But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. - Matt 9:36
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. - John 10:10
Outreach
Our desire at Heritage Baptist Church is to fulfill the great commission in our community by utilizing the two methods of outreach laid out in scripture by Paul the apostle: Door to door and street ministry - Acts 20:20 “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house…”
Street Ministry
Many find street ministry to be too brazen and offensive. Street ministry has certainly been done wrong by many people, seeking to do the Lord’s work but with the wrong attitude or motive. However, an effective outreach plan for a church simply must include street ministry if it is to be done Biblically. Those who disagree fail to recognize that not only the Old Testament prophets, but also the apostles including Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ preached on the street in the open air when they spoke to the multitudes. Jesus and His disciples preached in the synagogues, in homes and yes - on the street. Without the invention of any form of outdoor broadcasting system, they would need to lift up their voices for the masses to hear them.
- Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
- Luke 14:23 “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.”
- Acts 18:28 “For he (Apollos) mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Door to Door
We currently live in a time where people are very private and personal. Showing up at their doors unannounced seems foreign to those who are doing outreach and by those who are being called upon. However, not too long ago and for the vast majority of human history, it was common place to show up at someone’s house unannounced for a visit when there were no telephones or even just prior to the age of the internet and mobile devices. People were more open, more friendly and more hospitable. But today we are still directed by the Bible to go out and invite people. We are not required in scripture to save the lost, we are only required to present them the gospel.
- Acts 17:2 “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures…”
- Romans 9:3 “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
Mission Work
Heritage Baptist Church is a supporting church of missionaries across the globe and also in the United States. Around the world, people desire to hear the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and there are many fruitful fields that are “ripe unto harvest”. As a church, we ought to seek those ministries that offer a chance for those of us here in the states to have a part in reaching the lost in areas we will never see. The sad truth is that while God has used the enlargement of Japheth in America to propagate the greatest evangelistic outreach the world has ever known; America itself has become a mission field.
- Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”