1. The lesson today should be a bit different than your average S.S. lesson, in that we want

to give our people time to discuss what they’ve learned over the past seven lessons

on The Vanishing Ministry.

2. Let your class know all of these lessons have been basic outlines and quotes from the

b) Let them know that the book is much more in-depth and helpful in understanding

and solving this problem.

c) Explain to them how much this book is impacting our ministry and other ministries as well.

Did you know...

1) Our entire pastoral staff has read this book and discussed one chapter

each week until we finished the book?

2) RCA’s faculty read and discussed this book chapter-by-chapter for the

first semester of the 1998-99 school year?

3) Southeastern FWB College faculty has read and discussed this book?

4) The book was mentioned in several places to other pastors and they

have ordered copies of the book for their own ministries; for

example, Dr. David Gibbs of CLA and many of the pastors on the

board of SEFWBC.

d) Tell them that we are relying on them to adjust their own thinking, lifestyle,

and influence to help us put more people into lifetime ministry.

3. This is the week to go back and review the high points of each lesson and then ask

your class to discuss what we have learned together.

*******

1. Elijah was an unannounced prophet with an unwanted message. He was

not perfect; no prophet was.

2. He thought he was alone in living for God, but found in reality there

were 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal.

3. Elijah was a man whose heart burned within him with a message from

God.

4. Under Ahab and Jezebel’s influence Israel was steeped in idolatry...

through Elijah God brought a drought for three-and-a-half years.

5. At last, a showdown came where the people had to make a choice.

a) With the wicked King Ahab were 450 prophets of Baal.

b) The reason there was a showdown was because the people had

not responded positively to Elijah’s sentence sermon.

I Kings 18:21...

but if Baal, then follow him.

1. This same verse has been a valid question for every generation, but

it is especially applicable to us---at this time and to this generation.

3. Will living the American dream keep us from giving our lives wholly over to God---in full-time Christian service?

4. Jesus said...

5. We need to remember that those that are not in full-time Christian work

have not necessarily sold out to the god of this world. After all,

how could we have workers if there was no one working to support

them?

God never said that we could not have things; He simply said that

things could not have us.

6. Truthfully, some of the most godly people we may know are some of

the wealthiest people we know. They have not bowed their knee to

Baal. In fact, many of them live in such a way that that they shame

those who are deceived by the lure and love of money, who name

the name of Christ.

7. But it is also true that many people have gone too far in their living

"the good life," and the work of the ministry is going without.

Most of these Christians are to the point that they could not give

up what they have now if they wanted to.

8. It’s not the wealthy who’ve compromised---many low-income and

average-income people have bowed the knee to materialism and

self-interests.

1. It is failing to submit our goals, our families, our finances, our lives and all that we have to the purposes and goals of Christ.

2. It is settling down in the world and snuggling up to it so that the call

of God in our lives is too faint to be heard.

#1. It is a decision of the HEAD.

1. We must think it through...is He someone worthy of our loyalty

and our lives?

2. What does He require of us? We need to know this in our minds.

3. We must know, so that we can stand.

#2. It is a decision of the HEART.

1. With the head men understand, but with the heart they believe.

With the head mean learn, but with the heart they love.

With the head mean plan, but with the heart they dream.

2. Someone with a big head it thought to be a fool, but someone

with a big heart is thought to be a friend.

3. The head and the heart are companions.

#3. It is a decision of the FEET.

1. Following Jesus doesn’t really get going until our feet get going.

When Jesus called the disciples, their heads and their

hearts responded, but then they had to respond with their

feet as well.

2. The time has come where we must move from where we are to

the fields white unto harvest.

3. Couldn’t you plan ahead and make a missions trip .... to Mexico,

India, or Moldova?

#4. It is a decision of the LIFE.

1. If it wasn’t a call involving our whole life, then the call would be

a lot easier, wouldn’t it?

2. Most high school students have probably never had a guidance

counselor say to them, "Lift the cross of Christ above your

career opportunities."

3. Few retirees have probably ever had someone challenge them to

consider life-ministry above their personal retirement goals.

*******

1. There is a need for FRONT-LINE SOLDIERS.

2. We have an abundance of "weekend warriors."

3. The first command of God:

Every time a Christian choose to go into medicine, law, business, or technology

he is obeying this command of subduing the earth---and that is good.

4. But there is another command of God---the last one: