When you consider preaching it helps to understand fully what preaching Jesus entails.  There’s a lot to it.  Today we are going to look at what Paul and some of his fellow preachers did when they went about preaching Jesus.  Preaching Jesus entails:

Speaking – Acts 16:32 – to speak is to utter words.  These guys were known for what they said.  The concept of lifestyle evangelism is simply not sufficient to bring others to Christ.  If you are going to help others get into the kingdom of God, you need to open your mouth.

Publishing – Acts 13:49 – to publish is to make publicly known.  Paul said that he taught publicly and from house to house [Acts 20:20].  Too many Christians are closet Christians.  You have to get the word of God out and you can’t be ashamed to let others know that you are saved.

Opening – Acts 17:3 – to open is to make known or to disclose.  The beauty of Paul’s preaching is that it was plain and right to the point.  When we preach about Jesus we need to be plain spoken.  Jesus Christ is the only way.  Nobody is good enough to get to heaven without him.  Faith alone saves.  Hell is fire.  Eternity is forever.  A person is either lost or he is saved; there’s no in between.  When he dies he is either in heaven or hell; there is no other place.

Imparting – 1 Thes 2:8 – to impart is to make known or to reveal.  Imparting involves revelation.  Paul’s preaching demonstrated the power of the Spirit of God [1 Cor 2:4-5].  Through preaching, the Spirit revealed Jesus and the truth of God’s words [1 Cor 2:10].  We must be filled with the Spirit of God when we preach so that he can impart his words to those to whom we are preaching.  Like Jesus said, “Without me, ye can do nothing.”

Alleging – Acts 17:3 – to allege is to assert positively or to declare.  Paul was anything but wishy-washy.  He and his fellow preachers were bold.  We need to be bold [Eph 6:19] and certain of what we believe [Prov 22:21].

Testifying – Acts 28:23 – to testify is to make a serious declaration to substantiate a fact; to bear witness or give evidence.  Paul’s testimony was serious and substantial like an expert witness.  As a witness in a witness stand he was very serious and everything he said was factual… no beating around the bush.  When we speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, what we say needs to be the absolute truth and nothing but the truth.  Our salvation is real.

Shewing – Acts 18:28 – to shew is to make something evident by logical procedure to explain it or to prove it.  Apollos was very mighty in the scriptures and he could explain and prove the gospel with the logic of a great apologist.  You ought to know what you believe and why and you should be able to show anyone right from the scriptures anything they need to know about Jesus.

Expounding – Acts 28:23 – to expound is to set forth point by point or to state in detail.  Paul’s letters are not rambling and disorganized.  He expounds the truth point by point in great detail.  Likewise, when we preach, our presentation should be well organized and each point should build upon another so that the hearers gain understanding as we speak.

Reasoning – Acts 17:2 – to reason is to speak in a logical way or to support or justify with reasons.  Is 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together…”  The gospel is very reasonable; it makes perfect sense.  You don’t have to resort to emotional hype and marketing strategies in order to get people to hear the gospel.  Build your case like attorneys build theirs.

Disputing – Acts 19:8 – to dispute is to argue or to debate.  That is sometimes you encounter opposition.  Paul and the men who preached with him did.  You should be able to answer the gainsayers [Titus 1:9].  Every time the Pharisees tried to tempt and trap Jesus with clever opposition, he beat them with sound replies.

Warning – Acts 20:31 – to warn is to tell a person of a danger or a coming evil.  Paul preached to Felix of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come and Felix trembled.  When was the last time you saw that kind of reaction to preaching?  The eternity awaiting the lost is absolutely worse than anything they can imagine and anything they have ever witnessed on earth.  There is no reason to soften the truth here.

Persuading – Acts 28:23 – to persuade is to induce someone to believe something.  Paul was persuasive and we should be, too.  We shouldn’t be high-pressure salesmen.  But neither should we be dead-pan, lifeless, monotone manikins when we preach.  We have good news and we should be so sure of the gospel that we can highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Convincing – Acts 18:28 – to convince someone is to overcome their doubts, to make them feel sure.  Apollos was able to convince Jews who were initially opposed to the gospel to believe it.  And likewise, our preaching ought to be so powerful, reasonable and understandable that we are able to convince someone that it is worth believing and trusting in Christ.  Listen, if you aren’t convinced, you are surely not going to convince someone else.

Now after sinners were saved, preaching Jesus entailed:

Teaching – Acts 18:25 – to teach is to give lessons or instructions, to help someone learn.  Teaching is what most preachers do today and they leave off most of what we have already seen from the scriptures [2 Tim 4:3].  When people get saved we need to teach them so they can grow.

Preaching – Acts 17:3 – to preach is to urge strongly and persistently.  According to 2 Tim 3:16, preaching the word of God entails preaching doctrine, reproving, (rebuking and exhorting, 2 Tim 4:2), correcting and instructing.  In churches today we still need the combination of teaching in Sunday school and preaching in church to keep our folks balanced.  Today you hear very little doctrine, reproof, and correction.  You just hear instruction.  That’s only one fourth of the profit of scripture.  Without doctrine, reproof and correction, instruction has very little lasting effect.

Exhorting – Acts 20:2 – to exhort is to urge earnestly by advice or by warning.  Paul was a powerful preacher to the point of being rude [2 Cor 10:10, 11:6].  Today’s preaching lacks the quality of exhortation.  When you hear the old-timers you can surely tell the difference.

Comforting – 1 Thes 2:11 – to comfort is to soothe in distress or sorrow, to bring consolation or hope to.  Paul comforted the Thessalonians and he was as gentle among them as a nurse.  There is nothing as comforting in a time of sorrow as the perfect verse from the Bible that speaks directly to the need.  Be compassionate toward them and responsive to the Lord and you will be a minister of consolation.

Charging – 1 Thes 2:11 – to charge is to give instructions to or command authoritatively.  Paul was also as firm with them as a father is with his son (or as a drill instructor is with the troops).  People need to be told in no uncertain terms exactly what God demands and they need to be charged with the responsibility to carry out his demands.  Give it to them straight.

Conclusion: It is truly amazing to see all that preaching Jesus entails.  As it concerns your opportunity to preach him, carry out your responsibility with fervency and zeal.  The Lord knows how desperately folks need to be saved!!