Earlier this year I preached a series of renewal services at Rosedale Baptist Church in Abingdon, VA. Commonly referred to as a “revival,” or, in previous generations, a “protracted meeting,” each service carried a specifically evangelistic emphasis. I prayed the Lord would be pleased to honor the preaching of His Word, call many to faith in Christ, and produce spiritual fruit that remains.
Each service, I preached the gospel, and called sinners to repentance and faith in Christ. My week of evangelistic preaching reminded me of a question a student recently asked me, “Should the sermon conclude with an invitation?” I responded, “Yes, a sermon certainly can conclude with an invitation, but, more importantly, the sermon must be an invitation.”
Such is the New Testament pattern. Preaching is to inform the mind, impact the emotion, and challenge the will. Real preaching is confrontational, always calling for a verdict, and that should happen throughout the sermon, not just during the conclusion. Read more
No comments:
Post a Comment