Ever Wanted to Teach Someone the Gospel?

This article is from our Connect Group Curriculum Week #11 Disciples Making Disciples

 This week, we’re going to take a look at what it means to obey the gospel or the good news of Jesus once you’ve heard the gospel and “counted the cost.”

Mark introduces his account of Jesus’ life with these words: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Next comes John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, then the baptism of Jesus, the temptation in the desert, and the beginning of His ministry.

“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15)

Jesus is making it clear that the long-awaited Messiah (the Anointed One, the Son of God, Savior) is now here. The time of God’s rule (the kingdom of God) has now come in the form of King Jesus.  And if you want to be a part of God’s kingdom, you need to believe and turn to Jesus, live like Him, live for Him (obey the gospel). And so Jesus says to take up a cross and follow Him if you want to be His disciple.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Paul says, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

The gospel is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bottom line: Jesus himself, which includes His mission to save, IS the gospel, the “good news.” Obeying Him is obeying the gospel.

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)

Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16)   Believes what?  That Jesus is Christ, God’s son, who can save us.

For those who reject the good news (truths of Jesus) God’s word is clear about their destiny: “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thes 1:8).  

Philip used the gospel as he taught the eunuch how to understand a Bible prophecy from Isaiah 53:7-8.  “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35, NASB).  The NIV words it this way: “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”  Just one verse later, the eunuch stopped the chariot when they came upon enough water to be immersed. He asked Philip if there was any reason he shouldn’t be baptized right then. So, they both went down into the water, Philip baptized the eunuch, and they came up out of the water. For this to have happened, Philip’s preaching of Jesus to the eunuch must have included how to respond to the good news if he believed what he heard. The New Testament pattern for obedience or conversion to the gospel includes the response of belief, repentance, confession, and baptism. 

The eunuch is a great example of how to obey the gospel or the good news of Jesus. It may be hard for us to understand at first how we can obey a story about Jesus.  But it becomes very clear when we understand that the good news IS Jesus and his mission, a story that requires a response from us.

This article is from our Connect Group Curriculum Week #12 Disciples Making Disciples

Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”

The making of a disciple is a team effort. It starts with someone who has a passion for saving souls. Just the thought of teaching someone about the gospel is exciting to this person because they have the Holy Spirit gift of evangelism. They LOVE to teach the story of Jesus and his mission to save a world of lost souls (aka: The Gospel or the good news of Jesus, his life, death, burial, resurrection, and how Jesus wants us to respond). The Holy Spirit is also involved in this effort as He guides the seeker into what could be a life-changing conversation.

If the listener believes the gospel to be true, they’ve probably already begun “counting the cost” of being a disciple of Jesus. In other words, they’ve already begun to think about positive changes they will need to make in order to be obedient to Jesus and walk and live by the Spirit. This means putting God above all else, even family. If they decide the new life in Christ and the salvation that comes with it is worth consideration, then comes repentance. This means turning to God in obedience to His will for how believers should live their lives, and how they should treat other people. Aka: Agape’ (Loving God and loving others, looking out for others’ highest good). It’s the greatest command, and it’s a huge part of confessing or acknowledging with our words and actions that we have come to an obedient faith in Jesus, trusting him to save us.

Obedience also includes the response of baptism for the forgiveness of sin. God then adds this new disciple to His church. As the new believer continues a new life of obedience to God’s will, the discipling process continues within the church family as Christians help strengthen and guide each other. As the new Christian grows in their faith, they use their special gift(s) from the Holy Spirit to help other Christians in areas such as encouragement, hospitality, mercy, faith, leadership, teaching, and yes, evangelism (if that is their gift). 

Regardless of which Holy Spirit gift you’ve been given, we all have a place to work in God’s family. And each job is just as important as any other (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

Are Christians Supposed to Observe Advent?

 by Barrett Vanlandingham 

If you were raised in the church of Christ, or really any church besides Catholic or Lutheran, you have probably heard the term Advent at some point in December, and wondered what it meant. If you’re like me, you probably assumed it had something to do with Christ’s birth, and you would be partially correct.

Although it is a long-standing tradition among Catholics to celebrate Advent, all around the world, there are people who call themselves Christians who have celebrated Advent for hundreds of years, as far back as the middle ages (500-1500 A.D.). The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” as in the “coming of Christ.”

Since God’s word does not command Christians to celebrate Advent, people who observe it do so as a tradition, and in many different ways. The most common would be to use the first two Sundays of December leading up to Christmas to focus on the second coming of Christ, and the last two Sundays just to be thankful for God coming to earth in the form of the Christ child.

