Articles
The Value of a Gospel Meeting
The Value of a Gospel Meeting
What is a gospel meeting? It is a series of meetings of the church centered upon the preaching of the gospel. Is it Scriptural to do this? Yes, for the church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15); its mission is to teach and preach the truth of the gospel. A series of meetings with a visiting evangelist is just one way among many that the church can work to fulfil that responsibility. Is it a valuable effort?
A gospel meeting is valuable because of the power of gospel preaching. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom 1:16).
A gospel meeting is valuable because it presents a unique opportunity to reach the lost. The religious neighbor may not be inclined to visit our assembly on a Sunday because they already have another commitment, but they may be more likely to accept an invitation for a weeknight. Or a neighbor may feel uncomfortable coming into your home, or you coming into theirs, for a personal one on one study, but they may be inclined to sit in an audience of others. Our job is to invite them.
A gospel meeting is valuable because it is an opportunity for additional periods of worship in which God is glorified and saints are edified – built up spiritually in the faith. The church is a self-edifying body (Eph 4:16), and that involves a coming together in one place (1 Cor 11:20; 14:23) for the profit of the whole body (1 Cor 12:7).
A gospel meeting is valuable because it is an excellent opportunity for us to learn and grow so that we can change for the better. The gospel teaches Christians to continue to learn, grow and to change, and that involves the renewing of our minds in the word of God. (Rom 12:2). Growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ must be a goal of every Christian (2 Pet 3:18).
A gospel meeting is valuable because it is an occasion for us to realize and practice the right priority in our lives – to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). It helps expose our priorities to ourselves, for participating in the gospel meeting requires us to deliberately choose between it and other things we would normally do on weeknights. By being a part of the meeting we are devoting our minds to things that matter for eternity.
The preaching of the gospel is of utmost value, for “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Whether a gospel meeting is valuable to you will be determined by your attitude toward it and your commitment to be a part of it with ears ready to hear.
