Preaching as Evangelism - it's Biblical
I'm not saying preaching behind a pulpit or in an open air forum are the only prescribed methods of evangelism, but what I am saying is that as we face harsh realities on the mission field it is tempting to constantly show the love of Christ without ever adding words, thus never proclaiming the Gospel.
I also think think that missions is moving in the right direction with things like indigenous leadership, obedience based training, & reproducible methods. But sometimes we are so fearful of importing Western/American Christianity that we forget that preachers, preaching, & leadership in the church are things that are given to us all throughout the New Testament, & are not just American. Now, are ties & pulpits & a full-time salary necessary? No. Should one man have all the power over a body? Certainly not. But let us be careful as we snicker at the Western/American church as they lose relevance by the day. Yes, as we go back to the Bible & learn what it says about church, we are seeing that missionaries in the past have added many cultural values from the West as non-negotiable absolutes, thus hindering the spread of the Gospel. We are learning more clearly what the church was & is supposed to be. But we cannot pick the parts of the Bible that best fit our preferences or culture while leaving other clear prescriptions or commands of the Bible out. Preaching is found throughout the entire New Testament. Can we ignore 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus altogether, not to mention several other passages about the pastoral role in the church?
And to take that one step further, preaching is not just used in the church, but it is used all throughout the New Testament as evangelism. Did you know the book of Acts contains 10 sermons? When Peter heals the lame man at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3, Peter then preaches to the crowd about Jesus. I know my reaction would have been this - I would have had the dude that just got healed standing before everyone sharing his testimony. But I love what James Montgomery Boice writes about this passage:
"Just as in the sermon at Pentecost, this new sermon focuses on Jesus. I suppose it would have been possible for Peter to have focused on something else. He could have focused on the miracle itself. He could have said, 'This is an important thing that has happened, & I want to make sure that you understand that this is really a miracle. Look at this man. Let's all gather around & examine him.'
Peter's sermon could have led into a testimony service. He could have said, 'Now brother, you have been healed. Here's your chance to give a testimony. Stand up & tell everybody what Jesus has done for you.' A testimony that might have focused on the man. The man could have said, ' Let me tell you about my experience. Let me tell you how I first came to be a part of what is going on here today...' The man could have gotten quite a bit of personal attention out of that.
But instead, Peter said, 'Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him' (v. 12-13).
Jesus! This is where the emphasis of the whole sermon lies." - James Montgomery Boice, Commentary on Acts, pg. 66.
Now I think the healed man gave testimony to Christ for the rest of his life, or at least I like to think so, & I think this is a really good thing. But the priority is Christ proclaimed. Preaching is Christ proclaimed. Pastors & elders are overseers of God's sheep who lead by proclaiming Christ & exemplifying Christ. Preaching is not from the West or America. It's not just for traditional churches with buildings. Preaching is the means by which the Church is built up & by which men are called from life to death. Who better to be doing it than missionaries & those they disciple?
And pray for the American church today. I don't know about you, but if it wasn't for a few churches & many men & families of God from the US church:
1) I'd be perishing in my sin.
2) I could have lived maybe 2 days in Japan before running out of money & having to go home.
3) Nobody would be sustaining me & encouraging me & loving me on a daily basis.
She's beautiful (the US Church) because Jesus has made her beautiful, warts and all.
I also think think that missions is moving in the right direction with things like indigenous leadership, obedience based training, & reproducible methods. But sometimes we are so fearful of importing Western/American Christianity that we forget that preachers, preaching, & leadership in the church are things that are given to us all throughout the New Testament, & are not just American. Now, are ties & pulpits & a full-time salary necessary? No. Should one man have all the power over a body? Certainly not. But let us be careful as we snicker at the Western/American church as they lose relevance by the day. Yes, as we go back to the Bible & learn what it says about church, we are seeing that missionaries in the past have added many cultural values from the West as non-negotiable absolutes, thus hindering the spread of the Gospel. We are learning more clearly what the church was & is supposed to be. But we cannot pick the parts of the Bible that best fit our preferences or culture while leaving other clear prescriptions or commands of the Bible out. Preaching is found throughout the entire New Testament. Can we ignore 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus altogether, not to mention several other passages about the pastoral role in the church?
And to take that one step further, preaching is not just used in the church, but it is used all throughout the New Testament as evangelism. Did you know the book of Acts contains 10 sermons? When Peter heals the lame man at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3, Peter then preaches to the crowd about Jesus. I know my reaction would have been this - I would have had the dude that just got healed standing before everyone sharing his testimony. But I love what James Montgomery Boice writes about this passage:
"Just as in the sermon at Pentecost, this new sermon focuses on Jesus. I suppose it would have been possible for Peter to have focused on something else. He could have focused on the miracle itself. He could have said, 'This is an important thing that has happened, & I want to make sure that you understand that this is really a miracle. Look at this man. Let's all gather around & examine him.'
Peter's sermon could have led into a testimony service. He could have said, 'Now brother, you have been healed. Here's your chance to give a testimony. Stand up & tell everybody what Jesus has done for you.' A testimony that might have focused on the man. The man could have said, ' Let me tell you about my experience. Let me tell you how I first came to be a part of what is going on here today...' The man could have gotten quite a bit of personal attention out of that.
But instead, Peter said, 'Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him' (v. 12-13).
Jesus! This is where the emphasis of the whole sermon lies." - James Montgomery Boice, Commentary on Acts, pg. 66.
Now I think the healed man gave testimony to Christ for the rest of his life, or at least I like to think so, & I think this is a really good thing. But the priority is Christ proclaimed. Preaching is Christ proclaimed. Pastors & elders are overseers of God's sheep who lead by proclaiming Christ & exemplifying Christ. Preaching is not from the West or America. It's not just for traditional churches with buildings. Preaching is the means by which the Church is built up & by which men are called from life to death. Who better to be doing it than missionaries & those they disciple?
And pray for the American church today. I don't know about you, but if it wasn't for a few churches & many men & families of God from the US church:
1) I'd be perishing in my sin.
2) I could have lived maybe 2 days in Japan before running out of money & having to go home.
3) Nobody would be sustaining me & encouraging me & loving me on a daily basis.
She's beautiful (the US Church) because Jesus has made her beautiful, warts and all.
