How to Preach Jesus
God has not left us in the dark about how we communicate the most life-changing, destiny-determining, soul-inspiring, truth-proclaiming, joy-generating, hope-assuring, and hell-defying message of the gospel.
We tend to rely upon strategies and practical how-to’s (which are helpful), but God typically provides foundational truths and practices that allow His power to be put on public display.
This week, from Colossians 4:2–6 we learned three practical truths about God’s strategy for preaching Jesus:
Pray about your gospel witness (v. 2-4).
Personify your gospel witness (v. 5).
Proclaim God’s gospel message (v. 6).
Pray: Before we preach, we must pray.
We must pray with a continual devotion (v. 2: “devote yourselves to prayer”).
We must pray with a vigilant awareness of people’s need for Christ (v. 2: “keeping alert in it”).
We must pray “with an attitude of thanksgiving” for His saving gospel, divine appointments, and the convicting and empowering work of the Holy Spirit (v. 2).
We must ask God for open doors of opportunity (v 3), for clear communication of the gospel message (v. 4—Remember, it’s our job to make the gospel clear and God’s job to make it effective).
We must ask the Lord for people’s salvation (Rom. 10:1; John 17:3). Stay dependent upon the Lord to use you and touch others around you with His glorious gospel.
Personify: Who we are gives credibility to what we say. We must walk the talk and not give unbelievers any reason to discredit the gospel message.
A gospel-worthy life will display “wisdom” (v. 5) that publicly models Christ’s beauty in how we apply His will in everyday living. We should be the most civil, kind-hearted, honest, and loving people around.
A gospel-worthy life will make “the most of the opportunity” that the Lord providentially orchestrates for us. This means we must be on the lookout and ready to act upon any open doors God may provide.
Proclaim: God tells us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17) and “how will they hear without a preacher” (Rom. 10:14). We are responsible to get the message out.
Saturate the gospel message with “grace” (v. 6) and God says to “always” do this. This means being interested in the unbeliever's life and world, so ask lots of questions. It always means we don’t assume they understand the words of the gospel (God, Jesus Christ, salvation, sin, heaven, hell, faith, repentance). Grace will motivate us to be winsome, pleasant, courteous, patient, forgiving, humble, thoughtful, and never rude or disrespectful.
Season the gospel message with “salt” (v. 6). Salt has lots of benefits (purifies, heals, preserves) but with the gospel, it adds great flavor to life (God’s love, mercy, salvation, eternal life, meaning to life, fulfillment, etc.).
Let me encourage you to check out a very helpful practical resource we’ve put together to help you with how you share the gospel. Click on this link and utilize some of these great Tips for Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Copy and post this very convicting quote by C.H. Spurgeon to help keep you motivated.
“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
Pastor Jeff