The four main topics of Advent center around the hope, peace, love, and joy that Christ brings, both in His first appearance on earth and in anticipation of His second coming when we hear the trumpet of the Lord, and He brings His faithful home to heaven. Advent is a time to do some inner soul searching, and think about whether you’re ready for Judgment Day. This is something Christians should be doing all year long, not just in December.

For hundreds of years before His first arrival on earth, the Jews looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the King who would lead them to victory.  But when He came as a baby in a manger, and then grew into a miracle-working teacher offering them an eternal kingdom, many did not believe, or were not ready to accept the new life He promised them. Sadly, many today are still awaiting the Messiah. But for those who accepted Him back then, and those who accept Him today, we must live our lives in obedience and anticipation of His second coming while being thankful He chose to come here the first time so that we could have hope of heaven.

“…But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Hebrews 9:26-28).

Have a great week!

Our Ministry Leaders Need Your Help

Have you filled out your Involvement Profile?

          God’s kingdom here in Fort Gibson has a lot of work to do these days more than ever.  There are souls that need to be saved, and others who just need a listening ear. There are entire families in our town who are just existing with no real purpose and no faith community to help them with life. We also have brothers and sisters in Christ who are at a time in their life when they need your support in a variety of ways. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? And we will be there again at some point.

Our church family already makes a huge difference in the lives people of all ages in our town, our nation, our world. Much of this happens naturally through friendship evangelism and by being a good neighbor, kind of the “bloom where you’re planted” concept. But other important efforts need lots of planning and help from brothers and sisters in Christ like you who have been gifted by the Holy Spirit with specific passions to help in ways you are best suited for. Gifts of hospitality, leadership, mercy, evangelism, helps, discernment, and teaching are just a few of those gifts the Bible mentions.

 When it is time to plan events or activities, our deacons who serve in the various ministries call on women, men, elders, and other deacons who have indicated on their “Involvement Profile” that they are interested in helping in that area. This makes any task a much more pleasant experience for all involved since those doing the jobs actually enjoy helping in those ways.

As of right now, only 75 of our members have turned-in their “Involvement Profile.” This is 75 profiles out of 208 households (which either have one or two adults). We are making progress, so thank you. But we have quite a ways to go before this task of pairing ministries with helpers is complete.

Each ministry leader needs to be able to identify willing members, including elders and deacons, who have indicated on the “Involvement Profile” they would like to help in some way. This does not mean you are “locked in.” It only means you may be contacted to see if you would do a specific task, either short or long term.

Until then, work still has to get done. Our deacons still need help with Bible classes, funeral dinners, property maintenance, fellowship dinners, hospital visits, hosting Bible studies, providing transportation for shut-ins, community outreach events, grading correspondence courses, serving during worship, audio/video, cleaning buses, child care during events, chaperon for youth, and dozens more opportunities to serve.

Our deacons, just like you, are volunteer church workers. Their service is in addition to their “real” jobs. Please, prayerfully consider helping make their burdens a little lighter by turning in your “Involvement Profile.” In the end, lives will be changed for the better, and God will be glorified. Have a great week!

Barrett Vanlandingham, Family Life & Involvement Minister

The Beauty and Hope Found in the Autumn Season

by Barrett Vanlandingham
October 9, 2022 

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that most Okies look forward to the changing of the seasons. Each one gives us something unique to enjoy.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Autumn in our neck of the woods colors our thoughts with wonderment as we see the leaves change from green to shades of yellow, orange, red, and eventually brown before the cool winds blow, and the leaves turn loose, falling to the ground. Autumn is known as a time when colors change and vegetation dies off, but it is also a time when seeds fall and lie dormant until awakened by spring or summer. Jesus used this process as a way to teach people some very important lessons.

John 12:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Jesus is talking about two things here:

1) His own death, burial, resurrection, and ascension that continues to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10) with the help of the Holy Spirit whose powerful work was only made possible by Jesus’ earthly departure.

2)  Disciples of Christ who die to self, but live for Him, and look outward for opportunities to save more souls and make more disciples.

In John 11:25-26 the writer tells about the conversation Jesus had with Mary (sister of Lazarus) before he raised Lazarus from the dead.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

Jesus’ words are echoed by the apostle Paul.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Psalmist compares those who obey God’s will to trees connected to an eternal Source of life.

