ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF
Diocesan
16th November, 2007
By
Venerable Dr. Ifechukwu U. Ibeme http://priscaquila.t35.com
GOSPEL PROPAGATION
·
Gospel propagation involves Gospel
preaching (Evangelism), Healing, and Church planting. The aim is that ALL
nations shall be BLESSED (Gen 22:18); that ALL people shall be SAVED (Acts
2:21) by believing the Good News
(Gospel) about the Salvation that is in Christ:
that THERE IS NOW THE BLESSING
OF REMISSION OF SINS (OR SALVATION FROM SIN) AND THE ASSURANCE OF
GLORY, FOR ANYONE WHO REPENTS AND BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST AS THE SAVIOUR AND LORD, WHO DIED
FOR OUR SINS AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD TO BE THE JUDGE OF ALL AND KING OF
GLORY.
·
Jesus summarized this Gospel
invitation in Luke 24: 47; so also Peter in Acts 2:38-39 and Paul in Acts
17:30-31.
·
Church Planting involves going,
preaching, discipleship, growth, and ordering (Acts 14:21ff), with
CONTEXTUALIZATION (1 Cor 9:19-23). This needs the authority
and power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Lk 9:1)
·
Believers should not rest till
they see Churches planted:
# In all the world, for every soul Mk 16:15;
# In the uttermost ends of the earth Act 1:8;
# Everywhere, every place, every city Luke 9:6;
10:1;
# For everyone Col 1:26-28, in every nation Mat
28:19;
# Where Christ is not named Rom 15:20;
# In the regions beyond 2Cor 10:16.
ENDOWMENT
FOR EVANGELISM
·
Evangelism requires the balanced
collaboration of a team or teams of preachers not one preacher and team(s) of
sponsors not one sponsor Mark
6:7; Lk 10:1. A plentiful harvest needs
many labourers. Lk. 10:2; Matt 9:37f. Team effort works synergistically.
Lev 26:8.
·
Evangelism
is not only a HARVESTING of ripe produce, but also a planting or SOWING of seed
that will later yield produce of many folds.
·
He who goes forth bearing the
Gospel has the responsibility to fund or to MOBILIZE for the funding. The going
precedes and supersedes the funding. Lk. 10:1-9; Mk.
6:7-13.
·
Funds for evangelism should be
raised by both PLANNED-REGULAR-RATIONAL means (e.g. Faith
promise/Covenant/Tithe/Subscription/Levy), to ensure COMMITMENT (1Cor 16:1f); and SPONTANEOUS-OCCASIONAL-EMOTIONAL means
(e.g. Launching Appeals/Special Collections/Faith Seeds), to ensure AWARENESS. (2Cor 8 and 9)
·
Evangelism must be timely. And the
time is always now. The Kingdom has NOT signed a peace treaty with satanic forces; the
march of the Church is still on.
·
All who are saved share the
responsibility to evangelize. Every believer and every church should contribute
resources and manpower according to their ABILITY or the AVAILABILITY.
·
He/She who cannot go ought to
sponsor another in his/her stead because all believers ought to go. Those who accept the Salvation of Christ
must accept the Commission of Christ too.
·
To maintain MOTIVATION for giving,
pooled resources should be managed by personnel that is ACCOUNTABLE and
TRANSPARENT (not DICTATORIAL or SECRETIVE) to the contributors.
·
God, Who sends will always provide
for His saving mission (Lk 22:35).The Gospel is not about religion but Salvation.
Ven
Dr I. U. Ibeme
Anglican
Church of the Resurrection (ACR),
PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre http://priscaquila.t35.com