I have begun reading The Elder by Cornelis Van Dam (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2009). It is 283 pgs including the index. It is one of five (more to come) volumes in the Explorations in Biblical Theology series.

My professor, mentor, and friend, Robert A. Peterson, is the editor of the series, and I am thankful that he gave the book to me. I am sure that I will make some more comments about the book after I complete it, but I am excited about how the book will strengthen my walk with the Lord and service to his church.

Also, if the book is as I expect it to be, then I will use it for elder training in the future. The book covers the OT and the NT teaching about the biblical office of elder. It comes with study questions (243-251) and an excellent bibliography for further reading about the office (253-255). Please check back soon for my evaluation of the book.

Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice

Natalie purchased a copy of Bryan Chapell's new book, Christ-Centered Preaching: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, from the Covenant Seminary Bookstore yesterday. I have only read a couple of pages so far, but I am extremely excited about this book.

I would recommend that all Reformed pastors purchase a copy and begin reading today. The book asserts that the gospel should shape the practice of corporate, public worship.

In addition to this book, Reformed pastors should also be sure to own a copy of The Directory for Publick Worship (1645) and Robert Rayburn's O Come, Let Us Worship (1980). There are certainly other titles on Reformed worship, but this is a good place to begin.

Preach the Word - Part III - The Context of Preaching

Second, Paul paints a picture of the CONTEXT of preaching in verse 1: "I 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..." In painting this picture for us Paul places preaching with the eternal context of Christ, his Second Coming, the final judgment, and the kingdom to come. Today, if you were to ask a seminarian about the context of preaching, he (or she!) would surely respond with comments about preaching to a postmodern culture and how the preacher needs to adapt his message for postmodern ears (narrative preaching, etc.). The student would speak ad nauseam about this need for "contextualization," and there is no doubt that there would be some helpful tips to learn from him. After all, even the Apostle Paul "contextualized" his message for a pagan audience at Mars Hill (Acts 17:22ff.). Even though this sort of "contextualization" has its place within our understanding of preaching, it is instructive that Paul provides no primer on "cultural contextualization" for Timothy. Instead of making the temporal context the focus of the preaching imperative, Paul makes the eternal context the driving force behind the command to preach the word. John Piper came to Covenant Seminary some time ago (before I was a student), and he delivered a couple of messages about preaching for the seminary. I have listened to these "lectures" (of course, they are really sermons, not lectures), and my favorite is the message entitled, "Preaching in the Presence of God." Piper addresses the context of preaching in this message, and he emphasizes the fact that the charge to preach and the act of preaching both occur within the presence of the risen Christ who will return and judge the living and the dead. So then, when we, preachers, enter the pulpit, we should be aware of this stunning reality. We should endeavor to picture Jesus Christ enthroned and exalted. We should emply our sanctified imagination in order to see him on his throne. We should think about men, women, and children from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation standing before him and giving an account for every word, thought, and deed. This should sober us. It should provoke a holy tremble in our hearts and perhaps in even in our speech and demeanor. We cannot be trivial in the pulpit or cute or clever when eternity is at stake. Moreover, the sermon becomes much more than a speech, and the preacher becomes much more than a public speaker. In a very real sense, the sermon becomes the message from the mouth of the cosmic judge, Jesus Christ, through his messenger, the preacher. Likewise, the preacher becomes the man who stands in the presence of this Jesus and seeks to bring him and this eternal reality to bear upon the hearts of his people. He seeks to unveil this reality by means of expounding the written word (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). Thus the context of preaching is the eternal reality of Jesus Christ, his Second Coming, and the final judgment, and this context should shape both the sermon and the preacher.

The Big Picture

I preached a sermon this morning from Colossians 1:15-20 that I entitled "The Big Picture." The central assertion of the sermon is that the confession "Jesus is Lord of all" is the big picture of life. Some people call "the big picture" a worldview or a comprehensive paradigm. It is a framework for understanding all of reality. I presented my sermon in four sections: 1. The Subject of the Big Picture (Jesus is Lord of Creation and the Church), 2. The Scope of the Big Picture (Jesus is Lord of all - the word "all" appears seven times in six verses), 3. The Story of the Big Picture (The big picture of life is a story of salvation: Creation - Fall - Redemption - Consummation), and 4. The Significance of the Big Picture (Since Jesus is Lord of all, we must bring his lordship to bear on every area of life). After preaching this sermon, I prayed that God would continue to perform the work of the Word in the hearts of his people. This has become a habitual post-sermon prayer for me. More specifically, I pray that God will enable his people at Sutter Church to see that Jesus is indeed Lord of all, and that this big picture provides context, meaning, significance, and purpose to every detail of life. Moreover, it answers the fundamental questions of our existence. Where do I come from? Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with me and the world? Is there a solution? Is there any hope for me and the human race? What does the future hold? I am honored to have the opportunity to preach at Sutter Church, and I pray for the Holy Spirit to use my sermons to glorify God and edify his people.

