plodblog

We all know bad preaching. We all have been the victim of dry boring information dumps masquerading as exegetical sermons. They clutter the mind with theological facts not connected to life and the human condition. The usual response to these bland theology readings is, “Wow. Amen. That’s great. I never knew that. What’s for lunch?”

We have also witnessed fervent oratory spectacles filled with religious jargon that try to impersonate Spirit empowered preaching. These performances are mere cross-referencing with passion, but they sure make an hour fly by and people feel good afterward.

Other speechifying offenses are committed regularly on Sunday mornings. Shallow preaching is dished up by those who have not had proper training in doctrine and biblical exposition, or they are lazy and don’t study. They dispense spiritual baby food. Their name is legion.

In other sermons you will look in vain for any kind of main point, sub points, supporting structure, organization, direction, purpose or even a remote idea of what all this religious talk is about.

There are also those who should have never tried to preach in the first place, but they taught Sunday school once and that old lady in church who tells everyone how much their message touched her said that to this guy too. Unfortunately, he interpreted this to mean, “you are a gifted preacher” so he went to seminary, graduated and is now killing a church trying to be what God never called him to be.

Other preachers are too focused on the human element, the conversation between the preacher and the congregation, and their personality and human effort get in the way of the word of God. Some of these preachers are very good communicators, but their ability to communicate is mistaken for preaching.

Some preachers are sniveling yes-men, preaching for the approval of men, trying to please people by subtracting from or adding to the truth in order to make it more acceptable. Preaching is a job to these hirelings and the church is their employer telling them what to do.

Others try to preach comprehensive and deep sermons like Jonathan Edwards or Martin Lloyd-Jones and so they ramble on way too long. They are in over their heads and the church is not with them. Often they are novices thinking they are passing on the deep things of God. Sometimes they have been preaching for decades and they think they have grown in their ability to preach. They need to be told they are not Jonathan Edwards or Martin Lloyd-Jones.

A common error made by egg-head brainiacks with no personality who went to good seminaries is the 60 minute exegetical word study. Dispensing correct biblical content in the correct form of a sermon is not preaching. Some of these guys have earned a D.Min. in expository preaching. Something should be done about this.

And on, and on, and on.

The remedies for these crimes are as numerous as the offenses. In bible college and seminary, or through trial and error for those without training, would-be preachers become acquainted with the different elements of sermon preparation and how to accomplish them. But, preachers are rarely taught how to put the different elements of a sermon together. That is, preachers learn how to make bricks and mortar, but they don’t know how to build a building. With long hours and hard work and submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit preachers can become proficient at the art and science of hermeneutics. But, all this hard earned information and spiritual insight needs to be put in a form that is easily understood and integrated into life so that those who hear it will encounter the very truth of God. After that it is all up to the Holy Spirit. I am working on a practical sermon preparation process for expository sermons that should be done I a few days. I’ll post it when it is ready.

It is important to remember that no process is a magic pill. Following a process will not guarantee that the sermon you come up with will be an accurate representation of what a Bible passage is about. No process can do that. But, this process will help you to more quickly, and with more accuracy, understand the Word of God and help you to make the most of the abilities and time you already have. And, following a process will not magically make you a more dynamic preacher. This also depends on the work of God and your giftedness. But, this process will help you to be armed with a message from God that He will hopefully, if He is gracious, take and use to glorify Himself, build-up His people and call the lost to Himself.

Back in January I wrote a post about the role of the Law of God in the life of Christians. See it here.

Since then I have received quite a bit of feedback on that post and so I am providing some more information on this topic.

Notice what God thinks of His Law, Psalm 19:7-11, The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether . . . by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

Notice Jesus’ position on the Law in Matthew 5:17-19, Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

In Ecclesiastes 12:13 Solomon said, The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

And Romans 7:12, So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

But, this is not the whole story. There is an apparent contradiction in what Paul says about the Old Testament Law.

Notice these verses from the book of Romans; 3:20-21 & 28, by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested . . . For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Romans 4:15, the Law brings about wrath.

Romans 5:20, the Law came in so that the transgression would increase.

Romans 6:14, sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 8:1-2, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 10:4, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

1 Corinthians 15:56, The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

In 2 Corinthians 3:7 & 9 Paul calls the Law . . . the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, . . . the ministry of condemnation!!

To take the responsibility of saying that Christians are free from the Law – Free from God’s Law! – is certainly a serious matter.

