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Randal Pelton, Ph.D., D.Min., Th.M.

Senior Pastor, Professor

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Taking Time To Reason: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Earliest Sermons

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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

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From Inferences to Exhortations (part 2): What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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This week we’re still preaching to the choir, but this time to a different kind of choir member: the godly. Near the end of “Christian Happiness” Jonathan Edwards’ moves from five inferences to two exhortations. The first exhortation was aimed at the ungodly. The second one is aimed at the godly.

You may recall that the sermon is based on Isaiah 3:10. It reads:

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

Last week I listed the following five inferences listed under the heading, “USE” (my explanations in brackets). I refer to these inferences as pre-application. Read them in light of the verse above:

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Then Edwards moves immediately from inferences to exhortations. Note the shift from “we” to “you.” Exhortation #1 was “To the ungodly: to forsake his wickedness and to walk in the ways of religion….You have now heard of the happiness of the religious man…as you never yet experienced; you never yet….You…you have….You now…you are invited to such a happiness….Be persuaded, then, to taste and see how good it is” (p. 305). Pretty direct.

He’s just as direct in Exh. II. “Is to the godly to go on and persevere and make progress in the ways of religion and godliness. Go on….let nothing….You…you…you….Do not be discouraged by any evils….Go on, therefore…”

Before Sunday, these are the two broad categories of people we will be addressing. Check to see that your application stems directly from your text. Decide how direct you will be to your listeners. Certainly, you will want to speak to the professing Christians about how their faith in Christ drives their Text-driven transformation. And, as always, do it all so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Randal

 

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From Inferences to Exhortations: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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“Christian Happiness” could be Jonathan Edwards’ first sermon. It’s based on Isaiah 3:10.

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

I’ve been enjoying reading Edwards’ sermons as a devotional act, but also as an exercise in rhetorical analysis (what Edwards does in order to move his listeners to act). Last week I listed the following five inferences listed under the heading, “USE” (my explanations in brackets). This represents Edwards’ foray into formal application.

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Then Edwards moves immediately from inferences to exhortations. Note the shift from “we” to “you.” If he’s preaching to the choir, he’s preaching to directly to specific choir members:

“Exh. 1 To the ungodly: to forsake his wickedness and to walk in the ways of religion.” Edwards speaks directly to this attendee: “You have now heard of the happiness of the religious man…as you never yet experienced; you never yet….You…you have….You now…you are invited to such a happiness….Be persuaded, then, to taste and see how good it is” (p. 305).

Edwards is direct in challenging this kind of listener not to fool themselves into “thinking yourself happy in wallowing and rolling yourselves in the mire. You perhaps think yourselves mighty happy in enjoying your hateful and abominable lusts…those be not the pleasures of man” (p. 305).

I wonder if before Sunday you and I will be brave enough to challenge those who, maybe despite their profession of faith, are only overhearing worship. Let’s consider speaking directly to them so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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Various “Uses” of, Christian Happiness: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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In this post I am highlighting the way Jonathan Edwards applied Isaiah 3:10 in what may have been his first sermon, Christian Happiness. Isaiah 3:10 states,

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

After an introduction centering on reasonable beings choosing things that are best for them, Edwards develops doctrine with two propositions. Then he moves to the section titled, “USE,” and is developed with the following inferences (see Kimnach, pp. 301-305; my brief comments are bracketed):

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Notice that Edwards applies Scripture through logical inferences: since Isaiah 3:10 is true, these five things are also true.

I found it interesting that in these five inferences, Edwards did not prooftext. He knew the logic could stand alone.

Before Sunday you might think about how your method of application is similar or different from what you see above. While Edwards isn’t the God of all things sermonic, his methods may be helpful despite representing a different age.

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus as a result of the way we interpret and apply Scripture (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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“Application is the Preacher’s chief Work”: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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When you read Jonathan Edwards’ early sermons you quickly realize that someone taught him about the importance of applying Scripture. That someone included John Edwards (The Preacher, 1705). John, not Jonathan, wrote:

“Application is the Preacher’s chief Work, and it is the Hardest too: but it is the most Useful and Necessary….the Word of God, must be set to the Breast and Heart of every particular Person. And this Close Application will be most effectual to a Holy Life, because it will stick by them, tho’ the rest of the Discourse should be forgot. And in a world, the Application will be found to be the Best part of the Sermon.” (Kimnach, p. 18).

First, which part of the sermon do you think your listeners remember the most? Yes, that’s what I thought too: illustrations. We’ve come a long way since the 1700’s. That might say more about the quality of my application than it does about the quality of their listening. Ouch.

Second, if John E. is correct, than I must work harder at application than exegesis (I realize much of what’s wrong with that statement). But, if application is the “Hardest” and “most Useful and Necessary” then it demands more work.

I loved Edwards’ phrase, “Close Application” (caps and all) that drives the Word deep into “the Breast and Heart” (caps and all).

I do believe application is “the Best part of the Sermon.”

