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Evangelism

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by jeben, Jul 21, 2010.

  1. jeben

    jeben Member

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    Here in the USA have you ever meet any adult who has never heard the gospel never heard of Jesus ?
     
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I've never met anyone who has never heard of Jesus but not everyone has heard the Gospel. My own mother grew up in the Catholic church and it wasn't until she was in her 40s that she learned of God's love for her. She knew the mechanics of most of all of it but she never knew that God loved her. That God was calling her. When she finally heard that, she wept for all of those years that she didn't know God personally. She was saved that day and lived the rest of her life to His glory.

    Then there was my husband who didn't hear the Gospel until he was 16 years old in the Methodist church. Again, he knew the Bible, knew about God and stuff but never heard the Gospel until someone from the outside came into his church and spoke to him about knowing God rather than knowing about God.

    So I'd say that every single person in the US has most likely heard about Jesus but not everyone has heard the Gospel.
     
  3. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    I've met people who never heard the gospel until I gave it to them--my mother included. However, I'm sure everyone has heard His name used as profanity; I hear it all the time--especially on TV. That all the names of God and Jesus Christ are to most people--profanity.
     
  4. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    All the time.

    Where we live, house wise, is right in the middle of the convergence of four major ethnic areas in our city. To our north are Hispanics, to our east are Arabs, to our west are Hindus, and to our south are Asians.

    In all of these cultures there are vast swaths of individuals who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the grocery store the other day, I saw four women wearing burkas. At the mall last week I saw several families wearing traditional Hindu dress.

    We are right in the middle of a huge area of cross-cultural growth. Now this isn't true just for internationals moving in. The other day I was out and encountered a young man who was an executive with a company in our area. We talked and I felt the prompting to talk with him about the Gospel (he asked what I did and was compelled by my answer.) After we talked about it he replied that he had never heard the Gospel before. This guy lived in the US all his life and if you didn't know it, would fit in with any Christian community.

    The fields around us are full and whitened to the harvest.
     
  5. Havensdad

    Havensdad New Member

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    I have shared the gospel with thousands of people, here in the Bible belt. I usually ask them "has anyone ever shared the gospel with you before? Have you ever heard THIS gospel (that Christ died for sin, by grace through faith you are saved, etc., instead of "Jesus will make you happy"). I have never had a single person tell me "Yeah, I have heard it before," with the single exception of ministers I have ran into. They all say "No, I have never heard that before!" and it is usually followed up by "That makes a lot of sense..."

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...do NOT make the mistake of thinking all Americans have heard the true gospel. I would say it is less than 10 percent of Americans (including professing Christians, FYI).

    Obey your Lord! Go out and tell!
     
  6. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    I've met church members who for some reason have never really heard the gospel. I know it was preached and taught to them over the years but somehow they missed it. I think it goes back to a failure to properly explain the gospel and a failure in discipleship. The drive to increase baptisms and church membership overrode the need to make sure converts really were converts.
     
  7. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    Agreed.

    Here in the Bible belt, it's especially true that the gospel is rarely found. In my neck of the woods, there's a 90% unchurched ratio. That is, on any given Sunday, only one out of ten are in a church somewhere.

    Two things: 1) That number was taken on an Easter Sunday; 2) No way everyone sitting there is saved. So now what's the real number?

    Go and tell!!!!!!
     
  8. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    (emphasis mine)

    On this...and many other things...we absolutely agree :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
  9. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    If people do not know about him from church they most likely would have heard his name from an angry person.
     
    #9 gb93433, Jul 21, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 21, 2010
  10. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    When I lived on the west coast in a tourist town there were numerous times I shared my faith with those who claimed to be Baptists and a member of a church who were not Christians. It happened so many times I wondered if Baptists were Christians until I finally visited a Baptist church. Maybe it was just who I met, but most of them were from Missionary Baptist churches.
     
  11. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Yes. Most down here have heard of 'Jesus' but they think he's Mexican.
     
  12. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    Thanks for the laugh Mex!!!
     
  13. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    That is funny. Isn't that kind of like so many Americans who think of Jesus as a white European looking Jesus?
     
  14. Tater77

    Tater77 New Member

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    Sad but true brother. :thumbs: Everyone here has heard of Jesus, but so few hear the Gospel.

    Over this way I think the unchurched ratio is only about 60%. Small towns tend to be better off in that department. Before I got back in Church years ago I was working at the BP off exit 356 and Sunday morning business would literally die off during Church hours then we would get slammed about 12:20.

    But from 9-12 every Sunday morning, that store was dead and quiet with only about 1 customer every 15 minutes or so from the interstate unlike the normal customer every 45 seconds :tonofbricks:
     
  15. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    I used to think this was a crazy idea...that no matter what, everyone in the United States of America knows the concept of Jesus.

    Then I met a man who didn't know. He lived in Ashland, Ohio. The city of Ashland isn't tiny or off the maps. It's not big by any means...probably around 25,000 and Cleveland, one of the largest cities is the US, is about a 30 minute drive.

    I was amazed at the time. I figured if there was anyone, they would live out in the middle of nowhere, possibly raised by wolves. It really opened my eyes to the need for people right here to do what Christians should do...TALK! I love missionaries and the work they do, but I kinda have to wonder what's up with us spending money sending people out of the country when Wal-Mart downtown has a whole host of unsaved people right there in the parking lot, and it only would take a short drive to get there. I know G-d said go, but maybe we should kinda work our way out?
     
  16. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    Curious Gina... Why "G-d" instead of "God"?
     
  17. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Just a slip. I was talking to someone else directly before I logged on here and was still in that mind frame. It's a respect thing, but I don't do it on here on purpose. Sorry! No offense...I did it on here once before and barely escaped death by hanging, so my apologies to all who don't like it.

    Back on the topic subject and people here in the USA not having ever heard, I wonder if there's any studies out there on this and an approximate number of those who do not know that specific name?
     
  18. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    What you did is very common among Jews. It is a matter of great respect for God and His name rather than even coming close to looking like the world.
     
  19. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    True. I work with a Messianic Jew and they write like that all the time.
     
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