Category Archives: preaching through books of the Bible

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More On Preaching Holiness: Preaching Through Numbers

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One huge benefit of preaching through Numbers is the emphasis on the holiness of God and His people. My current ministry setting is a very conservative faith-family that is used to such concepts and, yet, they still tell me how much being reminded of holiness is helping them. I have a colleague who preaches in a very different setting and he tells me how challenging it is to preach certain doctrines.

Well, frankly, you can’t preach through Numbers without spending time on the holiness of God. So much of the theology of Numbers 5:1–6:21 hinges on God’s own holiness. It’s the only way to explain the bizarre instructions on dealing with lepers, etc. (5:3 “…putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp”), and with those who are “breaking faith with the Lord” (5:6, plus the strange way to handle jealousy in a marriage in vv. 12-31; watch for puzzled looks if you read that section aloud in church!), and the Nazirite vow (6:2ff.).

It all begins with the holiness of God. Then we can move to being a holy people.

Finally, the instructions–though often strange-to-us–provide direction for our desire to remain a holy people. So, there is actual removal (5:3, similar to the discipline prescribed in 1 Corinthians 5), confession and restitution/repentance (5:7-10).

What a great section of Scripture! What’s more important than the holiness of God and being holy because He is holy?!?

The difficulty, as you know, however, is trying to navigate through all the OT specifics that we do not directly apply to our situation. In a 45 minute sermon, for instance, you really have to stay focused providing only the details that are absolutely necessary to convey the theology about God’s holiness and ours.

If you do that, our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21). You’ll be challenged, but, like every other through-the-Book series, it’s entirely worth it.

Randal

P.S. You may recall that the main title of this series is taken from 14:8 “he will bring us into this land.” Each Sunday titles look like this:

“he will bring us into this land”: (subtitle)

This one was:

“he will bring us into this land”: But We Must Separate Ourselves To God

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Our Spiritual Warfare and Worship: Preaching Through the Book of Numbers

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When you start Numbers you encounter numbers in great numbers. Thankfully, there are some theological clues such as the repetition of the phrase, “able to go to war.” That is repeated over and over again in vv. 1-46. As Robert Alter points out in his new translation and commentary on the Hebrew Bible, it is clear from the repetition that Israel’s journey involves an extended military campaign.

So, my first major segment in the sermon or first main point was the presence of our enemies (vv. 1-46). I did give our folks a sneak peek at what the battle will look like in chapter 14:40-45. It’s a great way to remind us all of the spiritual battle we face each day. The brief glimpse forward teaches us that the battle is won or loss depending on whether God is among us in an active sense fighting for and with us (v. 42 “for the Lord is not among you…” and disastrous results!).

The second segment begins in v. 47 where we’re told: “But the Levites were not listed along with them…” Their duties are explained in terms of the tabernacle in vv. 47-51a. That holy place and space would house the visible, tangible presence of God. The defeat of chapter 14 already teaches us how important God’s presence is for our spiritual life.

But in point three we learn that God’s presence is also very dangerous. The threat of God’s presence is in vv. 51b-54. The approach of an outsider brought death (v. 51b) and the Levites guarded the tabernacle “so that there may be no wrath on the congregation…” (v. 53). What a great time to talk about what one author refers to as “the fatal holiness of God.”

And all of this is the start of preparing Israel and us for our journey from redemption to the Promised Land (for them) and new creation (for us).

Help your listeners journey successfully with this wonderful opening chapter about the fight we’re in and the assurance of victory through God’s powerful presence with a holy people.

He will receive glory–as a result–in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching Through the Book of Numbers! I Know, Right?!?

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Along with posts devoted to gleaning insights from the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and from key homiletics authors, I will be suggesting a preaching strategy through the book of Numbers (see a similar approach through Chronicles).

Yup. That’s what I thought too.

But I love showing our faith-family how to read a book like Numbers so it functions for us as God intended.

When you select a title for the series, consider

Numbers 14:8 “…He will bring us into this land…”

That kind of title connects the Story to the saints. In many ways their journey from redemption from Egypt to the Promised Land mirrors our journey from our initial redemption to the new creation. And that’s why God can speak through Numbers to the Church.

The title also provides hope for our journey: we are going to make it because God is going to fulfill His promises to us. The examples, both bad (mainly the first generation of Israelites) and good (mainly the second generation), will teach us along the way.

