Recently, Southern Seminary Magazine published an article by Dr. Mohler on expository preaching. I found it most encouraging and thought I would share it with my readers.
Expository preaching is characterized by authority
The Enlightenment culture that gave birth to modernity was subversive of every form of authority, though it has taken some centuries for this rebellion against authority to work its way throughout society. In the postmodern culture of the West, authority is under attack in every form, and a sense of personal autonomy is basic to contemporary ideals of human rights and freedom. Some homileticians suggest that preachers should simply embrace this new worldview and surrender any claim to an authoritative message. Those who have lost confidence in the authority of the Bible as the Word of God are left with little to say and no authority for their message. Fred Craddock, among the most influential figures in recent homiletic thought, famously describes today’s preacher “as one without authority .” Contrasted to this are the words of Marty n Lloyd-Jones: “Any study of church history, and particularly any study of the great periods of revival or reawakening, demonstrates above everything else just this one fact: that the Christian Church during all such periods has spoken with authority . The great characteristic of all revivals has been the authority of the preacher. There seemed to be something new, extra, and irresistible in what he declared on behalf of God.”
In all true expository preaching, there is a note of authority. That is because the preacher dares to speak on behalf of God. He stands in the pulpit as a steward “of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1), declaring the truth of God’s Word, proclaiming the power of that Word, and applying that Word to life. This is an admittedly audacious act. No one should even contemplate such an endeavor without absolute confidence in a divine call to preach and in the unblemished authority of the Scriptures. The preaching ministry is not a profession to be joined but a call to be answered.
3 comments:
Joe Blackmon, I'm sorry for being mean-spirited towards you and Robert (Geneva). I am thankful you are not backing off on complementarianism. Paula seems like a nice person, but to me her position (egalitarianism) is flat out wrong, and it's one of those things "you'd have to have help misunderstanding that" (as one visiting preacher said in a sermon to us at my church, but on a different subject though I'm sure he'd agree with me here too).
Byoniac,
Dude, I don't take offense that easily. I mean, you'd have to say something about my momma for me to really go all madcow on you. Sincerely, don't give it another thought. As to the comp vs. e-gal thing, there are going to be Christians who say things one way and the other. I don't and haven't maintained that this issue is salvific. I betcha when we get to heaven, we're all going to have a good laugh about how much more glorious our God is than we could have ever understood.
Blessings.
Thanks, Joe Blackmon. I'm too easily bent out of shape over things. I appreciate your viewpoint, and wish I could be as relaxed. Instead, I have to either suppress or act on a desire to convert as many people to my view as possible---hasn't worked for me, yet, but I keep trying. :)
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