Homiletics

Making Christmas Real

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The end of the year brings a strange combination of familiar traditions and genuine challenges.  While we may be surrounded by bright lights and cheerful music, with parties and celebratory gatherings, we may also be struggling financially, wondering how we are supposed to get everything done and concerned about how we will handle looming difficulties.  It could be navigating an awkward conversation with that difficult family member, or coping with the exuberant happiness when we are grieving a loved one, or facing particular challenges that would be hard enough at any time of the year, let alone during the “festive season.”  Life can feel like too much, and Christmas sometimes makes it feel even worse.

As Christmas approaches, whether we are dealing with a particular challenge or not, we will all again be confronted with the challenge of seeing past the consumer festival and the nostalgic traditions to the reality of the incarnation.  Finding the relevance of this critical doctrine is not achieved by simply revisiting familiar truths through nostalgic traditions.  We also have a fresh need to explore how the old truth resonates with contemporary life – including all its challenges.

We are familiar with reviewing the great step taken by the Son of God from heaven to earth – the infinite taking on infancy, the glorious riches to abject poverty, etc.  We are used to noting that He came with a purpose; He took on a human body and life so that He could experience death in that body for us.  Indeed, Christmas is an arrow pointing to Easter, and it is right to think of that each year. 

More than that, Christmas is an arrow pointing to a God who is revealing Himself in the ultimate way, and an invitation opened to rich and poor, local and global, Jew and Gentile.  It is a story to stir our nostalgia and our worship, an inspiring example, and, if told well, a thriller with a villain, a deadly threat, and a perfectly-timed escape.

Actually, Christmas is a many-layered story, with intriguing characters, long-awaited prophecies, and profoundly moving themes woven together. 

And yet, we so often end up repeating it as if it were merely a nostalgic children’s story to retell like an old family tale that gets trotted out once a year as we gather around a fire and nibble on seasonal treats.

How will you engage the Christmas story this year?  How will it connect with your current experiences and concerns in a unique and fresh way in 2025?

Your life, your struggles, are very real.  So was the first Christmas.  It was not a pretty scene with snow falling peacefully.  It contained real fear, real confusion, real hopelessness, real heartbreak.  The bewilderment for Mary would have been so constant, the uncertainty for Joseph so vivid.  The emptiness and despair of life for the shepherds would have been genuinely bleak.  The intrigue of the wise men and all who came into contact with them must have been genuinely perplexing.  The first Christmas was real. 

As we come to another Christmas, let’s not just go through the motions of another ritual celebration.  Let’s not think of it only in picture book scenes, nor apply its truth in nice generalities.  Let’s be sure to bring the most real concerns of our time to the Christmas story and find in it a Saviour who has learned what it is to be human, what it is to enter into a world of political tensions, of the deadly inhumanity of men to one another, of the searing heartache of poverty.  May we find a richer appreciation for our Lord because our 2025 Christmas realities meet with His first Christmas realities.

The reality of the incarnation is big enough to maintain its relevance and to shine forth its significance, no matter how difficult our current experience might be.  May we honour God by bringing our real mess up close to the very real messiness of the first Christmas.  There we will find a true Saviour, who is Christ our Lord, and that really is good news for all of humanity. 

___________________________________________________

Peter’s book, Pleased to Dwell, is an ideal read in the Christmas season. To buy in the UK or Europe, click here, and to buy in North America, click here. Please do subscribe to the podcast, and let others know about it too:

Catching Up With The Podcast

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

It has been a busy few months and I haven’t posted links to the podcast on here as much as I had planned. But let’s do a quick catch-up:

After a sequence of weddings, I shared some thoughts on preaching at a wedding. The last months included some great interviews, including:

Andy Paterson – Firstly, on how the Word does the work of ministry, and then, the relationships of a preacher.

Marcus Honeysett – First, on painting with fire, then on the nature of true transformation, and finally, on the heart of the preacher.

Steve Mathewson, we crossed the ocean to hear from Steve on the importance of all scripture in our preaching, and then we reminisced together about lessons learned from our mutual mentor, Haddon Robinson!

Jonathan Lamb – back to the UK to hear from Jonathan on crossing cultures as we think about preaching, and then we thought about how preaching models for listeners!

