You Have To Earn A Hearing

earning a hearing for evangelism witnessing sharing the gospel

This short message is about the idea in many Christian circles that you “have to earn a hearing” with a person or group of persons before you can share the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
 
There are some very important questions a Christian needs to know the answers to if they are going to subscribe to this “earn a hearing” philosophy, such as I am listing here:

  1. How do you know when you have earned a hearing? Is it the point at which you have become as ungodly as your hearers and you then blend in with them? Because that is what many of them would want before they would accept you as a friend or as a person worthy of their time and attention.
  2.  

  3. Can you only witness to people who you have helped out in some material way? Did Jesus or his 12 disciples only preach to people whom they had “earned a hearing” with?
  4.  

  5. Is there any mention in the bible of this requirement of “earning a hearing”? Is this concept to be found in the book of Acts or some other part of the New Testament – as a practice of the early Church?

Some food for thought about the logic behind the “earn a hearing” concept:

 
If a man is deathly ill and he is referred to an oncologist (cancer doctor) and the doctor can see for sure that the man has terminal cancer, does that doctor have to “earn a hearing” with the patient before the doctor can tell the patient the bad news – that he is terminally ill?
 
Did the apostle Stephen forget to “earn a hearing” before he preached to the Jewish Sanhedrin the bad news about their rejection of their Messiah the day that they stoned Stephen to death? – because it is obvious from the reading, that Stephen preached something they didn’t want to hear.
 
Was the apostle Paul almost stoned to death in Acts chapter 14 (verses 6-19) because he preached without first having “earned a hearing”?
 
And what about the prophets of the Old Testament? Is our message to the modern world really any different than their message (i.e. repent of sin and turn to God)? Did God tell those prophets to be quiet until they had “earned a hearing” with their sinful rebellious audiences?
 

What is the REAL reason behind this “earn a hearing” idea?

 
Could it be that our sin nature wants an excuse for not witnessing?
 
Could it be that we fear men more than we fear God?
 
Could it be that we are lazy or selfish and rather spend our time on worldly pursuits, like our cars, homes, pets, hobbies, etc?
 
Could it be that we don’t trust God to protect us and watch over us when we stick our necks out for Jesus’ sake?
 
Could it be that we really are not a child of God – one who does not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, a Spirit that causes God’s true children to love the praise of God more than the praise of men?
 
Those who are not truly saved (i.e. born again or “born from above”) will not have a grateful spirit to serve God as His witnesses in thankful service for being granted a salvation that cost God Almighty the life of His most precious Son.
 
Now before you jump to conclusions about the author or his message, I am not in any way advocating that we ignore or neglect the material needs of those around us. Nor am I saying we should speak harshly or unkindly towards those we witness too. Preaching to people in poverty and those who are ill or homeless should often be done in conjunction with meeting any of their serious physical needs. However, we must really question our own motives for holding to this “earn a hearing” philosophy if it is doing more harm than good for the cause of Christ and the increase of His Kingdom. Is this philosophy only serving to keep us in our comfort zone and also severely limiting our opportunities to share the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world? — RM Kane





Annihilationism – The Belief That There Is No Eternal Hell

(The teaching that there is no place of everlasting torment for the unsaved.)

eternal torment in hell proven annihilation theory disproven

Introduction

 
There are those who have been falsely taught that the unsaved after death cease to exist – they are not sent to hell forever to pay for their sins themselves. They are annihilated by God. Their religious leaders have often taught them his by “cherry-picking” select Bible verses that appear to support this annihilation theory. One such verse is Mathew 10:28:
 

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

 

Proving That Annihilationism Is False:

 
Those who doubt the immortality of the soul, need to take a good hard look at Luke 12:4-5:
 

