How to preach the gospel (6)



How to preach the gospel (6)

  Date: August 28, 1948Place: Kuling

Creating a sense of need and a sense of sin

A sinner’s sense of need and sense of sin

  Today we will consider the sense of need and the sense of sin some more. Concerning this point, Paget Wilkes has written in much detail. We will quote some of his words. [Translator’s note: we are not able to find the original quotations; the following is a translation from Chinese.]

  In Matthew 11:28 the Lord Jesus said, “Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” The Lord called those who toil and are burdened to come for rest. This creates a sense of need in man. Some people are satisfied with their human life; they do not feel the need for salvation. We have to create in them a need, a dissatisfaction, so that they will feel the need for salvation.

  Luke 4:18-19 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to announce the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away in release those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” This was the Lord’s proclamation at the time He began His ministry. Here the Lord pointed out the two kinds of people His gospel is directed toward: those who have need and those who sin.

  In Romans 1:29-31 Paul enumerated twenty-one kinds of sins committed by man. On the one hand, man has needs. On the other hand, he has sins. Man is ignorant of both of these things. A preacher of the gospel should create a sense of need as well as a sense of sin within men. In China it is easier to give people a sense of need than a sense of sin. For those who understand the gospel but who are not saved, our preaching should awaken a sense of sin in them because they are more prone to have a feeling of sin.

  The Chinese are utilitarians. This is the reason that the Chinese do not ask for forgiveness of sins when they pray to their idols. Instead, they ask for blessing and goodwill. In preaching to the Chinese, it is very hard to invoke a sense of sin in them. Yet unless they are conscious of their sins before God, it is not easy for them to be saved. In preaching the gospel to them, we have to first plant within them a sense of their offenses against God, not just a sense of sin per se. Our preaching should not only invoke the sense of sin in general, but a sense of offense against God. If a man has only the sense of sin without a sense of offense against God, he is like a dog or a sow. Eventually, he will return to his own vomit and wallow in his own mud. Since the Sung dynasty in China, Confucianism has pointed out the struggle between reason and lust. Yet the Chinese are only aware of the sin which dwells within them; they are not aware of their offenses against God. They have no consciousness of such a thing. They can understand a teaching on deliverance from sin, but they cannot understand a teaching on forgiveness by God. If a man claims to be saved yet does not see his utter depravity and offense against God, his salvation is not firm.

  Therefore to preach the gospel in China, we must not only help men have a sense of sin but must show them that they have offended the living God. Only then will they be saved. This is not easy, and we have to use all kinds of methods to support the Holy Spirit in His good works within man. Once the Holy Spirit works on man, he will have a sense that he has offended God. Although a man does not have such a sense before he is saved, he will have such a sense once the Holy Spirit operates within him.

How to create a sense of need

  Let us now consider a few ways to create in man a sense of need.

Finding rest

  Matthew 11:28 is a verse frequently used by gospel preachers. This verse has saved many people, both in China and in other countries. We have to use this verse to challenge men: “Are your burdens heavy? Are you toiling? Do you long for rest?” We have to make them feel the burden of the human life. We have to show them that human life is full of many burdens. Today man is anxious over many earthly things; he is full of burdens. The human life is indeed a restless life. A poor man has anxieties. A rich man has even more. A poor man is conscious of the pain of want, while a rich man worries that his money will be taken away. Those who have few possessions worry much, and those who have many possessions worry even more. The human life is indeed a suffering life, but the Lord said that He would give rest to those who come to Him.

  After we speak about this verse, we can testify, saying, “Since I believed in the Lord, my burdens are gone. I now have rest.” We should also ask seven or eight others to give their testimonies. This will generate a sense of need. The majority of people must have a sense of need evoked within them. This verse has saved as many people as John 3:16 has. This is a good way to preach the gospel.

Joy and satisfaction

  Other than rest, we can also preach the gospel by talking about the need for joy and satisfaction. We can use John 4:13-14: “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water gushing up into eternal life.” Some people are never satisfied; they are always conscious of the vanity of life. A man can increase his wealth, but this does not increase his satisfaction. Money, children, and friends cannot satisfy man. The world is empty. When a man does not have something, he wants it. When he has it, he quickly becomes thirsty again. Before a man in this world receives the Lord, he pursues after satisfaction all the time. He can be satisfied for a few days, but very shortly he will be at the end of himself and thirsty once again. He is like a child who wants some toys before receiving them, yet tires of them once he receives them. Everything of the world can offer man only temporary satisfaction. After a man drinks of it, he will be thirsty again. He is like the Samaritan woman who was not satisfied even after having five husbands. The Lord Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again.”