Rick McKinley – and once more back to the US to hear from an experienced pastor in the Portland metro area on connections required to connect with our listeners, and a great discussion about the role of humility in preaching.

Along the way, we have had some bitesize episodes on specific subjects, like adding to the text, is something missing in your preaching?, preaching the prophets, preaching at Christmas, and highlighting historical accuracy when we preach.

Mike and I have also enjoyed some helpful discussions: thoughts on being a guest preacher – something we’ve both done quite a bit of over the years!, landing a message, bad preaching (another area where we have experience!), a chat about Pleased to Dwell in anticipation of the advent season, and a chat about preaching at Christmastime!

We hope these episodes have been helpful for you, and if you have missed any, please do catch up! As ever, we really appreciate any help in getting the word out about the podcast – sharing links, liking, subscribing, etc., is all really helpful. If you particularly like an episode, please do let others know about it on social media – thank you in advance!

The Day

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I can remember the first time I saw a Star Wars film in the cinema. This was back in the 1980s. With popcorn in hand, we found our plush velvet seats and tried to get comfortable. Then we were plunged into darkness. A slight pause. And then it began. In just two minutes, I was transported into another world. Everything normal seemed like a distant memory. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” Then the blast of the brass section of an orchestra as the film title appeared. Three paragraphs of background story to orient us, and we were there. The start of the Star Wars movies was genuinely epic.

The Bible can, and should, have that same effect on us. Lifting us out of the everyday rhythms of life and helping us to see another whole realm of reality. For instance, consider the theme of The Day of the LORD. It is mentioned eighteen times in the Old Testament, plus dozens of other references like “on that day.” It is that future moment when God would step into history, bringing judgment for the wicked and blessing for His people.

Not only is it anticipated in the Old Testament, but it is also still anticipated in the New Testament. Consider, for example, 2 Peter chapter 3. There, Peter describes how scoffers will ridicule the idea of anticipating that day. Their tactic? They will suggest that “nothing really changes.” And how effective that tactic can be. Nothing really changes. So why should we be concerned about anything happening in the world? Nothing really changes. Why should we try to influence what is going on around us? Nothing really changes. Why look for something to break in from outside of our world? Nothing really changes. Today is like yesterday, and tomorrow will be more of the same. As one fiction writer put it, “it is a pity that thoughts always ran the easiest way, like water in old ditches.”

And yet, the Bible wants to lift our eyes and our hearts beyond our psychological preference for predictability. It wants us to know, and live in light of, the reality that one day, God Himself will step into history again.

Consider one of the passages that anticipates “that day” – Malachi chapter 3. For the first few verses, we read of how God is coming, the messenger of the covenant who will come like the purifier’s fire, like fuller’s soap. Two vivid images of cleansing, purging, separating – that fire so hot that metal melts and the impurities are separated; that lye that pulls out the impurities from fabric and bleaches it clean. The Lord is coming to cleanse and purify. Yes, the focus is on restoring proper worship, but the imagery is imposing and intimidating. 

We might expect the passage to conclude with a call to run. Run for your lives! Flee this terrible day that is coming! And yet, as in so many of the “Day of the LORD” passages, we find an invitation. This God, who is coming to purge and to cleanse, is a God of grace who invites His people to draw near to Him.

In verses 6 and 7, God speaks of His character. He does not change, which means they are not consumed (because He keeps His promises). But they should change. They should change direction. They have gone away from God, but if they return to Him, then He will return to them. As James later put it, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

They asked how they could return. So God raised the issue of their giving. In verses 8-12, God describes how they should test Him (an unusual concept in the Bible!) by seeing if they could outgive God. They never would be able to do that! As we come to the end of the chapter, we find that some of the people who were challenged to give of their treasure, which really belonged to God anyway, were also moved in heart to fear God and be responsive to Him. So they are described as being God’s treasured possession. 

A chapter that begins with such overpowering imagery of judgment is so full of God’s overflowing grace. Yes, the Day of the LORD is terrifying, and many in this world should be shaking with fear at what is coming. And yet, for those of us who know what it means to belong to this God, we can look forward, waiting, anticipating, hoping. We live today in light of that day, knowing that the old ditches of life are not forever. We understand that the “nothing really changes” mindset is doomed to be proven profoundly wrong. We wait, knowing that with a blast of the brass section of heaven’s orchestra, we will be transported into another time. 

