What I Value Most in Preaching

"A sermon is very much a jar of clay; even the best are far from perfect. Even though they bear the flaws of the preacher, God is still pleased to graciously work through humble servants and their earthly efforts (1 Cor. 1:21; Col. 1:28; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).

The more I preach, the more I witness confirmation that the Spirit must supernaturally illuminate the Word of God in the hearts of people in spite of my feeble attempt to explain and apply it. I don’t think there’s a formula or process that can guarantee this, other than actually preaching from the Scriptures.

I’ve recently been asked what I value in a sermon. The more I thought about it, I figured I should put these values down on paper if only for the purposes of accountability. So, upon reflection, here are 6 values I hope are reflected in my preaching.  It is my goal that my sermons would be:

1) Expositional– An expositional sermon is one in which the main idea of a text of Scripture is the primary point of the sermon, and ideally the sermon would show the congregation how (here’s a nice summary by Mike Bullmore on expositional preaching). This is where all the original language, grammar, history, genre awareness, and literary analysis pay off in studying a passage.

2) Informed by Biblical Theology– The sermon’s content and main idea should be nuanced in light of the whole of the Scriptures. It’s easy to become so focused on the passage in question that the forest of Scripture is lost. In this I want to be aware of NT/OT connections, as well as the way certain themes are developed in the whole of the canon.

3) Saturated with Pastoral Exhortations– Local Church pastors are commended to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort" the flock with "great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  One will benefit from listening to the likes of John MacArthur.  Just realize that as a local church pastor he is preaching a specific message to his congregation.  A sermon should be infused with examples of how the passage should be believed, applied, and/or obeyed. Shepherds are called to pastor the flock through the pulpit ministry of the church.  As a sheep you want to come to worship with this expectation.  You should expect your toes will be stepped on and should be grateful for such correction (see Proverbs 9:8).

“You Cannot Do It Alone!” Why Every Church Needs Multiple Shepherds

“You Cannot Do It Alone!” 

Why Every Church Needs Multiple Shepherds: 

Exodus 18:13-27; 1 Peter 5:1-4 

“Now these things happened as examples for us. They were written down for our instruction.”

(1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrew 13:7; Romans 15:4) 

Ex. 18:13-27- what was true back then, is true now. This narrative illustrates two important lessons


1)


2)

Sermon Outline of 1 Peter 5:1-4 

I) The _______________________ Shepherding Mandate.

(1 Peter 5:1-3) 

II) The Eternally Glorious ____________________.

(1 Peter 5:4) 

As a humble, battle-tested leader the Apostle Peter empathizes with the lesser known church elders from Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:1-2) which is now Turkey.

The Three-fold Basis of Peter’s Shepherding Mandate 

We have:

A) A ______________________ Calling

(1 Peter 5:1a) 

B) A ________________________ Witness

(1 Peter 5:1b) 

C) A _______________________ Reward

(1 Peter 5:1; 1:6-7) 

What's Next at Lake Country Bible Church?

Over the past two years it has been my joy and privilege to feed the people of God that make up Lake Country Bible Church. I am truly blessed to minister to such a humble (Isaiah 66:2) and hungry congregation (1 Peter 2:2-3). We believe that, by God’s design, the expository pulpit is the rudder of the church and we covet your faithful prayer partnership!

Here is a summary of where we have been and what we believe is on the preaching horizon:

After 18 years of faithful ministry our founding pastor, Pastor Sal Massa, retired in May of 2017. Pastor Sal had begun a verse-by-verse study of Revelation but was unable to complete this great prophecy before he retired. In order to enhance shepherding/preaching continuity between my predecessor and I, and in effort to not leave the sheep hanging (the end of the story is the very best part), I committed to finishing this expository study.

Sunday morning (5/19/19) marks the end of a long and rewarding journey. My prayer is that we will not forget the many lessons that the Holy Spirit has taught us along the way. By Divine design, the prophesied future is intended to impact the here and now. The Christian life does not make sense without this future hope. God calls His saints to live each day in the light of Christ’s imminent return. That is the heart and soul of biblical “eschatology;” (studies related to the end times).

As we transition into our summer schedule, we are going to begin a new sermon series. I have attached a tentative schedule of what will be covered over the next few months. This new series will highlight what King Jesus expects from those who shepherd and lead His flock. It will also address the primacy of the local church, the need for meaningful membership, and what the Lord expects from “the people of his pasture” in terms of their relationship with local church pastors and elders. The current plan is to begin a new book study after the busy summer season end.

In addition to what has been taught during our worship service a number of men have been teaching the Psalms on Wednesday night. Before his retirement Pastor Ray worked through the Minor and Major Prophets.

Our Women Teaching Women ministry has enjoyed two studies through the book of James and Habakkuk. The College and Career group has worked their way through 1 Peter and the book of Acts. In addition to these offerings, during the Sunday School hour we have recently worked through Galatians, the Spiritual Disciplines, and an Old and New Testament study on biblical manhood and womanhood.

As a reminder we do not offer Sunday School during the summer months and our worship service begins at 9:30 AM. Our summer schedule begins May 26th and ends September 1st.

Together for the gospel,

Pastor Caleb Kolstad

Forthcoming Sermon Series 

Summer 2019 at Lake Country Bible Church

How Jesus Governs the Universe; Rom. 13; Eph. 6; Heb. 13:17

How Jesus Runs His Church- Selected Scriptures. 

The Mandate of Biblical Inerrancy, Authority, and Sufficiency: Expository Preaching

"Preaching ought to reflect our conviction that God’s Word is infallible, inerrant, and If we believe that “all Scripture is inspired by God” and inerrant, must we not be equally committed to the reality that it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17)? Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher

Paul gave this mandate to Timothy: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim 4:1-2, emphasis added). Any form of preaching that ignores that intended purpose and design of God falls short of the divine plan.

The only logical response to inerrant Scripture is to preach expositionally. By expositionally, I mean preaching in such a way that the meaning of the Bible passage is presented entirely and exactly as it was intended by God. Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher.

GOD’S WORD IS INFALLIBLE AND INERRANT

Too often, preaching does not reflect the reality that God’s word is infallible and inerrant. In fact, there is a discernable trend in contemporary evangelicalism away from biblical preaching and a drift toward an experience-centered, pragmatic, topical approach in the pulpit.

Many evangelicals hold to limited inerrancy, but they cannot have their cake (trustworthy Scripture) and eat it too (limited inerrancy). If the Bible is unable to produce a sound doctrine of Scripture, then it is thus incapable of producing, with any degree of believability or credibility, a doctrine about any other matter. If the human writers of Scripture have erred in their understanding of Holy Writ’s purity, then they have disqualified themselves as writers for any other area of God’s revealed truth. If they are so disqualified in all areas, then every preacher is thoroughly robbed of any confidence and conviction concerning the alleged true message he would be relaying for God.

Whatever Happened to Expository Preaching (pt. 2)

In his book, He Is Not Silent, Dr. Al Mohler raises a provocative question: “If you picked an evangelical church at random and attended a Sunday morning service there, how likely is it that you would hear a faithful expository sermon, one that takes its message and its structure from the biblical text?”  In most communities the odds would not be very good. As Dr. Steven Lawson has suggested, when it comes to solid Bible preaching there is nothing short of a famine in the land.

In the eyes of many, expository preaching is simply no longer relevant because it fails to connect in any kind of meaningful way with the average person in today’s culture. This criticism, of course, is hardly new. Back in 1928, a prominent liberal Baptist minister named Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote an article for Harper’s Magazine entitled, “What’s the Matter with Preaching?” In the article, Fosdick wrote:  Many preachers indulge habitually in what they call expository sermons. They take a passage from Scripture, and, proceeding on the assumption that the people attending the church that morning are deeply concerned about what the passage means, they spend their half hour or more on historical exposition of the verse or the chapter, ending with some attendant practical applications to the auditors. Could any procedure be more surely predestined to dullness and futility? Who seriously supposes that, as a matter of fact, one in a hundred of the congregation cares (to start with) what Moses, Isaiah, Paul, or John meant in those special verses, or came to church deeply concerned about it. Nobody else who talks to the public so assumes that the vital interests of the people are located in the meaning of words spoken 2000 years ago.

Fosdick himself died in 1969, but his view of expository preaching lives on. Many still see it as the epitome of dullness and futility. Many still insist that it fails to connect to the vital interests of the average person in the congregation. Many still believe it is doomed to failure because it hasn’t kept up with the evolving needs of contemporary culture.