As always, we will only go and do otherwise (bad examples) or go and do likewise (good examples) after an affirmation of faith in Christ who either was or did what God intended His people in the wilderness to either be or do. That’s faith-first or faith-driven application.

Then, notice in the image above that a sub-title is provided along with the Scripture. The one shown is from the famous Aaronic Blessing paragraph at the end of chapter 6. I’m only a few weeks into the series, but anticipate that each subtitle developed from each preaching portion will provide an angle that explains how we make our journey from redemption to new creation.

I realize you may not be in a series on Numbers, but I hope that these posts will show you a hermeneutical/homiletical strategy to handle such OT narratives…

So God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Sovereignty And Election Are Extremely Relevant: My Only Post On Preaching Through Romans 1-11

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I never thought I would write that the sovereignty of God and His election described in Romans 9-11 are easy to apply to the church! But they are. And I’m getting ahead of myself.

First, when I began preaching through Romans 1-11 a year ago Easter, I determined not to write posts from that series. The reason was simple: I do not consider preaching epistles like Romans to be difficult.

[I realize some of my friends and colleagues just ran to get their EpiPens!]

What I mean is that, although there are difficult theological concepts to explain, the structure and applicability of most epistles most of the time are not too difficult. In the case of Romans 9-11 one of my favorite commentators, Douglas Moo puts it this way:

“…while certain points remain hard to understand, Paul is claiming to be transmitting truth to which his readers are to respond” (p. 740).

Here’s how to locate the intended response for Romans 9-11 and all the heavy discussion of unconditional election:

First, when you begin working through chapter 9 you will need to point congregants forward to 11:17-22. This is Paul’s first indication of how the section functions for the church. There you find instruction for us not to be arrogant toward unbelieving Jews (v. 18), to stand fast through faith (v. 20), not become proud (v. 20), and to live as God-fearers (v. 20). The reason: “for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” (v. 21) and the warning in v. 22, “Otherwise you too will be cut off.”

It is easy to get lost in election in chapter 9 and forget what the section is intended to do to the faith-family.

Two other connections can and should be made. First, the entire section ends with a marvelous doxology in 11:33-36. Everything ends with praise to God. Second, the more practical section that begins in 12:1 stems from all the mercies of God highlighted in 9-11 (“…by the mercies of God”). Unconditional election magnifies the mercy of God which provides motivation for all the instruction in chapters 12-16.

I hope you have had or will have an opportunity to preach through Romans with your faith-family and God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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What I Learned From Preaching Through Chronicles

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For my final post on preaching through First and Second Chronicles, I thought I would share what I learned from this process. I hope it helps you consider taking your faith-family through some OT books.

First, I preached 13 sermons in 1 Chronicles and 18 sermons in 2 Chronicles for a total of 31 sermons. If you know the length of these two books, then you realize that many of my preaching portions (pericopes) were large. I believe this is best if you are going to preach theology without getting bogged down in minutia (I use that term reverently when dealing with Scripture!). This also reflects my position on being careful as to how much repetition I imitate in OT narratives.

Second, I encourage you to break such series up into smaller chunks. In this case you might consider at least taking a break from the series between preaching First and Second Chronicles. It also helps if Christmas or Easter, for instance, falls somewhere in the lengthy series. These holy days provide opportunities to break away from the normal series for some weeks.

Third, I don’t know of anything like preaching through such books of the OT that will test your abilities as a theologian/pastor for your faith-family. Great sermons require great texts and not all pastors and parishioners consider every text a great text–especially in some places in Chronicles! The process of preaching through OT books will test your hermeneutic/homiletic like nothing else.

Fourth, preaching through Chronicles will give you new appreciation for the inspiration of Scripture. There are some exquisite texts in those two books, found nowhere else in the Bible. Your congregants will benefit greatly from your efforts and come away with a new appreciation for the canon of Scripture.

Fifth, preaching through books will force you to think about their theme and purpose or intention. Over the years of preaching through both Old and New Testament books, I have had to wrestle with selecting themes for the book (including an image like the Google Maps one above). For Chronicles I chose the wording of David’s prayer: Direct Our Hearts Toward You, Lord (with each pericope adding a different subtitle).

Sixth and finally, preaching through Chronicles will help you develop your Christo-centric instincts and method as you move from each pericope to the Gospel in order to show how Chronicles functions for the Church.

