Preaching and Teaching From the Minor Prophets John

Preaching and Teaching From the Minor Prophets © John Stevenson, 2010

Expository Preaching The communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his hearers. (Robinson, Biblical Preaching, 20).

Expository Preaching • Governed by the thoughts and purpose of the original authors. • Applied first to the life of the preacher. • Truth is then applied to the lives of the hearers.

Advantages of Expository Preaching • Places the Scriptures in a pre-eminent position. • Helps the preacher to avoid majoring in the minors. • Directs the congregation back to the Bible.

Contemporary Preacher Language Geography Contemporary Congregation Customs Culture World View Original Author Original Readers

Spanning the Gap The Ancient Text Origen’s Allegorical Method Contemporary Congregation

Spanning the Gap The Ancient Text Moralizing Contemporary Congregation

Spanning the Gap So What? The Ancient Text Teaching in Ancient Culture, Language, Customs, Geography, World Views Contemporary Congregation

Spanning the Gap The Ancient Text Look for relevant similarities Contemporary Congregation

Spanning the Gap The Old Testament Text How did the New Testament writers span the gap to their Old Testament Counterparts? The New Testament Authors

Spanning the Gap The Old Testament Text The New Testament Authors

What approaches did you take in your Sermon/Bible Study Assignment?

“A sermon should be a bullet and not buckshot” (Robinson, Biblical Preaching, 33).

Each book of the Bible contains a Big Idea Tie the supporting idea back to the Big Idea The various Sections of the Book contain supporting ideas Expositional preaching presents one of those supporting ideas

A Study in Contrasts Christ-Centered Preaching Man-Centered Preaching Sees Christ as the main character Focuses upon the main storyline of the Bible Cultivates a habit of looking at life from God’s perspective Glorifies God Grace focused Faith-based Elevates the role of people Gets sidetracked on isolated points Operates on the same man -centered perspective that the world uses Glorifies Man Works focused Performance-based

Don’t stretch the Scriptures to make a point that isn’t there Let your big ideas come from the big ideas of the Bible

“Modern communications theorists agree that our brave new world hears in megabytes of reason. A thirty-minute sermon divided into three ten minute points is not as effective as a thirtyminute sermon divided into ten three-minute points. ”

“Most people hear stories better than they hear megabytes of truth framed in point-driven logic. Perhaps this is why Jesus used them so often. ”

• Preaching the Law as the Need for the Gospel • Preaching God’s Sovereignty as the Strength of the Gospel • Preaching Grace and Love as the Source of the Gospel • Preaching Hope as the Promise of the Gospel

• Preaching Judgment as the Warning of the Gospel • Preaching Prophetic Fulfillment as the Victory of the Gospel • Preaching Sanctification as the Outworking of the Gospel

Tim Keller’s Model Here is what the passage says Here is how you ought to live on the basis of what it says You have failed to live up to that standard Christ lived up to that standard in your place