Church and Evangelism

What We Have Learned In The Previous Lesson • What is benevolence? • Individual Christian and benevolence • The local church and benevolence • The New Testament says nothing about…

What Is Benevolence? • Word not in New Testament but idea is • Idea – aiding those who are in physical need of food, clothing, shelter and medical care • Does not include recreational or entertainment activities

The Individual Christian And Benevolence • Provide for our families • Provide for needs of other Christians • Provide for needs of our neighbors, lost and saved

The Local Church And Benevolence • Local church benevolent work authorized • Local church cares for own members • Local church cares for saints in several local churches • Several local churches care for saints in one local church

The New Testament Says Nothing About… • Individual and local church obligations are the same • Local church meeting needs of non-Christians • Benevolence used as tool for evangelism • Local churches supporting benevolent organizations • Local churches sending money through a sponsoring church

Introduction • Evangelism primary work of local church • Disagreement with majority of churches of Christ about what ways local churches are authorized to do evangelistic work • Many brethren have departed from the New Testament pattern of evangelism

Some Sources of Erroneous Thinking • Wrong ideas about evangelism • Confusing roles of individual Christians and local church in evangelism • Wrong ideas about authorized methods of local church doing evangelistic work

Purposes of This Lesson • Clearly define evangelism • Examine role of individual Christians in evangelism • Examine the role of a local church in evangelism • Identify where churches of Christ have departed from the New Testament pattern on evangelism

The Individual Christian, The Local Church and Evangelism • What is evangelism? • Individual Christian and evangelism • The local church and evangelism • The New Testament says nothing about…

Three Closely Related Words Provide Concept of Evangelism • Greek word “euaggelion” means good news • Translated “gospel” • 1Co 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,

Three Closely Related Words Provide Concept of Evangelism • Greek word “euaggelizo” means to bring good news • Translated “preached” • 1Co 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,

Three Closely Related Words Provide Concept of Evangelism • Greek word “euaggelistes” means one who declares good news • Translated “evangelist” • Act 21:8 On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

What Is Evangelism? • Spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost

What Is Evangelism? • 1Co 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, • 1Co 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

What Is Evangelism? • 1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, • 1Co 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

The Individual Christian And Evangelism • Individual Christians have a wider ranging responsibility in evangelism than that of a local church • Local church responsibility involves collective action where individual Christians agree to work together in various ways • New Testament reveals patterns for these responsibilities in evangelism

The Individual Christian And Evangelism • Teach gospel to lost as we have opportunity • Live righteous life before lost to encourage their obedience • Refer lost to others who can teach them gospel • Support evangelists who preach gospel • Combine with other Christians in evangelistic efforts

Teach Gospel To Lost As We Have Opportunity • Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. • Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, • Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Teach Gospel To Lost As We Have Opportunity • Act 8:4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. • Act 8:5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.

Teach Gospel To Lost As We Have Opportunity • Act 18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. • Act 18:25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;

Teach Gospel To Lost As We Have Opportunity • Act 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Teach Gospel To Lost As We Have Opportunity • Act 18:27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, • Act 18:28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. • Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • Mat 5:15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. • Mat 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • Phi 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; • Phi 2:15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • Phi 2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. • 1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, • 1Pe 3:2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, • 1Pe 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Live Righteous Life Before Lost To Encourage Their Obedience • 1Pe 3:16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. • 1Pe 3:17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. • Joh 1:41 He *found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ).

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 1:42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). • Joh 1:43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, "Follow Me." • Joh 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 1:45 Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.“ • Joh 1:46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip *said to him, "Come and see."

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 4:28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, • Joh 4:29 "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" • Joh 4:30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 4:39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." • Joh 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Joh 4:41 Many more believed because of His word; • Joh 4:42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Act 11:13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; • Act 11:14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

Refer Lost To Others Who Can Teach Them Gospel • Act 10:24 On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. • Act 10:33 "So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."

Support Evangelists Who Preach Gospel • Gal 6:6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

Support Evangelists Who Preach Gospel • 3Jo 1:5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; • 3Jo 1:6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

Support Evangelists Who Preach Gospel • 3Jo 1:7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. • 3Jo 1:8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

Combine With Other Christians In Evangelistic Efforts • Home Bible studies • Distributing Bible materials in community • Create published Bible material such as tracts, Web sites, magazines to reach the lost

The Individual Christian And Evangelism • Teach gospel to lost as we have opportunity • Live righteous life before lost to encourage their obedience • Refer lost to others who can teach them gospel • Support evangelists who preach gospel • Combine with other Christians in evangelistic efforts

The Local Church And Evangelism • Local church evangelistic work authorized • Local church may support preacher working with them • Local church may support preacher in another area

The Local Church And Evangelism • Several local churches may support preacher in other area • Local church may provide evangelism training for members • Local church may provide for special gospel efforts

Local Church Evangelistic Work Authorized • Evangelism primary work of Jesus’ church • How local churches do their evangelistic work determined by New Testament pattern • To depart from this pattern is sinful

Local Church Evangelistic Work Authorized • Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. • Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, • Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Divine Authority