A couple of weeks ago I began the frightening task of preaching through Judges. In 6:22 Gideon realizes he has seen the angel of the Lord: “Alas….I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” Dale Ralph Davis comments:
“There is nothing amazing about grace as long as there is nothing fearful about holiness.”
One of the most difficult and rewarding facets of pastoral ministry is preaching through books of the Bible. I’m praying Christ returns before I have to preach through Ezekiel!
In this series of posts I want to share some of the things I’ve learned from 25 years of preaching through books of the Old and New Testament.
The first thing I do is select a theme for the series. Here are some I discovered:
From Judges 2:19 I selected the theme: The Salvation Of Stubborn Hearts. I wanted to capture God’s gracious deliverance and our stubborn tendency to forget Him and worship idols.
The theme you select is important because it is heard and developed in every sermon.
One of the hurdles of preaching through books of the Bible is locating and communicating the relevance of each preaching portion in the book. The theme can be extremely helpful in showing this relevance.
If your theme is accurate–meaning it is found in the book and is a major, not minor, concept–then it becomes the foundation for the relevance of each individual sermon. So all the time it takes reading the book, figuring out how it functions for the church is well worth it. And selecting the theme for the series usually takes up a majority of my study time as I prepare for the first sermon.
I wish there was a foolproof method for locating such a theme. I have discovered that theme-worthy concepts are often found at the beginning or ending of a book. That’s a great place to begin looking. It paid off for me in Judges as I said above. I’m sure a theme could be developed from the famous, final words describing God’s people: everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.
So, if you plan to preach through a book of the Bible soon, spend some time selecting a theme for the series so our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
When I began preaching through Daniel, I selected an image very similar to these bright stars to represent the meaning of the book. Daniel 12:3 reads, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
Daniel began by describing Daniel and his friends in terms of their wisdom. Daniel ends by describing all Christians in eternity in the same terms. And this is a key to the theology of the final chapter.
The chapter contains many descriptions of genuine Believers:
You can create another list of the characteristics of non-Christian.
Like Daniel, we’re still waiting for the end, for the final judgment. Daniel was told, “But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (v. 13)
Each Sunday we preach to the wise and give them the same confidence. We get the privilege to remind them, whether it’s Communion Sunday or not, to tell them about the cross. About the time when the Righteous One was judged as wicked so the wicked could become righteous and rule with God (the significance of shining brightly in the sky forever).
Of course, you’ll have to make it clear that all that talk of purifying themselves and making themselves white assumes purifying and whitening by faith in Christ.
Anyway, I hope if you’re ever preaching in Daniel or through Daniel, some of these posts may help you preach for God’s glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
Since I began preaching through books of the Bible in the late summer of 1991, I can count on one hand the number of times I wished I didn’t have to preach the upcoming preaching portion for Sunday. Daniel 11:1-45 was one of those times.
The chapter is filled with a list of kings, kingdoms, and power struggles. It’s the larger campaign God’s people are caught up in. According to God’s view of history, human beings are not inherently good. Knowledge and technology will not bring about a peaceful world. According to their recent TV advertisement, IBM is Building a Better Planet. Not according to chapter 11.
I found the details of these kings and kingdoms too tedious to elaborate on. I also did not find any broad categories that conveyed theology.
And sometimes those kingdoms take aim at us (cf. vv. 28, 30, 31, 32, 41, 44). This prepares us for persecution of the godly. And Daniel is all about urging us to remain godly in an ungodly world.
Thankfully, vv. 27, 29, 35 (“time appointed”) show us the history of our world under God’s complete control. He limits the length of their rules. God predicts the future because He controls the future. There is comfort in knowing that. This bolsters faith so we can wait, worship, and work hard for the kingdom until He arrives to clean house.
What I was looking for in the chapter was a description of what God’s people would be doing in the end. I found that in vv. 32-35. Especially important in Daniel is the character trait of wisdom. That was important at the very beginning of Daniel and it comes back to the front as the book comes to a close: “And the wise among the people…” (v. 33). Then there’s, “and some of the wise shall stumble…” (v. 35). Those verses teach us through example.
Ultimately, God’s elect who overcome at the end do so because they follow their Savior who is described as wise in Isaiah 52:13, “my Servant shall act wisely…”
If you ever get to preach Daniel 11, I hope this brief summary will help supplement your studies.
Preach well for the sake of His reputation (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
This is my last installment of allowing Linda Mercadante’s research to help us understand what many of our listeners are thinking while they listen to our sermons. The research comes from her book, Belief Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious. I have benefited from her interviews of SBNR and hope you have too. We tend to think that our listeners are immune from such thinking, but it’s in the air we breathe. We’re all affected by such thinking and the Church is moving, sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly, toward such thinking. Biblical preaching is one way to keep the Church of Christ on course.
The final area we’re highlighting is the flat out rejection of a literal heaven and hell. Mercandante writes:
“They outright rejected the idea of a static heaven and a torturous hell. Most also rejected any kind of ‘winnowing’ process where some would go to a better place and some to a worse one” (p. 195).
Or…
“Guiding their judgments, again, were factors like the American ethos of ‘fair-play’ and equality, as well as the therapeutic ethos….a number felt that believing in heaven and hell, or in any kind of afterlife, was immature, childish, selfish, and/or a vestige of a superstitious past. Several felt almost ‘honor bound’ to reject such seemingly unpopular or unscientific views” (p. 196).
Or this direct quote: “‘I never believe that you have to make people behave because they think they will burn in hell if they don’t. That’s threatening them to behave, which is negative reinforcement, which I don’t ever think is good.” (p. 198).