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

 
Luke 12:4-5 is a clear CONTRAST between death and ETERNITY in hell. THEREFORE, the word DESTROY in Matthew 10:28 can NOT mean ANNIHILATION. So we then must go to a Greek concordance and DIG FURTHER. When we do that, guess what we find? We find that the greek word translated as destroy can be interpreted to mean “to give over to eternal misery in hell”. Also, we find many other verses that agree with the concept of ETERNAL suffering in an ETERNAL hell:
 

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up FOR EVER AND EVER: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:11

 

“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of ETERNAL damnation.” Mark 3:29

 

“Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of ETERNAL judgment.” Hebrews 6:2

 

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL fire.” Jude 1:7

 

Summary:

 
So here we have hopefully demonstrated that pulling a verse out of a hat (out of context that is) – Matthew 11:28 in this example – does not validate annihilationism. We refer you to this article: The Justice Of God In The Damnation Of Sinners for more information on this subject. — RM Kane
 





Preach The Gospel And When Necessary Use Words:

Yet another lie from the pit of hell!

Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words

St. Francis of Assisi is said to have coined the phrase: “At all times share the Gospel and when necessary use words.” Nothing could be more unbiblical that than.  What a tragic mistake so many Christians make who quote and believe that false message.  The enemies of God have no greater joy than to see God’s people adhere to this “wordless” gospel.   When you read the gospel of John, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the true Gospel is something that MUST be preached, must be spoken, that in fact God commands his people to boldly and clearly proclaim to a God-hating sin-loving world. We can clearly see what this sin-loving world thinks of the Gospel when we look at how this world reacted to Jesus when He confronted sin and sinners:

 

John 8:37 – “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my WORD hath no place in you.”

 
Sinners hate a holy God, whose people dare to confront them about their sinfulness and their dire need for a savior, the one and only savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

John 10:30 – “I and my Father are one.  31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.  32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?  33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

 
The Bible makes it clear that God uses His WORD to convict and to convert sinners:
 

Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God.”

 

John 12:47 – “And if any man hear my WORDS, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.  48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my WORDS, hath one that judgeth him: the WORD that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

 

It is our silence that allows sin to propagate and our boldness in speaking out that keeps sin in check. Jesus made it clear to all of us that His true followers are those who tell others about Him:

 

Matthew 10:32 – “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

 

Saying “Preach the Gospel and use words if necessary.” is like saying: “Feed the hungry and use food if necessary.”

 

SEE ALSO: A Conversation Between An Evangelist And A Professing Christian About “Wordless Evangelism”

 





Salvation Is Of The Lord

by Charles H. Spurgeon

preacher charles spurgeon salvation is of the lord tract

If GOD does require the sinner—dead in sin—that he should take the first step, then he requireth just that which renders salvation as impossible under the gospel as ever it was under the law, seeing man is as unable to believe as he is to obey, and is just as much without power to come to Christ as he is without power to go to heaven without Christ. The power must be given to him of the Spirit. He lieth dead in sin; the Spirit must quicken him. He is bound hand and foot, fettered by transgression; the Spirit must cut his bonds, and then he will leap to liberty. GOD must come and dash the iron bars out of their sockets, and then he can escape afterwards, but unless the first thing be done for him, he must perish as surely under the gospel as he would have done under the law.
 
I would cease to preach, if I believed that God, in the matter of salvation, required anything whatever of man which He Himself had not also engaged to furnish…I am the messenger, I tell you the master’s message; if you do not like the message quarrel with the Bible, not with me; so long as I have Scripture on my side I will dare and defy you to do anything against me. “Salvation is of the Lord.” The Lord has to apply it, to make the unwilling willing, to make the ungodly godly, and bring the vile rebel to the feet of Jesus, or else salvation will never be accomplished. Leave that one thing undone, and you have broken the link of the chain, the very link which was just necessary to its integrity. Take away the fact that God begins the good work, and that He sends us what the old divines call preventing grace—take that away, and you have spoilt the whole of salvation; you have just taken the key-stone out of the arch, and down it tumbles. There is nothing left then.
 
