Lecture Notes

Learning from Questions and Experiences

• Learn from audience questions at conferences
• Learn about different denominations, churches, and regions through interactions

Indicative vs. Imperative

• Indicative: Explaining the state of things
• Imperative: Commands or calls to action
• Pendulum swing in church history: reaction against manipulative practices
• Shift too far from manipulative practices, resulting in lack of direct calls to action

Preaching the Gospel

• Importance of making a clear and direct call for commitment to Christ
• Analogy: Courting a girl but not asking her to marry
• Need to open mouth and call for a response
• Use means and preaching to connect truth to listeners' lives
• John Stott’s "Between Two Worlds": Balancing ancient and contemporary contexts
• Preaching should bridge ancient truths to contemporary listeners

Personal Appeal in Preaching

• Great preaching: moves from "we" to "you"
• Importance of making the message personal and direct
• Historical examples: Calvin's first person plural, but urging to move to second person singular
• Daniel Webster: Preaching should have a personal application

Importance of Christ-Centered Preaching

• Preach the Gospel in every sermon
• Paul's example: Christ and Him crucified
• Spurgeon: Every text leads to Christ
• Use the full counsel of God, analogy of scripture
• Example: Preaching on 1 Corinthians 13

Avoiding Manipulative Practices

• Avoid decisional regeneration (manipulating for decisions without true conversion)
• Call for genuine decisions for Christ, exercising will
• Persuasion without manipulation
• Example: Preaching on the new birth, extending a heartfelt invitation

Books and Resources in Preaching

• Study and use books, commentaries, and resources
• Access to historical background, etymology, culture, grammar, syntax
• Importance of using tools to bridge the ancient and contemporary worlds
• MacArthur’s preaching: Making listeners feel present in the biblical scenes

Practical Preaching Tips

• Focus on one sermon at a time, but know how to manage multiple tasks
• Xeroxing materials for convenience and thorough study
• Use of visual aids and multiple resources simultaneously
• Organize study process to maximize efficiency and effectiveness