There you have it. As you know, if you preach the Bible from cover to cover, eventually you will butt heads with such thinking. We cannot change their minds unless God graciously opens their eyes. However, we can kindly let some of our listeners know that we know they struggle with this teaching. We can be the best amateur, expository apologists we can be (seems to me I’ve read about a book with such a title, but can’t remember for sure).
Even our mention of such an intellectual/spiritual struggle helps our faith-families realize the fight we’re in for God’s reality in a world that champions human fantasy.
Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
If you’ve ever thought about preaching on spiritual warfare or the cosmic battle we are a part of, Daniel 10 might be your Text. The chapter reminded me how a supernatural battle rages on earth and in heaven. We are never not in this fight!
Verse 1 makes it clear that God and His saints are under attack (“…and it was a great conflict”).
The supernatural beings involved look like characters from the Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy or Ironman (vv. 5-6 “…his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze…”). Then, there’s all these exalted figures: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia…Michael, one of the chief princes…the kings of Persia” (v. 13). Concerning the regions of Persia and Greece (v. 20), Longman writes, “[they] are revealed as more than just human evil…” The evil in our world cannot be adequately explained purely on human terms.
How often do our parishioners forget that the battle on earth is matched by a battle in heaven. We seldom realize that the battle in heaven affects our fight on earth.
Maybe most important in Daniel 10 is the assurance that in this angelic warfare, our God wins. Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as “…spirits sent to serve.” This chapter shows God in full control of this cosmic battle.
Like every other era in redemptive history, God’s people need to respond to God’s instructions given in v. 19: “‘O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.’ And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened…”
First, we can remind ourselves of our Captain. His victory is hinted at in Genesis 3:14-15 and clearly described in Revelation 12:9 (“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”).
Second, because God loves us in Christ (“O man greatly loved…”), we need not be afraid when the fight is fierce. With the peace of God, we can “be strong and of good courage.”
Third, that strength that we receive by faith (“…as he spoke to me, I was strengthened…”) will help us live well until our Savior returns.
Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
In this series of posts, I’m summarizing some of Linda Mercandante’s research contained in her interesting book, Belief Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious. My goal is to help you understand what some of your parishioners might be thinking. They may consider themselves to be in the SBNR camp. Remember, however, that every one of us breathes air containing particles of this kind of thinking. Every Sunday our preaching collides with these notions.
One prevalent opinion has to do with what a “good” church should be like:
“When I think of going to a community, I think of them making demands on me and my work and my family and my marriage life. It’s life-draining. I haven’t found a community that nourishes.” (pp. 163-164).
Or…
Look at those two quotes again and note how many times our preaching centers on God’s perspective on the Church, what it is and how if should function. Look at how many of these beliefs are combatted each Sunday.
As you know, we can’t apologize for what the Church is or for what parishioners are responsible to do. We can provide a theological apologetic for why, for instance, God makes demands, why we have belief systems and fixed leadership. While that can’t win the day on its own, we’re trusting that those that have ears to hear will embrace Christ’s Body.
Preach well for the sake of God’s reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
If you’re preaching on Daniel 9, then you face the infamous 70 weeks. If you’re preaching in a traditional kind of church, you will be tempted to spend time trying to explain the chart you see above or some variation of it.
The problem is that our charts are clearer than Daniel and the rest of Scripture.
That means we’ll spend precious sermon minutes explaining what we’re not sure of. So, in Daniel 9, here are some things we can be sure of:
Whether in Daniel or some other apocalyptic section of Scripture, avoid the temptation of trying to explain the unexplainable. Focus on the speeches and actions of key characters and clear indications of what God will do.
Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
In this post I’m continuing my summary of the book, Belief Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious, by Linda Mercadante. Of all the things I learned about the spiritual but not religious (SBNR), what surprised me the most was how prevalent is the notion that human beings are basically good.
This information is important to me, not because I have many SBNR’s in our faith-family, but because their mindset is in the air we breathe. These notions are at war with our Christian faith.
Did you think it was that blatant? I didn’t.
It reminded me how important it is to explain original sin and sin in general whenever preaching portions contain those concepts. I can’t assume everyone knows our predicament. No predicament, no need for the Gospel. Or, how about this? Decrease the belief in our sinfulness and we decrease the need for God’s grace for our growth.
Anyway, remember that belief in human goodness is in the air and that air leaks into the sanctuaries each Sunday.
Preach well for the sake of God’s reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
Daniel 9:1-19 might be one of the easiest assignments if you’re planning to preach through Daniel. It records Daniel’s lengthy prayer.
All through this series of blog posts, I’ve been hoping that some of the strategies for preaching through Daniel will help you when you’re preaching through other books that contain similar genres. So, for instance, there are many other prayers recorded in the Old and New Testaments. Here are some things to think through when preaching a prayer.
You might ask your congregants how often they need to pray such a prayer. What do you think they’d say?
Another vital question when preaching on any prayer in the Bible is, “Did God answer that prayer?” or “How is it possible that God could answer that prayer?” This accomplishes two things. First, it forces us all to ask ourselves whether we will respond to the Word of God (think about Paul’s prayers and ask whether or not God answered them; it will depend on whether Paul’s readers responded favorably to his teaching). Second, that question inevitably teaches about Christ-crucified, God’s Gift that provides forgiveness. God’s people broke the covenant agreement, but Christ kept it for us as we are spirit-led (cf. Romans 8:1-4).
Anyway, enjoy preaching the easy part of Daniel 9. Next up, the infamous “seventy weeks.” Yikes! We don’t have a prayer!
Preach well for the sake of God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
Randal
