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Tag: God’s Word

Responding to God’s Word

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Spiritual Disciplines, Uncategorized. No Comments on Responding to God’s Word

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. – James 1:22–25

I once heard a preacher who, prior to reading the main text of Scripture of the is sermon, would make the following statement:

“Every time we open God’s Word, we are looking at the mind of God. Let’s see what God is thinking”.

God the Father has made Himself to us through His Son Jesus (John 1:1). We learn of the Son of God through the written Word of God (2 Timothy 3:14-15). And because we have these true and profitable words from God, we know exactly who God is and what he desires for us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we open the Bible, we are reading about the Author and Finisher of our faith. Here’s what Peter states,

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20–21

The Holy Spirit used men to record exactly what God intended to say. Which means we should take seriously what is said within the pages of Scripture. It is not man that is speaking, but God. And when God speaks, we must listen.

But listening is not all that is required of us. Listening to God’s Word, whether it is in our own reading and studying or if it’s sitting in a Bible based sermon, requires a response. James writes the verses above to tell us not to be just a hearer, but to be a doer of the Word as well.

In other words, God’s Word calls for a response.

Parents understand what James is saying far too well. We ask our kids to do something and more often than not, we need to repeat it a few times. We’re training them to obey right away. We often ask them, “Did you hear me?” And they’ll respond with “Yes” and we sit and wonder why they haven’t done what we have asked them to do! This is simply disobedience. To hear something from an authority and not to do it is to disobey the authority.

Because the Scripture is our authority, then when we disobey Scripture, we are disobeying God. We are implying that what He says is not important enough to follow, that we prefer to do our own thing, or that His authority does not matter to us.

When we hear God speak, we respond in obedience.

The Bible shows us how to live holy. It exposes our sin and brings us to the light of God’s grace. Just like a mirror shows us who we are, so does God’s Word. We would be fools to hear and not respond to what God’s Word says to us. We would be fools to disobey the good and gracious words from God.

Here are three helpful questions for the next time you read Scripture or after the sermon on Sunday that will help you respond to what you have heard.

1. From the text, what is something you learned about God? About yourself?

2. What Scriptural truth(s) from the text is the Holy Spirit pressing on your heart?

3. If you were to incorporate this truth in your own life, how would the next week and next month be different?

These questions help us read the text for what it says and then act on what it says. We respond to God’s Word because we know God’s Word to be true and good. And when we obey the words of our Father, it produces within us a peace and joy that frees us to continue living in obedience to the One who saved us.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Introducing The New Middleburg Liturgy

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. No Comments on Introducing The New Middleburg Liturgy

Read Time: 20 minutes

Prefer listening rather than reading? Listen to this post on our podcast channel HERE!

 

In 1570, Puritan Thomas Cartwright was serving as a professor at Cambridge University when he was fired and removed for teaching against the Church of England. Upon his firing, he moved around to different locations, leaving each time due to his teachings from Scripture. He was committed to the teachings of Scripture and to the message of the gospel. As a puritan, he sought to live a life holy, separate from the world, pleasing to the Lord. 

In one of his writings, he stated (updated to English):

“Is there anything like our God? Nothing in comparison, and therefore the Prophet (Isaiah 40:17) says that all nations before Him are nothing, yes to Him less than nothing: and if men be nothing for whom the world was made, how much more are all other creatures in heaven and earth nothing before Him, and to Him less than nothing?”

In 1582, after avoiding arrest in several places, he began pastoring a congregation made up of merchants working for a trading company. When the company was relocated, he went with them and they settled in the capital of the Dutch province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, tucked up near the North Sea. In 1586, using primarily the liturgy of John Knox that Knox had given to the Church of Scotland, Cartwright drew up a new Liturgy intended to deepen the congregation’s love for the God of the Bible. We have this incredible liturgy from this congregation during a time of great reformation. This congregation’s liturgy was named after their city in the Netherlands, the Middleburg Liturgy.

As I read through the history of the Middleburg Liturgy, I can’t help but think of our church in Middleburg, Florida almost 500 years later. A little town nestled somewhere between Gainesville and Jacksonville that most people have not heard of. A little town in the Netherlands that most people have not heard of. Two towns that were traditionally filled with people who grew up there until an influx of outsiders came due to work and living conditions. The comparisons are quite interesting.

When I first read about The Middleburg Liturgy, I was of course excited about the name. It’s not often you read about a Middleburg in Church History! But the more I read, the more I saw similarities to the congregations. We have a deep love and desire to know the God of the Bible and to help others do the same. That was the sole purpose of the Middleburg Liturgy and the intent behind what I’m calling, The New Middleburg Liturgy.

Let me explain.

A liturgy in simple terms is an order to the gathering of a church. Depending on the church, most liturgies are based on the tradition of the denomination. Every church practices a liturgy, whether they call it a liturgy or not. There is something, like tradition or an “experience” that directs the structure of the gathering that helps the flow of the gathering or helps stay with the theme for the Lord’s Day gathering. The liturgy includes praying, singing, offerings, preaching, and participation in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Our liturgy, The New Middleburg Liturgy, serves two purposes: to guide and base our gathering on the Word of God and to guide and base our family worship on the Word of God. We believe our gatherings on Sunday can be modeled in our homes, connecting the truth that all of life is intended to worship the Lord our God. This is why we changed the look of our Sunday program. You can leave it in your Bible and use it throughout the week.

Our typical Sunday gathering will look very similar to this liturgy from January 29th, 2023. 

CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 22:3-5

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. (ESV)

SONG OF PRAISE

Your Mercy – Austin Stone Worship

PRAYER OF GRATITUDE AND CONFESSION 

CONGREGATIONAL READING OF SCRIPTURE – Jeremiah 17:7  

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. (ESV)

SONGS OF REJOICING

Your Glory/Nothing But the Blood – All Sons & Daughters

Come Thou Fount – Shane and Shane

PRAYER OF THANKS 

CONFESSION OF FAITH – The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

PARTICIPATION IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH – See Back of Program

Welcome to new guests, dismissal of kids, announcements, and giving.

PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION (making our requests known to God)

A SERMON FROM GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE – Matthew 4:8-11

SONG OF RESPONSE

Behold Our God  – Sovereign Grace Music

DISMISSAL

Let’s work through the various elements and how they apply to both our church gathering and our family worship.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Church Gathering: Scripture commands: You shall worship the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 6:13; Matthew 4:10). This is a call to worship. This is why we start our gatherings with a call to worship, specifically a reminder of who God is from God’s Word. We are not gathering to be entertained. We are not gathering to have our ears itched (2 Timothy 4:3) with relevant ted talks that are void of Scripture. We are not gathering to have a mystical experience with God. We gather to worship the Lord our God! 

Family Worship: Whether it is in the morning or the evening, it’s important to take 5-10 minutes to have a time of family worship. Each week, begin your family worship time by reading the call to worship from the previous church gathering. Your children hopefully will remember this being read at the beginning of the gathering.

SONG OF PRAISE: 

Church Gathering: This is a song intended to direct our attention to the reason we are gathering: to praise the Lord! Howie Butler, our Praise Team leader, does a great job working with myself and those who are preaching to put together songs that go hand in hand with that Sunday’s sermon text. 

Family Worship: There are three songs your children will sing before they are dismissed to KidLife. For your family worship time, choose one of the songs, rather, let your kids decide which song to sing each day of the week. Again, this is a song they have just sung in our Sunday gathering. Search for the song on YouTube that has the lyrics with the video and sing along.

PRAYER OF GRATITUDE AND CONFESSION

Church Gathering: Prayer in our Sunday gathering is not a transitional element, but a moment we humbly go to the King of Heaven. With confidence we come to his throne (Hebrews 4:16)! This time of prayer is to praise the Lord for who He is and for all He has done and then to take time to confess where we have sinned against God, knowing that He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). As Pastor Ben or Howie pray during the gathering, take the time to pray from your seat as well.

Family Worship: At the end of your family worship time, ask each member of the family what they would like to pray for. Ask if any sins need to be confessed and what they are thankful for. Then ask a member of the family to close in prayer. Teach your children the power of prayer and when someone has a prayer request answered, thank the Lord for it!

CONGREGATIONAL READING OF SCRIPTURE

Church Gathering: For 4-6 weeks, we will read the same verse of Scripture aloud together. This is the same verse our kids are memorizing in KidLife. This is intentional because with a family integrated worship model, we are learning the truths of God’s Word together. Everyone can memorize these verses, and reading them aloud together not only helps in our memorization, but it unites us around God’s Word.

Family Worship: This verse is very familiar to your kids if they are actively attending KidLife. Read it together and even ask them to recite it to you when they have it memorized. Use the very helpful hand motions (created by one of our KidLife teachers, Tristan Tyler) found in the KidLife section on the App.

SONGS OF REJOICING

Church Gathering: These songs are intended to express our joy in the Lord. They are songs we sing about God to God that also help us meditate and think about the goodness of God. Again, these are songs that are selected because they connect to the theme of the sermon. Have you noticed the box surrounding a Scripture reference above the lyrics as we sing? That’s because we selected songs that go hand in hand with Scripture and that Scripture reference is the truth in which we sing.

Family Worship: See the Songs of Praise section above.

PRAYER OF THANKS

Church Gathering: This prayer is a simple “Thank You God” for all that he has done for us. We know we sing because of Him and Him alone! Again, take the time at your seat to thank the Lord for all that He has done for you. 

Family Worship: See the Prayer of Adoration and Confession section above.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED:

Church Gathering: As we read the Apostles’ Creed together, we will briefly learn about the different statements that it contains while proclaiming the truths behind what each one of us must believe for ourselves. Read more about why we are reading the Apostles’ Creed Together on Sundays from this previous Blog Post.

Family Worship: It takes one minute (if that) to read through the Apostles’ Creed. This is instilling truths of Scripture into your children, whom we pray will one day proclaim these truths for themselves. It’s written in a way to easily understand and memorize.

CLARITY: There are two portions of the Apostles’ Creed that we have slightly changed due to the change of meaning of words over time. 

The initial Apostles’ Creed stated that Jesus descended into hell. The Bible does not teach this, nor was this the intent of the original writers of the Creed. They were referring to Jesus’ death into the grave, intentionally confirming that Jesus actually died and was not just in a coma or deep sleep. Thus, we have modified the Creed to state “He descended to the dead”.

The initial Apostles’ Creed referred to the global Christian church as the “Holy Catholic Church”. Of course, we read the word “Catholic” and immediately think of the denomination. But the word originally referred to the church as a whole, not the denomination. There is much the present day Catholic church does and believes that is completely against the teachings of Scripture. For clarity’s sake, we have modified the Creed to state “the holy Christian Church” to refer to believers from all times and all places since the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

PARTICIPATION IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Church Gathering: This portion of our liturgy is to serve as a reminder of how we, as members of Grace Life Church, can participate in the life and ministry of the church. This includes giving, serving, and gathering outside of our Sunday morning gathering. And let’s be honest, church announcements can become mundane if we fail to see the importance of the local church in the life of every believer! Use this time in the gathering to write your check, give online or through our app, and to register for upcoming events.

Family Worship: While you don’t need to labor on all that is going on in the church during your family worship time, it is good to take a moment and pray for the people of Grace Life Church. Pray for the Elders and leaders, pray for friends, and pray for the Lord to build His church. This is a great addition to your Saturday family worship as you prepare to gather with the church the next day.

PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION

Church Gathering: A prayer of supplication is making our requests known to God (Philippians 4:6). During this moment of prayer, we are asking the Lord to open our eyes to His Word (Psalm 119:8) and to bless the gifts we have generously and cheerfully given to the gospel mission of our church (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Family Worship: See the Prayer of Adoration and Confession section above.

