C.H. Spurgeon supposedly said that he took his text and made a “beeline to the cross.” The purpose of every sermon, then, should be to preach the cross. There is no evidence that Spurgeon ever said these words, but they represent a common viewpoint used to justify a singular purpose for all preaching.[i] Every sermon has one purpose, in this view, and that purpose is to lead people to Christ on the cross. Every individual Scripture text intends to point us in some way to redemption in Christ.[ii]

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A recent Gallup poll is sending shockwaves through the evangelical world. For the first time in Gallup’s polling history, church membership fell below 50% in 2020. It was 70% in 2000, but twenty years later it is now 47%.[1] The numbers are worse if you look at them generationally. Only 8% of white millennials identify as evangelical compared to 26% of seniors.[2] Our world is increasingly secular, and young people are increasingly turning away from the church.

Russell Moore points out an astonishing reality. People are turning away from the church not merely because they reject the doctrines of the church but because they think the church rejects the doctrines of the church. It is sad when people turn away from the church because they do not believe in the authority of the Bible. It is tragic when people turn away from the church because they do not believe that we believe in the authority of the Bible. Our preaching has become secular in our quest to attract the world to the church. Moore writes: Read more…

Al Mohler labeled much evangelical preaching today as “moralistic fables” because the sermons used biblical stories as examples to teach moral truths. Christ and the cross should be the focus of every sermon because they are the focus of every biblical text.[1] G.K. Beale, in a recent article, stressed that every verse in Scripture points to Christ and must be used to preach Christ, not moralism. He asked how our preaching is different from rabbinic teaching if we fail to focus on Christ and redemption.[2]

Christocentric preachers argue that when we use examples from the lives of biblical characters to teach moral and ethical values, we are guilty of moralism – using the Bible to emphasize our efforts to please God instead of preaching what God has done for us. Exemplification, using Bible stories and characters to teach moral values, is wrong to the redemptive-historical preachers. Read more…

PASTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE LIGHT OF THE RZIM SCANDAL

Crowds pursued Him. People searched out Jesus even when He tried to get away. Thousands gathered on hillsides and shoresides overlooking the Sea of Galilee to hear Him preach. They could not get enough of His messages. Jesus talked their language – the language of the average man. His messages made spiritual ideas practical and popular … until they didn’t! Jesus dove deeper into spiritual truth. He delved into difficult theological concepts using sometimes mysterious language. The words became harder to understand and accept, so they left Him. It turned out that many disciples were not disciples. They were merely followers who were not interested in learning the words that came from God (John 6:59-66). Read more…

The presidential debate debacle graphically illustrates how divided we are as a nation. The rancor and animosity of Democrats and Republicans are rapidly reaching destructive levels in America. Partisan politics now infect our communities and even our churches. The Body of Christ is dividing over political allegiances, and some pastors are jumping into the fight on social media. Brothers, these things should not be! How should we respond as pastors? Read more…

We are seeing a renewed emphasis in the church on making disciples who make disciples. The evangelical church is devoting time, money, and energy to developing resources for discipleship through conferences, workshops, books, and courses. This resurgent interest in making disciples is refreshing, given the fact that Christ left us with only one command in His great commission – make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19). The mission of the church is singular. All our activities should support our disciple-making mission. Read more…

I grew up in the country of Pakistan, where my parents served as missionaries. They chose to follow the cultural ways of their adopted country to reach the people for Christ. Dad wore the shalwar kameez, the loose pants, and baggy shirt, that were the common clothing of the Pakistani men. Mom wore the female version of the shalwar kameez but added the dupatta, the scarf head covering, wherever she went. While she would have preferred to do her own shopping, she hired a man to do it for her because women were not accepted in the marketplace.

Why? Were they forced to make these changes? No. As foreigners, they had every legal right to wear western clothing. They could have stood up for their rights as Americans, even in a foreign country. Why then did they change their lifestyles? They followed a missional mindset. Read more…

The horrific image is seared into our national conscience – a black man dying under the knee of a white police officer. Legitimate protests in cities around our country have, sadly at times, devolved into chaos and mayhem, threatening to obscure the original crime. As pastors, we should use our prophetic voices to speak out against racism just as we often speak out against other moral issues facing our nation. I have watched, read, and listened, seeking to hear with my heart and not just my head. I am but one little voice in a sea of sound reminding us all of important biblical truths during this time of upheaval. My heart goes out to African Americans who too often suffer the wrongs done to them under the authority of government.

“Let love be without hypocrisy; abhorring what is evil, clinging to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Read more…