The Preaching Stream

Welcome to this resource for those doing the Joshua Project Preaching Stream. This blog will be a means for communicating course information, passing on useful thoughts & articles, giving a forum for discussion, and generally creating an on-line community to keep those in this stream connected and thinking from week to week.

Scroll down to see articles etc - check the page tabs & side bar for links to Recommended Books, Assignment & course work information, and other useful sites. Enjoy!

WHY BIBLICAL THEOLOGY MATTERS & HOW TO USE IT

Let me recommend this excellent and very readable 9 Marks book on Biblical Theology. It explains what BT is, why it's important and how it helps us in reading the Bible and preparing sermons. Definitely worth getting a copy & reading through.

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Local Church - A Guide for Ministry, Michael Lawrence (Crossway 2010).

9 MARKS ON PREACHING

See link below to 9 Marks ejournal - some great articles on Preaching.

http://www.9marks.org/ejournal/preaching

QUOTES FOR PREACHERS

Biblical preaching is taking people to the Bible
and talking them through what it means.

‘They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read’Nehemiah 8:8

‘I take it for granted that we will have a text. For we are not speculators but expositors’

J Stott

Great Bible teachers have all been people of study

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching

its decrees and laws in Israel’

Ezra 7:10

‘He who has ceased to learn has ceased to teach. He who no longer sows in the study will no more reap in the pulpit.’

CH Spurgeon

If I had only three years to serve the Lord, I would spend two of them studying and preparing’

DG Barnhouse, quoted by Billy Graham

Seeing that you cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a work, pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of the holy Scriptures, and with a life agreeable to the same, consider how studious ye ought to be in reading and learning the Scriptures..’
CofE Ordinal, 1662 – Exhortation from Bishop to Candidates for Ministry

If a sermon looks easy and straightforward it’s because of all the work

that has gone into it.
‘cases are won in chambers’

JH Jowett, Judge

‘too lazy, to proud, too pious – all causes of poor preparation’

J Stott

Expect criticism

People will begin to take sides, objections to you and to what you preach, and how you preach it, will become increasingly plausible (but quite irrational when you consider them). Your manner, length and style of preaching etc,
will all be torn to shreds’ …
…your quiet persistence will be a sign that you believe God has a purpose of grace for this people, and that this purpose will be promoted, not by gimmicks, or stunts, or new ideas, but by the Word of God released in preaching by prayer’

(W Still)

BIBLE DICTIONARIES

The NEW BIBLE DICTIONARY (IVP), edited by I Howard Marshall, AR Millard, JI Packer, DJ Wiseman - is worth investment by any preacher.

Best Commentaries says:
Description:This magnificent and comprehensive Bible dictionary has set the standard for five decades. This third edition brings the work up to date with the latest developments in scholarship. The book is invaluable for everyone who wants to know the Bible better

Another good on-line dictionary is...
BAKERS EVANGELICAL DICTIONARY OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

BEST COMMENTARIES

A great resource for info on, reviews and recommendations on Bible Commentaries and other resources.

BESTCOMMENTARIES.COM

PREACHING TO THE HEART 2

More from the Keller-nator...

2. HOW CAN YOU BE BETTER AT PREACHING LIFE RELATED SERMONS
Theology is the answers to the questions we have asked of the text
 So the meaning you attribute to a text – is the answers to the questions you have asked of it
 Not Realtivism – rather Biblical texts contain a surplus of meaning

1. Who do you converse with?
 We are always shaped by our contexts – and thus are our sermons
 The questions we ask of the text are moulded in large part by our situations
 So if you live in a world of theological controversy your sermons will heavily reference those issues – i.e. those were the questions in your mind as you studied the text
 Conversely if you spend time with non-Christians or are involved in pastoral situations – you sermons will reflect that (e.g. they will become more relevant & meaningful to non-Christians)

So beware becoming unbalanced in your focus – read & spend time with a diversity of people.

2. Who do you picture?
 Imagine yourself counselling a particular person with the text you’re studying (imagine the conversation)
 Anticipate the questions a range of people might have about what you’re saying – answer them!

Types of listeners: sensitive non-Christians, immoral pagans, intellectual pagans, non-church nominal Christians, church-going nominal Christians, new Christians, mature Christians, the sick & suffering, the persecuted, the dying, the spiritually dry, the tempted, the backslider….etc etc

3. Do you have 3 perspectives on situational?

Three ways to apply a text
 Doctrinalist: focused on objective truth
 Pietist: focused on inner life
 Cultural Transformationalist: focused on community impact

e.g. Exorcism stories in NT
 Doctrinalist: focuses on: Jesus as God, divine power, no dualism
 Pietist: focuses on: Jesus can free you from the things that enslave you today
 Transformationalist focuses on: Jesus overcomes the evil in the world – how do we challenge evil in society today.

Preachers will tend to be disposed to focus on one aspect –
 need to see all three and apply in all aspects over time (may privilege one at any given time).

Apologetics in your sermon = application for non-Christians