A SERMON FROM GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE

Church Gathering: The preaching of God’s Word is the central focus of the gathering of God’s people. We gather to hear from God by studying what He has said in His Word. We do not gather to hear from a mere man and his opinion or to hear a relevant message that intentionally celebrates self. We gather to hear the words of God! This is why we are committed to Expository Preaching. Read more about Expository Preaching in this previous blog post. 

Family Worship: Use this time in your family worship to read from a passage of Scripture. It doesn’t have to be the sermon text, you can just begin in the book of Matthew and read a few verses. This is what my family is currently doing. We read roughly 10-20 verses every evening. It will take us two months to read through Matthew’s Gospel account, but this allows for pasuses to answer questions or to refer back to what we read the night before. 

Each week, we include the upcoming sermon text so you can read ahead of time. Come each Sunday having already read the sermon text!

SONG OF RESPONSE

Church Gathering: This song is intended to sing in response to what we have just heard from God’s Word. We are singing the truth of the Scripture we just worked through. This is also a time for you to respond to the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart. Maybe you need to confess a sin that the Holy Spirit convicted you of during the sermon. Maybe you need to take a next step in your walk with the Lord. Maybe you need to pray with someone in the church. This is the time to respond to the Holy Spirit.

Family Worship: See the Prayer of Adoration and Confession section above.

DISMISSAL:

Church Gathering: As we close out our gathering, Pastor Ben will remind us one last time of why we gather and what we have just learned. The dismissal is a reminder that we will gather again next Sunday, as long as the Lord has not called us home. It serves as a reminder that our worship does not end, but continues throughout the week! We live each day for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Family Worship: As you close out your family worship time, remind your family to worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Remind them of how much you love them and how much Jesus loves them! Remind them that all of life is worship.

The intention behind The New Middleburg Liturgy is to focus our hearts on our God. To see Him and known Him. To worship Him in all things. This is my heart for you and I pray you will behold the greatness of our God!

Let me close by praying this prayer over our church family from Colossians 1:9-14:

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Preaching in the Old Testament

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. No Comments on Preaching in the Old Testament

* This post is part 2 of a series on Expository Preaching in the Local Church, where we are taking a look at the meaning of “Expository Preaching”, its Biblical precedence, and the importance of Expository Preaching in the life of our church. Read part one here.

I’ve been enamored in my recent reading of the gospel accounts. As I’ve read through Mark’s Gospel account, I’m intentionally focusing on how Jesus responded to the culture, lived amongst his disciples, and spoke to the gathering crowds. There is so much we can learn from the recorded history of Jesus’ time on the earth He created.

One very teachable moment comes in Matthew 4 when Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, is being tempted by the Devil. Satan throws three temptations at Jesus: turn a stone to bread, jump from a balcony, and fall down and worship him. The intentions of the three temptations are what the Devil hurled at Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3 and what he continues to hurl at us today.

As Jesus models for us how to fight and flee temptation, His immediate response to the temptations come directly from God’s Word. He fights temptation by wielding the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Charles Spurgeon states, 

“Jesus used Scripture to battle Satan’s temptation, not some elaborate spiritual power inaccessible to us. Jesus fought this battle as fully man, and He drew on no “special resources” unavailable to us. “Out flashed the sword of the Spirit: our Lord will fight with no other weapon. He could have spoken new revelations, but chose to say, ‘It is written.’”

Jesus understood the Bible is sufficient in all things.

The Bible is sufficient in all things, meaning, the Bible is enough to equip us to know God, to serve Him, and to honor Him in all things. The Bible is sufficient for our work life and home life. It is sufficient in our holiness. It is sufficient in the conduct of our church. It is sufficient in fighting sin and temptation. It is sufficient in our preaching as well. 

In order to understand what preaching is all about, one must establish what the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, says about the proclamation of the Word of God.

The Old Testament is often neglected when it comes to preaching and Bible study. Many say it is outdated or that it does not apply to the church, but they have greatly missed the importance of the Old Testament which happens to have the same goal as preaching: pointing the world to Christ. Peter Adam states, “On many occasions when God spoke, His intention was not that His words would constitute revelation to the original audience, but that they would also serve a revelation for future generations.” (Speaking God’s Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching)

In other words, If God wanted it written down, then the Word of God needs to be heard. The Old Testament may be filled with a long list of genealogies and chapters full of Priestly rituals, but the message that it contains needs to be preached. This section will contain examples from the Old Testament on preaching. 

The Example of Moses

Moses lived a very interesting life. He spent his first forty years in the palace of Pharaoh, the next forty years herding sheep for his father-in-law, and the next forty leading a bitter people to a land God promised them. He saw God work powerful miracles first hand and even saw the back of God on Mount Sinai. He may have led the children of Israel out of Egypt, but Moses should be attributed a title that he rarely receives: preacher. Though he never had a church building and never had a personal office to use for studying, Moses “has the distinction of being the first preacher whose ministry is described to us”. (Adam, 39)

Peter Adam mentions four aspects of Moses’ ministry. First, Moses spoke for God. Second, Moses then wrote down everything God told him. Third, Moses read the Words of God to the people of Israel. And fourth, Moses preached. Adam establishes through the examination of Moses’ life that preaching was not just getting up in front of a crown and speaking. It involves understanding God’s Word. 

Moses was the man who stood between God and His people. Moses was the one who relayed God’s message to them. God established Moses to be the leader of the Hebrew nation and therefore Moses spoke for God. And when Moses received God’s calling, he understood that God wanted him to speak to the people because he was concerned that the people would not believe what he said and that the people would not be able to understand him due to his “slow tongue” (Ex 3:13, 4:10). Once Moses received God’s words, he realized the importance of writing them down. Not only did he write them down, he saw how valuable they were to the people of Israel and read the Words of God to them (Ex 24:7; Dt 31:9, 32:44). Moses performed these three steps before he expounded on God’s Word. 

