Sermon: “Let’s Go and Grow”

Sermon Notes
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:5-11
“Let’s Go and Grow”

I) To invite is to evangelize.

II) Why is it so difficult to evangelize in today’s world and churches?

• Non-evangelistic attitudes have infected our churches today.
• This is our Church and we don’t do things that way.
• If God wanted us to grow, He’d send us more people.
• Evangelism is difficult, costly, hard work and not rewarding enough for us to spend resources on.
• You could hurt someone’s feelings and turn them away from God.
• I’m too old to evangelize. I’m not gifted.  I’m not interested.
• Fear of failure or rejection
• No knowledge or training on how to do evangelize.
• Biblical ignorance will keep some from trying to evangelize.
• Christians today are seldom able to defend their faith.

III) What can we do to overcome these fears?

• District and conference training events like the Grow Conference.
• Training programs within the local church.
• Continuous individual and church prayer warriors praying for our efforts.
• Training and development in our Biblical knowledge.
• Apologetics classes: defending our Christian faith.
• Teach and preach that to be a true Christian means to be involved in evangelism and bringing the lost home to Christ.
• Discipling and mentoring training classes for Spiritual development of our leaders and the growth and development of all we meet are crucial to evangelism.

Questions for all to ask:

1. Do I believe in evangelism? Why?
2. Do I understand evangelism as “inviting”?
3. What does our church currently do to invite?
4. What could our church do to invite?
5. Do we have any programs or ministries currently in place to invite?
6. How does our pastor view evangelism?
7. Can our church grow by being a more evangelistic congregation? If not, why?
8. What will I do differently when I get home to bring more evangelistic effort to our church?

If we can’t do evangelism, will our church be here in 50 years?