Sermon Tone Analysis

Discipleship

Baptism

Discipline New Members

Fishers of Men

The Dangers of the Pastor

Perhaps nothing has had a more crippling effect upon the mission of the church than the idea that sharing Bible truth with others is the job of the paid clergy, or of only a few “gifted” lay people.

Paid Professionals

Evangelism

Witness

Soul Winning

“We have not settled our ministers over churches as pastors to any large extent.

In some of the very large churches we have elected pastors, but as a rule we have held ourselves ready for field service, evangelistic work and our brethren and sisters have held themselves ready to maintain their church services and carry forward their church work without settled pastors.

And I hope this will never cease to be the order of affiars in this denomination; for when we cease our forward movement work and begin to settle over our churches, to stay by them, and do their thinking and their praying and their work that is to be done, then our churches will begin to weaken, and to lose their life and spirit, and become paralyzed and fossilized and our work will be on a retreat.”

A.G. Daniells in an address to a ministerial institute in Los Angeles, California, in March, 1912.

Witnessing is not a spiritual gift.

Every Christian

should be witnessing.

When calling first disciples,

Jesus made promise:

If we have chosen

to become His disciples

then we have chosen

to become fishers of men

Key Passage

Jesus talking to

woman at the well.

The gospel is transformational

Woman debates

Fighting conviction with debate

Jesus answers:

John 4:13–14 (ESV)

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again...

This water

that Jesus has

will change your life

forever!

nothing else compares.

Jesus continues:

John 4:14 (ESV)

… The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

What happens?

the person who

takes Jesus water...

becomes a water fountain for others!

One minute

you are receiving

drinking at fountain

Next minute,

you are a fountain

other drinking from you.

No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus.

— Desire of Ages, p. 141

Greatest gift to give

to new convert (or old)

teach them

calling of mission.

David said same

Psalm of forgiveness

If you

forgive

restore

transform

me.

I’ll be

greatest witness

of transformation.

for others.

Jesus said about his disciples:

What is a witness?

comes from court

to testify about case.

The key to witnessing

you must talk!!!

People say:

I witness by smiling to people and holding the door open.

Being polite and loving

is important...

But by itself

misses the mark.

Witnesses testify about

their experience

the truth

If you only smile

and are kind

but never say anything...

You are not a witness..

Jesus,

speaking to disciples:

To “preach the gospel”

refers not merely to

preaching pulpit,

but, proclaiming God’s Word

whether publicly

or personally.

In Acts all church members

Acts 8:4 (ESV)

… went about preaching the word.

Not just pastors

not just elders

not those with that gift