Preachers today can learn from his example. Explaining the Scriptures should be the last thing they do. Moses made sure he understood what God was saying before he proclaimed to the people of Israel God’s Word. Once Moses began preaching, there are three sections to his sermons that every preacher should follow. First, there is an exposition, then there is an application, and last, there is an exhortation to the hearers. These three aspects of Moses’ preaching ministry are clearly evident in his sermons (Dt 1:5, 5:1-21, 29). Moses’ role as preacher helps establish the Biblical idea of preaching. “Indeed, it is possible to see Moses’ ministry as the foundation of all Old Testament ministry of the Word.” (Adam, 40)

Of interesting note, Jesus’ Scriptural response to Satan in the Wilderness in Matthew 4 comes from three of Moses’ sermons found in Deuteronomy.

Other Old Testament Examples

Moses is not the only Old Testament preacher whose ministry can help establish the role of preaching in the Old Testament. Prophets such as Elijah and Ezra both preached what God had given them to say and their recipients understood that what they were speaking was truth from God (1 Ki 17:2; Ezra 7:11; Neh 8:1-4). Ezra was clearly devoted to the Word of God. Ezra’s position as priest meant that people would come to him as their mediator to God. But people flocked to him to hear the Word of God (Neh 8:13). They wanted to understand what it said. They wanted to hear it read and they knew Ezra understood the importance of God’s law. 

Isaiah, another Old Testament prophet, is probably the most well-known of all the prophets. He prophesied of the coming Messiah and “part of Isaiah’s ministry of the word is to point forward to the great ministry of the Word that will be the preaching of the gospel to the nations”. Isaiah’s preaching was focused on Christ and His role as Messiah. His intended purpose for his preaching was to point his listeners to the coming Messiah. Just as God gave Isaiah this message, God has given preachers today a message very similar to Isaiah’s: Christ is coming, so be prepared! Preachers today must focus their message on Christ, just as Isaiah did.

Preaching is an extraordinary task. It is a joy to stand in front of God’s People and deliver a message from God’s Word. The sermons preached at Grace Life must be from God’s Word, because only God’s Word is sufficient. Expository preaching understands the text drives the sermon. And our response to expository preaching must be the same as the people in Nehemiah 8:1-3; “Bring us the Book!”

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. – Nehemiah 8:1–3

What is Expository Preaching?

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. 2 Comments on What is Expository Preaching?

*For the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a look at the meaning of “Expository Preaching”, its Biblical precedence, and the importance of Expository Preaching in the life of our church. 

Before the first words came out of his mouth, John the Baptist was destined to preach (Mk 1:1-4). His sole purpose in life was to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. As a blood relative of Jesus, John could have easily developed anger towards his cousin (or jealousy for that matter). But he strived to prepare the hearts of the people of Israel to hear and see their Messiah. Dressed in camel’s skin and probably in need of a bath, John proclaimed God’s message to anyone who was in hearing distance. Though John’s ministry was short lived, he was constantly preaching, and what he was preaching is still the same message today: Jesus Christ. Preachers of the Word of God can learn from John the Baptist and see the need to bring people to Christ. The “Prince of Preachers” Charles Spurgeon understood this:

“The motto of all true servants of God must be, ‘We preach Christ; and him crucified.’  A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.” 

Charles Spurgeon understood the importance of preaching and the importance of Christ in the sermon. Many pastors today have forgotten what preaching is all about. The desire for their sermons is that they be presented creatively and for entertainment. Like Spurgeon states, these men should just go home. Their desire to help the people of God has turned into a hindrance in their congregation’s spiritual walk with the Lord. This is because they have forgotten, or possibly never understood, what preaching is all about. 

One of my biggest concerns is the growing problem of Bible illiteracy in our country. We have professing Christians that haven’t opened up the Bible in years, and we have politicians misquoting Scripture to fit their political agenda and Christians applauding how their politicians love the Bible. 

This is why we preach the Bible here at Grace Life Church. We preach God’s Word to God’s people because the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to help us know God and the power of the gospel. We do not need to be entertained, but rather fed from the Word of God. My heart for you is to see Christ formed in you. To see you grow in holiness. To see you grow in Christlikeness. And to see this happen, I know you need to know how to study God’s Word on your own.

Preaching as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action”. Haddon Robinson states that preaching was God speaking “through the personality and message of a preacher to confront men and women and bring them to Himself”. Preaching is not simply standing in front of a congregation and delivering a creative sermon, it is proclaiming the message from the True God to people who need Him and need to walk closer with Him. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5,

[1] And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (ESV)

It is the preaching of God’s Word that leads us to know Jesus Christ and him crucified. This is my heart for you. And this is why we are committed to expository preaching. Let’s define what expository preaching is:

Expository Preaching is taking a specific text of Scripture and proclaiming the truth of the text through intentional study of the geographical, historical, and redemptive context, exposing the one intended meaning of the text and then applying it to modern day listeners within the church for the glory of God.

Expository preaching brings our attention to the Word of God. It begins with the text, stays in the text, and drives us to the text. And when we look at the text, we see that the whole of Scripture is not about us but rather the glory and splendor of a redeeming God. 

Allistar Begg states, “Since expository preaching begins with the text of Scripture, it starts with God and is in itself an act of worship, for it is a declaration of the mighty acts of God. It establishes the focus of the people upon God and His glory before any consideration of man and his need.”

Mark Dever goes on to say, “The first mark of a healthy church is expositional preaching. It is not only the first mark; it is far and away the most important of them all, because if you get this one right, all of the others should follow… If you get the priority of the Word established, then you have in place the single most important aspect of the church’s life, and growing health is virtually assured, because God has decided to act by His Spirit through His Word… The congregation’s commitment to the centrality of the Word coming from the front, from the preacher, the one specially gifted by God and called to that ministry, is the most important thing you can look for in a church.”

The preaching of God’s Word is a vital ministry within the church. No church can function Biblically without it. The preaching of God’s Word must bring attention to Jesus Christ and the listener’s need for Him. The goal and desire of every preacher must be to preach Jesus and Him crucified.

And as we’ll see next week, the Old Testament and New Testament have much to say about the proclamation of God’s Word to God’s people.

