Those who need to hear the gospel.

The Lost. Gospel meetings are for those who are lost in their sins. God has chosen to save the world through preaching (1 Cor. 1:21). The preaching of the gospel is vital to man’s salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:13-14). The lost have an opportunity to “hear the preacher” (hear the gospel) during gospel meetings.

The Saved. The lost are not the only ones who benefit from the preaching of the gospel. Christians need to be built up and strengthened in the faith. This is also accomplished through the preaching of the gospel. “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Mature, established Christians need to be stirred up by way of reminder (2 Pet. 1:12-13).

Gospel meetings are for everyone. A gospel meeting shouldn’t be written off as a failure if there weren’t any visitors from the community. This may be a discouragement, and may even indicate a lack of effort put forth by the members, but it doesn’t mean the meeting was not a success. We don’t call them “visitors meetings.” They are called “gospel meetings.” As long as the gospel is preached, a gospel meeting is a success.

For some churches, the emphasis of gospel meetings has shifted from the pulpit to the pew. The distinct, straightforward preaching that used to characterize gospel meetings is getting harder and harder to find. It is disappointing to hear sermons that are heavy on salutations, stories, statistics, and speculations while being short on Scripture. In order for gospel meetings to be successful, they must contain the gospel.

I remember showing someone a sermon outline book titled “Gospel Meeting Sermons.” He replied, “Isn’t every sermon a gospel meeting sermon?” to which I answered, “No.” In my local work I will sometimes preach sermons for specific individuals and specific needs that I would not consider preaching in a gospel meeting. There are some subjects that are best handled by the “local preacher” and others that are effectively reinforced by a visiting preacher. Unless a meeting has been planned to meet specific needs, the sermons will need to be beneficial to everyone present. In short, they need to be simple enough to be understood by those hearing for the first time, yet meaty enough to stimulate and edify the mature believer. That’s asking a lot, but God’s word is up to the task.