Book Review: Preaching OT Narratives

Preaching Old Testament Narratives

Benjamin H. Walton [Grand Rapids MI, Kregel, 2016]

You hear very few sermons on the Old Testament anymore. Here is a book that will help a Pastor to feel more confident in doing so.

Walton begins where preaching should begin with hermeneutics. This is fundamental to preaching, specially to preach with authority. He is correct that preaching with authority is to preach the Word. However, he seems to overlook the job of the Holy Spirit and what used to be called the unction of the Spirit in preaching. He emphasizes genre as an essential unit the Old Testament text and must be preached in that light. He is correct in indicating Old Testament text differs from the New Testament epistles, not being as direct or as understandable. Be careful. Walton, uses his own jargon in this book (example: “CUT,” meaning complete unit of. “THT” take home truth, “OTM;” original Theological message, among others). These are generally useful.  He uses this jargon in giving an overview of the steps of his hermeneutical process.

The second part of the book is on delivering the message. He starts this with the four pillars of excellent preaching—Accuracy, relevance, clarity, and inspiring. He briefly writes on the common ways of preaching text (verse by verse, alliteration, principlization, etc., but does not appear to be a fan of any of these). He rather gives his own method, explaining it section by section, which takes up most of the book. This is the heart of the book, where he gives the nitty-gritty of putting together the sermon. In a nutshell, his method involves:

·         Create an Introduction (Chapter 5). Included in this is what I call the basic ingredients of an introduction that he brings out—identification, relevance, and setting the stage. Somewhat simple, but necessary ingredients.

·         Preach through the CUT (compete units of thought) movement (Part 1: Chapter 6). He says these movements are effective and illuminate the text. He warns not to make these main points; they are only to keep the sermon on focus. Make the connections to real life.

·         Preach through the CUT (Part 2: Chapter 7). This is a continuation of chapter 6. He says the CUT movements can simply be summarized, read and explaine, or used as lead-ins. Movements are not the same as main ideas.

·         State the Take-Home truth (Chapter 8). What he refers to Take-Home truth, I would classify as application. He defines it as a timeless or contemporary expression of the OTM (the original Theological Message).

·         Help listeners “buy” the Take-Home truth (Chapter 9). This is to overcome objections listeners may have with the Take-Home truth. This is a helpful chapter.

·         Develop Picture-Painting Applications (Chapter 10). He states preaching is about life. Painting life pictures from the sermon gives it added meaning.

·         Move to Christ (Chapter 11). He deals with the meaning of preaching Christ in the Old Testament narrative that the sermon must reflect New Covenant reality about by Christ (a definition not all will agree with).

·         Finishing well in the conclusion (Chapter 12).

·         From good to excellent (Chapter 13). He gives us elements both outside the pulpit and inside to makes us better.

 In an appendix, he gives some example sermons.

My overall evaluation is that this will be helpful in preaching the Old Testament. Preaching from the Old Testament is a common struggle among preachers, in which this can help. He gives good detail of this method of preaching, which some would equally apply to other types of sermons. However, everyone will not agree with the overall method which is presented in a rigid manner. At times, he seems too narrow. However, these will be overlooked by most experienced preachers. This is a good solid work that will be a benefit to preachers on Old Testament narratives.

Thanks to Kregel for the free provision of work for my review.

COMMON MISTAKES IN PREACHING

1. Not praying enough. I was once told in making a sermon, pray it in; work it out.
2. Not studying enough—this includes not simply the text, but includes the audience and the circumstances of life.
3. Preaching to long.
4. Preaching AT the people instead of TO the people. One thing that helps is to direct the sermon to yourself and let them listen.
5. Giving a commentary rather than a sermon.
6. Not enough Bible and too much application or too much Bible and not enough application.
   

Balance is the Key to a good sermon.  