I hope you’ll consider preaching through books of the Bible so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Preaching the Hope-filled Conclusion to 2 Chronicles: Preaching Through Chronicles

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I took this photo shortly after arriving in Mount Joy, PA in 2003. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was a corn-stalk growing on (or, in?) a cement bridge! It’s a fitting image of God’s people receiving a major dose of hope at the end of 2 Chronicles 36.

You might make sense of the narrative like this:

First, redemption is reversed in vv. 1-14 and 16-21. All four kings in this section share the same fate: “trouble and exile” says Pratt. Because “All the officers of the priests and the people…were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations” (v. 14) and because their rebellion got worse even after God sent them prophets (v. 16a), “the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until their was no remedy” (v. 16b).

Second, thankfully compassion is extended in v. 15. I found it interesting that the Lord’s compassion matched the persistence of His people’s rebellion. Verse 15 reads, “The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them…because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.” There’s tons of theology in both of those phrases.

Finally, we arrive at our hope and mission in vv. 22-23. Verse 22 states, “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” and Cyrus issues an hope-filled invitation for any of God’s people: “Let him go up” and build God’s house in Jerusalem. The odds of that happening are about as good as the odds of a cornstalk growing on a cement bridge.

It can happen. It did happen. It does happen every time God’s people respond to Him in loving obedience.

And, if you’re interested in making a Christological connection, the wish of the last verse in 2 Chronicles, “may the Lord his God be with him,” is very soon, according to one Jewish order of Scripture to be experienced in our Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23).

Preach these OT books so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

N.B. One exegetical, contextual gem in this section is the mention of “the Chaldeans” in 2 Chronicles 36:17. The last time we read about these people was all the way back to Genesis 11:28. At the beginning of the narrative of God’s people, God calls Abram out of this land; at the end of the OT narrative of God’s people, God “brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans….He gave them all into his hand” (2 Chronicles 36:17). The story has come full circle, especially if you follow one Jewish rendering of the order of OT books (Chronicles coming last). Thankfully, the Story didn’t and doesn’t end there!

 

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Hezekiah’s Example of Facing an Intimidating Enemy: Preaching Through Chronicles

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I hope that you are seeing how these narratives in Chronicles help us teach aspects of living the Christian life well. Hezekiah, for instance, in 2 Chronicles 31-32 provides an example of what it takes to succeed in our faith journey. I selected 31:20–32:23 for a preaching portion and worked through it this way:

First, the basis or foundation for Hezekiah’s success is described in six ways in 31:20-21. These six things he did are summarized in 32:1 as, “After these acts of faithfulness.” Like so many other key characters in these narratives, Hezekiah functions as a model for us to follow. He’s the model believer and paves the way to spiritual success in the will of God as we face an intimidating enemy.

Second, 32:1b-8 provide a look at the physical, emotional, and mental fight needed to succeed. It’s an amazing look at the mixture of effort and faith. Remember, as Dallas Willard wrote, God is not opposed to effort, but to earning. Key descriptions and prescriptions are: “And he took courage…” (v. 5) and “Be strong and courageous” (v. 7; sounds familiar, right?). A key confession is, “With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us…” (v. 8).

Third, is intense intimidation from our enemy in vv. 9-19. It’s no wonder we run scared some times in our spiritual life.

Finally, the victory God gives is described in vv. 20-23. It’s a supernatural victory. If there was any doubt about who was responsible for the win, v. 22 summarizes, “So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem…”

And, if you are inclined to move from Hezekiah’s victory to ours, you might remind your listeners that our Lord Jesus Christ faced the same intense mocking as he was crucified for our sins (cf. Matt. 27:27-44). His defeat led to a victory that we enjoy as we place our trust in Him.

May you enjoy preaching these wonderful narratives in Chronicles so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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The Difficulties of Disciple-Making: Preaching Through Chronicles

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If you’ve preached through a set of books like Chronicles, you already know it’s not easy. But this angle has to do with what the Chronicler teaches us about disciple-making: doing right in God’s eyes is not easy.

In the lengthy section from 2 Chronicles 27:1–31:21 I identified five ways to describe our disciple-making goal (27:2a; 29:2; 30:6a, 8b-9a, 19a). The five are:

  • “did what was right”
  • “return”
  • “yield”
  • “serve”
  • “sets his heart…” (very important in this series!)

