In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . . . merry Christmas. Welcome, and thank you for coming this evening. We are grateful to have the opportunity to share our Christmas celebrations with you. What is Christmas about? What is the point of the whole thing? We don’t want to make the …
Before the Crystal Sea
There is a little something that I have assumed for years, but never bothered to check. This morning I was reading in Revelation, the thought popped up again, and so I thought I would check on it. And, sure enough, there it was, right in the Bible. “And before the throne there was a sea …
Treasury of Tropes
“Far from being mere word tricks, the tropes of classical rhetoric are the inevitable consequence of a creation endowed by its creator with meaning . . . Creation itself is metaphoric and parabolic. Things seen speak of things unseen” (Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures, Vol. II, p. 59).
The Long Slavery
“For centuries one of the problems with rhetoric as it was practiced in the classical world was that it all too often served no purpose quite so clearly as the glorification of the orator . . . The purpose, the end, of rhetoric had a way of getting lost under the techniques. When rhetoric was …
Joy to the World
INTRODUCTION:In this world, joy is a bedrock sort of thing—and not the froth at the top of a wave. Joy is deep satisfaction in the will of God, and this must be coupled with a recognition of the reality that God’s will is everywhere and in everything. There is no place where we may go …
A Necessary Transition
“With the coming of the Christian empire, Christian preaching was bound to change. During the years of persecution the preacher had to gather and nourish the congregation to protect it from the world. Now the Christian preacher had become a bishop responsible for the spiritual state of the empire” (Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and …
Always Gospel
“Whenever the beauty and the power and the sheer joy of holiness are proclaimed and God’s people see that this is something for them, evangelism is done. When Christian preaching is done the way it should be done, then it is evangelistic” (Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures, p. 283).
A Collective Event
“Preaching does not have to be an individualistic sort of activity. In fact, great preaching well understands this. The true preacher is not over against the Christian congregation but rather is an expression of the congregation. The true Christian preacher affirms the faith of the congregation, and raises up the hope of the congregation. Much …
The Power of God Unto Salvation
“We have believed this Word because this Word, being God’s Word, has the power of God’s Spirit within it. Because God’s Word is inspired, it has the power to inspire. God’s Word inspires life. Nothing demonstrates the inspiration of the Scripture more than its ability to bring the Church to life. Nothing demonstrates the truth …
Why Sermons Should Be Full of Surprises
“When we understand life as the theater of God’s glory rather than merely the marketplace of human values, then we can begin to grasp why salvation is by grace. Grace is ultimately wondrous; it amazes us as nothing else. God’s power certainly impresses us, and his wisdom is impressive, too, as is his justice, but …