Here’s the last four of Dr Geoff Grogan’s ‘Important Principles’ as shared with the preachers workshop last Saturday.  You can download the mp3 for this session, as well as  the other material from the workshops here

9. Normally let the passage shape the sermon thematically
a. Do not impose an alien structure on it: e.g. a scheme of church history on Revelation 2-3.
b. Do not let a non-Biblical illustration take over from the passage as the controlling idea.
c. You may well believe that Hebrews 6:1-12 does not mean a Christian may lose his/her salvation, but your main concern should be to show what the passage does mean.

d. Allow subversive passages to be effectively subversive - e.g. Isaiah 5:1-7; Luke 10:25-37.

10. Aim to be simple without being simplistic
a. The deeper you study, the more likely you are to achieve simplicity
Assume that deep truth can be explained simply, so long as the preacher understands it!
b. We live in a TV/tabloid culture, so Biblical pictures and Biblical stories communicate well; so seek ways of turning abstract into concrete (e.g. the picture language in Ephesians 1:3-14).

11. Seek to be sensitive to parallels and analogies
a. They are important in the Bible - e.g. typology is all about analogies between OT. persons, offices, events and institutions & Christ their Antitype - but be disciplined in this by the NT.   Also consider passages which present the same general theme as your chosen passage
b. They are important in applying a passage, for this is how Scripture impacts us today.

12. Prepare for the exposition in earlier parts of the service
a. In the Scripture reading - good reading is clear, well-paced, and interpretative, and this requires preparation. Poor reading mishandles God`s Word. David Garrick, the actor, said of many preachers in his day, “We present fiction as if it were fact; they present fact as if it were
fiction.” It has been truly said that, apart from arguing against the authority of Scripture, there is nothing worse than boring listeners with it. Sometimes a brief introduction to the reading, giving its literary or historical setting, can be helpful.
b. Use some hymns/Christian songs which employ the passage`s ideas and/or phraseology, and perhaps point this out occasionally if a hymn comes between the reading and the sermon.

As promised, here are Dr Geoff Grogan’s second  group of important principles related to expository preaching:

5. Make sure your selected passage is a thematic unity
a. The many merits and occasional demerits of Stephen Langton`s chapter divisions. (Langton was the Archbishop responsible for the present divisions in our English language Bibles)
For the latter, see e.g. Isaiah 52-53 and 2 Corinthians 6-7.
b. The virtue of psalm exposition, especially for beginners.

6. Study the selected passage in detail.

B. F. Westcott, a major 19th Century New Testament commentator and not totally committed
to a conservative evangelical position, nevertheless wrote, “It has been my main desire to call attention to the minutest points of language, construction, order, as serving to illustrate the meaning of St John. I do not venture to pronounce that any variation is trivial or unimportant. The exact words are for us the decisive expression of the Apostle’s thought…. I do not feel at liberty to set aside the letter of a document till it has been found to be untenable. Many writings, it is true, will not bear the consistent application of such a method of interpretation; but each day’s study brings home to me more forcibly the conviction that in no other way can we hope to gain the living truth of apostolic teaching. The verification of the method lies in the result.
1. If it discloses to patient investigation unsuspected harmonies and correspondences of thought;
2. if it suggests good reasons for holding that views of faith which seem to be conflicting are really complementary;
3. if it inspires with a vital power dogmatic statements which grow rigid by the necessities of controversy;
4. if it opens on this side and that subjects of study which await fuller investigation;
5. if it enables us to feel that the difficulties of our own time were not unnoticed by those who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, saw the Eternal;
6. if it brings a sense of rest and confidence which grows firmer with increasing knowledge;

then it seems to me that it needs no further justification.”
(The Epistles of John: Greek Text with Notes & Essays, Cambridge: MacMillan, 1892, v-vi)
(I have broken up his long sentence and numbered the points he makes)Study Genesis 22. See the comment on this passage. (Both are on another sheet)

7. Appreciate the immense importance of context
a. The literary context - Never interpret a passage at variance with its literary context, but always as illuminated by it. See the illumination secured by the context of each of the following passages : Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (51:9-11); Mark 8:27-33 (8:22-26 and 9:1-8), John 3 (2:23-25),
Romans 9:1-5 (8:35-39), 1 John 4:8, 16 (1:1-5).
The full context is always the whole Bible: Consider Satan`s crafty use of Psalm 91:11,12 in Matthew 4:5-7 (cf. Matt 3:23- 4:11, Ps 1, Deut 6-8, 29:29; 2 Tim 3:15-17, Gen 3). Note where Satan stopped: Ps 91:13 did not suit his purpose (”serpent”)!
b. The historical/cultural context: information both in and outside Scripture illuminates and helps avoid embarrassing blunders - e.g. parables (Prodigal Son, Pharisee and tax-collector).
c. The contemporary context - contemporary life and its ever-shifting horizons, modern/ postmodern outlooks, varied cultures in different countries, special needs of today, varied subcultures in our own society.
When should we relate positively to our culture and when negatively?

