Text: Acts 13:13-41, Title: What is Good Preaching? Date/Place: NRBC, 5/4/08
A. Opening illustration: Bible Stories with Graham: The Four Tests – Youtube.com
B. Background to passage: The missionary duo took their instructions from Sergius Paulus to head for the mainland, and so they did. Scripture never says whether or not they ministered in Perga or Pamphylia. But when they came to Antioch Pisidia, they did their normal thing—go to the synagogue and witness. They gave the visiting rabbi of Gamaliel his chance to speak and a sermon came forth. This is the first recorded and the longest of the sermons preached by Paul. Since we have already looked at long sermons by Peter and Stephen, which bear out similar content, we are going to look at preaching in general.
C. Main thought: Looking at this sermon, and others, to determine what good, biblical preaching is. As we all need to be coinsures of preaching
A. Full of biblical content (v. 17-22)
1. Notice in the first six verses of this sermon we get an overview of biblical history beginning in the Exodus and going through David. Paul uses the storyline of the OT to begin to frame up his case for Jesus Christ. He understands that we are begotten by the Word, and that it must be included in preaching for preaching to be preaching. And the word that is used must be spoken/interpreted in context. For we know that it is not permissible to use scripture to make it say what we want it to say. It is the job of the preaching to take what God said, and say it to you again.
2. Acts 2:16-17, 7:2, 20:27, Heb 1:1, 1 Pet 1:23, Eph 1:13, “word of God” was received and spread
3. Illustration: I never cease to be amazed at the preaching that Baptists will up to me and tell me that they have been listening to, tell the MacArthur story about him preaching before in chapel and getting the evaluation back from his mentor that read, “you missed the entire point of the passage.” “The reason I preach the Bible is: first, I’m not smart enough to preach anything else. The Bible is a bottomless well. So I’m not smart enough to preach anything else. The other reason is I am smart enough not to preach anything else, because I know that that has the staying power. My people love me today; I don’t want to say boastfully, but I know this is true: they love me, they come. This place is packed; we have run out of room. It is not a testimony to the man but to the Bible. If I stop preaching the Bible, these folks will saturate this place with absence. They come for the Word of God. They want it to be warm; they want it to be understandable and applicable. But I have learned that there is power in the preaching of the Word of God.” –Adrian Rogers, Rev. Phil Chambers, senior pastor at the church, would not grant TBNN an interview, but did send us a letter. In it Chambers said, "Jeremy Willis is a fine teacher of the bible. However, our youth and parents have a vision of a youth group that centers on the needs of the kids. Youth these days need a place where they can have good, clean fun in a safe environment. Mr. Willis’ dismissal has nothing to do with him personally, but rather speaks to the difference in vision about what a youth group should be. Teaching the bible is fine, but just not too much bible."
4. You can listen to a lot of preaching on TV, internet, or radio, but all preaching is not worth listening to. Good preaching is not the preacher sharing his clever thoughts, emotionally provocative stories, or the best clean joke that he has heard that week. Good preaching doesn’t necessarily make you feel good or bad about yourself; but it does make you feel good about Jesus. Good preaching is not saying all the clichés that will give rise to “Amens” in your congregation. It is not getting on your soapbox, or preaching the same thought out of every text. It is not diving board preaching. It is the Word that does the work in the heart of the individual. It is the word that sustains, enlivens, regenerates, convicts, enlightens, empowers, conquers, and feeds the sheep. We must ensure that depth in preaching biblical content happens in our hearing. The goal of preaching is the exaltation of Christ through the proclamation of His Word. So the job of the preacher is to say what God said. He is a messenger of a written letter. If we don’t we will develop a theologically weak church that will eventually die out or go liberal. Evaluate how much scripture is being quoted or explained in the sermons that you hear from this pulpit or any other. Look up those references, and see if they are being used to achieve purposes for which they were not designed. “We don’t have time for all that…”
B. Full of gospel content (v. 23-37)
1. The next thing that Paul focuses on is the gospel. He gives three points about the gospel. He says that John the Baptist came to witness to Christ mission. Then he talks about the death of Christ. Then he talks about His resurrection. These are the essential elements to the gospel. Explain these three elements in a little more depth. This is the message of all the apostolic preaching; in fact of all Christian preaching. The purpose of preaching is to exalt Christ. Again this was Peter’s message, Stephen’s message, and it should be our message.
2. Eph 3:8, Acts 19:13, Gal 1:8-9, 2 Cor 11:3-4, 1 Cor 15:1-4,
3. Illustration: "Even a superficial study of church history reveals that the Spirit of God blows with hurricane force only through those prophets and lovers who have surrendered to the folly of the cross. If there is little power and shallow wisdom in our preaching, teaching, worship, and ministry, I believe it is because the Crucified Christ has been ignored in favor of a lot of ’burning theological issues,’ most of which are neither burning nor theological." “Although the pulpit is intended to be a pedestal for the cross, even the cross itself is sometimes used as a mere pedestal for the preacher’s fame. We may roll the thunders of eloquence, we may scatter the flowers of poetry, we may diffuse the light of science, we may enforce the precepts of morality, from the pulpit. But if we do not make Christ the great subject of our preaching, we have forgotten our errand and shall do no good. Satan trembles at nothing but the cross: at this he does tremble. And if we would destroy his power and extend that holy and benevolent kingdom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, it must be by means of the cross.” Tell about the shock that I felt when I saw a clip of Benny Hinn presenting the gospel,
4. Good preaching is not messages about some mysterious higher power out there that exists to may you happy. It is not about believing in God generically. Good preaching is not giving a list of rules and regulations that you must follow to be a good Christian. Good preaching is not getting you to speak out against society’s immoralities or shortcomings, vote one way or another, or to give more. Good preaching is uplifting Christ in the full range of His glories. Good preaching is reminding, and bringing to bear upon your soul the cross of Christ and His resurrection. The cross is our motivation and ability to change and be changed. The cross is our backdrop to life and our foundation to it. And it is our only hope for salvation, endurance, peace, joy, a good marriage, godly kids, and for the nations.
C. Full of gospel appeals (v. 38-41)
1. Finally Paul ended up with two appeals that walk alongside the gospel. The first of which is a call to believe. Paul says all those that believe will be forgiven of their sins and justified, or declared righteous. The gospel at its core is Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf, but along with that is the invitation for us to believe, or be firmly persuaded in Christ. Faith exercised is how the benefits of the atonement are appropriated. Individuals must actively put their faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross to benefit from them. Other terminology is to receive, put your trust, faith in, sell all you have, take up your cross, follow Jesus in the way—you might object and say that those are phrases for discipleship not salvation. The second appeal is in the form of a warning.
2. 2 Cor 5:11, 20, Acts 2:38, Col 1:28, Isa 45:22, Rom 2:5, Heb 2:1-3, 3:7-13, 6:8-9, 10:26-27,
3. Illustration: Billy Graham said: “Many people argue, "I do believe in Christ. I believe in the Church, and I believe in the Bible. Isn’t that enough? No! You must RECEIVE Christ. I may go to the airport. I have a reservation. I have a ticket in my pocket. The plane is one the ramp. It is a big, powerful plane. I am certain that it will take me to my destination. They call the flight three times. I neglect to get on board. They close the door. The plane taxis down the runway and takes off. I am not on the plane. Why? I "believed" in the plane, but I neglected to get on board. That’s just it! You believe in God, Christ, the Bible, and the Church - but you have neglected to actually receive Him in your heart. Your belief has been an impersonal, speculative thing, and you have not entrusted yourself to Him. During a Billy Graham crusade in Australia, a Melbourne daily paper received this letter: "I have heard Dr. Billy Graham on the air, viewed him on television, and seen reports and letters concerning his mission. I am heartily sick of the type of religion that insists my soul and everyone else’s needs saving, whatever that means. I have never felt that I was lost nor do I feel that I daily wallow in the mire of sin, although repetitious preaching insists that I do. Give me a practical religion that: teaches gentleness and tolerance, that acknowledges no barriers of color or creed, that remembers the aged and teaches children goodness and not sin If in order to save my soul I must accept such a philosophy as I have recently heard preached, I prefer to remain forever damned." Charles Spurgeon offers this warning: “If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne—with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In the movie CASUALTIES OF WAR, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abducts and rapes a young Vietnamese girl. He didn’t participate in the crime. Afterward, as he struggles with what has happened, he says to the other men in his squad, "Just because each of us might at any second be blown away, we’re acting like we can do anything we want, as though it doesn’t matter what we do. I’m thinking it’s just the opposite. Because we might be dead in the next split second, maybe we gotta be extra careful what we do. Because maybe it matters more. Maybe it matters more that we ever know." Death for all of us, is a breath away. And the nearer death is, the closer we are to answering to God for all we have said and done.
4. The mark difference between teaching and preaching is the element of persuasion. Good preaching will call upon you to change your mind (repent) and believe, and thus change your behavior. Good preaching will authoritatively proclaim a message from God, from His book, about His gospel, and invite you to trust and obey. Because you must believe to be saved. And there are serious warnings of judgment that will come upon those who reject Christ and believe not. The wrath of God is no laughing matter. The bible speaks of people begging for the rocks to fall on them and crush them rather than face the wrath of the Lamb.
A. Closing illustration: MacArthur’s words, "This is not a time for weak men in weak pulpits in weak churches preaching weak messages."
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
