J. I. Packer Has Left the Anglican Church of Canada

According to a report in The Vancouver Sun, James Packer has left the Anglican Church of Canada.

Packer, 81, said he can no longer serve under Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham, who in 2002 sanctioned a diocesan vote that eventually permitted the blessing of same-sex couples at eight out of 67 parishes.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12: A Summary Paragraph

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16, Paul responds to personal criticism and criticisms of his ministry by pointing to the message they preached, the manner they preached, and the ministry they performed. Paul begins by appealing to what the Thessalonians already knew (oidate, used four times, vv. 1, 2, 4, 11), namely, that he had preached the gospel boldly in spite of previous persecution (2:1–2). Paul also notes that the manner that his preaching was not defective, dirty, or deceitful, aimed at pleasing God rather than men (2:3–4). The Thessalonians themselves were aware of the kind of ministry he had performed. The Apostle’s ministry was not self-seeking nor self-serving (2:5–6; cf. 2:3). Rather, like a nursing mother or an encouraging father (2:7–12). Furthermore, both the Thessalonians and God Himself were witnesses that Paul had acted devoutly, uprightly, and blamelessly (2:10). The Thessalonians also knew that Paul had devoted himself to exhorting, encouraging, and imploring to live in a manner worthy of the God who had called them (2:11–12; cf. 4:7; 5:25; see also 1:4).

The Growing Popularity of Calvinism

The Baptist Standard has a interesting article on the growing popularity of Calvinism, particularly in Southern Baptist circles. "A study by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources showed about 30 percent of recent Southern Baptist seminary graduates identify themselves as Calvinists, compared to 10 percent of Southern Baptist pastors in general."

Interview with David Turner

Matthew Montonini at his New Testament Perspectives Blog has an interview of David Turner, the author of a new Matthew commentary in the BECNT series. The interview is worth reading.

Revelation 3:20: Salvation or Fellowship?

Alan Bandy at Café Apocalypsis has a helpful discussion concerning whether Revelation 3:20 is an appeal for salvation or fellowship. I have reprinted Bandy’s conclusion below, but the entire post is worth reading.

Should Rev 3:20 be invoked as an evangelistic invitation? We should probably refrain from using this verse in evangelistic appeals. This is not an invitation for unsaved sinners to “receive Jesus into their hearts,” because nothing in the text or context warrants this understanding. The normative concept for an unbeliever becoming a Christian is not to “receive Christ” but to “believe or trust in Christ.” Perhaps the best way to use this verse is as Osborne suggests: “Rather, it is a call to a weak church to repent (as in 3:19). At the same time, it is a challenge to every individual . . . in that church (indeed, in every church; see 3:22) to open themselves up to Christ and invite him into their lives.”

Illustrations

Colin Adams on his Unashamed Workman blog has a helpful post on “The Seven Commandments of Illustrations.” Make sure that you read his entire post, but his seven commandments are as follows.

1. Thou shalt not overuse them.
2. Thou shalt not underuse them.
3. Thou shalt not fail to illustrate the point.
4. Thou shalt not make them overly long.
5. Thou shalt not misuse humour.
6. Thou shalt not be pastorally imprudent.
7. Thou shalt not use overly powerful illustrations.

Also on illustrations, Peter Mead at his Biblical Preaching blog notes that illustrations should serve the sermon not vice versa. He writes:

“Any trained public speaker can select a theme and gather a bundle of stories that will touch an audience emotionally, but this is not preaching.” (Chappell, 200.) We need to remember always that an illustration is there to serve the sermon, to aid in clarifying explanation, support, or application, but not to substitute for sound explanation.

If you suspect that a message might be too illustration-heavy (a rare problem for some preachers), then it is worth going through the message and questioning the purpose of each one. Is it there to clarify explanation, to support a point, or to apply the teaching in real life imagery? Or is it there because you really want to tell it, or because you know they’ll enjoy that one? Be ruthless in filtering illustrations so they are genuinely serving the sermon.

If people perceive you to be a preacher who just tells stories, then your credibility will be damaged. Be sure the illustrations are the servants, not the focal point of your preaching.

The Bible: America's Favorite Book

Readers of this blog may be heartened to know that according to a recent Harris poll and USA Today article, the Bible is the favorite book of American adults. The poll's top ten is as follows.

1. The Bible
2. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
3. Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
5. The Stand, by Stephen King
6. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
7. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
8. Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown
9. Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
10. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Sermon Notes: Benefits, Abuses, Ideas

Lifeway.com has a helpful article on sermon handouts. Some of the main points of Craig Webb’s article includes the following.

Good Uses/Benefits of a Sermon Handout

1. It encourages people to participate and engage the sermon by writing something down. This is an added level of learning to your speaking and the visual images they see on your PowerPoint.
2. It eases the tension of persons who were unfamiliar with the Bible and are afraid of the clumsiness of finding a particular Bible reference.
3. It allows me to share different translations and paraphrases of familiar passages.
4. It provides a take home reminder of the content of the sermon. Members and attenders can share these with family or co-workers. At one church I served, we provided notebooks for members to keep sermon notes.
   

AND

Possible Abuses of the Sermon Handout

1. Some persons who might have developed the skill of taking more detailed notes only filled in the blanks (often there is little room for other notes).
2. Many people stopped bringing their Bibles to church.
3. I got in a rut with how I did these outlines. My rut was three statements, which included fill-in-the-blanks, each followed by one or more printed scriptures.
   

AND

Ideas for better handouts

1. Provide an “answer key” at the bottom of the page.
2. Present a questionnaire, checklist, or invitation.
3. Use the back of your outline to provide practical guides, lists, or practical application suggestions from your sermon.
4. Rather than fill-in-the-blanks, list the topic and leave some room for notes.
   

Make sure to read the entire article for further insights and clarification.