Category Archives: authority

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My New Book: Preacher as Soul-Watcher: Why You and Your Congregants Need Your Sermons

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I finally completed my theology of preaching for the local church!

Wow! This has been on my mind since the mid- to late-90’s! Click here to read a sample section.

What took so long? Life and ministry, I guess, such as pursuing more learning, writing more books, and preparing to teach classes through the years.

My first exposure to Hebrews 13:17 where it really caught my attention was when I was preaching through the book of Hebrews at The People’s Church in Somerville, NB, Canada in the mid-90’s.

Then, at the inaugural meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society on the campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I was invited to preach as part of the conference schedule (either the fall of ’96 or ’97?). I selected Hebrews 13:17. It reads,

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

It was important that I remind myself and EHS members that preaching is a subset of soul-watching.

Fast-forward to August 1, 2024 and I finally published my thoughts on a theology of preaching from that text and also 1 Timothy 4:13-16, the end of which reads,

“…Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

For years, God has given me the great privilege of studying hermeneutics and homiletics with other soul-watchers from all over the world. If you have blessed me with your presence in the classroom through the years, huge thanks. You may be interested in this expanded version of some of the things we, no doubt, talked about. If we’ve never met and you’re a pastor that preaches, you might be interested in my thoughts on why our preaching is so important.

You can find Preacher as Soul-Watcher on Amazon (KDP) or click the link above.

May our Lord continue to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus as we watch over the souls entrusted to our care (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. Over the next few weeks I will provide some excerpts from Preacher as Soul-Watcher. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Why We Preach With Confidence

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We preach in an environment where God is already at work!

If you’re ever discouraged in your preaching and teaching of God’s Word, John Webster provides a strong dose of encouragement. In his book, The Domain of the Word: Scripture and Theological Reason, Webster writes,

“But in acting as the ambassador of the Word, the preacher enters a situation which already lies within the economy of reconciliation, in which the Word is antecedently present and active….The preacher…faces a situation in which the Word has already addressed and continues to address the church, and does not need somehow by homiletic exertions to generate and present the Word’s meaningfulness. the preacher speaks on Christ’s behalf; the question of whether Christ is himself present and effectual is one which–in the realm of the resurrection and exaltation of the Son–has already been settled and which the preacher can safely leave behind.” (p. 26)

I purchased this book in order to continue to explore the theological interpretation of Scripture, but was pleasantly surprised to see sections like this on the relationship between God, preaching, and the church.

Be encouraged in your ministry because you preach and teach in an environment where God is already at work. We do have work to do in preparing clear words from God from His Word, but the hardest work of God bringing creatures back in fellowship with Himself is something He’s already doing when the sermon/lesson begins.

And that’s why our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus each Sunday (Ephesians 3:21)!

Randal

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Moving From Stated Reality to Application: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Early Sermons

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Edwards never let his listeners forget the goal of the sermon!

One of the things I’ve benefited from by reading Edwards’s early sermons is his emphasis on application. If you read his sermons you’ll see a balanced presentation of deep theology and practical exhortation.

In his sermon, The Way of Holiness, on Isaiah 35:8 (“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it.”), Edwards concludes with an application section containing three elements. Here are the first two:

  1. By inference, Edwards reasons, “how many poor creatures are there that think they are in the way to heaven who are not?” (p. 476). I will never forget hearing veteran pastor, Chuck Swindoll, announce that the longer he pastored his church, the more he felt that less of his parishioners were saved.
  2. If this verse is true, then it is critical that his listeners “examine [them]selves by this doctrine to see whereabouts [they] are, and see whether or no [they] are in the way to heaven…” (p. 477). Under this point, Edwards exhorted: “Meditate on the holiness of God, and see if you cannot see a conformity, a likeness in your mind….It is not supposed that ever any copy comes near to this original, nor ever will; but yet they may perceive whether the same spirit, the same temper and disposition, in a lesser degree be in them, that was manifested by the life and conversation of Jesus Christ.” (p. 477)

Notice that Isaiah only presents stated reality. Edwards teaches by example that our job is to move from stated reality to the application inferred by that reality.

If you read this before tomorrow (Sunday), or early next week, see if your Scripture contains a stated reality that requires the same hermeneutical/homiletical move as Edwards.

