NEWSFLASH!!!

Paul told the young preacher, Timothy, that God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” ( 1 Timothy 2:3,4). Earlier, the great apostle had written:

“…whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:13-14)

Currently, the world’s population is over six billion; and, with 245 new souls being born each minute, the number is expected to double by 2040. Every minute, 105 people die, most of them having never heard, having never believed, and eternally lost. Considering the Lord’s desire that all men be saved, and His great charge to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” how can there ever be enough preachers, enough time, to reach the billions of souls passing through life, each one unique and precious in the sight of God?

One answer is the GOSPEL BROADCASTING NETWORK. Proposed and planned by the elders of the Highland Church of Christ, in Dalton, Georgia, GBN is now in production. Relatively soon, television viewers who receive programming via satellite dish and cable will have access to sound Gospel preaching and teaching around the clock.

In some areas brethren are threatened by liberalism or radicalism. Easily accessible Gospel television programming may help strengthen them to withstand and to remain firmly planted in the old paths. There are areas where the church is practically non-existent and brethren are struggling to survive. Sound programming which may be viewed, possibly videotaped for reuse, may assist them in their evangelistic efforts, and may bring them the edification of faithful preaching and teaching, and the encouragement of congregational voices, with whom they may share in singing joyful praises to God.

The GBN management team, collectively, bring many years of experience to their responsibilities, along with training, background, and qualifications for their specific roles. Common to all is the strong desire to “Preach the word!” ( 2 Timothy 4:2), to “Hold fast the pattern of sound words” ( 2 Timothy 1:113), and to “…preach the gospel to every creature.”

The primary thrust of the network will be three-fold: (1) to establish in viewers of all ages a strong belief in the existence of God, through a heavy concentration of Christian evidences; (2) to establish in viewers the conviction that God has revealed Himself and His will to man through the Bible; (3) to encourage the proper response to God’s word: obedience to the plan of salvation and adherence to the New Testament pattern of worship, work, and Christian living.

DISTINCTIVE PREACHING

by Gary McDade, Evangelist, Getwell Church of Christ, and co-speaker, The Spiritual Sword Television Ministry.

It doesn’t take much viewing of current religious television programming to summarize the content of most of the programs available. If it is not idle talk about the secret return of Christ in the so-called “rapture”, then it likely is a guarantee of health and wealth for those who send “seed faith” money into the bulging coffers controlled by the charlatans. Therefore, the crying need exists for the distinctive preaching the New Testament urges, because “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” ( 1 Corinthians 1:21).

From near the most sensitive cord of his heart, originated the words Paul tearfully spoke to the Ephesian elders: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:24-27).

Many have dreamed of preaching by television to a lost and dying world — preaching the whole counsel of God, in its pristine purity and power, thus, turning this mass medium into an enormous tool for good. Millions weekly, through a kind providence, hear the gospel preached on television programs faithful to the word of God: Preaching the Gospel, In Search of the Lord’s Way, Truth for the World, and The Spiritual Sword Television Ministry. While the masses of humanity are being reached, most areas of the country are blessed only to hear a thirty-minute program once a week. In addition to all that currently is being done, imagine the good that could be done by a 24 hour-a-day television channel exclusively operated by churches of Christ and overseen by a faithful eldership.

The populace has not had access to Biblically distinctive preaching in anything even remotely approaching that quantity. Bible preaching is vastly different from that to which the world has grown accustomed. For example, some of our own brethren have now “grown up in the church” and have never heard a sermon uniquely devoted to a vital subject like marriage, divorce, and remarriage. In a world ever eager for popularity, how much more the tendency exists to ignore such challenging Bible doctrines.

The response to the Gospel of Christ is not determined by the design of men, expert in targeting a certain market, socio-economic strata, or segment that will bring the greatest benefit or satisfaction to them, but by the wisdom of God. His powerful word reaches into honest and good hearts, germinates, and produces good fruit in abundance.

The message of the gospel is not purely and plainly preached today in the overwhelming majority of television programming. GBN will take the distinctive preaching and teaching of the Bible into the homes and hearts of multiplied millions who have never before heard anything like it. It also will assist all of those Christians and congregations of the Lord’s people, who are supporting it with their prayers, their person, and their purse, to fulfill the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

It is time to capture the air waves with the distinctive preaching of Christ and his church.

All are urged to attend this lectureship in December and learn more of the details of this tremendous undertaking.

Will you be one of 7000 who will support this work and bring the Gospel to the far corners of the earth?

You are also urged to think in terms of supporting this program through its Charitable Income and Endowment Plan. For more information, call Gary McDade at 901-233-5597.

The entire body of faithful Christians should get behind this effort and support it with dollars, words of encouragement, words of publicity, talents, and certainly with our prayers. Through such a magnificent program, the Lord’s church can once more evangelize the world and change history for the better! LET’S DO IT! ✞