Evangelism According to Jesus

The conference is on here in Orlando. We've finished up the pre-conference with three speakers and a Q&A session.

Steven J. Lawson spoke on The Foolishness of Preaching. His text was 1 Cor. 1:18-25. Lawson drew a comparison between the orators of Paul's day versus the heralds. An orator was highly esteemed. They were successful by using technique, skilled language, show, drama, and anything that would persuade. A herald, on the other hand, was called to bring a message. A herald succeeded at his task when he properly pronounced the message he was commissioned to deliver. Paul was a herald.

Dr. Lawson gave 5 important points on the job of herald from the passage.

1. Preaching gives the truth. There will be those who disagree and those who don't, but the truth is unvarnished (v 18).

2. The truth of the cross is exclusive (v 20).

3. Preaching ignores methods and relies on God to produce results (v 21).

4. Presentation is simple and straightforward, not ornate (v 22-23).

5. The Sovereign Call (v 24-25). The success of preaching relies totally on the power of God.

In conclusion, the preacher is not an orator. He is a herald, commissioned by God to bear a "foolish" message -- the crucified Christ -- faithfully, leaving the results in God's powerful hands.


R.C. Sproul Jr. spoke on how to evangelize your children. He assured us that all children need to hear the gospel, need to repent, need to believe. This is part of the parents' responsibility. They are to tell them the gospel. They are to live the gospel. They are to demonstrate the gospel.


There is no one in the world like Joni Eareckson Tada to speak about how suffering justly reflects the horror of sin in a fallen world. She spoke on how it is wrong to minimize the gospel because it doesn't answer the problems of a fallen world. She explained that most of us have a small view of the vast offense of sin and the justice of God in providing suffering to any human being He pleases. We need to give the full gospel, unvarnished, including the offensiveness of sin all the way to God's answer of His Son.