8. Always consider the purpose of the passage
Can usually be discerned from the context, either explicitly, or by considering emphasis, e.g.

a. no exposition of a psalm of worship is appropriate if it does not include a call to worship;
b. the purpose of Leviticus 11 is not to tell us what members of the animal kingdom existed in the ancient Near East, but to indicate the importance of obeying God`s commands about diet, although of course we interpret it now through Mark 7, especially v.19.

Last Saturday was the fourth of our ‘Preach the Word!’ seminars for practicing and would-be preachers and what a great day it was. As the months have gone by these workshops have become increasingly profitable in terms of both input and interaction and are exceeding our expectations in terms of worthwhileness.

Our Guest Expositor on Saturday morning was Dr Geoffrey Grogan who brought more than 50 years of ministry and teaching experience to bear on our time together. (More about Geoff Grogan here and here)   Although not as strong as he once was he was visibly energised as he preached and taught us and it was delight to learn from him. In the afternoon, I continued our step by step look at the the process of ‘Preparing to Preach’ and we emphasised the fact that ‘Every text has a Heart’ and the need to be diligent in looking for the central theme, the big idea or what I call the MTh (main theme) of every passage of Scripture.

The material from Saturday is now available online here.   I thought that over the next three days I would post here the 12 Important Principles for Expository Preaching that he shared with us.

1. Give quality time to an ever-deepening acquaintance with the text of Scripture.

Important for all Christians, indispensable for a preacher - for spiritual growth, for biblical theology, for godly wisdom.

Spurgeon said our blood must become Bibline.

2. Give thought to the importance and value of expository preaching.

For many reasons - e.g. authentic Christianity is biblical Christianity and all hearers (and preachers) need to face biblical truth in its practical implications. “There are two main streams emerging in the evangelical community, and this division may prove more fundamental in its long-term effects than any other. It is between those who make the Bible effectively, and not only theoretically, the mainstay of their ministry, and those who do not.” He then says that the former will produce strong realistic Christians while the latter “are almost certain to produce vulnerable Christians or painfully dependent people, who dare not move out from that particular congregation where they have been supported unless they can go somewhere else where they will be equally propped up.” (Oliver Barclay Evangelicalism in Britain 1935-1995: a personal sketch Leicester: IVP 1997)

3.  Prayerfully consider the people’s needs and depend on God in all your preparation.

You need to depend on him for both guidance and power in preaching the Word.

You may know the congregation well, but remember that God knows them fully

4.  Study examples of expository preaching in the Bible itself 

a. Notably in The Epistle to the Hebrews, S J Kistemaker has shown that the main argument of the epistle is carried by the exposition of four Psalms - 8, 95, 110, 40

b. See also John 6 (Numbers 11vv4-9) and 2 Corinthians 3V7 - 4v12 (Exodus 34vv27-35), both interpreted and applied in terms of Christ.

Life has been especially busy recently with sermon and lecture preparation, and preaching and teaching . It’s clear that I’m not going to be able to maintain blogging at the same rate I have for the past year or so. However, I’ll do what I can.

Today I want to highlight two events, the second of which I will write a separate post about.

Next Saturday, December 8th , is the fourth ‘Preach the Word‘ seminar at Harper memorial Baptist Church, Glasgow. In the morning our Guest Expositor will be Dr Geoffrey Grogan, Principal Emeritus of International Christian College, Glasgow and my former Principal. This is definitely one not to be missed.

In the afternoon I will be continuing our series in ‘Preparing to Preach’ and we will be looking at how we discover the heart of the text from which we are going to preach.

Downloads of last month’s seminar, when Dr Sandy Roger, Principal of the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh was our Guest Expositor are available here. Sandy’s theme was evangelistic preaching and it was really helpful material.

Last Saturday was the third of our ‘Preach the Word’ seminars in Glasgow and a very profitable time it as. It’s good to see how, as relationships srengthen and confidences deepen there is more interaction, sharing of thoughts and ideas and a general sense of mutual encourgement and learning together.

Our guest expositor for the day was my colleague, Sandy Roger, Principal of the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh. He gave two really helpful presentations based on Acts 17, encouraging us to make sure that we communicate God’s truth in a way that is relevant to and understandable by our contemporary hearers. In the afternoon, I developed the ‘Preparing to Preach’ theme, and we looked at how to discover the structure of the text we are going to preach on and the importance of doing so.

Most of the material from Saturday is available on-line here. Due to some technical problems on the day one of the mp3 s is not available and the other two will be posted in a couple of days.

The next seminar will be on Saturday 8th December when our guest expositor will be Dr Geoffrey Grogan. More details on the Preachers’ Workshops website.

I am  delighted that the first contribution to my new series on the training up and encouraging of new preachers (see introductory post) comes from Dr Geoffrey Grogan, my former Principal at the BTI in Glasgow. (see Dr Grogan’s book choice made earlier this year).    I asked Dr Grogan for the most important pieces of advice he would give those starting out on the preaching road and this was his reply:

“My three tips assume that the person concerned is already aware of a call to preach. Here they are:

 1. Many Christians today are woefully ignorant of the actual contents of the Bible, but if you are to preach, you must be constantly remedying this.  God may or may not guide you to a Bible college course eventually, but meantime you should concentrate on actually knowing the contents of the Bible. The better you know your Bible, the more helpful a formal course will prove to be.  

