THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. " (John 5:39)

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 34, SEPTEMBER 22, 2002

BACK HOME AGAIN  

          I have completed my gospel meetings for the year that require me to actually stay out of town and I am certainly thankful for that.  There is a great deal of work here that needs to be done and I am looking forward to focusing all of my attention on it.  I have one more meeting this year but it is at Mill Road in Forest Park , so there is no need to be out of town.  

            Every year the gospel meetings have things that happen, emotions that are felt, and a few observations to be made.  I would like to use this article to tell you of some of the things that happened and to make a few observations.  

            The success or failure of gospel meetings is directly proportionate to the amount of work the congregation holding the meeting puts into it.  I am not one who is ready to say that the day of the successful gospel meeting is over – but we are going to have to work harder, pray more, and put out the effort if we wish to see results.  Now I know and understand that God gives the increase, but a lot of Christians are forgetting that the same verse that tells us that also tells us that Paul planted and Apollos watered.  There was work done before God gave the increase.  It seems to me that a lot of places I go do absolutely nothing except mail out a few invitations to congregations that are close by.  Many don’t even put up a sign to announce the meeting and it is a struggle to get their own members to attend.  Then people who did nothing in preparation sit back and wonder why meetings aren’t as successful as they used to be.  I will personally be reevaluating my own meeting work to determine the best and most efficient use of my time.  

            Elders who do not see to it that all levels of discipline are exercised as called for in the congregation over the which they are overseers, may think they have created an atmosphere of peace, but have actually created an atmosphere of looseness in all respects.   Believe me, after years of such inadequate leadership in a congregation the effects are tangible, you can see them and feel them.  

            I have also found that you can tell what kind of preaching has been going on at a congregation by the reactions I receive.  An awful lot of people don’t like to hear plain preaching.  What does it tell you when older people continually come up and say, “That’s the kind of preaching I heard when I was growing up,” or, “We need more preaching like that”?  Well, what have they been hearing and what has changed, the gospel or the preaching?  

            There is no new thing under the sun.  Just as the church in Sardis was described by the Lord as “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”, there are churches today in the exact same boat.  Some are dying on the vine with no real evangelism taking place.  I went one place where they were telling me that the attendance has steadily dropped for years and there were all kinds of reasons given as to why.  The reason that was not given and that was obvious is that no one had been going out of their way in an effort to teach their friends and acquaintances. Don’t get me wrong.  These are all good people, but they have lost sight of what the mission and purpose of the church is – from the leadership on down.   

            Worldliness is having a profound influence on the church.  It is evidenced by lack of attendance among members, the dress of some who do attend, and in some cases, outright animosity toward preaching about certain moral issues.   

            However, there are also a host of wonderful brethren out there.   There are brothers and sisters in Christ who are waging the war with every bit of energy they have.  In every congregation there are brothers and sisters in Christ, young and old, who will uphold the hand of a faithful gospel preacher and encourage godly elders.  There are young fathers and mothers doing their very best to raise their children in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord”.  You see them at every service, even though they are tired and the kids are tired and there is homework to do.  There are the older brothers and sisters who are not feeling very well, in fact, they have difficulty putting one foot in front of the other, but they are at every service and are on the telephone inviting people to come and visit.  Many brethren will gladly open their homes and share their food and comforts with you.  

            We have our Gospel Meeting coming up November 3 – 8.  Let’s put some real effort into it.  Let’s all make it a point to invite people to come.  The worse they can do is not show up or tell us no thanks.  Even if they get a little upset with us for asking, so what?  Let’s all pray for the meeting.  Pray for its success.  Of course, let’s all be present as well.  The kids will make it through one week of being up a little later, or of having to do their homework as soon as they get home from school instead of going out to play.  If you don’t like to drive at night, or can’t drive at night, make arrangements with somebody who can to come and get you.  There is no reason why this upcoming meeting with Tim Coffey can’t be the most success and spiritually uplifting that we have ever had.  Let me take that back.  If it is not as good as it could be, it will not be because of the gospel.  It will be because we did not do the very best that we could – each and every one of us.  

                                      Greg Litmer

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