How many of your church members could pass a spiritual SAT Test (SAT -
Spiritual Awareness Test)? I know, many of my Friends will be
wondering, "Bill have you been smoking funny cigarettes?" No, my Friends, I am asking a very legitimate question.
Next Sunday if your pastor takes a congregation SAT poll and asks the following questions, how will your church fare?
Those ten questions only scratch the surface of Christian maturity. But they are important. What are steps your church can take to assure that a greater number of members will be able to answer those SAT questions (1 through 8)? What can your church do to become a stronger Soul Winning church (questions 9 and 10)?
Strong interactive, discussion style Bible studies and Sunday School classes will absolutely help church members with the first 8 questions. Sitting with other Christian believers and having an indepth discussion based upon Scripture, especially those dealing with salvation and eternal life - will make us all more mature in our knowledge of God's Word - and it will make us better Great Commission witnesses.
And for questions 9 and 10 the world of technology today offers us so many great tools for witnessing and sharing. Yes, 90% of social media, i.e., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. - are, for the most part, a waste of time. But that other 10% - WOW! That could be a goldmine for sharing the Gospel, witnessing, and following the Great Commission.
I joke with my wife, Dory, that I am a Matthew 13:57 witness: "But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.' "
Now before you pick up stones to throw, no, I am not comparing myself with Jesus Christ. I am only saying that the general meaning of that phrase today is often stated, "Familiarity breeds contempt." In my case it is not so much contempt, as it is, "Hey, that is only Bill. What does he know? Did he go to seminary?"
So when I post a new writing or blog on my Friends Ministry eNewsletters, on our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site, or on Facebook - I get responses from all across America and from around the world. But I get none from my family nor from my local church. Hmmm? "Hey, that is only Bill"?
Let me give you an example: About a month ago, in a two day period, I posted two Urgent Prayer Requests, and later that week the mother of one Christian sister died. To those prayer requests I received over 100 responses and likes - but none from my family or from my local church fellowship. Does that mean that my family and my local church fellowship do not believe in prayer?
Absolutely not. My family is devout in their prayer life - and my local church fellowship puts great emphasis on prayer. So, why the lack of response to those prayer requests? Could it be, "Hey, that is only Bill." Or as Jesus tells us, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
No, this is not a "pity party" for Bill. This is just me saying that our local churches could, and should be, utilizing the power of social media to share God's Word, to communicate with other believers in various locations, and to reach out and invite folks to come join us for worship, fellowship, and prayer.
Do you remember the Biblical account of the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11? When God allowed them to be killed, they lay on the street for 3 1/2 days - and people from all around the world could watch the dead bodies lying there. How is that possible?
How will the whole world be able to watch the Two Witnesses lying dead on the street? I am sure that the Antichrist will still have CNN and all the other Liberal News Media alive and well - showing his accomplishments.
If the Antichrist can use social media and liberal news channels during the Tribulation - we should also be using it more effectively today to share the Gospel, the Word of God. So, let us not hold social media in disdain. Instead we should be making sure the true and full Gospel is emanating from all our local churches. Instead of raising funds for bigger and better church buildings, decorations, vans, and other equipment - let's put a greater priority on having the right computer, video, network connection, and other electronic equipment which will allow us to share the Gospel using the gift of social media.
Does this mean that there is no value in door knocking and other forms of face-to-face soul winning? Absolutely not, NO, NO, NO! We, as local church fellowships should be using EVERY possible means of sharing the Gospel. But let us not lose sight of what good, high quality videos and other means of using social media can accomplish in our soul winning efforts.
So, is your church ready for their SAT Tests?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Next Sunday if your pastor takes a congregation SAT poll and asks the following questions, how will your church fare?
1. How many of you can stand and tell us the Biblical Doctrinal Beliefs (Statement of Faith) of our church?
2. How many of you can stand and tell us your own personal Statement of Faith?
3. Who can recite the Biblical Doctrinal Beliefs (Essential Doctrinal Beliefs) which assure your salvation and your eternal life?
