December 11^th , 2016

9:30 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Christ Feeding The Multitude – John 6:1-14

10:00 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---- It Is I; Be Not Afraid – John 6:15-21

Wednesday: 7:30 pm-----------------------------------True Grace, Part 4 - Grace Suffering – 1 Peter 2:18-25

Go Out And Compel Them To Come –Luke 14:23

My pastor use to say to his congregation: “My job is to fill the pulpit, yours is to fill the pew. If I try to fill the pews, the pulpit will be empty.” The job of the preacher is to give himself to prayer and study of God’s Word in order to bring a message to the people. The job of the people is to go out into the highways and hedges and bid men and women to come hear the Truth. If the preacher neglects his job in order to fill up the pews, his preaching will be empty of the Spirit of God, power and glory. If his object is to fill up the building, he will resort to fleshly gimmicks, schemes and bribes in order to get men to come, like false religion does. That is wood, hay and stubble. The building may be filled with people, but God will not be there. Nowhere in scripture do you find the prophets or apostles resorting to fleshly gimmicks, such as dinners, concerts and programs in order to get people to hear them preach. Never did they have a big dinner or social gathering and then start preaching to them. It is flesh and a denial of the power of the Spirit of God, Whose work it is to bring men to hear the Word. It is being ashamed of the gospel. Rather than boldly declaring “Thus saith the Lord . . . Hear ye, hear ye! Thus saith the King!”; they bring people in under false pretenses and sneak in some preaching to salve their conscience and fill their coffers. God does not beg and bribe hell deserving rebels to hear of His Son. He demands they come and hear. THE SCRIPTURAL WAY of bringing people in to hear the Gospel was (and is) WORD OF MOUTH. The Lord spoke the Word to men and they went their way and spoke it to others; who spoke to others. The woman at the well went home and told everyone she came into contact with, “Come see a man. Is not this the Christ?” And they came and heard the Word themselves and the Lord saved them.

When was the last time you spoke to someone about the Lord? When was the last time you brought someone to hear the gospel? Have you ever done so? The Lord has used many zealous believers over the years to bring many to hear His Word and the Lord saved them. Is there anyone you have a burden for? Then talk to them of the Lord and bring them to hear the gospel. They won’t be saved unless they hear the Truth! Our purpose on earth is to bear witness of our Lord. “For whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” - Romans 10:13,14,17

“Christ does not measure His gifts by our petitions (prayers), but by His own riches and mercy. Gracious souls many times receive gifts and favours from God that they never dreamed of, nor durst presume to ask. Jesus Christ is often better than His word.” – Thomas Brooks

“Were there more assurance among Christians, they would not count great mercies small mercies, and small mercies no mercies; no; then every mercy on this side hell would be a great mercy, then every mercy would be sweeter mercy, a perfumed mercy.” -- Thomas Brooks

PERSONAL WITNESSING -- “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee,

and hath had compassion on thee.”(Mark 5:19)