And, if I do, then I will spend time before Sunday thinking about the Use of my selected Scripture. I will not allow exegesis to consume all my sermon prep time this week. It certainly didn’t consume all of Edwards’. As we’ll see in future posts, his application sections, sometimes called “USE,” are extensive.

Mine could use some work. And God will receive more glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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The Most Important Part of Sermon Preparation That Takes No “Time”: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons

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Every sermon, every Sunday, it’s personal. It’s always personal, says Jonathan Edwards. Well, actually, John Edwards in his book, The Preacher (London, 1705), said it.

Part of the fun of reading Jonathan Edwards’ earliest preached sermons in Kimnach’s, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (vol. 10) is learning about his major influencers. Kimnach describes John Edwards’ philosophy of preaching:

“In order to preach persuasively, Edwards insists, the preacher must believe and feel intensely what he preaches; he must then communicate his personal feelings with the message so that he preaches experience, as it were.” (p. 17).

The Preacher was one of two books that Jonathan Edwards quoted, so we know he read it. I know from Edwards’ preaching that he learned from it. Imagine Edwards reading his sermon manuscript knowing he has to communicate his personal feelings about Scripture.

Now imagine you (and me) this Sunday. Hopefully preaching without–or very few–notes. Imagine that you and I “believe and feel intensely what” we’re preaching. That shouldn’t be too hard for us to imagine, right?

We should be able to communicate our experience, our personal faith and intense feelings about the passage. No amount of exceptional exegesis and understanding of the passage communicates well without it. I might go so far to say that our experience with the text outweighs exegesis.

And this takes no extra sermon preparation.

But what it does take is a sincere act of worship in the study and in the moments prior to our Sunday teaching/preaching moment. It means responding to the Text before asking our parishioners to do so.

We have a week ahead of us, Lord willing, to study God’s Word and to make it personal. We have a week to prepare to preach our own experience with God through that Word. That means, most of all, not preparing sermons for “them.” It’s God’s Word to us. And we have the privilege to hear it first before preaching it so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. If you’ve ever preached through a book of the Bible, you know how difficult it is to feel the same intensity about every Text. Great sermons require great texts and not all pastors and parishioners consider every text a great text.

 

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Preaching Both a Bad Example and Christ from the Wicked City of Gibeah in Judges 19

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In these posts I am working my way through the book of Judges to provide a strategy for preaching difficult narratives.

Whenever you preach through the book of Judges–a very brave thing to do, by the way–you will discover that there are no judges. But there are lots of people doing what was right in their own eyes. The theological reason is provided in 19:1 “In those days, when there was no king in Israel…” What could a king do?

Well, a certain kind of king could teach and enforce the ways of God among the people of God. That would put a stop to the terrible wickedness that we read about in the city of Gibeah. And, of all things, Gibeah was home of God’s people, not a “city of foreigners” (cf. 19:12). They were “Benjaminites” (v. 16). None of us readers are prepared for how wicked God’s people have become.

The story revolves around a Levite and his concubine. Davis says that “he was heading for Sodom-in-the-land-of-Israel.” The parallels between Judges 19:22-28 and Genesis 19’s famous story are numerous. What starts off with no hospitality (Judges 19:15) ends up in what might be the worst scene in all the Bible (spoiler alert: except for the Cross, of course!).

The Levite gives his concubine to “the men of the city, worthless fellows” and she is raped and killed (v. 22, 25). His insensitivity is unbelievable (v. 28). And then, the Levite follows that up with the unthinkable: “he took a knife…divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel” (v. 29).

The chapter closes with the people’s reaction: “consider it, take counsel, and speak” (v. 30).

If you ever preached this chapter, one challenge is to help a church realize that it could get this bad. This is how bad things can get when God is not worshiped, when American individualism fills the hearts of people in the pews. Bad example? Yes.

A bigger challenge is to see the grace of God-in Christ in this narrative. That happens when we point out that the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a worst crime than anything Sodom or Gibeah experienced. And, of course, it is Christ’s broken body that makes it possible for Believers to experience the kingship of God in the power of His Spirit. Preach Christ? Yes.

Preach well for the sake of His glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. I read the post and wanted to draw attention to the preaching strategy, how the narrative conveys theology for the Church.

First, the theological statement that drives the entire book is found in v. 1 (“no king”).

Second, the whole story revolves around God’s people, not pagans.

Third, the varied sins of God’s people are on display, including the most heinous ones.

Fourth, there is a clear reference to redemption in v. 30 (“the people of Israel that came up out of the land of Egypt”).

Finally, if you are inclined as I am to show how such a ghastly narrative points to Christ, look to the parallel between the concubine and the Cross.

Hope that helps.

 

This was originally posted on December 13th, 2016.

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The Ability To Not Lose Our Listeners: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons

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First, like all good preachers, I’m taking these Drake lyrics way out of context (not having heard it, I’m guessing the question is asked in the context of a relationship issue). But, that’s not important right now.

What is is what Edwards learned from one of his two preaching mentors, Solomon Stoddard. In volume 10 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Wilson Kimnach begins the book with a detailed look at the context within which Edwards lived and began to preach.

