Preaching Trends

February 5, 2009February 6, 2009 / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

We need to be aware of preaching trends. Like all trends, they come and go over time, influencing some while leaving others untouched. Trends can be overt and in your face, or subtle shifts that sweep people along unawares. For instance, D.A. Carson writes concerning the current focus on preaching narrative:

The current focus on narrative preaching has rightly broadened the older emphasis on discourse passages from the Bible. If it helps us better handle all the genres of Scripture faithfully and responsibly, it will be to the good. If it merely tips us from one cultural preference (viz., discourse) to another (viz., narrative), we have not gained anything. Indeed, because narrative is intrinsically more hermeneutically “open” than discourse, the move may merely contribute toward moving us away from truth. How much better to remain faithful to biblical truth yet simultaneously focused on Scripture’s existential bite. (Preach the Word, 185.)

This quote helpfully points out several truths about “trends.” (1) A trend is neither good nor bad in itself, it should be evaluated as part of the broader picture of church ministry. (2) A trend may be justifiable on one level, but may bring with it side effects or net results that are more sinister. (3) Potentially sinister net results do not automatically disqualify a trend as worthy of our consideration.

Let’s be neither shallow homileto-fashionistas, jumping from one pulpit bandwagon to the next, nor stubborn traditionalists unwilling to learn, thinking we know all we need to know, and committed to increasing irrelevance. We need to be aware of preaching trends. We need to be discerning.

Spontaneous Preacher Combustion

February 4, 2009February 3, 2009 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote that “Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire.” In fact, allow me to quote further (from 97-98 of Preaching and Preachers):

What is the chief end of preaching? I like to think it is this. It is to give men and women a sense of God and his presence. . . . I can forgive the preacher almost anything if he gives me a sense of God, if he gives me something for my soul . . . if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my Saviour, and the magnificence of the gospel.

That’s a great thought to ponder as we prepare for the next message. In reality, it may take longer than from now til Sunday. Let’s face it, the title for this post is patently ridiculous. The kind of divinity and spirituality implied by Lloyd-Jones’ reference to a man on fire is not the kind that comes by “spontaneous” combustion. It comes through the long slow warming of the soul in the warmth of God’s embrace, through slow-cooked spirituality as the preacher is consistently exposed to the burning truths of God’s Word, through the patient grace of One who does not put out a dying ember, but gently fans it into flame over time. Don’t expect miraculous fire if you are not spending extended time in the presence of God. Only if we are much at home with God are we likely to give listeners a real sense of God. Spontaneous? No. Fire? Let’s hope so.

Build Confidence in the Word

February 3, 2009 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

John MacArthur writes about the clarity of the Bible in his chapter in Preach the Word. Let me quote him here – not new information (I hope), but important information well worthy of our pondering:

The student of Scripture need not fear that its message is unknowable. Rather, he can rejoice in knowing that God revealed himself and his plan of salvation in a way that men can understand. Not only does the Scripture repeatedly claim that God revealed what is written within its pages (over 2,000 times in fact), it also describes itself as that which gives light (Ps. 119:105; 2Pet. 1:19a), is profitable (2Tim. 3:16-17), explains salvation (2Tim. 3:15b), addresses common people (cf. Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:37; Eph. 1:1; 1Cor. 1:2), can be understood by children (Deut. 6:6-7; Eph. 6:4; 2Tim. 3:14-15), and should be used to test the validity of religious ideas (Acts 17:11; cf. 2Cor. 10:5; 1Thess. 5:21-22). It is the truth (John 17:17) that sets men free (John 8:31-36). Thus, to deny the clarity of Scripture is to call into question not only the Bible’s own self-claims, but also God’s ability to communicate clearly.

Let’s make sure these truths are fresh in our hearts. It’s easy to begin with strong confidence in the Word, only for it to fade over time. Is it time to refresh and renew our understanding of and commitment to the clarity and power of God’s Word?

Let’s also make sure we don’t undermine our listeners’ confidence in the Bible. There are certainly parts that are harder to understand, the Bible itself acknowledges that (2Pet. 3:16). But the main message of the Bible is clear for any who will read it . . . so let’s encourage them to do just that!

Smooth Preaching Doesn’t Mark

February 2, 2009 / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

I like this term, “smooth preaching.” I was just reading about it and resonating with the thought. Peter Jensen uses the term in his chapter on the role of the seminary in the training of the preacher. (Preach the Word, p216.) He writes, “There is a variety of smooth preaching that replicates what it sees as the main theme of a text but does not bring to the surface anything in the text that surprises, contradicts, creates tension.” It is the kind of preaching that rushes too easily to conclusions or fails to spot the points of stress in a text. It is dull preaching that dulls the Word of God.

I suppose some might wish that someone would publish a book, perhaps a New International Textual Stress Points Commentary, or a Passage-By-Passage Jagged Edge Guide. But in reality, there is simple no better way to avoid such smooth preaching than this – spend significant time dwelling in a text, wrestling with the text, allowing the text to wrestle with you, opening your own heart to the text, leaning so close to it that it can draw blood. Close and personal encounters with God’s Word will bring the Bible into real conflict with sin in our lives. It will expose and challenge our pride, anger, doubts, motivations, attitudes, habits, tendencies. If we keep texts at arms length, then we will preach smooth sermons. If we handle texts only briefly before preaching the obvious, then we will preach smooth sermons. If we really prayerfully vulnerably wrestle with a text, and lose, then we will be in a better position to preach sermons with the textual edge bared to make its mark. The Word of God does cut, but smooth preaching will only conceal that edge. Smooth preaching doesn’t mark.