Preachers Inadequately Trained

Dr Henry Drummond thinks that seminaries are doing an inadequate job in the training of preachers because, firstly, teachers have so given themselves to the historico-critical method that it has suddenly undermined the authority of the Word of God. Preachers, and/or their professors, now do not have confidence in the Scriptures, therefore they do not believe that the unfolding of the Word of God is where the power of preaching really is. 

I commenced my ministerial training in 1975 in what is now Union Theological College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During a conversation with a friend this past week, he indicated to me that in the College there does not seem to be any training on preaching. I informed him that when I was there all those years ago, we had a full lecture by the Professor of Practical Theology whose responsibilities included training us how to preach, was given on how to fold a communion cloth. It doesn't get much worse than that! But no training is given to trainee ministers on how to do the single most important task in their calling.

While it is important to have some knowledge of the mechanics of sermon preparation and delivery, these are clearly not the vital issues.  You could train a monkey how to do these tasks. What is vitally important is this: has the man received a clear and discernible calling from God to the Christian ministry? Does he have the requisite gifts for this task? Is he passionate about this work? Does he know what needs to be preached even if he as yet does not know how to preach?

Secondly, the homiletics departments of seminaries have generally failed to emphasise expository preaching. Since Fosdick, life situation preaching has been emphasised. The climate in many congregations today is such that it dictates a low priority of preaching, where preaching is not seen as significant in ministry at all. So often, Christians prefer to sit in judgment on the preaching, and even say such things as this: "if a man cannot say what he has to say in 15-20 minutes, he shouldn't be a preacher." Today, preaching must be ultra-brief and go over us and hit our neighbour. This anti-preaching climate has a destructive effect on the preacher himself, for his very call is under question, his raison d’être is challenged. And if such a climate tends to destroy the preacher, then the congregation has little or no chance of surviving. What many congregations want today is not a preacher of the Word of God but an office manager, (Ravenhill).

Preaching is Gospel Proclamation

Preaching must be THE issue for the minister. "The whole basis of our spiritual life and our church life is that we respond to what God has done. The essence of preaching is the proclamation of what God has done; therefore if we are to have experience with God, both individually and corporately, it is going to be the basis of responding to the knowledge of what God has done, which in one form or another, must come from proclamation. Preaching is, therefore, fundamental in the church life and therefore should have a high priority in the life of the pastor," (Dr S. Briscoe). All of the spiritual life is simply a response to God, Who has revealed himself through His Word and through His messenger, the preacher.

Therefore proclamation is of vital importance and an essential ingredient in the worship of God. Praising God and preaching His Word are essential to true worship. Through God-owned preaching, sinners and saints alike meet with the living God. In the word, believers experience fellowship with their Lord and with each other. Take away the proclaimed Word, and little else remains. The Westminster Directory for the Publick Worship of God states,

“Preaching of the Word, being the power of God unto salvation, and one of the greatest and most excellent works belonging to the ministry of the gospel, should be so performed, that the workman need not be ashamed, but may save himself, and those that hear him. In the Presbyterian Church, the sermon is the climax of our church's worship services.”

Preaching is not a Profession

"Preaching is not a profession; it is an obsession, and a passion. And if it isn't, a man should not preach," says Dr L. Ravenhill. It is the key to any church and to any pastorate. Where the preaching fails, all else fails; but where the preaching is raised to its proper place and priority in the mind of both minister and congregation, everything else is raised thereby. It is the central aspect of the church's life and mission. Ministers must never think of preaching as a mere adjunct, a duty that has to be performed, a part of their professional responsibility. It should be their very life, their obsession, their passion. To preach the Gospel should be the one thing they live to do above all else! He must burn to do it week in and week out. He must preach, or his heart will burst. 

Jeremiah speaks with deep feeling when he talks about God's Word in his heart like a burning fire, shut up in his bones, (Jer.20:9). He says that he is weary of holding it in, indeed he cannot! He must preach the word, or burn up. His burning prophetic vocation compelled him to testify concerning covenant spirituality, despite all opposition from his beloved fellow countrymen, (R. K. Harrison, Jeremiah, Tyndale Press, Leicester, UK, 1973:113). Jeremiah did not regard himself as a professional prophet. To him, preaching was a categorical imperative. He must preach or die! His attempts not to do so merely wearied him out.

