When you think of the Church (the individual believers in the Work of Jesus Christ) and the Great Commission to Go and make Disciples of all Nations, what does that mean? Most Christians first think of Evangelism! While preaching the Gospel is our message and the Holy Spirit moves upon the unrepentant, unbelieving heart, there is another aspect of Evangelism that I desire to share. Listen to this passage and ask yourself this question; does my Church practice this type of evangelism and discipleship? 1Corinthians 14:19 “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
21 In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. 22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Now I am not at this time going to debate Speaking in Tongues verses prophesying, for the text indicates both Spiritual gifts. I am going to point out the verses 24 and 25! The Greek word for prophesying is propheteuo, which means to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office. Can you imagine what would happen in our Churches if this Spiritual gift was sought and practiced in our Churches today? If the Spiritual gift was practiced and given by the Holy Spirit to men who are an inspired speaker, unbelievers who visit would be “convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Is your Preacher inspired by the Holy Spirit to exercise this gift in your Church? I have preachers and laymen exclaim to me all the time, “where is the power in the Church like that in the early Church”? Well maybe it is because belief in the Power of the Holy Spirit and the use of Spiritual gifts are not sought by believers! Evangelism and Discipleship are brothers. One cannot exist without the other! Both should be and must be implemented in the Church in order to fulfill the Christ mandate to Go! We all want to see lost people come into the Church and “fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" I for one love to see the Transformation take place in the hearts of lost and unbelieving souls! Let us all stop and pray the Holy Spirit bestow the gift of prophesying in our Church for the Glory of Jesus Christ!
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