Jude 2

Something has been in my spirit for a long time.

I have been preaching somewhat differently of late. I think my church notices it as well.

While I don't believe it is time to be "accepting" of everyone's beliefs, I do find that we have gone in two distinct directions in the preaching of the word.

I frankly see no need to preach a sermon against homosexuality. It is a subject that should be taught in more than one session citing all the pertinent information that we can. You cannot do that in a one hour sermon. I believe the same is true for abortion, for infanticide, for genocide, for any act that is disappaproved by God's word.

But when you do what we have been commanded to do, it is to reach the world with the "gospel" the good news of the love of Christ.

I believe we are still trying to clean the fish before we catch them. I am an evangelist ....first last and always. I know no other activity on earth that deserves my time more. I believe that the "gospel" IS the power of God unto salvation. I believe that it takes that relationship before any of the rest of this is even revelant. While I can never agree to accept the gay lifestyle as a plausible biblical concept, I will continue to try to reach the gays with the gospel....that and that alone will bring them to a knowledge of their needs.

I do not fear this legislation whereby we can be charged with hate speak.....I will speak the love of Christ.....there is no hate in His love.
Let us focus on that and that alone.

careful, now - you may be accused of being an emergent church that is seeker-friendly. don't forget that if the KJV was good enough for Paul, it is good enough for us!

I understand we would preach the gospel, but is that all we are call to preach? I look at Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 6:
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

The law condemn's, Jesus saves. The problem is many don't believe they are have sin. These are the scriptures Paul use to show them.
Paul preached much more...

Then the body of Christ has difference members (evangelist, preacher,teacher etc)

if you step in a steaming pile of cow excrement, it takes a while to scrape off the stuff, and even when you think it is off, the stink still lingers for a while.

when you are sprayed by a skunk, it takes a while for the funk to go away. no matter how many baths in tomato juice you take.

We live in a fallen world that is full of spraying skunks and cows making steaming piles. I will still wash their feet.

But when you do what we have been commanded to do, it is to reach the world with the "gospel" the good news of the love of Christ.

I believe we are still trying to clean the fish before we catch them. I am an evangelist ....first last and always. I know no other activity on earth that deserves my time more. I believe that the "gospel" IS the power of God unto salvation. I believe that it takes that relationship before any of the rest of this is even revelant. While I can never agree to accept the gay lifestyle as a plausible biblical concept, I will continue to try to reach the gays with the gospel....that and that alone will bring them to a knowledge of their needs.

I do not fear this legislation whereby we can be charged with hate speak.....I will speak the love of Christ.....there is no hate in His love.
Let us focus on that and that alone.

Is that the Gospel? I thought it had to do with Jesus dying for our sins. His love motivated Him to sacrifice His life for our sins (Whatever those are) but to preach His love without preaching what it led Him to do is a mistake. Then we have to ask why He had to die. It had to do with sin, right?

You say you need more time to talk about homosexuality, and Murder (Sub-categorized into 3 groups) and yet you say you don't fear "Hate speech legislation" because you will speak the love of Christ. How can you "teach" for hours on homosexuality and not be concerned about hate speech? Don't you think teaching against homosexuality is just as hated as preaching against homosexuality?

The Gospel is the good news but you have to understand the bad news to understand and appreciate the good news. The law says we're guilty and the Gospel confirms that but then adds but "where sin abounded grace did much more abound."

The "Gospel" is not an either/or proposition. We don't have to decide to either preach God's love or preach against sin. It is preaching both. You can't appreciate mercy without understanding justice. You can't appreciate grace without understanding your own unworthiness. You can't appreciate justification without understanding condemnation.

My point is there is nothing wrong with preaching against sin if you preach grace even stronger. To preach sin without grace would be wrong but to preach grace without sin would be wrong as well.

Pastorbps wrote:...
My point is there is nothing wrong with preaching against sin if you preach grace even stronger. To preach sin without grace would be wrong but to preach grace without sin would be wrong as well.

zactly.

We are to PREACH the Gospel, and TEACH God's laws and precepts that we may hide them in our hearts.

Dr. Ron wrote:Something has been in my spirit for a long time.

I have been preaching somewhat differently of late. I think my church notices it as well.

While I don't believe it is time to be "accepting" of everyone's beliefs, I do find that we have gone in two distinct directions in the preaching of the word.

I frankly see no need to preach a sermon against homosexuality. It is a subject that should be taught in more than one session citing all the pertinent information that we can. You cannot do that in a one hour sermon. I believe the same is true for abortion, for infanticide, for genocide, for any act that is disappaproved by God's word.

But when you do what we have been commanded to do, it is to reach the world with the "gospel" the good news of the love of Christ.

I believe we are still trying to clean the fish before we catch them. I am an evangelist ....first last and always. I know no other activity on earth that deserves my time more. I believe that the "gospel" IS the power of God unto salvation. I believe that it takes that relationship before any of the rest of this is even revelant. While I can never agree to accept the gay lifestyle as a plausible biblical concept, I will continue to try to reach the gays with the gospel....that and that alone will bring them to a knowledge of their needs.

