Haddon Robinson, considered one of the ten greatest living
preachers of the English-speaking world, is discussing preaching. Looking back
over the past sixty years, he sees various models of preachers predominating
over the decades.
In the 1940's and '50's the model for the preacher was that of the evangelist,
while in the '60's, the pastor as Bible teacher came to the forefront. But then
something happened after the '60's-the church became like a ninety-pound
weakling-- bullied, pushed around, and having sand kicked in its ecclesiastical
face. For the first time in a long time, the church lost confidence in its
message and, because of that, felt the sting of the sand.
The church doubted its own message of faith alone in Christ alone as the only
way to God; it came to wonder if Jesus were really the only way, coming to
believe that surely there were others. It didn't take its mandate to enable the
persuaded to become followers of Jesus very seriously; surely there were others
who were also worthy of following To each his own.
With no clear message, the church lost its biblical spine and began to stutter.
It turned plain vanilla. John R. W. Stott summarized the church's loss of
biblical authority by telling the story of the child, "wearied by a
preacher's boring utterance appealed, "Mother, pay the man and let's go
home."
Instead of the clarion call to herald the ten great truths of Christianity, the
church assumed a false humility and came to see itself as one religion among the
many. Viewing its Book as a collection of authors groping for God, the church
which emerged baptized secular psychology and began to give pop advice on how to
live.
Robinson says that in the last two decades of the twentieth century, the church
left the biblical model of the pastor as Bible teacher (Ephesians 4) and adopted
the model of the pastor as therapist, the one called to solve the problems of
the converted who were still living in the secular.
Today, Robinson believes that the 21st century model for the preacher is not one
of delivering sermons that explain the Scriptures, but, instead, is one of the
bringer of topics which are thinly disguised and thoroughly baptized suggestions
from the behavioral sciences.
It is unfortunate, but the pulpit has often danced with the world. Church
history shows its dance card to be a full one in that regard. If the pulpit is
the bringer of advice, then it becomes the First Church of the Dear Abby,
dispensing the latest advice from the secular world, advice dressed in Bible
words.
It would be good to immerse ourselves in the preaching of the New Testament.
When we do, we realize that the apostles weren't bringing advice or suggestions
for better living, they were bringing revelation from God and they knew it. The
apostles weren't bringing the best of answers about things, they were bringing
the only answer, God's Word revealed.
What a difference that makes! The biblical preacher, the biblical Sunday school
teacher are bringing revelation from God. The congregation hasn't come for a bit
of Sunday's Dear Abby; they come to hear a word from God and woe be to the
speaker who doesn't bring it (James 3:1). The church does not dispense advice;
it dispenses revelation from God's Word written.
It's a serious matter to stand behind the pulpit and Sunday school lectern. That
time is sacred. What the pastor or Sunday school teacher brings is an offering
to God. He comes in the name of God wrapped in the revelation of God.
Dr. Mike Halsey, Pastor
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