. . . When the evangelistic message now being delivered and printed is scrutinized, when "modern evangelism" is weighed in the balance of Holy Writ, it is found wanting and lacking in that which is vital to genuine conversion, lacking in that which will produce transformed lives, new creatures in Christ.

Most evangelism of this day is not only superficial, but radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God made far more prominent than His holiness, His love more than His wrath), and there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only the introduction of bright singing, humorous witticisms, entertaining anecdotes, high pressured techniques, excesses, and commercialism, but there is a studied omission of the dark background upon which the gospel can effectually shine forth. But this is only the negative side of that which is lacking. Worse still, is that which is being retailed by much of the evangelism of our day. The positive content of the message is nothing but throwing dust in the sinner's eyes. Many times his soul is put to sleep by the devil's opiate, ministered in a most unsuspected form. Those who have been the recipients of the message being delivered from many pulpits and platforms today are being fatally deceived. Modern evangelism has lost its grip on the biblical gospel message. Although many serious Christians do not appreciate the resulting fruit of this man-centered message, they do not seem to understand that the root of the problem is the message itself. The new message fails to produce:

1. Deep reverence for the God of the Bible.

2. Deep repentance and humility.

3. A real spirit of worship.

4. A proper love and concern for the church.

Because it is man-centered, it fails to make man God centered in his thoughts and God-fearing in his heart. Since it does not begin with God, it is not designed to make man God-centered.

The God-centered message is essentially the proclamation of a God who is sovereign in mercy and judgment, sovereign in creation and redemption-the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and grace. To put it another way, the God-centered message is God and His way with man. The subject of the man-centered message is man and the things God does for him, or the help God gives him.

It is the sincere purpose of this book to encourage God-centered evangelism. Some who read this book will agree with the doctrinal substance and yet not seem to demonstrate the real zeal for carrying out our Lord's clear command, "Go ye": " ... as my Father hast sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21); "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts I :8). It must be pressed upon this group that the same Bible that teaches us who does the saving, also teaches us how He does it, that is, the means God uses in bringing the sheep into the fold or the fish into the gospel net.

Others who will read this book are among those who have zeal and do actually seek to carry out our Lord's heavenly mandate, but do not have a sound doctrinal foundation, and do not seem to know what God taught Jonah: '' ... salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). This group does not see that many of the failures of their evangelism to produce true conversion are due to the lack of biblical content in the message and the carnal methods employed in evangelism.

The following letter is a yet living Christian mother's actual confession, which could be duplicated ten thousand times. This letter illustrates the typical error of evangelistic zeal without doctrinal understanding. Note well, ''I pressed him into a decision."

A CHRISTIAN MOTHER'S CONFESSION