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Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue

By Dave Cruver on February 21, 2007 2:46 PM | printer | | | comments (0) | trackbacks (0)

If all Scripture testifies of Christ, the law of God surely cannot be an exception. As we study the law in a seminary context, then, nothing can be more important than to study its witness to Christ. Ministers of the gospel need to learn how to preach Christ from the law.

In fact, the law bears witness to Christ in a number of ways, some of which I shall discuss in the following points.

1. The Decalogue presents the righteousness of Christ. When we say that Christ was the perfect lamb of God and the perfect example for the Christian life, we are saying that he perfectly obeyed God’s law. He never put any god before his Father. He never worshipped idols or took God’s name in vain. The Pharisees arguments to the contrary notwithstanding, he never violated the Sabbath command. So, the Decalogue tells us what Jesus was like. It shows us his perfect character.

2. The Decalogue shows our need of Christ. God’s law convicts us of sin and drives us to Jesus. It shows us who we are apart from Christ. We are idolaters, blasphemers, Sabbath-breakers, and so on.

3. The Decalogue shows the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. In him we are holy. God sees us, in Christ, as law-keepers.

4. The Decalogue shows us how God wants us to give thanks for Christ. In the Decalogue, obedience follows redemption. God tells his people that he has brought them out of Egypt. The law is not something they must keep to merit redemption. God has redeemed them. Keeping the law is the way they thank God for salvation freely given. So the Heidelberg Confession expounds the law under the category of gratefulness.

5. Christ is the substance of the law. This point is related to the first, but it is not quite the same. Here I wish to say that Jesus is not only a perfect law-keeper (according to his humanity), but that according to his deity he is the one we honor and worship when we keep the law:

(a) The first commandment teaches us to worship Jesus as the one and only Lord, Savior, and mediator (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5).

(b) In the second commandment, Jesus is the one perfect image of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). Our devotion to him precludes worship of any other image.

(c) In the third commandment, Jesus is the name of God, that name to which every knee shall bow (Phil. 2:10-11; cf. Is. 45:23).

(d) In the fourth commandment, Jesus is our Sabbath rest. In his presence, we cease our daily duties and hear his voice (Luke 10:38-42).

(e) In the fifth commandment, we honor Jesus who has brought us as his “sons” (Heb. 2:10) to glory.

(f) In the sixth commandment, we honor him as the life (John 10:10; 14:6; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:4), Lord of life (Acts 3:15), the one who gave his life that we might live (Mk. 10:45).

(g) In the seventh commandment, we honor him as our bridegroom who gave himself to cleanse us, to make us his pure, spotless bride (Eph. 5:22-33). We love him as no other.

(h) In the eighth commandment, we honor Jesus as our inheritance (Eph. 1:11) and as the one who provides all the needs for his people in this world and beyond.

(i) In the ninth commandment, we honor him as God’s truth (John 1:17; 14:6), in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen (2 Cor. 1:20).

(j) In the tenth commandment, we honor him as our complete sufficiency (2 Cor. 3:5; 12:9) to meet both our external needs and the renewed desires of our hearts.

~John M. Frame - Originally posted here.

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  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Apologetics
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Biblical Resources
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Christian Worldview
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Family Blogs
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Gospel Blogs
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
Gospel-Centered Audio Sermons
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
News
  • Originally posted here." >Preaching Wednesday: Preaching Christ from the Decalogue
  • Preaching Wednesday: Becoming a Better Preacher (Suggestion Number One)
    Every preacher has a favorite preacher. I know a few pastors who admire John Piper, but did you know John Piper also admires a preacher or two himself? John Piper admires Jonathan Edwards. Piper also admires Sinclair Ferguson. He said that if he had to choose a pastor for himself, it would be Sinclair. Tim Keller admires Edmund Clowney, as well as, Dick Lucas. Is it any wonder great preachers listen to great preachers? So the question is, how can you become a great preacher? One caveat before I answer this question, even though this small suggestion can/will help you prepare your own sermons and help you become a more engaging preacher of God's Word, this is no substitute for your own hard work as you prepare your sermons. I am not proposing a scheme to plagiarize from these great preachers. I am suggesting that plunging yourself in the realm of great preaching is to help you become a great preacher. But above all, do not sacrifice biblical fidelity to become an engaging preacher. Add to and build upon your biblical fidelity. With that said, on top of the blood, sweat, and tears comprising the hard work required to be a faithful, Christ-Centered preacher, I believe a helpful key in honing in on your skill is not only to listen to great preachers, but to study how they preach. Compare, for instance, John Piper, Tim Keller, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Mark Driscoll, Mark Lauterbach, David Fairchild, among many, many, many others. Each preach differently than the rest, yet each are great preachers. The key is to figure out how each takes the building blocks of a sermon and puts them together; by building blocks, I am referring to various components such as reading of Scripture passages, explanations of passages, illustrations, examples, main points, minor points, connection(s) of Christ, opening statement, closing statement, segues, among other building blocks. Ask questions such as,
    • What building block is he using at this point in the sermon?
    • what makes this point so compelling?
    • What inflection is he using? Why is he using this inflection?
    • What kind of illustration is using to convey his point?
    • How many times did he restate his point(s)?
    • What are his restatements?
    Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, the more you go through this analyzing, the more questions you'll begin to ask. This, in turn, will help you understand how to prepare your own sermons better. Pick a preacher and listen to as many of his sermons as possible. Analyze them and figure out how they function in part and in whole. But don't limit yourself to one or two preachers. Do this with as many preachers as possible. What other tips and suggestions do you have to enhance your gift of preaching?
  • missiological." title="Should our preaching be 'expository'? The traditional categories or 'types' of preaching have been given as 'topical', 'textual', and 'expository. A topical sermon uses several passages to support a thesis about a particular topic or subject. A textual sermon uses...">Preaching Wednesday: Should Our Preaching Be Expository?
    If you ask why is expository preaching more important today, it is that we don't have the authority that preachers had in the past. The truth is that -- aside from people that have grown up in the church -- the average person in our society does not give high grades to preachers as being intellectual or even moral leaders .... Today a lawyer that's defending a minister will do every thing that he can to keep the people in the jury from thinking of him as a minister ... Therefore in a postmodem age one reason that we work with the biblical text is to have the authority of the text -- and behind that the authority of God -- behind what we say .... That is not to say that the person in the pew has to accept my view of inspiration...[but] I can [still] lay that out before them in a relevant fashion it has the power to do what my authority today can't do.
    Robinson is saying that since people don't trust the preacher anymore, you've got to show them that your thesis is not your idea alone! Rather, it is the teaching of this ancient and respected text. (Of course, secular people don't trust the Bible either, but--believe it or not--they still will trust an ancient and venerated text more than they do the preacher, as long as they don't find something overtly 'offensive' in it.) Now the reasoning or the motivation for your expository preaching will have a great impact on the way in which you expound. If you do expository preaching because you think that it is the only 'right' way then you will tend to wield the Bible as if it is strong medicine that the children need but don't want but you are going to make them take anyway. But if you do expository preaching because you believe it is the best way today to reach resistant people with the truth, then you will probably carry out your preaching course in a different way. Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Modern World, Timothy J. Keller pp. 4-5.
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