And our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Preaching About the Importance of Church Leadership: Preaching Through Numbers

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And We Will Respect God’s Choice…
Numbers 16:1–17:13

My full title for Numbers 16:1–17:13 was:

“He will bring us into this land”: And We Will Respect God’s Choice of Who Leads and Who Serves

I am writing this with a half-hour to go before the first 2020 Presidential Election. How’d you like to be those two?! How’d you like to be Moses or Aaron?

The infamous rebellion against Moses and Aaron recorded in these chapters is one of the most intense narratives in the Old Testament. What makes it even more intense to preach or teach is that we’re living in days when leadership at all levels faces skepticism and cynicism.

To help you tackle this large preaching portion you might consider the following structure:

  1. Two more challenges to leadership (vv. 1-3a, 41)
  2. The wrongheaded thinking that causes it (vv. 3b, 12-14)
  3. Our response to the situation (vv. 21, 24, 26-27a, 45)
  4. God’s judgment and mercy (vv. 4-11, 22, 27b-40, 46-50; 17:1-13)

(I know that’s a lot of verses, but if you have time, take a look at the fit between these verses and the major points.)

First, simplify the sermon by noting that Korah and company function as a “go and do otherwise” exemplar. So we worship this morning by not following their attack on God’s leadership. Put positively, we respect God’s leadership.

Second, be ready to dig in theologically when you get to 16:3-5 and the question of whether only Moses and Aaron were holy or, according to Korah, the whole congregation was equally holy.

Third, Moses’s reaction was incredible to me. I think I would be tempted in light of the attack against him to gladly agree with God’s plan (16:21). Instead Moses intercedes for the congregation!

Fourth, as we’ve seen so often in Numbers, this lengthy narrative provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the holiness and judgment of God.

Finally, God’s mercy and Israel’s confession/repentance are highlighted in these scenes as God stops the plague and Israel says,

“Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” (17:12-13)

And if you’re fond of a Christ-centered reading of such texts, you might land on 16:22 (“…shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”) or 16:47 (“And [Aaron] put on the incense and made atonement for the people”). Concerning the former, one man, Adam, did sin and the human race experienced the judgment of God. However, one Man, Jesus Christ, was righteous and faced the judgment of God so that we by faith could be acquitted. The second one is an easy leap to the cross.

And as always, may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you work hard for Him each weekend.

Randal

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How Much Authority Do You Have When You Preach? (What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’ early sermons)

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In an earlier post I showed how direct Edwards was with his congregants. He was fearless in addressing both non-Christian and Christian because he knew he was “vested with a capacity and right to instruct, lead, and judge his people (no. qq)” (Kimnach’s discussion of Edwards’, Miscellanies, p. 21).

I’m sure society’s view of a preacher’s authority has diminished; I suspect that many preachers don’t share Edwards’ perceived authority.

In his Miscellanies Number 40, Edwards lists the various levels of a preacher’s authority from the listener’s perspective.

First, our listeners are obligated to listen to us because they voted us in thinking we met the necessary requirements. In this case, Edwards says, “I have power as other ministers have in these days” (Kimnach, p. 22).

Second, “But if it was plain to them that I was under the infallible guidance of Christ, and [that] I was sent forth to teach the world the will of Christ, then I should have power in all the world” (Kimnach, p. 22).

Of course the question is, How is it plain to our listeners that we are under the infallible guidance of Christ? Edwards’ answer was that a preacher is

“coming as a messenger from God to souls deeply impressed with a sense of their danger of God’s everlasting wrath, to treat with them about their eternal salvation” (p. 23, Kimnach).

In the best scenario, we preach eternal matters to those who feel threatened by the holiness of God.

Does that sound like you and your congregation?

Preaching with power and authority from our end means knowing what’s at stake every Sunday, every sermon. It means knowing we’re speaking for God. It means preaching with a sense of urgency.

My most common comment after student sermons is, “I didn’t get a sense that this message was important.” God’s Word is, but those sermons aren’t!

May we preach as though the Word of God is “supremely authoritative” (p. 21) so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching the Intention of Difficult Texts

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Yesterday morning, I preached the end of 1 Corinthians 13. Calvary Bible Church of Mount Joy, PA is a typical non-charismatic, revised dispensational church that expects to hear that the phrase, “when the perfect comes,” (cf. v. 10) refers to the completed New Testament.

You might recall from a recent post about preaching through the head covering section that I find it helpful to warn congregants up front as to what they won’t hear. That’s right. Won’t hear.

In yesterday’s case, I wanted to prepare them for my not spending much time on what “the perfect” is, when it “comes” and what “the partial” is that “will pass away.”

My reason: because that whole discussion is not vital to preaching the intention of chapter 13. And I am intentional about preaching the intention of the Text. I’m not so concerned about preaching the incidentals of the Text.

So, I was delighted to recently read Walton and Sandy’s, The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, and learn how the Bible is authoritative. Along the way of explaining how oral cultures passed down authoritative teaching, the authors review one main contribution of Speech-Act Theory: understanding “that communication is an action with particular intentions” (p. 41).

Speech-Act Theory provided us with three helpful categories of communication, all of which affect preaching God’s Word.

God’s Word involves:

  • locutions–the genres, words, sentences, and grammatical structures
  • illocutions–what God intends to do with those words (instruct or make a promise)
  • perlocutions–the response God anticipates His hearers to experience as a result of His Word (think application).

The middle one–the illocutions–is most important when preaching difficult texts like 1 Corinthians 13:10. W and S write, “The important point is that if we misread the illocution, we are likely to also misinterpret, because understanding the illocution provides the doorway into interpretation” (p. 42, note 5).

So, when preaching difficult texts, texts with exegetical pitfalls, focus on the intention, not the incidentals. Imagine a congregation that “knows” what the perfect is, when it arrives, what the partial is that will pass away when the perfect arrives, and yet has no love.

Before Sunday, nail down the illocution, the intention, of your preaching portion so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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How Much Speculation Is In Your Exposition?

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breaking-speculation

 

Shortly after graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, I preached a sermon in chapel at Appalachian Bible College. I was working at the time for, what used to be called, Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary. I don’t remember the sermon, but vividly remember the late, beloved preaching professor of ABC, Dr. Paul Reiter, giving feedback.

He kindly urged me to get rid of phrases like, “I think…” or “I believe…” His reasoning was that these phrases took away from the authority of Scripture and from my responsibility as a preacher. I took his critique to heart.

Through over 20 years of preaching each Sunday, teaching preaching students, and listening to hundreds of sermons, I’ve come realize we preachers have a strong tendency to pepper our exposition with speculation. Instead of breaking news, we announce breaking speculation.
The fact that it happens frequently says something about the Bible and something about our understanding of preaching.
First, the habit highlights the need to carefully understand the doctrine known as the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture. I believe in that doctrine, but also believe it downplays the difficulty of Scripture. It is the difficulty of Scripture that causes us to frequently announce breaking speculations in the form of, “Well, I think Paul is saying this…” or “Scholars believe that Paul is…”
In his commentary on 2 Corinthians, Harris writes, “Although Paul has not identified the ‘thorn,’ commentators have not been slow to attempt the impossible.”
And I am far too guilty of wasting valuable sermon time announcing breaking speculation. Never have I been so aware of this as while recently preaching through the book of Daniel. Imagine what our exposition of Daniel would sound like if we stuck with exposition sans speculation!
This habit also says a lot about our understanding of preaching. God didn’t authorize me to announce speculation, but His revelation. Dr. Reiter was right when he told me to preach, “This is what the Lord says, not what you think.”
Before Sunday, look over your exposition and see how much speculation is in it. Ask God to help you balance good scholarship with faithful preaching so He receives glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
In emails or Facebook posts to my preacher friends, I’ll often end my note with the playful challenge, “Preach a good sermon, will ya?!” I consider you one of them, so…
Preach a good sermon, will ya?!
Randal
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What’s Missing When Your Listeners Hear You Say, “Savior”

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6_Appeal_to_Authority

In Luke 19:38 as Jesus makes His triumphal approach (I realized that the term, triumphal entry, was a bit premature because even in the next paragraph, He still hadn’t entered the city), the crowd yells, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

In my experience, congregants do not automatically think ultimate authority when they think about Jesus. That’s partly because they are more familiar with the term, Savior. “Savior,” however, does not carry ultimate authority into their ears. It needs to.

While preaching through the Gospel of Luke, I was amazed at how often the authority of Jesus was highlighted. There is a large section in Luke 19:11–20:18, for instance, that centers on Jesus’ authority and reactions to His authority. At the beginning of chapter 20 comes the challenge, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

I’m pretty sure we’ve got more than a handful of parishioners who don’t acknowledge the ultimate authority of King Jesus. They know He’s their Savior, but they don’t connect being saved with being obedient. That’s why they aren’t transformed into the image of Christ; that’s why the Church looks much like society in many respects.

So, before Sunday, see if the language in your sermon helps your listeners understand the ultimate authority of their Savior.