Honestly, I am not concerned with whether we agree on the details of what is to come in the future. I am worried that we are discouraged by the scoffers who claim that nothing really changes. Let’s read God’s Word and let it lift our eyes and our hearts. We have a God who has stepped into time and history and who will again. His coming will shake up everything. And we who live in anticipation of that day should live differently today. 

In light of Malachi 3, let’s be sure to turn to God now and be ready for that day. Let’s consider our “tithing” – that is, our giving and investing in eternity today. And let’s rejoice at the privilege of being His treasured possession. May the Lord use us now as we live for Him, and wouldn’t it be great if He came back soon!

____________________________________________________________

With Christmas coming soon, it is time to start making plans … especially if you are involved in preaching or teaching! Check out the latest episode of the podcast, and please do subscribe so you don’t miss any of the forthcoming episodes!

Going Beyond the Text?

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

When we preach a Bible passage, we need to preach the text.  That may sound obvious, but many don’t do it.  Some preachers use the text as a launching point – they read the text and then preach an associated thought from their own thinking or theology.  Others bounce briefly off the text and then preach other passages with some perceived connection. 

God is the best communicator, so as preachers, we want to reflect his communication as best we can.  When you are preaching a passage, really try to preach it.  That includes helping your listeners to see what is there, to understand what is there, and to feel the force of what is there.  To really preach a passage is not simply to educate listeners in the meaning, although that is a good start.  It is to get them into the text and get the text into them, and it is to introduce the God who is revealing himself through the text so that they experience the transformative power of a personal encounter.  The preacher is not merely teaching, but introducing, match-making, and fanning the flames of the relationship between listeners and God.

If we commit to truly preaching a passage, then we will come up against the challenge of saying more than the text says.  That is, if we are really committed to a high view of the biblical text, are we straying if we add any detail not overtly stated in the passage?  If we have a biblical narrative, are we restricted in telling the story so that we cannot fully tell it, but instead end up preaching theological points connected to it?  Are we trying to cram a 100-word reading into a 4000-word speech without really saying anything beyond the 100 words of the passage?

Here are five thoughts that may help when it comes to the subject of “adding to the text.” 

1. Think about the “informing texts” – As well as the passage you are preaching, there will be other passages that inform the content of your preaching passage.  Any passage quoted, or alluded to, or that provides the relevant history (think Acts for some of the epistles) should be considered as fair game for helpful content as you preach your passage.

2. Consider “related texts” – This is more subjective, but some passages are more related to your preaching text than others.  The same author or the same time period will tend to be more related than a distant author and era (unless the era is earlier and may have informed your writer, but then we are back to number 1: informing texts).  Related texts can be helpful, but don’t lean on them so much that your preaching passage is lost in the process.

3. Make plain “assumed knowledge” – When the Bible writers wrote, they were not thinking of readers in a different culture, language, location, and historical era.  So there is a lot of background information that is assumed.  The author might assume the reader knows who the Pharisees were, named individuals, cultural events, or societal norms.  Geographic descriptions weren’t needed for the original readers, but they might be highly helpful for modern listeners to make sense of the setting of a passage.  It is not going beyond the text to state overtly what is implicitly assumed within the text.  Study the background, the culture, the geography, etc., and help people to understand, visualize, and feel the impact of the passage as you preach.

4. “Imagined” thoughts and feelings in a passage can be shared honestly – We don’t know what was going through a character’s mind, or even what was happening in their life around the events of a story.  Where we use our imagination to help bring a passage to life, be sure to help listeners know that you are not asserting divine revelation.  I was listening to a Haddon Robinson sermon recently, and he said something like, “I’m not sure he said this, but I know we do…”  It was a helpful way to connect the real-life aspects of the story to the real-life experiences of Haddon’s listeners.  “I can imagine how Peter may have felt…” is a perfectly legitimate statement because your listeners know you are using your imagination.

5. Only “assert what the text asserts” – While sanctified, humble, and informed imagination can be helpful, it should never be the substance of your preaching points.  Let the thrust of your message, both at the level of the main idea and the main points, come from the passage.  Do not make assertions based on assumptions, imagination, or guesswork.  An example comes from Psalms where the historical setting is not stated but only guessed, and then the preacher makes a point that depends on a guessed historical setting.  Let the text drive the points you are making.  Use your imagination to help proclaim the passage.