Preach the Word - Part II - The Charge of Preaching

First of all, let us notice the CHARGE of preaching in verses 1-2. Paul says, "I charge you...preach the word."

Preaching is a charge. It is a command. The first person verb in verse 1 ("I charge you...") is the Greek word diamarturomai. It is a powerful word. It refers to a solemn charge that is attached to a binding duty. The verb indicates that preaching is a command of God.

Also, note that the verb in verse 2 ("preach") is in the imperative mood, which means that it is a command, a charge. This imperative verb is from the Greek word kerusso, which means to proclaim or to herald.

So then, here is Paul's meaning. He is solemnly charging Timothy to proclaim the Word of God. In other words, preaching is not an option for the Christian. It is a command. In fact, it is the command of God for the gospel minister.

Sometimes, "Christian" writers and speakers will say something clever like this, "Our message never changes, but our method changes." In some ways, this sounds extremely wise, and in some ways, this is true.

If, for example, "methods" include the style of music, then it would be true that the style of music may change, even though the message must remain the same. However, if "methods" include the act of preaching, then this would be a perversion of Scripture. For the Scriptures prescribe the method for the minister to communicate God's truth. The method for the message is preaching.

Furthermore, according to the Bible, preaching is the method that is best accommodated for the message of the gospel. Thus, the phrase "preach the word" is a charge. If we do not begin here, then nothing else will make sense to the reader. This is a foundational teaching of Scripture.

Preach the Word - Part I - Introduction

"Preach the Word" (2 Timothy 4:2). No imperative is more important for the minister of the gospel. No command is more grave. No exhortation is more sobering. At the end of his life, Paul writes to Timothy from a Roman prison. As the Apostle dictates his letter to an amanuensis, he contemplates his inevitible execution, pauses, collects his thoughts, and relates them through the scribe for young Timothy, who will receive the words in Ephesus: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come" (2 Timothy 4:6). Paul is aware that he is about to die. He is conscious about the fact that he is about to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one God has appointed to judge the living and the dead. And what does Paul say to Timothy, this young pastor, as Paul awaits his sure and certain death and considers his life in light of eternity? Paul simply says, "Timothy, preach the Word." Remarkable. It is beyond an indictment of the modern church growth strategies and the postmodern assault on the proclamation of the Word. It is a bell that rings from Mt. Zion and echoes throughout the history of the church: Preach the Word. Some pastors have heard the bell, and so they preach. But many have become dull to the Word of God and its commandment to proclaim the truth of God. Some pastors have hardened their hearts to Paul's clarion call to preach the Word. If we study 2 Timothy 4:1-5, we will discovery the importance of this solemn imperative of preaching. Although a pastor-teacher has many responsibilities, this is paramount. This sacred command must never be overlooked or underappreciated by the servant of God. It must continually ring into the minds and hearts of those who have been duly called of God to stand in the pulpit and proclaim the Word of God, which is able to make sinners wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is for these reasons--and there are many more reasons--that we enter into a humble exposition of this passage of Holy Scripture. We should pray for the illumination of the Spirit as we seek to understand the Scripture he inspired. So then, having provided these words of introduction, let us enter our subject with reverence.

Thank You, William Tyndale

William Tyndale was an English Reformer, Bible translator, and Christian martyr. In the words of John Foxe, Tyndale was "a true servant of God" and "a faithful minister of Christ." He was born about the borders of Wales, and he was raised in the University of Oxford. From the University of Oxford Tyndale then moved to the University of Cambridge, and he increased in his knowledge of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although Tyndale was a servant of Christ, he was a menace to the Roman Catholic Church, and he was a thorn in the side of the papacy. How did Tyndale become this English Reformer, Bible translator, and Christian martyr? The answer is simple. It was his love for the written Word of God. This may be surprising in a church culture where many Christians refuse to bring their Bibles to church. This may be astonishing in a church culture where many Christians do not read, study, and meditate upon Scripture on a daily basis. However, this was true for William Tyndale, and by the grace of God I want this to be true in my life. I was to develop an increasing love for the written Word of God so that I am willing to die for its preservation and propagation. What happened to William Tyndale? He was burned at the stake. What was his crime? He wanted to translate the Bible into the English language. Why did this frighten the Roman Catholic Church? For one reason: if ordinary people could read the Bible for themselves, then they would soon discover that there was no biblical support for the papacy or sacramentalism (salvation by automatic ritual) or purgatory or sacred tradition or the veneration of saints and on and on it would go. If Christians had the written Word of God, then Rome would lose her power, and the gospel of the grace of God would triumph over the sacramentalism and superstition. How did Tyndale have the strength to stand for Christ even when he faced death? Well, again, the answer is simple. Tyndale had a vision. He said that he looked forward to the day when "the boy that driveth the plough will know more of Scripture than the pope himself." Praise God!