Stay Tuned...

From the Pulpit

Sorry for the delay in posts. This time of the semester is crazy with exams and papers piling up on one another. I will soon though have a substantial amount of posts on topics ranging from the vision of the church to biblical preaching. Enjoy this week and remember especially what Sunday is all about. Namely, it marks the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ - who was the sacrificial lamb and who was the propitiation of our sins to a holy and just God and who without we would not be able to live triumphantly in the presence of our Lord after our time on this earth is finished. Praise God for his mercy and grace!

More on Expository Preaching

Here is an interesting tidbit on expository preaching from Dr. Albert Mohler:

"The church today finds itself assaulted without--and even within--by a culture and worldview of untruth, anti-truth, and postmodern irrationality. In fact, researchers increasingly report that a majority of evangelicals themselves reject the notion of absolute or objective truth. The seductive lure of postmodern relativism has pervaded many evangelical pulpits and countless evangelical pews, often couched as humility, sensitivity, or sophistication. The culture has us in its grip, and many feel no discomfort.

The absence of doctrinal precision and biblical preaching marks the current evangelical age. Doctrine is considered outdated by some and divisive by others. The confessional heritage of the church is neglected and, in some cases, seems even to be an embarrassment to updated evangelicals. Expository preaching--once the hallmark and distinction of the evangelical pulpit--has been replaced in many churches by motivational messages, therapeutic massaging of the self, and formulas for health, prosperity, personal integration, and celestial harmony."

Dr. Mohler writes a weblog everyday. I would recommend reading.

What were we created for?

It is interesting to think about what God created for us to do on this earth. In his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard has an interesting chapter that deals with what we, as God's creation, were put here on earth to do. This is a book I've been reading lately so consequently, most of my posts may branch off from some of his ideas, with of course my take on them.

God created us to rule over all of the other created living beings. (Gen 1:26). God had a wonderful plan for our lives: to rule over all creation and to enjoy eternal fellowship with him. However, through Adam's sin we failed the test. Now, people live their lives - not as having a purpose - but purposeless. Willard states that people live their lives as robots, re-charging daily just to "get by." With this attitude about life is it any wonder the "self-help" gospels that are so popular, are that - popular. People need "pick-me-ups" in a world where life is meaningless.

But God did not create us to "just get by." He created us to have fellowship with Him. Although we sinned through Adam, and all have sinned and keep sinning (Rom. 3:23). Paul himself says "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." (Rom. 7:15) That is why Christ came. I heard it said from a buddy of mine at seminary that "we strive for perfection because we were created in the image of someone who was perfect." But we failed...Christ has come and He has reconciled us back to God. He has been the propitiation (substitutionary sacrifice) for our sins. Because of what He has done, we can have eternal life with God. We are redeemed, ransomed, and rescued.

It is fitting that the One who created us knows the only cure for our fatal sickness. He also knows the "cure" for our living just to get by: and that is simply living for Him who died for us.

Modern Day "Preaching" vs. Real Preaching

One only has to watch parts of Christian television, especially that of the late-night cable variety, to realize that the faith has been watered-down to that of "Accept Jesus and He will meet your every need." While, this is theologically false it is also incredibly "me-centered." The heart of Christianity should rather be "He-centered."

So much of modern-day preaching (if you can even call it preaching) is all about how one can have happiness, how one can have a nice bank account, etc. It is true that God loves us and desires to bless us and can bless us but He certainly doesn't have to and no prescription is "guaranteed" that He will - at least blessing in the way most people want it, which is temporal and materialistic rewards. Our motivation for serving Him should not be "What can do for me" but one of "What can I do for God?"

Dallas Williard says it best when he concludes that "salvation is a life" not just a decision, a prayer or an attitude. So, our society has suppressed and robbed Christianity into making God a money tree. Until preachers start simply preaching Jesus and the Gospel (after all preaching that doesn't present the Gospel is not preaching at all) we will continue to have this problem. Therefore, my brothers in Christ, is you preach, preach Jesus! It is after all the only form of preaching that really exists.