I say “our” plan, because I hope you will take what I am about to share, adopt it and make it
your enthusiastic plan as well. We have an exciting vision for Sunday evening sermons in the
new year. As I lay it out in this article, I hope you will envision the possibilities, and resolve now
to make the most of this special opportunity.
First, let me acknowledge what we all know. Some congregations have long treated the
Sunday evening assembly as sort of an “optional extra,” not very important, not very well
prepared, and not very well attended. We haven’t taken that route here at Central. We understand
the Scriptures to teach us not to forsake the assembly whenever it is – morning or evening, (Heb.
10:25). Our elders have designated three assemblies each week for us.
Our Sunday evening assemblies have long been an integral and important part of our Christian
lives. They are a special opportunity to worship our Lord. The sermons presented on Sunday
evenings have been calculated to encourage and deepen our faith in the Lord. Last year we did a
year-long series on the gospel according to John. In years prior to that, we looked at the following
series: 2021: Bible Questions and Answers, 2020: First Corinthians, 2019: First John, 2018:
Various Bible Topics, 2017: First Peter, 2016: Kings and Chronicles, 2015: the book of Luke.
The Sunday evening opportunity is rich with possibilities, and Christians who faithfully attend
on Sunday evenings are generally more mature and well grounded than their counterparts who
routinely miss such opportunities.
Next year, 2023, on Sunday evenings we will be presenting a series of sermons based upon
the New Testament book of Acts. These will be fundamental Bible sermons, yet they will be
challenging, and at times they will be controversial. They will present basic Bible teaching
regarding salvation and the Lord’s church. And, importantly, they will be designed to interest and
inform visitors who are not yet members of the Church of Christ.
This is going to present each of us with some special opportunities. If you have a friend with
whom you have been studying, or a neighbor, family member or co-worker who has been
showing some interest in religious matters, this is your opportunity to invite them. We have
committed to the presentation of these lessons in a kind, thoughtful, yet straightforward manner.
They will be encouraging and informative. They will be non-threatening, but challenging. In
short, they will be designed to reach the lost with some of the most relevant and practical
information in all of the Bible.
In many ways, the book of Acts is the very center of the Bible. All that goes before, both Old
Testament and the Gospel accounts, leads up to and culminates in this. The establishment of the
church is recorded in detail in the second chapter, and the text follows with example after
example of conversion. These are stories of salvation. They are actual accounts of people obeying
the Gospel, and they serve as models for our obedience today. They show us how it can be done—
how we can be saved.
In listening to these sermons, our denominational friends will easily see the difference between
what they have been taught, and what the Bible teaches. They will be challenged to accept
primitive Christianity, and God’s plain and loving message of salvation for all time.
To make this work, we need every member to make a firm commitment to be in attendance
for the Sunday evening assemblies in 2023. Further, we need to make a special effort to invite
guests. I commit to you that the sermons will be presented with a view to teaching the lost, and
challenging them in a loving manner to obey the saving gospel of Christ. It will not be our
intention to embarrass or humiliate anyone. But it will be our intention to make the message plain
and unmistakable – as it is clearly set forth in the Bible.
This is my plan for Sunday nights in the coming year. I hope you will make it your plan as
well, and that you will enthusiastically support these efforts. Together, we will see growth and
encouragement. We will see the message of salvation reaching the hearts of the lost, and we will
also see those who are saved being encouraged and solidified in their faith. Please pray for these
efforts and support them in every way that you possibly can!
– by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
