Developing Topical Evangelistic Sermons That Are Audience-Driven

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Developing Topical Evangelistic Sermons That Are Audience-Driven

By Ramesh Richard

Now, what is the difference between pre-evangelistic and evangelistic preaching? They fall in a continuum of evangelism and were actually practiced by Paul where he did not quote Scripture at all when speaking to audiences that did not share his worldview (Acts 14, 17). To the Greek, he really became as a Greek, while he prolifically peppered his talks to Jewish audiences with Scripture. The fact of the matter is that people fall into varying spiritual and intellectual categories — pre-faith, pre-Christ, or even pre-God.5 To pre-faith people, you preach evangelistically. To pre-Christ (and pre-God) people, you communicate pre-evangelistically.

In pre-evangelistic preaching, we always pick audience-driven, salvation-compliant topics. Salvation-compliant topics, like salvation compliant texts, are one step away from an unbeliever's experience of Christian faith and blessings. We attach them to textual bases or theological reasons to make them serve an evangelistic purpose. Pre-evangelistic sermons often begin with existential entry points and problems to which Jesus is the solution if the root problem of sin is resolved. These problems are addressed in the Bible either by plain text or theological implication. They are issues that simply don't go away from the human situation.

Some audience-driven subjects belong to academic apologetics, but I prefer existential apologetics simply because most audiences are not asking theoretical questions (e.g., Does God exist? Did Jesus rise from the dead?) as their first questions. People ask existential questions (e.g., How do I fill the spiritual hole in my heart?6) to find order and meaning and resolution. I can always move from existential to philosophical levels of engagement.

Here I list some universal spiritual needs that lend themselves to audience-driven development and conclude with the Lord Jesus as the salvation (re) solution, because all these needs are rooted in sin and separation from God:

forgiveness

peace

stability

hope

afterlife

love

survival

wisdom

purpose

spiritual quest

demonic oppression (supernatural evil forces)

Below is a short list of widespread intellectual questions that can be seized for a salvation ending. These questions have been relatively stable over history, and you can find more subjects in theoretical apologetics books written by Christian philosophers and apologists.

Some Philosophical Questions

• What is the nature and existence of truth?

• Does God exist?

• What is the nature of God?

• What about the problem of evil?

• Is religion efficacious?

Some Scientific Questions