Sovereign Grace and Evangelism
The preaching of Sovereign Grace is essential for effective evangelism, as it emphasizes the sovereignty of Christ and the importance of God's mercy and grace.
Rolfe Barnard emphasizes that the preaching of Sovereign Grace is essential for true evangelism to thrive, as it exposes the flaws in present-day evangelism methods and messages. He highlights the need to proclaim the truth about God, man, and Christ, emphasizing Christ's sovereignty in salvation. Unlike modern evangelism that focuses on what individuals must do with Jesus, true evangelism asks what the sovereign Christ will do with them, emphasizing the new birth as an act of God rather than man. Barnard calls for a return to marveling at God's mercy and grace, echoing Paul and Peter's gratitude for obtaining mercy and faith.
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The preaching of Sovereign Grace is not an enemy of true evangelism. Let me hasten to say that the preaching of Sovereign Grace will kill, deader than a doornail, the message and method of present-day evangelism! And some of us believe with deadly intensity that the false message and method must be killed before the true message and method can become effective. We further believe that the only way this can be done is by the preaching of the truth about God, the truth about man, and the truth about Christ, who died and lives that God might be just and justifier!
These lines will appeal to no one who is happy about the results of evangelism today; but should you be one of many who mourn here, you will join in the task of raising up again the standard of Sovereign Grace.
A sovereign Christ is almost unheard of in church circles today - a Christ into whose hands all things have been given, who has all authority, who gives life and quickens whom He will, who decides the destinies of all men, who is Lord over all flesh. Present-day evangelism, for the most part, poses the question, "What will you do with Jesus?" Bible or true evangelism poses the question, "What will the sovereign Christ do with me?" Present-day evangelism says to men, "Believe and be born again." Bible evangelism says to men, "Be born again so you can believe." The one makes the new birth depend on an act of man, the other an act of God.
Present-day evangelism takes for granted God's mercy and grace, rather than marveling at them in adoration and worship. Hear Paul say, "I obtained mercy." Hear Peter say, "to all who have obtained like precious faith." How I long to hear this note in the churches today!
Sermon Outline
- The Preaching of Sovereign Grace
- The Need for Sovereign Grace
- The Characteristics of Sovereign Grace
- The Question of Sovereign Grace
- What will the sovereign Christ do with me?
- Depends on an act of God, not man
- Decides the destinies of all men
Key Quotes
“The preaching of Sovereign Grace will kill, deader than a doornail, the message and method of present-day evangelism!” — Rolfe Barnard
“What will the sovereign Christ do with me?” — Rolfe Barnard
“Hear Paul say, 'I obtained mercy.'” — Rolfe Barnard
Application Points
- We must marvel at God's mercy and grace in evangelism, rather than taking it for granted.
- The new birth depends on an act of God, not man, in effective evangelism.
- The preaching of the truth about God, the truth about man, and the truth about Christ is essential for effective evangelism.