Preaching Put Simply Know Your Stuff Know Who

Preaching Put Simply • Know Your Stuff • Know Who You Are Stuffing • Stuff Them -John Clark, Gospel Preacher

Preaching Put Simply • Know the Word of God • Know your audience • Preach the Word of God to them

Know Who You Are Stuffing The State of Religion in Grant County

Know Who You Are Stuffing 2010 Church Data 40 percent belong to one of the counties 130 congregations 60 percent did not claim to be a part of a congregation 7 percent decline in membership since 2000 attendance especially low among 18 -30 year olds

Know Who You Are Stuffing What’s GOOD About the Numbers v less people worshipping in vain Mt 15: 9 v less people deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim 3: 13 -17 v less people with false confidence 2 Jn 9 v less people condemned for believing a lie 2 Thess 2: 9 -13 v folly of the food fun and recreation gospel is exposed Jn 6: 26 -27, 44 -45; 12: 32 -33; Rom 1: 16; 2 Tim 1: 5, 3: 14 -17

Know Who You Are Stuffing What’s BAD About the Numbers v society is becoming more secular; we have fruit to prove it Rom 1: 18 ff • no worship • idolatry (Col 3: 5; 2 Tim 3: 2, 4) • immoral behavior (Judges 17: 6)

Know Who You Are Stuffing What’s BAD About the Numbers v loss of fundamentals that are foundational to obedience to Jesus (already lost to many of the 40%!) belief in God belief in the Scriptures as the Word of God foundation explains the plan for the spread of the gospel and its spread- common ground Acts 17: 1 -4; 16: 14 -15

Know Who You Are Stuffing Our Opportunity, Our Open Door v more people not tied to error/prejudiced against the truth v chance to interest people in the gospel, as distinguished from what they walked away from v man’s need for God only becomes more evident as he reaps the bitter and empty fruit of a secular life 1 Pet 3: 8 -12; Eccl 12: 13 -14

Know Who You Are Stuffing Our Approach v begin by laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God Heb 6: 1; Acts 20: 20 -21 v present lessons supplying evidence to bring people to faith in God (Acts 14: 17; 17: 24 -28)then to faith in the Bible- then to faith in Jesus

Let’s Go Stuff Them! • Know Your Stuff • Know Who You Are Stuffing • Stuff Them -John Clark, Gospel Preacher