Our job is to compel them to come in the door. It is Christ's job to compel them to come into the FOLD. Or don't you believe that?
Our job is to get them to the place where they are confronted by Christ and his word. Christ's job is to convict them of their sins and draw them unto repentance. Or don't you believe that?
Obviously you disagree with Gill who insisted that we need to compel them to come into the place where they are then confronted by the word of God, i.e., the house of worship.
In the reformation period they didn't have to entice people with smiles and coffee and a relaxed atmosphere to get the unchurched in the door, they could simply threaten them with bodily harm. We don't have that luxury anymore. Now all we can legally do is to entice them with our love and hit them over the head with the Gospel when they show up. Cast your line and reel it in. Tough love.
What do you make of Paul saying 1 Cor 14 "if an unbeliever comes in to your assembly" -- apparently it was a rarity.
Come in the door of what? the church building. Is that where they get saved, or do they get saved because of what you witness to them in everyday life? If you are leaving it up to the crowd to do your evangelizing for you, that explains why you would take this stance. But that is not what we are called to do. The church is for the building up and equipping OF THE SAINTS to go out and evangelize IN THE WORLD where they are. I'm not saying you should never invite anyone to church who isn't a believer, but that is not how we are called to evangelize. That is a copout for believers too scared to stand alone in the world for Christ.
>>Obviously you disagree with Gill who insisted that we need to compel them to come into the place where they are then confronted by the word of God, i.e., the house of worship.<<
But I notice you stopped reading there. Had you kept going, you would have noticed he added:
"and quit their former course of living"
As I said earlier - it's kind of hard to quit your former course of living when you're being enticed to come in BY it!
One note -- it's Christ's job, or the Holy Spirit's job, yes. He chooses to work through his Word accurately handled (preached) - the clearer the preaching the more effective the preaching. That is our job... by his grace he has given us this "treasure in earthen vessels" and we should not try to veil Christ and the great offense he is to the natural man in any way. To do so betrays our shame of him.
I do :)
> Our job is to get them to the place where they are confronted by Christ and his word. Christ's job is to convict them of their sins and draw them unto repentance. Or don't you believe that?
I do
Obviously you disagree with Gill who insisted that we need to compel them to come into the place where they are then confronted by the word of God, i.e., the house of worship.
Gill is one of my favorite commentaries. That is the "great commission" . It is our job to give the gospel message, it is the work of the spirit to fertilize that seed, to bring repentance and faith.
I just told someone on another thread, I never worry about it being rejected by the one I write it to, cause it is God that opens hearts and eyes. It will do just as he has intended, my intentions mean nothing. We are to press the gospel on men, invite them to church or do what ever is necessary for them to hear the gospel call.
In the reformation period they didn't have to entice people with smiles and coffee and a relaxed atmosphere to get the unchurched in the door, they could simply threaten them with bodily harm. We don't have that luxury anymore. Now all we can legally do is to entice them with our love and hit them over the head with the Gospel when they show up. Cast your line and reel it in. Tough love.
You know I really believe that God will work in us and in spite of us. We will invite many that may come for ever and never be saved, but that is not our concern, it is God that gives the increase.
I have no problem with having kids programs or vacation bible schools or young adults classes or even bowing if the only purpose is to see the gospel presented in some way. All too often it is cause the Pastor or leader wants good "numbers", so there is little to no investigation into the "results" of the altar calls. I wonder if they would rather not know :(
My major problem is that way too many churches never give solid meat to their members because they are always serving milk to the new comers/ visitors.
The church is to build up believers making them mature Christians able to take Christ out into the world (have an answer for the hope that is in you). The church was never the primary place of conversion, as you know during much of church history ( and Jewish tradition that the apostles came from) proselytes were not allowed into the church until they were baptized believers. The idea of making the church service the place of conversion is a fairly new phenomenon, and I see many problems with that practice and having the expectation that is where someone should be saved.