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Archive for the tag “evangelism”

A TRUE WHODUNIT….by Robert Beike

(Peter…addressed the people:) “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or godliness we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus?…”

(Acts 3:12-13)

The picture of the church in the book of Acts is not a still life portrait, but rather a serial-action adventure motion picture. The episode in Acts 3 is a true whodunit best viewed in 3-D. It begins with amazing special effects, as a lame man is dramatically and completely healed, which produces a mystery that peter unravels for the baffled onlookers. Like a detective in a parlor full of anxious guests, Peter deflects attention from the obvious suspects and directs their focus to the responsible parties.

Peter is not afraid to name names. First he identifies the source of the miracle, and next the true guilty parties. “Why do you stare at us, Peter begins, “as though by our own power or godliness we have made him walk?” “We didn’t do it!” “It’s a God thing!” The fisherman turned fisher of men then launched out into the deep water of explaining God’s amazing grace to a thoroughly amazed audience. Tracing clues through the Old Testament, Peter connects the known with the unknown, demonstrating how the evidence points to a greater power than their own. The miracle’s true whodunit is identified as “Jesus Christ the Nazarene” (Acts 3:6), a.k.a. God’s “Servant” (Acts 3:13), “the Holy and Righteous One” (Acts 3:14), and “the source of life, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 3:15). The names reveal the man, His mission, His character and ultimate power, and Peter insists that it was faith in the name of Jesus that made the lame man whole.

After pointing them to the one who healed the lame man, Peter then pointed an accusing finger at them. In a twist of irony, they had chose to crucify the very one God chose to glorify. They preferred to grant life to a guilty murderer, and put to death the holy, righteous, giver of life. They plotted to have Jesus dead and buried, but God raised Him from the dead. Now, in spite of their evil schemes, because Jesus lives, they had a chance to re-script their life stories.

Explaining God’s whodunit in the world is a part all Christians must embrace. As God acts, our role is to deflect attention from ourselves and defer to the real star—Jesus Christ. Keeping His name on the marquee of our lives and making His story the feature presentation in our circles of influence is the action-adventure to which we’ve been called. Know whodunit in your own life. Learn the back story by reading the Bible. Prepare through prayer. Rehearse daily. Seek cues from the Holy Spirit. Lights! Action! You’re on!




(Acts 3:11-12a)

Illustrations can be a powerful tool in the hands of a skillful communicator. Like opening a window, they allow needed light and fresh air at critical moments. When used at the outset of a talk, or sermon, illustrations can be effective attention grabbers, especially if they are spectacular in nature. I have known preachers to utilize such visual aids as rappelling down from the rafters, and rumbling in on motorbikes and earthmovers. Elaborate sets, expensive props, extravagant costumes, movie clips and dramatic skits, are just some of the means speakers employ to attract an audience. Yet, it would be hard to top the illustration that introduced Peter’s second sermon. A flesh and blood changed life is the most powerful of all illustrations.

Minutes earlier a missionary moment had resulted in a miracle. Peter and John had encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. Now, that same man was kangarooing all over the temple complex. Healed in the name of Jesus, he attached himself to the human instruments of that transformation, as if separation would undo the miracle. All of this created a buzz and attracted a crowd. Like metal shavings to a magnet, the temple crowd was drawn to the scene of the incident, providing Peter an attentive audience.

Is your life illustrating the transforming power of Jesus Christ? Is a steady stream of changed lives creating a sense of amazement in your community? What is grabbing the attention of people you know? Is the focus on the failings and foul ups of the Christian community, or the obvious difference of a life touched by God? As God blesses our efforts to sow gospel seed, the spiritual fruit of new believers will appear and ripen, providing visible evidence of new life in Christ. As Christians walk in newness of life the fruits of God’s indwelling Spirit will mature and produce powerful illustrations that will attract an audience anxious to investigate what they see.

After experimenting by sowing seeds with plaster in crop fields, Ben Franklin tried to convince his neighbors of the benefits discovered. When this failed, and recognizing that people learn easier by observation than through argumentation, he wrote letters in a field with a stick, filled the letters with plaster, and planted wheat in the plaster along a well traveled path. When the wheat came up, people walking the path could read in richer greens and taller sheaves the words Franklin had spelled; “This field has been plastered.” When the fruit of a relationship with Christ is displayed, its a powerful illustration for all to see, that “this life has been changed.”


What You Have Can Make a Difference… Robert Beike








LOOK AT US… Robert Beike

“Look at Us”  (Acts 3:4b HCSB)






THE EYES HAVE IT……………by Robert Beike









(Acts 3:1-3 HCSB)







The Great Omission of the Church… Robert Beike








(Acts 2:5 HCSB)












Ways Your Church Can Help Finance a New Church Plant….by Robert Beike

The four critical elements of any successful new church start are God (spiritual energy), a certain amount of know-how, lots of energy, and money. The first three are not optional, and at some point money will become an issue. Here are 20 ways your church can help finance a new church plant.

1. Provide regular (monthly if possible) financial support for the new church.

2. Donate items such as a lawn mower, microwave, oven, paint, etc.

3. Provide equipment and supplies, such as sound equipment, computer, printer, software, books, etc.

4. Pay for a specific utility such as gas, electric, water, etc.

5. Provide a specified amount for church planter’s mileage.

6. Provide gift cards from local eateries.

7. Purchase Bibles, tracts, or other material for the new work.

8. Pay for an occassional getaway for planter and wife.

9. Pay for church planter to attend training opportunities.

10. Put the new church in your mission budget and designate a percentage of undesignated offerings toward the new work (2-3% is a suggestion).

11. Provide a set amount each month (i.e. $100, $200, $500, etc.).

12. Allow the church planter to speak once a quarter and take up a special offering.

13. Take a special offering each month.

14. Sell off church assets and send proceeds to the new church.

15. Build a 48 week budget for your church and once a quarter (5th Sundays) give entire weeks offfering to new church.

16. Encourage the 5/52 plan where individuals or families give $5 a week for 52 weeks to the new church.

17. Sunday School classes or women’s mission organizations could adopt the new work, and find creative ways to help finance it.

18. Establish an ongoing fund for church planting similar to a building fund, etc.

19. Provide a baby church shower for the new church’s facility. Fill their wish list.

20. Give regularly and generously to the Cooperative program of the Southern Baptist Convention, to your association’s church planting fund, or your denominational church planting efforts.





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