Do not argue, shine ! You can not conquer darkness by chatting with them. Turn on the light. The Gospel is a power, a power for light. Proclaim it. You are then connected, the current passes, and the light comes. God's high-voltage lines draw their current from Calvary, the resurrection, and the throne, for the gospel is "the power of God," wrote the apostle Paul (Romans 1:16). He knew. He proved it. The world then could not be worse ; cruel, corrupt and cynical. Yet the Gospel has transformed it. This same gospel can still do it.

How to unleash the power of the gospel on the world ? A preacher told me that he wanted a transformer to reduce the emotional appeal of the gospel, to turn the high voltage of the message to a low voltage. But to convert sinners requires the full power of the gospel. Preach to convince and convert. Your task is not to distract, to make people smile and let them go home feeling good about themselves. Salvation is not a soothing and soothing syrup. Save the souls, do not stroke them ! Happiness and smiles will follow.

Read the story of Philip the Evangelist meeting the senior Ethiopian official. He was the Superintendent of Treasures of the Queen, a businessman, who had no time to waste in chatter. Philippe did not hesitate to ask him what his needs were so that he could advise him for hours. In fact, he knew his needs. The eunuch needed Jesus. Salvation is the need of everyone. Philippe devoted himself to the essentials. He "told him the good news of Jesus" (Acts 8:35). Jesus is the beginning and the end of every evangelical sermon, the Alpha and the Omega of all testimony. We are not doctrinal merchants. We are not resellers of religion. We are not enthusiasts. We are witnesses of Jesus Christ. He is the supreme goal of the message.

What did Jesus preach ? He spoke of himself. On the road to Emmaus, walking with Cleopas and a friend, "he explained to them in all the Scriptures what concerned him" (Luke 24:27).

Jeremy Sourdril