The Greatest Show & Tell on Earth P.2

1 John 4:11–12 NKJV

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

1 John 4:11–12 NKJV

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

Part 2 We began last week in part 1 by examining the greatest “show on earth” - letting our light shine.The lifestyle of every Christian is rather simple: live one’s life in a way that clearly demonstrates conformity to Christ, so that those around us know we are Christians.This is not a tactic or some kind of hypocritical way of life, but what should flow naturally out of a heart of gratitude and appreciation for the One who saved us!We now move into the 2nd point, and what we know about, but may not fully comprehend.And, my personal belief is that if it is incomprehensible it is because we have a little over 1500 years of erroneous precedence under our spiritual belt.That erroneous precedence is false teaching regarding the separation of clergy and laity!It has proven to be detrimental to the propagation of the gospel!The following is taken from the Ante-Nicene Fathers 3rd and 4th century AD:

The Greatest Show & Tell on Earth - Part 2

We began last week in part 1 by examining the greatest “show on earth” - letting our light shine.

The lifestyle of every Christian is rather simple: live one’s life in a way that clearly demonstrates conformity to Christ, so that those around us know we are Christians.

This is not a tactic or some kind of hypocritical way of life, but what should flow naturally out of a heart of gratitude and appreciation for the One who saved us!

So we now move into the 2nd point, Something we know about, but may not fully comprehend.

And, my personal belief is that if it is incomprehensible it is because we have a little over 1500 years of erroneous precedence under our spiritual belt.

That erroneous precedence is false teaching regarding the separation of clergy and laity!

It has proven to be detrimental to the propagation of the gospel!

The following is taken from the Ante-Nicene Fathers 3rd and 4th century AD:

​Ante-Nicene Fathers 7: Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, and Liturgies That a Layman Ought Not to Do Any Office of the Priesthood: He Ought Neither to Baptize, nor Offer, nor Lay on Hands, nor Give the BlessingTHAT A LAYMAN OUGHT NOT TO DO ANY OFFICE OF THE PRIESTHOOD: HE OUGHT NEITHER TO BAPTIZE, NOR OFFER, NOR LAY ON HANDS, NOR GIVE THE BLESSING. X. Neither do we permit the laity to perform any of the offices belonging to the priesthood; as, for instance, neither the sacrifice, nor baptism, nor the laying on of hands, nor the blessing, whether the smaller or the greater: for “no one taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of God.”7 For such sacred offices are conferred by the laying on of the hands of the bishop. But a person to whom such an office is not committed, but he seizes upon it for himself, he shall undergo the punishment of Uzziah.8

As we can see, by the 3rd century this thinking was pretty well entrenched in the minds of church leadership despite the Biblical doctrine of the Priesthood of believers.

1 Peter 2:5 NKJV

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

How did this effect the gospel?

John Bunyan (Author of Pilgrims Progress) was arrested around 1650 and spent the next 12 years in a Bedford England jail, because of preaching the gospel as part of a non-conformist group. You Needed to be licensed by the Government.

Similar mandates were introduced in the American colonies.

If we see anything from all this, it is the clear desire for control and power in clerical circles which overlapped into the political realm, as church and state were usually united.

This mindset is so deeply entrenched in us that despite the contrary teachings of the church multiplication movement today, we are still not doing what Jesus commanded us to do!

Slide Presentation of the 5 levels of Churches:

Level 1 are churches that are in decline.

Level 2 are churches that have plateaued and are just getting by. (80% of all churches are in these two categories)

Level 3 churches are growing by addition.

The top 100 fastest growing churches in America listed in Outreach Magazine annually are level 3 churches. Also, more is written and taught about becoming a level 3 church than any other. And, the tactics that it takes for a church to be a level 3 church also prohibits it from becoming a level 4 or 5 church.

Level 4 churches are reproducing churches.

Level 5 churches are multiplying disciples and churches. (Less than 1%)

The main difference between level 4 & 5 churches is that level 4 churches will probably not continue without the leadership driving it pragmatically.

Level 5 churches cannot be stopped because it is in the DNA of the church, and as Todd Wilson says would take an intentional plan to stop it all together.

Clearly, the church has lost its way!

Our text in 1 John tells us clearly that if God loved us, we also aught to love one another. The love for our fellowman is demonstrated no better in that we share Christ with them.

II. The Greatest Tell on Earth.

And I think we understand that we must tell them the good news!

But, telling someone the good news in the absence of a relationship is practically non-effective.

I also believe it is counterintuitive to the Lord’s desired result, which is a relationship with the God of glory!

If we are in a relationship with someone it is far easier to share in a meaningful way the truths of God’s plan of salvation, and not only once.

Remember, it is not our responsibility to get them saved, only to share the good news with them.

Some facts about the “tell”:

Some facts about the “tell”:

No theological degree is required.

No pre-requisites are needed (classes, ordinations, certificates, etc).

No waiting period.

No membership needed.

So what kind of people told others in the Bible?

John 1:46 NKJV

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Conclusion:

Luke 8:39 NKJV

“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8: Conclusion:

John 4:29 NKJV

“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

It is pretty simple, Jesus commands us to be and make disciples.

If we are not investing ourselves in this endeavor we have failed to do what He has commanded.