Buzzard Blog

The Use & Abuse of Sermons

Preachers, a good note of caution from The Gospel Coalition Website:

A NOTE ON THE USE AND ABUSE OF SERMONS

The instant availability of thousands of expository sermons and addresses prompts us to reflect a little on how they should not be used, and how they should be used.

To take the latter first: many of our Council members avidly read the sermons of others, or, increasingly commonly, listen to them while they are driving or walking or jogging. Good preaching not only opens up texts, but helps us learn how others tackle the challenge of structure, apply Scripture to their particular congregations, relate their texts to the central themes of God and the gospel, and much more. We soon sense their urgency and God-given unction. We are sent back to the study and to our knees to become better workers who do not need to be ashamed of the way we handle the word of truth.

The bad way to listen to the sermons of others is to select one such sermon on the topic or passage you have chosen and then simply steal it, passing it off as if it is your own work. This is, quite frankly, theft, and thieves, Paul tells us, will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10). Yet in some ways that is not the most serious aspect of this form of plagiarism. Rather, it is the deep damage you are doing to yourself and others by not studying the Bible for yourself. Ministers of the gospel are supported by their congregations so they will give themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer. That demands rigorous study. A faithful minister of the gospel is never merely a biological tape recorder or CD, thoughtlessly parroting what someone else learned, thought through, prayed over, and recorded. Indulge in this exercise and before long you will starve your own soul -- and, no matter how good the sermons you steal, your ministry will sooner or later, and deservedly, become sterile, for the stamp of inauthenticity will be all over you.

One helpful suggestion: Listen to many sermons, not just one or two. You will be far less likely to steal, and far more likely to be stimulated and helped, if you listen to five or ten sermons than if you listen to one.

The Race, Hebrews 12:1-13

Here's my sermon from Sunday, The Race, Hebrews 12:1-13:

Listen: The Race
Download: The Race.mp3

The Gospel Coalition, 2009 Conference

I benefited greatly from attending last year's inaugural Gospel Coalition conference. I hope to attend the next GC conference in April 2009, Entrusted With The Gospel: Living the Vision of Second Timothy. Here's the lineup:

Plenary Talks

1. Tim Keller,  "The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry" (Acts 19:21–41)
2. John Piper, "The Promise of Life" (2 Timothy 1:1–12)
3. Phil Ryken, "The Pattern of Sound Words" (2 Timothy 1:13–2:13)
4. Mark Driscoll, "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:14–26)
5. K. Edward Copeland, "Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry" (2 Timothy 3:1–9)
6. Bryan Chapell, "Preach the Word!" (2 Timothy 3:10–4:5)
7. Ligon Duncan, "Finishing Well" (2 Timothy 4:6–22)
8. Ajith Fernando, "Gospel-Faithful Mission for the Next Christendom"
9. D.A. Carson, "'That by All Means I Might Win Some': Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Workshops

1. Thabiti Anyabwile "The Decline of African-American Theology"
2. Buster Brown, "Preaching in a Christianized Culture"
3. Michael Bullmore, "The Functional Centrality of the Gospel"
4. Steven Chin, "Working Faithfully Under a Senior Pastor"
5. Graham Cole, "Homosexuality and the Bible: Texts, Hermeneutics, and Pastoral Wisdom"
6. K. Edward Copeland and Charlie Dates, "Mentoring Younger Pastors"
7. Andy Davis, "The Gospel and Social Action"
8. Joshua Harris, "Ministering in a Church-Hopping Society"
9. David Helm, "Biblical Reflections on Building a Staff"
10. Bill Kynes, "Complementarianism: Definition and Priorities"
11. Crawford Loritts, "Staying Faithful, Staying Relevant: The Use and Abuse of Polemical Preaching"
12. Jeff Louie, "Gospel and Community: Definitions and Crucial Issues"
13. C. J. Mahaney, "Trinitarian Pastoral Ministry"
14. Tom Nelson and Matt Perman, "The Gospel and Money"
15. Tim Savage, "Power in Weakness: The Heart of Gospel Ministry"
16. Colin Smith, "Transformational Expository Preaching"
17. Scotty Smith, "A Biblical Theology of Worship: On Preference and Other Matters"
18. Stephen Um, "On Ministry and Revolving Doors: Practical Challenges and Ideas for Ministry in a Mobile Society"
19. Sandy Willson, "Gospel Mission to the World: Arrogance or Love?"

