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Ten Words on the Preached Word

A repost.  Some random thoughts on what I'd like to see more of in my own preaching and the preaching of others...

  1. Thou shalt worship Christ from the pulpit.  The priestly task of declaring the gospel of God (Rom 15:16) entaileth a twofold direction to the sermon.  The preacher not only standeth before a congregation to declare truth, but before the Lord to worship Him.  Of course 'worship' does not mean putting on airs - feigning the manner of a Spurgeon or a Piper.  It does mean happy and humble gratitude in the presence of Jesus.  And of course this twofoldness is accomplished in one and the same task - proclaiming 'Worthy is the Lamb.'
  2. Thou shalt communicate, through both content and style, a tangible sense of the newness of God's revelation.  May such phrases as these perish from thy lips: 'Of course we all knoweth do we not...'  We really do not knoweth.  We need to be toldeth.  Hence preaching.  Therefore preach with eager and childlike enthusiasm for the surprising and always disruptive grace of God.
  3. Thy tone shalt be declarative and devotional.
  4. Thy method shalt be expositional and christocentric.  (Of course expositional does not necessitate 'verse by verse')
  5. Thy fevered entreaty shalt not be 'DO' so much as 'LOOK'.
  6. Thou shalt not apologize for the word, whether for its supposed harshness or obscurity or backwardness or unbelievability.  In truth the word is capable of defending itself on all these counts.
  7. Thou shalt not go searching for illustrations.  Thy passage no doubt has plenty of good ones of its own.  Whosoever shalt spend time looking for stories to 'lighten up their talk' must be cut off from the assembly.
  8. Thou shalt not go searching for jokes.  There is no doubt plenty of humour in the Scriptures themselves without you searching lamepreachergags.com.  Anyone found guilty of the needless and clumsy insertion of 'a joke' shall be stoned to death.  Show no mercy.
  9. Thou shalt not preach that 'Christ is God'.  Thou shalt preach that God is only and always the God revealed in Christ.
  10. Thou shalt not lift up the Lamb because thou art supposed to but because thou canst do no other.

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0 thoughts on “Ten Words on the Preached Word

  1. Emma Bail

    Hey beautiful post as always....Like the title very much "Jesus is the Word of God".i very much impressed of your each post.They just touch my heart.They are spiritual and beautiful and they also show the way to connect to the God..I never miss any of your post and i always read them when i have a free and peaceful time...Thank you so much for all your post..looking forward many interesting posts.
    http://www.crosspointechurch.tv/

    Love and God bless...
    Emma Bail

  2. John B

    "I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved... and I will meditate in thy statutes." ;-)

  3. Gav

    "8.Thou shalt not go searching for jokes. There is no doubt plenty of humour in the Scriptures themselves without you searching lamepreachergags.com. Anyone found guilty of the needless and clumsy insertion of ‘a joke’ shall be stoned to death. Show no mercy."

    C'mon Glen....lighten up mate......I remember at least a little bit of a smile from at least one your jokes. :)

  4. Glen

    Ah yes Gav, but when *I* use humour it's an apt 'word in season' which produces uproarious laughter *and* searching self-analysis. It's seamlessly woven into the sermonic whole and justified entirely by the language and genre of the biblical text. That's the difference.

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