I do not fear this legislation whereby we can be charged with hate speak.....I will speak the love of Christ.....there is no hate in His love.
Let us focus on that and that alone.

I actually can understand what you are saying...and agree with some of it.

But, to the militant gay world, it doesn't matter what you actually PREACH. You may never actually preach a sermon against the homosexual lifestyle in your lifetime, but the militants will still hate your message.

Why? You don't have to be AGAINST them for them to be unhappy.
They are unhappy if you don't AGREE with them...which the Gospel of Christ does not.
The Gospel of Christ requires change.


2 Timothy 3:16

ALL scripture
is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable
for doctrine,
for reproof,
for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:

Dr. Ron wrote:Something has been in my spirit for a long time.

I have been preaching somewhat differently of late. I think my church notices it as well.

While I don't believe it is time to be "accepting" of everyone's beliefs, I do find that we have gone in two distinct directions in the preaching of the word.

I frankly see no need to preach a sermon against homosexuality. It is a subject that should be taught in more than one session citing all the pertinent information that we can. You cannot do that in a one hour sermon. I believe the same is true for abortion, for infanticide, for genocide, for any act that is disappaproved by God's word.

But when you do what we have been commanded to do, it is to reach the world with the "gospel" the good news of the love of Christ.

I believe we are still trying to clean the fish before we catch them. I am an evangelist ....first last and always. I know no other activity on earth that deserves my time more. I believe that the "gospel" IS the power of God unto salvation. I believe that it takes that relationship before any of the rest of this is even revelant. While I can never agree to accept the gay lifestyle as a plausible biblical concept, I will continue to try to reach the gays with the gospel....that and that alone will bring them to a knowledge of their needs.

I do not fear this legislation whereby we can be charged with hate speak.....I will speak the love of Christ.....there is no hate in His love.
Let us focus on that and that alone.

Dr. Ron, once again I find myself in agreement with you.

Because I work mostly in areas of conflict and strong Muslim ( radical) influence my approach has focused on the love and grace and merits of Christ.
I do not spend my time focused on the curses of Islam, nor spending time concerning Allah. But my focus is and will remain on Jesus, who is the answer to mans needs. to show a lovng and caring savior, to show the love of a father that they are completeely unaware of.

If his love and sacrifice cannot compell us to the cross, then all my preacing, tearing down of others belief certinally will amount to nothing.

Dr. Ron wrote:
But when you do what we have been commanded to do, it is to reach the world with the "gospel" the good news of the love of Christ.

I believe we are still trying to clean the fish before we catch them. I am an evangelist ....first last and always. I know no other activity on earth that deserves my time more. I believe that the "gospel" IS the power of God unto salvation. I believe that it takes that relationship before any of the rest of this is even revelant. While I can never agree to accept the gay lifestyle as a plausible biblical concept, I will continue to try to reach the gays with the gospel....that and that alone will bring them to a knowledge of their needs.

I do not fear this legislation whereby we can be charged with hate speak.....I will speak the love of Christ.....there is no hate in His love.
Let us focus on that and that alone.

You are right on my friend. The great commission in Matt 28: 18-20 was the last thing Christ told us to do before he went to Heaven. Think about this, if you had one thing to say to a love one before you left for a long time what would you say? Jesus did this very thing to us.

The gospel is simple, lets preach it that way. Jesus spent most of his time with the sinner, why? The sick needs the doctor not the well. We are to preach the good news to the world. We have been preaching the simple message at our church and we are seeing results! Of course we have bible studies that dig into subjects like marriage, gays, temptations, etc. and that is where we get in depth with the word.

Keep up the great work Dr Ron!

Do we leave off discipleship and go evangelize the world?

beckrl wrote::shock: Do we leave off discipleship and go evangelize the world?

There is time for discipling and time to evangelize. I'm not reading anywhere someone stating to only evangelize. When Jesus was out around people, He evangelized and when He was with the disciples He taught them.

beckrl wrote::shock: Do we leave off discipleship and go evangelize the world?

We do both according to Jesus.

EVANGELIZE:

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and PREACH the GOSPEL to every creature.


DISCIPLESHIP:

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

TEACHING them to OBSERVE ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(capitalization & underline added by me.)
Racerunner

RaceRunner wrote:

beckrl wrote::shock: Do we leave off discipleship and go evangelize the world?

We do both according to Jesus.

EVANGELIZE:

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and PREACH the GOSPEL to every creature.


DISCIPLESHIP:

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

TEACHING them to OBSERVE ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(capitalization & underline added by me.)
Racerunner

That the point we do both. We not only spread the gospel threw evangelizing but then we must teach them.
Some are to evanglize and other should preach and teach.

I take it that brother Ron said, he is for evangelizing. Hind the focus on showing God's love in planting that seed that they maybe won to Christ.
But other may preach and teach unto him so that they may grow in Christ.

That is discipleship.

TEACHING them to OBSERVE ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

We must first evangelize or we do not have anyone to teach. A lot of churches are so focus on teaching that they do not evangelize much and they have a church full of know it alls