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

The autumn season is one of many blessings God provides for us to be in awe of His creativity, His care and attention to detail, and for us to experience it first-hand, year after year. All good things come from God, and the beauty of each season is a great reminder that if He can create beauty on earth like we’re seeing right now, just imagine what heaven must be like. Have a great week!

Thank You, Teachers

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 25, 2022 

I originally posted these song lyrics in 2007. But occasionally I like to re-post just to remind all of the Bible class teachers out there just how much their work is appreciated by many, and needed by all.

As an introduction, I would say that today's Christians/disciples (those who have transferred allegiance and ownership of their life, relationships, and possessions to Christ) who have been called to teach have a huge responsibility. This is true now more than ever. In fact, the job of every disciple (aka: loyal student, follower of Christ, obedient to Christ, fisher of men, and soul-winner) is important no matter what our Spirit-given gift is.

Christ's body, His church, is made up of disciples/Christians who are either eyes, ears, hands, feet, mouths, etc... and we all work together for the building up of the church and the overall good of Christ's kingdom. We are all teachers who specialize in one gift or another: encouragement, mercy, hospitality, faith, giving, discernment, and so on... and we strive to become more effective and fruitful in the cause of Christ as time goes on. In the end, it's all about using your gift to plant seeds. It is God who gives the increase.

This is my thank you song that describes the important work of disciples making disciples.

A Teacher’s Song (BV, April 1996)

You look into their eyes and see His wondrous creation.

They’re looking to you for what they need, but only He can give.

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

They call it the Great Commission, to “go into all the world.”

It starts here at home, teaching the little ones, to grow up strong.

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

A teacher's job is never done. There's always more to do.

You finish one task, then starts another one. It seems it's all on you.

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

Those same little children, you taught long ago, are grown up and teaching too.

Though years have flown by, it feels good inside, to know God worked in you.

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

So, thank you teachers, for what you do, for showing us the way.

For teaching God’s word, week after week, in what you do and say.

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

We Welcome the Benson Family

by Barrett Vanlandingham 
September 11, 1965

Honestly, I thought I would feel sad or sentimental or something about passing the youth ministry torch on to somebody else after 20 years. I do feel something, but nothing bad or sad or anything like that. In fact, after really only a few days or so of wondering how everything was going to shake out, I am very excited that God’s providence has brought such a strong addition to our team of ministers here and to our church family.

Our new Youth and Community Outreach Minister Kelley Benson and his wife Jade, along with their three awesome kids, Toby (6^th grade), Sage (8^th grade), and Olivia (9^th grade) have arrived to take the baton and run with it at just the right time. God always delivers at just the right time, in His time.

Like I told Kelley and Jade, Fort Gibson is a wonderful place to raise a family, and Fort Gibson church of Christ is a church family like none other. The Bensons may not know the full extent of it yet, but our church family and our town are simply amazing. And the love they will feel here will make their adjustment to a new place so easy, so worth it, and such a blessing for them just as they will be a blessing here in so many ways that God already has planned.

The Apostle Paul said, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Please remember to pray for the Benson family as Kelley continues working for the Lord here in a place that is familiar to us but new to them. Pray for their adjustment to life with a new church family, in a new town, and in a new school. Pray success, peace, comfort, and joy for each of their children: Olivia, Sage, and Toby. Pray strength, assurance, confidence, peace, and joy for Jade as she helps her family adjust in all the right ways as only a Godly mother can. And pray for Kelley, that God will continue to use him in a mighty way to do the work that God brought him here to do, and that opportunities will open for Kelley to make a difference in our community and in His kingdom.  In Jesus’ Name.

Have a great week!

No One is an Island

 by Barrett Vanlandingham

8-14-2022 

The writer of Hebrews says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy. Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Part of bringing peace and holiness to “everyone” involves doing good deeds (Galatians 6:10) and being a good neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).

Each month, I have the opportunity to meet with our school superintendent Scott Farmer, other ministers, and most recently our town administrator James Walters. We visit about things that affect each of our organizations, and then we bring it all to God in prayer. This gives the Fort Gibson church of Christ just one more way to be a good neighbor in our community.

The fact is, there are limits as to how far schools can go with regards to how matters of faith, religion, and morality are taught and practiced. There are also limits on how far churches can go (into schools) with regards to evangelizing and serving others in the name of the Lord. The same is true for our town government. But when each of these entities meet together and talk about the challenges we experience in our own circles of influence, we often find we are dealing with some of the same problems, as well as some that are unique to each organization. We find that we can be a big help to each other by passing along helpful information or possible resources that can help with solutions. Each representative can then use that information to address our groups more directly than can be accomplished without this church, town, and school exchange.

