I am an evangelist. From what I can examine in my own heart, and what my family, church, and friends observe, this is true. I am a heavy introvert. I would rather spend my time programming, reading, or playing a video game than having a conversation. But after I came to Christ, I felt a draw towards proclaiming the gospel. As Christians, we are all called to proclaim the gospel, but I possessed a certain boldness that my peers seemed to lack. This is not to say they were less sanctified than I was, or that they were walking in sin, or that they weren't evangelizing at all; rather, they lacked my (often misguided) zeal for seeing others come to Christ. Through Bible study and conversations with mentors, I came to understand that the Holy Spirit had given me the gift of evangelism to encourage the body of Christ. Consequently, I started evangelizing on campus and eventually joined the parachurch organization Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). At my university, despite some weaknesses in the overall organization, Cru was a reformed ministry with strong ties to the local church. It encouraged me towards evangelism when life was discouraging and motivated me to use my gifts to benefit others. I joined a reformed Baptist church plant and was put on the local outreach team. My pastor then gave me Denton's book Even If None, a solid work on Reformed Evangelism. This corrected some of my immature beliefs about what evangelism was and what success in evangelism looked like. A couple of years later, I am now returning to Denton with his book A Certain Sound: A Primer on Open-Air Preaching. The title itself, A Certain Sound, draws from 1 Corinthians 14:8, which states, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

Denton breaks A Certain Sound into two parts:

1. The Theology of Open-Air Preaching
2. The Task of Open-Air Preaching

Denton's overall goal with the book is to push back against the critics of open-air preaching. Denton recognizes that the image of an open-air preacher in the mind of the Western church is often that of an angry man with a sign yelling about fire and brimstone. Denton wants the church "to see that it can be done, in a proper, biblical way and that this form of preaching has harvested much fruit for the kingdom of God."

Theology of Open Air Preaching

In the first part of A Certain Sound, Denton teaches through:

1. A History of Open-Air Preaching
2. Theology for Open-Air Preaching
3. The Local Church and the Open-Air Preacher
4. Using the Law
5. Using Apologetics

Denton discusses the rich heritage Christians have of open-air preachers, tracing a line from Enoch to Moses, Moses to David, David to Ezra, Ezra to John the Baptist, John the Baptist to Jesus, and Jesus to Paul and Apollos. He continues this lineage to the King of Northumbria sending for Aidan, through the Reformation with figures like John Wycliffe and John Knox, and into the modern period with individuals such as D.L. Moody, Paul Washer, Albert Martin, Cornelius Van Til, and Leonard Ravenhill.

Denton then emphasizes that open-air preaching must be sound in doctrine. He advocates for using the law as a mirror to reveal sin and for starting apologetics with God as the center of everything, asserting that without this foundation,

The Task of Open Air Preaching

In this second part of A Certain Sound, Denton walks through

1. The Preacher's Character
2. The Preacher's Competence
3. Response to Open Air Preaching
4. The Preacher's Response
5. Exhortation to the Church and Seminaries

This second part of A Certain Sound was truly convicting. I recognize that I do not have the "hungering for more holiness" that I ought to. I do not possess the separation from sin, self, and the world that I should. I do not know the Bible as I ought to. I do not respond to hostility as I should. I do not have the prayer life I ought to. This section was a humbling experience for me. I have had my name dragged through the mud for boldly preaching the gospel, but none of those attacks are as damaging to my witness for Christ as my own sin. Denton strongly encourages me to be more like Christ and to surround myself with others who will keep me accountable in pursuing holiness.

The Church

You'll notice that I omitted discussion of the chapters about the church from part one and part two earlier. I wanted to address these together because I believe Denton does a remarkable job of balancing two truths: the need to hold the church in high esteem while simultaneously recognizing that hostility to the preached gospel can sometimes come from other believers. I have lost long-term friends because they believed I was "damaging the gospel" with my bold proclamation. Conversely, I have also been blessed with a pastor who champions my efforts to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Denton exhorts churches and seminaries to teach open-air preaching and to encourage their pastors and members to go into the streets and proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

A Certain Sound Even if None