What Evangelistic Preaching Is Expected to Do

THE HEARTTHROB, the very life, the center, the core of real evangelistic preaching, is found in Dob bins' statement that "Christ is the center and circumference of disciple winning. This is the supreme lesson which John learned and which he would share with us. All the plans and purposes of Christianity gather about a Person. Unless Christ is at the center, all theology and ecclesiology eventually become false and futile. . .

-chairman, department of religion, Columbia Union College at the time this article was written

THE HEARTTHROB, the very life, the center, the core of real evangelistic preaching, is found in Dob bins' statement that "Christ is the center and circumference of disciple winning. This is the supreme lesson which John learned and which he would share with us. All the plans and purposes of Christianity gather about a Person. Unless Christ is at the center, all theology and ecclesiology eventually become false and futile. Men are not to be made champions of a Cause, or protagonists of a Doctrine, or Saviours of Society, or builders of a Church, or prophets of a Millennium, or snatchers of brands from the burning, or teachers of a philosophy of life, or proclaimers of ethical standards, or any such thing, primarily. Those who are in ignorance and unbelief concerning Christ, whatever their status, can and must be made disciples (learners) of him who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, else the individual and society are without hope." 1

Herein lies our fundamental challenge in proclaiming a saving, winsome, dynamic, redemptive message to the world.

Carl Henry adds, "Rededication to positive and triumphant preaching is the evangelical pulpit's great need. The note of Christ's Lordship over this dark century, of the victory of Christianity, has been obscured. Great preaching is more than moving oratory and personal counseling. If it be evangelical, preaching must enforce the living communication of the changeless realities of divine redemption. The basic doctrines too often have been set in a context of negative preaching. To assert the truth of revelation in the face of denials means little without applying its awesome lessons to life. Positive achievements and values of the Christian faith have been too little evident, crowded out at times by a spirit of theological and apologetic vengeance, or of unbecoming polemics. The minister whose pulpit does not become the life-giving center of his community fails in his major mission." 2

The preaching of a clear, cruciform- or cross-dominated message imparts an irresistible power to the truth of Christ. That which imparts a power to the message of Christianity is the recounting of the drama of the cross. In the past some have been tempted to believe that arguments, facts, proof, evidence, authority, debate, will so startle the world that it will capitulate before such incontrovertible truths! The passage of the years has shown the complete fallacy of such an idea. There is only one method, only one power, that can subdue the will of man and en lighten the prejudiced mind. That power and that method is in the presentation of the moving power of the centrality of the Christian gospel, which centers in its Founder in the dynamic of its salvation message.

What Did Jesus Do?

In answering the question, "What is evangelistic preaching expected to do?" we might well ask an other, namely, "What did Jesus Christ attempt to do?" As soon as we direct our attention to answering that question we see how tenderly He bade His followers to come unto Him. He took advantage of the innate longings of every heart. He gathered the child unto Himself and He said that the kingdom of heaven was like unto that child. His spirit met theirs.

By touching upon the things that they recognized and sensed in their daily routine, Jesus succeeded in awakening within His hearers a compatible spirit that produced a lasting rapport. For instance, He assured them that He was in close communion with them be cause he was: (1) the Vine, (2) the Door, (3) the Good Shepherd, (4) the Light of the World, (5) the Root and the offspring of David, (6) the Resurrection and the Life, (7) the Bread of Life, (8) the Water of Life, (9) the Bright and Morning Star, (10) the Way, the Truth and the Life. To all of these we could add many other things that identify Him with their daily walks of life.

Jesus began where the people began; He identified Himself with them. As His ambassadors we are to possess His spirit and proclaim Him anew in all of these fundamental aspects and needs. Those who recognize Him in these relationships immediately find in Him the source of life, light, food, shelter, eternal hope and destiny. A man can accomplish almost anything as long as he has hope. Stripped of that, he is stripped of all that is worthwhile. Take from man his hope, and you have taken from him his life.

The Secret of Persuasive Power

Here, then, is the secret of persuasive preaching power. The preacher must clearly demonstrate how Christ identifies Himself with everyone who comes to Him for aid and fellowship. It must be clearly under stood that while Christ is God, yet He completely identified Himself with man. Christ, indeed, had not ceased to be God when He became man. It is there fore through His servants that Jesus again walks through the cities and villages of our modern world reincarnate within His own people. His influence will be reflected in their service.

To many this is a great inscrutable mystery. Be that as it may, mysterious as it might be to some, yet to a world in need it must be a living reality if Christianity is ever to succeed in fulfilling its mission. God never in tended ordinariness to characterize His ministry or His people.

Preaching in the abstract accomplishes little; preaching with personality, in concreteness and practicalities, brings power, vitality, and conviction along with the message. The way that Christ worked among men is the perfect pattern for His ministry today. And the words are still true, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40).

There are seven basic truths pointed out in the Spirit of Prophecy that we have been told are fundamental and basic and upon which every sermon must be constructed. Only as these points come to full maturity in our thinking can we understand what is encompassed in evangelistic preaching.

1. The Love of Christ

We have already observed that love is the undergirding principle in dealing with the broader questions of prejudice, especially those of religious bearings. It would be basic therefore to consider that the overriding thought presented by the evangelist is to let all men behold the love of God. Texts I have used in doing this are: Luke 11:42; Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 13:14; 2 Cor. 2:4; 2 Cor. 5:14; John 13:35; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 2:18; 2 Thess. 3:5; 1 John 2:5; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16; Eph. 3:19; Phil. 1:17.

