Have you ever tracked how you use your sermon minutes? This series of posts presents some of my findings of how Jonathan Edwards used his. For instance, in his sermon, The Value Of Salvation, Edwards spends 15 and a half pages explaining why the soul is more valuable than the whole world.

His text was Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

After placing this verse in the previous context, Edwards begins to explain the Doctrine:

The salvation of the soul is of vastly more worth and value than the whole world.

I think you can see how Edwards moved from Scripture to doctrine.

To develop this doctrine Edwards begins to reason with his listeners. He goes to great lengths to explain why the doctrine he has presented is true, why the soul is worth more than anything else. He stated:

I. Because all world good things shall have an end.

II. The whole world shall have an end with respect to every particular person at death. I found this point to be very similar to the first one, but from a slightly different angle. You can see that from the next sentence, “When a man dies, the world has an end with respect to him: all worldly pleasure, profits and honors, with him are come to an end.” (p. 313)

III. Worldly good things are very uncertain, and oftentimes come to an end before death.

How does Edwards reason this way? At times he uses Scripture, such as in the first point where he cites from 2 Peter 3:10, Matthew 24:35, and Rev. 20:11 which speak of the earth coming to an end.

That sets off a series of questions: “…and then where will be all the fine cities of the world, with which the earth prides herself? Where will be….What then will become of….Where will be the…?” By the end of the section all his listeners with ears to hear say, “God is right. Nothing is more important than the salvation of my soul.”

Next time we’ll see that Edwards doesn’t only reason from direct Scripture.

Before the first Sunday of Advent, see if there are any places in the development of your sermon that could use some additional reasoning. And may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus because of your Spirit-driven efforts (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal