Archive for Preaching
April 24, 2008 at 11:30 PM · Posted under Preaching
I was perusing the latest Banner of Truth magazine and noticed an article by Isaac Watts, entitled Rules for a Preacher's Conduct. (Impressive to still be being reprinted in periodicals 260 years after your death.)
He uses the term experimental religion and experimental preaching several times throughout the article. (He's not talking about wearing sandals, meeting in coffee houses and having "conversations" about what we think Christianity ought to be all about). He means Christianity that affects the way we live (ie. we are the subjects of the experiment, not Christianity). A form of religion that goes beyond mental assent to actually getting your feet wet. But not so much in the simplistic social justice sense that many modern (as in postmodern) Christians seem to, as in the experience of the interaction between the soul and the Holy Spirit and the conscience; the conflict between our proclivity to sin and desire for holiness. Or, in other words, the experiment is not in being good people so much as in being God's people, with an understanding of our need for God and the provision of the gospel, as the basis for change.
Trying to effect behavourial change (being good) without embracing foundational change (being God's) is like trying to drive a car without an engine. Seems to me we need more experimental religion.
Clarification:
I was attempting to distinguish between Pick'n'mix approach to religion (ie. I define value) where we take the bits that we like (e.g. caring for the poor, charitable giving, particular liturgical forms etc) and humble orthodoxy (ie. God defines value) in which we take the whole gospel, as revealed. In the former case, we are doubting God more than we doubt ourselves, in the latter we doubt ourselves more than we doubt God.
Watts' experimental religion centres on what Paul describes as "work[ing] out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
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March 18, 2008 at 06:00 PM · Posted under Preaching
Or... The Last Sermon You'll Ever Hear
"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
...Behold, I am making all things new....
It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:3-8 (ESV)
Mark Driscoll is wrong (well... partly). The last "sermon" that is preached in the bible, is not an angel proclaiming the gospel in Revelation 14:6. It is God himself, declaring the good news that the gospel is fulfilled. That the hope of everyone worshipper has come true: that God has arrived.
The gospel is God's message about himself. And from the declaration of determined intent in Genesis 3 to the declaration of accomplished redemption in Revelation 21, to preach it is to preach the words of God. The honour of being a preacher is entirely that God uses us to speak his gospel (because it comes from him), with his authority (because he commands it) to his people (because he loves us). And on that point, Mark is right. Preaching is not pagan; it is not passé; it is powerful, honourable and necessary.
Oh - and it's also foolish. (1 Corinthians 1:21)
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February 12, 2008 at 05:27 PM · Posted under Preaching
Ephesians 2 outlines our need for the gospel, God's provision in the gospel, God's ultimate purpose in making that provision and our present co-operation with God as he invites us to partner with him in the pursuit of that goal.
The first section (v1-10) deals primarily with personal impact of the gospel, while the second section (v11-22) outlines the impact but in a communal setting rather than an individual.
Download Ephesians_2.mp3
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September 07, 2007 at 09:58 PM · Posted under Bible, Preaching
The Epistle to Philemon is a relatively obscure letter written by Paul to accompany a run away slave called Onesimus. Here are some notes I made when I preached on this letter back in March.
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