“Some of the greatest preachers have been metaphorical preachers . . . They understood, or had an unconscious instint for, the witchery of words” (Macartney, Preaching Without Notes, p. 59).
The Ark of the Gentiles
INTRODUCTION:We now can see the shape of an interesting storyline taking place. We see Israelites acting like faithless Gentiles, and Gentiles acting like faithful Israelites. In the pages to come, we are going to see quite a bit of this. THE TEXT:“And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven …
What Illustrations Illustrate
“The purpose of illustration is not merely to make the truth clear, but to heighten its nobility and glory” (Macartney, Preaching Without Notes, p. 32).
The Ark of Authority
INTRODUCTION:Recall that the elders of Israel had summoned the ark of the covenant to the battlefield (1 Sam. 4:3), and the entire army of Israel was full of confidence that it would “do” something (1 Sam. 4:5). But it didn’t do anything, and Israel was decisively defeated and the ark captured. And so then it …
So Preach the Blood
“Evangelical preaching is the answer for all our church problems. It is the solvent of all heresies; and the drier and stonier the soil, the more solemn is the duty and responsibility of the preacher to sow the seed of the gospel” (Macartney, Preaching Without Notes, p. 27).
Being Sincere Without Being Earnest
“A preacher can be sincere on the low ground of prudential ethics and morals, but he becomes earnest only when he seeks the salvation of the souls of his hearers” (Macartney, Preaching Without Notes, p. 23).
Why Some Ministers Avoid Some Things
“If the life within the minister’s own heart is not right, it will be natural and easy for him to avoid and omit the great searching truths of the gospel” (Macartney, Preaching Without Notes, pp. 21-22).
A Kindled Heart
“One of the conditions for sucessful gospel preaching is a concern for and desire for the salvation of souls. The prophet said, ‘As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.’ When the Church ‘travails’ — is moved with compassion, as Christ was, over a lost world — then the Church will bring forth …
A Good Ending
We find the story of the rich young ruler in all three synoptics, but the gospel of Mark has some unique details (Mark 10:17). In Matthew and Luke, he just shows up somehow, and asks his question (Matt. 19:16; Luke 18:18). But in Mark, he runs up and he kneels. In all three, when Jesus …
Ichabod
INTRODUCTION:The sign that had been given to Eli about the fall of his house was the fact that his two sons would die on the same day. He heard this news just seconds before he himself died. He had also heard the news that disaster for his house was disaster for all of Israel as …