According to Mohler, this rapid decline of expository preaching has been one of most troubling developments of the last several decades.  Numerous influential voices within evangelicalism are suggesting that the age of the expository sermon is now past. In its place, some contemporary preachers now substitute messages intentionally designed to reach secular or superficial congregations—messages that avoid preaching a biblical text and thus avoid a potentially embarrassing confrontation with biblical truth.

Various alternatives to expository preaching may indeed connect with the masses and fill the pews, but at what cost? Time will eventually tell.

Article written by Pastor by Matt Waymeyer

The Shepherd Preacher

In his new memoir Outsider Looking In, Gary Wills, leftist intellectual and former conservative journalist, made an interesting observation about politicians who try to become academics after they leave office. 

 “Politicians live for contact with people. They lose the gift for contemplation, or research, or simple reading. Being alone with a book is a way to die for many of them.”

Real shepherds know the sheep, live with the sheep, and even eat the same sheep food. This sort of life demands both public engagement with real people and meaningful private moments alone with piles of books. In churches we have code language that goes something like this. If the guy is warm and friendly but can’t preach to save his life, it is said of him that “he has a pastor’s heart.” Conversely, many wonderfully skilled expositors are nothing more than full-time conference speakers who drop into their congregations most Sundays and deliver a conference-like message. In short, if our vocation hovers anywhere near the end of Ephesians 4:11 we need to embrace the full weight of what it means to be a pastor and the commitment involved for those who are called to teach the Word. Are you a pastor or a teacher? The answer should be “both.”  God calls pastors to shepherd the flock with their fellow elders (1 Peter 5) and to preach and teach the whole counsel of God (1-2 Timothy)

Is It Sunday Yet?

Is it Sunday yet?  The Lord's Day should be the best day of the week.  By the grace of God, for my family it certainly is.

This coming Sunday we prayerfully anticipate another morning of vibrant Christian fellowship.  Spirit-filled praise.  Edifying, and sometimes humorous and/or tearful, conversations.  And focused expository listening.

The believers that make up Lake Country Bible Church are full of Christian joy and hope.  Our founding pastor worked hard to ensure that this fellowship was Word-centered; without losing our identity of also being a loving family of believers.  Pastor Sal believed that the Lord's Church is to be known for its commitment to Christ-like love (John 13), absolute truth/sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Eph. 4:11-16), and "good deeds" (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 2:10).  It's both/and rather than either/or.

During the 9 AM Sunday School hour our children/teens will be in stage of life focused classes.  Our wonderful teachers will highlight biblical truth using Answers in Genesis material.  One of our elders (Dave) will lead the adults in prayer and then continue his excellent series through Galatians.

At 10:15 AM the entire congregation will come together for our corporate worship service:

1) We will sing a number of praise songs and hymns (Col. 3:16; "Jesus Shall Reign;" "10,000 Reasons;" "His Mercy is More;" "Before the Throne of God Above;" and "By Faith.")

Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

When I read Carl Trueman’s Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow I found it to be quite insightful. This short book offers some great insights into various topics including preaching. Here are a few excerpts from Professor Trueman’s book (republished by Christian Focus Publications).

The sermon: God’s Method

For those, however, standing in the line of the Reformers, humanity, even in its highest natural spiritual exercises, is in a state of utter rebellion against God, and no elaborate string of words, no compelling argument, no passionate speech will ever bring a single individual to Christ. It is only as those words bring with them the Holy Spirit of God bearing witness to Christ that the sermon becomes adequate to its task. Thus, we preach, we speak the words of God not because this is the marketing method most likely to appeal to the unbeliever but simply because this is God’s appointed means of coming to individuals and bringing them to faith. Indeed, precisely because it is so weak and hopeless by the world’s standards, it brings that much more glory to God when souls are saved and lives turned round through this medium.

Of course we must use language with which the congregation is familiar; of course we must be aware that we are talking to people in the twenty-first century and not the sixteenth; and of course we must be culturally sensitive in what we say; but preach we must because this is God’s chosen means of spreading the news of the kingdom. Preaching is not just a communication technique, and must never be considered as such; it is bringing the very words of God to bear upon the life and needs of sinners and of the congregations of God’s people. For this reason, if for no other, the sermon must remain central in our worship…..

When preaching fails

5 Myths about Preaching

Five False Dichotomies about preaching.  Which is your kind of preaching—expository or relevant? That is an example of a false dichotomy—a logical fallacy. False dichotomies operate under the assumption that there is no alternative, including no way to combine the qualities entailed in the so-called opposites.

