It is a church leaders’ responsibility to teach the word for the equipping of the saints, work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

That is why every sermon a pastor gives on a Sunday morning cannot be an evangelistic one directed solely to non-Christians. Otherwise, the congregation becomes a group of people who were taught how to enter the Christian life but not how to live it.

At the same time, this doesn’t mean that every message cannot contain a clear presentation of the gospel. I believe it is essential to create a 3-minute window for the gospel in every message.  The reason is threefold.

It is essential for a non-Christian guest.

Believers within the church should be regularly contacting non-Christians and inviting them to worship on Sunday mornings. These are people who have to enter the Christian life before they can ever think about living it. For this reason alone, the gospel should be presented clearly on any given Sunday. Otherwise, without intending to do so, a pastor could encourage some to think that by coming to church they have “done God a service” and increased their chances of living with Him forever.

A clear gospel presentation should inform listeners of three things. (1) we are sinners whose sin must be punished, (2) Christ, the Son of God, paid for that sin in our place on a cross and rose again, and (3) we must trust in Christ alone to save us. That can be done at the end of the service, during the message itself, before taking up the morning offering, before a congregational hymn, or a wide variety of other places – but it must be done.

It is essential for those who are “churched” but unsaved.

A second reason is for those who have attended the church for a long time but have never met the Savior. The reason may be that they never listened carefully when the gospel was presented or are filtering everything they have heard through a false worldview. By hearing the plan of salvation presented every Sunday, they are consistently hearing the truth of His saving grace. This increases the likelihood that one day it may hit them like it never had before.

As one new convert said, “I heard it, I heard it, I heard it, I heard it, but today I HEARD it.”

It is essential for Christians.

Hearing a consistent presentation cements in the minds of Christians that nothing is more important than a person knowing they are going to heaven. By hearing the gospel presented every Sunday, they are continually reminded of the need to share that message with anyone and everyone.

Just as important, when they hear the message presented in a variety of ways from the pulpit, they can find a way that resonates with them and share with more confidence!

The best news is this does not require you to cut a 15-minute window in every message. After nearly 50 years of experience, I have found that it can be done effectively in three minutes. This is why I wrote The 3 Minute Window: 52 Ways to Inject the Gospel into Every Message. I have received incredible feedback from those who have used this resource in sermons, messages, and even in everyday conversations with others. I encourage you to check it out and recommend it to you as a go-to resource for your library.

Don’t miss out on a Sunday morning opportunity to build up believers and reach out as well to those who have never met the Savior.

Presenting the gospel every Sunday is not only effective, it is essential.