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“Three Steps to a Successful Gospel Meeting”
Three Steps to a Successful Gospel Meeting
Wade Webster
Our Gospel Meeting is almost here. I am confident that our scheduled speaker will do his best to make the meeting a success. He will prepare and present lessons that will encourage and enlighten us. What can we do on our side to make our meeting successful?
Supplication
Jesus taught His disciples to ask that they might receive. He declared, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Mat. 7:7-11). Sadly, we often do not have because we do not ask. James declared, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (Jam. 4:2). We serve a great God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). Let’s make sure that we do not fail to ask for His blessings upon our gospel meeting. Let’s pray for the preacher and the hearers. Let’s pray for the members and the visitors who will come. Let’s pray for the those who need to be baptized and for those who need to be restored.
Invitation
Isaiah prophesied the establishment and the evangelism of the church. He noted that the church was going to go out and invite men to go up with them to worship. We read, “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:1-3). Sadly, many Christians today have ceased to be evangelistic. They have stopped inviting others to come. In addition to hanging invitations on doors in the immediate vicinity of our building, we need to invite our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to come and to worship with us. Often, these individuals cannot come when we invite them to our regular services because they have their own religious services at the same time. However, a gospel meeting affords times for them to come that are not in conflict.
Participation
Luke recorded the actions of the apostles and disciples in the book of Acts. They each did their part in the work of the church. On one occasion, Luke recorded, “Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea” (Acts 11:29). For sure, the apostles and disciples had different levels of ability. To their credit, they used the abilities that they had, whether big or small. We need to do the same. In addition to praying for the success of the meeting and inviting others to come to the meeting, we need to make sure that we participate in it ourselves. We need to come to all the services. Sadly, congregations today often struggle to get their own members to come to their own events. This should not be the case. In addition to coming to the meeting, each member should strive to greet any visitors that are present. They should also get the visitors to fill out a visitor card so that follow-up contact is possible. Members should also make sure that they thank the preacher each night for his lessons. Much study and sacrifice are involved in holding a gospel meeting for someone.
Supplication, invitation, and participation are three simple things that every member can do to help us to have a successful meeting. Can we count on you?
