rsc2a said:
wtyson said:
rsc2a said:
[quote author=Tarheel Baptist]Our church does go 'door to door' regularly, but it is not the only OR the most effective method of evangelism we use in this culture. Vacuum Cleaner salesmen used to go door to door, in a time when it was effective.....they no longer do so. Sad some Christians still insist on making buggy whips.....
...and/or reducing Christianity to a sales pitch. :-
The gospel is not a sales pitch. It is the hope for the lost. It will transform lifes.
Then why try to sell it like you would a set of encyclopedias?
[quote author=wtyson]We have a responsiblity to go where they are. Yes...shine the light at work. Yes...shine the light at school...Yes...Shine the light to those you know. I absolutely refuse to surrender or community to the JWs and Mormons because Christians are too lazy or afraid to get out of their comfort zone and knock on someone's door. [/quote]
There's a guy I know. He preached in church every once and a while. He occasionally gave a speech when a crowd gathered. He even went from town to town, having an itinerant ministry and all, although those visits often ended up being parties with all the non-church folk. The vast majority of the ministering though was spent discipling twelve guys on what the Kingdom of God actually looked like in their everyday lives. What didn't happen in this ministry was door-to-door sales-pitch evangelism; in fact, the concept of sales pitch evangelism was foreign to the entire process.
Oh yeah...that guy I know...His name is Jesus.
[quote author=wtyson]Are there those who cannot physical go...sure...for 8 years we had a man who prayed for us every Thursday night. He could not physically go out. You know what I found out, at the age of 88 he started to drive to 4 neighbors a week...get out his walker and knock on their door and tell them that Jesus loved them. He had a burden for souls that put me to shame. He went to heaven last week. I don't want to ever lose a passion for souls saved. [/quote]
Are you saying that people who don't knock on doors aren't burdened for others?
[quote author=wtyson]Every Sunday we run 13 buses and vans...the vast majority of those who come are there because SOMEONE knocked on a door...[/quote]
You know what would be better than you filling up 13 buses and vans? Those bus- and van-fulls of people finding a group of like-minded believers in their own communities where they could "let [their] light so shine before men...". I'm not a big fan of commuter church-goers; find a church in your neighborhood and be an impact where you live.
[quote author=wtyson]While I fully agree the warmest visit are with those you know it does not absolve us from reaching that neighbor 5 doors down with the gospel! We started Operation 1000 last year. We asked our members to pray and seek opportunities to reach 1000 of their friends and family...[/quote]
I'm also not a fan of measuring "success" in our "Christianity" by what numbers we can put up. If that is "success", Osteen has one of the most "successful" ministries in Christendom.
[quote author=wtyson]...We have had many saved because of this effort.[/quote]
What does "saved" mean?
[quote author=wtyson]I believe door to door soul winning is one method of many to evangelize and fulfill the great commission. Christians today have gotten complacent! Jesus Christ is coming soon! Run the buses...knock on doors...pass out tracks...support missionaries![/quote]
I believe it is
a method. I also believe that it cheapens the Gospel, is primarily good as a works-based structure whereby one (falsely) believes they can earn God's favor, and propagates the idea that one can evaluate how "Christian" something is by how many numbers one can put up. Furthermore, it results in people believing they are "saved" because they said a little prayer, resulting in a lot of false converts who have an assurance of salvation that is based on nothing more than a little prayer they said one time
[/quote]Amen to 1/2 of your post. Comparing numbers is not wise. Spending a few minutes with someone, then praying with them, is not soul-winning (A soul is not 'won' until it is a fruit bearing tree, which brings forth more tree-producing fruit) . And 'Amen' to us not earning God's favor through works.
We'll disagree often enough, so this post is only to 'amen'.
Anishinabe
