Evangelistic Sermon: One of the great privileges of preaching the Word of God is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Preachers call this the evangelistic sermon. This post will explain how to write an evangelistic sermon and also give an example of an evangelistic sermon.
How To Write An Evangelistic Sermon
We generally know that evangelistic sermons focus on bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by explaining the gospel message.
Nevertheless, it still requires skill to frame an evangelistic sermon in a way that will draw people to an understanding of the gospel message.
This means preachers need to have a good understanding of the gospel message and choose Scripture verses to support and promote the gospel message.
The most difficult part of any sermon is knowing how to structure the sermon so that people can understand what you want to convey to them.
I encourage my students to choose a passage of Scripture that clearly promotes the gospel. I ask them to develop the main preaching point, sub-points and incidental points and a key word or hinge word that swing all the sub-points from the main preaching point. Let’s look at an example!
The Main Preaching Point
I generally preached through books of the Bible. However, some Scripture verses are pure gospel. One of those verses is Galatians 1:4, “Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”
This verse talks about the freedom we find in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I developed the main preaching point around this topic. Finding Freedom in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
The Sermon Sub-points
I usually use the deductive method when it comes to the structure of a message. The deductive structure allows for a natural flow and progression to the gospel message.
The sub-points must expand and explain the main preaching point otherwise the sermon will seem disjointed and difficult to follow.
The three sub-points that expand and explain the main preaching point are: 1) The gospel points to a deliverer (1:4a), 2) the gospel points to a deliverance (1:4b) and the gospel points to a divine plan (1:4c).
The Key Word or Hinge Word
When I teach my students the science and art of preaching, the biggest problem they have is not so much garnering information for a sermon, it is creating a framework to deliver the sermon message. That is they find it difficult to put the information into a sermon outline that delivers the message with sequence and natural flow.
The key word or hinge word is vital to the framework or structure of a sermon outline and it is vital for the delivery of the sermon. You have your main preaching point and sub-points. Now you need to frame them with the key word. Here is an example of the above evangelistic sermon in a succinct sermon outline.
There are three REASONS why we can find freedom in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are:
- The gospel points to a deliverer (Galatians 1:4a)
- The gospel points to a deliverance (Galatians 1:4b)
- The gospel points to a divine plan (Galatians 1:4c)
Once the sermon outline is framed, you will need to write content to the sermon outline and add appropriate illustrations to reinforce the points made in the sermon.
It is advantageous to use appropriate illustrations when writing an evangelistic sermon. People like stories and stories can drive the nail home when it comes to the gospel message.
Once you have written content and added appropriate illustrations, you will need to write an introduction in order to introduce your main preaching point and you will also need to write a conclusion that reinforce your main preaching point.
Putting An Evangelistic Sermon Together
Introduction:
In the Western World, we champion the cause of freedom. Our society is obsessed with freedom. We do not like being told what to do!
But are we really free! Sometimes, I wonder just how free we are. When I survey our society, I don’t necessarily see freedom. In fact, I see the opposite. I see enslavement.
We are enslaved to pleasure (sex, drugs and alcohol).
Jason was fourteen (14) when he first started drinking alcohol. No one was going to tell Jason what he could or couldn’t do. “I’m free to make my own decisions,” he said. But now, at thirty-five (35), Jason is an alcoholic. He has been enslaved to alcohol for years. In fact, his life is ruled by alcohol. Again, I’ve got to ask myself, is that freedom?
We are enslaved to debt.
It seems that the mobile phone industry has created a groundswell of debt for our young people. Some of our young people will be bankrupt before they even get their first job. Is that freedom?
We are enslaved to the multimedia industry.
This is the scariest of them all – technology. Technology is enslaving millions of people to promiscuity, profanity and pornography – so much so that a recent survey by Focus on the Family showed that 18 percent of churchgoers admitted to having an addiction to pornography. Is that freedom?
True freedom is when we can say no to excessive debt, when we can say no to sex, drugs and alcohol and when we can say no to promiscuity, profanity, pornography and any other sinful habit we find ourselves in.
