how far is too far

[creativemechanic]

Currently there's a crusade here with a gimmick. People who attend have a  chance to win  prizes like tablets and bill payments.  These prizes actuslly were part of the promotion.

There have been mixed reaction to this. Some think its wrong to use monetary or material gain to attract people to hear the gospel, others believe if  it can save souls then why not. A similar debate comes up for Christians bands who go to carnivals and witness (in this country.carnival involves  bands of people in skimpy costumes  dancing to vulgar music, conduct and drinking. The Christian bands do their own costumes and music)

Myquestion is, is there a limit to what we can or should do to witness.(illegal stuff is obviously out)

[Jewels7]

Please help me to understand. When you say there is a gimmick here are you referring to this forum? I've an advertising block program on my browser so I don't see ad's . I'm thinking I've missed any such gimmick if that's what you are referring to.

[OneLight]

53 minutes ago, creativemechanic said:

Currently there's a crusade here with a gimmick. People who attend have a  chance to win  prizes like tablets and bill payments.  These prizes actuslly were part of the promotion.

There have been mixed reaction to this. Some think its wrong to use monetary or material gain to attract people to hear the gospel, others believe if  it can save souls then why not. A similar debate comes up for Christians bands who go to carnivals and witness (in this country.carnival involves  bands of people in skimpy costumes  dancing to vulgar music, conduct and drinking. The Christian bands do their own costumes and music)

Myquestion is, is there a limit to what we can or should do to witness.(illegal stuff is obviously out)

May I ask what you are talking about?  I see no such thing.

[John Robinson]

Years ago I saw this with a very large church here in town. They ran a contest where the family that invited the most kids to Sunday School won a pony. It didn't sit right with me then, and still doesn't.

[OneLight]

6 minutes ago, John Robinson said:

Years ago I saw this with a very large church here in town. They ran a contest where the family that invited the most kids to Sunday School won a pony. It didn't sit right with me then, and still doesn't.

That would not sit right with me either.  I thought you were talking about something you saw here on Worthy.

By man trying to entice people to come, it speaks loudly about their lack of faith in the Holy Spirit to draw in whom He wants.  By doing this, it does become a game show or circus.  I agree.  If this was happening at a church I was presently attending, I would seek another body of believers.  It is not the bodies fault, but the elders.

[Pie]

1 hour ago, creativemechanic said:

Currently there's a crusade here with a gimmick. People who attend have a  chance to win  prizes like tablets and bill payments.  These prizes actuslly were part of the promotion.

There have been mixed reaction to this. Some think its wrong to use monetary or material gain to attract people to hear the gospel, others believe if  it can save souls then why not. A similar debate comes up for Christians bands who go to carnivals and witness (in this country.carnival involves  bands of people in skimpy costumes  dancing to vulgar music, conduct and drinking. The Christian bands do their own costumes and music)

Myquestion is, is there a limit to what we can or should do to witness.(illegal stuff is obviously out)

 

 

 

 

Prizes to join Worthy forums? Or are you just talking about in general, these are things you have seen? There's obviously a line. At the same time, Jesus and his disciples went out to the sinners. He was scoffed at by the Pharisees because he ate with tax collectors and others who were hated by many at the time for being so corrupt. He certainly didn't avoid them and only hang out in the synagogues. I think some churches only minister to Christians and worry about getting their hands dirty by going out among unbelievers. (Obviously, there's a line. You don't go into strip clubs to minister to unbelievers.)

But Jesus didn't entice people with gifts or entertainment either. Jesus and the disciples simply shared the truth with these people. I personally don't think enticing people with gifts and prizes is the right approach. Could it save some? Perhaps. God can use even wrong actions to bring about something good. It doesn't mean we should. I think it's spreading the idea that Christianity is nothing more than a sales pitch. I think it also detracts from the genuineness of the message of the gospel. But that's just my two cents. 

Edited February 13, 2017 by Pie

[creativemechanic]

58 minutes ago, Jewels7 said:

Please help me to understand. When you say there is a gimmick here are you referring to this forum? I've an advertising block program on my browser so I don't see ad's . I'm thinking I've missed any such gimmick if that's what you are referring to.

A crusade= a series of evangelical services

[missmuffet]

I do not think this pertains to Worthy but some Churches to have a gimmick to get them into Church.Such as in Sunday school who can get the most visitors to attend. God's word should not be a contest.

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, creativemechanic said:

Myquestion is, is there a limit to what we can or should do to witness.(illegal stuff is obviously out)

It is totally unacceptable to offer any kind of incentive (monetary or other) for people to come and hear the Gospel.

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Ezra said:

It is totally unacceptable to offer any kind of incentive (monetary or other) for people to come and hear the Gospel.

Hi Ezra, Why do you say that?

While it  may be rather silly seeming of course, to do so, but if God may use to His good purposes even all that is even intended as evil, why not "allow" the seemingly foolish thing of offering a free dinner as example if  one will attend a seminar , much like the salesmen of retirement programs do? 

 

As to Lebannon N.H. and areas north and cold, it seems my old Congrgational Church at Plymouth offers free love to all  in the name of Jesus. If that is bad  cannot God turn it to  His good should He so desire?

 I had to listen to decades of rather silly presentations about Jesus  before the Holy Spirit grabbed me and said- hey take it or leave it now, there is no further opportunity. I took it.

If offers are a bad thing then  offering a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus is also evidently a terrible thing to do.

Our Church for decades fed homeless and gave a presentation of  the gospel of Jesus. We didn't think of also offering a cruise for a weekend at some resort, or having a door prize or raffle, but hey why not?

 The word of God is Holy, but must the vehicle it arrives in also be holy? Cannot the greatest of sinners be used of God to make the very best of presentations about His plan of salvation for those that He has foreknown and predestined to be saved? Wait a minute, didn't God use a stunt to get the attention of the self proclaimed and God inspired greatest of sinners? Seems to me God stuck someone blind and got their attention, turning them around rather convincingly with more than just the word, his Word. And His Son did much the same more than once did He not?- having brought healing and presumably awareness for salvation to a crippled man by a pool of healing waters that could never be first and get healed on the special healing day? That was a pretty good stunt that has gotten attention for decades and decades now has it not?

Here's mud in your eye- another act of attention getting. -and if it could work out today  why not use some  such attention getting device as introducton the the saving word of God? The human piety in us may find objection, but will the newly saved by that means of introduction to it reject it as being valid for having heard it after being enticed to listen? 

 Yes  I know I am having some fun with this, but the point or question is;  should I limit how another, claiming to be a servant of God, is used by God? If  they are a servant and they do wrong is it not  for their master to correct them? Have I been assigned the title of avenging  human of God and given  the assignment to  correct the manner in which a true gospel of Jesus is delivered? Have any of us? I'm not aware of that if it has been assigned by God- so far. Now I am thinking of the true gospel of Jesus, and none other.