You might have to repeatedly add the concept of authority to any statements made about their Savior. Some, as you know, prefer the extended, “Lord and Savior,” or “the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s not a bad start. But I think that even “Lord” no longer carries ultimate authority like it did in the first century church.

Then, whenever your preaching portion contains imperatives (explicit or implicit), spend a moment emphasizing the identity and authority of King Jesus.

Preach well for the sake of God’s reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Being Aware of Fluctuating Authority

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preacher's authority fluctuating.001

The image above is an attempt to show what might happen to a preacher’s authority during the sermon. The red line shows how our authority fluctuates while we communicate God’s Word. Below the line equals a loss of authority; above the line means the authority of God’s Word is coming through loud and clear.

I’m assuming that a preacher doesn’t have authority because he is preaching. Our authority comes from the combination of our office (we are soul-watchers according to Hebrews 13:17) and communicating God’s Word. There are minutes in the sermon when I may not be communicating God’s Word as much as I think I am. Think about sermon time devoted to…

  • illustrations
  • jokes
  • secondary applications (the Word teaches us to give financially, but I specify how and how much)

I’m only beginning to think this through. The issue may not be only authority versus no authority. It might be an issue of levels of authority (higher and lower). In this case, “pure” explanation of God’s Word might contain more authority than a funny illustration.

This has made me think carefully about how well I’m communicating God’s authoritative Word. Luke 4:32 records, “and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.”

In his book, Preaching: A Biblical Theology, Jason Meyer writes, “Scripture….is ‘God preaching’ in a complete and unqualified way because Scripture is free of error. Our preaching is not. A preacher cannot claim that people have heard from God simply because they have heard the preacher’s sermon!” (p. 239). We have to make sure sermon seconds are saturated with accurate explanation and application of God’s Word.

Before Sunday, look over your sermon notes and get a rough idea of how many minutes are over the line and how many are under the line.

Preach well for God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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You Need To Read: Making Sense of the Bible

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Adam Hamilton Photo and Book 03062014

I wanted to read Adam Hamilton’s book, Making Sense of the Bible, in order to begin to understand how some Christians are reading the Bible, but not arriving at what I consider to be conservative, evangelical conclusions about some big issues. Issues like women in ministry, homosexuality, and how the Bible is authoritative.

Being raised a fundamentalist with a capital “F,” I have the tendency to think that anyone who does not arrive at conservative, evangelical conclusions cannot believe that the Bible is authoritative. As you may already realize, this boils down to interpretation. Hamilton believes the Bible is authoritative and defends his views from Scripture. However, he interprets the Bible differently than I do. That’s why I read the book. Plus, I had this sense that someone who looked so pleasant could not be evil.

Hamilton states his purpose for the book: “I love this book…and I wrestle with it. There are parts, if I’m honest, that I have questions about. There are statements on its pages that I don’t believe capture the character and will of God. I’m guessing that if you’re honest, you have questions too….But the book is an attempt to honestly wrestle with the difficult questions often raised by thoughtful Christians and non-Christians concerning things taught in the Bible” (pp. 3, 5).

Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today

The book did not disappoint. Hamilton made me think hard about the nature of inspiration (chapter 14) and how God speaks to and through us (chapter 16).

I learned from Hamilton’s humility: “So I tell my folks, ‘I’ve spent twenty hours studying scripture, reading the commentaries, praying, and reflecting upon this message. I have two degrees in theology and biblical studies, a library of great books, and twenty-five years of ministry experience I’m drawing on, but all of that does not guarantee I’m right’….We do our best to hear from God, but we are all a bit spiritually hard of hearing” (p. 154).

Hamilton reminded me again that our decision to apply some Scripture, but not others, is subjective, more so than I’d like to admit: “it is important to ask by what criteria or hermeneutical principal we decide which scriptures may no longer be binding or which may not capture the will of God for us today” (p.175).

So, if you’re curious about how some people read the Bible concerning things like, squaring the Bible with science (creation vs. evolution), the historicity of Adam and Eve, God’s violence in the OT, God’s role to play in our suffering on earth, four Gospels that don’t always agree, the exclusive claim that Jesus is the only way to God, the subordination of women, and homosexuality, you will benefit from reading Hamilton. He helped equip me with an understanding of how Christians can argue from the Bible and arrive at very different conclusions. I know that some of my listeners have these questions and I’m better equipped to talk with them about their faith journey.

Preach well so God gets the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Randal