 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Developing an Intentional Prayer Plan

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Spiritual Disciplines. No Comments on Developing an Intentional Prayer Plan

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed preaching through Romans 8 and the recent focus on prayer has been especially helpful to my own soul. The last few weeks have been a reminder to me of the power and necessity of prayer in the life of the Christian and I want us to dive deeper into the gracious gift of prayer. It’s why I love this quote from the German reformer Martin Luther:

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” 

Do we not understand theologically what Luther is saying? Then why is it practically such a chore to pray? Why is it that many of us can’t remember the last time we breathed a prayer? We know we are to pray (and pray without ceasing as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5), yet we do not pray. To fail to pray, then, is not to merely break some religious rule. It is a failure to treat God as God. 

Is our struggle to pray due to wrestling with God’s sovereignty over all things? Do we say “What is the point of prayer if God is sovereign?” I’d argue that when we fully understand the sovereignty of God, as it is recorded in Scripture, then the natural response is not prayerlessness, but rather genuine life of prayer. Is our struggle to pray due to a lack of desire to pray or not knowing what to pray? 

What if we, with sincere hearts, asked the same question the disciples asked Jesus in Luke 11: “Lord, teach us to pray”. From this simple statement the disciples both acknowledge the sovereignty of Jesus (“Lord”) and they recognize the immense need to commune with God in prayer (“teach us to pray”).

What is prayer then?

The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines prayer as “is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies”. 

A few weeks ago, I defined prayer as a continual, intimate conversation with God that is grounded in knowing who He is and that what He has said from His Word is true. 

We could continue to define prayer but no matter how we define it – Biblically of course – it must always lead us back to actually spending time in prayer.

It’s why I want to encourage you to take the time and develop an intentional prayer plan.

Like any good goal, developing a plan helps us see that goal come into fruition. Want to lose a certain amount of weight? You need to develop a plan that includes working out and eating healthy. Want to save for a future purchase? A budget is the plan to help you accomplish that goal. We use plans all the time to help us accomplish goals and establish new rhythms and developing a plan to help you be intentional in prayer is worth considering.

Take the time to answer these questions and enjoy how the Holy Spirit strengthens you as you spend more time in prayer.

Determine when you will pray.

The heart of a believer who prays without ceasing understands the need for an intentional time of prayer daily. It is good to pray at meal times, in the car when you see an accident, when you head into a meeting, or when you are prompted to pray when talking with someone. It is also good to pray when there are no other distractions or responsibilities. It is good to have time just between you and God.

While the Bible is not dogmatic on when you should pray, the Bible speaks on the importance of speaking to God first thing in the morning, even before you speak with anyone else.

“O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” – Psalm 5:3

Your plan might require you to adjust your morning routine by getting up earlier or spending time in prayer instead of scrolling social media. Your plan might mean you take your lunch break in the car and spend a portion of that time praying. Maybe you take the first 15 minutes of your kid’s nap time to pray, and then go take a nap yourself!

 

Determine where you will pray.

I recently mentioned my Prayer Chair ™ in a sermon, not realizing how much time I spend in that chair. It’s a chair in my office that faces two windows and is at a table. There is no work at the table and I can’t see my normal desk. It’s really only me, my Bible, and a few pens. It’s here where I spend my intentional time in prayer.

You don’t necessarily need to have a Prayer Chair ™ in an office, but you need to have a certain location where you pray and the people in your house know that is where you go to pray. Jesus speaks to the importance of a prayer closet in Matthew’s gospel account.

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6

Determine where your prayer closet will be. Maybe it’s in the garage or out on the porch or maybe it’s a walk around the neighborhood. Wherever you decide to pray, know that wherever you are, you are meeting with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and He hears your prayers!

 

Determine what you will pray.

This may seem like a strange determination but knowing what you will pray is key to intentional praying! Many of us determine the time and the location, but then we sit down to pray and find out we don’t know where to start. There’s a host of helpful tools to help you know what to pray, but the most practical comes from Jesus himself.

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” – Luke 11:1–4

We can see Jesus’ model prayer and establish four key points that you can implement in your intentional prayer time. The four points make up the acronym A.C.T.S.

 

Adoration: Acknowledging who God is and understanding His Holy character.

Take the time in your prayer by praising God for who He is! Need a start? Pray through Colossians 1 or Ephesians 1.

 

Confession: Acknowledging you have sinned against God’s Holy character.

Take the time to confess your sins specifically, not generally. Need a start? Pray through Psalm 51.

 

Thanksgiving: Acknowledging God’s goodness towards you flows from His Holy Character.

Take the time to say thank you to God for all that He has done for you. Need a start? Pray through Psalm 34.

 

Supplication: Requesting from God, in accordance with His will, what you need to reflect His holy character.

Take the time to take your requests to God. He loves to hear His children come to Him with their needs. Prayer is taking everything that is on our heart to God. 

In Romans 8:15, God’s children cry out to God the Father. “Crying out” to our Father in Heaven represents both the crying out of “Dad, help I’m hurting” and the “Dad, come look at how awesome this lego house I built is!” It’s the crying out of both pain and praise. 

When we turn to the Lord, we trust that even when we are not praying the Lord’s will for us, the Holy Spirit Himself is interceding for us, because He knows perfectly God’s will for us. 

 

Determine to pray.

Finally, an intentional prayer plan requires us to actually pray and commit to praying! The plan becomes meaningless if we don’t actually implement it. And one of the surest ways an intentional prayer plan is derailed is through the excuses we create.

Being too tired, not having enough time, being too busy, too much noise, or even not knowing what to say are all excuses that we need, no, we must eliminate them. We make time for what we deem important, even when we are too busy and have little time. We carry on conversations with other people while our kids are around all the time. I could keep going but you see what I’m trying to say. Any excuse is a poor excuse for a lack of praying. 

So determine to pray. Determine to spend a designated time in a designated place with just you and the Lord. Take your heart to Him. Hear him speak to you from His Word. And go to Him in confidence, knowing that you are no longer condemned, but you are now His child whom He longs to talk with.

 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

What is the Protestant Reformation?

