Enduring Truth by Lavender Aaron E.;

Author:Lavender, Aaron E.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion/Christian Ministry/Preaching
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2016-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

4

Relevance in Biblical Preaching

Today postmodernism says: All you can believe is what’s in your own heart, count on intuition and faith, give up on the idea of truth, have an experience instead.168

The importance of the preaching event should never be minimized or taken for granted. As God’s Word is communicated, hearts and lives are challenged and changed for the glory of God. It is during the preaching event that people are confronted with a word from heaven, a word R. Albert Mohler describes as “awkward, challenging, and difficult.”169 It is during the preaching event that the Bible’s two sharp edges pierce the listener’s mind, heart, and soul, thus effecting change.

The Bible is God’s relevant Word. It is the powerful voice of God that, as Paul put it, “effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thess 2:13). God’s Word works! It accomplishes what God intends for it to accomplish. It therefore never needs to be made relevant. The Bible is God’s relevant Word that speaks to man regardless of where he is geographically, socially, culturally, intellectually, or spiritually.

This chapter is devoted to studying the relevance of biblical preaching. Three topics will be discussed. First, postmodernism and its effect on biblical preaching will be analyzed. Second, the concept known as “contextualization” will be defined and described. Third, comments from a cross section of preachers will be cited in discussing effective communication of God’s Word.

Postmodernism and Its Effect on Biblical Preaching

Postmodernism is a worldview that argues absolute truth does not exist. In the mind of the average postmodernist, all belief systems are valid and no one system is more valid than others. Each person or group is therefore entitled to develop their own philosophy or worldview.

Basic Philosophy of Postmodernism

The root of postmodernism is the idea that absolute truth does not exist. A true postmodernist, then, denies that the Bible is God’s authoritative Word. Truth to the postmodernist is relative. What is right or wrong for one person is not necessarily right or wrong for everyone. In its extreme form, postmodernism contends that the things society labels unlawful are not necessarily wicked. It’s easy to understand why our nation so quickly alters its laws to accommodate drug use and same-sex marriages. Our government has been influenced by postmodernism. In fact, every segment of society has been negatively influenced by this disease. Not even the Christian church has been spared. Indeed, preachers have succumbed to postmodernism, and some have sacrificed preaching biblical truth on the altar of being relevant, practical, or preaching need-based messages. Theologian R. Albert Mohler Jr. comments on the danger of postmodernism and needs-based preaching:

Urged on by devotees of “needs-based preaching,” many evangelicals have abandoned the text without recognizing that they have done so. These preachers may eventually get to the text in the course of the sermon, but the text does not set the agenda or establish the shape of the message. The sacred desk has become an advice center, and the pew has become the therapist’s couch. Psychological and

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.