Preaching and Teaching Doctrine

I was “blown away,” as they say, by his lesson.

I recently attended a relatively large Baptist church’s Sunday night service. The church is, in my estimation, very healthy. The pastor didn’t so much preach but taught, and I was “blown away,” as they say, by his lesson.

A solid expository preacher on Sunday mornings, the pastor taught this night on a doctrinal subject related to the doctrine of soteriology (the doctrine of salvation), as part of a Sunday night series on doctrinal subjects. My first reaction was that the subject matter (pertaining to the precedence faith as opposed to regeneration) might be over the head of most of the people in my circle of family and friends, though I personally was very interested in listening to his approach to the subject matter as well as his conclusion.

As I listened, several things struck me. Most Christians I know, including most pastors I have known, probably couldn’t intelligently even discuss the subject. This pastor (who is personable and engaging) is both a theologian and student of Scripture and is willing to do the hard work of taking an important, detailed, and difficult subject and preparing a lesson that is understandable to his congregation. He has, as an able teacher of Scripture, put his congregation in a place where they can listen to such teaching. He understands the primacy of Scripture and the importance of teaching the Bible and doctrine to his people. He is systematically “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” as Ephesians 4:12 tells us. They are being built up in their faith, growing in their understanding of the teachings of the Bible, gaining the ability to live out their faith and answer the questions of those in their circles of influence.

This Sunday evening gathering wasn’t the sort of low energy afterthought that helped kill off Sunday evening services in many churches. It wasn’t a small group meeting devoted to chit-chat and sharing of opinions, or an entertaining video presentation. It wasn’t a silly motivational talk; it was solid, vital teaching. The pastor was not overly dogmatic or riding any sort of “hobby horse” in his presentation, but he discussed the clear teaching of Scripture as well as leaving room for disagreement on finer points, even charitably pointing out opposing views on some of the details of the issue. He was teaching people to study the Word. The minds of people were engaged as students of the Word.

Days earlier, I had been in a conversation with a person who had grown up in church and been in church for many years, but who seldom has heard solid preaching and teaching. The conversation broadly pertained to confusion and questions related to soteriology. Reflecting on the Sunday night lesson, I wonder if this person might have profited from hearing what that pastor said that night, and more importantly, hearing such solid teaching on a weekly basis. There is no substitute for preaching and teaching Scripture and doctrinal truth from Scripture.

On another recent occasion at the same church, I heard a speaker who had emigrated from China. As a youth in China, as well as after coming to North America, he had struggled with the question of “what is the meaning of life?” Post-modern Americans, at least when they allow themselves to think, struggle with the same question. Christianity has the Answer to that question! And so many other vital questions! But, churches will not help people find that Answer without an emphasis on content. Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17).”

Teenage Irresponsibility

As I scanned “The Denver Post” this morning (September 20, 2018), two articles caught my attention.

One article, from the Associate Press, was titled “California district is the latest to redo “sexist” school dress code.” The article begins by noting that “The relaxed new dress code at public schools in the small city of Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, is intentionally specific: Midriff-baring shirts are acceptable attire, so are tank tops with spaghetti straps and other once-banned items like micro-mini skirts and short shorts.” Pajamas? They are OK. Students said that the previous rules “against too much skin disproportionately targeted girls, while language calling such attire “distracting” sent the wrong message”. A fourteen-year-old freshman is quoted as noting that “If someone is wearing a short shirt and you can see her stomach, it’s not her fault that she’s distracting other people.”

An unrelated editorial page commentary was authored by the Denver district attorney. The subject of the article concerned sentencing guidelines for serious juvenile offenders. She noted, “There is a great deal of scientific research demonstrating that the adolescent brain is not fully developed until ages 25 or 26; the last areas to develop control impulses and judgement.”

An ongoing major news story concerns accusations against a judicial nominee. A female accuser has indicated a repressed memory involving this nominee, alleging that some 35 years ago when they were teens they were at a party, where abundant alcohol was consumed, and he attempted to sexually assault her. The allegation has been vigorously denied and has yet to be in any way corroborated. The nominee is by all accounts an adult of high character and ability.

Perhaps there is no connection between these three subjects. Perhaps there is. Perhaps adults need to emphasize to young people that character and deportment really do matter.

Church as a Corporate Event

An internet Christian-themed video streaming provider recently sent out an invitation for a series from a well-known megachurch pastor. I decided to watch at least the first session.

The series was recorded as the sermons at the Sunday service at the speaker’s megachurch, reportedly one of the largest evangelical churches in America. In his introduction to the week one lecture that introduced his theme, the pastor invited hearers to put aside any skepticism about the Bible, and spoke of the conversion of Saul and his transformation to the Apostle Paul in Acts. The speaker noted, “You don’t have to accept any of this,” “This has nothing to do with believing the Bible,” and “Take this question seriously, even if you are not a Christian.” He displayed Ephesians 5:15-17, noting that Ephesians was a letter written telling Christians how to live, and introduced his theme for the series, “What’s the Wise Thing to Do?” Using words from the Ephesians passage as a sort of springboard, he exhorted hearers not to be “unwise,” or careless, but to be “wise,” or careful, and that “the days are evil”, so “don’t let the flow of culture take you where you don’t want to be.”