True freedom enables us to stand against the sinful trappings of this world. As Charles Kingsley said, “There are two freedoms: the false where a man is free to do what he likes; and the true where a man is free to do what he ought.”
That’s the freedom I want to talk about today—true freedom—freedom that enables us to say no to the sinful trappings of this world.
I believe true freedom can only be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that sets us free from the excesses of this sinful world.
Why? Why is true freedom found only in Jesus Christ? I believe there are three reasons we need to consider if we want to find true freedom in Jesus Christ.
The first reason why we can find freedom in the gospel is because…
1. The gospel points us to a deliverer (1:4a)
The gospel points us to a person who can rescue us from the sinful trappings of this world.
Look at the beginning of verse 4, it says, “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age.”
The Good News Bible puts it this way, “In order to set us free from this present evil age, Christ gave Himself for our sins.”
We have a deliverer—We have someone who is able to rescue us from the sinful trappings of this world.
His name is Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
He opens his eyes but all he could see was darkness—pitch-black darkness. His heart begins to race faster and faster as he cries out for help, but it seems that no one hears him.
As he lies there, he realises that this may be the end of the road. Stewart Diver was trapped under the rubble at Trebo. There was no way he could rescue himself. He could barely move under all that rubble. He was trapped. He was helpless.
But a rescue worker hears a noise. He calls out for silence. Then he shouts out in a loud voice, “Is anyone there? Is anyone there?” Stewart hears him and calls back, “I can hear you. I can hear you.”
The reason Stewart Diver was rescued was because he had a rescuer. He couldn’t rescue himself. He had to simply trust his rescuers to save him.
The second reason why we can find freedom in the gospel is because …
2. The gospel points to a deliverance (1:4b)
Look at verse four (4) again. It says, “Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, [for what purpose] that He might deliver us from this present sinful age.”
As one writer said, “Jesus Christ paid the price that He might achieve a purpose, and that purpose is delivering sinners from the bondage of sin.
You know the gospel is about setting sinners free and giving them the power to say no to the sinful trappings of this world.
Alice was a rebellious little girl. She didn’t like being told what to do. “I do what I want to do was her motto.” Of course, this motto of hers led to a destruction lifestyle—a lifestyle of alcohol, drugs, promiscuity and self-destruction. By the time she reached her late twenties (20’s), her life was a mess. Her life was out of control and she didn’t know where to turn.
In the pits of despair, Alice walked into a church one day. She didn’t know why she was there. But she was there and she heard a message of a deliverer who could deliver her from the bondage of sin.
That day she reached out her hand and took hold of her deliverer and Jesus Christ took her broken spirit and her lost soul and turned her around and set her on a new course in life. She was finally set free from the sinful trappings of this world. She could finally say no to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, profanity and self-destruction. Why? Because the gospel points to a deliverance—a setting free of the sinner from the bondage of sin!
The third reason why we can find freedom in the gospel is because …
3. The gospel points to a divine plan (1:4c)
Look at verse 4 again. It says, “Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s divine plan to rescue sinners from the bondage of sin.
It’s not your plan. It’s not my plan. It’s God’s divine plan.
Conclusion:
Do you really want to be free!
True freedom is when you can say no to those things that enslave you and only Jesus Christ can set you free.
Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
I want to invite you to become a Christian today. It requires a turning from sin (repentance) and a turning to Jesus Christ (believe). Please pray with me the sinner’s prayer.
Closing Comments:
The evangelistic sermon above is a brief summary of my notes. I introduce the main preaching point, I expand and explain with the sub-points and I conclude with a gospel invitation. I generally like to use stories in the evangelistic sermon because people like stories and good stories reinforce the point you want to make.
Resources For Evangelistic Sermon
Haddon W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
Charles W. Koller, How To Preach Without Notes
James Braga, How To Prepare Bible Messages
Eugene Lowry, The Sermon: Dancing The Edge of Mystery
David Buttrick, Homiletic Moves and Structures
Steven D. Mathewson, The Art of Teaching Old Testament Narrative
Eugene Lowry, The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form