Pastors: Surprising Keys to Evangelistic Effectiveness

The Life of a preacher should be a magnet to draw men to Christ…. Sanctity in ministers is a loud call to sinners to repent, and when allied with holy cheerfulness, it becomes wondrously attractive.

This from Charles Spurgeon in his lecture, “The Minister’s Self-Watch,” in chapter one of his Lectures to My Students.

Rather than seeking to be relevant and missional on one hand, or prudish and isolated on the other, relational joy mixed with a genuine godly piety are the keys that Spurgeon recommends will draw men to Christ.  These are both evidences of the Spirit’s work in our lives, and when they are displayed, they bear witness to the conscience and the present-yet-marred image of God in those around you.

I would encourage you to read the whole lecture. I recommend my students read this one, if not the whole book, at least once every year.