This is the time to ask everyone to what extent these five actions describe our lives. These are the makings of every genuine Christian experience.

It’s in the second part of the sermon that we learn how difficult this life is (27:2b; 28:22; 30:7-8a, 19b). These verses provide four examples of spiritual corruption, increased disloyalty to God, and pig-headedness that refuses to obey.

Finally, you can end the sermon by explaining what we can expect from our God (30:6b, 9b, 18-19). For instance, 30:9 reads, “For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

And if you’re interested in how Chronicles functions for the Church, simply explain how the cross of Christ is the definitive extension of God’s grace and compassion. Christ’s sacrifice makes it possible for faith and repentance to result in redemption. That faith sets in motion the desire and capacity to put those five aspects of disciple-making into practice.

I hope you’ll attempt to preach through Chronicles so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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One of the Easiest Sermons to Preach (Preaching Through Chronicles)

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Pretend that guy is proud Uzziah. 2 Chronicles 26:1, 2 tell us he was sixteen years old when he was made king of Judah and he ruled for 52 years. Verse 5 says, “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” Verse 16 says, “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.”

That’s why this chapter might be the easiest one to preach in this series. And it’s also one of the most important for disciple-making.

You may recall that I selected the following title for the series: “Direct our hearts toward you, Lord.” I’ve reworded David’s prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:18 “O Lord…direct their hearts toward you.”

Then, each sermon title was created to add to that title. In this case, I added, “So we don’t become proud of ‘our’ success.”

The story functions for the church like this. The king experienced both blessing and curses from the Lord. According to McConville, Uzziah is “the last of those kings who are judged to have been partly faithful and partly unfaithful.” We urge worship by pleading with our folks to make an all out grace-driven effort to avoid this mixed spiritual experience.

I understand the chapter’s theology this way:

  1. The source of success (vv. 4-5, 7, 15b). This contains one of the most important concepts in Chronicles: “He set himself to seek God…and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (v. 5). Verse 15b adds, “…for he was marvelously helped…”
  2. The evidence of success (vv. 6-15a). These verse contain an impressive list of civil and military accomplishments. Verses 14-15 (the creation of “engines, invented by skillful men”) show the fine balance between human effort and God’s help.
  3. The danger of success (vv. 15c-23). Too bad it came to this! In v. 16 we read, “…he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense.” Yikes! For other looks at the result of pride, see Prov. 11:2; 16:18; 29:23. Leprosy was his judgment!

What a contrast to our Faithful High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Preach Uzziah as a mixed exemplar–a little, “Go and do likewise” and a little, “Go and do otherwise”–for God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Handling Huge Amounts Of Biblical Real Estate (Preaching Through Chronicles)

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The elephant is 2 Chronicles 21:1–25:28. I decided to eat it in about 45 minutes, one piece at a time. It’s not the only way to preach the section. It could be broken into a few sermons, but I don’t recommend it. There is too much repetition of theology and intended purpose.

When you enter chapter 21 God changes the way He teaches us. A series of kings provide both positive and negative examples. There are kingdoms to join and kingdoms to avoid. We worship by avoiding those kingdoms. I divided the elephant like this:

  1. Our need to separate (vv. 21:6a; 22:3). In this case, Jehoram “walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done…” You know how bad Ahab was.
  2. Our need to consecrate (vv. 21:6b, 10b; 22:4; 23:16-19). Seven times in this section we read, “He did what was evil.” Five times we read, “…did what was right.” Anyone with ears to hear knows which path to take. 23:16-19 deserve attention due to the spiritual reform that takes place.
  3. What God does to His people who don’t! (vv. 21:7, 14-16, 18; 22:7; 25:20b). 22:7 and 25:20b contain strong statements: “But it was ordained by God…” and “for it was of God, in order that…” Whether in the OT or in the NT, God has always taught that He will judge sin and move His plan forward.
  4. Ways we might respond (vv. 22:9-12; 25:2, 15-16, 20a; 27:2). One interesting contrast is between 22:9 “he…sought the Lord with all his heart” and 25:2 “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.” This describes two kinds of disciples.

And, if you are prone to read Chronicles Christo-centrically, these excerpts provide an opportunity to express our gratitude to God for providing a King who did worship and serve God with His whole heart, all the way to the cross. All so we who believe could enjoy God’s kingdom.

Preach well so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal