1 / 13

Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel

Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel.

lowell
Download Presentation

Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel One issue that is here to stay regardless of the expense and division it brings is the matter of privately funded foundations to preach the gospel. The variant of institutionalism of the fifties…was church supported missionary societies, etc. Today, the variant is Christians pooling their resources to corporately preach the gospel in and through men-made orders.

  2. “15: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3: 15, Rev. 1: 20).

  3. The action performed by the local church is clearly organizational as opposed to individual (I Tim. 5: 16). The local church has structure, oversight, and a treasury (Phili. 1: 1, I Pet. 5: 2, 3, I Cor. 16: 1, 2).

  4. It is irrefutable that Christians engaged in collective action in preaching the gospel in and through the local church (cp. Phili. 4: 15, 16, Acts 13: 1-3, 14: 27).

  5. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel What the issue is not: An individual teaching his neighbor “outside the church” (cp. Acts 8: 4). Two working together in concurrently teaching another (cp. Acts 18: 24f.). Two or more Christians going into business for profit (cp. Acts 18: 3).

  6. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel "In the course of conducting our business, members of the G.O.T. Foundation often pray together and even pray with other people with whom we have dealings, especially in praying for God's wisdom and blessings upon our endeavors. We discuss God's Word together and with others, especially regarding its proper application to our work. As circumstances permit, we create and utilize opportunities to teach people the truth and God's Word and we do everything possible to encourage them to obey, worship, and serve God faithfully. Such studies have been conducted for the staff writers of Truth Magazine from time to time. The Truth Lectureship makes it possible for other interested individuals to share with us in such studies. By inviting people to read Truth Magazine and to visit our web site…, we hope to better acquaint them with the goods and services of our bookstores and to encourage them to obey, worship, and serve God faithfully" (Ron Halbrook, “Let The Church Be The Church,” Gospel Truths, September issue, 2004).

  7. P. VP Board of directors Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel What the issue is: Instead of concurrent action, the two preachers establish a “Save the Lost” foundation into which individual Christians contribute. S.T.L.F.

  8. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel What the issue is: Instead of two Christians simply being in a book publishing for profit business and having a daily Bible study at lunch break, they form The Gospel For The Lost Foundation…. G.F.T.L.F. P. V.P. Board of directors

  9. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel G.F.T.L.F. Structure Elders P. V.P. A comparison: Board of directors I Timothy 3: 15, cp. Hebrews 7: 14

  10. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel Akin F. Structure Elders Trustees

  11. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel Structure Elders Objections to the foundations: Not authorized. Power issues. Wisdom of men. Party formation. Usually involve distorted fellowship ideas. “Pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3: 15)

  12. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel Roy Cogdill appeals for churches to help the Akin Foundation: "Most of the readers of this paper know already that the Akin Foundation is in trouble. It is not to advertise this fact but to call attention to the opportunity of all of you have to render a service to the Foundation which has done so much for the spreading of the Gospel and indirectly to the cause of truth and righteousness….The 68th district court in which the law suit against the trustees has been filed has granted an injunction against the trustees further distributing any of the funds of the Foundation and has appointed a receiver impounding all the funds coming in….This effort will cost money as any case in court does….What do you think and what will you do about it? Those of you who through the years have been supported by and have participated in its help, what will you do to help preserve it - both churches and individuals are urged to respond" (The Gospel Guardian, Vol. 29, number 7, April 1, 1977).

  13. Privately Funded Orders to Preach the Gospel Objections to these objections: “You are against individual and concurrent action!” “These foundations only exist for legal purposes!” “Foundations are only an issue if church supported!” (“Treasury must be involved….”) “Since you are not a board member, you are not qualified to address such matters!”

More Related