Seasoned preachers know that the bigger challenge will always be what to leave out, rather than what to add to a message.  But in some settings, people have an overly restricted view of what should be said in a sermon.  They fear saying anything more than the passage itself states overtly.  That can restrict effective preaching. 

Let’s make it our goal to plumb the depths of our passage, to proclaim it as fully and engagingly as possible, and to make sure that it does its work in bringing listeners into an encounter with the God who reveals himself through the Word. 

________________________________________________________________________

Here is last week’s podcast episode on this subject:

Love Jesus, Love the Gospel

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

It does not surprise me when I find scholars who do not believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word and also have a problem with the Apostle Paul.  But it still surprises me to find Bible-believing Christians who view Paul negatively.  For some, this is a reaction to his argumentative persona and intellectual presentation of complex truths.  For others, the antagonism comes from the feeling that he is misogynistic or overly self-referential.

Where there is a specific criticism based on a particular passage, it helps to study that passage in its context and take into account the rest of his writings as well.  But where the criticism is more a general feeling (i.e. he is too argumentative or complex), I think what helps is to try to enter into his world and see Paul in action.

At the beginning of Galatians, we find an extended biographical section that, at first glance, may appear self-congratulatory.  However, delving into Paul’s world is a worthwhile endeavour.  Not only will we find a brilliant and articulate fighter for the truth of the gospel – perhaps even a hero of the faith –  but we will also find a motivation we can emulate.  Maybe most of us will never be as brilliant as Paul.  But all of us could love Jesus and the truth of the Gospel as Paul did.  And if we did, perhaps the global and eternal impact would be beyond anything we have dreamt.

Let me try to give you a taste of this.  On Paul’s first missionary journey, as recorded in Acts 13-14, Paul and Barnabas arrived in the region of Galatia, preached the gospel, and saw churches established.  They were understandably excited as they headed for home base to report what God had done.  But when they arrived, they discovered that others had followed in their footsteps and sought to correct their ministry.  The criticism?  Paul was not a full apostle, and Paul did not preach a complete gospel message.  Perhaps Paul was portrayed as well-intentioned, and his message was seen to serve as a good starting point.  But these later teachers were promoting themselves as representatives of the Jerusalem apostles and their Law-based message as a more complete and committed version of what God expects.

Paul was livid!  He wrote Galatians to ward off this falsehood and try to win back the hearts of the believers before they were pulled away by this destructive corruption of the good news he had preached.

Why did Paul write with an edge?  (No pun intended)  Why does he seem to be shouting?  Why is Paul so sharp with them?  (Ok, that was slightly deliberate for the context!)  The answer is that Paul loved Jesus, the Gospel, and the believers in the Galatian churches.  Like a parent shouting sharply at a child walking towards a busy road, Paul was desperate to get their attention.

In the latter verses of Chapter 1, he laid out his apostolic credentials.  This was not about showing off but about exposing the lies being told about him.  He did not derive his authority from Jerusalem. He had barely been there.  His authority came from God himself.  And in the opening verses of Chapter 2, he focused on his Gospel message.  It was a message that he had laid before the Jerusalem apostles.  Even under pressure from the same false teachers, Paul’s Gentile companion Titus had not been compelled to be circumcised.  The highest council of apostles, the inner circle itself, had affirmed his calling with a hearty handshake and no doctrinal caveats.

When you ponder the world Paul inhabited, it becomes clear that he was driven not by a desire to win arguments or a passion for self-promotion like an early social media influencer.  A deep love for Jesus drove Paul, and therefore, a passion for the gospel of God’s grace that truly transforms lives from the inside out.  It was that deep love that drove Paul to travel, to preach, to be misunderstood, to be persecuted, to suffer, and eventually, to die for the Lord that he loved.  In Galatians 2:11-14, it was that deep love that drove Paul to take a most uncomfortable step: he publicly called the great senior apostle Peter a hypocrite in front of his home crowd.

I’m not suggesting we should be looking for opportunities to poke others in the chest.  I’ve seen far too much bombastic finger-wagging on social media.  But I’ve also seen far too little courage in person when faced with character and behaviour that compromises the Gospel.  Will we be willing to take uncomfortable steps in the face of compromise, or will we be willing to take uncomfortable steps in the calling of missionary need? 

