From the Pen of Paul

How to Have a Great Gospel Meeting

I grew up during the time when gospel meetings were considered the high point of the year. Most meetings were quite well attended. Often the crowds would be so large that a group of kids would have to sit around the pulpit on the floor. I have seen large numbers of responses during these meetings and most of them would be baptisms. Folks often came from the community to hear the preaching even though they were not members of the church; this resulted in the conversion of many. During these days preachers boldly declared the truth on the subject of salvation, the church, the worship of the church, and Christian living. Souls were saved and churches were strengthened.

Is the day of the gospel meeting over? Certainly not, but I do believe that they serve a different purpose today. Most of our meetings now are attended by much smaller crowds and most attendees are members of the church. And the length has gone from two weeks and more to much shorter times—usually three to five days. But that does not mean that we cannot have a great gospel meeting. What can I do to help our meeting?

1. Realize what a great opportunity we have. We often take our freedom and opportunities for granted. We have an opportunity to hear the greatest message—the message by which we will one day be judged (John 12:48). We have the opportunity to sit at the feet of a real Bible scholar. Brother Mac Deaver will be well prepared and ready; that is always apparent when he preaches. He knows the Book and presents it with the urgency that the message demands. Like Christ, he practices what he preaches (Acts 1:1). Brother Deaver is well educated, has a great deal of common sense, and a great love for the truth. He has stood in defense of the Truth on the polemic platform many times. He has refused to compromise the Truth and has suffered for the cause of Christ.
2. Talk up the meeting. Word of mouth is by far the most effective type of advertising. A personal invitation to a friend may result in the friend visiting our services. The tongue is often an unruly member of the body (James 3:1-8), but it can be used as a mighty tool for Christ also.
3. Work it up. Spend some time working for the meeting that you would like to spend for yourself. Use the telephone; use the mail; invite your friends and neighbors. We often spend time to promote a school function, a club function, little league, etc. We certainly ought to be able and willing to spend a little extra time in promoting our gospel meeting.
4. Pray fervently for the meeting. "Pray without ceasing" Paul said (I Thess. 5:17). Even though some are saying that prayer does no good, the Bible teaches otherwise (I John 3:22; 5:14-17). Pray for the preacher, the song director, the conversion of sinners and the edification of the saints. James told some in his day, "Ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2). Let's be sure that we use this great avenue of prayer on behalf of our Gospel meeting—and at all times. The avenue of prayer is one of the greatest blessings available to the Christian and we need to use it.
5. Attend every service. Every service is important! There will be singing, prayers, preaching, and fellowship. All of these are vital. Not only are we obligated and required by God's Word to attend this meeting (Heb. 10:25), but we should count it a great privilege. Some do not have this privilege. In some countries, it would be dangerous to try to conduct a gospel meeting such as this. Faithfully attending, we obey Christ (Heb. 10:25), grow in knowledge (Peter 1:5; 3:18), encourage and exhort others (Heb. 10:25), and grow in our love for the truth.
6. Be friendly to all visitors. This may require you to arrive earlier than normal in order to greet those who are honoring us with their visit to our services. Showing yourself friendly is a way to win friends and influence people. Jesus was never cold, unfriendly, nor indifferent.

Gospel meetings are grand and glorious events. Will you do your part to assure that this upcoming gospel meeting is the best ever in the history of the Northeast church of Christ?
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Interesting Things

A number of years ago when we saw the church sliding in the wrong direction we did our best to get brethren to take a stand against the onslaught of liberalism and modernism. We exhorted brethren to have little or nothing to do with those who did not have the proper respect for Bible doctrine. We exhorted preachers, elders, deacons, Bible teachers, and the entire church to stand up and be strong for the Lord (Eph. 6:10-17).

Very few brethren did as the Bible teaches about false teachers and false doctrine. Their fellowship was very wide at the time, and place was given to liberals and weak brethren on many programs and lectureships, which, in reality, gave a commendation to the wrong kind of preachers and teachers. Some of our dear friends got caught up in self gain and personal glory. It may be that they did not see what they should have seen then. But now it seems that a number of religious cliques have fallen apart, and explosions are taking place in all directions.

Some accused us of being too narrow in our fellowship. Now some of them are at war with each other and are ripping each other apart. They are crying, "Watch your fellowship," and are charging their very close clique in former days as being political instead of following Christ. They now see clearly what was taking place years ago. They started a religious paper then, but now some are trying to destroy the same journal. What happened? What has taken place? They all are just what they used to be except they had a sizable falling out and their clique flew apart and went in many directions. There is very little fellowship with them anymore, and we doubt they will ever get back together.

At the time these brethren were so critical of our strong stand against the church wreckers of 25 years ago, they were part of a brotherhood clique which was headquartered at one of the larger schools of preaching among us. But, boom! — a tremendous falling out and a sizable division took place within their ranks, and now they have turned their guns on each other. One side now sees the church politics at work, of which they were once a part, and each group is now doing better within their ranks. Both groups are now writing and condemning what we were condemning years ago. Why did they not see it then? Because they had a love affair going within their group and used each other on various programs. Now the honeymoon is over and their eyes are beginning to see what they should have seen years ago relative to the condition of the church of Jesus Christ. And what are we going to do? We are going to keep on preaching and teaching the truth and standing for the old paths (Jer. 6:16).
—Malcolm L. Hill

Tidbits

Little people try to pull down folks of stature. They know this is the only way to try and make them little folks size.

We should not say "no" but "go" in the Lord's cause.

Don't say people will not listen to the gospel until you have tried.

They are talking about a man who kicked a dog and killed it. He may get 10 years in prison for this act. But a woman can shoot her husband and virtually walk free. Where are the values of some people in this country?

Much stir has been given to a pro football player in a dog fight ring. They have made Mr. Vick a very wicked man for doing so. What about people who murder little unborn babies?
—Malcolm L. Hill