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1, 2, 3 OR A, B, C?

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IT’S AS SIMPLE AS A, B, C.

A, B, CBy Ken Blue

Some of the brethren, having run out of things to criticize others about, have now resorted to finding fault with how one gives an invitation to salvation or how one leads a soul to accept Christ. This is done with a cute little saying called the “1, 2, 3 repeat after me” method.

All of us are guilty of picking up some little tidbits or scraps thrown out by others and then regurgitating them to the pups when we get back to the den. Cute, may sound pleasing and stroke our pride, but there is a world of difference between cute and accuracy.

Most of us are familiar with a small gospel tract that says salvation is as “simple as A, B, C.” I’ve yet to hear any complaints about its presentation. It goes something like this:

A- All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

B- Believe Jesus died to pay for your sins.

C- Call upon him now and ask Him to save you. The tract continues with a simple prayer for the sinner to repeat. This is called the A B C method.

The 1, 2, 3, method, however is not received with as much grace. We think we know why and will explain later.

This method obviously begins with the number, one.

1. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory.

2. Believe Jesus died to pay for your sins.

3. Call upon Him and ask Him to save you. The sinner is then led in a verbal prayer of salvation.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Only the Devil would complicate such a simple method of salvation as A, B, C.[/pullquote]

Now, anyone with an ounce of spiritual discernment can see the vast difference between the two methods. You may have to study them for a while before the dissimilarity becomes evident.

Still having trouble? Here it is. One is A, B, C and the other is 1, 2, 3.

We are not naive. Not every sinner who prays, any sinner’s prayer, is saved. It is not the method or words a man or woman mouths that merits them salvation. Salvation is an absolutely free gift to any man or woman who accepts it by faith. No other conditions are required.

Only the Devil would complicate such a simple method of salvation as A, B, C. Lost Pastors teach you must work to get it, and some saved pastors teach that you must ask a certain way or you don’t get it.

Now what is behind all this cute little saying we hear now and then? The answer is control. Another reason for the criticism is that the critic is not getting sinners saved with any method. He doesn’t have one.

Some pastors and evangelist are so desperate to secure a following that they create one more schism in the body of Christ in order to secure a following. We all enjoy a little comedy now and then, but don’t be too hasty to rush back to the den with those little tidbits to regurgitate them.

THE 80/20 PRINCIPLE

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HOW THE 80/20 PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO THE CHURCH

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By Ken Blue

“The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule,[1] the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.[2][3] Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.[3] It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., “80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.” Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

This principle is found to be accurate in “many” endeavors. The business world has understood it for years. It is time that pastors consider it, and see if it might apply to their ministry investments and returns.

If a pastor will check the income of the church against the membership, he will discover that approximately 20% of the people are giving 80% of the income. The same rule will follow when it comes to ministry involvement. In addition, the church building will usually maintain about 80% of its seating capacity. These may vary, depending on the size of the church

Another factor that should be considered it that 80% of the financial and manpower investment, in many churches, only produce about a 20% return in souls saved and membership growth. This fact should motivate every pastor to search out which investments produce the greatest returns. Retailers know they only have one shot per year to make it big, and that time is the Christmas season. If they fail here, red ink will be the result.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]You want people in your city to think of your church when they consider attending a church.[/perfectpullquote]

Do pastors know the best seasons for harvest? It there a best place to seek for souls and one method that nets more visitors than another? The answer to the last question is yes. Again, the facts show that 80% of all visitors come to church because a friend or family members invite them! If that is true, then shouldn’t 80% of our outreach efforts be directed getting church members to bring others?

The question is, how can a pastor get his members to bring these visitors? The answer, many have discovered, is to have something going on at the church that members will want to invite their friends and family to attend. Dr. Jack Hyles and Dr. Lee Roberson built their large attendance on the “big day” philosophy. That is, they would have at least three big days each year. They pulled out all the stops and invested a major portion of the 80% to reach the community and get them to church. Some were always gleaned from those who attended.

For many years at Open Door, we invested greatly in Christmas, Easter, and the fourth of July. It was not uncommon to see the attendance increase by two or three hundred on those days. Now, I can hear the sarcasm of the critic; “how many came back?” No one knows the answer to that question, but one thing is for sure; those who came now know who we are and where we are, and seldom did a Sunday go by without visitors, or sinners making professions of faith.

Here is something to think about: It is not uncommon to see the Goodyear Blimp floating above football stadiums during the season. Thousands see it from the bleachers, and many more see it on television. Now, can the Goodyear tire company tell you how many people purchased their tires because of the blimp? They cannot, but evidently they KNOW the return is worth the investment. When people think of tires, they think Goodyear!

The same principle is true with your church. You want people in your city to think of your church when they consider attending a church. You make this happen by getting your name and exposure out before them any way you can and as often as you can.
Preachers must get over the false concept that if the members are busy, good things will happen. Good things will only happen if they are busy working on the things that will produce the 80% results or more.

WHAT KIND OF AGNOSTIC ARE YOU?

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There are two different kinds. Which kind are YOU?

agnosticBy Ken Blue

“ag•nos•tic n. 1. One who believes that there can be no proof of the existence of God but does not deny the possibility that God exists.” The American Heritage Dictionary.

You might be surprised to discover that there are two kinds of agnostics. So was I, until I read the following account by Dr. James Edwin Orr.

Dr. Orr was a chaplain in the United States Air force. He gives an account of witnessing to a pilot who claimed he was an agnostic. Dr. Orr asked him which kind he was. The pilot was surprised, and said he was unaware of more than one kind. Dr. Orr responded, “Oh yes, there are two kinds, and I am wondering which you are.” The pilot said, “Tell me what they are, and I will tell you which I am.” Dr. Orr said, “There is the honest agnostic and the dishonest agnostic. Which kind are you?”

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“There is the honest agnostic and the dishonest agnostic. Which kind are you?”[/pullquote]

The pilot asked Dr. Orr to explain. “Well,” said Dr. Orr “the honest agnostic says, “I don’t know if there is a God or not; but if He exist, I am willing to find out.” The dishonest agnostic says, “I don’t know if there is a God, you don’t know if there is a God, and no one knows if there is a God.” Dr. Orr said, “If you tell me no one knows, I am going to ask you, how do you know that no one knows? There could be a God somewhere you don’t know anything about.”

So, what kind are you? If God does exist would you be willing to know Him? If not, then there is another definition for your problem. It is not agnosticism.