"No Naked, Simple Gospel"

"There really is no naked, simple gospel. It must be spoken in human language and argued carefully" (From the "Foreword" by William Edgar in K. Scott Oliphint, Covenantal Apologetics: Principles and Practice in Defense of Our Faith, 13).

Preaching Law and Gospel

"Through the preaching of the law, the Holy Spirit slays us, leaving us utterly destitute and helpless to save ourselves, and through the preaching of the gospel, he raises us up and seats us with Christ in heavenly places" (Michael Horton, A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship, 66).

Fishing for Men

Charles Spurgeon on fishing for men: "I sometimes hear of persons getting very angry after a gospel sermon, and I say to myself, "I am not sorry for it." Sometimes when we are fishing the fish gets the hook into its mouth. He pulls hard at the line; if he were dead, he would not; but he is a live fish, worth the getting; and though he runs away for a while, with the hook in his jaws, he cannot escape. His very wriggling and his anger show that he has got the hook, and the hook has got him. Have the landing-net ready; we shall land him by and by. Give him more line; let him spend his strength, and then we will land him, and he shall belong to Christ forever" (Spurgeon's Sermon Illustrations, 56).

Reminds me that we all go to Christ kicking and screaming, wriggling and flopping. There is no other way, for we are, after all, saved by grace. At first, we are angry, we don't like the gospel and we don't like gospel sermons. But then God regenerates us, he gives us a new heart and new desires. Thus, the gospel becomes sweet to us, gospel sermons become sweet to us. Our anger is changed to joy unspeakable.

Two Parts of Gospel Communication

"Christianity is enshrined in the life: but it is proclaimed by the lips. If there is a failure in either respect the gospel cannot be communicated" (Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church, 194).

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One of my pastors back in Indiana use to say, "You need to wear your theology." In the quote above, Michael Green is saying the same thing. There are two parts to Gospel Communication: 1) Life and life-style and works -- aka, one's agenda/what you do, and 2) the words and speech that dance on your lips -- aka, one's creed and confession/what you proclaim. That is, you need to wear/live what you believe (your theology). Therefore, Gospel Communication consists of two parts, and the twain ought not to be separated.

Gospel Story

Michael Horton discusses Christians being "rescripted" by the story of the Gospel:

But as we proclaim the biblical script, from Genesis to Revelation, a unity emerges not only within its pages, nor only within the community of Christ, but also within us individually as we are incorporated into it. It doesn't happen all at once, at least in our experience. Gradually, we find ourselves identified, chained, and instead of prophesying we find ourselves prophesied to by God himself, addressed as sinners, enemies of God, "aliens and strangers to the promises of God." That particular, concrete drama of God and Israel becomes our story, our plot. We begin to know ourselves as we come to see how we fit into that drama" (A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship, 54).

Who does God tell this Gospel story to? God tells this story to, God "rescripts", "Gentiles as well as Jews."

 

"What is the purpose of preaching?"

"The story is told of a homiletics professor who, many years ago, asked his classes, "What is the purpose of preaching?" His students would struggle valiantly to make adequate reply, but they never succeeded. Then, triumphantly, the professor would sing out, Scottish brogue and all, so I am told, "Gentlemen" ... "the purpose of preaching is to raise the dead!" Perhaps the statement strikes us today as a bit florid and dramatic. Yet the professor was on to something that needs to be repeated again and again, I believe: When we preach, God registers his claim upon us. He breaks into the little kingdoms that we have built, in which we attempt to exercise our rule over people and things, and says, "Let God be God." He disturbs us in our comforts and presumptions, and -- for what cause save his own graciousness, none of us can guess -- quickens our dead future. He does so with his Word" (Charles L. Bartow, The Preaching Moment: A Guide to Sermon Delivery, 48-49).

The Lenten Gospel, Again

Writing after Christ's accomplishment, John the Evangelist said: "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).

During the Lenten season we prepare for and anticipate celebrating a historical event. In a word, the Atonement; when Christ destroyed the works of the devil. Which is why Christians sing: "Death, where is your sting?"

The Lenten Gospel

From Richard A Muller's Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms:

"protoevangelium: literally, the protogospel; the first announcement of the redemption to be effected in and through Christ, given figuratively to Adam and Eve in the words of God to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15); in Reformed federalism, the inception of the covenant of grace."