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Chuck Northrop Our Gospel Meeting is just weeks away! Because most of us want our Gospel Meeting to be a success, we should be asking, “What can I do to make our Gospel Meeting a success?” To answer this question, there are three basic things each of us can do. APPEAL TO GOD There should be no doubt that we need God to assist us in our every endeavor in His service. As to the Gospel Meeting, we need to pray for the speaker as he prepares the lessons he will deliver. We should pray that the lessons be sound in doctrine and that they move us to better service. Also, we need to pray for each member of this congregation to have a proper attitude toward attendance, to set an example for others to follow, and to be an encouragement to others. And, we need to pray that each person who has been or will be invited to attend will have an honest and open hearts to determine and plan to be present. Prayer has power! Therefore, let us tap the resource and appeal to God for strength, courage, and help in our efforts to serve Him. ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL MEETING The only way others will know about our Gospel Meeting is for each of us to tell them. Sister congregations have been informed, and a mail-out was sent to residents of our city and the surrounding areas. But these efforts do not replace nor are they as effective as a personal invitation. One of the most important and effective ways that we can support our gospel meeting is by personally inviting our friends, our neighbors, and our relatives. To help with invitations, brochures of our gospel meeting are in the foyer. Not only do the brochures have information about the gospel meeting, they also include some teaching and an enrollment form for a Bible study course by mail. ATTEND EVERY MEETING YOURSELF One of the main purposes of this and all Gospel Meetings is to strengthen the local church. This purpose cannot be fulfilled if the members of the local congregation do not support it by their own attendance. Certainly, we want others to attend, but we need to attend also. There is nothing more important in this world than the preaching of the gospel for it is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16). Nearly everything that some consider as more important is only temporal, but the gospel is eternal. Jesus taught, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Besides the above reasons, we ought to attend to let others know how important the gospel and the church is to us. Could you imagine the disappointment of visitors who come and do not see the person or persons who invited them? Or why would we think that visitors would come when we ourselves do not support it? Brethren, evangelism begins with setting a proper example. So, let us make every effort to be present in order to be strengthened ourselves with the gospel and to strengthen others with our example. These three things are simple, but only a few will take the time to do them because only a few really believe and know the power of prayer, the power of an invitation, and the power of the gospel. Are you among the few? |
