Sadly, for many, it will also be a painful season as loved ones have passed away.  I am one upon whom this sadness rests as it was just over a year ago when my mother passed away…and then just a couple of months later my father went home to heaven.  It is a loss that is real, but not one that paralyzes.  Still, I recognize the hardness of losing one with whom you have lived your life, a partner, a best friend, a spouse.  Yet, even in that struggle God holds our hand and walks with us even though His footprints are unseen (Psalm 77).

Hardship at Christmas is a theme that Charles Dickens draws our attention to in his famous “Christmas Carol”.  There, it is the Cratchit family that tries to find joy in the simple things of life even when their “Tiny Tim’s” health is suffering.  It is only through the visit of three ‘spirits’ that Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and embittered shop owner, changes his attitude toward Christmas and allows Bob Cratchit, the father, to enjoy Christmas with his family, and with a surprising overabundance of good-will from Mr. Scrooge.  A huge has taken place in Mr. Scrooge’s life and he begins to set things right that he has neglected and fought against for so long.  Dickens offers us the great moral lesson that when we are so consumed with ourselves we can lose the ‘spirit’ of Christmas.

As much as I like a good Dickens novel it won’t surprise you that I much prefer the breathed out and Divinely inspired Gospel of John.  John has written his Gospel in order to present evidence that will ultimately lead people to belief, and through such Christ-Centered belief that they will have life – abundant life.  He says it clearly in 20:30-31…

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30–31 (ESV)

So, it is no surprise then, that when we come to Chapter 3 of John’s Gospel we are not encountered with a man by the name of Ebenezer, but Nicodemus.  In this encounter with Jesus another lesson of a ‘change of heart’ takes place, but this is not simply a moral story.  No, this is ‘The Story’ of a changed heart that only comes through Regeneration.  It is a new birth that all who are drawn by God’s Spirit enjoy.  It is a new birth that comes because of that initial birth, the birth of Jesus, the Son of Joseph, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

The best known verse in the Bible, John 3:16, is found in the context of regeneration..

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (ESV)

So, it is right to say that the Christmas message is not just, “A Child is Born” or “The Birth of a King”, but it is also, “You must be born again”!  It is also right to see the message of Christmas pushing us forward to encompass His death reminding us that ‘He was born to die’.

Christmas is many things to many people, but to we who are called the Children of God, it is a day to celebrate the Birth of a King, the King of Kings, who died and rose again and in so doing paid for our sin and granted us ‘new birth’ in Him.

Sadly, a Biblical approach to counseling is greatly lacking in the church today.  Usually what a church offers, if anything, is a quasi form of secular psychology laced with scripture by well meaning people who have not embraced the Scriptures or the Savior as sufficient.  So, how does one find a counselor who is going to give them Biblical Wisdom for their struggle, problem or ‘disorder’?

Here is a video that should help…

How to Find a Trusted Counselor from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Here is another discussion that also speaks to the need for care in considering to whom we should go for counseling…

Causality and Counseling from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Whether you are a preacher, a teacher, a reader or a lover of God’s Word, these words are healthy for you.  Enjoy…and take them in.

There are times when I am preaching that I have especially sensed the pleasure of God. I usually become aware of it through the unnatural silence. The ever-present coughing ceases, and the pews stop creaking, bringing an almost physical quiet to the sanctuary—through which my words sail like arrows. I experience a heightened eloquence, so that the cadence and volume of my voice intensify the truth I am preaching.

There is nothing quite like it—the Holy Spirit filling one’s sails, the sense of his pleasure, and the awareness that something is happening among one’s hearers. This experience is, of course, not unique, for thousands of preachers have similar experiences, even greater ones.

What has happened when this takes place? How do we account for this sense of his smile? The answer for me has come from the ancient rhetorical categories of logos, ethos, and pathos.

The first reason for his smile is the logos—in terms of preaching, God’s Word. This means that as we stand before God’s people to proclaim his Word, we have done our homework. We have exegeted the passage, mined the significance of its words in their context, and applied sound hermeneutical principles in interpreting the text so that we understand what its words meant to its hearers. And it means that we have labored long until we can express in a sentence what the theme of the text is—so that our outline springs from the text. Then our preparation will be such that as we preach, we will not be preaching our own thoughts about God’s Word, but God’s actual Word, his logos. This is fundamental to pleasing him in preaching.

