Redeeming the Time

Blogging is a bit hit-and-miss, for which I apologise to my faithful reader.  The truth is, the older I get the busier I become.

Some of you will know that, for years now, I’ve been working on a DMin from WEST.  The research and dissertation is on the evangelistic preaching of Lloyd-Jones, focussing on his long ‘Acts’ series.  Sometimes it seems I’ve been working on it longer than he was preaching it!

The deadline is September 2014.  But if I leave it much longer, I’ll miss it.  I’ve determined that I should finish my first draft, at least, this year.  That was my intention anyway; but yesterday I discovered that supervision arrangements are likely to change at the end of this year – which adds a definite ‘frisson’ to the target.

So, I’ve just begun a two-week ‘push’.  Part of the problem with a piece of work this size, running alongside a demanding pastorate, is that every time I come back to it I’m in danger of having forgotten where I was.  From now until my just-after-Easter break, then, I’ve determined to work on it each day, rising an hour earlier and doing at least an hour and a half each day, in addition to my (supposedly usual) Thursday study.  And I’m not taking on anything else, other than my usual preaching, unless specifically asked and/or it’s urgent.  It’s only two weeks; I should be able to manage that.  And I think that I can make real progress in that time.

I’m not giving up blogging, I hope.  But it may be brief, and intermittent.  In the meantime, watch out for my two articles in ‘Banner’ magazine (first one in the May issue) on evangelistic preaching – in general, that is, not Lloyd-Jones’.

Living as we please...

Having been under fire a bit myself from time to time because of what I believe about Christian liberty and the rules of Christian behaviour - here's a summary of Stuart Olyott on Christian Liberty.  You can hear the sermon yourself here - scroll down to TWB20.

As Christians, we may live exactly as we please, provided:

1. We do not disobey Scripture: some things are clearly forbidden, and others clearly commanded.


2. We do not disobey lawful authority - Romans 13


3. We do not do anything to hinder our own Christian life (but note: what hinders yours may not hinder mine)

4. We do not cause a weaker brother to stumble - Romans 14.  But it is important too that we don't allow a tyranny from the weak.  ('Let them be upset!')


5. We do those things which build up Christ's body


6. We do nothing to hinder the spread of the gospel


7.  We do everything to God's glory - 1 Cor 10:31

It's a great disappointment to me that Stuart has had to pull out of the Eccentrics' Conference next week due to (his wife's) ill-health.


But here's an idea:  I've written recently to Jonathan Watson at Banner of Truth, suggesting that they publish a collection of Stuart's 'Shorter Writings' - they've been appearing in Banner, EMW, RT and elsewhere for decades now.  Jonathan's kindly forwarded the suggestion to Stuart himself; how about adding your vote to mine?  You can email Jonathan direct at Jonathan@banneroftruth.co.uk - if both my readers contact him, that'll be a start!

Wounded in the house of my friends?

- expository preaching under critical spotlights

Expository preaching has received some criticism recently from surprising places. First, Iain Murray published an article in the February (2010) issue of Banner of Truth, online here.

Then, Iain D Campbell wrote ‘Some thoughts on pulpit methodology’ on the Reformation 21 blog and finally Peter Masters at the Tabernacle Summer School lectured on the advantages and disadvantages of the method (see here and scroll down to July 10^th).

Murray helpfully begins with a definition: ‘If this [expository preaching] means that the preacher’s one business is to confine himself to the text of Scripture, and to make the sense plain to others, there is nothing more to discuss… But ‘expository preaching’ has often come to mean something more. The phrase is popularly used to describe preaching which consecutively takes a congregation through a passage, or book of Scripture, week by week.’’

Murray’s right so far. Properly, the phrase refers to preaching which takes a text of Scripture and opens up (exposes, hence expository) its meaning to the congregation, together with its application to their lives. But, yes, in the minds of many it means a long series on a relatively short passage.

Murray has five criticisms to make.

1. ‘Know your gifts’. ‘It assumes that all preachers are capable of making effective sermons along these lines… Spurgeon was not unfamiliar with ‘expository preaching’… and he decided it was not best suited to his gifts. There is reason to think that being an effective ‘expository’ preacher is not such a common gift as some seem to think.’

Indeed there is! In fact, there is good reason to think that preaching is not such a common gift as some seem to think (but that’s a subject for another blog). But to suggest (as Murray does – see the whole article) that too many try to follow Lloyd-Jones who don’t have his gift – while holding up Spurgeon as an alternative model – seems to miss one rather important point: we don’t have Spurgeon’s gift, either.

2. ‘What is preaching?’ Murray argues that expository preaching is seen as supreme because of the idea ‘that the foremost purpose of preaching is to convey as much as possible of the Bible. But that idea needs to be challenged…’

Here I beg to differ. I don’t think so. On the contrary, it needs to be re-affirmed. Yes, a sermon has to be more than a lecture – it has to have as its purpose to ‘strike, awaken, and arouse men and women so that they themselves become bright Christians’ but when Murray continues ‘and daily students of Scripture’ I have to disagree. I've got into bother for this before so let me say straight away: of course, it’s a good thing to be a daily student of Scripture. But you won’t find in the New Testament that idea at all – as Stuart Olyott pointed out (to my initial surprise and consternation) in the Banner of Truth Magazine some years ago. Actually, it is the preacher’s job to acquaint his congregation with the whole Bible – though not usually in one sermon. Many people - even today - are illiterate. It's a noble thing for the educated to search the Scriptures daily and check up on the preacher (Acts 17.11). But that's not the same as saying preaching is there to produce Bible readers.

3. Sermon or lecture? I’ll come back to this…