“A true minister, one who is a genuine angel and a true interpreter is no common or ordinary man. Such men are thin on the ground, one of many — indeed, ‘one of a thousand'” (Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, p. 93).
The Sermon Prep Meal
“What I am stressing is this: a minister must be a divine interpreter, an interpreter of God’s meaning. And therefore he must not only read the book, but eat it. He must not only have the knowledge of divine things flowing in his brain, but engraved on his heart and printed in his soul by …
The Commandment of the Everlasting God
INTRODUCTION:We now come to the final blessing, the final benediction. In this letter, Paul has given us a mere synopsis of his gospel, and that synopsis is overwhelming. If the entire gospel were to be laid out for us all at once, we would be crushed by the glory of it. Never forget that God …
Crossing Our Corruptions
“If the law is the revealed will of God, and the minister is the angel of God, then where should they seek the will of God but at the mouth of his angel? Such is the logic of this text [Mal. 2:7]: we should ‘seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger …
Marring a Good Tale in the Telling
“Let all those who are God’s angels — and desire to be honoured as his angels and ambassadors — fulfill the responsibilities of God’s angels, lest (as many men mar a good tale in the telling) they take away the power and majesty of God’s Word in the way they deliver it” (Perkins, The Art …
So Leave the Pots and Pans in the Kitchen
“The preaching of the Word is the testimony of God and the profession of the knowledge of Christ, not of human skill. Furthermore, the hearers ought not to ascribe their faith to the gifts of men, but to the power of God’s Word (1 Cor. 2:1, 2, 5). But this does not mean that pulpits …
Exegetical Restraint
“Note, however, that doctrines ought to be deduced from passages only when it is proper and valid to do so. They must be derived from the genuine meaning of the Scripture. Otherwise we will end up drawing any doctrine from any place in the Bible” (Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, p. 51).
No Other Field
“The Word of God alone is to be preached, in its perfection and inner consistency. Scripture is the exclusive subject of preaching, the only field in which the preacher is to labour” (William Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, p. 9).
The God of Peace Who Crushes
INTRODUCTION:In this small portion of the last chapter of Romans, the apostle arranges a number of profound and important truths. If we have eyes to see the sweep of redemptive history, we will get it. If we do not, then we are missing some crucial aspects of the gospel. THE TEXT:“Now I beseech you, brethren, …
What To Do With Sermons of Promise
“After writing sermons for over twenty-five years, I am still amazed at how many times I have to take all my hard work up the mountain of God, where I lay it on an altar and prepare to drive a knife through the heart of it” (Barnes, The Pastor as Minor Poet, p. 118).