What do you guys think of this video clip?

[PuritanSchmidt]

I just viewed this a little bit ago and was just curious what you think about the message.

YouTube - Intercession - Eric Ludy

 

[Jared]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's important for us to hear about our personal responsibility in sharing the gospel with others. There are people dying and going to hell and if we don't share the gospel with them when we have a chance to, then there is a sense in which their blood is on our hands. I don't completely understand in what sense this is true, because it doesn't mean that we're not saved necessarily. But, as one reformed guy, Jerome Gay, says, how much do we have to hate someone to not share the gospel with them?

 

[Jared]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's important for us to hear about our personal responsibility in sharing the gospel with others. There are people dying and going to hell and if we don't share the gospel with them when we have a chance to, then there is a sense in which their blood is on our hands.

Depends on what you mean by "sharing the gospel," cause you're probably not speaking for me.

What's that supposed to mean? That I'm sharing a different gospel?

 

[Jared]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's important for us to hear about our personal responsibility in sharing the gospel with others. There are people dying and going to hell and if we don't share the gospel with them when we have a chance to, then there is a sense in which their blood is on our hands.

Depends on what you mean by "sharing the gospel," cause you're probably not speaking for me.

What's that supposed to mean? That I'm sharing a different gospel?

No. It means I need to understand what you mean with the phrase "sharing the gospel," usually an official ministry that belongs to gospel ministers, and implying that it is the imperative of every believer without distinction. Now, if that's not what you mean, then you may be speaking for me. But I'll need a definition in order to know for sure. And then, we'd have to discuss this whole "their blood is on our hands" thing.

I do believe that we all have a responsibility to share the gospel with others. But, obviously there are some who are called to pastor or evangelize.

As far as their blood being on our hands, that's a difficult concept to understand. I heard John Piper and Mark Dever talk about that one time, and they came to the conclusion that it's difficult to say quite what that means, since clearly if we're going to heaven, we certainly won't have any guilt there.

So, it's difficult to ascertain as to what this means. the thought is taken from Ezekiel 33:1-11

33:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

 

[MarieP]

I just viewed this a little bit ago and was just curious what you think about the message.

YouTube - Intercession - Eric Ludy

I think he had some great points! We are prone to pity parties and focus on ourselves. Rather, we ought to look away from ourselves and look to Christ and to the interests and service of others. I find great freedom in this! Yes, there is a time for introspection and self-examination, but we can become self-absorbed if we aren't careful. We forget that everyone else has struggles and fears and anxieties and sins to put to death.

I'm not familiar with Eric Ludy. The only issue that I wondered about in the clip was whether he holds to the victorious life view? At first, when he spoke of those who constantly fought demons within, I thought about how we do have those struggles within us, and God can use us even when we have those seasons. But I listened on and will give him the benefit of the doubt because it sounds like he was responding to those who would put more energy in "morbid naval gazing" than in outwardly loving and serving the church and the lost.

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 PM ----------

I do believe that we all have a responsibility to share the gospel with others. But, obviously there are some who are called to pastor or evangelize.

As far as their blood being on our hands, that's a difficult concept to understand. I heard John Piper and Mark Dever talk about that one time, and they came to the conclusion that it's difficult to say quite what that means, since clearly if we're going to heaven, we certainly won't have any guilt there.

So, it's difficult to ascertain as to what this means. the thought is taken from Ezekiel 33:1-11

33:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

THANKS! (Because my thanker is overthunk!)

 

[Jared]

I do believe that we all have a responsibility to share the gospel with others. But, obviously there are some who are called to pastor or evangelize.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll just briefly say a few things and leave it at that.

First, you still didn't define what you mean by "share the gospel." If you mean that it is incumbent upon every believer without distinction to:

1. Excel at their calling, work as if working for the Lord, and thus be a good witness in action due to diligence and a work ethic becoming of a Christian
2. Always be ready to give an answer for a hope that he has within himself
3. Be salt and light in contradistinction to the lifestyles of the heathen, thus living a set apart life from their ways (as the blessed man in Psalm 1)
4. Not be ashamed when given opportunity to speak highly and biblically of that which the Lord has done in your life, or to share what the Scriptures say on a matter when asked, or when it's helpful (so long as it's not at the expense of your boss's time for which he's paying you to carry out your calling)
5. Invite others to church to sit under the preaching of the gospel, etc.