4. Who can tell us some of the Non-Essential Doctrinal Beliefs - and why it is important to also know them?
5. What is the difference between Essential Christian Beliefs and Non-Essential Christian Beliefs?
6. Is our church a Covenantal Theology church or a Dispensational Theology church?
One major difference is how we view the nation Israel. Covenantal Theology teaches that the church has become the "spiritual Israel" replacing the national Israel - and that all of God's promises to Israel now belong to the church (Replacement Theology). Dispensational Theology teaches that the church and Israel are two different entities in God's eternal plan and that the promises God made to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Noah in the Old Testament have not changed and that He will save for Himself an eternal remnant of Israel, His wife - while we in the church are the separate bride of Christ.
7. What are the Eschatological Beliefs of your church? What does that mean and why does it matter?
8. What does your church believe about the Rapture, the Second Coming, the Millennium, the Judgments?
9. Is your church a Soul Winning church?
10. Specifically, what is your church doing to be called a Soul Winning church?
Those ten questions only scratch the surface of Christian maturity. But they are important. What are steps your church can take to assure that a greater number of members will be able to answer those SAT questions (1 through 8)? What can your church do to become a stronger Soul Winning church (questions 9 and 10)?
Strong interactive, discussion style Bible studies and Sunday School classes will absolutely help church members with the first 8 questions. Sitting with other Christian believers and having an indepth discussion based upon Scripture, especially those dealing with salvation and eternal life - will make us all more mature in our knowledge of God's Word - and it will make us better Great Commission witnesses.
And for questions 9 and 10 the world of technology today offers us so many great tools for witnessing and sharing. Yes, 90% of social media, i.e., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. - are, for the most part, a waste of time. But that other 10% - WOW! That could be a goldmine for sharing the Gospel, witnessing, and following the Great Commission.
I joke with my wife, Dory, that I am a Matthew 13:57 witness: "But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.' "
Matthew 13:54-58, "When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, 'Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? (55) Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? (56) And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?' (57) So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.' (58) Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
Now before you pick up stones to throw, no, I am not comparing myself with Jesus Christ. I am only saying that the general meaning of that phrase today is often stated, "Familiarity breeds contempt." In my case it is not so much contempt, as it is, "Hey, that is only Bill. What does he know? Did he go to seminary?"
So when I post a new writing or blog on my Friends Ministry eNewsletters, on our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site, or on Facebook - I get responses from all across America and from around the world. But I get none from my family nor from my local church. Hmmm? "Hey, that is only Bill"?
Let me give you an example: About a month ago, in a two day period, I posted two Urgent Prayer Requests, and later that week the mother of one Christian sister died. To those prayer requests I received over 100 responses and likes - but none from my family or from my local church fellowship. Does that mean that my family and my local church fellowship do not believe in prayer?
Absolutely not. My family is devout in their prayer life - and my local church fellowship puts great emphasis on prayer. So, why the lack of response to those prayer requests? Could it be, "Hey, that is only Bill." Or as Jesus tells us, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
No, this is not a "pity party" for Bill. This is just me saying that our local churches could, and should be, utilizing the power of social media to share God's Word, to communicate with other believers in various locations, and to reach out and invite folks to come join us for worship, fellowship, and prayer.
Do you remember the Biblical account of the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11? When God allowed them to be killed, they lay on the street for 3 1/2 days - and people from all around the world could watch the dead bodies lying there. How is that possible?
Revelation 11:7-12, "When they (the two witnesses) finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them."
How will the whole world be able to watch the Two Witnesses lying dead on the street? I am sure that the Antichrist will still have CNN and all the other Liberal News Media alive and well - showing his accomplishments.
If the Antichrist can use social media and liberal news channels during the Tribulation - we should also be using it more effectively today to share the Gospel, the Word of God. So, let us not hold social media in disdain. Instead we should be making sure the true and full Gospel is emanating from all our local churches. Instead of raising funds for bigger and better church buildings, decorations, vans, and other equipment - let's put a greater priority on having the right computer, video, network connection, and other electronic equipment which will allow us to share the Gospel using the gift of social media.
Does this mean that there is no value in door knocking and other forms of face-to-face soul winning? Absolutely not, NO, NO, NO! We, as local church fellowships should be using EVERY possible means of sharing the Gospel. But let us not lose sight of what good, high quality videos and other means of using social media can accomplish in our soul winning efforts.
So, is your church ready for their SAT Tests?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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