Preaching Christ in Every Sermon

This isn't a new resource, but it's one I recently discovered thanks to a friend in our congregation. Tim Keller and Ed Clowney co-taught a course (or series of seminars) at Reformed Theological Seminary called, "Preaching Christ in a Post-Modern Age" several years ago. It's available-- completely free!-- on iTunesU HERE.

This morning, I listened to the 20-minute introduction to the course and was hooked! (And inspired to preach!) Here's a short synopsis of the introduction and premise for the course:

Keller, who gives the introduction, suggests that there are at least three popular approaches to preaching:

1. Doctrinal
This is more of a lecture, of sorts, based on a "systematic theology" approach to the Bible. Create the categories and pour the content of Scripture into these air-tight compartments. The problem, of couse, is that it is not true to life, and does not necessarily inspire worship. 

2. Practical
These are the "how-to" sermons focused only on "life issues"-- budgets, managing stress, raising kids, being productive, etc. These sermons are designed to be instructive and helpful, but can give people the false impression that if we only tried harder or had the correct tools, we could become better ________ (fill in the blank). The Gospel tells us that any journey that does not begin and end with Christ is bound to fail and fall short.

3. Devotional
These sermons are aimed at inspiring people with stories. Often light on Biblical exegesis and choc full of stories, this approach is justified as being "narrative preaching." The trouble is it leaves the two biggest pieces out of the Story: our crisis of sin and fallenness and the glory of Christ's redemption and grace. People may leave feeling moved, but without a center that will sustain them through life. 

While each of these approaches has merit, to make any one the sole way to preach will result in severe deficiencies, Keller says. Rather, when we make preaching Christ the goal, each sermon may contain a doctrinal aspect and a practical aspect, and certainly a devotional aspect.

So, what does it mean to preach Christ? Keller and Clowney sum it up in this two-fold charge:

1. Show how every Biblical text points to Christ.
Without stretching stories to be allegories or ignoring authorial intent, a preacher must set each text within its larger context of the Story of Scripture. Show how all of Scripture culminates in Christ, and locate your text within that narrative. This is what Keller calls a "redemptive-historical" approach: one that shows the Bible as redemptive history, whose final chapter is yet to come, and yet has already culminated in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. 

2. Show how every human hope/longing/problem comes to resolution and fulfillment in Christ.
The art here is in being in touch with the deeper inner realities of human life. We need to see beyond surface problems to deep, broken places. This will mean pointing to the root problem of sin. It will mean awakening the great longing for Joy.  

Keller says that the goal of preaching is to inspire worship "on the spot" because Jesus has been revealed! While each text may shine a different light on who Christ is and how He is redeeming the world, every sermon can and should reveal Christ in such a way that people are inspired to worship-- with repentant and grateful hearts. As a worship leader-turned preacher, I find this to be a beautiful goal.

May the Lord give all who preach the Word the grace to do so faithfully, so that Christ may-- in the words of the old Anglican Epiphany prayer-- be "known, worshipped, and obeyed."

Comments

[Annette]

Very interesting. I'm reading "The Creedal Imperative" by Carl R. Trueman and your blog reminded me of something in it. He addresses the practical approach to teaching/preaching this way, "(Pragmatic)Christianity is all about what it can do for you in the here and now (He addresses the abundance of Christian books about diet, financial planning, etc.)...in such a culture, it is not surprising that creeds & confessions do not appear particularly useful....Further, while I cannot claim comprehensive knowledge of every confessional document written during the Reformation, none, as far as I know offer the reader a personal trainer, a wonderful health experience, financial properity, or a cure of cancer. By the standards of the culture that has produced the Eden diet, one would have to say that the confessional heritage of the church is really rather useless...Ask yourself this: if my church put on a conference about how to have a great Christian marriage and fulfilled sex life, would more or fewer people attend than if we did one on the importance of the incarnation or the Trinity? The answer to that question allows an interesting comparison between the priorities of the church today and that of the fourth and fifth centuries."

[Gary]

Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.

Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

Don’t let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don’t let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don’t let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I’m God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what’s right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.

Father, it’s time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world.

He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.

Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

I am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

[Collin]

Love some Tim Keller!! Preaching Christ in every sermon is such an awesome aspiration for a pastor, something that I'm very thankful for in my church here in Tucson. It's disturbing to see the way we have slipped into "self-improvement" Christianity...but the cure is the Gospel! Thanks Glenn!