2010 Senior Pastors' Conference - Session 3 - Bob Coy

EVANGELISTIC PREACHING

·         Ever say anything dumb, foolish or lame?

o   Of course we all have

o   But how many have done that in the name of Jesus?

o   Supposed to be speaking on His behalf – and as soon as it comes out of your mouth…it’s not His half…

o   After the fact, you think, “If I could only have a do-over…”

o   Most of us have been there

·         Most of us preach at least three times

o   Even when we’re just getting started, and we only have one service

o   First is the one we’re preaching in the shower beforehand in our heads

o   Second is the real one…that tanks.

o   Which leads to the third message – the one you preach all the way home

§  “If I had the chance again…”

§  “next time, I’d…”

o   Most of us have been preaching three messages for years!

·         Sunday night is the worst, as we’ve had all day to mull over how much we roached it.

o   Bob thinks that’s the position of Peter here…

o   He lays at night thinking…”It’s good for us to be here…? Really?  Three tabernacles…?”

o   “If I had the chance to speak for You one more time, Lord…I wouldn’t blow it…”

·         Like Peter, perhaps we question our call – a lot.

o   “If You gave me one more chance, Lord…”

o   At that moment, when we like Peter think that, the Spirit says, “you’re on.”

·         Text: Acts 2

·         Four simple somethin’s

o   First, sometimes you have to tell people what’s not happening, so that they understand what is happening.

§  Three groups of people

·         The amazed (we like those)

·         The perplexed (…)

·         The mockers

o   {{you HAVE to hear Bob talk about this one}}

§  Pete’s bugged about the mockers, and responds to them.

·         He needed to explain to them what’s not happening before he could explain to them what is happening.

·         “They’re not joining our church, they’re joining The Church.”

§  There is a context to what we are doing and who we are, which is specific to us (in whatever context the Lord has us).

§  In v.14, Peter draws the mocker’s attention to what is going on.

·         How are we helping even the mocker get the story straight?

·         If I do my job and make sure you get the story straight, even if you don’t receive, I have done what I have been called and sent to do.

o   Second, make your case with the Word of God - clearly - so that they can “get it” even if they never come back.

§  It’s His Word that never returns void, not your Word.

§  Fill your heart, fill Your mind with so much of the Word, so that it just oozes out of you.

§  Pete’s a Spirit-filled man saturated in the Word, so that when you touch him, out pours the Word.

§  Don’t be afraid to offend people by bringing out the Word when you’re evangelistically sharing – the Word is the whole point!!!

§  Let the Word of God have “the run of the house” in your heart.

§  Peter hadn’t prepared for what happened in Acts 2 – didn’t have the whole night to pray and prepare

·         Instead, he was perpetually ready because he was perpetually I n the Word.

§  If you’re think you’re only “on” when it’s pulpit time Sunday morning, you’re missing it.

·         Be always in the Word, so the Word is always ready in you.

·         “Be instant in season and out of season!”

·         You’re on all the time.

·         Be the pastor for anyone who needs pastoring – no matter what church they go to, if any at all.

·         You are an Elder in Israel – you’re not a kingdom builder, you’re being used to build His Kingdom – which is much, much bigger than you.

§  People are waiting for – needing – desperately needing to hear the Gospel.

o   Third, if you’re going to preach evangelistically, tell them Who Jesus is, and that He is alive!

§  Peter has the life of Christ in him, so that when you see him you see Christ.

§  The point of the entire rap that Pete’s talking about is that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, He is alive, and it is our job to bring them to Jesus.

§  There are a lot of people out there practicing pastoring on people who don’t know what they’re doing – and they scare people.

·         I can write a pretty scary end-times rap or “attack of the killer Emergents” rap to scare people.

·         No; focus on Jesus.

o   Fourth, when you’re evangelistically speaking, rely on the Spirit to get the Word of the Spirit out.

§  Each and every one of us has been given the opportunity, right where we’re at, to invite the Spirit to anoint His Word and move.

§  He is the One who does the work – we are only to be the vessels.

§  Rely on the Spirit – He will cut people to the heart, pierce them with His Word, and produce the change.

§  We are all fishers of men

·         We might have different lures, different baits, but we’re all doing the same thing for the same Master for the same point.

·         Final thought: Bob made the decision to always present the Gospel at the end of the Bible studies – and told h is church that this is what he was going to do, so as to encourage the people to bring people so that they can hear it.

o   First several times, the net was thrown, pulled in empty (ever had that experience as fishermen?)

o   But eventually, people began bringing people so that the net wouldn’t be empty anymore.

o   “If you bring lost people here, we’re going to do everything God gives us to do to get them into the Kingdom.”

o   Do you know how the heart of God wants to have lost people found?

o   We don’t have that much time!

§  Get serious!

§  Get them into the Kingdom!