He then introduced three questions as a formula for making wise decisions. With the first, “In light of my past experience, what’s the wise thing to do?”, he emphasized that what is ok for one person may not be ok for another because of differing past experiences. The second question was, “In light of my current circumstances, what’s the wise thing to do?”, and the third, “In light of my future hopes and dreams, what’s the wise thing to do?”, noting that personal vision is often a catalyst for wise decisions. At the end of the talk, he assigned homework – “Ask it,” noting that in so doing one might learn something about oneself, and that perhaps people don’t always have their own best interests in mind, but maybe God does.

What hit me as I listened was not anything negative about this megachurch pastor’s formula. He could make a mint as a corporate motivational speaker. What really hit me was the thought that many hundreds of people had come to this church and its various satellite locations that week, and heard nothing of the gospel, had heard nothing of grace, nothing of faith and repentance, had heard the word “Jesus” mentioned in passing once or twice, had heard nothing from the Bible. The attenders likely heard a rousing contemporary music concert before this lecture, but at the end of the day they had not in any way worshipped God and had heard nothing from scripture that would impact their lives. Perhaps subsequent lectures in this series might have clearly included something like scriptural principles for decision-making or the Christian life or even included a clear explanation the gospel, but not this lecture. I listened to most of the second and last sermons in the series, but never heard anything of sin, salvation, grace, faith, or doctrine, and barely a mention Jesus.

Several weeks earlier, the same megachurch pastor was featured on a nationally syndicated Christian radio broadcast that I passively listen to on occasion. The two-part broadcast that aired around July 4 featured a sermon delivered at the megachurch, likely delivered the previous year in conjunction with July 4. He delivered a good lecture concerning American history, the founders, and patriotic themes. I recall agreeing with what he said almost in total. But at the time I remember thinking how tragic it was that a few thousand people had attended this man’s megachurch services that week and heard nothing of the gospel, nothing of Christ, nothing really from the Bible. They went to an event at what was billed as church, but it was devoid of worship and anything distinctly Christian. It was essentially a corporate event.

We are told that this is the way to “do church” today. It is surely a road to destruction. The New Testament book of Jude, verse 4 reminds us, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Verses 12-13 remind, “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Impressive clouds, but empty.

Jonathan Edwards and the Sufficiency of Scripture

Shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus observed the Passover meal with His disciples. As He spoke to them and explained what was to come, He told them,

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:25-26, NKJV).

As one person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit was of course always present in the world. Jesus promised the disciples in this passage that the Spirit was to come in a new and fuller sense. Jesus told them that, when He was gone and the Spirit came, the Spirit would teach them, help them to understand what they had seen in Jesus, help them to see Christ as the fulfillment of the messianic anticipation and prophecies in the Old Testament. And the Spirit would “bring to (their) remembrance” the events they had seen and experienced in their time with Jesus. In John 20:22, after the resurrection, “He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The eyewitnesses, as they later recorded the gospels and the writings of the New Testament, wrote not just as witnesses with fading memories. They wrote as eyewitnesses under the teaching, guidance, and inspiration of God the Holy Spirit.

Peter later wrote, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, NKJV). The Old Testament writings were from men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament writings are from those who were both witnesses of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and were under the inspiration of the Spirit. The authors of the Bible wrote the objective message of God that He wanted to convey to mankind. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1751) is regarded as perhaps America’s foremost early theologian. He was a brilliant man who spoke and wrote extensively of the sovereignty and holiness of God. He understood this principle of the sufficiency of scripture. Edwards wrote,

“And yet some people actually imagine that the revelation in God’s Word is not enough to meet our needs. They think that God from time to time carries on an actual conversation with them, chatting with them, satisfying their doubts, testifying to His love for them, promising them support and blessings. As a result, their emotions soar; they are full of bubbling joy that is mixed with self-confidence and a high opinion of themselves. The foundation for these feelings, however, does not lie within the Bible itself, but instead rests on the sudden creations of their imaginations. These people are clearly deluded. God’s Word is for all of us and each of us; He does not need to give particular messages to particular people.”

The Spirit gave us the Word, and it is that written Word that tells us all we need to know. The written Word communicates the gospel to us, the gospel that coupled with the ministry of the Spirit brings us salvation. His continuing ministry to us is to illuminate the written Word. He does not give us, and we do not need, new revelation outside of the Bible. It is the Bible that teaches us what the Savior did and taught. Learning to hear the Spirit in the Bible is our lifelong assignment. Through our prayerful and careful study of Bible, the Spirit develops our ability to discern truth from error, make decisions, and live the life He has for us.

We don’t need dreams, visions, voices, or impressions. We don’t need to seek continuing revelation, and we can and should be skeptical of the claims of others that they have received such direct communication from God apart from the written Word. We need the Spirit’s ministry through the Word. Reading and studying the Bible, however, might be the easy part. Obeying it and putting it into practice, well, that is sometimes the real challenge.