Lesson Goal
This lesson is designed to encourage preachers to teach an occasional doctrinal or theological sermon.
Lesson Intro
Too many people today have gotten the idea that doctrine is not important. Yet, that kind of statement is itself a doctrine. How do you tell a counterfeit note? Any banker will tell you that the best method is to learn the characteristics of the genuine article. The same is true with Christianity. How do you tell wholesome and healthy Christianity from the many counterfeits? Know what doctrines define the genuine item.
Lesson Plan
This chapter introduces techniques on how to help congregations realize the importance of right doctrine, the dangers of bad theology and how to present theological topics in a manner that is palatable to the man on the street.
Lesson Body
1. The Importance of Right Doctrine
The preaching of doctrine or theology is as important for Bible College students as it is for lay members. Teaching right doctrine is like giving your congregation an inoculation against a disease, it will protect them from the spiritual sickness of counterfeit and deficient forms of Christianity.
Doctrine is simply teaching, so those who claim that doctrine is not important are making a dangerous claim (2 Timothy 4:3). Yet clearly the Bible explains that right doctrine, right teaching is important (Matthew 7:28; 28:20; John 8:31; 1 Corinthians 11:2). One of the earliest instructions to a preacher was that given by Paul to Timothy, and he told him to devote himself to public reading of scripture, preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 4:13). Right teaching is vital to the health of any local church.
2. The Danger of Bad Theology
All theologians and all preachers will teach some things that are absolutely wrong. We are fallible and cannot be right on everything. Some things are minor. For instance, it does not matter whether or not our view is pre-millennial, post-millennial or a-millennial. In the end of the day, Jesus Christ will return when he is supposed to and we will all be glad, whether or not our theories came even close. I have heard that called pan-millennialism; it will all pan out in the end. However, the most important things we must get right. What are the absolutely essential issues of Christianity? Wouldn't you say that they have to do with what is central?
So, if you have never studied theology, or went to one of those poor excuses for a Bible College where theology was made light of, and you focused almost exclusively on lesser issues like Christian living, worship leading, youth ministries, church growth and so on, then you may not be qualified to preach this sermon. All of those issues are important, but must be built on a foundation of right doctrine. Otherwise you may not know who you are worshiping, what you are teaching the youth, and why would anybody want to grow another church that cannot get its doctrines right? If you are a lay person, who has not had any theological training or you got your theology from a dubious source, then you too may not be qualified to preach this sermon.
On the other hand, those who have been immersed in theology books for decades and have moved on up to the doctoral level, often have the greatest difficulty in speaking normal English. Sometimes they have moved to a different planet with a different language, and have forgotten the language of their youth. So, there is also an advantage to not having traveled too far towards that distant planet we could call Theology. There is an advantage of still being in contact with mortal men, who speak the language of our day. It is indeed a great challenge to be interested in both theology and using that to serve mortal men. Because of this syndrome, often the best teachers are often those who are only one level above their students and much can be said for the pastor who labors equally diligently among his people and in his books.
Theology covers issues such as theology proper (the study of God), Christology (Christ), Pneumatology (the Holy Spirit), Angelology (angels), Anthropology (humankind), Hamartiology (sin), Bibliology (biblical doctrines), Soteriology (salvation), Ecclesiology (the church) and Eschatology (the last things). These things may seem ominous to the untrained mind, but they are foundational issues and there are orthodox or mainstream positions covering them all. The Bible warns about those who have itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3) always seeking something new, never satisfied with where Jesus has led the Church for 2,000 years. The flock must be protected against false gospels and the best way to do so is to teach them proper doctrine in the first place.
3. Making Doctrine Palatable
How can teaching on Soteriology, or Christology be made palatable to a plumber, a salesperson, a nurse or a dedicated and weary policeman who only wants to bathe in a few moments of peace and calm while off duty? When put in those terms it does not sound relevant, yet theology is not just for air-heads, it is very relevant. For instance, Soteriology is the study of salvation, our rescue by Jesus Christ. A proper study of salvation would include Jesus' intervention to save us now in this life, as well as our eternal lives. The cop on the beat needs both. Christology is all about Jesus and if that is not important then what is?
The problem is not the topics of theology, but the language. When I was at graduate school, one of my professors said that the best theologians are those who can take the great concepts of Christianity and break them down into street language. Koiné Greek is the Greek of the New Testament. It is the Greek of the market place, not the Classical Greek of scholars. Old Testament Hebrew is basically an agricultural language. That should teach us something about how God wants to relate to people and how preachers ought to speak.
Rather than speak of salvation, I often use words with the same meaning like rescue, liberation, or emancipation, because salvation is no longer a word commonly used in the market place. Rather than speak of sin, I often prefer equivalent words like corruption, mistake, missing the mark, wrongdoing and bad behavior. Rather than speaking of repentance, I often use equivalent terms like a life-changing experience, a change of heart, or change of mind. You get the picture. Be careful though, because some old-school Christians are rather Pharisaic about using what they deem to be the proper words. So, I use both, just so that everyone is clear about where I'm going and there are no questions about my intentions.
It is a challenge to take biblical and theological terms and translate them from the language of the theological ghetto into street-speak. Often, looking up those terms in a Greek dictionary or lexicon helps see what words from the street are the most appropriate synonyms, however, a thesaurus can also be of some help.
Example Sermon
Title: "God is Rescuing You"
Goal
To teach the essentials of Soteriology without the 50 dollar theological terms, but using 10 cent street words.
