“We turn now to another point in this list of the various things one has to consider in a sermon whether written or extemporary, namely the place of humour in preaching . . . What makes all these things difficult is that they are natural gifts, or the place of the natural gifts, in this …
Filling Up the Outline
“Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that great preacher, did not write out his sermons in full; he just prepared and used a skeleton” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 214).
Evil “Sinlessness”
From the prologue we might have expected John to begin his “argument proper” with a discourse on the incarnation of Christ. But although his preamble begins with a strong assertion of the Incarnation, when he begins to interact with the teaching of antichrist, he begins at another place entirely. He begins with the moral issue. …
Talk to Your Text
“One of the first things a preacher has to learn is to talk to his texts. They talk to you, and you must talk to them” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 202).
Cerinthus the Antichrist
All passages of Scripture must be understood in context, but some by their nature require more contextualization than others. First John is one such book. Without an understanding of the errors it was written to refute, the necessary result will always be more error, or at the very least, more confusion. That which was from …
And No Fudging
“Well. obviously, the first thing you have to do is to deal with meaning of your text. At this point there is one golden rule, one absolute demand — honesty.” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 199).
A Preacher of Righteousness, Not Morality
While all the psalms are messianic, this fortieth psalm is a great and glorious messianic psalm. The New Testament plainly declares it to have been fulfilled in Christ, and, given this, we learn a great deal about what Jesus came to accomplish. “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard …
And Don’t Forget Poetry. Or Fiction.
“This is really dangerous, and the way to counteract it is to prescribe balanced reading for yourself. What I mean is this. Read theology, as I say, but always balance it, not only with Church history but with biographies and the more devotional type of reading. Let me explain why this is so important. Your …
Money, Money, Money
INTRODUCTION: For many Christians, the practical issues surrounding money are a real headache. There are questions about acquiring it, about managing it, and about giving it away. But we are not left without instruction—we are to tithe, give, manage, provide, and enjoy. THE TEXT: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and …
We Are Not Smoke Forever
This next psalm, along with many other passages, teaches us how to understand the transience of our lives. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Some men ignore this truth. Some see it and despair. Others, blessed of God, see it and learn wisdom. The …