Men's Conference on Pursuing Genuine Biblical Revival

May 5 & 6, 2017

Theme: "Capture Our Hearts Again!"

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ray Ortlund
Pastor of Immanuel Church (Acts 29 plant in Nashville, TN)
President of Renewal Ministries
Regional Director of Acts 29 Network
Formerly Assoc. Prof. of OT & Semitic Languages @ Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL)
Council Member & regular blogger at The Gospel Coalition
Author of commentaries and many books including Isaiah: God Saves Sinners in the Preaching the Word Series Commentary Series, When God Comes to Church: A Biblical Model for Revival Today, The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ in the 9 Marks Building Healthy Churches Series and most recently Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel.

Pre-Conference Workshop - 2 Sessions (Content to be released soon)

Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Tom Schreiner
James Buchanan Harrison Prof of New Testament Interpretation, Professor of Biblical Theology and Associate Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY)
Author of many commentaries and books including The Law and Its Fulfillment: A Pauline Theology of Law, The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance; The King in His Beauty, and Romans in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Series.

Registration opens soon at www.FGCon.org

Hosted by:
Union Lake Baptist Church
8390 Commerce Road
Commerce, MI 48382
248.363.9600

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Evangelistic Musings in Light of "Christianity Explored"

Rico Tice co-authored Christianity Explored which is a 10-week evangelistic Bible study through Mark's gospel. Rico is the keynote speaker at Fellowship in the Gospel 2011 this May.

Cliff at our church has led it 3 or4 different times. Tonight was the 2nd week of the study that I am leading (for the 1st time). The format is not ingenious. The "marketing" of it is not slick. However, it is honest. Everyone knows what they are going to get: a Bible study in order to examine some basic questions about Jesus, a Bible study that will include reading the Bible themselves and being prepared to talk about questions concerning that reading. When I first learned of this study I thought: Could sharing the gospel really be this easy? Inviting people to a non-threatening "discussion" to explore Christianity? Would anyone be interested? Would anyone come?

Experience alone is telling me that it does "work" in the sense that some people do in fact come when they are invited. Will anyone be saved through this course? I can't say that for sure. What I can say is that it is providing a venue to share the gospel with people. This caused me to think about my own involvement in evangelism. I've always thought I wasn't very gifted at it. Despite my ease of talking to people, I've never felt very artful at leading conversations to spiritual issues.

As this study continues, so does my introspection. Convicting questions are arising. Maybe the problem with my involvement in evangelism has little to do with not having the right program or promotions. Maybe the problem all along has been my lack of faith or perhaps even being ashamed of the gospel.

God's plan includes saving people from all tribes and nations. What if it really is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation? What if I need to simply engage people to see if anyone is willing to hear it? My recent experience is telling me that these things are true. Ands, as it turns out, they bear out what I read in the Scriptures. God's man goes and tells men God's message of salvation. Sometimes they reject him. Sometimes God uses that message to transform them.

As I ponder, I am led to this: I'm thankful for the fact that the very good news with which I've been entrusted, tells me that there is no penalty I will ever face for my failures to carry it. This gives me freedom. It empowers me to change course. It give me hope that God can indeed use me in evangelism...despite what I have failed to do up to this point.

1 comment:

  1. I was struck by the last paragraph. The good news I fail to share covers that very failure.
    If that doesn't spur me on to share about the gospel of Christ, I don't know what will!
    God worked in the very same way in Turkey. In a country of Muslims if you invite them to a Bible study some will come to hear about Christ. Wow!

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