The blog of Sterling Franklin (DJ Sterf), servant of Jesus Christ.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Old Man vs. New Man

New Cross Allegiance video, done by Chris Fowler, with music from Sonstruck. I edited this tonight, and I'm really psyched about how it turned out.



(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0EOFjVIiOo )

So watch that. Pretty sweet. This one is more of an edification video. I'm also finishing up one on Jonah, so that should be out in a few days.

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Sunday, November 18, 2007

<3 Evangelism <3

Evangelism

There's nothing like Evangelism, man. Getting to tell people about the hope in Jesus Christ is really sweet, and there are so many ways in which to do evangelism.

Even tonight, seeing lives changed by the Holy Spirit's power through the Gospel was amazing. It never gets old. Isn't it interesting how the Lord has worked for so long, and yet what He does is always breathtaking?

Then there are those conversations where the Lord just gives you the words and things really move along to really deep matters. Or you see their expression completely change at a statement that convicts their heart and makes them want to know the Lord.

It's all so amazing, and there's no doubt that evangelism is an amazing gift from God. To do it is amazing, and sharing who Jesus is with others is eternally rewarding. To see lives transformed by God's power is absolutely awesome. What a privilege it is to be used by the Lord as a vessel by which He brings them into the light of the knowledge of Christ, into an eternity far away from the Hell that we deserve!

Regardless of whether they commit their lives to the Lord, recommit things to Him, or are totally shut off toward the Gospel, with faithful evangelism, the Gospel has done and will do its work (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11).

So praise the Lord for evangelism. I could do this all my life, and I think it's inevitable that I will. It's not my only passion, but it's certainly a consuming one.

Follow-up

Follow-up is often so neglected, though. I was very alarmed by a comment from someone tonight. After a few people prayed to accept Christ, I wondered what the hosting church's follow-up options were.

The guy responded, "Follow up? Where's that in the Bible? Oh, nowhere."

I responded, "1 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 5, Colossians 1:28? Present every man mature in Christ Jesus?" and I forgot to mention even the obvious Matthew 28.

So he replied, "Oh, well ok, I'm just an evangelist, I don't do that stuff."

But really, what the heck?

Good follow-up goes hand-in-hand with good evangelism. We're supposed to make disciples of all nations. It's good to evangelize. How else will they hear the Gospel if nobody preaches the Word to 'em? However, how will they come to know the Lord more fully and be able to tell others about the Lord in the next generation without the wherewithal to become mature?

Tonight

So yeah, tonight was neat. There was a concert event at the mall, and I got to walk around and tell people about Jesus, hand out tracts, pray with several to accept Christ. Some really neat neat neat conversations. Thank you, Lord! Pray that the church actually does a good job with follow-up, because I'm skeptical. I gave out a few Bibles to a few who put their faith in Christ, so I'll need to restock myself. I did get 52 tracts from the church tonight, which was SWEET! I know, I'm odd, I'm really hype about getting free (and good quality) tracts. REALLY really hype!

Anyway, follow-up will be a huge point of emphasis when I (Lord willing) teach an evangelism group next semester. That's in addition to meditation on Scripture (learning it!), courage, purpose & privilege of evangelism, etc. I think follow-up, though, is way underrated and grossly omitted, and what we need in the world is mature believers!

Anyway, some verses on the matter...

Hebrews 5:12-14
12 ...For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2
1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready...

Colossians 1:28
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

God bless!

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