Preaching Evangelistically | Roy Fish, Al Fasol, Steve Gaines, & Ralph West

Al Fasol, Roy Fish, Steve Gaines, Ralph Douglas West. Preaching Evangelistically: Proclaiming the Saving Message of Jesus. B&H, 2005. 148 pp.

Characteristics of an Effective Evangelistic Service

Know Your Listeners

Some preachers study the Bible. Others study people and culture. Effective preachers analyze both. Why? Because the effective evangelistic preacher will preach differently to a group of senior adults than he preaches to a group of high school seniors. Likewise, he will preach differently to a group of unchurched, white-collar, upper-class people in suburban Los Angeles than he preaches to a group of church-oriented, blue-collar, middle-class people living in a rural area in the southeastern United States. Although the message of the gospel never changes, how it is presented should connect with the cultural persuasions and unique personalities of the people addressed.

Fishermen who are successful do not keep only one type of bait in their tackle boxes. Nor do they insist on using one technique as they attempt to land a catch. Sometimes they fish on the bottom of the lake or ocean. At other times they troll, allowing the bait to drag along as the boat moves forward. On other occasions they work the bait around trees or underwater debris. They have lures and jigs of many shapes, sizes, and colors. Why? Because different kinds of fish are attracted to different kinds of bait. Thus, if a preacher wants to be an effective “fisher of men” from the pulpit, he must know what kind of fish he is trying to catch and the most appropriate ways to reach them.

The bottom line is this: Preachers need to think and speak like missionaries! To be successful, we must learn the culture, customs, and “language” of those we are trying to reach. For instance, you are in for a rude awakening if you try to reach most of today’s teenagers by singing two-hundred-year-old hymns and preaching out of a four-hundred-year-old version of the Bible. That, my preacher friend, is definitely “poor fishing.” Indeed, I love the great hymns of the church. I also have read the King James Version of the Bible through several times, and I personally appreciate it. These have their place. But they are not always the best way to reach certain groups. Get to know the people you are trying to reach for Christ. Sing Christ-honoring music to which they can relate. Use a version of the Bible they will understand. Remember, Jesus never spoke English!

It will be a great day when the preacher asks himself these questions: What are the people whom I am trying to reach? What are their religious backgrounds? What kind of music do they prefer? What is their level of education? What are their predominant cultural customs? What do they like and dislike? When you start evaluating these and other issues like them, you will be well on your way to being more effective in making an initial evangelistic contact with your audience.

Focus on God, Not Man

The most important emphasis of a worship service is focusing on God. Worship services should be God-centered, not man-centered. Those who lead in worship will do well to steer clear of elaborate introductions of those who sing solos, lead in prayer, etc. Elaborate introductions of preachers should be avoided. The more we emphasize Jesus and deemphasize people, the more anointed a worship service will be. Worship services should not exalt people; they should exalt Jesus Christ. Likewise, worship services should not be designed primarily to attract people. Instead, they should seek to attract the manifest presence of God. When He “shows up,” He will attract the people. “In [His] presence is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11 NNAS).

While evangelistic churches should try to be seeker friendly, their priority is to be Savior focused. We should strive to be gracious to those present in a worship service, providing comforts such as good lighting, relaxed seating, and appropriate temperature. But we should never focus on the people who are attending the worship service to the neglect of God. Jesus said that if we will worship and seek Him in spirit and truth, He will in turn seek us to be His worshippers (see John 4:23-24). If people leave a worship service saying, “What a preacher!” “What a sermon! ” “What a choir!” or “What a church!” then we have failed. But if they leave a worship service saying, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!” then we have succeeded!

Present a Warm Atmosphere

Evangelistic preaching is most effective in a friendly, hospitable environment. Someone has said, “You cannot hatch eggs in a refrigerator.” Likewise, you cannot expect to see people converted to Christ in a cold, inhospitable setting. Those who attend an evangelistic service should be met by greeters (in the parking lots and at every door) and ushers who welcome them warmly after they enter the place of worship. Christians in attendance should be sensitive to the presence of lost people in the service and seek to be cordial to everyone sitting near them.

Those who lead in worship should be genuinely enthusiastic and positive. The preacher should convey an inviting, positive, encouraging message through his facial expressions, the tone of his voice, and the content of his message. After all, the word gospel means “good news.” The preacher should emphasize the salient demands of the gospel without shouting and snarling at his listeners. When the atmosphere is warm and friendly, people are more receptive to what the preacher has to say. “The wise in heart will be called understanding, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness” (Prov. 16:21 NNAS). Evangelistic preachers are called to “feed the sheep,” not “beat the sheep.”

Emphasize Jesus

If we want to win people to Christ through our preaching, we need to intentionally focus on Jesus Christ. We need to speak the name of Jesus frequently. The words God, Lord, and Christ, are all biblical, but there is something particularly powerful about the name of Jesus. That is why the angel said to Joseph (stepfather of Jesus), “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21 NNAS). It is also the reason Peter said, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NNAS). The name Jesus literally means “God is salvation.”

The worship music prior to the evangelistic sermon should highlight Jesus Christ. Songs that speak His glorious name are powerful and persuasive tools for softening the hardened hearts of lost sinners. Whether it is a familiar hymn that says, “My Jesus I Love Thee,” or a less traditional song that says, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name,” or a more contemporary chorus that says, “My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like You,” music in an evangelistic setting should magnify the name above all names—the name of Jesus.

Likewise, throughout his sermon, the evangelistic preacher should focus on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He should talk about the cross and the redemption that Jesus purchased for lost sinners. . . .

We should emphasize His virtuous life, His vicarious death, and His victorious resurrection. According to the apostle Paul, these are the essential facts that constitute the gospel (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Like Philip, we must open our mouths and preach Jesus to a lost world (Acts 8:35). What greater news could one man tell other men?

Emphasize Participation, Not Performance

People today do not come to church to be entertained. The truth is that the world can entertain them better than the church can. Through television, videos, movies, and the Internet, people are exposed to the highest level of artistic performances and productions. When they come to church, they are looking for something that Hollywood cannot give them. That “something” is the presence and power of God. Evangelistic churches and preachers must remember that the world will always be able to outsing, outspeak, and outperform us. But the good news is that they will never be able to “out-God” us!

To promote a sense of audience participation, effective evangelistic worship services should emphasize songs that sing to God instead of about God. Sing songs that address God directly. Sing, “My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like You,” or “I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, O my soul, rejoice,” or “You are good, You are good, and Your love endures!” Songs sung about God help educate people. Songs sung directly to God are more effective in helping people encounter Him. . . .

Reverence? Yes! Formality? No!

Those who would reach people for Christ in the coming years must realize that our society is becoming less formal. Churches that would reach people for Christ also should avoid excessive formalities such as having their preachers, worship leaders, deacons, and choir members making a grand entrance by “filing in” at the beginning of a worship service. The preacher and other leaders should not bring attention to themselves through such pompous displays of ceremony. The preacher could well be one of the greeters mentioned earlier. Then, as the service begins, the preacher should be seated near the front. When the time comes for the preacher to speak, he can move from the pew among the people before proclaiming the message.

Taken from Preaching Evangelistically by Al Fasol, Roy Fish, Steve Gaines, and Ralph Douglas West. © 2006 by Al Fasol, Roy Fish, Steve Gaines, and Ralph Douglas West. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN. All rights reserved.

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