“Concerning the outward order of things, [worship and preaching] we know that our Lord Jesus Christ would have men to assemble themselves together. I grant we are not bound all to be in one place, and men also preach in various churches in one town. Why? Because the whole world cannot be present to hear one sermon. Yet for all that, because of our slowness we are so bound that we must gather ourselves together in the name of God. He who wants to stay at home, despising the common order, and says, ‘I can read at home and edify myself sufficiently there,’ that man breaks asunder the unity of the faith and tears in pieces the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his strength.” (John Calvin, Sermon on Deuteronomy 27:1-10)
Category Archives: Preaching
Pastors’ Words or God’s Words
“Pastors are not appointed to set forth whatsoever doctrine seems good to themselves, or to bring men’s souls into subjection and bondage to them, or to make laws and articles of faith at their own pleasure; but rather only to bring about the rule of God that His Word may be hearkened to.” (John Calvin, Sermon on Deuteronomy 27:1-10)
Pastors Need Courage
“Courage is the greatest lack today. If all men in the ministry acted upon what they know we would have a far better ministry.” (Williamn Still, The Work of the Pastor)
“Preachers need courage–courage to the let the Bible say what it means, courage to see the world as it is, and courage to address the difference between the two…The conviction that there is a God who has spoken in the Bible is the root fo all courage in preaching and teaching…Courage watches the culture and the church, without blinking, to address them as they are, not as we prefer to imagine them.” (Daniel Doriani, Putting the Truth to Work)
Assembling Under the Word
“How is the covenant God to govern his people after the covenant mediator is dead, the one through whose ministry they have been redeemed? The covenant will continue as the covenant God assembles his covenant people under his preached covenant word. Deuteronomy is the mandate for the people of God to assemble under the preached word of God, or to be more accurate, the written word preached. This is why Deuteronomy is not really a law book, but a preaching book.” (Christopher Ash, The Priority of Preaching, p. 23)
Book Review: Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture
Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching by Graeme Goldsworthy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I do not think I have ever read a book that weaves together theology, specifically biblical theology, with preaching in such an excellent way. Goldsworthy’s book challenged me on numerous levels. I am not sure I agree with everything he says, but his diagrams, clarity of writing and love for Christ make this an excellent antidote to much of the shallow preaching that fills the pulpits of America. I felt it was far superior to Brian Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching. This book is meat and will push a pastor to look closely at his theology, as well as his preaching.
In the first section he examines the relationship between preaching and biblical theology. In the second section he goes through the various genres and gives examples of how to preach Christ from all of Scripture.
My main question is one of application. If Christ is the central point of all of Scripture, which cannot be denied, how do we bridge from what Christ did to how we are supposed to live? Goldsworthy is right to say that all of our action as Christians must flow out of the Gospel. But how does this translate to application in preaching? Again Goldsworthy does a good job of showing how the point of the Old Testament is not primarily to give us character studies, but to show the progress of God’s redemptive work in history. So the point of Daniel is not primarily to show us Daniel’s character, but God’s ruling over the nations and his delivering his people. But again, how do I apply books like Daniel without sinking into moralism? I wish he had answered these questions more clearly.
Still, it is a great book and one I will be referring to often.
Singing & Slaying 