One of Satan’s methods to mislead by means of the false dichotomy. By setting two valid ideas against each other when they really belong together, the devil can use the appeal of one truth to attack another. If we swallow the bait, then the devil’s hook and line pull us away from faithful preaching and we lose both sides of the truth. Here are five myths—false dichotomies—that can catch preachers and hearers alike.

Myth #1: Preachers must be either exegetical lecturers or church motivators.

The exegetical lecturer is the pastoral version of a Bible commentary. The preacher is determined to avoid subjectivism; his sermon will be only the pure Word of God... As the saying goes all truth without the Spirit and the church drys up.  All Spirit and little truth and the church blows up.  Truth plus the Spirit and the church grows up.  Expository preaching is not merely a collection of word studies, historical background, and fifty minutes of textual commentary.  A sermon is not a lecture though both should involve teaching and passion.

Offended by the barrenness of lectures (sometimes called expository sermons), the church motivator seeks not to inform but to transform by convincing people to adopt certain courses of action or programs. However, though he may lace his messages with Bible quotations, he sounds more like a motivational speaker or even a cheerleader than a messenger of God.

The faithful preacher takes the best from both sides of this dichotomy, for he strives—with the Spirit’s blessing—to have his expositions of the Holy Scriptures burn as fuel inflaming the church to holy affection and action.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said that preaching is "theology on fire!"

Myth #2: Preachers must be either spiritual directors or doctrinal instructors.

The spiritual director—a fatherly figure—doles out specific advice to his children in the Lord. His mouth is full of wise counsel and practical directions, but he does not bother much with lofty doctrines of the faith such as the Trinity, the holiness of God, or Christ’s atoning work.

The doctrinal teacher—knowing how shallow Christians can be if they do not know what they believe—thoroughly explains the system of Christian faith revealed in the Holy Scriptures. However, he says little to nothing about application...

In reality, we must avoid both extremes, since “All Scripture . . . is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). The faithful preacher must have his eyes on Christ as revealed in the doctrines of the Bible and his feet on the ground to apply that doctrine to the needs and lives of his hearers.  Let God’s Word shape your sermons into preaching that is faithful to Scripture and relevant to your congregations sanctification.

The Most Urgent Need in the Church

"Pastor, I wonder if you agree with these two paragraphs from Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book Preaching and Preachers?

But, ultimately, my reason for being very ready to give these lectures is that to me the work of preaching is the highest and greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called. If you want something in addition to that I would say without any hesitation that the most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also. (9)

Do you believe that? Do believe that you have been called to the highest and greatest and most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called? Do you believe the most urgent need in the church is not for better programs or for better leadership principles, but for better preaching? Do you believe. pastor, that the best way for you to serve the world is to study yourself full every week and preach yourself empty every Sunday?

Here is the other quotation.

We are here to preach this Word, this it the first thing, ‘We will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word.’ Now there are the priorities laid down once and for ever. This is the primary task of the Church, the primary task of the leaders of the Church, the people who are sit in this position of authority; and we must not allow anything to deflect us from this, however good the cause, however great the need. This is surely the direct answer to much of the false thinking and reasoning concerning these matters at the present time. (23)

Is that right? Do you believe that the primary task Church is not to redeem the cosmos or make a heaven a place on earth, but to preach Christ and him crucified? Do you believe that your primary task as a leader of the church is not cultural transformation but gospel proclamation? Do you believe the word of God will do the work of God?

Remember, pastors, as you step into the pulpit tomorrow you are charged in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word."

Article by Pastor Kevin DeYoung.  Key thoughts by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Ready to Preach?

"Every now and then someone in the church will ask me before a sermon, 'Are you ready?' When asked, I greatly appreciate the loving care for me as a pastor and the anticipation for the preaching of God’s Word, and yet I always have to smile to myself as I think how to answer. 'Are you ready?' How do you answer that question?

From one perspective, I don’t know that I am ever fully ready to preach God’s Word. The holy weight of the task demands humility, brokenness and dependence. Preaching is a sobering task for which no one is ever fully ready, able or worthy. The pastor is merely a redeemed sinner that God graciously works through. We are but beggars, longing that God would magnify Himself through us as unworthy broken vessels. Therefore we preach, praying that God would graciously do what only he can do—cause growth (1 Cor 3:7).