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in church history. 1 Comment on What is the Protestant Reformation?

While many people are prepping their costumes and candy buckets for Halloween, October 31st marks a significant day in church history. On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic Monk, nailed his 95 theses to the door of his church. Luther wrote these words out of a deep concern with the Roman Catholic Church’s view on several issues that Luther deemed unBiblical. His efforts led to what is now referred to as the Protestant Reformation. Christians now see October 31st as Reformation Day.

For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to look at the Reformation and how it impacts us today, 500 plus years later. First, let’s take a brief look at the historical context leading up to the Protestant Reformation. Much has been written on the Reformation, so allow me to give a short summary, specifically looking at Martin Luther’s role in the Reformation. Additional resources will be provided below.

Leading up to the 1500s, The Roman Catholic Church had substantially departed from the teaching of the Apostles recorded in the New Testament and heretical teachings were being promoted by monks all the way to the Pope.

In July of 1505, a young man named Martin Luther was on his way home when he was nearly struck by lightning. Seeing he was in the throes of death, he cried out “Help me, St. Anne! I will become a monk.” And so he did, abandoning his plans to become a lawyer. At 21, Martin Luther kept his vow from that stormy walk home and became an Augustinian Monk.

When Luther was given the tasks to lead in his first Mass, he was overcome by his sinfulness and God’s greatness. He was barely able to make it through Mass and considered running away from his duties in fear of again being confronted by a Holy God. But he kept to his commitment and continued on, despite the insistent reign of fear of God in his life. 

Luther was very much in tune with the depravity of his own soul, spending hours and hours in the confessional booth. He wrote later on in his life, “Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction” (Selections, 12).

While Luther was deep in despair over his unworthiness, a close friend, Johannes von Staupitz, gave Luther several opportunities to teach from God’s Word and soon became a theological professor at Wittenberg University in Germany. It was through his preparations for his classes that the Holy Spirit struck the heart of the German monk and confronted him about his unrighteousness. It had been clear to this point that Luther despised all teachings on righteousness because he fully believed it was impossible to obtain it. It was here when he realized that righteousness comes by faith alone, Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

This life changing gift of salvation spurred Martin Luther to eventually forsake the teachings of the Catholic church and stand firm to the teachings of Scripture. He proclaimed that justification came by faith alone in Christ alone and that no one deserved grace, let alone could earn it or pay for it. His teachings on the truth of Scripture caused an uproar within the Catholic Church, leading the Pope to admittedly deny Luther’s, and ultimately the Scripture’s, teachings as “A cesspool of heresies”. Luther didn’t care and stated as much when he nailed his 95 Thesis to the doors of his church.

Two great issues were at stake during the Reformation, justification by faith alone (sola fide) and the authority of Scripture alone in the life of the church and the believer (sola Scriptura). The efforts to return to the Apostolic teachings contained within the 66 books of the Bible was at the forefront of the Reformation. Men Like Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and so many others wanted to see the church reformed or changed in such a way that tradition became secondary and God’s Word became primary.

Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church and when asked to recant his teachings at the Diet of Worms in 1521, Martin Luther stated,

“If, then, I am not convinced by testimonies of Scripture or by clear rational arguments—for I do not believe in the pope or in councils alone, since it has been established that they have often erred and contradicted each other—I am bound by the Bible texts that I have quoted. And as long as my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I cannot nor do I want to retract anything when things become doubtful. Salvation will be threatened if you go against your conscience. Here I stand; I can do no other. May God help me. Amen.”

The life of Martin Luther and the men of the Reformation is a reminder that we too must stand firm on the teachings of God’s Word in the face of heretical malpractice and cultural denial. It is from God’s Word we know the universal need for salvation from God’s wrath and sin and it is from God’s Word we learn that this precious salvation comes to us through Christ and Christ alone. There is no other Savior. Here we stand.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

What is Reformation Day? – ligonier.com

3 Things Every Christian Should Know About the Reformation. – thegospelcoalition.com

Here We Stood (a brief history of Martin Luther) – desiringgod.org

Luther at the Diet of Worms. – Crossway.org

The Reformation and your Church – 9marks.org (This is a Fall Journal loaded with great articles on the reformation. Save this link and read/watch/listen to everything that is included.)

Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer – Watch this documentary in its entirety to discover the events God used in Martin Luther’s life that led him to rediscover the gospel of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Luther in Real Time – It’s 1520. Martin Luther has been declared a heretic by Pope Leo X, and his books are being burned. How much longer before Luther himself is thrown into the fire? Enter the German Reformer’s dramatic story with Luther: In Real Time. First released 500 years after the events described, this podcast allows you to walk in Martin Luther’s footsteps from his heresy charges to his famous stand for the authority of God’s Word at the Diet of Worms. Share this podcast with people of all ages so they can hear—in Luther’s own words—what Protestants are protesting and why it still matters today.

The Importance of Congregational Singing

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Worship. No Comments on The Importance of Congregational Singing

Throughout church history, one of the primary elements of the gathered church has been to worship through music. Whether led by an organ, a piano, a band, or a cantor, to go to a Sunday gathering of the church and not participate in music in some form would be quite strange. Some point to handwritten collections of songs from the Middle Ages as the earliest types of hymnals, but these people forget an even earlier source: the book of Psalms! In fact, certain editions of the Bible make it clear that it’s actually a collection of five sets of songs (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150). So why have these included in the Bible? What’s the big deal about singing?

We are commanded to sing.

Psalm 96:1-2 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!  Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

The word sing appears in the scriptures over 400 times and at least 50 are commands. Singing is a uniquely human activity, and it connects our breath and body to the outside world in a way nothing else can. It does not matter how good we believe our voice is. Much like faith, it is the object of our singing, not the quality of the voice, that matters. Singing and music allows us to express something beyond just words. And imagine this scene from after the last supper:

Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The disciples are not professionally trained musicians. But under the leadership of Jesus, they sang together as an act of worship. So if we are to follow Christ’s example, then this practice of singing with His disciples is further proof of obedience to a command. We also know that singing will be part of our eternal lives, as shown in Revelation 5:11-13.