Intro
What in the world is God doing with you and your life right now? Why does he even both with you and me? What is going on behind the scenes in your life is simply the most important thing in the universe, and sometimes we don't even notice.
Plan
We will take a look at God's rescue of your life from eternal death and what God is doing in your life right now. We will see how he called you, chose you, transforms you, converts you, unites you with Christ, justifies, adopts, makes you a saint, and perseveres even when you feel like giving up and how he will eventually elevate you in eternity.
Body
Rescued from What
Salvation is a funny word for many people today. It means liberation, being free and secure, rescued from the consequences of our own wrongdoings and the evils of mankind. It means rescued from death. Salvation requires a Savior, a rescuer. Our rescuer is Jesus. Salvation is a process. Let's consider some essentials about the process of salvation. These basics are not necessarily all in time order.
1. God Called You
A general invitation is given to all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). This call goes to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 45:22). It is a call to be saints or holy (Romans 1:7). That call is just one step in a process (Romans 8:30). That calling is also irrevocable (Romans 11:29). It is also a calling into fellowship with Jesus Christ and specifically not many wise people by human standards, not many of noble birth are called (1 Corinthians 1:9, 26-27). It is also a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9).
2. God Chose You
This choice is called election, the election of grace (Romans 11:5), grace meaning that we do not deserve to have been chosen. Grace is God's good will, his free gift, his unmerited favor. It is not something we pay for by doing good deeds, but is a free gift from God (Romans 11:6). Being elected means we are destined to eternal life (Acts 13:48). It is God's decision not ours to elect whomever he chooses and show mercy to them (Romans 9:15-22).
3. God Transforms Your Life
The Holy Spirit transforms the lives of those given the gift of faith. It is a new birth. God gives us the power to become the sons of God (John 1:12-13), to be born again (John 3:3). This rebirth or regeneration is an act of God's mercy (Titus 3:5). It is a birth by the word of truth (James 1:18). It is a birth into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).
4. God Converts You
Conversion refers to a moral change, a turning to God. There are two elements of true conversion: faith and repentance. A living faith also includes appropriate action (James 2:14-26) not just emotion. The apostle Paul expressly teaches two things: belief that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
Repentance is a metanoia experience, a complete change of heart which is evidenced by obvious fruit (Matthew 3:8). When we see that most of the workings of our lives have been dead and useless, then we experience an unrelenting inner urge to permanently change, and we act upon that inner urge, that is repentance (Hebrews 6:1). This involves a profound grief or sorrow about our past misdeeds and produces a permanent change (2 Corinthians 7:10).
5. God Unites You with Christ
Christians are not just followers of Christ, they are in Christ (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30), conformed to Christ's image (Romans 8:28-30; 38-39). Abiding in Christ means that we walk as he walked (1 John 2:5-6). Christ and the Father make their home with us (John 14:23). All Christians are one body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4).
6. God Justifies You
Because our past misdeeds make us unjust, we need to be made just. We need to be transformed from the state of unrighteousness to the state of holiness. This is called justification. God justifies us (Romans 4:5). He blots out our sins (Acts 3:19). There is no longer any condemnation (Romans 8:1). We enter a new life (Ephesians 2:5; Colossians 2:13). We are justified, declared not guilty, by God's gracious kindness, through Jesus Christ, who has taken away our sins (Romans 3:24).
7. God Adopts You
If we are led by the Holy Spirit, we are sons or children of God and this adoption means a special relationship as a child of God as opposed to a mere fearful slave of this world (Romans 8:14-15). We are then fellow heirs with Christ (vs. 17).
8. God Makes You a Saint
Sanctification means that we are separated from profane things and dedicated to God, made holy, made saints (small "s"). Christians were sanctified by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11), and put on the new man, in true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).
9. God will Persevere with You
We saints are held secure by God’s power. God began something in us and will perform it until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6). He had predetermined to call and justify us, and he plans to continue with us until we are glorified (Romans 8:30). Nobody can pluck us out of God's hands, he will give us eternal life (John 10:28-30). However, we cannot just complacently neglect the salvation offered to us, or harden our hearts, departing from the living God; we must labor to enter his eternal rest (Hebrews 2:1-4; 3:6-4:13).
10. God will Glorify You
The final dimension of salvation is an elevated life in heaven. Our fleshly bodies which are slowly dying, will be changed into a glorious spiritual body like Christ's (Philippians 3:20-21). After his resurrection, Jesus' immortal body seemed like any other to his disciples, as he gave them bread and fish to eat (John 21:4-14). Yet, he had a heavenly, spiritual or glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49).
Outro
We have seen just a little of God's rescue of your life from eternal death and what God is doing in your life right now. We have seen how he called you, chose you, transforms you, converts you, unites you with Christ, justifies, adopts, makes you a saint, perseveres even when you feel like giving up and how he will eventually elevate you in eternity. There is a lot going on in your life behind the scenes, and God is very much an active part of it.
Suggested Assignment
Choose a theological topic that you feel you have mastered enough to teach. Check the Greek (or Hebrew) and a thesaurus so that you can explain the terms in street language and yet remain true to the topic. See what points are relevant and go for it.
Lesson Outro
We have discussed how to help congregations realize the importance of right doctrine, the dangers of bad theology and how to present theological topics in a manner that is palatable to the man on the street, and we have seen an example using Soteriology, the study of salvation. It is important to use a doctrinal topic occasionally sprinkled like salt throughout the preaching plan to inoculate Christians against bad teachings and appropriately ground them in orthodox Christianity.