In addition, no matter how much preparation one does, there is always more that can be done: more to read, more time in the text, more prayer, more time in crafting the sermon, more time on illustrations or application, etc. Readiness can imply the arrival at some point as if one is finished or has exhausted all that needs to be done. There is always more than can be done! From this standpoint, one is never fully ready. At some point in the preparation process, the pastor has to trust in the grace of God and get up and preach. We work hard in study and prayer and then trust the Lord to work.

The Preaching Moment and Why It is So Special

"Another week means two more sermons for me to prepare. And that means the weekly ritual of opening my Bible, clicking on the Logos program on the Mac, and grabbing my favorite fountain pen and the familiar canary legal pad.

It’s amazing that after doing this thousands of times, the first thought that comes into my mind as I start is, “Now what am I really doing and how am I actually going to do it?”  Word studies, diagrammatical analysis, Greek and Hebrew, homiletical outlines, illustrations, introductions and conclusions, applications, implications, transitions, titles—sermon prep is not for that faint of heart or the lazy of spirit. But I have to admit that I love it. Really, it is my favorite part of my 'job.'

But it is far easier to forget what the design of preaching is than I would like to admit. In the forward to The Salvation of Souls edited by Richard A. Bailey and Gregory A. Wills, George Marsden provides this insightful context and quote from the preaching of Jonathan Edwards:  In the midst of debates over the Great Awakening, Edwards, made a revealing comment about the effects of preaching. During intense periods of awakenings, evangelists often preached to the same audience daily, or even more frequently. Opponents of the awakening argued that people could not possibly remember what they heard in all these sermons. [Jonathan] Edwards, responded that “The main benefit that is obtained by preaching is by impression made upon the mind in the time of it, and not by the effect that arises afterwards by a remembrance of what was delivered.” Preaching, in other words, should be designed primarily to awaken, to shake people out of their blind slumbers in the addictive comforts of their sins. Though only God can give them new eyes to see, preaching should be designed to jolt the unconverted or the converted who doze back into their sins (as all do) into recognizing their true estate (pp. 11-12).

Preaching that Prepares People to Suffer

Preaching that Prepares People to Suffer-  It’s been eight years since my wife and I were told devastating news. Without any warning signs, Julie had stage-3 colon cancer. We both felt like we had been hit by a train—our four children all young, the imminent medical treatments all harsh, and the toll on our spirits weighty. We were pressed downward like never before and humbled far more than I could have imagined.

So, we did the only thing we could do, we clung to the promises of our gracious God. “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Pet 4:19). Then, day after day, and now these many years later, this truth is still the anchor of our treasure.

Pastor, you may never know suffering on such a personal level, but many of your sheep will. Your weekly ministry of the Word, in all its forms, is building into your flock the abiding realities of God’s faithfulness. I did not fully appreciate it at the time, but our church’s commitment to biblical exposition had prepared us to walk through a season of intense suffering. I had been preaching every week, not fully realizing how God was storing up His truth in hearts and lives to be used when the time would come. Suffering is like an audit that reveals what has been stored or treasured in the soul of the believer.

Chasing relevance in preaching will not cultivate a mature people ready to stand under the weight of suffering. So much preaching today is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator of fleshly affections. Some claim such preaching is “relevant” to where the people supposedly are, but the reality is such preaching is basely carnal in nature. I think most pastors have no desire to lead their people down such paths, yet that is what they’re doing when they walk such roads without the lamp of God’s Word. To offer God’s people meatless sermons week after week is to offer a plate of sand to the hungry.

Having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, pastor Paul Wolfe has walked the valley of cancer too. In his book, My God is True: Lessons Learned Along Cancer’s Dark Road, Wolfe details how careful preaching prepares the people of God to suffer with grace.

With the blessing of the Lord, such preaching prepares Christians for the future as well as arming them for the present. It is sometimes said that the minister must seek in his sermon to meet the people where they are. That is a noble aspiration, of course, but the minister’s job is also to get the people ready for where they will be. No, he cannot know precisely where their roads will take them, but he does know that the truths of Scripture are crucial to prepare them for every circumstance. So let him serve up a steady diet of those truths.

