Is Expository preaching really a need?

Yesterday I read an article by Preaching magazine endorsing what the author called "topical exposition." In effect, he found verse by verse expositional preaching to be lacking in his own personal experience. Specifically he noted that such areas of doctrine as baptism, the Lord's supper, etc. need to be treated topically, or the congregation will suffer. His definition of topical exposition is, well, just topical preaching with a new name. Understand, I have no real problem with the occasional topical sermon, in fact I preach one every now and then myself (and then repent, immediately!). But a steady diet of topical messages will not develop a healthy church. Christians need to be exposed to the Word in its context. They need to understand the apostle's argument in the epistles as he moves from one paragraph to another. They need to grasp the larger themes of the NT books and how each paragraph and sentence fits into those themes.

Much of the superficiality and ineffectiveness of the modern (or postmodern if you wish) church can be blamed on the weak topical talks that pass for preaching. Most pastors justify this approach by claiming they are meeting the felt needs of the people. That if we can meet those needs then we can bring them to faith in Christ. I commend any effort to bring lost people to Christ. It's just that preaching to felt needs is to miss the mark. People who are lost, and even carnal Christians, have a convoluted understanding of what their needs truly are. They think their problems lie in their marriages, their jobs, their finances, or whatever; but in reality what they need is repentance and forgiveness. Preaching the Word of God in its context, line by line and verse by verse exposes our real problems and dispenses real help from the Gospel. Much of the amateur psychology that passes for preaching today is like putting a bandaide on a gunshot wound. It just doesn't help.

I hope that pastors will reclaim our grand duty to preach the Word. This involves a tremendous amount of hard work, prayer, and personal holiness; but it is the hope of the Word.

Influencing the Future

About 6 months ago God called home Dr. Dana Mathewson. Dana was without a doubt one of the most profound influences of my life. Dana was a man who loved God passionately. He was man of integrity, honor and joy. Everytime I talked with Dana I spent half of the conversation laughing. And you know what, that was exactly what I needed. The kingdom of God needs a lot more men like Dana. Men who take the time to influence younger men, guide them in ministry and their relationship to the Lord.
Dana now resides in glory. I cannot begin to imagine the joy and the fellowship he experiences with Christ right now. Just thinking of it makes me long for the serious pleasures of heaven. And to think that my friend is there, now - well - Wow! That's all I know to say. Dana's presence in glory adds another voice to the great cloud of witnesses that spurs me on to be faithful to Christ.
I also know that God is sovereign and put Dana Mathewson in my life at just the time he did for a reason. Dana influenced the future through me and many other young men just like me.
Isn't that what Paul meant when he commanded Timothy to pass along the faith to others who would be faithful to do the same. Dana's life and example challenges me to impact the future by influencing others. Some of you should do the same. First Swartz needs leadership, across the board we need leadership. Why not contribute to the solution of this problem by mentoring a young Christian? You never know what God can do with someone like you!

A FULL QUIVER!

Here are few more Pictures of Steven Austin Wimberly, the six million dollar baby! Next is Daniel (13) and Steven, and finally, Seth, Leah Carrie, and Steven.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they will not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

The Blessing of God's Providence

Sorry that I have not posted in a few weeks. Gina and I are trying to get a handle on having eight children. I honestly never imagined that I would be father to eight kids. God is always jumping into life and changing my plans. Thank God for that! I mean I have great kids, a great wife, a great church to minister in, a great life. And believe me, I cannot take credit. God has given me all that I have.

This morning I read Ps. 31:15 "My times are in your hand" God is providentially in control of every moment of my existence. Nothing catches Him by surprise. Nothing causes Him to wring his hands or mumble, "What to do, what to do!" I thank God that all the seasons and moments of my days are in His sovereign control. No chance occurrences. No coincidences. Everything, the good and the bad comes from his righteous hand.

This kind of thinking gives a person's life real meaning and direction. God's providence is the reason Paul exhorts us to "be anxious about nothing." After all, God is in control - so why worry? This doesn't mean that my decisions and will have no real significance. They do. But God is God and that is a blessing to me!

Spiritual Warfare

My next series of messages will be "The Invisible War." For six weeks we will take a close look at what the Bible teaches about spiritual conflict. Most of our study will center around the sixth chapter of Ephesians, but we will use several other passages to give us some light on this difficult topic.

People tend to go one of two ways with this topic. They go overboard, or they ignore it. Both are wrong. Our purpose will be to find the clear teaching of Scripture on this matter. Here's my projected sermon titles and a few books I have found helpful.

The invisible war sermon series

Soldiers of the Cross
Dressed for Battle
Battlefield: the mind
Exercising Kingdom Authority
Standing firm in prayer
Fighting for your family


Books
When the Enemy strikes - Charles Stanley
Kingdom Authority - Adrian Rodgers
The Invisible War - Chuck Ingram
Spiritual warfare in a believers life - Charles Spurgeon
Commentary on Ephesians - John McArthur

I've noticed quite a bit of spiritual resistance as I've studied and prayed for this sermon series. At times I've had trouble concentrating, the phone rings at inopportune times, people distract me, there are truths in these messages that Satan does not want to get out!

Steven Austin Wimberly








The two or three of you out there who actually waste your time reading this blog might have noticed that I have not posted lately . . . well here's why.

Steven Austin Wimberly was born Feb. 7. He weighed 7.7 pounds and was 20 inches long. In case your wondering, he is the eighth wimberlite!Of course, you need a few more pictures of the family, then - back to the business!

Bald is beautiful baby!

Here's the rest of the kids before Steven A. burst onto th scene. (the cat and I have an agreement, she doesn't bother me, I don't step on her head!)

BLUE LIKE JAZZ

A few months back I picked up Blue Like Jazz at the Christian book store. The book has been taking college campuses by storm. In fact, the young lady working the register said that all her friends at the university had read it, and that she fully intended to. To be honest, I wish I could go back and tell her not to waste her time.

Blue like Jazz was a total let down. Donald Miller seems to have a hard time understanding the concept of biblical holiness. Was it sinful for him to get drunk and smoke pot while leading a church youth group? He never admits that it was. Was it sinful to drink and curse at your roommates while playing video games? Apparently not. Donald Miller's Christianity is way cool, too cool for the Bible if you ask me.

What ever happened to taking up one's cross and following Christ? What about the Biblical admonitions to speak only that which is good and helpful to your brother? Being a Christian is and has always has been countercultural. Jesus was not and is not "cool." I agree with Shane Walker of 9 marks ministries, "The only antidote seems to be twofold. The first is to reintroduce young Christians to the biblical Jesus: the person who died an agonizing death for their sins, who will tread the winepress of the wrath of God, and who listens to their prayers. The second is to begin the battle against the cool. The godly must begin to prove in the pulpit, in writing, and in their lives that Christianity is the deadly enemy of the cool. And the cool is the Western postmodern entertainment driven culture that has tutored our children and ourselves for the last fifty years."

Brokebake Mountain, Pt 2

I hope you will take a minute to read Casey's Tripp's rather eloquent rantings in the comments section. What do you think a Christian response to such movies should be? How do we as Christians fight this culture war? Let me know what you think.

Collin

Brokeback Mountain, Pt 2

I hope you will take a minute to read Casey's Tripp's rather eloquent rantings in the comments section. What do you think a Christian response to such movies should be? How do we as Christians fight this culture war? Let me know what you think.

Collin

Brokeback Mountain

I have to admit that I have not seen this movie, nor do I ever intend to. I have read editorials and commentaries from every point of view of possible, and what I have found is disturbing. Film makers are doing their best to disguise this movie as a epic romance. The reality? Brokeback mountain is just another attempt by the radical left to mainstream their favorite perversion. The homosexual community hopes this movies will gain public support for their cause, possibly influencing future legislation aimed at granting minority status to gays and lesbians. Brokeback mountain is just another propaganda piece in the ongoing culture war that eats at our nations soul.

How should we as Christians respond? Most should not see the movie. The R rating is for graphic language, nudity, and sex scenes. We can should speak about our Scriptural convictions. We must pray for our nation and for those trapped in a lifestyle of homosexuality. Above all, we must put on love, which is the perfect bond of peace. Harsh judgmentalism is never the answer. We must stand for the truth, but do so with humility and compassion. I like the way Phil Boatwright states this in his Baptist Press article: "Scriptures say homosexuality is an abomination (Romans 1:26, 1 Corinthians 6:9). But we must guard against false superiority. Upon reexamination of those verses, it becomes apparent homosexuality is not all that's abhorrent to the Heavenly Father. In fact, we are all blameworthy of some infraction. However, those developing a spiritual awareness soon find themselves ashamed of the natural man's disobedience to God. We don't parade our peccadilloes. We are not proud of our transgressions, nor do we try to convince society to accept them. With God's help we will conquer these faults. With His mercy, we will be forgiven."

Elvis impersonators, preachers, and teachers of the Gospel

I have to admit, Elvis impersonators really get on my nerves. Admittedly, many of them do what they do to honor the king. After all, imitation is supposed to be the highest form of flattery isn't it? To me, most of them just come off as cheesy and clumsy imitations of the real thing. They lack authenticity. They lack substance.