When we sing, we connect our hearts to deep theological truths.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

It is no accident that singing is found in this list that begins with “let the word of Christ dwell in your richly.” Singing brings an aspect of memory that can help us align our hearts if those lyrics come out of the Bible (or at least Biblical truths). As we jump into the Romans 8 series, we are intentionally singing some songs that are Scripture passages set to music. How powerful to have these tunes playing in our heads and hearts as we go through the week!

When we sing, we connect to those we are singing with.

Ephesians 5:15-21 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Both this passage and the one from Colossians 3 have an important phrase- they both have an element of “one another.” Singing in a group is powerful, because it reminds us that we are not alone, and helps to draw our attention to God as the aim of our praises or pleas. There is value in music used for personal worship time, but the encouragement from the church raising voices together gives gusto to the soul and gladdens the heart. The passage here contrasts the goodness of music to the deceitful “pleasures” or the world. A heart brimming with joy for the Lord cannot help but express itself.

When we sing, we outwardly proclaim the truth of God’s Word.

Acts 16:25  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Singing hymns and spiritual songs are a witness not only to the church but also to the outside world.  When our lives are filled with music that points us to Jesus, then when others enter into our lives, they cannot help but see how different and unselfish the music liturgy of the church is to most other music available. That doesn’t mean that we must go around and sing aloud in all of our daily tasks. But if we allow the music of God’s people to permeate our consciousness, then it will not be a surprise when you find yourself humming or singing quietly a song that orients your heart towards Jesus.

This is why we make singing a priority in our Sunday morning gatherings. We don’t pretend to be the best, but we bring our best in pointing to THE best, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. And when we consider His sacrifice for us, His love, His patience, His grace and mercy, how can we help ourselves but to sing? No matter how bad you may think your voice is, it is more encouraging to hear an authentic cry of praise than the most beautiful singing without knowing Jesus. Remember that our singing is not ultimately about us, but about God and how we can connect to Him and His people. So, sing! Sing to God! Sing to one another!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Ben

Redeeming the Sunday Morning Car Ride to Church

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Family Discipleship. No Comments on Redeeming the Sunday Morning Car Ride to Church

For close to seven years, my family drove in separate vehicles to our Sunday gatherings at Grace Life. I left early for setup and Julie came a little later with the kids. The roughly 20 minute drive was an opportunity for me to “preach” my sermon to the empty car and spend time in prayer. But that all changed when we moved into our new space. For the first time, my family rode together to church.

It took some time for everyone to get adjusted to our new routine. What I mean is, it took me a while to get adjusted to making sure the kids were ready to get out the door. It also changed the car rides for me. I was no longer a pastor headed to preach, I was now a dad taking his family to church. I had to repurpose our time in the car on Sunday mornings.

In Deuteronomy 6, the LORD tells his people the importance of keeping the truth of God’s words front and center and teaching them to your children.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4–9

There’s a line here that’s relevant to this conversation: “When you walk by the way”.

In the Old Testament, people mostly walked when they needed to go somewhere. Today, we go places in our cars. No one, no matter how much they want to, can escape the moving car. The doors are locked and seatbelts are in place. It’s the perfect time to spend time in prayer and help your children love and value the local church gathering. You have an opportunity to prepare their hearts for church. Here’s what this can look like, but first, a few encouraging notes on “Ride to Church Discipleship”.

Anyone can do it. No matter how far along you are in your Christian faith, no matter how old your children are, and no matter if it is just you or just you and your spouse, anyone can participate in “Ride to Church Discipleship”.

Get your children involved. It’s easy to take charge of reading or praying, but reading isn’t advised while you’re driving. Getting your kids involved is easy and safe!

You only need a few minutes. Is your ride to church five minutes? That’s fine! You can accomplish “Ride to Church Discipleship” in just a few moments. Is it 20 minutes? That’s okay too! Find a landmark and begin “Ride to Church Discipleship” when you pass the landmark each week. This will also help establish a routine for your kids.

Here is what “Ride to Church Discipleship” looks like:

Have someone read the Scripture for the sermon.

Every week, we’ll share the text of Scripture for the next sermon so you can read ahead. (This coming Sunday’s sermon text is from Hebrews 11:23-30.) As a church, we gather together to hear God’s Word preached so we can know Jesus more and the power of His resurrection in our lives. Reading the Sunday morning text helps prepare our hearts for the gathering.

If you have a child who can read, have them read the text. The Bible is written in such a way that even new readers (with a little bit of help) can read. If the driver is the only reader, you can use the Bible Audio from The Bible App, read the text in the driveway before you leave, or when you are stopped at a red light. Even if your child is preschool or younger, reading Scripture to them is a great practice and the routine will be normal when it comes time for them to read.

 

Ask, “What are you most excited about gathering with the church this morning”?

It’s very easy to speak negatively about the church. It’s a tool the enemy uses and what he’s doing is using negativity about the church to bring disinterest to children. Many kids grow up to be non church attending adults because parents either spoke negatively about church or they didn’t make church a priority. Don’t let this be the case for your family. 

Talk to them about singing and praying and preaching and friendship. Explain the importance of the church as the people of God. Jesus did not establish the church for people to check off and check out. No, he wanted people to grow together in friendship and in their faith. Going all in in the life and mission of your local church is essential to the discipleship of your children.

 

Pray Together

Once again, have one of the kids pray and then follow it with a prayer of your own. Of course, praying with your eyes open is certainly acceptable! Be sure to pray for the preacher. (This week, pray for Lawrence Wilson as he preaches). Pray for our band as they lead us to sing to Jesus. Pray for their KidLife teacher. Pray for Grace Life Church. Pray for the Elders. Pray for people who the Holy Spirit places on your heart. Pray for missionaries around the world. The prayer doesn’t have to be perfect, but as we go by the way, we are showing our kids the importance of talking to God.

