Volume 31 – 1990 (PDF) - Searching The Scriptures

Page 6
EVANGELISM THAT MAKES SENSE
If there has been any point of emphasis thus far in our
study of the church at Antioch described in Acts chapters
11, 13, 14 it is this: God did not pick the Antioch
church out of a hat by saying, "Someone has got to make
an impact in the world and it might as well be Antioch...
" Rather, God used the Antioch church to make an
impact BECAUSE THE ANTIOCH CHURCH WAS
READY TO BE USED! Having committed themselves
to growth and stability first at home, they were now
ready to sacrifice for the benefit of those in unharvested
fields. And they, as a result of their association with
Paul and Barnabas, were able to send out two men
whom they knew and could trust (13: 1-4).
Look again at that last sentence. Two men whom
they knew and could trust... Let's take time out
from that first preaching journey to reflect upon two
impor-tant points regarding evangelism that we see
in the Antioch model. Two points that are often
overlooked.
Principle #1 — From Church to Preacher
First, New Testament evangelism was
carried out by qualified men. God never asked
the Antioch church to send out men they did not
know. In the selection of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:
2), the Lord was laying down an evangelistic principle
that every church should emulate when it seeks to
preach the gospel in distant places. That principle:
have fellowship with those you know and trust.
I wonder... (and maybe you have too... ) how much
money churches pour down rat holes simply because
they do not take the time to know the men they support?
The fact is: Not every man who writes and asks for
support is worthy of support! Common sense, as well as
the Antioch example, says that no church should support
a man unless they have absolute confidence in him.
Either he is known directly or indirectly (i. e., through
the recommendation of someone else in whom they have
confidence).
Every local church will have to make its own decisions
regarding whom they support in other places. It's
not my business nor anyone else's. But let me make a
couple of observations that may be worthy of further
study.
I've noticed a few churches that appear to take a
certain amount of pride at being able to say, "We
support fifteen preachers!" (Which usually means, we
support fifteen preachers one hundred dollars
per month. ) Question: Of those fifteen men, how many
are really known by the church? Sometimes, outside of an
occasional letter posted on the bulletin board, few, if any,
have had any real and meaningful contact with the men
they support.
Surely it's not always possible to invite every man a
church supports to come in and talk with the elders and
brethren about their work. But nothing precludes an
elder (or someone else) traveling to where the man
preaches to visit him and his family and thereby gain a
first-hand impression about the work. And nothing precludes
a local church paying the expenses of one who
travels for that purpose. I know of several churches
where this principle is put into practice. They, and the
men they support, are the better for it.
What this principle also means is that there may be
more wisdom in supporting fewer men with greater
amounts than many men with lesser amounts. I'm seeing
more and more churches make longer and greater financial
commitments to a few men they have confidence in
rather than stringing out minimum support to a greater
number. It's an area that calls for much prayer as leaders
seek to be responsible for resources under their direction.
Elders need to approach efforts at outside evangelism by:
1. Asking for God-directed wisdom (James 1: 5).
2. Employing good common sense (Matthew 10: 16).
3. Remembering the responsibilities of stewardship,
(Titus 1: 7).
Principle #2 — From Preacher to Church
Second, a church ought not to support a man
who is unwilling to communicate consistently.
Note in 14: 27 that upon their return Paul and Barnabas
gathered the church and "reported all things that God
had done with them... "
My good brother, if you are laboring in a place where
you receive support from other churches, you should be
responsible enough to keep those brethren informed
about your work. If nothing else, common courtesy and
integrity should demand it. Do not view such as a waste
of your time or an infringement upon a busy schedule. If
there are churches willing to take the time to commit to
your needs and write a monthly check, the least you could
do is take the time to communicate in return.
Obviously some preachers know the value of that.
Others are rather, shall we say, lax (I was looking for a
kind way to say negligent. ). A man should be disciplined
and responsible enough to periodically write a brief
report concerning his work. And if a brother does not
respond diligently in that area... well, it makes you
wonder how diligent he may be in other areas. (I'm not
particularly impressed by reading letters on bulletin
boards that always begin with: "I apologize for not writing
sooner... ") I like what brother Aude McKee said as we
talked on this subject sometime back. He said, "My
attitude has always been pretty simple: if a fellow isn't
willing to send a monthly report he shouldn't expect a
monthly check. " That's pretty clear.
And I've been there. On the receiving end. And I know
that churches appreciate being kept informed. I would
trust that if a congregation cared enough about me to
render financial support then surely the very least I owe