We cannot give ourselves a good talking-to and suddenly generate sacrificial motivation for ministry.  Neither can we muster up Paul’s level of theological brilliance just because we start to find him inspiring.  But we can gaze long and hard at Jesus.  We can ponder the wonder of the gospel of God’s grace in Christ deeply.  We can ask God to give us a heart-exploding glimpse into the wonder of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.  Because if we see Jesus for who he is, if we get a sense of the wonder of the gospel, then perhaps we will start to share in Paul’s motivation for the truth of the gospel.

Why did Paul contend for the truth of the gospel, even in the face of opposition?  Two words from Galatians 2:5 – it was so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved “for you.”  And by extension, from Galatia down through two millennia, it was for it to be preserved for us.  May we be ever more captivated by the glorious good news of God’s great love for us so that we are motivated to preserve it for others.

_______________________________________________________

Podcast Catch-Up: Insights for Preachers

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The last couple of months have been busy, to say the least. A conference with Josiah Venture in Czech Republic, the European Leadership Forum in Poland, two family weddings, two baptism services in the midst of a busy season at church – these all added up to not sharing much on this site. So, it is time for a catch-up on the podcast. What has been happening since the last post that was linked to an episode?

Mike and I discussed the various kinds of interruptions that can add some intricate dynamics to a preaching event. We also talked through the most basic sermon preparation process. While there is plenty of potential for complexity in the area of sermon preparation, we wanted to make sure the basic process is clear.

We have had quite a few bitesize episodes, including Peter on 5 Aspects of Natural Delivery, The Four Worlds of the Preacher, and Preaching Without Notes. (I will write another post on that subject soon!) Mike shared about the courage to confront yourself, and the potential poison of preaching ministry.

Along the way, we also had a couple of episodes hearing from Si Munsie of Life Church, Southampton. (Click here for part 1 on preaching to real people, and here for part 2 where we think about past employment and preaching.) And this week, we have part 1 of my interview with Andy Paterson, currently pastoring in Hong Kong – a fascinating conversation with a very experienced pastor-preacher! We have some great interviews lined up in the next months too.

So my apologies for being quieter on here and social media in recent weeks. We really do appreciate every encouraging comment, both in person and online. If you are able to subscribe on YouTube and in whatever podcast platform you use (eg Spotify or Apple), that really does help. Also, every like, comment, share, etc., is massively appreciated. Thank you for helping to get this podcast off the ground!

Biblical Ministry?

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Most people in Christian ministry would like to think they have a biblical ministry.  But what does that mean?  Is it simply an evaluation of whether what they do is in the Bible?  Or maybe better, an assessment of whether their values and methodology reflect biblical qualities?  This would be a good question to ponder prayerfully.

Let’s take a few minutes and consider what role the Bible plays in your ministry.  I will start with some troubling ones I have observed, then move on to better options.  I have seen all of the troubling Bible roles over the years.  Perhaps one or two have crept into my ministry at times.  How about you?

5 Troubling Bible Roles:

1. Token Requirement – This is where a Christian ministry uses the Bible here and there because it is expected or required.  The driving energy for the ministry comes from the individual’s drive, the rhythm of habit and tradition, or the necessity of keeping their position.  But the Bible seems inert, a lifeless requirement quoted here and there to endorse what is happening in the ministry.

2. Quotes and Springboards – This is a slightly more specific version of number 1.  This is where the Bible gets used to either endorse the message or to launch the message.  Please understand me: the Bible is capable of both roles.  However, in this case, it feels more used than living.  The person makes their point, then adds a proof-text.  Or the preacher reads a bit of the Bible, then launches away from it to preach what is essentially their own set of thoughts (often leaving the Bible far behind in the process).

3. Magic Charm – This is where the Bible is used superstitiously to “guarantee” the effectiveness of the ministry.  The people of Judah treated the temple as a guarantee in the days of Jeremiah, but they didn’t know what God was doing in their day.  So, Christian ministries can hold up the Bible or quote a verse, thereby guaranteeing that their ministry should be successful.  Again, the Bible seems to be used rather than alive.