We see this principle drawn out in a little New Testament letter aimed at suffering Christians. Our fellow elder, Peter, carefully measures each word so that the sheep will be ready for whenever a cloudy providence crosses their path:

The Overcooked Steak: Personal Reflections On Sermons that Lasted Too Long

I've only been to really expensive steakhouses a few times in my life.  During these delicious feasts I discovered a simple principle: You really don't want to overcook an expensive cut of meat.  For most meat lovers a well-done steak represents a wonderful meal that was simply overcooked.

Most expository preachers who have received proper mentoring and exceptional seminary education know the plight of the overcooked steak.  How so?  When a large percentage of Spirit-filled believers (see 1 Peter 2:2; Psalm 119:97) go away talking more about the duration of your message rather then it's content the spiritual meal was likely (inadvertently) over baked.  Recently, I have had to own up to a few messages during a series on the Kingdom of God that fit this description.  Sometimes less truly is more.

Exactly how long should the sermon be?   Many factors need to be considered when answering this question.  Such as the communication/oratory ability of the preacher (in general, novice preachers and/or less gifted communicators should deliver shorter messages), the pulpit history of the congregation you are addressing (what was the average sermon length of your preaching predecessor?), and the specific context in which you are preaching (is it an outdoor wedding in 100 degree weather; are you a guest preacher; are you the Sr. Pastor; etc).  One of the best articles on this subject was written by a missionary to Africa; (you can read his post by clicking on the link above).

Three Factors for why Sunday's sermon may have been slightly (or greatly) overcooked: 

1) Excitement and personal passion.  This past week a group of church members attended a Milwaukee Brewer game.  As I watched the 3 hour 15 minute sporting contest unfold I could easily discern different levels of interest, excitement, and/or boredom in the crowd. Some interest waned by the second inning, others by the seventh, and some not at all.  The die-hard Brewer fans were easy to distinguish from some of the children who were simply there for the food and entertainment (two of my daughters fit this bill).  Whenever a preacher enters the pulpit he should be a man on fire.  By the time the expositor closes in prayer the goal is for the Holy Spirit to ignite that same holy fire for the truth in the hearts and minds of one's hearers.  An over-baked message can inadvertently lessen the potential for this kind of spiritual impact. 

For preachers, it is wise to "deliver every sermon as if it were your last" so long as you keep in mind the principles listed in paragraph two and three.  I am learning that a overcooked sermon may not be boring it may have simply exceeded the reasonable saturation point of your flock.  A few of my recent sermons should have been turned into a two part message series.  To goal of all Christian ministry is to "present every believer in your spiritual care MATURE in Christ" (Col. 1:28-29).  Raising the spiritual bar in your ministry contest is a good thing (Heb. 5:11-14; Eph. 4:11-16) so long as it done with proper care and proportion.

2) Personal growing pains.  When I started preaching and teaching on a regular basis 13 years ago I would bring 17-19 half sheets of paper into the pulpit with me.  For good and bad, I said very little that wasn't in my sermon manuscript.  As I have grown and developed over the years I now try and bring fewer than 6 half sheets of paper into the pulpit. 

The Goal of the Preacher...

Hail the Conquering Hero! Revelation 19:11-16

 Revelation 19:11-16

Hail the Conquering Hero!

 (pt. 1)

INTRO- Popular portraits of Christ: (click here to listen to to Sunday's exposition)

A) The tame and mild babe of Bethlehem.   A very safe Jesus. 

B) The humanitarian "peace to all" Christ.  An all-inclusive Jesus.

Overarching questions to ponder: Is the Person I worship, live for, and tell people about the COMPLETE JESUS?  

“Are we presenting a user-friendly Christ and a truncated gospel-in hopes of saving face with a lost and hostile world?”  If we're being honest, many portraits of Jesus do not mesh with the (biblical) Christ of Revelation 5 or Revelation 19:11-21.  

The entire Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-4:5) are given to us for a reason (including passages like Rev. 19-20).  The Holy Spirit wastes no ink in the Holy Scriptures.  Do we really believe what we say we believe about the Bible?  Does our preaching, worship, and evangelism give evidence of this?

The future earthly reign of the Messiah was prophesied in the O.T.; anticipated in the Gospels and Acts, and finally comes to fruition in John’s inspired Revelation of greater things yet to come!

