Who's your audience?

When writing a book, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is, “Who is my target audience?” The answer will influence almost every aspect of the book, from the development of the storyline and the themes you choose to emphasise, to the tone you adopt, even the details you choose to leave out. Ultimately, the goal is to connect with your readers on such a level that they are not only moved by the message, but compelled to respond to it.

When writing my previous article about my bamboo shampoo bar holder, (it’s not as boring as it sounds, I promise) I spoke about “time under the sun” in terms of both the sun in the sky, and the Son of God - Jesus.

I referred to Matthew 5:14-16, says “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When reading the Sermon on the Mount in the past I have always been moved by the teaching of Jesus and his heart for people to know the truth. That Jesus has a heart for the lowly, the overlooked, the hurting, is simply beautiful.

I had always thought of the Sermon on the Mount as a message Jesus prepared and delivered for a particular audience. For the multitudes who had followed him. In the previous chapter – Matthew 4 :23-25 – it is written:

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Large crowds followed him. Who made up those crowds? What kind of people? The passage tells us the crowd was made up of those who had been directly impacted by him. Those who had heard his teaching and marvelled at his words. Those who had been miraculously healed, and those who witnessed the healings. Those who were intrigued and wanted to know more.

Matthew 5:1 and 2 goes on to say:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

Two simple, straight forward verses, but verse 2 intrigued me upon this reading.

His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. Does this mean it was his disciples who were the primary audience? That the crowds were secondary?

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

It’s interesting how in our own lives, our audience, those we are sharing our message with, may be broader than we think. Jesus obviously knew what he was doing. Everything he does is intentional and for His Father’s Glory. He wanted to teach some beautiful truths to his disciples, within the earshot of the crowds.

Even though I believe this book will be relevant and appealing to most readers, I have a specific target audience in mind. What I’m trusting God to happen, is that those outside the target audience will also be moved by the message. I want the Western Church to be enlightened by what God is doing in the dark places. To be encouraged and motivated to be moved with compassion. So who else benefits from this story? The people in Bali. Those who have been found by Jesus and need to know that they have Christian brothers and sisters around the world who pray for them. Who care about their stories. For Balinese still trapped in darkness, still suffering from spiritual, physical and emotional poverty.

For people who may be seeking a bit of hope and direction – this book is also for them. This is a book you can buy and read yourself, and also buy for a friend who may be curious about spiritual things.

When I was talking to Nyoman about the vision for the book – he said “as long as the gospel message is central, that’s the most important thing.”

After reading this book, if even just ONE person:

• develops a greater love for Jesus, we will be happy;

• understands there is One True Living God who came to seek and save the lost, who is calling and drawing people to Himself, we will be happy;

• sponsors a child in poverty through Compassion, we will be happy;

• has a greater understanding of the power in Jesus name, we will be happy.

Our words may be intended for a particular audience, but they often impact way beyond the target. Pray for this book.

Pray the target is indeed “Beyond the Temple.”

Be blessed.