…And if GOD does require the sinner—dead in sin—that he should take the first step, then he requireth just that which renders salvation as impossible under the gospel as ever it was under the law, seeing man is as unable to believe as he is to obey, and is just as much without power to come to Christ as he is without power to go to heaven without Christ. The power must be given to him of the Spirit. He lieth dead in sin; the Spirit must quicken him. He is bound hand and foot, fettered by transgression; the Spirit must cut his bonds, and then he will leap to liberty. GOD must come and dash the iron bars out of their sockets, and then he can escape afterwards, but unless the first thing be done for him, he must perish as surely under the gospel as he would have done under the law.
 
I would cease to preach, if I believed that God, in the matter of salvation, required anything whatever of man which He Himself had not also engaged to furnish…I am the messenger, I tell you the master’s message; if you do not like the message quarrel with the Bible, not with me; so long as I have Scripture on my side I will dare and defy you to do anything against me. “Salvation is of the Lord.” The Lord has to apply it, to make the unwilling willing, to make the ungodly godly, and bring the vile rebel to the feet of Jesus, or else salvation will never be accomplished. Leave that one thing undone, and you have broken the link of the chain, the very link which was just necessary to its integrity. Take away the fact that God begins the good work, and that He sends us what the old divines call preventing grace—take that away, and you have spoilt the whole of salvation; you have just taken the key-stone out of the arch, and down it tumbles. There is nothing left then.
 
…And if GOD does require the sinner—dead in sin—that he should take the first step, then he requireth just that which renders salvation as impossible under the gospel as ever it was under the law, seeing man is as unable to believe as he is to obey, and is just as much without power to come to Christ as he is without power to go to heaven without Christ. The power must be given to him of the Spirit. He lieth dead in sin; the Spirit must quicken him. He is bound hand and foot, fettered by transgression; the Spirit must cut his bonds, and then he will leap to liberty. GOD must come and dash the iron bars out of their sockets, and then he can escape afterwards, but unless the first thing be done for him, he must perish as surely under the gospel as he would have done under the law.
I would cease to preach, if I believed that God, in the matter of salvation, required anything whatever of man which He Himself had not also engaged to furnish…I am the messenger, I tell you the master’s message; if you do not like the message quarrel with the Bible, not with me; so long as I have Scripture on my side I will dare and defy you to do anything against me. “Salvation is of the Lord.” The Lord has to apply it, to make the unwilling willing, to make the ungodly godly, and bring the vile rebel to the feet of Jesus, or else salvation will never be accomplished. Leave that one thing undone, and you have broken the link of the chain, the very link which was just necessary to its integrity. Take away the fact that God begins the good work, and that He sends us what the old divines call preventing grace—take that away, and you have spoilt the whole of salvation; you have just taken the key-stone out of the arch, and down it tumbles. There is nothing left then.
 





Sample Evangelistic Cover Letter

 

If you or your local church wish to send out gospel tracts to a neighborhood or anywhere for that matter, you may wish to include a cover letter to explain the reason why you are sending the tracts. You can use this letter below as a template for designing your own cover letter.

 

FREE THOUGHT-PROVOKING LITERATURE ENCLOSED
ABOUT ISSUES THAT AFFECT ALL OF US SOONER OR LATER

The enclosed literature is being provided to you by people who care about where you spend eternity. Perhaps your ideas about this life and the hereafter are reasonable and similar to most people’s ideas. But did you ever stop to think that perhaps your ideas do not satisfy God? The enclosed flyer may answer questions you have – including questions you may have thought there were no definite answers to. If these kinds of things matter to you and if it is important to you where you and your loved ones spend eternity, then please feel free to contact us using the contact information listed here:

[your church name here]
[your church address here]
Facebook: [your church facebook page URL here]
Email: [your church e-mail address here]
Phone: [your church phone number here]
 
“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” [Psalms 66:16]