The Right and Wrong Way to Reach the Lost During Super Bowl

After NFL player Jordan Kunaszyk put the name of our ministry (as his favorite nonprofit) on his cleats, we contacted him, found out when he was in Los Angeles to play the Rams, and hosted a lunch with him. It was thrilling to hear how Kunaszyk, a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, came to faith in Christ. It was also a reminder that all the fame in this world is nothing compared to what we have in Christ. 

Over 115 million viewers in the United States watched the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in 2023. This game was the most-watched Super Bowl in history and the second most-watched TV program of all time in the U.S. behind the moon landing in 1969. 

How, then, as a pastor, can you teach your people to merge a cultural phenomenon like the Super Bowl with reaching the lost for Christ?

Host a Super Bowl Event at Your Church

On a larger scale, you could host an event at your church. One sure thing about Super Bowl time, is that it’s cold. So here’s a wonderful opportunity to show warm Christian love. Put a big screen TV in your church hall, with flyers delivered to your neighborhood, and a sign out in front your church saying, “Come in out of the cold—for warmth, the Super Bowl on a big screen, and free pizza and hot chocolate at half time.”

That’s one way to share Christian hospitality and fellowship with your local community. But how can you teach your people to transition from the Super Bowl to the gospel in a way that won’t make them—or the person to whom they are speaking—uncomfortable, whether it’s at your church event or at their party at home?

From the Game to the Gospel

To answer that question, let’s look to a food Jesus said was good fodder for children—eggs (see Luke 11:12-13). I eat Eggs daily. They are a power-packed energy food, and we have 24 chickens that keep us with a constant fresh supply.

Here, now, is the egg lesson. For many years, I made the mistake of cracking eggs on the edge of a frying pan. However, I learned that I should be cracking eggs on a flat surface. This will keep its broken shell clinging to the film that God has placed on the inside of the shell. Cracking it on the edge of a frying pan breaks that film, resulting in the distasteful experience of finding pieces of shell in your scrambled egg. 

There’s a right and wrong way to crack an egg and a right and wrong way to expose a sinner to the gospel. It’s wise to do it the right way because there is a shell to crack.

The Scriptures tell us that none seek God (see Romans 3:11). They love the darkness and hate the light, and their carnal mind is in a state of hostility toward God (see Romans 8:7). How, then, do we break through?  

Let’s look at the wrong way first. A person’s inclination is to stay in that hostile mind. If we challenge his intellect, we will eventually get shell in our egg. Arguing with someone about the existence of God, the exclusivity of Christ, the infallibility of scripture, hypocrisy within the Church, the issue of suffering, etc., may seem like the right path, but it often ends up being a distasteful experience. 

Always Imitate Jesus

Instead, we should imitate Jesus. That’s the right way. We see Him use two powerful principles in His preaching and personal interactions. 

1. Jesus spoke directly to the human conscience (using the moral Law) and …
2. To the will to live. 

You can see Him do this throughout the Sermon on the Mount, in the story of the Good Samaritan, with the woman at the well, with the accusers of the woman caught in adultery, with the rich young ruler, and in other places. Dogs, cats, horses, and cows have no interest in the subject of salvation from death, but we certainly do—because God has placed eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). Every sane human being will, therefore, gravitate to a credible offer of immortality. This is evident in the rich young ruler’s “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) and the words spoken to the woman at the well: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). 

Sharing the Gospel Is Not as Hard as You Think

How can your people bring these profound thoughts up with the lost as they watch the Super Bowl? It’s not as hard as you think. Tell them to wait until the game gets a little boring (or during the adverts further into the game), and ask, “I have a question for you. Do you think there’s life after death? I’ve often wondered what you think about that subject?” They haven’t mentioned God, the Bible, Jesus, Judgment Day, Hell, or sin— things that often cause people to become uncomfortable. Instead, they’re simply asking for his opinion. That’s unthreatening and an appeal to the ego.

After he shares his thoughts, ask, “Have you ever read the Bible?” No matter how they answer, say, “In the Old Testament, God promised to destroy death, and in the New Testament, we’re told how He did it. Did you know that?” With some forethought on their part and with the help of God, they can do this. 

Space doesn’t allow me to take this further, but if you would like your flock to know more about what to say to the lost, have them watch the Living Waters YouTube channel or show them to your church. They will find both helpful.

©2024 Ray Comfort. Used with permission.