Reconciling this has been a problem from the beginning of the church. The place of the Law in the life of a believer and in God’s grand scheme of things was a constant battleground in the ministry of Paul and, unfortunately, it is still a point of contention within the church, though it ought not to be because God has thoroughly dealt with this issue.

Do we completely abandon the Law after salvation? Or, Do we use it as the divine list we follow in order to be holy after God saves us? Or, Is there another option?

It was not an easy thing for Paul to explain that the Law is good, right, useful and of great importance – but – that it is also not the way of holiness after salvation. We need to remember that neither Paul, nor any other true teacher of righteousness, ever finds fault with the Law of God – of course not, it is God’s Law. Paul does not find fault with the Law, he simply explains what it can and cannot do.

Many Christians think they can depend on their own works after salvation. After we are saved and know the right way we will very often choose the wrong way and go backward to the Law in order to try and live a holy life.

But, those who are satisfied with salvation by grace must also be satisfied with sanctification by grace. There is no holiness to be attained by the works of the Law – either before or after salvation. You would think that this point would be obvious to believers, Galatians 3:3 states it succinctly, Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Every growing Christian understands experientially the truth of Romans 6 & 7. These chapters discuss the two extremes Christians can fall into.

Sometimes there is the temptation to minimalize sin and not resist it because we know there is forgiveness from God. This is the extreme of LICENSE that God deals with in Romans chapter 6. Some say ‘Oh, forget it. I do sin, but God forgives me and He will never leave me nor forsake me. God calls me to holiness, but I am a sinner in a sinful world and God understands.’ Though license is the default position of many Christians, few advocate the idea that we should tolerate sin our lives. But, that is exactly what they do in life.

Romans 7 deals with the opposite error, LEGALISM. Others say we cannot ignore God’s Law. Though we are saved by grace, Christians must now live under the Law if we are to please God. That is legalism. When these Christians find sin they work extra hard and redouble their efforts at following the Law of God and their own lists and standards. They put copies of the ten commandments and Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions on their walls, refrigerators, mirrors, TVs, steering wheels and in their Bibles. They do their best at keeping them every day. Before they know it they have moved into legalism.

Legalism is nothing more than the idea or belief that I can be holy and please God by following a list. It is measuring spirituality by a list of do’s and don’ts. It is forgetting that there is as much art as science in living by faith.

The problem and weakness of legalism is that it focuses on individual sins, but not on sin itself. It focuses on commands and wrong thoughts and actions – the science of the Christian life – but not on unity with Christ, being a new creation and the power of the Holy Spirit – the art of the Christian life. Both art and science are needed to live the Christian life.

Many people have suffered severe emotional and spiritual damage because they have tried to live holy lives on the basis of a high standard. When this happens the person often becomes either a legalized poser and pretender or suffers a complete collapse and licenses sin in their life.

God wanted to spare us all this deceptive, difficult and dangerous experience and so in Romans 6 and 7 He discusses these topics, which, if understood and applied, will deliver us from license and legalism.

And the right way, the third option? That is Romans 8.

As you have probably heard, Dr. Francis J. Beckwith, just resigned president of ETS, has returned to the Catholic Church.

Read his account here.

I left a comment on his post and I have received a few emails from Catholic scholars and lay people discussing what I had to say. Here are my comments,

“It has been said that every lapsed Catholic looks for a reason to return to Rome, and apparently you have been looking in that direction for a long time.

From your post it is clear that you see a difference between the RCC doctrine of justification and the Protestant/Reformed doctrine of justification, but yet you also say that you hold to both. And, as you know, it is abundantly clear from the writings of the RCC and the Protestants that they hold to different definitions of this key doctrine.

So, it seems as if your decision is less of a theological one and more of a philosophical one. It seems as if you have followed one of the spirits of the age and have no problem believing two completely opposed views of this essential doctrine at the same time.

There is no theological reconciliation between the RCC and the Reformed understanding of justification. But, philosophy has always enabled men to hold positions that theology proves impossible.

I don’t know your heart. To your own master you stand or fall. But I wonder, where does this come from? Where has your journey taken you – to Athens through Rome, or to Jerusalem?

To date, no one has been able to theologically reconcile Rome and the Reformation. No doubt you will work toward that end, but it will be philosophical not scriptural.”

I will *probably* be posting the emails and my replies on this subject.