​WHY I BELIEVE IN PREACHING THE GOSPEL

​Our ministry is involved in many different vital areas of ministry around the world, from helping orphans in Africa and slave children in Pakistan to training and equipping leaders .
But the tip of the arrow for everything we do is to proclaim the Gospel. Whether it is in front of 10 people in a diner, or before 10,000 people on a soccer field, I believe in the power of the public proclamation of the Gospel .

In the Bible “proclaim” means to preach, announce, make known by a herald, and declare and proclaim aloud . God’s plan is to save the world through the public announcement of the Good News .

Proclamation of truth combined with supernatural demonstration is God’s way to move cities and nations . It also is the method God used to start His church in the book of Acts .
This type of ministry has become more and more rare in recent years . Many within the body of Christ will tell you it is outdated, a thing of the past . Others will say it’s too confrontational; they say you must lead people to Christ through a friendship model . Or maybe you are one of those who will give the argument, “What about follow up?”, or “I don’t believe in mass evangelism because you cannot effectively disciple the thousands of people that respond at a stadium style event .”

Or perhaps you have heard this one: “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words .” I know this sounds nice, but is it biblical? (This quote is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, a Roman Catholic friar and preacher who lived early in the 1200’s.)

I will be honest and tell you that I do not have all the answers, but after over 23 years of publically proclaiming the Gospel on 6 continents I believe that I know what I am talking about . I am more than ever convinced that what the world needs is an army of bold, fearless men and women who will communicate the Gospel both in power and love from the street corner to the stadium .

I would like to share with you 4 key reasons why I believe this :

First, I believe in public communication of the Gospel because proclamation is God’s way.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light Genesis 1:1-3)
Faith filled proclamation is what God used to create the world and everything in it . God had a blueprint, a vision in His heart . The Spirit was hovering, waiting, listening for God to speak so He could act . The moment the word went forth, the Spirit implemented the word .

The same is true today . The Spirit of God works with the word of God . He is anxiously waiting, longing for us to proclaim the Gospel, giving Him something to work with to save lost souls . 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “He (God) has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe”( New Living Translation) . Jesus is called the “Word” and “...in Him was life” in 1 John 1:1-4 . In Hebrews 4:12 it says the, “Word is Living and powerful .” God’s word is powerful; God is in His word . He cannot separate Himself from His word . All the power of the Holy Spirit stands ready to fulfill and back the word of the Lord when it is proclaimed.

Secondly, I believe in this kind of evangelism because it was the model Jesus and the early church used . God used the impersonal form of public proclamation of the Gospel to start His church on the day of Pentecost . If you have any doubts, read through the book of Acts and notice throughout the book where and how the apostles and disciples ministered the Gospel . It was always out in a public area, where the people were . It included large meetings, small meetings, door to door, to individuals in the desert, and to large gatherings that shook whole regions . The key to their success was in the proclamation empowered by the Holy Spirit .

Thirdly, I believe in publicly sharing Christ because history is full of examples of the power of Gospel proclamation changing cities and nations . True revival has always been the result of BOTH prayer and proclamation . If all you have is prayer, you have ammunition with no gun . If all you have is proclamation you have a gun with no ammo . Both are needed . Intimacy with Jesus, time with Him hearing His heart and understanding the things that matter to Him will give us the passion and perseverance to publically proclaim Him .
“Intercession that is not linked to evangelism is like an arrow shot without a target or like an athlete running a race without a finish line. Intercession builds a highway for the evangelism that wins the world.” -Reinhard Boonke

History is full of examples of how God mightily used the proclamation of the Gospel to change the course of whole nations . In the 1700’s in the British Isles, God raised up John Wesley and George Whitfield. They crisscrossed the country proclaiming the Gospel . This ushered in one of the greatest revivals England has ever seen . It literally changed the course of the nation .

Charles Finney was used of God to spark the second Great Awakening in America . Again, it was public proclamation . Over the last 70 years Billy Graham was used of God powerfully in western nations . His historic crusades shook places like London, Los Angeles and New York City . TL and Daisy Osborn publically proclaimed and demonstrated the Gospel through signs, wonders and miracles for nearly 7 decades going to Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist nations bringing the Gospel .

Do people still go to baseball or soccer games? Do they gather for concerts to listen to their favorite bands? Of course! In the same way, people still come together to hear the Gospel when it is preached passionately and powerfully and backed up with signs, wonders and miracles .

Finally, I believe more than ever in the power of gospel proclamation because of what I personally have seen over the last nearly 24 years .
When I was just 15 years old, I left home with a Bible in one hand and a skateboard in the other. I was on fire and wanted to tell the world about Jesus . Together with a group of young people, we went city-to-city, nation-to-nation, proclaiming Jesus in stadiums, schools, and open soccer fields. I am still going to this day . Well over 1 million decisions for Christ have been recorded at these events worldwide . Churches have been planted, cities, regions and even countries have been impacted .

When Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel,” He was not giving us a good idea to consider, but a command to follow .

Years ago, in New Zealand, a 12-year-old girl came up to me after I had given an altar call . She said, “Thank you for coming to tell me about Jesus . If you had never come, I probably would never have heard of him .”

Paul said, “How shall they hear without a preacher (proclaimer)” (Romans 10:14) .
It is vital that we proclaim the message .

Whether you have a public platform from which to do this is not important . The important thing is that you see yourself as an ambassador for the King of all kings and take your place and begin to proclaim him to lost people everywhere .
~ Nate Tanner