The second element in knowing God’s smile in preaching is ethos—what you are as a person. There is a danger endemic to preaching, which is having your hands and heart cauterized by holy things. Phillips Brooks illustrated it by the analogy of a train conductor who comes to believe that he has been to the places he announces because of his long and loud heralding of them. And that is why Brooks insisted that preaching must be “the bringing of truth through personality.” Though we can never perfectly embody the truth we preach, we must be subject to it, long for it, and make it as much a part of our ethos as possible. As the Puritan William Ames said, “Next to the Scriptures, nothing makes a sermon more to pierce, than when it comes out of the inward affection of the heart without any affectation.” When a preacher’s ethos backs up his logos, there will be the pleasure of God.

Last, there is pathos—personal passion and conviction. David Hume, the Scottish philosopher and skeptic, was once challenged as he was seen going to hear George Whitefield preach: “I thought you do not believe in the gospel.” Hume replied, “I don’t, but he does.” Just so! When a preacher believes what he preaches, there will be passion. And this belief and requisite passion will know the smile of God.

The pleasure of God is a matter of logos (the Word), ethos (what you are), and pathos (your passion). As you preach the Word may you experience his smile—the Holy Spirit in your sails!

R. Kent Hughes

Wheaton, Illinois

 

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John : That you may believe. Preaching the Word (11). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

It is with great joy that I announce to you that Gateway Bible Church will be celebrating and officially launching on September 18^th.

It is hard to believe that last July a group of about 25 people gathered to pray for God’s direction in our lives.  Those repeated prayer meetings gave birth to a Bible Study which began in September and continued through December.   Then, those involved joined me to help the transition of the Evangelical Free Church of Oakland (EFCO) to replant a new church, Higher Ground Church, now under the direction of Pastor Billie Dempsey and in partnership with NorthCreek Church in Walnut Creek, CA.

As God launched that ministry He was also at work in our group affirming His intentions for us to plant a new church that would have as its target the communities around the 580 corridor (San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley, San Ramon, Dublin & Pleasanton).  As we met to pray and work on details God continued to demonstrate His provision in supplying the necessary funds to support and help establish a new church plant.  He also allowed a Core Team of seven couples to use their various gifts to develop and commit to the establishing of Gateway Bible Church.  Although we were not looking to be in Castro Valley proper, it was clear that Creekside Middle School in Castro Valley was exactly what we needed and was in the right location, being just off the freeway.  God provided this centralized meeting location far beyond our expectations.

As we began to gather informally for services on May 1^st  we took time to assess our gifts and the necessary ingredients, or foundations, for a Gospel Centered church by walking through Mark Dever’s 9-Marks of a Healthy Church and adding a few Marks of our own (Hospitality, Investing in the Next Generation).  Over the past few weeks we have had to take a hard look at ourselves through the lens of the little Old Testament book Jonah where God has challenged us to trust Him even though we may not like what we are going through or the responsibilities He has called us to.  As we look ahead we will take a longer journey through the powerful Gospel of John.

So, as we approach our Launch Service we have so much to be thankful for.  So many of you have been praying with us in this endeavor, have attended our services or have walked with us along part of this journey.  You have been a blessing and are to be commended for your affirmation in the faith for the promotion of the glory of God in His gospel.

Having said all this, it would be our joy and delight for you to attend our launch service on September 18^th at Creekside Middle School, 19722 Center Street, Castro Valley 94546.  The service will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a full lunch at the Earl Warren Park (4660 Crow Canyon Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94552) which is just around the corner from the School.

You can visit our “The City” page to sign up and let us know of if you are able to attend by clicking here http://bit.ly/oAA0yU .  You don’t need to bring anything except yourselves.  Dress is casual, i.e. no jacket/tie for men…there will be lots of denim.

Once again, thank you for all you do and have done to help in the establishing of Gateway Bible Church.

Please take time to visit our web site and read through our Mission, Core Values & Beliefs.  This is God’s church!  We want to be sure that He and His Gospel are central in all we do.

God bless,

Rod Phillips – Teaching Pastor

Gateway Bible Church

www.thegatewaybiblechurch.org

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Colossians 1:28–29 (ESV)

This is a continuation of the discussion about the importance of Biblical Theology…

The Definition of Biblical Theology

I think that the definition of Biblical Theology found at the 9Marks web-site is helpful…

“Biblical theology is sound doctrine; it is right thoughts about God; it is belief that accords with Scripture.” (9marks.com)

Typically, Biblical Theology is understood in two ways…Sound Doctrine as well as a way we interpret the Bible.  Let me explain.  When we talk about biblical theology as sound doctrine we simply mean what the average person would think that it means, i.e. theology that is biblical, or theology that accurately reflects what God has revealed of himself in his Word.   This kind of biblical theology is simply always looking to know God more.  Sadly, however, many church leaders are often tempted to teach, or pressure their teaching pastor to teach, what is popular, what won’t offend, and what people’s “itching ears want to hear.”