Then I can agree with you that every one ought. If, however, you mean it is incumbent upon every believer to:

1. "Preach" the gospel
2. Approach everyone in their place and station and press them to Christ with what has been termed "a gospel presentation"
3. Go door to door of the lost that they know, pressing them to be reconciled with God

Then I can't agree that such is incumbent upon every believer without distinction, because said things belong to the ministers of reconciliation, of which not every believer is included. Not every believer is a person of many words, extroverted, charismatic in speech, organized in conversation, etc. Every believer is not gifted to expound the Scriptures concerning the gospel. Every believer has not been commissioned by Christ to "spread the gospel." Every believer, however, is called to "be ye reconciled to Christ" by the called, commissioned, ordained and sent preachers and this continually, for we will always need the gospel.

I think much false guilt has been placed on the shoulders of many of God's children who have been pressed to engage in "evangelism" as if they've been called, sent, etc. No such universal commission is given in the Scriptures. But I'm an old fuddy dud, I suppose.

I agree with most of what you're saying here. But, I think that many believers may have a chance to do some of the things in your second list at some point, even though they're not called to do that all the time.

 

[Mushroom]

But I'm an old fuddy dud, I suppose.

Josh, you being a fuddy dud has no bearing on the truth of what you stated. I can attest that both are true, and not exclusive to one another.

 

[Bookmeister]

I don't Know the context of the "speech" that is in the video but I hope it was not in the pulpit on Sunday morning. The problem with these type of videos is they are contrived to evoke an emotional response. The music playing in the background is intentional and does what it was intended to do. Why do I hope it was not on Sunday morning? Well, who was the subject of the speech? It was me and not Christ. I have a problem with that and it almost sounded like a "deeds not creeds" type of speech. You asked, that's what I think.

 

[MarieP]

I don't Know the context of the "speech" that is in the video but I hope it was not in the pulpit on Sunday morning. The problem with these type of videos is they are contrived to evoke an emotional response. The music playing in the background is intentional and does what it was intended to do. Why do I hope it was not on Sunday morning? Well, who was the subject of the speech? It was me and not Christ. I have a problem with that and it almost sounded like a "deeds not creeds" type of speech. You asked, that's what I think.

But wasn't the clip telling us to look off of "me" and onto the kingdom of Christ?

 

[larryjf]

If we don't share the Gospel with those outside of the Church how are we obeying the command to love our neighbor? Can we love those who are racing towards Hell if we don't tell them about the Gospel of Christ?

 

[cih1355]

I do believe that we all have a responsibility to share the gospel with others. But, obviously there are some who are called to pastor or evangelize.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll just briefly say a few things and leave it at that.

First, you still didn't define what you mean by "share the gospel." If you mean that it is incumbent upon every believer without distinction to:

1. Excel at their calling, work as if working for the Lord, and thus be a good witness in action due to diligence and a work ethic becoming of a Christian
2. Always be ready to give an answer for a hope that he has within himself
3. Be salt and light in contradistinction to the lifestyles of the heathen, thus living a set apart life from their ways (as the blessed man in Psalm 1)
4. Not be ashamed when given opportunity to speak highly and biblically of that which the Lord has done in your life, or to share what the Scriptures say on a matter when asked, or when it's helpful (so long as it's not at the expense of your boss's time for which he's paying you to carry out your calling)
5. Invite others to church to sit under the preaching of the gospel, etc.

Then I can agree with you that every one ought. If, however, you mean it is incumbent upon every believer to:

1. "Preach" the gospel
2. Approach everyone in their place and station and press them to Christ with what has been termed "a gospel presentation"
3. Go door to door of the lost that they know, pressing them to be reconciled with God

Then I can't agree that such is incumbent upon every believer without distinction, because said things belong to the ministers of reconciliation, of which not every believer is included. Not every believer is a person of many words, extroverted, charismatic in speech, organized in conversation, etc. Every believer is not gifted to expound the Scriptures concerning the gospel. Every believer has not been commissioned by Christ to "spread the gospel." Every believer, however, is called to "be ye reconciled to Christ" by the called, commissioned, ordained and sent preachers and this continually, for we will always need the gospel.

I think much false guilt has been placed on the shoulders of many of God's children who have been pressed to engage in "evangelism" as if they've been called, sent, etc. No such universal commission is given in the Scriptures. But I'm an old fuddy dud, I suppose.

Sharing the gospel means to tell others about how Christ saves people from their sins.