  After saying this, we have to ask the brothers to give their testimonies; they have to speak of drinking the living water through receiving the Lord, of finding true satisfaction, and of being thirsty no longer. If we use this way to preach the gospel, we will create a need for joy and satisfaction in some. They will see that they do not have the joy that others have, and they will feel their need. When we place joy in front of those who do not have joy, the joyless ones will hunger for joy. Most Japanese are saved because they see the joy in the preachers. We have to preach the gospel this way. However, we have to drink and be satisfied first. We must receive the living water and joy from the Lord before we can create this sense of need in others.

On death

  Death is also a good topic for the gospel. Death is fearful, and it is common for men to be afraid of death. Among the Chinese, every young person is afraid of death, while most old ones are not afraid of it. This is a phenomenon peculiar to the Chinese. An old person regards death as understandable and inevitable; most are not afraid of facing death. Among young people, however, the fear of death is prevalent. When preaching to young people, death is a good subject. When we are with many young people, we can preach about death. We can testify to them that Christians are not afraid to die because we have a Savior who enables us to overcome death. A sinner, however, does not have the Savior. If he dies, what will happen to him? Christians are a great testimony; they are a living testimony of men who are not afraid to face death. Church history testifies how many Christians sang and praised God at the time they were about to die. They knew that angels would come and receive them. When a believer dies, he should declare, “I am not dying. I am temporarily leaving this earthly home to meet my Lord.” These are good testimonies.

  Death comes to every man once (Heb. 9:27). An unbeliever may ask, “What is to become of me after I die?” No one can escape this judgment. All young people are afraid of death. They do not know what to do when death comes to them. In preaching the gospel, we can use death to create a sense of need in man. Not only should we speak of death, but also we should tell others the truth concerning the Lord Jesus’ death for us. We should tell them that the Lord Jesus has tasted death for everyone (2:9). He has defeated the devil, the one who has the might of death (v. 14). Those who believe in Him are released from death; they will no longer be under the slavery of death (v. 15). They can boldly declare, “Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). We should tell them that the Lord Jesus has removed the taste of death. This will make them sense their need for deliverance from the bondage of death.

The coming judgment

  Another way to preach the gospel is to speak about the coming judgment. In China, however, the thought of a coming judgment has been tainted with Taoist philosophy and the Buddhist religion. The Chinese mentality commonly considers that there are different gods for different religions. The Chinese speak of hell, but they regard it merely as a tool to scare people to do good. They do not consider hell as an actual future place. But the Bible tells us that it is reserved for men to die once, and after this comes judgment (Heb. 9:27). Judgment is a definite fact. In preaching this kind of gospel, we can describe the actual condition of hell to men. We can plainly explain the different kinds of judgment in the different ages in the Bible, from the present Hades through the coming tribulation to the judgment at the great white throne and ultimately to the everlasting lake of fire. All these judgments have their order and place in the Bible.

  We have to believe that the Holy Spirit will speak through us as we preach the gospel of judgment. We have to boldly declare that there is a coming judgment! Everyone will die, and after death there is judgment. We can speak on Revelation 20:11-15. There we see the last judgment of God at the great white throne when the unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire. If possible, we can go on to chapter twenty-one and compare it to chapter twenty. This will stir up men’s desire to escape judgment and to receive eternal life. The key to preaching is to believe that the Holy Spirit will speak to men as we speak. God has spoken. Therefore, we can speak. We do not have to be shy. This is also a very good way. Do not be afraid to preach about judgment or eternal punishment. Many people are saved through hearing about judgment. If we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, others will feel the need for salvation when they hear a word on judgment.

The meaning of human life

  The meaning of human life is also a subject for the gospel. Some people think that human life is a riddle. They do not know the meaning of human life. Does man exist only for eating, drinking, and sleeping? Some ask this question. We can preach the gospel from this angle. We can tell others that a man lives a meaningless life if he only knows to eat, drink, and sleep. Man’s existence is only meaningful after he knows God and knows God’s intention in creating man. We have to tell him the biblical record of God’s creation, man’s fall, and God salvation for man. If a man does not have salvation, he does not have a center; he does not have meaning to his human life. God created the heavens, the earth, and man for Himself. He is the center of everything, and in particular, the center of man. If a man turns away from God, he becomes a mere eating and sleeping machine. Once a man has God, however, he has meaning and purpose to his human life. He will no longer feel the vanity of this life.

