Witnessing in the Church
I Corinthians 1:17-25

"The smell of death is upon any church that ignores the elementary fact of evangelism. It hasn't long to live, not long at all," C. S. Mueller."

There should be evangelistic preaching, for "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21). God has always used the "preaching of the cross" (v. 18) to bring men to Himself. A church can go for months, see no one receive Christ, and conclude that people are not saved through preaching today. This is not true. Too often the essential of the gospel, the substitutionary death of Christ for sins, is not preached or is just barely mentioned. If you listen carefully you may find that how to become a Christian is not made clear. No wonder men do not respond!

We are terrible traditionalists. The morning service is still called the worship hour and the evening service, the evangelistic hour. Why? In most churches the unsaved attend in the morning, not in the evening. No need to fish in a bathtub. Preach the gospel when the lost are there.

Some say the church is not the place to preach the gospel but should be for building up the saints who will then win the lost outside the church. Let's be realistic! Is it being done? Any preacher will admit very few are leading people to Christ outside the church. Both can and should be done. Dr. Harry A. Ironside proved for years at historic Moody Church that it can. He certainly was a teacher
and expositor of the Word, but he always included the gospel and gave an invitation. Seldom did a Sunday go by that people were not saved. Paul expected unbelievers to come to church, for he said, "There come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers" (1 Corinthians 14:23).

Several things can be done to insure people's coming to Christ. Make the non-Christian really welcome and at ease in church. Create the right atmosphere for evangelism through good gospel singing and special music. Preach the gospel and Christians will bring their unsaved friends knowing there will be opportunity to receive Christ without embarrassment. Train Christians to pray earnestly for people to come to Christ (especially during the invitation). Let's "by all means" win some.