The second way biblical theology is used is to describe A Specific Way of Interpreting the Bible. It describes a “hermeneutical discipline” (or way of interpreting the Bible) that attempts to trace the Bible’s one main storyline through all of the Bible’s different books and genres. Biblical theology in this sense looks at how certain themes develop throughout all of Scripture, “how the Old and New Testaments relate to each other, and how all of Scripture, in one way or another, points to the saving work of Jesus Christ.” (Thabiti Anyabwile, pg. 28)

Therefore, Biblical Theology is an attitude, commitment and conviction that the Bible has been given to us by God so that we can do two things:

• Know God
• Know God’s macro story as it is unfolded in the pages of His Word.

So, the question is…

Who is God?  What is He like?  How has He described or revealed Himself to us?

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. ” (Exodus 15:11–12, ESV)

• These we call “His Attributes”…

There are a number of ways to categorize His attributes, but I find the best way is to distinguish between what are called his “communicable” or “incommunicable” attributes.

• Communicable attributes refer to characteristics of God that he shares with us in some measure, since we are made in his image—things like knowledge, wisdom, love, and mercy—in fact, the things Paul actually mentions in this doxology in Romans. God is infinitely above us in these things, of course, but we somewhat understand what they are since we share in them on a much lower level.
• The incommunicable attributes are characteristics of God that he does not share with us, indeed, cannot share, since they are uniquely a part of what it means for God to be God. They involve such things as self-existence, self-sufficiency, and eternality. (Boice, J. M. (1991-). Romans (1413). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.)

So, the next question is…

How is God revealed throughout the pages of Scripture?

God is revealed through the pages of Scripture and we are blessed to gain a greater understanding of his attributes, but by His grace, we are given more.   As Mark Dever says,

“It is one thing to look at a resume; it is another thing to actually work with that person.” (Dever, 9Marks, pg. 61)

In that sense God’s attributes would be his resume.  However, we also have God on display through the pages of Scripture, in particular, the narratives, revealing to us how this unique, holy and just God relates to the people of His creation.  So, as we read the Word of God we see a variety of themes laced through the pages of His word, i.e. the fact that he is a creating, holy, faithful, loving and sovereign God, just to name a few.

This  now all brings us to the next question… “What are the implications or applications that Biblical Theology requires?”

The Implications of Biblical Theology

1. The fact that Theology Matters to God

Theology matters to God.  It is through theology that we truly find unity.  Or to say it properly, “Theology is the basis of our unity” because it describes “What we believe about Who God is, what He says and what He expects of us.”

Some may say, “Doctrine only divides us” as if Doctrine were a dirty word, but that is to misunderstand where unity really comes from.  It is true that doctrine divides us because doctrine defines key biblical truths.

Also, others often catch the contemporary spirit by saying, “Don’t we just all believe essentially the same thing?”  Well, Biblical Theology exposes that statement to be completely false.  If we neglect Doctrine we will likely be tempted to embrace such a slogan. But if we take it seriously we will have no option than to agree with scripture that God speaks clearly and wants us to know His will.  Albert Mohler says,

“Those who sow disdain and disinterest in biblical doctrine will reap a harvest of rootless and fruitless Christians.  Doctrine is not a challenge to experiential religion; it testifies to the content of that experience.  The church is charged to call persons to Christ and to root them in a mature knowledge of Christian faith.”

Here are some important questions that Mark Dever poses that will have radical effect on how we do ministry or live our lives:

• Are people basically bad or good?  Do they merely need encouragement and enhanced self-esteem, or do they need forgiveness and new life?
• What did Jesus Christ do by dying on the cross?  Did He make possible an option, or was He our substitute?
• What happens when someone becomes a Christian?
• If we are Christians can we be sure that God will continue to care for us?  If so, is His continual care based on our faithfulness, or on His.

The answers to these questions will fashion and shape how we do ministry.  Our answers must flow from a healthy approach to God’s Word and a theology that is truly rooted in understanding the nature of God.

2. Theology Matters Based on Essentials or Priorities

We have heard it before, but it is worth noting again…

“If we were to lay out everything that constitutes sound teaching, we would reproduce the whole Bible.  But in practice, every church decides the mattes in which there needs to be complete agreement, can be limited disagreement, and can be complete liberty.” (Dever, 9Marks Booklet, pg. 18)

The point is that not all the teachings of Scripture rise to the level of similar importance and where there is some reasonable difference we must not be dogmatic.  That’s why the old maxim of the church is helpful…

 “In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things charity.”

3. Theology Matters For A Church or Individual to be Healthy

According to Wayne Grudem practicing Biblical Theology…

• Helps us grow in our reverence for God.
• Helps us to overcome our wrong ideas.
• Helps inoculate the church against doctrinal controversies.
• Is necessary to fulfill the great commission.
• Deepens our understanding of and facility with the Gospel.