Kimnach describes Stoddard:

“On the whole, Solomon Stoddard was a formally orthodox, but unusually powerful and even pontifical preaching; he was a master of the controlled tone and went beyond clarity, precision, and sincerity without losing them on his way.” (p. 14)

It took me a while to figure out what this meant. It was the pairing of clarity and precision that struck me. Often in my desire to be precise things get fuzzy or, if you prefer, muddy.

Have you ever wondered how many times you lose your hearers while you’re preaching? It’s a scary thought, I know. But I think it happens more than we think. Edwards, learning from Stoddard, adopted a preaching style that achieved a high standard of clarity and precision that never “lost” his listeners.

So, before Sunday while you’re preparing to preach and teach Scripture this week focus on two things.

First, while you’re developing your sermon in your thoughts and on your screen, be relentless about your clarity and precision. What’s clear to you might not be clear to your listener. Work hard at clear vocabulary and clear logical connections during each message minute. I’ve discovered that I can gauge how precise I am by how concise I can be.

Second, while you’re delivering your sermon, be relentless about keeping your listeners with you in the moment. That means staying engaged and connected with them as much as staying connected to your manuscript/orascript. Even if you don’t actually dialogue with them like I do, at least keep them in the conversation with you through your use of questions and answers.

Drake’s chorus is a good refrain for us during the teaching time (whether articulated or not) and will lead to our Lord receiving glory in the church and in Christ Jesus because of your efforts (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

 

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Tell ‘Em Why: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons

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In these posts I’m observing how Jonathan Edwards crafted what may have been his first sermon, Christian Happiness. His text was Isaiah 3:10 “Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” (cf. Kimnach, pages 296-307)

In his doctrine section, proposition II is “The good man is happy in whatsoever condition he is in; and that, First, because…”

What follows are three reasons why this proposition is true. Let me give you the three so you can see what Edwards is doing in this segment of the sermon.

“First, Because no worldly evils can do him any real hurt….

Second….because of the spiritual privileges and advantages, joys and satisfactions, he actually enjoys while in this life….

Third. And lastly, from the joyful hope and assured expectation of the enjoyment of the completion of happiness eternally hereafter…”

There are at least two things to consider. First, why does Edwards spend these minutes developing these reasons. Second, how does Edwards maintain biblical authority while answering these questions that his passage doesn’t answer.

First, Edwards identifies these reasons because the listeners requires some proof that this is true. Isaiah 3:10 is too good to be true in a badly broken world (the same could be said about Romans 8:28). Sometimes this kind of theological/philosophical exposition–remember, I’m not entirely happy with this designation but feel it’s adequate for now–requires our investigation of why the assertion of the Word of God is true or not true.

Second, Edwards answers these questions that are not answered in his text by appealing to the rest of Scripture’s teachings. At times Edwards appeals to multiple Scriptures without quoting them directly. If you read this sermon, you could easily insert Bible references because of Edwards’ ability to loosely quote Scripture. At other times Edwards paraphrases the teachings of Scripture that directly affect his text in Isaiah.

Before Sunday, see if your text contains questions that need to be answered and answer those questions, especially the “why?” question so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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The Connection Between My Devotional Life And My Sermon Delivery

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The image asks a good question for us soul-watchers: what’s our inspiration for preaching and teaching God’s Word?

Ultimately our inspiration comes from our own relationship with our Savior and our understanding of our responsibility to shepherd people. I’m inspired to preach because I love God and others.

In the book, Preaching That Matters, Carroll lists uncommon prep practice #2 as: “Personal Spiritual Growth Activities. Here’s her reason for listing this second (the first uncommon prep practice is discerning a clear sermon goal of what the sermon is asking of the people):

“Several pastors recognized that they had been neglecting their own spiritual lives, substituting professional responsibilities for personal spiritual disciplines. [Any of us convicted yet?!] Those who made changes in this area of sermon preparation spoke of resulting increases in their sense of integrity, inspiration, and invigoration.” (p. 59, emphasis added).

Maybe the first helpful thing is to note that this area of taking care of ourselves spiritually is considered by Carroll as an “area of sermon preparation.” Part of my preparation to preach this week is preparing myself spiritually to be a worshiper.

The changes in our preaching that result from a vibrant spiritual life will, no doubt, vary from pastor to pastor. The ones emboldened above did catch my eye, though: increased integrity, inspiration, and invigoration. Much Bible exposition could use an added dose of these, including my own.

For me personally, the Sundays I preach from a foundation of a vibrant spiritual life result in an added sense of confidence and humility. I know God is going to speak to us through me and I know I don’t deserve the privilege.

My current personal spiritual growth activities are: reading Hebrew and Greek (sounds very spiritual, right?), The New City Catechism out loud, and Jonathan Edwards’ early sermons [see recent posts on an analysis of his preaching].

I’m not so much interested in what yours are, but I am interested in helping us see the connection between our devotional lives and our preaching. All for His glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal