Exponential East 2014 Session Two

Bob Franquiz, Miami

(I'm sitting next to Kelly from Oklahoma City who pastors with her husband. Their church has 2500 people.  Biggest problem they have is the individualistic consumerist mindset that causes people to church hop, and a general lack of really deep commitment to the lost. I tell her in New England we have no money, we are drowning in non believers and the only Christians around are generally committed to Jesus.  I like NE better. )

His church was full of saved people. Now, they have had 2000 conversions to Jesus.  He is going to talk about evangelistic preaching. 

• Evangelistic preaching is not watered down. He preaches exposition ally, but in a way that connects with unbelievers. Use theological terms but just define them. Like ordering a coffee in Starbucks...have to acknowledge their fancy terms.  Slow down and don't assume any Bible knowledge.  Slow down. 
• Evangelistic preaching is for believers too.  They need to hear the gospel too. He prays the same come to Jesus prayers every single week so his people know it and can pray it with their friends.
• Evangelistic preaching is not primarily felt-needs preaching. He believes the pulpit is the best time to do discipleship and evangelism too. 

What are the elements of great evangelistic preaching?

• It is non-believer conscious.  Will a non believer connect with this?  E.g. On tithing...say out loud "some of you will think I'm now going to give you the shake down and go for your money. I'm going to talk about what the Bible says about giving to Christians.  If you are not a Christian, you can relax while the Christians squirm but you'll get to hear the heart behind our giving.
• It enters the conversation people are having.  This is the best marketing. What objections will people have to my topic? Address them. Don't ignore them. List the likely objections...you enter the conversations that people are having.  By doing this you are discipling your Christians in how to have conversations with their non-Christians ... The conversations they are already having. 
• It disciples believers and non believers.  Let people have a role and implement Christian principles in their lives before they get to be believers. 
• Great evangelistic preaching expects conversions.  Just stumble through it and it'll probably work. Mid you are the only hotdog stand in town, your hotdogs don't have to be that good and you probably do OK.  Just do it and do it expecting response.  

The first piece is we have to care about unchurched people and next our church has to care about unchurched people.  Have unchurched people in mind when thinking about every aspect of our sermon. Will that unchurched person get it?  Then expect them to respond.  The people in my church come to expect it from me. Always give an invitation. Don't rob your people of the chance to respond. 

Questions from the audience: he preaches through the Bible but always finds a way to get it to Jesus and ask for a response. He always finds a way to get to the gospel. E.g. We need a new building so we are going to raise money.  Most people are broken and that includes financially so here is how we find freedom.  :-).  He adds: most non believers who come to church are in a place when something is broken that makes them want to come to church.  

Think about the generation you are speaking to.  Younger people are not biblically literate like our parents generation. The gospel presentation is different each week, riffing off the preaching for the day, but the come to Jesus prayer is the same.