The true preacher knows that his work is an obsession and a passion; with Paul he can say, "Woe is unto me if I do not preach the Gospel,"(1 Cor.9:16).

Pastoral Preaching

Preaching is by far the most important of the minister's public duties. More will be done for more people in that concentrated preaching session that at any other moment. Patterson says, "If preaching is done properly, it will alleviate the need for a large percent of counselling necessities." Lloyd-Jones, drawing on his vast medical and pastoral experience, argues that the task of the church is not to alleviate the symptoms of a man's spiritual condition until the cause of those symptoms has been isolated and dealt with properly. Counselling generally seems to help people who have problems of various kinds, and this is good so far as it goes; but sometimes the 'successful' counsellor is seen to be the one who can make people feel 'good' after a session. But this is nothing short of criminal, because it removes the only indicator that something is wrong.

But when the Word is truly and pastorally preached, needy people will find their problems being sorted out as they attend to that Word. Sometimes the charge can be levelled against preacher's, especially in the Reformed Church, that their preaching is too cerebral at times, and not experiential enough. I think there is truth in this charge. The result is that people are driven to look for someone, possibly even their minister, who will help them sort out their difficulties. This is very time consuming, and in itself is not guaranteed to be successful. Well prepared and faithfully proclaimed sermons will do more to counsel people than is often imagined. Preaching is still God's chief way of sharing His Word with His people.                              

Steel in the Will

I trust this brief meditation will strengthen your hearts as you serve the Master.

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546. Composed 1829, Eng. translation 1853.

Based on Ps.46.  It is none other than the one living and true God Who is our Refuge and our Strength.  Our enemies, be they ever so many and mighty, are no match for our God. And whose refuge is He? Ours! This is as true today as when David penned these stirring words. He is always there to help and strengthen His afflicted servants and children, and will not be found wanting by any who abandon themselves to His care. His help is effectual, effective and comes at just the right time. So don't dismay. Only be sure you are on the Lord's side, serving the King, and not with the enemies of Christ and the Gospel.


A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

So, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for our God reigns.  HAVE FAITH IN GOD!

I trust this will strengthen you for the fight of faith which is unrelenting.

God Not Welcome.

BY A 15 yr. OLD SCHOOL KID

who got an A+ for this entry

(TOTALLY AWESOME)!

Since the Pledge of Allegiance

And

The Lord's Prayer

Are not allowed in most

Public schools anymore

Because the word 'God' is mentioned.....

A kid in Arizona  wrote the attached

NEW School prayer:

"New Pledge of Allegiance"

-o0o0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0o0o-

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all..

In silence alone we must meditate,

God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..

We can get our condoms and birth controls,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles...

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

If you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on..

Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

~~~~~~~~~~~AWESOME~~~~~~~~~~

Not ashamed. Pass this on. 

It is a scandalous situation that we have got ourselves into in this world where its Creator and Sustainer has been banished from His own world. All over the western world, God is being driven out. His Name is not to be spoken because those who hold to a false religion might be offended. Reading of His Word in public places is fast becoming a criminal offense. 

This is what we can only expect the godless world to do, but where is the church while all this is going on? She is involved in spiritual adultery with the gods of this world - political correctness, immorality, lust, greed, moral laxity, sodomy legalised, same-sex marriages being accepted, etc, etc.

This world is clearly under divine wrath, because it is clear that God has given this world up to all kinds of iniquity. Because the churches are milking this with all their might, they have lost their ability to discern the times in which we live. Hence their deafening silence. Churches that once stood solidly for the Gospel are now persecuting those good men who preach the Gospel with power and passion; they preach it as men who give the clear impression that they actually believe what they preach.

Sadly, and predictably, the world is but following the example of the churches. May God have mercy on us as He pours out His deserved wrath upon us.

Jesus Christ - the Lamb of God

If you would like a Gospel tract that you can give to someone for whom you are praying, then visit this website where you can download for free this leaflet.

Perhaps you find it difficult to speak to people about your Saviour and afraid that you might not get the right words to speak. Well, this little tract will help you spread the Gospel in an easier way.

Tell others where they can get as many free copies as they can use - the supply is endless. Got the Gospel out to the whole world, and be the means under God of bringing sinners into a right relationship with Christ.