The car ride to church can be spent listening to the radio, sitting in quiet, playing with toys, watching videos on a device, or we can redeem those few minutes by spending time in prayer or disciplining our kids to love the church, the people whom Christ died for.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Why We Have a Preaching Team at Grace Life

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Discipleship. No Comments on Why We Have a Preaching Team at Grace Life

I can remember my first sermon clearly. I was taking a speech class my senior year of high school and since I already knew I would be going to seminary once I graduated, I decided to turn my speech into a sermon. The sermon was a short gospel presentation from Matthew 7:13-14.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

I remember being extremely nervous and wanting to back out at the last minute. I remember seeing my mom and my youth pastor watching from the pews. I remember my blue shirt and red tie that was poorly tied. I remember this nervous tick my foot would do and wondering during the sermon why my foot was doing that and how I could possibly be thinking about that while I was preaching! Funny thing is, my foot still does it every once in a while.

I can’t remember the sermon points and no great revival was launched from that chapel sermon, but I do remember clearly thinking that this was something I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing: preaching the gospel to people who needed to hear it. 

This is what I’ve committed my life to doing as the Pastor of Grace Life. God has called me to deliver His Word to His people and to disciple and develop leaders for God’s glory. Part of doing this is training, equipping, and providing opportunities for other men to preach God’s Word to God’s people. This is why developing Biblical preachers within a local church is important to the doctrinal health of a local church. 

Over the summer, you will hear God’s Word preached from men within our church as they share with you the eternal truths found in Hebrews 11. These men are faithful men who love our church and support the gospel work within our church. They have studied diligently in preparation for their sermon, and I know they will be a blessing to you. They are to me. 

Here is why we have a preaching team at Grace Life Church. 

A preaching team serves as a reminder of the church’s need for God’s Word, not one communicator.

The pulpit I stand behind each Sunday to preach God’s Word is not my pulpit; it belongs to Jesus Christ, the Perfect One who died for His bride, the church. The Book I preach from is not my book; it’s the Holy Spirit Inspired Word of God that makes us wise to salvation and equipped to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And it is my belief that the most important component within a church is the preaching of God’s Word. Having more men capable of preaching God’s Word is a benefit to the health of the church.

Pastor Steve Lawson wrote this in the forward to his book on John Calvin.

“As the pulpit goes, so goes the church. In this hour, pastors must see their pulpits again marked by sequential exposition, doctrinal clarity, and a sense of gravity regarding eternal matters. This, in my estimation, is the need of the hour.”

The church doesn’t need a dynamic communicator, it needs the preaching of God’s Word. Charles Spurgeon says this:

​​“My brethren, if we are to see the church of God really restored to her pristine glory, we must have back this plain, simple, gospel-preaching. I do believe that the hiding of the cross beneath the veil of fine language and learned dissertation is half the cause of the spiritual destitution of our country. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. I would sooner say these few words and then cease my testimony, than utter the most splendid oration that ever streamed from the lips of Demosthenes or of Cicero, but not have declared the gospel of Christ. We must keep to this. This must be the hammer that we bring down upon the anvil of the human heart again, and again, and again. God forbid that we should glory save in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord! God forbid that we should know anything among men save Jesus Christ and him crucified!”

A preaching team provides an opportunity to develop Gospel-centered, Biblically-driven preachers.

The development of Gospel-centered, Biblically driven preachers keeps the focus on God’s Word and not man. But there must be a space for these men to learn, grow, and actually preach to the church. It is difficult to become a gospel preacher within the church if you have no opportunities to preach to the church.

Preaching is not easy. Writing a sermon and preparing to preach it is very similar to writing a term paper. Several hours of research, writing, reading, and studying goes into the final manuscript that will be delivered to the saints on Sunday. This is after years of working to study better and after having several years of seminary training. 

For the men who will be preaching over the summer, they have had several months to work on their text of Scripture. They are doing their prep work in their free time while learning the ins and outs of deep study of the Bible and then putting the pieces together to form a sermon. They’re thinking about illustrations, applications, and transitions, and they’re wrestling with the final outline that will be heard on Sunday, all without the years of training that most preachers have. 

This process takes practice and patience. It takes encouragement and critique. It takes grace and prayer. It takes Holy Spirit strength to stand before the church and deliver the Word of God to the church under the weight of knowing their words will be judged one day. And when they preach God’s Word to us, we respond with joy for the preaching of God’s Word and encourage them and thank them for preaching to us.

A preaching team provides necessary rest for the main preacher. 

I think about the sermon text from Sunday night until I deliver it the next Sunday. It is not uncommon for me to spend 10-20 hours working on a sermon every week while also keeping up with pastoral responsibilities. Early on as a preacher, I didn’t realize the mental strain writing a sermon would bring, and there are seasons I find myself needing to be preached to instead of being the one preaching.

Having a preaching team helps me rest physically, mentally, and spiritually. I hate not preaching, but I’m a better preacher when I have weeks off on the sermon calendar. The Sundays I don’t preach allow me to take a vacation with my family and be fully present with them (instead of trying to outline the sermon in my head or on my phone.) The Sundays I don’t preach allow me to prepare for future sermon series and handle other pastoral responsibilities. The Sundays I don’t preach frees me to sit and listen to the preaching of God’s Word.

Having faithful men step in now to preach to our church allows me to rest and prepare. It makes me a stronger preacher. It makes me stop and breathe. It makes me look at God’s Word not for sermon prep, but for the much needed spiritual nourishment for my soul.

A preaching team aides in the planting, replanting, and revitalization of more gospel focused churches in our community. 

We want to plant more churches in our community and serve churches who are on the verge of closing their doors and one of the necessary components to these causes is having faithful men who can teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2). I believe that the Lord will raise up men within our churches to one day pastor church plants or serve as a guest preacher in a church with no pastor. Preaching has a Kingdom impact not just within our church, but in other churches as well. Having a preaching team opens up opportunities for us to make more disciples who make disciples. 

I am thankful for the men who will be preaching over the summer. When they preach, encourage them. Tell them how the Lord used their sermon to speak to you. Show up and listen to them, because they are heralds of God’s message. The text they will preach from is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt