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Articles
Who Will Come Next Week?
As hopefully we all know by now, our gospel meeting begins next Sunday. Who do you think will come? The large number of other meetings occurring the same week at other churches in the area should tell us that many of the brethren in the area will not come. That basically leaves two other groups: those of the world and ourselves. Who among these two groups will come next week? The answer depends on two factors.
Whom we invite
To my knowledge, outside of our website and facebook page, the church has not engaged in any mass advertising campaign to spread the news of the meeting. We have not advertised on television, the radio, or in newspapers. So how will people in the area know of the meeting? We must tell them.
Two groups surveyed a total of 18,000 people concerning why they are a member of a particular church. 79% responded that it was because a friend or relative invited them. Why will most people of the world come to our meeting? For the same reason.
Peter stands out as one of the great servants of the Lord. How did he first come to know of Him? His brother Andrew “brought him to Jesus”(John 1:40-42). We need to be telling, inviting, and bringing others with us next week. They will not come if we do not ask. Are we asking? Do we care about their souls?
The condition of our heart
Sadly, if this meeting is like most others, many of us will not even come next week. Why? We have known for some time now the exact week of the meeting. We have had plenty time to make any needed adjustments in our activity and work schedules. What could keep us from being here?
Jesus commands us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33),” but not all of us have made up our hearts and minds to do so. Daniel “purposed in his heart” to put God first in his life (Daniel 1:8), and so must we. Just as David exhorted Solomon concerning God, we must “serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind” (1 Chron 28:9). Those who do will come next week. This is not to say that some will not be truly hindered from being here, but too many will choose not to be here. Will you?
Tens of thousands of sports fans will travel thousands of miles for a ball game. Why? Because they love their team and make up their mind to go support them. If we all had that kind of commitment to the Lord and one another there would hardly be room for visitors!
So who will come next week? The answer depends on us.