Let me encourage you to take the growth of your biblical theology seriously.  Remember, we are all theologians.  The question is going to be, are we sound theologians, foggy theologians or ignorant theologians?

It is your decision!

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹ I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

In this passage the Apostle John clearly warns us that in the last hour, i.e. the time between the Cross and the Lord’s return, that there would be many Antichrists.  These Antichrists are John’s description for the opponents of Christ and their false teaching, which is in opposition to the apostolic eyewitness testimony about who Jesus is (cf. 1:1–4).  The greater context indicates that they abandoned the true gospel because they departed from the fellowship, having denied the faith (God’s truth regarding Christ) and that their goal is to confuse the faithful.

In contrast to the antichrists are the Anointed, those who have been chosen by God and indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  As the anointed we are His possession and thus, because we are His children, we are christ’s in this world.  Not only are we uniquely set apart, but we have all been given unique knowledge which He wants us to lean on and live by.

It is to this body of “knowledge” about the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) that we now turn: Who He is, What He has done, How He has done it and What He expects of us.

The Need for Biblical Theology

The question we must ask at the beginning of this discussion is this: “How do we distinguish ourselves from the cults, false teachers and anemic Christians?”  How are we different from…Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bahai, Unitarians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu’s, etc.

As we seek to answer that question please understand that it isn’t what we have in common that marks who we are but rather it is where we are different.  Think about it this way:

• How would all those different groups describe God?
• How would they describe Jesus Christ?
• How would they describe the plight of man?
• How would they describe the solution to man’s fallen condition?
• How would they say we should live to please God?

Would you not agree with me that the answers to those questions would be far different?

Next however, many of those groups would say something like this: “Well, we may disagree on some points, but we are all Bible based in our beliefs.”  But friends, it is not enough to simply say, “We are Bible Based believers”!  Listen to the wisdom of Martin Lloyd-Jones on this topic…

‎Most of the cults which are so prominent in the world today claim that they are based upon the Bible. ‘Of course,’ they say, ‘we believe everything that the Bible says; our teaching is based upon it.’ Indeed, you will find that some of these people appear to know their Bibles very well. So it is no use just saying to them that you do not believe as they do because you believe the Bible. We must know how doctrine is to be found in the Bible if we hope to deliver these people in any way at all, if we are anxious to make them true Christians and to bring them to a real knowledge of God. We must be in a position to explain to them where they go wrong and where they are not biblical, and to help them to understand the source of their error. (Martin Lloyd-Jones, pg. 35)

Mark Dever also shares some helpful insights here…

“Today people believe to be true simply what they desire to be true.” Dever

“Long-held Christian beliefs about everything from the nature of God to morality have been reshaped and have been jettisoned in the name of making Christianity more relevant, more palatable, more acceptable to today’s hearer.” Dever pg. 58

Now friends, I think that Lloyd-Jones and Dever are absolutely right in their assessment.  Our view of God, our understanding of Biblical themes and doctrines is critical to our growth in Christ and to how we live our lives for His glory.

So, I ask the question again…”What makes us stand apart from all these different religions?”  The answer is rather simple, but extremely important…

•  “We take Theology seriously.”

Now, that answer is dependent on our seriousness and our willingness to be diligent in pursuing theology as an ongoing activity of our daily walk with God.  Sadly, however, there is apathy among believers today regarding “theology” as if “theology” is a discipline held exclusively for Pastors and experts.  But, that kind of thinking runs contrary to the teaching of Scripture.

Listen, If I ask you to tell me about Jesus and your answer is, “Jesus is Love! He is the great example for us to follow.  He inspires us to live our lives using our gifts to do good to others and to leave a legacy for others to follow,”  here is what I would say.  “Regardless of whether that sentence is biblically true or not, you have just given me a theology.  You have formulated a doctrine of understanding about Who Jesus is.“  Friends, that is doctrine…that is theology.  Everybody has a theology, right wrong or confused!

I am encouraged again by Martin Lloyd-Jones’ words…

‎How are these doctrines to be found in the Bible? How is one to discover them? Now that is no idle question, as I think I can show you very easily. But it is never enough to say, ‘I am not interested in doctrines. I’m a Bible person. Let these clever people argue about doctrines if they like; you give me the Bible and I am satisfied.’ That is a very foolish (ouch), indeed, a ridiculous (yikes), statement to make, because people who come to the Bible must believe something as the result of reading it. The question is: Are they believing what they ought to believe?  (parenthetical commentary is mine)  (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (1996). God the Father, God the Son (p 35). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.)

