SALEM BAPTIST BROADCAST

Due to illness, our church has some members that are no longer able to be present with us during our services. So over the past few months we have looked into posting our church's preaching services to the web. Now, we have made our services readily available on this blog and also @ http://sermon.net/salembaptistchurchcinci . This Sunday we will be privileged to have with us Evangelist Joe Bryant. Check back next week and we should have his preaching messages added.

KEEP THY HEART

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
Proverbs 4:23

The Bible, in this verse of Scripture, states that the Christian should, “keep thy heart with all diligence.” This verse gives a command and also a caution. The command is to "keep thy heart". The word "keep" speaks of guarding, and watching over. The caution is the words "with all diligence". The word "diligence" means to care for intently. This verse teaches the believer that he is not to allow the devil, anyone, or anything turn his heart from from God. How may we do this?

I. Be Diligent to have an Assured Heart

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:22, 23, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

II. Be Diligent to have a Cleansed Heart

SCRIPTURE: Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

III. Be Diligent to have a Fixed Heart

SCRIPTURE: Ps 108:1 A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.”

SCRIPTURE: Ps 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

IV. Be Diligent to have a Seeking Heart

SCRIPTURE: Ps 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

SCRIPTURE: Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

V. Be Diligent to have a Loving Heart

SCRIPTURE: Mr 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

VI. Be Diligent to have a Established Heart

SCRIPTURE:Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

HOW THE LOST WAS WON

"And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." -Luke 14:23

Over the past four weeks our church had its annual church attendance campaign, and what a campaign we had! During those few weeks we invited 2,715 people to church, gave out 8,258 gospel tracts, knocked on 5,659 doors, presented the gospel by going through the Romans road to 467 people, 183 visitors attend church, and saw 30+ people saved!

The church attendance campaign is the highlight of our year! Every year that we do this our church experiences a touch of revival. I believe that this is so because the church as a whole, is obeying Christ in trying to reach the lost through soul winning.

I am so proud of our people for the many hours and sacrificed evenings that they gave just to try to keep souls out of hell! I want all of our folks who read this blog to know that I appreciate them and I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be the pastor of such a great church!

In Luke14:23, you will find the theme verse that we used for our church attendance campaign. Notice four points on the subject: "How the Lost is Won".

I. WHAT ARE WE TO DO TO WIN THE LOST? (v. 23 "go")

SCRIPTURE: Mark 16:15

• Some may say, "I'll just live right and that will draw people to salvation. Living holy is a great and wonderful thing for God's people to practice, but that will not tell one sinner how to be born again.
  
• Those who practice lifestyle evangelism are not obeying the scriptures. God's way is for the believer to go and testify with our mouth how one may be saved!

II. WHERE ARE WE TO GO IN ORDER TO WIN THE LOST? (v. 23 "out into the highways and the hedges")

Notice the scope of the believers responsibility:

1. Highways- This is the well travelled place
   
2. Hedges-This is the least populated place

The believer is to give the gospel everywhere and to everyone!


III. HOW ARE WE TO WIN THE LOST? (v. 23 "compel")

The word "compel" means to constrain, to beg, and to plead with. We are to compel people to be saved so that they will come to the father's house!

Life is uncertain,
Death is sure,
Sin is the curse,
Christ is the cure!

The same fervency that we would warn people of a physical immediate danger is the same fervency by which we should warn souls of their spiritual impending danger.

IV. WHY ARE WE TO WIN THE LOST? (v. 23 "that my house may be filled")

God's desire is that all come to repentance! God's desire is that all be saved that His house might be filled!