Evangelistic preaching aims at producing a response. Specifically, by preaching the gospel and emphasizing the sinful condition of each person, the hearer recognizes the need for repentance and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Defining Evangelism
The word evangelism is a recent term in Christianity, appearing formally during the nineteenth century. If, however, one understands that evangelism means proclaiming, announcing, or preaching the Good News, it is evident that examples of evangelism go far back in Judeo-Christian heritage.
In Hebrew the word most closely associated with evangelism is the word basar. Its root meaning is related to the act of bringing good news. It was most often used for announcements of successful military encounters. This kind of announcement of good news, then, had to do with military and political victories. That meaning is carried over into sections of the Old Testament where, as in the book of Psalms and in Isaiah, basar is used to proclaim the Lord’s victory over his enemies.
In the Greek two words need to be considered as one moves toward an understanding of the word evangelism. The first is the word euangelion. This word is most often translated as “good news” or “gospel.” The second word, found three times in the New Testament (Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5), is the word euangelistēs, which is translated “evangelist” and means “one who brings good news.” The word evangelism also has roots in the Latin word evangelium, the verb form of what is generally translated “bring good tidings” (Isa. 40:9 and Luke 2:10).
Evangelism then is the process of announcing, proclaiming, preaching, and sharing the good news, especially as understood in the salvation completed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The evangelist is the one who brings this good news to others.
Evangelism and the Sermon
When the sermon is an expression of evangelism, or, to put it another way, when the sermon becomes a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, three things take place. First, the sermon is a reflection and expression of the preacher’s encounter and struggle with the Word of God written in Scripture and incarnate in Jesus Christ and of discoveries made as a result of his or her confrontation with the Good News. Evangelistic preaching requires the preacher to begin his or her preparation with an exegetical encounter with the text.
Second, the evangelistic sermon occurs when the preacher shares either directly or indirectly where the gospel touches his or her own life and/or experiences. One danger, however, is that, if conscious care is not taken, the sermon may become more an ego-centered discussion rather than a Christ-centered proclamation. At the same time, it is difficult, if not impossible, to announce the Good News if the Good News is not known. Therefore, the task of the evangelist is to find in his or her own life those moments of discovery and experience that can lead him or her to announce with boldness and certainty, “This is the Good News for me.”
When the preacher shares openly how the gospel is good news for him or her, either directly or indirectly, it allows the listener to get a glimpse of the personal fire by which the message has been refined. The sermon, then, identifies the evangelist as a fellow traveler on the road of faith, enabling the preacher to proclaim the Word from the vantage point of one who has experienced the gospel’s presence and working in his or her own life. This then becomes a part of the dialogic nature of the evangelistic sermon. The sermon becomes a reflection, not only of the struggle the preacher must undergo with the text but also of the struggle which he or she must experience concerning the impact of the gospel upon his or her life. Instead of preaching “from afar,” the evangelist proclaims “from within.” It is this part of the process that helps develop and determine the integrity and credibility of the one who has the tremendous task of announcing the Good News, the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The third aspect of the evangelistic sermon occurs when the sermon is an extension of the activity of evangelism. Preaching an evangelistic sermon is the result of the preacher’s sensitivity to what is happening to those to whom he or she ministers. It is the announcement of God’s good news, often in the face of obvious “bad news.” When a sermon is a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the life of the preacher and the lives of the people touch. As when two live electric wires are brought together, a brilliant spark is produced where the gospel touches and illumines both pastor and people.
The Dialogic Nature of Evangelistic Preaching
The evangelistic sermon is dialogic, therefore, because it grows out of the preacher’s dialogue with those to whom he or she speaks and witnesses. The preacher considers seriously the few chance words spoken at the church door that signal that all is not OK. He or she listens carefully to the voice of the stranger on the street who is hungry and has no place to go. The preacher pays attention as children compete to be first and the most important. He or she is sensitive to observations made about plays, movies, and soap operas.
The comment, “Pastor, you help me see that text in a new light,” is music to the ears of the evangelist. It is indicative of a personal journey that the listener took as new insights were weighed in relation to old discoveries. This journey can lead the hearer to serendipitous experiences to which he or she can respond.
The first dialogic step, then, is to engage the listener in a dialogue with the Word of God and in this way to discover a common understanding of the meaning of the text. The end result could be an opportunity for both the evangelist and the person who is sharing the witness to engage in further dialogue that will plumb the depth of God’s Word for humankind.
The second step engages the listener in dialogue with himself, during which time the question What does the text say? becomes What is the text saying to me?
It is important to realize in evangelism that room must be allowed for the response to come as a result of the other person’s wrestling and struggling. Evangelism does not come with easy answers, pat formulas, and clear-cut prescriptions. Discoveries can be shared, but there has to be personal involvement in and acceptance of the discovery in order for it to mean anything. That is why it is sometimes good not to draw all of the conclusions, to leave some ends open, and to leave room for some wonderment.
Lastly, the evangelistic sermon leads the listener to a dialogue with the world in which he or she lives. The listener begins to see the secular through the eyes of faith and in this way comes to grips with many of the questions, problems, and pressures he or she may be facing.
Evangelistic Preaching Invites Decision
The purpose of evangelism is to present the gospel in order to invite a response. The goal of preaching when using the sermon as an evangelistic tool is to preach for a decision. As a result of what has been shared in the sermon, the listener may ask, What new alternatives were presented? and In what way or ways will I respond to those alternatives?
The evangelist is the proclaimer of the gospel in a world that not only denies but even attempts to smother the Good News. The sermon is but one way in which evangelism can happen. But preaching service is the one time the preacher has the largest number of people together at one time, all of whom are experiencing the difficulties of life. It is the one regular opportunity he or she has to assure those whose ears are open to hearing and whose eyes are open to seeing that, in the person of Jesus Christ, God reaches out to them in love and compassion, forgiving their sins and calling them to a new life. The evangelist will be the one whose life has been enriched and enlightened by this discovery and whose purpose is to help others make that same discovery. The evangelist is also one who is engaged in a dialogue with the Word of God, with himself or herself, and with those he or she meets and the world in which they live. This being done, the gospel can be proclaimed and the invitation given: “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).