The Beaumont enterprise. [volume] (Beaumont, Tex.) 1904-current, 1904-10-03
"fROM HOUSE
TO HOUSE"
TEXT OF SERMON PREACHED AT
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
YESTERDAY.
A NEW METHOD OF EVANGELISM
Paul's Method Was to Teach Pub.
licly ard From House to House.
Urges Return to the Old
Method.

Text: Acts 90: 20-"From House to
House"
A new method of evangelism is
called for. Our prevalent method is
effete What is our present method
and what the new? The present
method is the method of the business
combine or corporation. The mem
bers build a house, hire a preacher,
put him in charge and let him run
it without calling on them for any
thing more than the money to sup
port it, and their dress-parade at
tendance on Sunday morning. He is
the paid agent to look after religion
for them. They are the stockholders,
and he is the business manager. The
less they are bothered with the ad-
ministration, the better they like it.
The average sinner feels about as
much interest in such an affair as
the average citizen feels in the meat
trust. He is Indifferent, often antag-
onstic to it. The new evangelism is
return to the very old method of
Jesus Christ and the apostles. 1t
means personal work The preacher
is only a leader. the members are all
personal soul-winners. 1t is bringing
the individual Christian face to face,
hand to hand and hear to heart with
the unsaved. The new evangelism
emphasizes personal effort in soul
winning. Each member is to carry
the gospel to his neighbOr and urge
him to receive Christ. 1t is the win
one method. This was Paul'S meth
Cd He taught publicly, and from
house to house" The new method
is the old method of the New Testa-
ment Christ preached several of his
greatest sermons to one auditor. All
believers should be soul-winners.
There are five reasons why | urge a
return to this old way.
|. II will raise the tone of spirit
ual life in our churches. No Christ
ian ever became spiritually strong by
hearing good preaching. Many of
our people have dried up on good
preaching. 1t is receiving and then
giving out that builds up. The sea
vi Nrdlltt l'NNlNNS lli' Jplhth anu
gives it out again. This keeps it
fresh and full of fish The Dead Sea
receives the Jordan and does not
give ii out and it is dead and deso-
late. So the Christian who gives the
gospel to Others in an earnest heart
to heart way. will become rich in
spiritual life. 1t requires more con-
sistent living to make an earnest APP
peal to our emplOyC to be a Christ
ian than il does To send in n check
to the church treasurer We need
not fewer CiverS of money. but more
givers of men. II will quicken the
spiritual life of any Christian to make
a personal effort in soul winning.
>. This new method will bring the
masses and the church into sympathy
and break down the prejudice against
the church. 4 loving personal con
tact Of the church members with the
outside people will win them. They
will respond to a genuine sympathy
and earnest effort 10 do them good.
The painful antaconism Of many poo
pie to the church can Dc overcome
in no other way. They will not come
tp church We need men and women
To co 10 them in The spirit Of Christ
with the message Of Salvation
O. This personal efTorr 81 laymen
az reaching the people or Christ will
break down caste and class in the
church II we 90 like Paul from
house 10 house We uill reach al
Glasses. The church D. for all class
es. Ho 81 an unmifiza-ei dcmagocue /
81 hu attempts fn array one class
against auuher class in the rhurcr.
The poor ami rhe rich meet on "a
common Jewel COB the church. BE is
p liar who SAYS Or iz nor z0. tie fs
traitor r1 jesus Chris who tries r0
r-TsHrf This being f-rH. HIrzr r1
hHraa rrE fv rha raUIlars OF rr-
rfr-f ufI rr emphasis on this