PREACHING (1)

Preaching is not only necessary, but it is primary for the Pastor. G. Campbell Morgan wrote: “The supreme work of the Christian minister is the work of preaching. This is a day in which one of our great perils is that of doing a thousand little things to the neglect of the one thing, which is preaching.”[1] That is more true today than ever. In the last couple of decades there has been a movement away from strong expository preaching to more, what I would refer to as watered down devotional preaching, centering upon what people want to hear, instead of what they need to hear. Sin has been censored from the pulpit, salvation is degraded to self liberation; and the message of the Word into psychological babble.

Merrill Unger pointed out some years ago that there are four things that produce the state we find ourselves in today in regard to preaching:[2] 

·        The prevailing lack of a Bible centered emphasis in the pulpit.

·        The movement to ecumenicity.

·        The worldliness of the church compromises our preaching and produces powerlessness.

·        Secularism of our educational and institutional system.

How can we prevent these things from happening in our ministry? The only one who can change and counter this trend is the Pastor. The only method that will counter this is the preaching of the Word. It starts with you as a Pastor. May I suggest three things to renew your excitement about preaching? It starts not in the pulpit, but in your person.

First, prepare yourself, not your sermon.  There must be a preparation of the messenger, before he can prepare the message. This order is never to be reversed. This takes determination and time. Each day must have a time to prepare yourself to speak for God, by meeting with God. This is so easily lost in the hustle and bustle of demands of the day. In the day of social media, it may mean turning off Facebook and facing the Book and its author. Preparing yourself means reading the Word, not for a sermon, but personal stimulation and devotion. Lloyd-Jones warns us that “One of the most fatal habits a preacher can ever fall into is to read his Bible simply in order to find text for sermons. This is a real danger; it must be recognized and fought and resisted with all your might.”[3] While devotional books are good, devotional time with God and His Word is better. It means praying. Prayer is vital, yet we fail in this point more than anywhere else in our relationship with God. Without prayer the result is our sermons are characterized by intellectualism rather than spirituality.

 In meeting with God we should:

• Clear our minds, or in the words of Douglas White, “We must think ourselves empty.”[4]
• Read ourselves full.
• Pray ourselves clean.

Second, remember the duty of preaching. As you begin, stop and think of what you are doing. What you are opening is the Word of God, not just some book.

·        It is the Divine Source of Truth (John 17:17).

·        It is the Divine Authority (2 Timothy 3:16). It is God’s breathed out Word; inspired, inerrant, and all authority.

·        Your Divine Mandate (2 Timothy 4:2). Preaching is the Divine method of bringing salvation and edification to your people.

You have a sacred duty to God to preach His Word. Thus, we must be students of the Word. If you are empty, your sermons will be empty. Be filled with the Word and fully preach it.

Third, remember to be dependent in your preaching. You do not preach alone, or should not. You must recognize your dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Unger warns us that, “To enjoy the full, untrammeled teaching ministry of the Spirit he must also be yielded to God’s will, adjusted to God’s purpose, and under the full control of the Spirit’s wisdom and power.”[5] The power in your preaching comes not from your ability (as great as it may be), but your availability to the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers your words, convicts your people, and saves their souls.

We are channels for the springs of living water, not the reservoirs of knowledge. People need to drink of the springs of living water, not swim in the deep reservoir of your knowledge.

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[1]  Quoted by John MacArthur, PREACHING, [Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2005], 4.

[2]  Merrill f. Unger, PRINCIPLES OF EXPOSITORY PREACHING, [Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1973], 12-16.

[3]  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, PREACHING & PREACHERS, [Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1972], 172.

[4]  Douglas M. White, THE EXCELLENCE OF EXPOSITION, [Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune NJ, 1977], 97.

[5]  Unger, 58. 

MY 5 FAVORITE BOOKS ON PREACHING:

1. BIBLICAL PREACHING, Haddon W Robinson, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids MI
2. PRINCIPLES OF EXPOSITORY PREACHING, Merrill F. Unger, Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI
3. THE EXCELLENCE OF EXPOSITION, Douglas White, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ
4. LECTURES TO MY STUDENTS, C.H. Spurgeon, AP&P, Grand Rapids MI
5. PREACHING & PREACHERS, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI  

Book Review: ONE YEAR TO BETTER PREACHING

One Year to Better Preaching: Fifty-two Exercises to Hone Your Skills

© 2013 by Daniel Overdorf, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.

