Thursday, October 15, 2020

Four Pastors - Four Churches - October 11, 2020

WE CONTINUE WITH THE FOUR PASTORS AND FOUR CHURCHES VIDEO SERIES ~ Four who are faithful to the moving of God the Holy Spirit's admonition to "Go, Make Disciples, Baptize Them, TEACH Them.  .  . Be His Witnesses In All The World"  (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). 

While I do not believe God caused the CoronaVirus, I am convinced that He is using it to cause His churches to move away from "preaching to the choir" in our local fellowships - and to start using the power of the internet and social media to take His Gospel of Salvation to the far corners of the earth.  Many churches and pastors who had never learned to use social media before to share the Gospel, are now very effectively using it to share His Word. 

Matthew 24:14, "And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

Another thing many of us in the Christian communities have learned - is to streamline the message, realizing that we are reaching out to the unsaved of the world - not necessarily to folks who want to hear a long discussion of the Gospel.  We are reaching out to folks who most likely are not interested in hearing a long sermon. 

That should motivate us to keep our Gospel messages short and to the point.  That should motivate all of us to reevaluate and rethink:  Who are WE trying to reach with our messages?  Those already in our Christian family - OR - those who have not yet believed?  In the Great Commission, who is Jesus Christ telling us to Reach and Teach - those believers in our local Christian family or the unsaved?

Luke 5:31-32, "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' "


That is why each week I take the videos which have long dead time in front, and videos which contain a lot of material which is part of our normal local Sunday worship service - and trim the video to share only that portion containing the Gospel message.  It is my belief that is what God wants us doing right now.  Not sharing our whole worship service, but only His Gospel message of Salvation.  I believe He wants us reaching out to the unsaved - not "preaching to the choir."

I am not a big fan of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven" books.  But one thing in his first book which struck a chord within me was his statement, and I am paraphrasing: 
"In the large Saddleback Church, 80% of their members were unchurched and non-believers before someone from that church approached them with the Gospel message." 

In other words, we should not be "farming" other churches looking to grow our church - but should be going "to the streets, lanes of the city, to the highways and hedges" (Luke 14:16-23) and inviting those folks to the "great banquet of the Gospel" in our churches.

One evening last week Dory and I went for a walk.  We normally walk a path which takes us past the park and around a rectangular area of about 1 1/2 miles - a nice way to stretch our legs and get exercise.  That evening as we were passing the park, I heard a loud speaker which sounded like an announcer at a ball game.  There is a ball park in the park, so I assumed that was what I was hearing. 

Being curious, I wandered closer and, believe it or not, a pastor had set up a screen with a speaker system which could be heard all across the park.  This intrigued me so I went closer.  On the screen was a video of him giving a short Gospel message.  Dory and I stopped to listen.  After the short video, the pastor prayed - and then Dory and I went over to meet him and to thank him for being so bold for God.

Another young man who had also heard him left his car and came over.  The four of us had a good discussion about his ministry.  He told us that he traveled to different locations, setting up as he had in our park, as he felt the Holy Spirit was guiding him.  We who stopped to talk with him were believers - but, as I said, his speakers could be heard all over the park - where many families come to relax in the evenings and where a number of young people gather to play basketball, softball, tennis, etc.  I did not see him save anyone that evening - but I know a lot of folks all over the park heard his short Gospel message and prayer.  The rest is up to the Holy Spirit.

Luke 14:16-17, 21-23, "Then He (Jesus) said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, "Come, for all things are now ready" (But his friends were too busy).  So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, '"Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind."  And the servant said, "Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room."  Then the master said to the servant, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." ' "

If we focus our thoughts and efforts on those who are not yet believers - or those who have sometimes in the past believed, but are not yet connected with a local church fellowship, or have just become lax in attending worship services, Bible studies, and other methods of fellowship - we must adjust our messages toward those folks.  Especially those who are still not yet believers

Two things we know about that latter group:  (1) they are most likely not interested in attending long church services, and (2) they most likely will not sit still and listen to a long Gospel message.

To reach the non-believer and the unchurched - our messages need to be short and to the point.  A great example would be the 15 - 20 minute messages in Pastor Sam Lacanienta's playlist, where each week he is taking one attribute or one name of God - and sharing what it means. 

Thinking back some 35 years to my own personal experience - if I encountered a person sharing a short message, out of curiosity I would most often stop and listen.  But if that message stretched to 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes - I would have been gone after the first 15 minutes.  And most likely, the chance to reach me and make me want to hear more about God, would also have left with me.

We want our messages long enough to be effective - but not so long as to drive away those who should be listening.

Since the Covid-19 Panic has shut down our worship services ~ I have been sharing Gospel messages taught by these four pastors whom I trust to give you the true Biblical Gospel. 
These four pastors, four churches - I personally know and I am proud to share their teachings with you.  I have chosen them because they are Conservative Theology pastors whom I have known for years - and in whose Worship Services, Sunday School Classes, and Bible Studies I have participated over the years. 

That is why I want to share their online messages of hope, assurance, and peace found only in God's Word with you.  I am doing this through my Friends Ministry eNewsletter, our Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries blog site, and on Facebook. 

All four pastors and churches are Dispensational, i.e., they believe in and teach a PreTribulation Rapture of the Church and a PreMillennial Second Coming of Jesus Christ to establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth.


And most important, all four believe in and teach "Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, alone" and Eternal Security of all believers.

What I am sharing with you is a YouTube Playlist for each of the four pastors / churches, and I will keep adding their latest message videos on top of the playlist stacks each week.  That way you can view their latest videos, and you can also scan the playlists to find other videos which may address issues you want to study. 

I pray these video messages will help you during this time of isolation and trial, and even after we are back to having open church services once again - with assurances that with God's help we will all get through the valleys and come out stronger on the other side.


PASTOR SAM LACANIENTA
- Talakag Church on the Solid Rock, Philippines   (15 - 20 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmAZE3n8MD0&list=PL_YT3RttutrjP4_ws1dHh8bO_CvVYWkPi

PASTOR ED DACIO - Corona International Christian Fellowship, Corona, CA   (20 - 30 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhWHzv5YVE&list=PL_YT3Rttutri2x3a9teQBvznVAO4IjUEt

PASTOR FREDDY CORTEZ
- Church of Hope, Aliso Viejo, CA    (30 - 60 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Fei3n4R-A&list=PL_YT3RttutrjNG8vXg20iPm0FNhfwZImX

PASTOR SERGIO NOLASCO
- International Bible Baptist Church, Riverside, CA   (50 - 90 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEnM_knCG1w&list=PL_YT3RttutrjJ0P_7W-3MKVGI9Rbwnekp

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 
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