Theology

So, let’s first define the word “Theology”.  It comes from two Greek words – “theos” & “logos” which together mean “The Study of God.”  We can broaden the topic by saying that everything contained in the Bible is “about God”, so as we study the Bible we are studying God.  That study is also called “teaching” or “doctrine”.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to both Titus and Timothy in his Pastoral Epistles about the word “sound” as it complements the words, “doctrine, teaching, faith, etc.  The word “Sound” means reliable, accurate or faithful. At its root it is an image from the medical world meaning “to be whole or healthy”.

 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, ” (1 Timothy 1:10, ESV)

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, ” (1 Timothy 6:3, ESV)

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ” (2 Timothy 1:13, ESV)

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ” (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV)

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. ” (Titus 1:9, ESV)

This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ” (Titus 1:13, ESV)

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ” (Titus 2:1–2, ESV)

So, Paul is all about theology being present in the church in teaching, in living and as the basis for church and family life.

More to come…

I’ve heard the statement hundreds of times coming from well meaning people, but I am saddened every time I hear it.  It goes something like this…

• “Why are we so focused on doctrine when what we really need to do is focus on Christ?”
• “I want to encourage unity in the church so I really don’t want doctrine to cause division.”
• “We are all evangelical Christians and essentially believe the same things, right?”

Well, although I may have something to say on this topic in a later post, I thought that I would share an article by Albert Mohler, Jr., President of Southern Seminary, on this very topic.  Interestingly this article was written in 2003.

The 20th century witnessed an increasingly energetic revolt against doctrine. A denial of specific formulations of classical Christian doctrine has been evident in some quarters, while others have rejected the very notion of doctrine itself.

Doctrine has even fallen on hard times even among those who call themselves evangelicals. Some evangelical historians now argue that the defining principles of evangelical identity are not specifically theological–at least beyond the most general affirmations. If true, that judgment would be a disgrace to any people of God. As it is, however, evangelicals have a proud doctrinal heritage and have historically given careful attention to confessions of faith and doctrinal issues.

Doctrine is, quite literally, the teaching of the church–what the church understands to be the substance of its faith. It is no substitute for personal experience. Evangelical Christians have given clear witness to the necessity of personal faith in Jesus Christ, but that personal faith is based in some specific understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished on the cross. After all, we do not call persons to profess faith in faith, but faith in Christ.

There is no Christianity “in general.” Faith in some experience devoid of theological or biblical content–no matter how powerful–is not New Testament Christianity. Those called to Christianity in general may believe nothing in particular. But faith resides in particulars.

Some churches seem to think that doctrine is a concern for those of a certain intellectual bent, but unnecessary for most Christians. Interest in doctrine amounts to something like an intellectual hobby. Others steer clear of doctrine for fear of argument or division in the church. Both factors indicate a lack of respect for the Christian believer and an abdication of the teaching function of the church.

Those who sow disdain and disinterest in biblical doctrine will reap a harvest of rootless and fruitless Christians. Doctrine is not a challenge to experiential religion; it testifies to the content of that experience. The church is charged to call persons to Christ and to root them in a mature knowledge of Christian faith.

Sociologists and historians observing the American church scene indicate that one of the first signs of denominational decline is a lessening of doctrinal attention. Many mainline Protestant denominations have followed this course, with a weakening concern for biblical doctrine followed by decline in membership and evangelistic outreach.

Yet, evangelicals should not recapture a healthy concern for biblical doctrine merely as a means of avoiding organizational or congregational decline. We must do so because nothing less is worthy of a New Testament people. The essential issue for the church is faithfulness.

Churches lacking an intentional and effective program of doctrinal instruction risk becoming the company of the confused. Charles Spurgeon told the painful story of the Irishman who attended a sectarian religious society meeting. Telling of the meeting, the man recounted: “Oh, it was lovely: none of us knew anything and we all taught each other.”

American evangelicals must curb the decline of doctrinal concern in our midst and recapture the teaching responsibility of the church. Doctrine without piety is dead, but piety without doctrine is immature at best, and inauthentic at worst. Faithful Christians are always concerned with the development of true Christian piety and discipleship in believers. Yet, as John A. Broadus commented over a century ago, doctrinal truth is “the lifeblood of piety.”

Those who call for a “doctrineless Christianity” misunderstand–or misrepresent–both doctrine and Christianity. Pragmatism and program concerns dominate the lives of many Christians and their congregations. The low state of doctrinal understanding among so many evangelicals is evidence of a profound failure of both nerve and conviction. Both most be recovered if there is to be anything even remotely evangelical about the evangelicalism of the future. (From www.crosswalk.com/news/al-mohler/why-doctrine-matters-1233547.html)

Thanks Dr. Mohler for your excellent insight and helpful words…Truly Doctrine and Theology are critical for the health of the church!

