Simply the Word

 God speaks through us whenever we plainly and modestly relate whatever He has already said in the Bible. Preachers are to expose God's message, simply and directly ... our bigger-than-life-or-death goal must be to expose God's Word. Expose what He says. Expose His message.  

Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation

It's easy to make ministry so complicated.

It's easy in the quest to make a point, to miss the point.

It's easy, in our preaching and teaching of God's Word, to leave people knowing more about what we think, and less about what God thinks.

Yes. So, so easy. And so, so deadly.

I have been challenged recently to step out of the way (as much as possible) and unleash the Word of God into people's lives. What does this mean? Simple - I will succeed when, and only when, I faithfully and accurately communicate to people what God has already said in His Word.

Isn't that refreshing? The key to giving life to people through our ministry is to recognize that it is God's Word that gives life, and that He is pleased to use our faithful exposition and application of that Word to His ends.

Preachers, too, can be encouraged to employ creativity, charisma, or any other such device, but such devices must remain lowly workers, unassuming eunuchs who usher palace visitors toward the royal throne of God's Word, always serving the message and never mastering it.

The plain and bare goal of preaching is to expose God's Word, and everything in the preacher's arsenal must unite toward that one end.

Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation

May I commend to you two recent books that have proven invaluable to me as I seek to grow as a minister of God's Word?


The first I have already quoted from above. Written by Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation (subtitled "How God's Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People) is a practical, encouraging, and stimulating consideration of the power and sufficiency of the Bible. I have profited greatly from it in the past few weeks. It can be purchased at ...

http://www.wtsbooks.com/reverberation-jonathan-leeman-9780802422996

 

The second has been equally challenging, stimulating, and helpful. Taking God at His Word, the latest from Kevin DeYoung offers a fresh and accessible look into the doctrine of the Scripture. Its subtitle says it all - Why the Bible is knowable, necessary, and enough, and what that means for you and me. I recommend it highly! It can be purchased at ...

http://www.wtsbooks.com/taking-god-at-his-word-why-the-bible-is-knowable-necessary-and-enough-and-what-that-means-for-you-and-me-kevin-deyoung-9781433542404

One last quote (this one from Taking God at His Word) ...

You can think too highly of your interpretations of Scripture, but you cannot think too highly of Scripture's interpretation of itself. You can exaggerate your authority in handling the scriptures, but you cannot exaggerate the Scripture's authority to handle you. You can use the Word of God to come to wrong conclusions, but you cannot find any wrong conclusions in the Word of God.

 

Recovering Well: 5 Things to Remember after Preaching a Bad Sermon

It's happened to the best of them. In fact, its probably happened to all of us more often that we would ever like to admit (or realize).

Come on. You know what I mean ...

• The sermon flops.
• The Bible study is a dud.
• The facial expressions move from initial interest to confusion to boredom.

So ... what do we do? Here are 5 things to remember:

1. The promise never rested with you, but with the Word.

"For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout ... so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55. 10-11

Just as the rain and snow are predictably effective, so is God's Word. It always accomplishes God's purposes. Notice the repeated word "shall":

" ... so shall my word be ..."
" ... it shall not return to me empty ..."
" ... it shall accomplish that which I purpose ..."
" ... it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

According to the dictionary, "'shall' is used before a verb in the infinitive to show something that is inevitable."

That's good to remember.

2. The power never belonged to you, but to God.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."   2 Corinthians 4.7

Its tempting to think that power in preaching is ours - our words, our preparation, our delivery. But it's not. It's about God and His power. 

And how does God display His power? He uses ... us. That's right, sinners like you and me. Simple jars of clay holding unbelievable treasure.

That's good to remember.

3. The proclamation was never about you, but about Jesus.

"And when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."  1 Cor. 2. 1-2

As I look at my struggle, its increasingly clear- I often care alot about how I appeared or was received, and often very little about how Jesus was proclaimed or received. 

In other words, in my little world a sermon is "bad" because I look bad, or I feel bad.

Perhaps, in God's providence, a "bad" sermon is a common occurrence to press us back to the point of our proclamation - Jesus. So ... if Jesus was proclaimed, if His work was portrayed, if His name was exalted, if His gospel was preached, then it wasn't a bad sermon!

That's good to remember.

4. The persuasion was never in your wisdom, but in God's Spirit.

"And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the power and Spirit, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."   1 Cor. 2. 3-5

What did Paul "bring to the table"? Weakness. Fear. Trembling. Much trembling.

Did it stop the Lord's purposes? Not at all. In fact, it was the Lord's purpose. Why? So that no one's faith would ever rest on the preacher (even Paul!) but would rest on God.

Feel weak in the pulpit? You're in good company. God is at work.

That's good to remember.

5. The passion was never to be in the performance, but in the gospel.

"Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."  Luke 10. 20

The disciples had just returned from a period of successful ministry. The preaching went well, the sick were healed, the demons were cast out. What a day!

Jesus' response? "Do not rejoice in those things. Your passion was never meant to be in your performance."

And Jesus pointed them to the only source of true passion - the gospel. "Your names are written in heaven."

Perhaps a bad sermon is a good gift from an all-wise God. It turns our hearts from our efforts and onto the grace of God in Christ.

That's good to remember.