How to Preach The Gospel
Have you ever wanted to share the gospel with a friend, family member or anyone for that matter, and have realised you just don’t know what to say? This is a common experience that many believers face. You may be ok to share your story, but when it comes to declaring the good news of Jesus you freeze! Perhaps we have complicated it, or perhaps it’s excuse… Whatever the reason I hope that this post will give you some confidence in what to say.
My aim in this post is to give you a couple of easy to follow tips so you can start “preaching” the gospel the way the Apostles did. So let’s start off by looking at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5,
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”
This is a great start. When we are sharing or preaching the gospel (I use the two terms interchangeably) we are not trying to talk people into following Jesus. Rather, we are declaring the goodness of God, demonstrating the goodness of God, then giving them an opportunity to respond.
1. Declare the Goodness of God
The first step in sharing the gospel is to declare the goodness of God or as Jesus called it, The Kingdom of God. The Apostles would often start by sharing how Jesus fulfilled prophetic words. They spoke of Gods plan for Kingdom Come.
Let’s make this practical for us in todays world. We start by telling people that God wants to make all things right. He wants to make all things new. He comes to bring healing, freedom, peace, joy, and life in all its fullness.
The other major piece in declaring the goodness of God is talking about what Jesus did on the cross. It is on the cross that He overcame everything that we couldn’t, He defeated sin, death and the demonic realm and now invites us to experience that victory!
2. Demonstrate the Goodness of God
Once we have declared the goodness of God, we then give space for God to confirm His word with signs and wonders. (See Mark 16 for more) For example, I will tell people that God wants to heal them, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Then I will demonstrate this by healing for the sick. (Keep your eyes open for my How to Heal the Sick Post) You can do this with Peace, Forgiveness, and Deliverance etc.
Demonstrating the Kingdom of God is obviously not just something we do during a message – it is a way of life for the believer. However, we make special space during the preaching of the gospel for God to demonstrate His goodness on the spot.
This is also a great place to share your story of how Jesus and what He has done through His death and resurrection has impacted your life.
3. Give an Opportunity to Respond
The final step is to simply give people an opportunity to respond to this message. Jesus had a couple of catch phrases that are useful here. The first is, “Repent and Believe.” This means to change our mind and agree with God. It’s to get on board with what God says, and start living life the way He intended. His other catch phrase was “Come, follow me” which has the same implications of leaving our way of life to live His way.
Practically speaking I will say something along these lines, “This Jesus who you have heard me talk about, and who you have seen healing today, is alive! He is now calling you to follow Him. He calls you to accept His gift of salvation, and to have a relationship with Him! He wants to give you life in all its fullness, and today you can say yes to Him.”
When they respond positively, I then lead them in a prayer where they say, “Yes to following God and embracing His gift of Salvation and relationship.”
So there you have it, that’s my quick tips on “How to Preach the Gospel.” I’d love to hear how you go, so let me know when you start sharing the gospel!