So, why Expository Preaching?  Why that distinction?  Isn’t all preaching that uses the Word of God simply biblical preaching?  Well, I want to look at a well-known definition of expository preaching and then tease out some of the implications of that definition onto the preaching task.  But before we do that I think that it is essential to make a distinction between two words – Exegesis and Eisegesis:

Exegesis means “to lead out”.  It is allowing the text to speak freely, so that what we say is what the text is saying. It is when the text of Scripture rules us and we stand humbly under the text of Scripture.

Eisegesis on the other hand means “to put into.” It is coming to a text with preconceived ideas and pressing those ideas on that text so that it says what you want it to say.  It is when the text of Scripture serves us and we stand arrogantly over the text of Scripture.  So, any faithful expository of the Word of God will do the hard work of going to the text of Scripture and allow the text to speak rather than force a preconceived idea on the text.  In other words, we want to be doing exegesis and avoiding eisegesis at all costs.  People don’t need our thoughts, they need God’s thoughts. They don’t need our creativity but they need God’s majesty, beauty and wisdom.

Now, here is a classic definition of Expository Preaching from Haddon Robinson:

“Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his hearers.”

So, here are some basic elements of Expository Preaching that flow out of that definition.

• The message finds its sole source in Scripture.  In other words, the point of preaching is to preach the Word, the Scriptures, to expose what is there.
• The message is extracted from Scripture through careful exegesis. (Literal, historical & grammatical method of interpretation)  When the pastor has done a faithful job of mining the text through careful exegesis he will then come to a conclusion as to what the text is saying.
• The message preparation correctly interprets Scripture in its normal sense and its context.  Scripture is not a book full of codes and allegories hidden from that masses that only a skilled person can unlock.  Scripture is normally plainly understood.
• The message clearly explains the original God-intended meaning of Scripture.  What did God say to that original audience?  Who were they, why did He say it?  Whom is He speaking through, etc.
• The message applies the scriptural meaning for today.  What timeless truth is God wanting me to personally consider and then what is it that I as a Pastor/Teacher am called to convey to the gathered worshippers?

The bottom line is that a faithful expository preacher is simply a “mouthpiece for the text”.  That’s what the Puritans would say and I agree.  God does use us, our personalities, our experiences, etc., but ultimately, He is speaking His Word through us.  It is His Word that we want people to remember and not our illustrations, stories, personal examples, etc.  This is truly an awesome privilege on one hand and a heavy responsibility on the other!

So, although this discussion is in no way exhaustive, here is a summary of Expository Preaching.

1. Expository Preaching is the application of a philosophy of the mandate to “Preach the Word” given by God through Paul to all who handle God’s Word before a gathered flock.
2. It encompasses all styles of preaching…Topical, biographical, Theological, Doctrinal, etc.
3. It asks the question, “Is this what God says?” rather than “is this what I am saying?”
4. It is authoritative, clear and connects from the text to contemporary life – how we live, think, behave, relate to and in this culture.
5. Its goal is not an emotionalism, people coming forward for prayer, etc., but a growing repentance and strengthening from God which permeates a person’s everyday life.
6. It is not “one part” of the Sunday Morning experience, but the central focus of the Gathered church.
7. God has called Preachers to “Preach the Word” not “Communicators” to move the people.

Implications…

Now, I know that I have only scratched the surface, but it should at least be evident that our attitude and approach to the Bible is critical for us to have a healthy opportunity to faithfully “Preach the Word.”  There are implications, however that we should consider.

First, as God’s people we should have a high view of Preaching.  We should guard against the eclipse of preaching due to all sorts of programs, ministries and ideologies.  God didn’t tell Timothy, “Get a worship band together, create a support group, journal or watch the latest cool video.”  No, he said, “Preach the Word”.  His activity as a Herald and the subject matter of the Word is very clear.

Next, as God’s people we should have a high view of Teaching.  Preaching is the dynamic that typically takes place when the corporate church is gathered.  It always includes teaching, but the teaching I am now referring to is the kind of activity that may take place during a Sunday School hour or at a seminar.  This kind of teaching should also be expository in nature, gleaning its findings, instructions and counsel from the Word.

Also, God’s people should have a high view of Application.  This is the great value of the small group.  As a pastor I cannot possibly give direct application to everyone who is present when I preach.  Careful and effective application can, however, take place in the context of a small group that values expository preaching/teaching so that correct application can take place.  Remember, however, it doesn’t matter what you think the text means, or what it means to you.  What matters is what it means, what God intended, what He was saying.