  The above five subjects define man’s greatest needs. Most people have these five needs. If we can preach these five kinds of gospel, we can meet the need of almost everyone. We have to learn how to present one of these five kinds of things to men, showing them their needs and showing them the way to satisfy their needs. We know these needs, but sinners do not. We should preach what we know to those who do not know.

  The worst thing that a preacher can do is to speak about doctrines without creating a sense of need in others. Reason cannot bring a man to tears. Doctrines cannot prick man’s heart. Philosophy cannot kindle the fire within man. Excitement cannot save him. Only creating a sense of need will cause man to readily receive the gospel. It matters little whether or not doctrines are preached well. We should be satisfied as long as men are saved. The thought of giving a good message is a great temptation to a gospel preacher. A doctor does not need to learn to prescribe nice medicine; he needs to heal patients. The greatest mistake that we can commit is to preach a good message for the sake of saving our face, while men’s souls remain unsaved.

How to create in man a sense of sin

  Another way to preach the gospel is to create a sense of sin in man. We need to consider a few ways to preach about this matter.

Concerning the power of sin

  Man’s consciousness of sin grows; it develops gradually from a shallow state to an acute state. In order for our preaching to create a sense of sin in an unbeliever, we have to show him the power of sin. It is very easy to show an unbeliever the power of sin. We should ask the following questions: “Do you ever make a resolution to be good? Does a student ever make a resolution to study well? Does a child ever make a resolution to not provoke his parents to anger? Does a wife ever make a resolution to be one with her husband? The will is present in them, but the power to do it is not (Rom. 7:18).” We can ask young people who are addicted to gambling, opium, cigarettes, or alcohol if they want to be free from their habits. We have to show them that there is a power behind these things that binds them. The more a man tries to free himself from this power, the more bound he becomes. This is like a high jump athlete; the higher he tries to jump, the more he feels the force of gravity. The more a person tries to stop lying, the more he realizes the impossibility of stopping. The more a man resolves to not lose his temper, the more he realizes how hard this is. The more a person tries to not sin, the more he discovers the power of sin. The more he wants to be free from sin, the more he sins. In this way he discovers how great the power of sin is. It is exceedingly hard to do good, yet it is exceedingly easy to sin. However, if a man has the life of Christ, he receives a power to do good and a power to overcome sin. Many people are saved through this kind of preaching. Once a man knows the power of sin, he develops a consciousness of sin and senses the need for salvation.

Concerning the contagiousness of sin

  Many people have a strong sense of social responsibility. They are not conscious of their own sins, but they react strongly to others’ sins. They abhor the sins of others. We have to tell them that when they sin, they damage those who are around them, in particular, their children. Every generation follows the pattern of the generation that precedes it. If we sin, the next generation will follow. If we smoke opium, our children will be addicted to opium. If we play mahjong, our children will learn to play mahjong. If we drink, our children will also drink. By not suppressing our own sense of sin, we pass this sin on to our children. If we are greedy for money or lose our temper easily, others, especially our children, will easily follow in the same thing. Although not many people will respond to this kind of preaching, some will. We can tell them that sin is contagious. It is especially contagious to our children. We can destroy them by our contagion.

Concerning the result of sin

  The one who is damaged the most by sin is the sinner himself. Sin has fruit. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23a). Proverbs 8:36 says that those who sin against the Lord wrong their own soul. When a man sins, he reaps the fruit of sin to himself. Galatians 6:8 says that he who sows unto his own flesh will reap corruption of the flesh. We should not think that we can get away with sin without reaping some fruit. The wages of sin is death. This verse has saved many people. Sin will reap the fruit of sin for the sinner. The result of sin will always fall back on the sinner himself. Some people have to be brought to this realization before they see the evil of sin. In describing this fact, we have to read the list of sins spoken of in Romans 1:29-31 and explain these sins one by one. This is like painting a portrait of a person; we have to bring out the true likeness of the man. Everyone likes to see a picture of himself. A gospel preacher has to sketch a picture of man and show him his true likeness. When we describe a man’s sins one by one, the Holy Spirit will shine on him and convict him of his sins. Quite a number of people become conscious of their sins through this kind of speaking. If we can preach in this way, others will know that they are short. In order to speak about sin, however, we must live in God’s presence and be under the light ourselves. We must receive the shining ourselves before we can enlighten others. Once a man sees the dominion sin has over him, his heart will turn, and he will seek for the Savior.