4. Blunt Weapon – This is where the Bible gets used without precision.  Instead of being the sharp scalpel wielded by a careful and kind surgeon, biblical words get plucked out of context and used for delivering blows to the poor recipients.  Without God’s grace, character or plan, and tangible reliance on the Holy Spirit’s work in the heart, the Bible gets used to beat people into behavioural submission.

5. Self-Support – Maybe you have come across this one too?  It is where the person doing the ministry uses the Bible to affirm their personal limitations and quirks.  Instead of being humble, teachable, and open to help, the minister quotes the Bible to self-affirm, self-support, and defend from criticism or concern. 

5 Better Bible Roles:

A. A Rule Book (An Instruction Manual) – I will start here because this could easily slip into the troubling list above.  It is good to recognise the authority the Bible has in life, ministry, etc.  We should be looking to see what God’s Word has to say about each issue we face and each difficulty we navigate.  At the same time, I hope you can also feel the awkwardness that can come when the Bible is seen as just a rule book, an instruction manual, or a guide for life.  It can so easily lose its vitality and begin to feel lifeless – one common factor in the list of troubling Bible roles.  So yes, the Bible does have authority, and we should submit to what it says, but let’s not be satisfied with that.  Let’s go on to the rest of this list!

B. An Inspiring Book – Again, this could be an inadequate label.  Sometimes, a work of art can inspire those beholding it, but the Bible is much more than a well-written collection of books.  It is inspired by God, meaning it uniquely comes from God, breathed out by him.  The writers were not just inspired by something divine, pulling out a pen to try to capture their feelings at that moment.  They wrote Scripture, carried along by the Holy Spirit, giving us the unique Word of God.  And if anything that has ever been written should stir our hearts and change our lives, it is God’s inspired and uniquely inspiring Word.

C. An Equipping Book – Whatever your ministry may be, the Bible has been given to you so that you may be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Tim.3:17)  Whatever your ministry may be, if it is biblical, there will be an element of helping equip others for life and ministry.  When the Bible is active in a ministry, both the one doing the ministry and the recipients of that ministry will be fashioned and formed for ministry in some way by the life-changing Word of God.

D. A Life-Giving Book – Because the Word of God is alive, it is also life-giving.  An encounter with biblical ministry can draw a dead heart to Christ, it can call back a drifting believer, it can motivate greater godliness, inspire Christlike sacrifice, launch cross-cultural missionaries, lift drooping hands, strengthen weak knees, and comfort the grieving believer.  When people encountered the Word of God incarnate (Jesus), their lives were changed.  In the Gospels, many people meet Jesus and leave more alive than when they came.  The same can and should be true of biblical ministry.  After all, the Word of God inspired (i.e. the Bible), is a life-giving book.  Biblical ministry should result in many leaving more alive than when they came.

E. A Him Book – Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for thinking they were so Scripture-saturated that they knew God and had life.  His rebuke?  They thought they would find life in diligent Scriptural study, but the Scriptures were “about me” (see John 5:37-40).  Above all else, the Bible’s role in life and ministry is to reveal God to us, ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ.  While we may treat the Bible as a me-book (what I need to learn for my life), actually, it is a Him book (whom I need to meet to know life).  As someone involved in ministry, I need to come to the Bible and look for Him. 

My God, I need you.  More than I need anything else, I need you.  As I open your Word on my own, show me your heart, your character, your plan, your Son.  Captivate my heart afresh with yours.  Then, by your grace, would you allow me to share that life with others in my ministry?  May they see you because they need you, just as I need you.  Amen!

Final thought – One time, a friend and supporter gave me a very generous gift.  I still remember his words close to three decades later: “When others speak, I can tell they are repeating their notes from when they went to seminary.  When you speak, I get the sense that you have been studying the Bible fresh.”  I pray that I will not grow stale but have a freshness to my preaching.  Let’s encourage one another in that!

_______________________________________________

Click here to listen to a recent episode of The Biblical Preaching Podcast. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel, or follow on Spotify, Apple, etc. We would love to stay connected as we think about preaching together:

Getting Stuck in Sermon Prep (Podcast Post 7)

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I was chatting about preaching with a friend on Sunday after preaching in his church. We talked about ways we sometimes get stuck.

Sometimes, the outline won’t quite work, and we keep looking at the text until eventually something clicks. Once it clicks, we can’t understand how we could not see the passage’s logic before.

