In-house Gospel Meeting
Since I became a Christian
in September 2001, I’ve learned so much about the bible and the church. One of
the more interesting ideas is that of a gospel meeting. A preacher, visiting
from another congregation, in another state, comes in (usually for a week) and
preaches a lesson every night.
To some, this seems too
much. To others, it seems not enough. Overall, it’s the opportunity to hear
solid gospel preaching as much as possible.
However, when finances
become tight, an in-house gospel meeting will solve both problems quickly.
The Purpose of a Gospel Meeting
Back in the early days of
the church, a gospel meeting gave members of a local congregation the
opportunity to bring non-Christian friends, family members, and co-workers to
hear a lesson preached. Oftentimes, they’ll refuse to attend on Sunday due to
work or other commitments. With a meeting being nightly, through the week, it
is hoped that they would have at least one free night to come hear the gospel
truth.
Today, most meetings are
attended by the local members and brethren, of other congregations, in the
area. That is not to say that it doesn’t have it’s share of visitors, but most
find more excuses not to attend. When you have to compete against hundreds of
cable channels, streaming services, and social media, it can feel bleak at
times.
Hearing a visiting preacher
give a lesson on a subject you’ve heard before might be more interesting in
that they might offer a different angle or example within the lesson.
Sometimes, they might breathe “new life” in a subject as the speaker is unknown
to you.
It’s not that your own
preacher is dull, but hearing a different voice using the same points,
sometimes, makes the lesson seem unique. Recently, our located preacher
presented a lesson that I, myself, preached to the congregation in 2005.
Although the points were the same, the examples and explanation were a little
different. But the truth was still preached. Great minds think alike.
What is an In-House Gospel Meeting?
This idea was presented to us back in 2003 when we were struggling financially. We, annually, hold two gospel meetings: Spring and Autumn. At this time, we didn’t have the money to fly someone out, so we decided to have an in-house meeting.
For an in-house, the local
brethren would a preach a lesson each night and it’s usually based on a theme.
For our 2004 meeting, we chose the book of Romans. Each night, a different man
of the congregation would give a lesson on a chapter (or chapters) of that
book. Other times, we’ve taken one verse like, John 14:6; broken it down, and
each preached a lesson from that one verse. We’ve also done the Heroes of Faith
and the Sermon on the Mount.
Overall, each night we had
solid gospel preaching and that is what makes a meeting successful. As the
apostle Paul wrote, I
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who
plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase (1
Corinthians 3:6-7).
Conclusion
As the writer of Hebrews
clearly stated, And
let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25). In other
words, whenever the doors to the church building are open for worship, try to
make an effort to attend.
If You’re in the Area…
Our In-house Gospel Meeting, here in Mesa, AZ, is from September 25-30, 2022. Our theme, this time around, is Speaker’s
Choice.
The gospel meeting is now available online click here
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