Transgressing God’s law

  A man may feel that pride is his sin, but he may not feel that his pride is a transgression against God. To an ordinary man, sinning is one thing and transgressing against God is another. But for a Christian, sinning and transgressing against God are the same thing. When we sin against a brother, we are transgressing against God. Unbelievers usually think that sinning has nothing to do with transgressing against God. The Bible shows us that David committed the sin of adultery and murder, but he realized that he had transgressed against God Himself. He considered himself not only to have sinned but to have transgressed against God (Psa. 51:4). If a man only has the sense of sin without a realization that he is transgressing against God, he is not qualified to be called a Christian. The Lord is above everything; every authority and human relationship is derived from Him. If I sin against another person, I am sinning against God. Suppose I have ten dogs and ten sheep, and the dogs bite the sheep and kill them. These dogs have not only sinned against the sheep but also against me. Those who do not know God only consider sin to be sin; they do not know that it is a transgression against God. Many Christians are only aware of sin; they are not aware of their transgression against God. These Christians have a problem with their salvation experience. The Chinese do not have much realization of this fact. For this reason, we have to ask God to do a deeper work. When a sinner has a deep consciousness of sin, he realizes that sin is not only sin but a transgression against God. In preaching the gospel, we have to bring the listeners to realize that they have not only sinned but that they also have transgressed against God through their sins. This is a crucial factor in our preaching.

Concerning offense against God Himself

  When a man sins, he has not only transgressed God’s law but has offended God Himself. The last point tells us that in sinning a man transgresses against God’s law and ordinance. Here we are saying that when a man sins, he offends God Himself; he has offended God’s heart. The last point deals with transgression against the outward righteous law of God. This point deals with offense against the inward heart of God. Luke 15 says that the prodigal was sinning in a far country. When he came to himself, he did not just say that he had sinned. He wanted to turn back to his father and tell him that he had sinned against heaven as well as before him (v. 18). Sinning against him means offending his father and breaking his heart. He had rejected his father’s love, protection, and tears. The previous point deals with transgression against God’s law, administration, and ordination. This point deals with offenses against God Himself, His love, His protection, and His grace. The greatest sin is for man to turn away from God.

  The story of the prodigal son is one of the best stories in the Bible. It has saved many people. The prodigal did not say how many sins he had committed. He only intended to tell his father that he had sinned before him. The prodigal did not become prodigal through his sins. The day that he left his father he became a prodigal son. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). It seems as if God loves the world more than He loves His only begotten Son. As far as love is concerned, God is the father of the whole world. It appears that God’s relationship with the world exceeds His relationship with His own Son. Does not the world break the heavenly Father’s heart when it sins? Some people think that God is reluctant to save men and wants sinners to die and perish. Such ones offend God’s love; they commit the greatest of all sins. This is a misunderstanding of God’s heart. There was once an old widow who was childless. She intended to give all her wealth to her nephew. The nephew did not know about this. He coveted her wealth and killed her. When he saw her will and discovered that all her possessions had been willed to him, he became very remorseful. He had not only committed murder but had murdered the one who loved him. This is the greatest of all sins. For a man to reject the Savior is the greatest sin in the eyes of God because this amounts to a denial of His love. God loves the world. This is the reason He gave His only begotten Son to us. If we do not accept Him, we reject God’s provision and love. This constitutes the greatest sin.

Application

  In preaching the gospel we just need to choose one of the ten preceding subjects. This will be sufficient to bring a sinner to the Lord and to get him saved. However, if we use any one of the first eight subjects, we have to supplement it with the ninth or tenth point. This will bring about a complete salvation. In other words, no matter which way a sinner takes, he has to see that he has transgressed against God’s law and has offended God Himself. The Holy Spirit operates in some people immediately after they are touched and shows them that they have offended God. If the Holy Spirit has not yet done this work, we should speak to them until they have this realization. We should show them that they have offended God. Otherwise, sooner or later they will have problems with their own salvation.

  The work of an evangelist is to create a sense of these ten needs in man and then to show him the way of salvation. If we learn our lessons well, we will bring many to salvation.