“To be a great preacher, one needs to be tri-perspectival (a mental view) in their exegesis. That is, they need to be committed to the exegesis of the Bible, the exegesis of our culture, and the exegesis of the human heart. Some preachers claim that if you exegete the Bible properly, you don't need to bother yourself with the exegesis of our culture or the human heart. The problem with this view, however, is that the Bible itself exhorts us to apply Biblical norms to both our lives and to our world.” This is a point of view that I am quoting, and not necessary in agreement with.
Should I review preaching from the point of view of John MacArthur or John Piper. Both preach and teach the Word of God. But it is the way they they preach/teach the word.
Preaching to People Anthony Selvaggio Reformation 21.org
I was reading the article by Anthony and someone said to him, “You are one of the few young preachers who actually recognizes that you are preaching to people.” Of course I thought that is what we all do as preachers.
Anthony didn’t really know what he meant. “But as I listen to him preach over the days. And as my heart was moved by God’s Word preached through him I began to get it.”
- · I drifted into a practice of “wikipreaching” in which I provided people with biblical facts rather than the Word preached.
- I preached at people rather than to people.
- I gave them research papers that proved my knowledge of the original language and systematic theology,
But tended little to their souls.
Of course we are standing each week in front of people sitting in the pews and we are speaking to them. But is that really preaching to people?
Am I really deliberately preaching/teaching directly to their hearts? Well, I have said, I teach to their mind, rather than their emotions. I believe the way to the heart is through the mind.
Anthony said, “I am talking about preaching that understands that the pews are filled with pilgrims who are voyaging though a spiritual wilderness, not with students who are trying to earn their certificate in Reformed theological studies.”
Well, when I look at my sermon notes, I often see that is exactly what I am doing.: teaching to people who I see as students. Some times I am giving a theological lecture or a oral commentary on a biblical text.
Of course when I was recent in Romans 3 I spoke on “The Religion of Self-ism” .
Preaching must be both theologically sound and built upon the foundation of careful biblical exegesis. (quote)
I have never advocated for fluffy felt-needs sermons that tickle the ears of post-modern searching for existential authentically.
Anthany said this:
- I am simply calling for sermons which are delivered with the recognition that preaching, while targeting the intellect, is ultimately aimed at transforming the heart and the will of the actual living and breathing people sitting in the pews.” And I really agree with that as well. I guess I need a little John Piper in my teaching of the word, or a little preaching in my teaching.
First, there was Iain Murray's excellent article in the February 2010 issue of Banner of Truth magazine entitled, "Expository Preaching - Time for Caution." In this article Murray admonishes preachers that they need to do more than simply instruct in their sermons:
ü "Preaching needs to be much more than an agency of instruction. It needs to strike, awaken, and arouse men and women so that they themselves become bright Christians and daily students of Scripture. If the preacher conceives his work primarily in terms of giving instruction, rather than of giving stimulus, the sermon, in most hands, very easily becomes a sort of weekly 'class'--an end in itself."
First, there was Iain Murray's excellent article in the February 2010 issue of Banner of Truth magazine entitled, "Expository Preaching - Time for Caution." In this article Murray admonishes preachers that they need to do more than simply instruct in their sermons: http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/magazines/2010/02/issue557.php
"Preaching needs to be much more than an agency of instruction. It needs to strike, awaken, and arouse men and women so that they themselves become bright Christians and daily students of Scripture. If the preacher conceives his work primarily in terms of giving instruction, rather than of giving stimulus, the sermon, in most hands, very easily becomes a sort of weekly 'class'--an end in itself."
So should what we do be a “lecture” or a “sermon?”
Next article.