 
You should read, read, read and go on reading, and you need to start doing so straight away.  A daily portion for devotional meditation is important and indispensable, but a preacher or prospective preacher needs to go way beyond this. Turn off the television and spend several hours each evening with your Bible open, and make a start TODAY. Use a good sturdy Bible, probably with a hard cover, with good marginal references, and any method - marking, taking notes, circling in red ink any marginal reference that seems particularly significant - any method at all that will impress the inspired text on your memory, your imagination and your heart. Get inside the Bible and ask God to enable you to get it inside you.

I have a friend who is 95 and whose mind is absolutely stored with poetry. He tells me that he has never deliberately learned a poem in his life, but that he loves poetry so much and has read the same poems so many times that the text of them has become rooted in his mind.  Follow his example as far as the Bible is concerned.

Do not be afraid to go off at a tangent.  If you become aware of a link with another passage, turn to that passage for a while and study it, and then come back to your original passage. In this way, you will develop a sense of the unity of Scripture and become more and more aware of Biblical theology, which is very important for a preacher.

You need several hours every evening for at least two years to build a basis for further study. You will want to be building a library of good books, and some of them will be useful at an early stage, but your main concentration should be on direct exposure to the Biblical text. If after serious prayerful study of it the meaning of a passage eludes you, by all means consult a trusted and experienced friend - a minister, seasoned preacher or elder.  

2. Prayerfully consider the relevance of what you are reading to your own life. Each evening ask God to impress some truth on you that will encourage or challenge you and become a focus for your prayer at the end of the day.

3. If a passage particularly grips you, take some time to analyse it in terms of its message, placing the material under several headings and perhaps some sub-headings. I recall once trying to analyse the Epistle to the Galatians and ending up with about twenty headings. I came back to it later and found that in fact I could reduce all these headings to three, each one covering two chapters of the letter. I think though that my first attempt may have been a necessary stage on the way to the more satisfactory second.  Try to bring out the logical development of the message of the Bible book by means of this analysis.”

The Preacher’s Choice

I am particularly delighted this week to bring you the choice of Dr Geoffrey Grogan, who was the greatly loved and respected Principal of the Bible Institute in Glasgow during my student days there. Having taught at the London Bible College as well for several years he has had a massive input into the lives of countless Christian workers over the years and, as I can personally testify, continues to impact many of them through his prayers. Dr Grogan is the author of numerous books and now in his early 80s continues to write.

I have found it difficult to select the ten books which have most influenced me. Some virtually chose themselves, but others that mean much to me clamoured for admission but had to be excluded. Here is my eventual choice, arranged in roughly the order of my first reading of them, with concentration mostly on those which influenced me before the age of forty (the exception is Knowing God):

1. C. S. Lewis Beyond Personality (now incorporated in Mere Christianity). I read this one day in 1945 and that evening, by God’s grace, put my trust in Christ. I had been reared in a distinctly liberal church, but through other influences my heart had been deeply moved towards Christ. God used this book to remove some major obstacles to faith for me.

2. Ruth Paxson, The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian. This made me realise that a Bible book that can be read in twenty minutes (The Epistle to the Ephesians) actually contains riches beyond plumbing and showed me that my whole life should be one long practical exploration and communication of all that God has stored up in Christ for His people.

3. J. Ernest Rattenbury, The Evangelical Doctrines of Charles Wesley`s Hymns. This made me aware of the great theological and devotional riches of great hymns, led me to feed on them, and made me for ever impatient of any hymns or worship songs which lack biblical substance.

4. A. J. Gossip, In the Secret Place of the Most High . Here I learned what a privilege prayer is. I was especially helped by the chapter entitled, “On thinking magnificently about God.”

5. Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ . I had long been fascinated and challenged by John 15 and Romans 6 and this book took me deeply into them. Some readers have found it to induce too much introspection, but it was what I needed at the time.

6. James Denney, The Death of Christ. Over against the inadequacies of the Moral Influence view on which I had been reared, this showed me how seriously God takes sin and how decisively and in what a costly manner He has dealt with it at the cross.

7. Edmund Clowney, Preachng and Biblical Theology. This made me realise how indispensable biblical theology is to a preaching ministry and gave me a life-long interest in it.

8. Oswald T. Allis, Prophecy and the Church. Soon after I was converted I was strongly influenced by dispensationalists. I was never completely comfortable with this point of view, and I found this book’s criticisms of it totally compelling.

9. C. H. Dodd, According to the Scriptures. Some will be surprised to find one of Dodd’s books listed. I find his views on wrath and propitiation and his extreme realised eschatology unacceptable, but gladly acknowledge that I found this book, on the New Testament use of the Old Testament, wholly positive and helpful.

10. J. I.Packer, Knowing God. Among many other things, this book confirmed my belief that the doctrine of adoption is badly neglected to the impoverishment of God’s people.

Thank you for asking me to do this. It has proved an interesting exercise