This new inspired vision of future things presents three interconnected scenes:

8 Advantages of Heart-Changing, Expository Preaching

A friend recently posted this helpful list that highlights 8 Advantages of Heart-Changing, Expository Preaching:

1.        Expository preaching does justice to the biblical material which makes it clear that God works through his word to change people’s lives.

2.       Expository preaching acknowledges that it is God alone, through the Spirit, who works in people’s lives. It is not our job to change people.

3.       Expository preaching minimizes the danger of manipulating people. The biblical text controls what we say and how we say it.

4.       Expository preaching minimizes the danger of abusive power. A sermon driven by the text creates an instant safeguard against using the Bible to bludgeon or caress.

True Preaching and Sanctified Sweat Go Hand in Hand (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:29)

I'm Just Not Getting Much Out Of Church: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

A pastor-friend recommended the following blog post.  It is a funny article that makes some helpful points along the way.  I am grateful that this is not the kind of interaction that I have with the good people that make up the core of Lake Country Bible Church.  But I certainly feel this author/pastors pain. This piece is worth your time because it is highlights a pretty common issue in the larger evangelical church. 

“I’m just not being fed,” s/he said. “This is not a very friendly church. No one really speaks to me. I am not the only one who feels this way. There are lots of people who are struggling. I’m just not sure that this is the right place for me. Why can’t we be more like 'Broadstreet Evangelical?' I really think that I would be better off there.”

“I am very sorry to hear that,” said the pastor. “Might I suggest a deal? I recommend that you go to Broadstreet Evangelical for six months, but on the following conditions:

· You must not arrive more than two minutes before any service begins. If possible, slip in just afterwards. You should leave as soon as it is over, or – ideally – just before it is properly finished.

· Please do not attend more than one service a week, certainly not more than once on any given day. When you are able, miss occasional days altogether.

· Please minimize all contact with others who attend the church. Avoid face-to-face communication at all costs, but – if possible – filter out any notes, cards, texts, emails, or any other such interaction. Cut right down on meaningful conversation.

· You should not go to anyone’s home, nor invite anyone to yours.

· Under no circumstances must you engage with the elders. Don’t call them or answer the phone if they call. If you can, wait until they are looking the other way or engaged with someone else before you leave. If necessary, find an alternative exit. Make all conversation as perfunctory as possible. Do not come to them for counsel, consult with them in difficulty, seek them out when distressed, or listen to their advice.

A Method to My (Expository) Madness: Pulpit Goals in 2017

Year in Review

For many months my faithful predecessor Sal Massa worked tirelessly through the sacred text of Revelation.  Unfortunately, he was unable to complete his verse-by-verse expository series of Scripture's final prophesy before his retirement in April of 2017.  In order to not leave the faithful flock at LCBC hanging- I decided to resume this expository series in Chapter 19, in large part, because the end of the story is the very best part!  Jesus always seems to save the best for last, doesn't he?!? (note John 2 and Rev. 20-22)  Before launching into Revelation ch. 19f the Spirit has directed my steps in some unexpected ways.  I believe this falls under the banner of Proverbs 19:21 and 16:9, Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.  The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Pulpit Goals and Year in Review:  I began my new ministry with a stand alone sermon on "Satan's Strategies Against Christ's Church" wherein I lovingly warned the good people of LCBC of a few of Satan's sinister schemes.  In short, the Evil One would love to divide LCBC into various factions- "I am of Massa," "I am of Kolstad" (1 Cor. 3), etc.  I reminded the flock that Word-driven pastors are nothing more than "stewards" and "servants of Jesus Christ."  Jesus is the Lord of the Church and His inerrant Word is the final authority. Satan would also love for us to drift away from our biblical mission (note carefully Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:28-29; Matt. 28:18-20) and to alter the depth and direction of the church.  

In view of this initial sermon, we spent a month pulling apart one of the most important passages in all of Scripture- Colossians 1:28-29.  This text reveals what a Biblical Philosophy of Ministry looks like.  These 4 core convictions are non-negotiable and much needed in an American context where "church growth theory" (subtly) dominates the evangelical landscape.  

The 4 components of a biblical philosophy of ministry are- 1) A Christ-centered emphasis;  2) A Teaching-focused church;  3) Leader's and members that are wholeheartedly committed to making mature disciples; (which goes against the trend of producing Heb. 5:12-14 pew fillers)  4) while maintaining the right balance; (i.e. maximum human effort yet total reliance on Him- v. 29).  A biblical philosophy of ministry helps the Lord's Church to stay on target (and to not get caught up in the latest fads- be it "social justice" causes, entrepreneurial methodology, etc).  Every congregation is prone to drift so this was a great passage to anchor my new ministry in.  

