A Successful Gospel Meeting
(Will We Continue The Challenge?)
Brian R. Kenyon

We thank brother Clifford Dixon for conducting our Gospel Meeting. He did a great job of preaching on Sunday as well as each evening and "working the community" during the day. His lessons were Bible based, easy to understand, and delivered with conviction and compassion. The attendance was excellent. In fact, Tuesday night's 107 was the largest (non-funeral) crowd that I have experienced in my almost four years at Eagle Lake. He was even able to communicate with the little children as evidenced by the "young 'uns" who showed up on the front pew each evening about ten minutes before services began. In many ways, it is a let down that he has returned home. However, one thing is clear: Clifford Dixon has challenged us. Will we continue the work?

Will We Continue to Attend?

Not only did we have great attendance from area congregations and the community, many from Eagle Lake attended regularly (which should be expected but, in this day and age, is not always a given). You who attended are to be commended for your interest and support for the Gospel. Wouldn't it be great if our Eagle Lake attendance was like this every week? Aside from the fact that it shows we really love the Lord (Jn. 14:15 cf. Heb. 10:24-25), think of the advantages: (1) it would show the community that we are serious about Christianity-what impression do you think we leave when our neighbors know we do not attend regularly?; (2) it would bring encouragement not only to the preacher and Bible class teachers, but also to each member-it can be discouraging when a preacher or teacher puts his heart into preparing a lesson and few people are there to hear it; (3) it would make for better singing-isn't it great to sing loudly but not really hear your own voice because the congregation is singing vibrantly?; (4) it would better attract outsiders (cf. Acts 2:47)-if we had the full parking lot and auditorium every service like we did during the meeting, others would be more likely to visit to see what is going on. Remember Clifford's lesson on curiosity? Crowds tend to attract more crowds. Let us be consistent in attending all the services, even though the meeting is over!

Will We Continue to Visit One Another?

For five straight days, brother Dixon reinforced the fact that the depth of God's word is unfathomable! There is no better way to do Bible preaching than by preaching right from the Bible! Gospel preachers must "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2). The responsibility to study, however, is not only to preachers, but to all of us. Remember the words of Paul to Timothy: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). The Bible preaching done at our meeting should whet our appetites to hunger and thirst more for the word of God (Mt. 5:6). Since our faith cannot outgrow our knowledge of God's will (Rom. 10:17), we must continually feast on God's word if we are to continue to grow spiritually. Just because our meeting is over does not mean that our studying the Bible daily is over. Whether at home or in the church building, we must be like the Bereans, who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Let us continue to study the Bible daily!

Will We Be the Church God Wants Us to Be?

Through brother Dixon's Bible preaching, we were constantly reminded of the kind of people God wants us to be. When we continue to study the Bible, encourage one another through visits, and attend all the services of the church as consistently as possible, we will be on our way to being the kind of people God wants. In many ways we are sad to see Clifford go, but we are glad he came our way and encouraged us in the word of God. Let us continue to take up the challenge, and remember that being the church God wants starts with each individual!