s198-102807
Alêtheia Christian Fellowship - October 28, 2007 – Evangelism
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We create God
We create the Bible
We create Christianity
Personality – Early Teaching – Father Figures – Experience
Popular today: Homosexuality
Promiscuity
Multi-path to God
Ultimately all live
Man will conquer all
Lost Christianities
Smorgasbord Spirituality
Going with the Spiritual flow
Multiple Spiritual Guides
Liberals: God is Love…
Conservatives: God is Judge… Harsh, serious, demanding and damning!
What’s the Truth? God is God!
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We warp God and so we warp the Great Commission
It was for the Apostles –
It is for Clergy –
It is for me – I will be whipped if I don’t get the deal closed
It is for us all…
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All Love = Methodist or Universalist = all-inclusive
All Fear = Catholic or Evangelical = Fear – Fburn in hell
Latest twist… I might burn if you don’t accept!
All Me = Jehovah’s Witness = I’m doing this for me, not you.
All God = Understand that God is God – period!
We obey a loving God because of our loving relationship with Him and because through that relationship we see people as He sees them…
Not willing to lose a single soul because of love.
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We love people enough to tell them only what is beneficial to their long-term health
1) We are not doing it for us, so we don’t have to win!
2) We say and do what God’s Spirit leads us to say and do – nothing more or less.
3) We trust that God will take our encounter and build upon it in the future – WE TRUST GOD
Right thinking produces right motive which in turn produce right actions.
Matthew 7:1-6, 8&12 ~ 1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
12“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
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Matthew 28:19&20 ~ 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, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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Isaiah 49:6 ~ “It is too insignificant a thing for You to be My servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel; I will make You a light to the nations, so you can bring My salvation to the remote regions of the earth.”
Luke 24:46&47 ~ He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
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Matthew 28:19a ~ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
Inferential therefore, followed by the aorist-passive-plural-participle poreuqe>ntev, i.e. “in your assumed travels.” Then maqhteu>sate, is an aorist-plural-imperative, make disciples, i.e. disciplined imitators mime>omai mimics – this is the command.
Molded to act as one body even unto death if required.
All ethnic groups or nations pa>nta ta< e]qnh = All inclusive
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Matthew 28:19b ~ baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
All the nations immersing bapti>zontev (present-active-plural-participle)
But immerse them in what?
Them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit = eijv to< o]noma tou~ patro<v kai< tou~ uiJou~ kai< tou~ aJgi>ou pneu>matov
Acts 10:48 ~ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (Peter, the Jew, could stay because they were one body.)
Baptized into the family of God as part of the Body of Christ – It’s all the same thing… Jesus is God!
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Didach> Chapter 7: Baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
Mark 7:4 ~ and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse (baptize) themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing (baptizing) of cups and pitchers and copper pots.
Immersion in living water is preferred, but we’re not legalists
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Matthew 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.
Then the exact same construction for teaching them dida>skontev, but teach what?
To keep is the infinitive active threi~n; continuously live by all of what I commanded and taught you my disciples.
Do exactly what I did and they, in turn, must do likewise.
You will make disciples by means of baptism and teaching, but not on your own – I’ll be with you!
Luke 24:49 ~ “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8 ~ but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:14 ~ These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
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Make Disciples
1) Baptize them = into the Body of Christ, which is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the sign and all-inclusive term for becoming a Christian - it is faith.
Recognition
Repentance Salvation
Acceptance
2) Teach them = to actively hold and live everything that I have commanded you.
Teaching is the sign and all-inclusive term for being a Christian – it is faith.
Surrender
Obedience Sanctification
Maturity
Fear in the lost?
Fear in the evangelist?
Fear is antichrist and the evangelism of fear is Arminianist.
It cannot be from fear – it must be from love.
Charles Swindoll: Ignored Chad and his 35 hand-made valentines – mommy has cookies… Not a one, not a one!