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.
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.”
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.
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
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
AND
Possible Abuses of the Sermon Handout
AND
Ideas for better handouts
The latest issue of the Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest to those interested in Bible exposition include:
The remains of a burnt beetle found in a grain of wheat about 3,500 years old provided a group of researchers from Bar-Ilan University with a key to a question the Bible left without a definite answer: How did Joseph the Dreamer, who became the viceroy to the king of Egypt, succeed in preserving the grain during the seven lean years and prevent Egypt's population from starving?
d, a compilation of information on the nations of the world for the purpose of education and directed prayer. One feature of the Operation World website is "pray today." Each day a nation is selected for specific prayer. To facilitate more specific intercessory prayer specific "challenges" are provided. If you have not done so, I would encourage you to check it out.
Was directed to God: “We give thanks to God”
Was continual: “always”
Was inclusive: “for all of you"
Was through prayer: “in our prayers”
Joseph Parker once prayed, "O Lord, increase our gratitude. May the rain of Thy love not be lost in the desert of our insensibility."
Pulpit magazine has an interesting article concerning the appropriate age to baptize children.
Eric Sowell on his Archaic Christianity blog has a practical list of questions about whether one should study Hebrew and Greek.
· How Much Longer Do You Plan On Living?
· Do You Want To Use The Better Tools?
· Have You Learned A Second Language Before?
· Can You Carve Out A Significant Portion Of Time, Work Hard, and Stay Focused?
· Do You See Value In More Direct Exposure To Scripture?
· Do You Want To Be Able To See Through The Translational Interpretive Grid Better?
· Do You Have Access to a Class?
· What Is Your Place in the Church?
A series of sermons has greater leverage than a solo sermon.
A series of sermons can create momentum beyond the moment.
A series of sermons allows messages to balance each other.
A series of sermons allows for longer lead time in preparation.
Paul Dean at Crosswalk.com offers the following observation concerning worship.
While lost persons can and should be saved during a worship service, and while the gospel must be preached every Sunday (in the course of bible exposition), worship is not an evangelistic tool. To adapt a worship service to appeal to lost people in effect is to worship them and not worship God. It is to steal His glory. True worship is about Him and not them.
The latest issue of the Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest to those interested in Bible exposition include:
Although I do not intend to blog frequently about personal matters, in this case I feel that it is appropriate to rejoice with those who rejoice. Namely, two friends and fellow Bible exposition Ph.D. students just passed their oral comprehensive inquisitions exams. Congratulations Dennis and Yohannes!