Next, God’s people should have a high view of Biblical Counseling.  The kind of counseling that believes that God’s Word is sufficient and relevant will embrace expository preaching.  It will recognize that we don’t “use” God’s Word in counseling, but we minister or expose God’s Word in counseling so that the counselee can see what God says, what He demands, what He is calling them to.

Finally, as God’s people we should have a high view of Evangelism that is rooted in the Word of God.  It is not that we simply quote God’s Word, but that we explain God’s Word.  And when we do that, we are leaving our friends with a deposit of the Gospel to have an effect on their hearts.

Lord.  Keep us in your Word.  May it saturate our thoughts, our motives and affect our behavior as a living and active counselor and guide to our lives and ministries.

To begin with I want to draw your attention to two passages of Scripture that send chills up and down my spine as I imagine a world where what they express is true…

¹¹“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. ¹²They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. Amos 8:11-12

And…

Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 1 Samuel 3:1

So, the question is screaming at us…Is the Word of God “rare” in our day and age?

Think about it…we have tons of Bible’s don’t we?  I remember counting how many Bible’s I owned personally and it was staggering.  Then add to that how many I have in my home.  As I have worked with the people of Russia people have asked me, “Can we send over some Bible’s with you?” and I have to respond, “No, they have plenty of Bible’s”…and the people are shocked but it is true.  Bible’s we have…volumes and volumes of them.

So, I ask the question again, “Is the Word of God “rare”?”  And the answer to that question is, in one sense no, because we have so many Bibles and resources available to us on the internet, etc.  On the other hand the answer is yes.  We have the Word of God but does the Word of God have us?  What I mean is this: Do we love it, read it, study it, breathe it, live it?  Is it proclaimed from our pulpits? Is it truly our guide for living?

And friends, that is what brings us to this very important topic, Expository Preaching.

Listen to what Alistair Begg says…

“Large sections of the church are oblivious to the fact that they are being administered a placebo rather than the medicine they need.  They are satisfied with the feeling that it has done them some good, a feeling that disguises the seriousness of the situation.  In the absence of bread the population grows accustomed to cake!  Pulpits are for preachers.  We build stages for performers.” Begg, pg. 11

Those are some sobering thoughts from a pastor that believes wholeheartedly in the exclusivity of expository preaching.  Another pastor, John Piper, taking on contemporary preaching from a different angle says,

 “Laughter seems to have replaced repentance as the goal of many preachers.  Laughter means people feel good.  It means they like you.  It means you have moved them.  It means you have some measure of power.  It seems to have all the marks of successful communication – if the depth of sin and the holiness of God and the danger of hell and need for broken hearts is left out of account.”  (“The Supremacy of God in Preaching.” Pg. 55-56)

Again, listen to the wisdom and counsel given by C. H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers on this subject…

“Evangelism of the humorous type may attract multitudes but it lays the soul in ashes and destroys the very germs of religion.”  (“Forgotten Spurgeon” by Ian Murray, pg. 38)

What is interesting is that Spurgeon balances out this statement in his “lectures to students stressing the need for and the proper place of humor in the life and ministry of the Pastor.  (Lectures, pg. 212.)

When people are nurtured on cake it is no wonder that they want the icing with all the sprinkles too.  You can’t blame them!  The fault doesn’t lie on the part of the listener but on the part of the man of God called with the task to “preach the Word.”  Either he is going to be faithful to that command or he is not.

This was such a serious matter that Paul’s last few words to Timothy emphasized this priority on the part of the pastor.  Here is what he says.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ” (2 Timothy 4:1–5, ESV)

It doesn’t take long for mature believers in Christ to look around at Christian culture and see that people are gathering to themselves teachers who will say what they want them to say.

Speaking personally from experience I have been told the following (and this is just a short list):

• “Pastor, you talk way too much about sin!”
• “It seems that every time you preach that you zing us with something.  What we need is to be encouraged.”
• “Don’t you know that people’s attention span is only 20 minutes?  They can’t listen to you after that, so you have to say all you need to say in that amount of time.”
• “Pastor, it is your job to send us away feeling good about our relationship with God, that we are under grace and with practical tools to face the world we live in.”
• Etc.

Now, my first response to all of those comments is to humbly ask God to reveal too me if there is any way that I am being disobedient to Him in my manner, tone and expression of loving care for the flock.  I recognize that I am a sinful servant of God and that my sinfulness can get in the way of God’s people hearing God’s truth.  I want to know that and be teachable.  That, however, is not what is usually going on.

As I review 2 Timothy 4:1-5 I see expressions like, “people will not endure sound teaching” and the commands to “rebuke” and “reprove” as well as “exhort.”  To be faithful with the charge I have been given means that I must take seriously what God is saying to Timothy through Paul and to me through His inspired Word.  I have a God-given responsibility to “reprove” and “rebuke” just as much as I have the responsibility to encourage through exhortation.

