Preaching’s Decisive Moment
Author: Michael Gott
Long ago, someone first pointed out that all evangelistic preaching is preaching for a verdict.
Never has the decisive moment in an evangelistic sermon been better captured in a short phrase than when Leighton Ford said, “At a point in every evangelistic sermon the messenger must courageously stop saying ‘we’ and say ‘you.’” While the heart of preaching involves communicating the inspired and authoritative word of God, nevertheless, evangelistic preaching is a human act at the end of which we must ask for a thoughtful, sincere, and open response to the truth proclaimed. We call for a response. While we refuse to entrap or coerce, we must boldly call for an humble submission to the demand of a personal decision. Certainly, we must make it plain that the call is first and foremost personal. Will you come to Him now?
Only an audacious, Biblical evangelist will say, ‘What will you do with Jesus?” It is a tribute that the early evangelists “spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31) and that Peter was unapologetic in making it clear to whom he was speaking. The urgent need today is for the same kind of courage. Without it the evangelist is a paper tiger. God give us courageous evangelists who, with a laser-like eye upon the Lord’s approving face, refuse to edit their message that it might meet with approval or applause.
When one studies evangelistic preaching, it can be pointed out that it is both indicative and imperative. Indicative in that it tells, indicates, and declares what great things the Lord has done; sending His Son, living a sinless life, dying on a cross, and rising from the dead! But it is imperative in that it clearly outlines God’s command on the basis of the mighty acts of God; repent, believe, come to Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus used imperative language, phrases like “follow me,” “take up the cross,” “forsake all,” “come to me.” A response was constantly demanded. Now or never! Yes or no! Life or death! An outward response reflects an inward decision.
A reminder, our task is to proclaim what the Lord has eternally said, not what humans want to preferably hear. We have no right to compromise and to pander to the desire of people who are willing to listen to aimless pulpit chatter.
In George Buttrick’s Yale lectures of 1931 he said what needs to be said again to all evangelists today: “People are driven from the church not so much by stern truth that makes them uneasy as by weak nothing that makes them contemptuous.” This element of the deeply personal response required of individuals is an integral part of the responsibility of all who serve as evangelists.
All evangelistic preaching is done with a view of people personally sensing the need to think and then respond with their whole person. The issues must be made plain and personal, “Choose you this day . . .” (Joshua 24:15) is always demanded. The “you” cannot be avoided.
The second simple word is “must.” The story is told of Karl Barth coming to hear Billy Graham preach in Switzerland. Afterwards they met and talked. Barth seemed disturbed that evangelist Graham had so strongly emphasized “must” in his sermon. Barth seemed to imply the idea of a sort of coercion or even manipulation. Persuasion is not coercion. Paul said, “we persuade men” (II Corinthians 5:11). The English translation lacks something, for in the Greek it is much more exact and means “very strong persuasion.” Now, to take that line of logic to its conclusion, we are to say “must” in our evangelistic sermon without resorting to psychological pressure, dubious technique, and browbeating people; but we must say “must.”
We are obligated by God to say those two words in every sermon, “You must . . .” We have to be so specific and so direct that each one senses a personal obligation. Great evangelists make it plain and straight out. The call is not garbled—it is uncompromising and uncomplicated. “You must . . .” You cannot be an evangelist without those two words lacing your message. Here especially “the fear of man lays a snare” (Proverbs 29:25). Are we afraid of men, or are we a slave to a desire to be popular first and foremost? If one wants that, and if it is important, then go sell ladies’ shoes! Evangelists share a tradition of boldness, and we face the real possibility of rejection. Wesley and Whitefield had dead rats and rotten eggs thrown at them regularly. Wesley spoke of people killing black cats and hurling them at him as he preached because he preached saying, “You must . . .”
The name evangelist requires fearlessness and uncompromising speech. The word “witness” in the Greek is the same word as martyr! William Still, the Scottish preacher of our day, said, “No man ought to be in a Christian pulpit who fears man more than God.” Matthew Henry said, “Christ’s followers cannot expect better treatment in the world than their Master had.” We all, I would remind us, will stand before God and give an account of our ministries.
Luther once said, “I am a preacher. I have to have teeth in my mouth. I have to bite . . . and tell them the truth.” Yes, and the truth is “You must,” and we must say, “You must.”
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