Stage 3 – Passage Purpose

Mentored by the Text

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Josiah Venture Spring Conference.  What a joy to spend those days with great people in a beautiful place, enjoying an excellent Bible book!  In light of that time, I have been pondering the idea of being mentored by the biblical text.

To begin the series of messages, I suggested that if we could time travel, we would be changed by spending half an hour watching Jesus, Moses, Daniel, Paul, or whoever.  If we could just be there and see them in action, we would be mentored by the experience.  But we have the Bible!  So why not allow the experience of the text to mentor us?  Time spent watching Jesus (in this case) should surely mark our lives in significant ways.

Here are some thoughts on “Preaching as Biblical Mentoring” –

1. The move from then to now is essential, but the move from text to sermon can be overdone.  I have seen sermons so crafted that listeners may marvel at the sermon construction but lose the passage.  Maybe our sermonic work of art is not as valuable as the inspired text.  After all, whatever we can do with the text is not as good as what God did when He inspired the text.  So perhaps we need to consider how to let the passage drive the message more in our preaching. 

2. Overly crafted wording can hide rather than reveal the inspired text.  In the detail of the sermon, do we demonstrate our linguistic skill rather than elevating the text itself?  Our wordcraft may impress listeners, but is our goal to impress them?  Surely our pastoral goal should be for them to encounter God Himself in His word?  Let us make it our goal to communicate rather than to exhibit our craftsmanship.

3. The shape of an overly crafted sermon can hide rather than reveal the shape of the text.  I remember one moment as a student in a class.  I was the member of our group who went up to write our outline on the whiteboard.  “That is incorrect,” the teacher declared, “you have to make all the points parallel.”  I was taken aback and responded, “But, isn’t that the shape of the passage?”  The teacher looked at the Bible.  “Yes, it is the shape of the passage, but your outline has to follow the rules of rhetoric, so it is wrong.”  I politely pointed out that Haddon Robinson (who was in charge of the preaching department at that seminary for many years) had taught us to reflect the shape of the text in our sermons.  It became clear that there was a point of difference between these two excellent teachers.  I’m with Haddon.  Let’s aim for sermons that reflect the shape of the text rather than squeezing the text to fit our rhetorical expectations and standard sermon shapes.

4. Overly crafted rhetoric can hide rather than reveal the experience of the text.  As we preach, we should communicate clearly, with good organisation and a thought-through structure.  But sometimes, our sermons can hide the text and keep listeners from experiencing the tensions and contours of a passage.  So let’s use whatever skill we can, but remember that our goal is not to present the work of art that is our sermon.  No, our goal is to bring our listeners into a rich experience of the passage and, in doing so, to encounter God as He reveals Himself there.

5. We should preach so listeners can “see” the movie projected in their hearts.  I find it helpful to imagine every listener with a movie screen in their hearts.  If I prayerfully and carefully present the message to them, a movie should form on that screen.  It is easy to offer theological insights and speak theoretical truths.  But those screens will remain blank.  However, suppose I can effectively describe what is on the page.  In that case, my prayer is that they will not only understand it but also experience it.  And when they experience it, it will change their lives.  It can be like being mentored through the text by God revealing Himself in that passage.

I am sure there are more angles to consider on this subject.  Perhaps too much of our ministry uses the Bible, begins with the Bible, or connects to the Bible, but what people really need is to experience what God has given us in the Bible.  Supremely, the Bible reveals Him.  Let’s prayerfully shape our ministries so that people can encounter Him and not simply learn theological truth at arm’s length.

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Please check out The Biblical Preaching Podcast, on YouTube (click image below), or on any podcasting platform (Spotify, Apple, etc.)

Getting Stuck in Sermon Prep (Podcast Post 7)

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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.

7 Defining Moments in Your Sermon Preparation – Part Two

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While the whole preparation process will shape your message, some defining moments will fundamentally change the outcome of the process. We started with two related to starting preparation. Now let’s think about two that tie into the transition between passage study and message formation:

3. The decision to transition from passage study to message formation.  The first half of the preparation process focuses on understanding the passage.  The second half involves formulating and writing a message.  The shift between these two phases is critically important.  If you shift too early, then you will be working on the message without really grasping the meaning of the passage.  If you shift too late, then you will have plenty of exegetical insight to share, but little time to craft a message that lands in real life.  Do you tend to fall in one direction or the other?  It is hard to see a lack of understanding in the mirror – we all tend to think we have a good grip on a passage when it may only be a superficial sense of the meaning.  Or you may be in a rut of sharing exegetical nuggets without crafting a message that is shaped to speak into real life.  And some, sad to say, neither know the joy of being gripped by a passage, nor the pleasure of crafting a sermon that hits home – they just use a passage as a launch point for some standard favourite content.  If that could be you, then it may be time for some candid conversations with some listeners, and for radical surgery on your ministry.  It will be worth it.

4. The realization of who will be listening.  At one level, this moment is fairly straightforward, as long as it happens.  That is to say, after studying the passage to understand the author’s meaning as accurately as possible, then you consciously introduce your listeners into your thinking as you move to crafting the sermon for their benefit.  You don’t want to be thinking too much about your listeners when you are studying the passage, because your concern is the original audience of the text.  Neither do you want to not be thinking about your listeners when shaping the message, because your concern has to be for them as the audience of the sermon.  That moment of introducing conscious consideration of your listeners should be a standard point in the process every time (and essentially the same moment as number 3 above).  But then there will be some sermon-specific moments in this category too.  You might realise how the message could hit very close to home for someone in your congregation.  You might be told that a certain person is going to be present.  You might be at church when someone walks in that you were not expecting (and you realise your message requires some tweaking for their sake – either to be more accessible, less provocative, or whatever.)

As this list continues to build, what defining moments do you recognize in your sermon preparation?

The Heart of Hermeneutics – Part 4

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A Relational Responsive Heart Check

The process of Bible study must begin “back then.”  We need to look carefully at the text to see what was actually written.  And we need to learn diligently what the author intended to communicate.  Then we need to appreciate the intended impact of the text “for today.”  That means a careful consideration of the love response that the text should stir in us, as well as the appropriate transformation in how we live our lives.

 

After studying a passage and seeking to interpret it as well as possible, consider the following facets of a relational responsive heart check:

1. God himself.  Since every biblical text is ultimately a revelation of a personal God, ask yourself what this text has revealed about God?  Is it revealing his nature, his character, his heart, his values?  Is it revealing his Son in some way that you can ponder?  The answer is yes.  Every biblical text is a revelation of a personal God, so there will always be value in considering what that revelation should stir in your heart as you read it.

2. The Biblical characters. The Bible is much more incarnated theological truth than it is written code.  That is to say, there are real people on the page.  Theological teaching is usually wrapped up in real people, living in real situations.  There is more narrative than any other type of text, which means lots of characters living out their response to God’s word.  But every text has a narrative nature to it.  Poetry offers a glimpse into a narratival setting, even if you don’t know the details.  Direct communication like speeches and letters were not written in a vacuum.  There was a situation and we are given the glimpse offered by an epistle penned purposefully for the recipients at one moment in their story.  The Bible is ultimately a revelation of God.  And that revelation is wrapped up in the people on the page.  Be mentored by them.  Learn from them.  Allow your heart to engage with them as you watch how they responded to God.

3. The original recipients.  The original author of each book wrote with relational intent.  He wanted to do more than just transfer information.  Each book was written to stir the hearts of the original recipients.  Why not consider them?  What did Moses want Israel to feel as they read his great foundational collection?  What did Paul want to stir in the believers in Galatia, or in his representative Timothy serving in Ephesus?  The text is ultimately about God, it presents itself with characters on the page, and it was written to real people in real situations.  Ponder the intended impact on their hearts as you consider the impact on yours

4. Me.  The original author of each book could not have known about me, but the divine Author has preserved the Scriptures, superintended the collection of the Scriptures, sovereignly overseen the translation of the Scriptures, and graciously provided the opportunity for me to own the Scriptures.  He has given me if I am his child, a new heart that relishes the goodness of God in Christ.  And so, I should look at the Scriptures to see my God, as well as be mentored by the people on the page, considering the impact for the original recipients, and overtly considering how the text should stir my heart as I read it.

5. Others.  As I study the biblical text and consider how it should be stirring my heart, the result will not just be a Godward response.  Yes, there should be wonder, awe, worship, praise, gratitude, devotion, and so on.  But also, a God-stirred heart will be a heart that reflects God’s other-centred heart.  How can what I am seeing in the text, which is stirring my heart in response to God’s revelation, be carried to others evangelistically or pastorally?  At this stage, there might well be a stirring of prayer for others, even if the action of sharing remains in the future from the time I am studying the text.  A truly relational response to the Bible will not just be Godward, but it will also spill over to others because we are relational beings.

Perhaps this five-point checklist can be helpful as we seek to more overtly recognize the role of the heart in the Bible study process.  Look, learn, love, live.

The Heart of Hermeneutics – Part 3

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How Does Hermeneutics Require Love?

Last time we looked at John 5 and Jesus’ critique of the Jewish leadership.  They were eminent Bible scholars, but something was missing.  They could well have been an example to us in terms of observing the text, technically interpreting the text, and fastidiously applying the text.  They thought that in the Scriptures they would find life.  But they were missing the person revealed there.

For the Jewish leadership, there was apparently confidence in the inductive process.  However, their incurved hearts spelled the corruption of that process.  They did not see the person, and the reason was a heart issue.  Why is the heart so often left out of hermeneutics?

A More Complete Process

A complete approach to biblical study needs more than “look, learn, live.”  We need to put the heart back into our hermeneutics.  What does the text say?  What does the text mean?  What should the text stir?  What difference should the text make? 

Look —- Learn —- Love —- Live

When we lose the sense that the biblical text is primarily revealing a person, and that the intent of the author is to stir the reader’s heart in response, then our approach will necessarily fall short.  Even if we progress from “back then” and arrive at “for today,” we can end up with something stripped of its relational dynamic.

Principles and Morals

In a process that is blind to the significance of the heart, some will end up with just an abiding theological principle.  This statement of truth and instruction is what remains after traversing the millennia from back then to our own time.  Others will end up with a “moral of the story.” 

That’s what people do with old stories.  Since the people are all dead in history, or figments of fiction that will soon fade from memory, at least there is a lasting lesson for us all.  So, our children might enter the land of make-believe for an old tale, but what remains when the story ends and it is time to sleep?  Well, the moral of the story is that we should be like the tortoise, or don’t speak to strangers who look like wolves or witches, or whatever.  These may well be good life lessons well worth learning.

And what of the people in the pew?  After entering the world of a Bible story in the sermon, they must then re-enter normal life.  As the story fades and present reality dawns, at least they can carry an abiding theological principle into their week. 

The Bible is Not a Fable

But isn’t the Bible different?  Is not the goal of the Bible something more than divinely sanctioned and historically accurate Aesop’s fables?  It is critical that we keep clear the ultimate purpose of Scripture – to reveal the living God, his heart, his plan, his Son.

In the next post, I will suggest a relational responsive hermeneutical checklist to enliven the critical love stage of the Bible study process.

The Heart of Hermeneutics – Part 2

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What Did Jesus Say About Bible Study?

In John 5, Jesus is both in trouble and on trial.  He had healed a man on the Sabbath and then made himself equal with God when confronted by the authorities.  His extended speech in verses 19-47 is actually a legal defense speech in what had quickly become a capital trial.  By the time we get near the end of the chapter, Jesus is actually turning the tables and putting the Jewish authorities on the back foot.

Jesus knew that he needed a second witness.  But as the angry leaders looked at this man from Nazareth, they could not see anyone standing with him.  However, he had the best witness of all: God himself.  The problem was on their side though, because according to Jesus, they had never heard God’s voice, nor seen God’s form, and they did not have God’s word abiding in them. 

Bible Study Experts?

Understandably these Jewish leaders would have balked at that diagnosis of their spiritual state.  They, of all people, spent the most time with their nose in the scrolls.  They were the Bible men of their day.  They could quote more of the Old Testament from memory than many Christians today have even read.  And yet, Jesus was right.  Something was missing.  And it meant that their hermeneutical approach was rendered useless.

Did they look at the text?  Every day, at length.  Did they learn what the text meant?  They would say so.  Did they follow through and consider its implications for how they lived?  Fastidiously.  These men were the eminent biblical studies professors of their time.  And yet, in Jesus’ estimation, they did not have God’s word abiding in them.  What was missing?

The Missing Piece

In the Scriptures there is a relational dynamic at play.  The text is about a person, but they did not believe in him.  They refused to come to him.  Jesus immediately drew the contrast between him and them.  He did not live for horizontal glory from people but lived with a total orientation toward his father.  However, they did live for the glory that would come from people.  Because the horizontal dimension meant everything to them, the vertical dimension was missing.  And how did Jesus phrase that vertical dimension in their case?  They did not seek the glory that comes from God.  Which meant that they did not have the love of God in them.  (John 5:37-44)

It is not possible to rightly handle God’s word if the love dimension is missing.  In the next post, we will probe that love dimension.

Applicational Preaching

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So many people seem to want to listen to preaching that is “applicational.” I understand the impulse. After all, who would want to listen to non-applicational preaching? That sounds like preaching that is not relevant to my life and will not make a difference.

Actually, if we are talking about preaching that is relevant to life and genuinely transformative, then I am completely on board with that desire. The problem is that when we talk about “applicational preaching” it can fall short of what we really need. Here are some of the potential weaknesses:

1. Applicational preaching can place emphasis on action points and to-do lists. Now, there is certainly a place for knowing what is expected of us at the end of a sermon. If a passage gives an instruction that applies to us, then we should certainly note it and look to obey it. However, is the Bible primarily an instruction list for life? Some sermons give that impression, but perhaps that is missing something of the richness and purposefulness of God’s revelation.

2. Applicational preaching can point the listener in the wrong direction. When our preaching emphasizes what we must do, then the focus will tend to move toward our own willpower. Sermons that point the listener to their own discipline, their own choices, their own efforts, etc., are not the best sermons. And I don’t just mean they are not the most theologically impressive sermons. I also mean they are not the most effective sermons. Lives are not transformed by to-do lists. They can help, but they remain mostly on the surface. God is in the business of transforming lives from the inside out.

In order to see the full potential of any preaching or teaching ministry, I would encourage you to think about the ABCs of Application. Here is a brief explanation:

8 Reflections on Preaching Through 1 Peter

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In our church, we have just completed an eight-week series in 1 Peter. Here are some brief reflections that may be helpful:

1. This epistle is relevant. I know that is not breaking news to you, but it bears underlining. 1 Peter speaks to people that felt like oppressed outsiders in the society in which they lived. It did then, and it does now.

2. Suffering may be necessary. We have lived through decades of relatively little suffering, but times seem to be changing. Suffering is not permanent, “now for a little while.” And suffering may be part of the plan, “if necessary.” In 1 Peter 1:6 we are introduced to the possibility that suffering is not the result of bad luck, but divine providence. As we come towards Easter we have the ultimate example of deliberate and planned suffering.

3. Biblical background helps. There is the situational background of the readers, forcibly moved from Rome and repatriated to these five regions of modern Turkey. There is the historical background of Peter’s life and experience. Keeping that in mind, as he would have done, is helpful to shine a light on his call to be prepared (3:15), to stay humble and to resist the devil (5:6-9), etc. Then there is the textual background of Peter’s biblical awareness as he wrote. For instance, the situation behind Psalm 34 seems to be shining a light on much of Peter’s writing in this epistle.

4. Difficult texts still have simple points. Preaching the end of 1 Peter 3 and the start of 1 Peter 4 is not easy territory to navigate. There is the timing, location and content of Jesus’ preaching in 3:19; then the reference to Noah in 3:20; followed by the awkward reference to baptism in 3:21. It is exegetical difficulty piled on exegetical difficulty. I chose to give some minutes to explain that complexity, but not before I emphasised the simple point of this section: Jesus suffered and Jesus was victorious. It helps to keep a clear picture in mind when trying to make sense of the complex.

5. The letter has a strong DNA. God’s pattern is for suffering now to be followed by glory later. It was true for Jesus, it was true for Peter’s readers then, and it is true for Peter’s readers now. Suffering and then glory: this idea works its way through the entire letter.

6. Variation can help a series work well. We had a team of preachers on this series. One of the messages was preached in first-person. It came in the middle of the series and really helped the series to not feel monotonous in style. Different preachers helped the series, although it was important to make sure we were preaching a coherent series.

7. Non-Suffering forms of Christianity lead to harm. We seem to live between two extremes. One is the fatalistic idea that disaster is coming no matter what. The other is the idealistic idea that we should always be healthy, and wealthy and travel in a private jet. What is the healthy middle ground? It is not a gentle form of health and wealth – that is, things should generally go well for us if we simply trust, pray and obey. Many Christians seem to want to live with their basic orientation towards good circumstances. No, the reality is that we live in a fallen world filled with suffering. So let’s turn from gentle forms of health and wealth, and let’s engage a fallen and sin-marred world with our hope reaching out beyond this suffering to the glory to come. Our hope is not in our experience but in the character of our good God and his plan.

8. 1 Peter should prepare us for difficulty, but stir us to trust! Every problem we face in this world is a problem that exists within creation. 1 Peter urges us to look beyond this realm to the eternal realities. We look outside of this realm to the God who is so much bigger, the God who cares for us. “The dog bit me,” ~ yes, but God is bigger. “But it was a big dog,” ~ so what, God is bigger. “But it was a lion,” ~ it doesn’t matter, God is bigger. “Actually it was a killer whale.” ~ Ok, but God is still bigger than any problem we can face in this realm. What’s more, he already came and suffered, and is now sitting in victory. So we can be humble, be watchful, and be hopeful. We get to stand in the true grace of God whatever may come our way.

There are plenty more thoughts generated by two months in 1 Peter. But hopefully this list is a motivational starter for now…

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I have a series of videos on 1 Peter 2:1-10 that focus on the interpretation phase of Bible study. You can find them in this playlist:

Whose Word?

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The Bible is unlike any other book on earth for this reason: it was inspired by God.  Other books may be written by inspiring people or by people inspired by their subject.  But the Bible is “God-breathed” – it comes from God.  God superintended the writing process so that the original authors wrote their thoughts, in their words, in their language, and God made sure that they wrote exactly what he wanted to be written.  That is why we call it God’s Word.  (2Tim.3:16)

So when the prophets wrote their books, they did not dream up their content.  Rather, they were carried along by the Holy Spirit – he was the wind in their sails!  Again, that means that what we have in our Bibles is not just humanly authored but also divinely inspired. (2Peter 1:20-21)

This all means that our goal in reading or studying the Bible is to understand what is there.  What did the Author and the author intend to communicate?  Our job is not to be creative, or fanciful, or original.  We do not get bonus points for making up a meaning nobody has seen before.  No matter how clever you are, what you can make it say is not as good as what God made it say!

Check out the latest video in the Enjoying the Word series:

Psalms Today Complete

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During 2022, I decided to work my way through the Psalms. One video per Psalm. One point relating to interpreting the Psalm, and one point of relevance for today. I completed the playlist this week. I hope this can be useful to you. Please do let others know about this playlist if it might be helpful to them too.

I know some people used these videos as a companion to a personal reading of the Psalms this year, perhaps this can be useful in a similar way next year. Since the playlist is complete, it now allows that to happen at your pace instead of mine!