Isn't it easy for preachers and teachers of the Gospel to fall into the same trap? Preaching and teaching that lacks heart and authenticity will never impress or impact a lost world. Our message has to grow out of a heart that is devoted to Christ. Personal disciplines such as prayer, bible study, and meditation are the catalysts for authentic teaching. As God changes our heart and transforms us more and more into the image of Christ, our message and ministry deepens and matures. In fact, the most powerful aspect of any sermon or teaching session isn't necessarily what is being said, but the holiness and devotion of the speaker.

I like what Paul writes in I Thessalonians 2:10, "Vs. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe."

Paul was a man of integrity. No Elvis impersonater preacher, he was real. Authentic. The genuine article. My prayer is that my ministry and the ministry of our Church would model Paul's ministry of simple devotion to Christ. I think the world will sit up and listen to the real thing.

Dr. Collin Wimberly

Books for God Seekers

Sunday's sermon is on seeking after God. My prayer is that our congregation would hunger and thirst to know God. My desire as a husband, father and pastor is that first and foremost people know me as a God-seeker.

Over the years several books have been a great help to me in my pursuit of God.

The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney
Desiring God, John Piper (any book by Piper is a good book!)
The Wonderful Spirit-filled Life, Charles Stanley
Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
The Holiness of God, RC Sproul
Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire , Jim Cymbala
Prayer-Finding the heart's true home - Richard J. Foster

I hope that these books can be a blessing to you. They have been to me.

Romans 12:3

Here is today's question. This grows out of Sunday's Bible study lesson. "In Romans 12:3,"God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith". Does he give different measures of faith to different people and why? Does that measure change as we need it ? Does it grow as our faith and trust grow? "

First, we need to define what is meant by a measure of faith. Paul is not referring to saving faith. Believers have already exercised that faith by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior. He could possibly be referring to faith in the sense of trust and reliance upon God. However, it seems clear that Paul is referring to spiritual gifts and their operation within the body of Christ. Every believer has been given a spiritual gift and is required to use that gift within the context of a local church. Each person's giftedness is unique. Our gift mix is like a spiritual fingerprint or DNA sample, No two are exactly alike. Paul's main application in this passage is to admonish us to be humble. There is no room for arrogance because of great gifts or discouragement because of more common ones. We are what we are by the grace of God. Each of us has a vital role to play in the advance of God's kingdom.

Do our gifts change? I think that as we grow and mature in our faith, our gifts become more evident. This was definitely true in my life. As a minister of music I did not utilize my gifts of teaching and preaching as I do now. But as I grew, it became apparent that my abilities and my passion were in the studying and preaching of God's Word. My gifts didn't really change, they just came to light with maturity.

This brings us to an important point. We must offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him, before we can know and utilize our spiritual gifts. As we surrender ourselves to God it becomes more and more natural to serve Him in certain areas, and in certain ways. This is a pretty good way to find our giftedness. Be right with God and do what you love to do for His glory.

Quite a few people have come to me lately wanting the name of a good systematic theology text. They requested a book that was readable, affordable, and doctrinally sound. I do have a few suggestions.

J.I. Packer. God's Words. Studies in Key Bible Themes. Baker Book House, 1981.
God's Words is a study of 17 key bible themes. This books is written for the layperson. Packer is one of the pre-eminent theologians of our day. His works are always well-written and grounded in reformed theology. My favorite chapter is on the mortification of sin. I have never read anyone else write so well on this subject.

Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology. Moody Press, 1999.
Basic Theology is a good introduction to systematic theology that is both concise and affordable. Section I, Prolegomena is almost worth the price of the book. He is at times too dispensational for me, and I strongly disagree with his contention that repentance is not necessary for salvation. However, the book is a good overview of systematic theology.

Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology. Zondervan Publishing house, 1994.
This is my favorite. I use this book more in sermon preparation than any other systematic. Gurdem is conservative, reformed, and baptistic (all of which are close to my heart). His book is easy to read but still fairly comprehensive. The end of each chapter includes a bibliography, a list of other helpful works, scripture to memorize, and a hymn or praise song that emphasizes the doctrines covered in that chapter. This is a must have book.

Millard Erickson. Christian Theology. Baker Book House.
Christian theology is one of the best baptistic, and calvinistic theologies available today. Erickson presents several different sides to many theological issues, and then provides possible solutions. I also enjoy his sections on the implications of various doctrines. He is the most technical of all the suggested books, but well worth the time.

I've been thinking about having a blog for quite some time, in fact I really am excited about it. I don't expect a lot of people to read it, but it will give me a forum to write and express my ideas. Even if I'm the only one reading it. (Well, my wife probalby will, at least every once in a while.)

I don't want this to be just another online personal diary. Rather, I would like to discuss what God is teaching me from His Word, to express my vision for FBC Swartz, and to wrangle with interesting theological propostions and explore how they impact our lives.