Should we preach only the gospel? Whatever the starting-point of the sermon, should we always make a beeline for Calvary and issue an appeal to the unconverted?
It is tempting to answer with an unqualified ‘Yes’. After all, there is little enough faithful preaching of the gospel these days, so shouldn’t we take every opportunity to do so? And did not the apostle Paul write, ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2:2).…
Jesus is rightly regarded as a master-teacher. But what would it mean for preachers today to follow his example?
1. Tell stories
Jesus told stories based on everyday life, often in the form of parables. Stories not only make teaching more memorable, but also enable the truth to penetrate further into the hearers’ minds and hearts.
Jesus could have simply said: “God loves you so much that He will welcome you back to Him no matter how far you have wandered away.” …
In a book first published in 1920, Herman Harrell Horne writes: ‘It is essential in all effective teaching that points of contact be established between teacher and taught.’ In John 1:35-51, Horne notes that:-
1. Jesus walked where his presence could be noted by the Baptist.
2. He used his eyes. He “observed” Andrew and John coming after him, he “gazed” at Simon, he “saw” Nathanael approaching, and had previously “seen” under that fig tree in meditation, like Buddha under the Bo tree.…
Almost exactly six years ago, I wrote a post discussing the use of presentation software (especially Microsoft Powerpoint) as a preaching tool.
Although I’m satisfied with what I wrote back in 2012, I would like to present now a slightly edited and somewhat expanded version of that post. The truth is that I’ve used PowerPoint quite regularly in my preaching in recent years, and I would like to reflect on my experience and that of my hearers (as judged by their occasional comments to me).…
Ian Paul offers the following assessment criteria.
The are based on significant experience both of preaching and of training others in preaching.
Now, I have great respect for Ian Paul. But I hope it will not seem too cheeky if I make a couple of comments that are not wholly complimentary.
First, in the accompanying article, he suggests that the characteristics of a ‘good sermon’ transcend ‘the specific details of theological commitments on the part of both preachers and listeners’. …
In his book Tell the World (Evangelical Press, 1981), Eric Wright sets out the main terminology used in the Book of Acts for apostolic communication (which was, as recorded in that book, mainly evangelistic communication). The following table reproduces the substance of Wright’s work. The summary definitions are based on Vine’s Expository Dictionary.
| English (NASV) | Greek | Frequency (approx.) | Meaning | As in... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To witness | Various forms of martureo | 6 | To aver what one has seen or heard or knows | Acts 1:18; 3:15 |
| To testify | Also various forms of martureo | 7 | As above, often with the suggestion of solemn protestation | Acts 2:40; 8:25 |
| To declare | apophthengomai anangello apangello | 5 | To speak forth To announce To declare | Acts 2:14; 26:25 Acts 20:20,27 Acts 26:20 |
| To speak | laleo | 17 | To speak | Acts 4:1; 6:10; 14:1,3 |
| To teach | didasko | 9 | To give instruction | Acts 2:42; 5:28, 42; 28:31 |
| To proclaim | katangello kerusso euangelizo | 11 | To declare, announce To herald To preach good tidings | Acts 4:2; 13:5; 16:17; 26:23 Acts 8:5; 9:20 Acts 8:12 |
| To preach | euangelizo kerusso | 17 | To preach good tidings To announce as a herald | Acts 5:42; 8:12, 25, 35, 40; 10:36 Acts 10:42; 20:25; 28:31 |
| To prove | sumbibazo | 1 | To join together; to prove | Acts 9:22 |
| To reason | dialegomai | 7 | To ponder, dispute, reason | Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4,19; 19:8f; 24:25 |
| To explain | dianoigo ektithemi | 5 | To open up To expound | Acts 17:3 Acts 11:4; 18:26; 28:23 |
| To persuade | peitho | 6 | To persuade, win over | Acts 17:4; 19:8; 26:28; 28:23f. |
We all agree (don’t we?) that it’s great to have a bird’s eye view of the Bible as a whole, and especially its overall storyline. But what about attempting this in a series of sermons?
John Percival writes on Unashamed Workman about just such an attempt. His church followed Andrew Reid’s outline of eleven ‘big moments in God’s story’: creation, fall, promise, exodus, conquest, kingship, exile, return, cross, gospel, new creation.…
Summarising this post by Tim Challies:-
The biblical doctrine of final judgement has several important consequence for our lives here and now.
How can we preach Christ from the Old Testament? Sydney Greidanus outlines seven ways:-
1. Redemptive-historical progression—seeing the message of the passage in the context of redemptive history from beginning to end, especially following the progression of redemptive history as it moves forward from the text’s historical setting to Jesus’ First and/or Second Coming. [Example: Gen 3 and the ‘Fall’, finding its remedy in the saving work of Christ]
2. Promise-fulfillment—showing that the promise of a coming Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus’ First Coming or will be fulfilled in his Second Coming. …