The problem is, as Alistair Begg identified, that people are used to a diet of cake and don’t have the stomach to “endure” sound teaching.  They are offended by it.  Ultimately they don’t want to be told “Here is what God is saying to you through His Word!”  Oh, they want to hear about all the blessings, the parts about forgiveness & grace, promises and hopes…but when you start to meddle with their souls then they become uncomfortable, angry and are willing to confront the pastor when he is simply doing what God has called him to do.

That calling is to “Preach the Word.”  But what does that mean?  Well, first, let me highlight what Preaching the Word is not…

• Preaching the Word is not entertaining the crowd so that they will like what you have to say and will respond according to a predetermined plan.
• It is not using the pulpit to fight for political causes.  God is not a republican, nor is He a democrat.  God is sovereign and sits on His throne.
• It is not conjuring up “new truths” that somehow only you have been able to glean from your own personal study of the Bible.  If that is true you may end up making multiple predictions of the Lord’s Judgment and return and ultimately have to live with eternal egg on your face.
• It is not becoming a storyteller.  Certainly in preaching the pastor will use stories to illustrate, explain or apply what he is unpacking, but telling a story should not replace or becomes that substitute.
• It is not “being real” in the pulpit.  Too often there is a feeling that the preacher needs to be authentic to be sure his hearers know that he is a sinful struggler just like them.  But friends, forced authenticity is very inauthentic, isn’t it.  At times a faithful Preacher will share how a certain passage or theme is working in his life.  That is a natural and, in my opinion, an appropriate use of authenticity.  However, when there is a goal of authenticity we run the risk of drawing attention to ourselves and not to Christ.
• It is not sharing the latest pop-psychology.  Certainly some psychological insights can be helpful or may give some practical directions, i.e. a person suffering with depression needs to implement arenas of structure in their life, etc.  But that is simply not the Gospel or the Word of God.

Expository Preaching, however, looks at the preaching task in a far different manner.  It has a different attitude to God and His Word.  It approaches the task of preaching, the passage under consideration and the implications contained in that passage with a reverence that is rooted in the charge God has given.

To “preach” is to “Herald” (kerusso in the Greek).  It is a word that describes the role of a herald that is a representative of a king.  The herald is gathered to the king and is given a message to proclaim to the kingdom.  The herald is then tasked by the king to go as his mouthpiece and proclaim that message to the towns and villages of the kingdom.  His job is to speak the words of the king!  He is not to think about the message, change the words, judge whether the message is harsh, loving, helpful or could be said in a better way.  That is simply not his call.  He is not the king, but simply a representative of the king and his job is to be sure that the message is communicated clearly.

The preacher, then, is to herald.  But what is it that he is called to herald?  Paul identifies that as “The Word”, which is really a synonym for other descriptions used in the Pastoral Epistles, i.e. deposit, commandments, sacred writings, scriptures, the faith, the truth, the gospel, etc.

So far we have seen that God has charged the Pastor/Teacher with the incredible task of “Preaching the Word”, but why use the expression Expository Preaching?  Isn’t all preaching that uses the Word of God pretty much the same?

I will begin with that thought in my next article…

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.  (Mt 24:36)

Now, for the purpose of edification and clarity I have collected a few blog articles that I think are helpful responses to the Harold Camping debacle.  And, may I say this.  This is just another reason why there is a huge need for Expository Preaching in our country, especially here in the Bay Area.

From Dan Phillips (no relation, but must be from good stock) at the Pyromaniacs blog and at his own:

Harold Camping, the True Gospel and Hedged Bets

Harold Camping Glorifies God: Seventeen Ways

Eric Landry from the Gospel Coalition writes…

The Pastoral Challenge and Opportunity When the Rapture Doesn’t Happen

From Reformaton 21 here is a message on The Folly of Setting Dates

The Folly of Setting Dates

Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in CA has written a very sober accounting of Harold Camping’s theological demise.  You can either read the whole article as a pdf or in parts at his blog.

I was relatively young and in seminary when Harold Camping came out with his 88 Reasons Why the Lord is Coming in 1988.  I was horrified by his assertions then, as he sought to rebound by adding a miscalculation and am still horrified by how he has done so much damage to the body of Christ, especially in the Bay Area.  I personally people who have worked at Family Radio and have also been greatly troubled by his radical teachings of recent years.

May we learn all the lessons we can learn and do our best to wipe the egg off the face of Christianity because of such misguided teaching.  May we also learn the importance of sound hermeneutics and a faithful exposition of God’s Word.