Happy Reformation Day. #488 if you are counting.
My sermon yesterday morning was a quick overview of the Reformation, identification of the five "solas" that I plan to study with our church, and some reasons why the issues of the Reformation lead to pastoral concern today. If you want to listen to it, it should be up on our website sometime today.
I took the train in to Philadelphia on Friday afternoon to pick up 100 copies of the Cambridge Declaration from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. I also found that the book A Reformation Reader by Denis R. Janz was very helpful. What was especially cool was the fact that the book came with the complete text in Logos/Libronix format.
Anyway, while not a typical expository sermon, I felt it was worth taking the Sunday to raise awareness of the issues involved. Our people seemed to find it helpful, so that was good.
This week I am going to be reading some materials on the sufficiency of Scripture. On top of the pile is RC Sproul's book Scripture Alone.
Eric Svendsen has a good quote about the Reformation from Philip Schaaf on his blog. OldTruth has an interesting note on why we need the Puritans, as well as a good one on preaching. Jollyblogger talks about why we need to appreciate the Reformation. A reminder as to why all three need to be heeded.
About Me
- Peter Bogert
- Married for 33 years, three children, four grandchildren, and one big yellow lab. Die-hard Phillies fan.
My Blog List
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Hope in the Lord3 years ago
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"The Oath That He Swore" -- Luke 1:57-803 years ago
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50代のダイエットは食生活の改善、鍋で腹を満たす5 years ago
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The Apple of My Eye7 years ago
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1517 Has Moved!10 years ago
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Have You Transferred Yet?12 years ago
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A new day for Expository Thoughts13 years ago
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5 comments:
Thanks to the link to plexiglass preaching. I am constantly straddled between the two ends of the Warren - McArthur continuum. And I love to got forged some more to define my preaching later on.
To each his own, I guess, but I'd rather lean toward a clear explanation of what the text is saying in a systematic way as opposed to a felt-needs approach.
Have you seen the free video seminar preaching workshop #4 in the latest Drive Conference 05 from Andy Stanley and the North Point Community Church? ( http://www.driveconference.org/drive05.jsp ) I AM NOT buying everything Andy Stanley and his friends saying either. They might be able to create an 8,000 members church from 6 guys - but it doesn't mean that everything they do is Biblically sound. But at least it challenged my thinking quite a bit.
From what I am experiencing, explain the text clearly is the first goal, but the challenge is how to sharpen it more so that God could use it to penetrate the lives of the hearers. And it's that second goal is what I am struggling with: how much I am taking the matter into my own hands (hence where is the power of God?), and how much of it is my lack of effort to do the best for my Lord (hence where is my response to His work?)
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Bumble: I would recommend surveying some of the better books on the subject of preaching and seeing what they have to say about application.
I think that while we need to make sure our application is relevant, that we also need to realize that God's word has a universal applicability, and that the point of the text "meets a need," whether felt or not.
"God's word has a universal applicability" Amen! That goes back to your discussion on expositional preaching a few months ago: "What was the intention of the text?" When God is able to do what He intend for this audience through our exposition of what He intented for the past audience, I think we are faithful in our service.
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