Category Archives: shepherd

Posted on

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

by

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.

Posted on

“The Power of the Office and of the Minister”: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

by

Is it only me, or does the thought of the power of the pastoral office/ministry seem out of step these days?

I regularly read ancient confessions to help me think theologically. The goal is to add theological depth to my preaching in order to feed the flock well as we read Scripture together each Sunday.

I am also near completion of my first full-length e-book, Preacher As Soul-Watcher, which contains a section on Hebrews 13:17 and the preacher’s authority.

The Second Helvetic Confession (“Helvetic” is Latin for “Swiss” and this confession grew out of the context of Swiss-German Reformed Protestantism in the mid-sixteenth century) contains chapter 18:

“Of the Ministers of the Church, Their Institution and Duties.”

After the section on our Lord’s absolute power is,

“The Power of the Office and of the Minister” (p. 93, The Book of Confessions). It reads…

“Then there is another power of an office or of ministry limited by him who has full and absolute power. And this is more like a service than a dominion….In virtue of this power the minister, because of his office, does that which the Lord has commanded him to do; and the Lord confirms what he does, and wills that what his servant has done will be so regarded and acknowledged, as if he himself had done it” (p. 93)

When we preach God’s Word with accuracy, we’re doing what the Lord commanded us to do. According to the confession, the Lord confirms what we do and wants our listeners to regard our preaching as if He Himself had preached.

I don’t know from Sunday to Sunday who will think of my preaching like this, but I do know that this thought encourages me as I prepare for another Sunday.

I hope you are encouraged too by the thought of our derived pulpit power bringing glory to God in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

Posted on

COVID-19 Preaching: What I’m Learning

by

My Title Slide for the Past Few Weeks (built from an ABC image and
using a quote from the Psalms)

A few weeks ago I asked how the virus and lockdown were affecting your preaching and teaching. This week I wanted to take a moment and reflect on what the whole scenario is teaching me about preaching and pastoral ministry.

First, in case I had forgotten, preaching functions under the umbrella of soul-watching (cf. Hebrews 13:17). That means preaching is all about shepherding and caring for the souls entrusted to our care. No wonder it’s been so weird preaching to an empty house–no live souls!

Second, this has reaffirmed for me that I love people more than preaching. I really miss seeing the faith-family in person. The technology has been extremely helpful, but Zoom isn’t quite the same as hugs and holy kisses on Sunday.

Third, I am learning that there is something special about corporate worship. Something special happens when God’s people congregate to praise Him in song, Scripture, and sacraments. And, of course, important for us is the fact that something special happens when a soul-watcher speaks for God to them about them and their relationship with Him.

Finally–and I know you could add many more–I still have to be spiritually moved by the Scriptures before I try to move them with the Scriptures. In other words, preaching through technology has made me even more aware of my need for the Spirit’s transformation before I rely on Him to work on them. It’s been hard not to feel flat leading up to the recording sessions.

Yet, I am confident our Lord continues to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) through your efforts.

Randal

P.S. Does any of this ring true in your situation? I love to hear your thoughts on this too.

Posted on

The Connection Between My Devotional Life And My Sermon Delivery

by

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

 

Posted on

Pastor, Scholar, or Both?

by

google-scholar

How do you see yourself? More of a pastor or more of a scholar?

I’m fortunate each year to study with pastors from all over the world who are both pastors and scholars. They are pursuing advanced degrees partly because they enjoy studying hard. But I also rub shoulders with pastors who do not see themselves as the scholarly type. If you see yourself like that, you need to read John Piper’s segment of the little paperback, The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor. Professors will enjoy Carson’s take on how the professor functions for the Church.

Piper writes, “[God] did not have to give the church a book….So the very existence of the Bible as a book signals that the pastor is called to read carefully and accurately and thoroughly and honestly. That is, he is called to be a ‘scholar’….If I am scholarly, it is not…because I try to stay on the cutting edge in the discipline of biblical and theological studies. I am far too limited for that [Piper is very open about his limitations in his, largely autobiographical chapter]. What ‘scholarly’ would mean for me is that the greatest object of knowledge is God and that he has revealed himself authoritatively in a book; and that I should work with all my might and all my heart and all my soul and all my mind to know and enjoy him and to make him known for the joy of others. Surely this is the goal of every pastor” (pp. 66-67).

When you put it like that, surely this is our goal. Let me give you two ways to move in that direction if you don’t see yourself functioning as the scholarly type:

  • Subscribe to a scholarly journal, read at least two articles and the book review section in each issue. I enjoy BibSac, JEHS, and Preaching journals, but there are many good ones to choose from .
  • Make reading in biblical and theology studies a regular part of your week. There is a lot of pressure on us to read only church growth or practical ministry material. Find authors that will stretch your ability to think theologically.

Study hard and preach well for the sake of His reputation in the Church and in the world.

Randal

Posted on

Isaiah 56:9-12 Theology through Negative Example

by

Isaiah 56:9-12 presents a stern warning for church leaders. Theology is presented through the extremely negative example of Israel’s spiritual leaders. Unlike the feast of Isaiah 55:1, the feast of Isaiah 56:9 is one we want to avoid at all cost! We do not want to to be the main course at that feast. One way to avoid that is to follow our Lord’s example and instruction in places such as 1 Peter 5:1-4. Our Lord lived out the opposite of Israel’s shepherds and faith in Him gives us the desire and capacity to shepherd like Him. God help us to do so!