 

Who does not want to improve their preaching? Daniel Overdorf has delivered a helpful book on doing just that. I am amazed when talking to Pastors how many once they leave Bible College or Seminary do very little to expand their preaching ability. I spent time over the years reading a number of books on preaching. However, many of them lack practical suggestions on how to improve by exercises one could do. This is the value of this book. It gives you a year’s worth of practical exercises to help you improve your presentation, sharpen your skills, and to become a better preacher.

He addresses eight categories that one should try in improve and gives practical exercises to do so. This includes: Prayer and Preaching; Bible Interpretation; Understanding listeners;  Sermon Construction; Illustration and Application; Word Crafting; The Preaching Event; Sermon Evaluation.

Of the 52 suggestions, they are not coming out of simply an academic exercise, but each has been tried in real life churches by real life preachers. Each section has testimonials at the end by Pastors who have tried the exercise and how it worked for them. This is not to say that every suggestion will work for a certain preacher, but it does indicate these exercises are worth a try. It does not mean that one should try a different exercise every week. I would expect a preacher to be subjective and try exercise over a month or so, evaluate if it was worthwhile, and then go on to another. However, you decide to do it, and even if a specific exercise does not work for you, over time this book will help you improve your skills. Much in this book is not new or unknown, but it does stimulate to look at the skills in a practical way in order to improve them. I wish this book came out 40 years ago when I was first starting out as a preacher. Even if you are doing what is in this book, it will make you think about what you are doing and how you are doing it. I saw some things in these exercises that I already did, but never gave them much thought. It did make me think about those things. Preacher, get this book!  Use it. You will be better in preaching of the Word. 

[Thanks to Kregel Publishing for providing a free copy of this book for my honest review.]

Preaching and Teaching

Michael Patton, of Credo House Ministries, recently gave these differences between preaching and teaching on difficult passages:

Preaching is exhortation; teaching is education.

Preaching is the discharge of the gospel of hope; teaching is discipleship of the gospel of hope.

Preaching puts wind in the sails; teaching put an anchor in the ground.

Preaching raises our eyes to the things we know with great conviction; teaching helps us to understand what things we can have legitimate conviction about.

Preaching tells you which option is correct; teaching gives you all the options.

OLIVET DISCOURSE #7

UNIVERSAL PREACHING AND EVANGELISM

Matthew 24:14   Mark 13:10

In the midst of tribulation and persecution will come the greatest time of evangelism in the history of the world. Mark says the gospel of the Kingdom “must first be preached to all the nations” (Mark 13:10). Matthew adds, “then the end shall come” (Matthew 24:14). The clear meaning is that before the end can come the Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached to all nations. Bible students disagree on when the gospel is preached to all the world. The main views are:

THE HISTORICAL VIEW

Many hold to a historical view that this has been fulfilled. The claim is that “the substantial fulfillment of this prediction is found in the missionary labors of the apostles.”[1] A.T. Roberson holds “that Paul in Colossians 1:6, 23 claims that the gospel has spread all over the world.”[2]

Does Colossians 1:6, 23 make a claim for fulfillment of the universal preaching of the gospel? No! Paul’s claim is to the universal appeal and scope of the gospel. That the gospel is bearing fruit in the world; not that the gospel has been preached in all the world. Part of the problem is in translation. The preposition is en, and is commonly translated “in” and not “to” (as in the KJV). It “signifies the location where the preaching takes place.”[3] The word creature would be more accurately translated “creation.” The best translation of the phrase should be “preached in all creation under heaven.” Paul is talking about the sphere of preaching, not that every creature was preached unto. Campbell notes: “To interpret and translate this to every creature is inconsistent with the known historical facts.”[4]

THE CHURCH FULFILLMENT VIEW

This view holds that the gospel of salvation is now being preached in all the world. The Church is fulfilling this prophecy. We could not agree more that the business of the Christ is to preach the gospel to the entire world. Today the gospel is being spread as never before. We praise God  for it, and pray that it continues. But, we do not hold that the church will fulfill this verse.

