Article from “Christianity Today“, April 8, 1996:
When asked if he felt that American Christians have lost a sense of evangelistic fervor, evangelist Luis Palau replied:
“When I was in Chicago doing launch rallies for ‘Say Yes Chicago’, a taxi driver took me to a press conference at Grant Park. The driver was a Muslim from Sudan, very talkative, and eager to make me a Muslim. He was trying to convert me in the course of a ten-minute drive. I told him I was a Christian, which began a quick discussion about Jesus Christ. After a few minutes, he said, ‘Islam is going to win in America. And we’re going to win in the world. You Christians do not really believe Jesus Christ is the only answer and the only One’.
I said, of course we believe that. He said No, you don’t. I’ve been here for six years, and I’ve hardly met a single American that believes Jesus is the only One and the only way and the only answer.
I was amazed, moved, rebuked, and ashamed. Here was a foreigner in America unashamedly trying to convert me in ten minutes. And mean-while, we Christians beat around the bush. We are not convinced that people without Christ are truly, truly lost forever. If we did, we wouldn’t be able to rest. We would jump at the chance to be part of a citywide crusade. If we believed that people were irrevocably lost without Christ, we would take advantage of every chance to preach the gospel”.
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ASK YOURSELF - Are you "ON FIRE"? - Do you really BELIEVE? - Is JESUS the "only One", the "only Answer" for You? Have American Christians "lost their fervor"? Or are you truly, truly lost? There is no better time than TODAY, to find or return to, the only Way, the only One, JESUS!!!
Church Erosion
In the Book of Acts, chpt 19 vs. 8-10, Paul revisit’s the Church at Ephesus on his third mission trip. He entered the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months. But when some were becoming disobedient, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him. He “reasoned daily” in the school of Tyrannus for two years and “all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks”.
I like how Charles R. Swindoll describes this in his book “The Church Awakening”:
“No demographic study underpinned the founding of this Church. No secular marketing, neighborhood canvassing, or fleshly methods for enlarging the numbers occurred. There was no manipulative technique to induce people to give more of their money. There was none of that! Paul simply taught the Word of God for more that two years…..and God validated His Word with miracles (see Acts 19:11-12). Paul was consistently faithful to preach with accuracy and clarity and practicality….and as a result, the message spread as the congregation grew deeper and larger.
When promotion receives more emphasis than the essentials - the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer - then the tail is wagging the dog.”
I like how Charles R. Swindoll describes this in his book “The Church Awakening”:
“No demographic study underpinned the founding of this Church. No secular marketing, neighborhood canvassing, or fleshly methods for enlarging the numbers occurred. There was no manipulative technique to induce people to give more of their money. There was none of that! Paul simply taught the Word of God for more that two years…..and God validated His Word with miracles (see Acts 19:11-12). Paul was consistently faithful to preach with accuracy and clarity and practicality….and as a result, the message spread as the congregation grew deeper and larger.
When promotion receives more emphasis than the essentials - the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer - then the tail is wagging the dog.”
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