Sometimes, the details of the message are the issue. What illustrations would work? How can I introduce the sermon? And so on. Again, the breakthrough moment is always a real relief and cause for rejoicing.

Sometimes, everything seems jammed up, and we simply can’t get the sermon to work.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Mike and I discuss seven specific logjams and offer some ideas that might help you break through the next time you get stuck.

But here is a thought: let’s be careful not to see the ideal as a jam-free future. While logjams can feel like hard work, there is also a blessing in them. Without the logjam, there might not be the desperate prayer. Without prayer, there would not be sweet moments of answered prayer as God lifts us in preparation for Sunday.

Exchange

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The essential nature of all trade is that of an exchange.  I will give my ten sheep in exchange for your one donkey.  Or, in more recent history, I will provide a certain number of currency units for the service you are offering.  Life is full of exchanges.

One of the most potent images of the gospel is known as the great exchange.  Martin Luther described the wonder of our salvation using the biblical image of a great marriage.  Jesus is the great King, full of life, grace, and salvation.  We are at the opposite extreme: full of death, sins, and damnation.  But when faith comes between us, a most glorious marriage occurs.  He takes all that is ours on himself, and we get all that is his as if it were our own.  What an exchange!

The most foundational exchange in Christianity is Christ’s life for ours.  He is the God-given substitute, taking our place and facing the just punishment for sin.  His death gives us life.  His life replaces our death.  In John 3, for instance, we see Jesus helping the impressive Nicodemus to see that all his achievements and standing meant nothing before God.  As remarkable as he was in human terms, he was still spiritually dead and needed to be born from above.  How could that happen?  Just like the Israelites needed to look at the brass serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, so would the Son of Man be lifted up in death, and those who believed in him, who looked to him, would live. 

But there are more exchanges to be found in the Gospel of John.  Consider the ongoing transformation that occurs as someone follows Jesus and serves him.  For instance, John the Baptist knew who Jesus was, pointed others to him, and served him faithfully.  At the end of John 3, we see some of John’s disciples bemoaning that the crowds had shifted from John to Jesus. Indeed, for a life defined by the ministry of baptizing, it must have been disappointing to see the flood of people dwindle to a trickle.  Not for John.  He knew that his role was that of best man at a wedding, but the groom was Jesus. The bride going to Jesus only made John immensely happy (see John 3:29).  So John uttered the beautiful words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)  This is the gradual exchange of self for Christ that happens as we follow our Saviour.

We can see the self-for-Christ exchange contrasted at the start of John 12.  There, Mary is so captivated by Jesus that she pours an immensely valuable perfume onto his feet.  Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot, captured not by Christ but by his greed, can only express his dismay at the missed opportunity for further theft.  (See John 12:1-8.)  Mary was the picture of a disciple who knew Jesus’ giving and worshipped Jesus by selflessly giving everything in return.  Judas was the picture of someone exposed to Jesus but still gripped by the magnetic pull of self.  Following Jesus should shift us increasingly from the lure of self to the wonder of Christ.

And then we see Jesus with his disciples in the upper room.  In a world filled with hate, Jesus demonstrates a better way.  The radical way of selfless love stands in sharp contrast to the way of our world.  Today, as then, selfless love is repulsive to a world gripped by sin (Judas must have been struggling in that upper room until he left), but it is also strikingly attractive.  People in a culture of hate need to see true love.  How will they see it?  Only if the faithful followers of Jesus are marked with his defining characteristic.  (See John 13:35.)

Having exchanged death for life, self for Christ, and hate for love, the followers of Jesus are invited to also exchange comfort for calling.  In John 21, we see Jesus gently remind his disciples that he called them to fish for men, to feed the sheep, and to follow him even to their death – whatever that would involve. 

To be a disciple of Jesus asks much of us, but we cannot fully describe how much we receive in the process.  Giving up death, self, hate, and comfort is not easy.  But receiving life, Christ, love, and a calling is truly other-worldly and glorious.  Praise God that he is the God of exchange – an exchange that cost him everything, that gives us everything, and that changes everything!

_________________________________________________________

The new Biblical Preaching Podcast is here for you. Check out Jonathan Thomas talking about revival, and please subscribe to Cor Deo on YouTube so that you can see each new episode as it is released. (You can also follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.)