“Properly speaking, ‘exposition’ has a much broader meaning. It refers to the content of the sermon (biblical truth) rather than its style (a running commentary). To expound Scriptured is to bring out of the text what is there and expose it to view” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, pp. 125-126).
Not Lost, Just Not There Yet
“While one should not give away the plot resolution, one must give direction to the ambiguity. The congregation nees to know the specific direction of the plot and some of what is involved, but without having the clue to resolution disclosed” (Lowry, The Homiletical Plot, p. 38).
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 …
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, …
Phoebe Our Sister
INTRODUCTION: In this last chapter of Romans, Paul says his farewells, gives various greetings, and does so in a way as to teach us many invaluable things. Some might wonder what kind of message we might get out of a passage in which Paul basically says hi to everyone the Roman church phone directory, but …
The Ministry of Fundraising
INTRODUCTION:We have noted before that the book of Romans is a fundraising letter. The fact that it is so strikingly different from modern Christian fundraising letters tells us all we need to know about the attitude of the modern church to money . . . and to the gospel. THE TEXT:“For which cause also I …
The Priestly Work of Evangelism
INTRODUCTION:We have seen that we should not have lethargic or anemic views of evangelism. God is in the processing of saving the world, and that has ramifications for the town in which we live. But we must also be careful to not have irreligious views of evangelism. Evangelism is not mere recruitment; in this text, …
True Likemindedness
INTRODUCTION: The apostle Paul has been piling one argument on top of another in his attempt to urge these Christians to get along with each other. He has appealed to the judgment seat of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ bestowed on the one you are at odds with, and the folly of slandering the very …
Righteousness, Peace and Joy
INTRODUCTION:The apostle spends quite a bit of time and energy on this question, and this is why we are doing the same thing. What will distract us from those things on which God places great value? It will be those things on which we try to place high value, and all on our own authority …
For To This End . . .
INTRODUCTION: We are continuing on the same theme so that we might remember the importance of loving our brothers and sisters in the faith, but doing so in a very spacious context. Learning the extent of that context will be what enables us to live rightly with one another in close quarters.