Evangelistic Preaching

I picked up a copy of Roger Carswell's new book, Evangelistic Preaching at the conference (thanks John). It is a beautifully produced book - hardback in a lovely blue colour with a few graphics and clear print. The print could have been slightly bigger perhaps but they wanted it short which it is - only just over 70 pages. In five chapters Carswell the evangelist simply urges and encourages more evangelistic preaching inside our buildings and out with lots of helpful advice and quotations on the way (from Wiersbe, Stott and others). After speaking of the need he looks at preaching Christ, manifesting love, being creative, connecting and expecting results. Good stuff. I was slightly surprised but pleased to find this quotation from John Stott on pages 28 and 29.

 

I constantly find myself wishing that we twentieth century preachers could learn to weep again. But either our tear-springs have dried up, or our tear-ducts have become blocked. Everything seems to conspire together to make it impossible for us to cry over lost sinners who throng the broad road which leads to destruction. Some preachers are so preoccupied with the joyful celebration of salvation that they never think to weep over those who are rejecting it. Others are being deceived by the devil's lie of universalism. Everybody will be saved in the end, they say, and nobody will be lost. Their eyes are dry because they have closed them to the reality of eternal  death and outer darkness of which both Jesus and His Apostles spoke. Yet others are faithful in warning sinners of hell, but do so with a glib and even a sick pleasure, which are almost more terrible than the blindness of those who ignore or deny its reality.