For instance, just one glance at the Fort Gibson Open Forum on Facebook reveals just how stirred up people can get about construction projects, new speed limits, and new traffic signs.

In schools, teachers have lost just about every right they have to maintain order in the classroom.  The challenge of dealing with morality and public health issues continues to make things difficult for public education.

Schools and town governments may not be able to go into what the Bible says about anger issues on social media, or about sexual sin, drug and alcohol abuse, or even about gossip or bullying. Churches, on the other hand, can address these things in the context of what scripture says God views as sin. Those messages can then be transported via church members, young and old alike, into every segment of our community and make a huge difference. 

One meeting resulted in our church’s involvement in the backpack program. This gives young at-risk children, mostly latch-key kids, enough easy to open food to last the weekend until the school can feed them breakfast and lunch.  Another meeting resulted in plans to use our building as a safe space to bus children to in case of a school evacuation.

There are many ways to make a lasting impact on our world, starting here at home, one person at a time. As Christians, we are called to plant seeds. With God’s help, you just never know where the wind will carry it.

Have a great week!

 

God Answers Prayers

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 28, 2022

 

God continues to bless me and Lisa’s ministry efforts here with the Fort Gibson church of Christ. The past 20 years of youth ministry has flown by as we have traveled thousands of miles with your kids, locally, across state lines, and into Mexico and Honduras, taught hundreds of classes, directed dozens of camps and retreats, and spent thousands of hours, late nights, and over nights trying to bring kids closer to Jesus.

Trust me, I could not have done any of this without the support of my Godly woman.  Lisa has worked a full-time job teaching 2^nd grade all these years, and has still managed to work right along beside me. On most youth trips, she brought student assignments to grade, and she often had to talk to parents on the phone while helping me keep an eye on kids in the church bus.  She is amazing. For a few years now, Lisa has told me over and over that she just felt that God was going to keep us right here in some capacity with this church family.  Never argue with a praying woman.

My plans were to stay in youth ministry maybe 2 or 3 more years, and do who knows what? But God evidently had other plans for us.  When God opened the door for Steve and Charlotte to resume ministry in Tahlequah, it just seemed like the time was right for me to move into a new role. Our elders were in full support of my offer to continue ministry here in some different areas that needed more attention.  My new title is Family Life and Involvement Minister.  My responsibilities include:

1. Congregational Involvement – help members discover their special gifts that can be used to

     strengthen others and build unity in God’s kingdom.  Assist multiple ministries.

2. Small Groups – produce lessons/questions, recruit/train leaders/hosts, and help form groups.

3. Media – recruit/train/schedule for at-home and live sound/video. Maintain equipment.

4. Social Media and Website – Maintain our online presence and provide relevant content.

5. Office Manager – staff oversight, equipment purchases, ministries/building-use calendar.

 

I will also continue co-worship leading/planning/training, writing articles, hospital and home visits, and other ministry duties such as funerals, weddings, and being active and present in our community.

All I can say is THANK YOU church for 20 wonderful years, and for the opportunity to continue serving here in this place.  Have a great week!

Heat Can Refine or Sear

 by Barrett Vanlandingham
7-17-2022 

These days I don’t know anyone who is looking for things to be hotter, at least in the weather department. All of us who are at Burnt Cabin Christian Camp this week can certainly use all the prayers we can get for dealing with the heat.

 On the other hand, we welcome heat for a lot of other things. Take Peter’s words for example:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Peter uses the word fire to describe the tough times we all go through in life. He says the end result will be determined by whether we choose to cling more closely to Christ when we go through the temptations and valleys of life. Peter compares our faith to gold that is refined by heat. Keeping our faith during the tough times will ultimately result in a celebration of honor and awe when Jesus returns.

Paul told Timothy how the heat reacts when we make poor choices. It not only doesn’t strengthen us, but it can make things a lot worse for us!

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Tim. 4:1-2)

            Paul was very concerned not only with false teaching, but also with Christians who would get caught up in them, resulting in backsliding in the faith, or partnering with or approval of those who are knowingly engaging in sin (Romans 1:32 and Ephesians 5:7, 11). 

The fact is we all have influence on somebody.  And as followers of Jesus Christ we have a responsibility to lead people in the right direction as they go through the heat refining process. Let us never be guilty of acting as a hot iron that sears the consciences impressionable souls.  And may we always use God’s word as our only authority (Galatians 1:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16) as we journey through life and teach others by the things we say and do. Have a great week!