2. The Cross

The second basic in evangelistic preaching is closely aligned to the first point, namely, the centrality of the cross. Texts that may be used to support this point are: Matt. 27:32; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 12:2; 1 Cor. 1:18; Matt. 10:38; Matt. 16:24; Gal. 5:11; Gal. 6:12; Heb. 9:28; Heb. 9:14; Heb. 12:20-21.

3. Conversion

The third fundamental point is the natural result, the end point, the focal emphasis of evangelistic preaching conversion, or the production of the changed life. Supporting texts that can be used here are: Ps. 19:7; John 6:44; John 3:1-5; Acts 3:26; Acts 3:11, 21; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 18:3; Luke 22:32; John 12:40; Acts 3:19; Gal. 6:15; Ps. 51:10; Eph. 2:5; James 5:20; Hosea 4:14; 1 Peter 1:23; Rom. 8:1.

4. Second Coming

In our fourth emphasis we are thinking of the king dom of God> the coming of Christ to His own inheritance and mankind to its own destiny at last. The evangelist will sound again the gospel of the kingdom, using such texts as: Acts 3:21; Titus 2:11-13; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; John 1:1-3; Matt. 24:14; Heb. 9:28; 1 Thess. 1:9, 10; Phil. 3:20; Rev. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:7, 15; 22:22-23; 2 Tim. 4:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4; 2 Thess. 2:8-9; James 5:7-8; Heb. 10:36-37; Gal. 3:19; Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 16:22; 24:27, 30, 37; Mark 8:38; Rev. 14:6-14; Dan. 2:44; Dan. 7:13, 14, 20; 12:1; 1 Cor. 15:22-24; Matt. 25:31- 34; 2 Thess. 1:7-8.

5. Practical Godliness

The evangelical voice today must be sounded in practical terms of everyday religion. Unless religion works every day it does not work any day! The evangelical preacher will deal with human brotherhood, justice, equity and equality of every human being in God's sight, and will cry out against any and all forms of intolerance that would bind or shackle a child of God's creation. His balanced message will include this theme. Texts he can use in this way are: 2 Peter 1:4-7; 1 Cor. 3:4-7; 1 Peter 4:8; 2 Peter 1:8-10; Eph. 6:11- 12; 1 John 1:17; Ps. 119:105; Heb. 11:1; James 2:18; James 2:15-16; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Rom. 5:3-5; Heb. 11: 35-38; Rom. 12:21; Eccl. 7:2-3; Heb. 12:6; 1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 12:15; John 11:33-35; Rom. 1:16; 1 John 5:4; Eccl. 7:8; 1 Thess. 5:14; James 1:4; Rev. 14:12; 1 Tim. 6:6-10; 1 Peter 5:7; John 16:33; Rom. 8:28; 1 Peter 3:8; Lev. 19:32; 1 Cor. 13:4-5; 1 John 1:9.

6. Corner for Children

Christ Himself emphasized His profound interest in the youth. Fearful maledictions are predicted upon those who would harm a child. The sin and evil of child abuse is an incomprehensible mystery for one whose heart is made tender by the Lord of the youth. How can the evangelical preacher be silent on this when it is the burden of God Himself? Useful texts are: Eph. 5:22-23; Eph. 6:1; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; Prov. 32:26-28; Deut. 6:7; Prov. 15:17; Prov. 22:6; 2 Tim. 3:15; Gen. 18:19; Prov. 20:11; Ex. 20:12; Prov. 15:5; Col. 3:20; Luke 2:51; Eph. 6:2; 1 Tim. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:2; Prov. 13:24; Jer. 13:20; Isa. 54:13; Ps. 71: 17; Prov. 4:4; Ps. 34:11; Ps. 111:10; Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:16; Mal. 4:5-6; Isa. 65:23; 11:8-9.

7. Appeal

Finally, evangelistic preaching will make a direct appeal after the direct confrontation. Texts that I have found useful in this respect are: John 14:6; Rev. 22:17; 1 John 5:11-12; John 3:36; Gal. 2:20; 1 Peter 1: 23; Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; 2 Cor. 5:21; John 15:5; Heb. 7:25; Matt. 11:28; Heb. 12:2; Luke 5:32; Acts 2:37; Acts 16:30; Acts 2:38; Acts 16:31; Ps. 38:18; 2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 2:4; 1 John 1:9; Prov. 28:13; Ps. 51:1; Ps. 86:5; Isa. 55:7; 2 Peter 3:9; Luke 15:20; Isa. 38:17.

This is a wearying, fatiguing portion of the ministerial function, and thus, sadly, under the guise of new sophistications, the call, "Who is on the Lord's side?" is often not made. However, with the aid of the Holy Spirit and by following the clear instruction of the Lord in the items listed above, the evangelist cannot fail.


FOOTNOTES

1 Caines S. Dobbins, Evangelism According to Christ (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1949), p. 34.

2 Carl F. Henry, Evangelical Responsibility in Contemporary Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 19S7), p. 68.


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-chairman, department of religion, Columbia Union College at the time this article was written

August 1975

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