Theocentric Preaching

The final version of my thesis includes this paragraph:

Theocentric preaching does not begin with the inexhaustible demands of the human condition; it begins with the sufficiency of God. Rather than dwelling in the depth of human need, it lives within the realm of God’s richness. The preacher is not pressured to only provide answers; instead, the preacher brings the congregation into the presence of God, who is on a mission to re-create the cosmos and to redeem all things. Discouragement is part of the assignment of preaching, but a theocentric approach reminds us that our sufficiency is not found in ourselves. God, not the preacher, is the only source of eternal satisfaction and joy.

This is not the paragraph I had originally written. I had originally argued that theocentric preaching can help prevent against discouragement. Haddon Robinson challenged me during my thesis defense. There is no way, he said, to avoid being discouraged as a preacher. I forget his exact words, but the phrase in the paragraph above comes pretty close: “Discouragement is part of the assignment of preaching.”

There probably aren’t many preachers who don’t get discouraged at least part of the time. The main character in the novel Gilead wrote, “So often I have known, right here in the pulpit, even as I read these words, how far they fell short of any hopes I had for them.” In Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon wrote:

Be not dismayed by soul-trouble. Count it no strange thing, but part of ordinary ministerial experiences. Should the power of depression be more than ordinary, think not that all is over with your usefulness. Cast not away your confidence, for it hath great recompense of reward…Cast the burden of the present, along with the sin of the past and the fear of the future, upon the Lord, who forsaketh not His saints. Live by the day - ay, but the hour. Put no trust in frames and feelings…Trust in God alone, and lean not on the needs of human help…When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your consciousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full, except in the Lord…In nothing let us be turned aside from the path which the divine call has urged us to pursue.

Discouragement is part of the assignment of preaching, but it’s also a reminder to us that our hope doesn’t lie within ourselves or the people around us. As i wrote in my thesis, “Our sufficiency is not found in ourselves. God, not the preacher, is the only source of eternal satisfaction and joy.”

I heard Steve Mathewson teach yesterday on preaching Old Testament narrative in a story-driven culture. Steve covered how to exegete a narrative and how to preach it. He then delivered a sermon on Judges 3 - a passage I just preached on last week - and deconstructed it, explaining why he made the choices he did.

I missed part of the day due to sick kids at home, but what I heard helped renew my commitment to the preaching task. Steve is an example of someone who is engaged in real pastoral life with all its pressures, and who models faithful exposition within that context.

MP3s of the day are available from Heritage Theological Seminary at a cost of $15. CDs will be $25. They’re well worth getting. Contact info is online.

Steve’s book, The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative, is also well worth reading.

On Thursday, I’m traveling to Heritage Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario to hear Steve Mathewson speak on “Preaching Old Testament Stories to a Story-Driven Culture.” Mathewson is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell and author of The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative.

In a post at Preaching Today, he gives a hint of what he’s going to talk about this Thursday. Preachers often use the Old Testament narrative in one of two ways. They preach moralistic sermons, using the characters as good or bad examples. Or, they focus on how the stories prefigure or portray Jesus Christ.

Mathewson suggests a better way:

Preachers who delve into Old Testament stories must look for the ‘vision of God’ – that is, the attribute(s) of God which dominates the story. Then they must look at how the story advances or connects with the storyline of the Bible. The death and resurrection of Jesus is, of course, foundational to this storyline. Preachers must also view the theology of the story through the lens of Jesus’ teaching and apostolic teaching.

Looks like he will continue to explore this, both at this week’s seminar and on his blog. I’m looking forward to it.

The Center for Preaching at Gordon-Conwell has launched a new weekly podcast for preachers:

The Preaching Points podcast is a weekly program that provides brief reflections on preaching that points you to preaching excellence. Each Monday, you will be able to download and listen to fresh insights on preaching from our faculty at the Center for Preaching, as well as professors and friends of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. By subscribing through iTunes, you can automatically receive the latest podcast.

This podcast is designed to provide regular inspiration and encouragement for preachers. We want to reinforce the basics of Biblical Preaching, along with stimulating your thinking with clear and powerful ideas on preaching. You can expect quality teaching, as you will hear from Dr. Haddon Robinson, Scott Gibson, and Jeff Arthurs each week.

You can find out more at their website.