How not to grow a church

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Should we do biblical evangelism or any way we are comfortable doing it?

Before answering, remember:

• Jesus wasn't all that comfortable on the cross.
• Paul probably wasn't having his "best life now" when being beaten and jailed.
• Stephen probably didn't like being stoned to death.
• Jan Hus would have preferred not being burned at the stake.
  
• John Bunyan wouldn't shut up and stop preaching which led to much prison time.
  
• Corrie ten Boom may have been more comfortable with life outside a Nazi camp.

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." - Jesus Christ (John 15:18,19)

"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." - Jesus Christ (Luke 6:26)

Woe means: deep distress, misery, despair. The opposite would be "happy."

It costs something to follow Jesus Christ. We should not expect to be comfortable, especially doing biblical evangelism. If the world is for you, be afraid. See also Jeremiah 5:31, Matthew 7:15, John 7:7, 1 John 3:13, 1 John 4:5.

I think the following two videos say it all. Please take a few moments to watch them. In total, it will take 14 minutes out of your life:

John MacArthur on church growth and how to build a church with tares (try to listen to his words instead of the music):



Pastor Steve's nightmare:

- Tamara Slack

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