We reject this view, not because we believe that the church will not preach the gospel to the entire world, but because of the specific gospel message. The text clearly defines the gospel as the “Gospel of the Kingdom.”

The word gospel is the Greek noun evangelion, which originally “denoted a reward for good tidings; later, the idea of reward dropped, and the word stood for the good news itself.”[5] There are different good tidings or gospels revealed in Scriptures, and they do not always deal with the same thing. For example, the good news in 1 Kings 1:42 has to do with David being made King; it has nothing to do with salvation of the soul. A gospel may include salvation, but possess different ramifications of that salvation dispensationally. Baker points this out saying: “To be sure there is the “gospel of salvation (Ephesians 1:13) which is basic to all the other messages of God’s good news, but not all of God’s good news concerns salvation from sin. Some of the good news concerns what God has saved the sinner to, which might be called good news for the saint. Some of the good news concerns a particular program of God, such as the gospel of the kingdom, which is the good new that God is going to establish His kingdom in the earth.”[6]

Thus, the careful student of the Word must distinguish just what gospel the Lord is speaking about. The Discourse clearly identifies the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10) as the subject, a gospel that is identified with the nation Israel, and not the Church.

THE KINGDOM GOSPEL FULFILLED VIEW

The “gospel of the kingdom” is a very specific gospel that deals with Israel, their Messiah, and His Messianic kingdom. Its foundation is the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7). In this covenant, God established that from David’s seed one would come to establish His kingdom forever. In Daniel 2:44 we see that this kingdom will be set up on earth with a heavenly king. In fact, the phrases the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven have their origin in this verse. The God of heaven will establish His kingdom on earth. The “gospel of the kingdom” is the good news of the coming Millennial Kingdom where Christ will rule from the throne of David in the city of Jerusalem. It was this gospel that Jesus preached and declared “at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23; 9:35; Mark 1:4-5). It contained both a salvation message (repentance) and a prophetic message (the kingdom is at hand). It is this specific gospel that must be proclaimed to all the world before the end of the age.

“The “gospel of the kingdom” is not the gospel for the church the body of Christ. The hope of the Church is not an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom (1 Tim. 4:18; Phil. 3:20). We preach the gospel of Grace for the dispensation of Grace. While both gospels contain the elements of grace and salvation, they are not the same. Baker comments on the distinctions:

“There is grace in the gospel which relates especially to Israel, but God’s dealings with Israel are based upon covenant promises with Israel placed as Head over the gentiles (Deuteronomy 28:13). In the present dispensation, Israel’s covenant dealings have been set aside. Israel has fallen and has been cast away as enemies of the gospel (Romans 11:12, 15, 28). Now God is dealing with an alienated world of both Jews and Gentiles who have absolutely no claim upon God. God’s extension of salvation to such a world is completely upon the basis of grace. For this reason, the gospel of this dispensation is called the gospel of the grace of God, just as the dispensation is called the dispensation of the grace of God (Ephesians 3:2).”[7]

Our hope under the gospel of grace is not the fulfillment of the gospel of the kingdom and the Millennium. Our position and hope is heavenly (Ephesians 1:20), as is our citizenship (Philippians 1:20). The Church is caught up (raptured) into its heavenly kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17); then the continuation and fulfillment in the reign of Christ on earth in the Millennium. The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom will again be sounded out and find its fulfillment in the reign of Christ on earth in the Millennium.

In the book of Revelation we see some of the process of the gospel being preached to all the world. In Revelation 7 we see that the remnant of 144,000 Jews will be sealed (Revelation 7:4). Afterward, a great multitude is seen from “all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 9:4, 14:1). This is a technical formula expressing universality. It is believed by many that the multitude is the result of the 144,000, and that they are the evangelists that take the gospel to the whole word. Their ministry will start during the “beginning of sorrows” and continue through the “great tribulation” because of Divine protection. However, at best that is an inference, not a statement of Scripture. We do know that Scripture does say there will be angelic help in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to the word (Revelation 14:6-7). There will also be the ministry of the “two witnesses” (Revelation 11:3). All three groups will be used by God to accomplish the universal preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.

In the universal preaching we see three main elements of promised salvation in the Old Testament fulfilled. There will be the salvation of individual Israelites as seen in the 144,000 and the true remnant of Israel. There also will be individual Gentile salvation as seen by the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 60:15; Zechariah 8:23, 14:16). And there will be a national salvation of Israel at the coming of Christ (Romans 11:26-27). This indicates worldwide revival in the midst of tribulation. The “gospel of the kingdom” will be preached to every nation. “Then the end will come” says Matthew 24:14. In fact, the end will not come before these events take place. The gospel will be preached to all the world is a condition that is necessary before the end of the age. The end here is the end of the whole tribulation period, and the second coming of Christ, to set up His Kingdom on earth. 

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[1] Henrich Meyer, THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, 412.

[2]  A.T. Robertson, WORD PICTURES, 1:375.

[3]  Peter T. O’Brien, WBC: COLOSSIANS, PHILEMON, 70.

[4]  Ernest R Campbell, A COMMENTARY OF COLOSSIANS & PHILEMON BASED ON THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT, 66.

[5]  W.E. Vine, EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY, 2:167.

[6]  C.F. Baker, DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY, 63.

[7]  Ibid, 328.

THE OTHER SIDE OF PREACHING: LISTENING

We think that to have an active part in the worship service, one must preach, teach, or sing. However that is not true. Listening is an active part of the worship service. George Sweazey reminds us: “The hearers play the leading role in the preaching drama. Everything depends on what they do. They come for the great adventure of experiencing more of eternal truth, and they leave for the even greater adventure of living by that truth. No occupation could be more important.”[1]

We who sit in the pew tend to forget our role in worship. While the preacher spends time in preparing the sermon, few of us spend time preparing to listen to the sermon. Why is it that in church our minds are at other places during the sermon? We get sleepy? We come so easily distracted? We do not follow along in our Bibles? There may be other reasons for this, but I submit that the major reason is that we are not prepared to listen. Here are some keys that I have learned:

1. Be physically ready to listen. What do I mean? I mean I must be rested and well fed, and have my attitude in check. If I stay up too late, or do not eat something before I go to church it affects my listening. Even my attitude affects listening. Studies show that listening is greatly affected by our attitudes. Attitudes are a part of our physical well being. Attitudes that hinder are that of bias, worry, fear, and anger. Good listening is hard work for many times there are objects that must be overcome in listening. That good listening is work can be verified by physical elements during listening. Tests show that concentrated listening increases the heart rate, blood flow, and slightly increased body temperature. It is a physical activity and we need to be physically ready.
2. Be prayerfully ready. That means pray. Pray for the preacher, but pray also for you as a listener. Psalm 119 has an example prayer for this. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law” (119:18).  
3. Stay focused. This is obvious, but hard to do. Here are some clues to use to help you stay focused. Keep eye contact with the preacher. Do not try to outguess the preacher. By that I mean to do get ahead of him thinking you know what is next (even if you may be correct). In doing so you are not listening nor focused on the preacher’s present point.
4. Take notes of the sermon. Studies show that you retain only 25 to 50% of what you hear. Studies show that taking notes and the use of PowerPoint increases what is retained. While some may consider this a distraction, the alert mind is able to multitask—listen and write at the same time.  It does help retention.
5. Do not be judgmental while listening. Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, our role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect on what is being said and ask questions after the sermon.  

Remember as the preacher is preaching, the Holy Spirit is speaking. Our main concern should be hearing what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us.

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[1]  George E. Sweazey, PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS, [Prentice-Hill, 1976], 310.

Preaching Ecclesiastes

I received my copy of Bibliotheca Sacra this week. In it, John Johnson has a very good study on “The Special relevance of Ecclesiastes for Contemporary Culture.” In part of the article he relates why we should preach from this book. They are:

• Its form suggests it was written to be preached.
• It is the Word of God.
• It is great literature.
• It is necessary for Pastoral work.
• It speaks to the times.
• It is a realistic appraisal of life.

He goes on to give clues to preaching the book. A worthwhile read.

[John E. Johnson, “The Special relevance of Ecclesiastes for Contemporary Culture,” BIBLIOTHECA SACRA, Vol. 169 Number 674, April-June 2012.]

EXPOSITORY PREACHING

Paul exhorts us to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2). Preaching “is the supreme work of the Christian ministry” said G. Campbell Morgan. One of the sad things today is that preaching the Word is missing in a large segment of our pulpits. Our pulpits are infiltrated with entertainment, psychology, and relativism, instead of anointed Holy Spirit preaching of the Word of God. When we do hear the Word, it is watered down with worldliness and humanism. Many times the preaching of the word is secondary to the church meeting. I was at a large church where the service was an over an hour long. In that hour we had a lot of singing, a drama skit, and a 15 minute sermon which made reference to the Bible twice. Many went out entertained, but few were edified. That is the state of affairs in many churches today.
 

I agree with Douglas White who says “preaching is primary…expository preaching is paramount” (The Excellence of Exposition, p. 16). What is expository preaching? Haddon Robinson I believe gives the best definition: “Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his hearers.” (Biblical Preaching, 20).

Two ingredients are necessary for expository preaching:

1. It must be Bible centered. This does not mean it is preaching about the Bible, nor using the Bible as a textual anthology or illustration. It means that the preaching deals with Bible truth. Its aim is to explain the truth from a biblical text and context, to make plain to the hearer the meaning and to apply that meaning to their needs. It is always textual in source. The point of the message must be the natural result of truth that is drawn from the passage. Thus, the preacher must spend time with the text comprehending the meaning and application that the text offers to his people. His job is to bring out of the Scripture what is in it, and not put into the text what is not there.
2. Its aim is Biblical instruction and application. The aim of preaching is edification. However, preaching is NOT just teaching. Teaching is centered in the intellect; preaching aims at the heart and will by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Teaching is didactic in order to impart knowledge. Preaching is truth aimed at the will, calling for a reaction to the truth heard by the listener. The expository preacher must struggle to apply the Bible to his hearers. He wants them to see, feel, and act upon the truth of the passage or text. He wants to edify, not simply educate. When the truth of the passage is taught and applied to accomplish a reaction from the hearer, true expository preaching has taken place.

Preaching that is needed

Years ago, when I was pastor of the old First Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, I preached the commencement sermon once and conducted chapel several times at the Citadel, the military college. The Commandant was General Summerall, once Chief of Staff, a fine old soldier. I remember that he turned to me after one of the services and said simply, \“You get under these boys’ skins.\” I have wished many times since to be the kind of preacher who would always do just that. Too much preaching nowadays pats the back and tickles the ear but does not get under the skin. There is no conviction and therefore no conversion. I am thinking not only of the ministry of reproof and rebuke but also of the message of inspiration, of encouragement, of comfort. People go out of church at noon with the depths unstirred, the heart untouched, the conscience unpricked. Of course, it is dangerous preaching at times. When Stephen preached, the people were cut to the heart and he died for it. He got under the skin. Paul was good at getting under the skin and world gave him no plaques or dinners in his honor. And the Greatest of all got under so many skins that the crowds crucified Him. He set the example and His gospel does no good until it gets under the skin. --Vance Havner