During my early months I also preached a summary message of Colossians, that was aptly titled, "HIM we Proclaim: The Sovereign Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ."  As my family moved from IL to WI I preached a stand alone sermon from Jude 22-23.  This passage charges every believer to "Rescue Souls as 'Ministers of Mercy.'"  

After finally getting my feet underneath me as the new Senior Pastor at LCBC we turned our attention again to the biblical study of prophesy/eschatology; (in effort to demonstrate 'pulpit continuity' between me and my predecessor).  I reminded the flock of God that the main character in the Bible (and Revelation) is the Lord Jesus Christ!  Eschatology is intended to fuel our worship and to encourage persecuted saints to persevere until the end!  As such, it was only appropriate for us to study verses 9-14 and to passionately proclaim "Worthy Is the Lamb That Was Slain."  

Next, I summarized Revelation 6-18 and the coming Tribulation in two sermons.  In this vein, I preached a message titled, "Christ Our Propitiation and the Future Wrath of God" (Rev. 6-18/1 John 4:10) and another called, "Angels We Have Heard on High Tribulation Remix" (Rev. 14:6-11).

In August I preached a few overview sermons of Revelation knowing that the larger Body of Christ is quite divided over the finer intricacies of eschatology/prophesy; (all believers agree in the 2nd Coming of Christ and long for heaven).  I called these macro messages "Revelation Pop Quiz" parts 1 and 2.  I preached these sermons to ensure that everyone was on the same page before launching into the depths of Revelation 19-22.  

This brief review brings us full circle to a final foundational series that I started back in September 2017.  Before resuming the action in Revelation 19, which highlights "the Return of the King," I hoped to accomplish two things.  1) I desired to make an airtight (biblical) case for futuristic premillenialism (which is the doctrinal position of LCBC).  2) I also wanted to show the practical and theological benefits of studying prophetic Scripture.  Prophesy charts pundits need to be reminded of this.

I stated that the Biblical Case for Futuristic Premillennialism is supported by Seven Lines of Reason:

It's- 1) The Fruit of a Consistent “Hermeneutic.”

“Hermeneutics” is 'the study of the principles and methods of interpreting the text of the
Bible as to ascertain the original intent of the Divine/human authors of Scripture.'  

Note my sermon on 2 Timothy 2:15 and our message on the "3 Key Words of Biblical Prophesy." 

2) The Unconditional Promises in the Biblical Covenants.

Per my messages on the great Abrahamic Covenant (here and here) and the regal Davidic Covenant (here, here, here and here).  Our study of Luke 1 will eventually highlight the promises of the New Covenant (note Jer 31).

3) The Hope of the Old Testament Saints and Prophets.

Per my exposition of Hosea 3.  

4) The End Times Teachings of Jesus Christ

See the Revelation of Jesus Christ as unveiled in the book of Revelation (note also passages such as Matthew 23:37-39; 24-25).

5) The Progressive Revelation of the New Testament.

Note my recent expositions Luke 1.

6) The Unified Testimony of the Early Church.

Forthcoming Sunday School lesson.

7) The Invisible Hand of Divine Providence (throughout the ages).

Forthcoming Sunday School lesson.

_____________________________________________________

In recent weeks we have gone, line-upon-line, through the opening chapter of Luke's gospel.  I felt compelled to do this for two simple reasons:  I) Because the "Song of Mary" and "the Prophesy of Zacharias" are rooted in the Old Testament covenants and look ahead to what John reveals in Revelation 19-22.  2) Because providentially we moved into the month of December.  Experience has taught me that American Evangelicals enjoy "Advent" themed sermons around Christmas time.  Luke 1 is a timeless treasure trove of truth related to the birth of the long awaited Messiah and the Savior of the world.  Plus, the Messianic titles, "Son of Abraham," "Son of David," connect the New Testament with the Old (and further demonstrates the relevance of our series on the grand covenants of Scripture). I felt staying in Luke 1 was a win/win situation.

In God's good timing we will eventually dive headfirst into the text of Revelation 19 and work through the conclusion of this great prophesy, verse-by-verse.  Until then, buckle your seat belts and enjoy the journey!