Evangelism is the key for a growing church. For instance, the early church grew because people who heard shared what they heard (Rev. 22:17). I was in a place that when I announced I was going to speak on the topic, "Four F�s for an A-1 Church," one brother said in jest, "isn�t that fun, food, freedom, and forbearance?" Well in some places where numerical growth is all they�re looking for, those would probably fit. Show me a church that�s truly growing--not merely attendance-wise, but spiritually, doctrinally, and emotionally knit together--and I will show you a church that evangelizes.

How the church of today needs to get the 20/20 vision. What do I mean by that? Acts 20:20, 21 says, "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but showed you and taught you publicly and from house to house testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

Again, in Acts 5:42 it says that the early Christian workers "daily in the temple and in every house...ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." That was publicly and from house to house.

How the church today needs to be alert to the opportunities to tell the message of Christ whether it�s by newspapers and in public service announcements, whether it�s in radio or letter or going to the rest homes to talk to shut-ins or in home Bible studies or in fair booths or in vacation Bible schools. There are just so many opportunities of which we can avail ourselves.

I want to visit with you today concerning four F�s for an A-1 church.

In Luke 19:10 it states, "And the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost." In Luke the 15th chapter we find the story of three things lost. There was the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

In John 1:41, we read that Andrew found Peter. "Andrew found his brother Simon and said unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

And then it�s interesting to see in v. 43, just a few verses farther down, "The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, Follow me. Now then Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter."

Verse 45, "Philip findeth Nathaniel and said unto him, �We have found him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.� Nathaniel said to him, �Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?�" Notice Philip�s answer. He simply said, "Come and see."

So we see in these few verses in John that Andrew found Peter, and Jesus found Philip, and Philip found Nathaniel.

You know when one goes hunting or when one goes fishing or when one goes looking, there is that word that precedes the hunting, the fishing, and the looking. That word is "go". We must go find them.

There is no town or hamlet or village or any urban housing area so formidable and impersonal that you�ll not find someone who is lonesome, who is spiritually starving. Sometime back the body of a woman was found in an apartment several days after death had taken place. They looked at her diary, and page after page was blank except for three words, "Nobody called today." How sad.

A young auditor in New York was found dead at his desk. The suicide note simply said, "I�m tired of working for this firm. The boss has never said he appreciated what I do." Remember there is the verse we read in John 1:46, when Nathaniel said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" then Philip said, "Come and see." Oh, I�ll tell you we need to invite people just to come and see.

The Second F: FETCH Them

After finding them we need to FETCH THEM. We need to get them to Christ. You can make friendships all day long, but if you don�t get them to Christ, you�ve missed the whole point. Rom. 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Jesus said in the great commission in Matt. 28:19, 20: "Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world."

So we were told to teach or make disciples, then baptize them, and teach each some more. In Mark 16:15 it states, "Go preach the gospel to every creature," and then He spoke of baptizing them. It says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Just finding people isn�t enough. We must bring them to a saved relationship in Jesus Christ.

There is a farmer in central Iowa whom I went to see a few years ago. I visited with him and his wife over the lovely meal they had prepared for us, we turned to Acts, chapter 8, and I had her read verses 35 and 36 where 35 says, "And Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus." The next verse says, "As they went on their way, they came to a certain water, and the man said, here�s water, what hinders me to be baptized?" I asked this farmer�s wife. "What must we conclude as we see the treasurer ask this question, "What hinders me to be baptized?" Just as quick as a wink she said, "Evidently in preaching Christ he must have told him about being baptized into Christ. It�s pretty obvious." Yes, friend, we need to find them and then teach them. The finding and the teaching are for the purpose of introducing them to the greatest of them all, the Master and Savior.

We have found them, we have fetched them, and now we FEED them. In I Peter 2:2, we find an interesting verse. It reads like this: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby." Yes, first milk, then meat. That�s the order according to Hebrews 5:12: "When for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not strong meat. Everyone that useth milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe, but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

The church needs not only obstetricians but pediatricians. The church needs those who can protect the flock from the wolves. In the 20th chapter of Acts, verse 28, the apostle Paul is talking to the Ephesian elders, and he tells them to take heed to themselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit made them overseers, to feed the church of God which he purchased with His own Blood. Mortality is too high in the church today. We need to feed them and give them the nourishment they need once they come to know Christ just like a little baby must be given proper nourishment and food if he�s to go on to be fully grown.

The Fourth F: FASTEN Them

Find them, fetch them, feed them, and now FASTEN them. Get them in service. Get them to start telling their friends with excitement. The old saying, "Use them or you lose them."

I was at a meeting speaking to businessmen. Someone at that meeting suggested to revise the saying, "A man is known by the company he keeps," to "A company is known by the men it keeps."

We need to teach them about the Lord�s supper in memory of Christ�s death, and the importance of regular observance of it. Teach them concerning prayer, the Christian�s breath. Teach them concerning giving and instruct them concerning assembling together. Teach them concerning regular study of God�s Word.

Acts 2:42 speaks of those new followers of Jesus, baptized on the day of Pentecost, continuing steadfastly in the apostles� teaching and friendship, and in breaking of bread and prayers.

You know "play-acting" soon loses its attractiveness for a growing people. I will give you an illustration. A small college band was scheduled to march in a homecoming parade. It was a small band so they hired some strong men to carry some tubas in the march. The men couldn�t play a note. But though they couldn�t play, they looked impressive with their huge, shiny instruments. A small boy sitting along the curb with his mother was there watching the parade. The little fellow looked and listened intently. Directly he turned to his mother and said, "Mama, there�s nothing coming out of those big things."

Friends, if ever a church gets to the place where there�s nothing coming out by way of spiritual reality, no matter how large, no matter how impressive it may be to look upon, it will fail to fasten the very people it needs most.

Once upon a time a small boy was lost in the woods. An alarm was sounded in the small town. A church meeting in progress was broken up. The whole community responded. Fisherman abandoned their fishing poles and boats. Merchants closed their shops. Farmers left their plows in the field, and housewives left their housework and the clothes they were washing in the tubs. Everyone turned out to hunt for the little fellow. There was feverish haste because night would come, and harm might come to the little boy. After hours and hours of search the frightened child was found. As a result of the rescue great joy was felt by the whole community.

That isn�t the end of the story, I�m sorry to say. Today that boy is grown. He�s lost again. He�s now 40 years old, but no one seems to care. Mom and Dad are busy making a living. The church doesn�t seem to care either. No alarm is sent out, yet a far worse fate awaits that boy now grown. You see he is lost in sin.

Do you care enough to care? Do you care enough to evangelize, to go FIND them, FETCH them, FEED them, and FASTEN them?