Silicon Valley Fight Club

Has anyone else seen or heard of this before? ESPN did their research and made this video just 3 months ago, but apparently the Silicon Valley Fight Club has been in existence for several years--a gathering of Bay Area males who work in high tech and who fight each other (oftentimes using keyboards, Martha Stewart magazines, and toilet seats as weapons). Part of me wants to join. Part of me thinks this is ridiculous.

Are The Suburbs Killing Your Manhood?

Men, this is a great article: Are The Suburbs Killing Your Manhood?

An excerpt:

The problem comes when our environment begins dictating our behavior and thereby stripping men of the very things that feed our manishness...

But maybe the truest calling of man lies in the wilderness of life; in learning to thrive in the environments where complete control is not possible.

Think about every man you looked up to as a kid. Chances are they continually faced environments outside their complete control. Environments in which there was no guarantee of safety or success. Where one can only hope to influence rather than rule. Firefighters dueling with fire, soldiers battling the fog and friction of war, explorers traversing foreign territories, pilot’s pushing the boundaries of flight, or even the missionary working in inner-city New York. Each learning to thrive without being in control.

HT: McCoy/Subtext

San Francisco: The Most Walkable City in the U.S.

This week San Francisco was awarded as the most "walkable" city in the nation.

See the full rankings at WalkScore.com.

See the Chronicle article on San Francisco's award.

Note: this study did not factor hills into its analysis. If it had factored in hills, as walkable and wonderful as San Francisco is, I'm sure the rankings would've come out differently.

Saturday Shot

Your Theology and Other Christians

Wherever you come down theologically, this is an excellent post...

31 Years

Mom and Dad, happy anniversary! Happy 31 years (7/17/77). I love you. Thanks for giving me the gift of two parents committed to each other for 31 years. I praise God for the grace he's poured out on your marriage.

PS. Dad, I think it's time to bring back the mustache and sideburns.

9 Truths That Must Take Root for You To Be Fully Alive to God

From J.I. Packer's introductory essay in In My Place Condemned He Stood:

"Only where these nine truths have taken root and grow in the heart will anyone be fully alive to God."

(1) God..."condones nothing," but judges all sin as it deserves: which Scripture affirms, and my conscience confirms, to be right.

(2) My sins merit ultimate penal suffering and rejection from God's presence (conscience also confirms this), and nothing I do can blot them out.

(3) The penalty due to me for my sins, whatever it was, was paid for me by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in his death on the cross.

(4) Because this is so, I through faith in him am made "the righteousness of God in him," i.e. I am justified; pardon, acceptance and sonship become mine.

(5) Christ's death for me is my sole ground of hope before God. "If he fulfilled not justice, I must; if he underwent not wrath, I must to eternity." (John Owen)

(6) My faith in Christ is God's own gift to me, given in virtue of Christ's death for me: i.e. the cross procured it.

(7) Christ's death for me guarantees my preservation to glory.

(8) Christ�s death for me is the measure and pledge of the love of the Father and the Son to me.

(9) Christ's death for me calls and constrains me to trust, to worship, to love and to serve.

J.I. Packer & Mark Dever, In My Place Condemned He Stood

For the past two months I've been feasting on J.I. Packer and Mark Dever's excellent book, In My Place Condemned He Stood. I don't say this often, but I'll say it here, every Christian leader should read this book.

Tim Keller's endorsement for the book puts it well:

"The essays in this volume by Packer and Dever are some of the most important things I have ever read. If you want to preach in such a way that results in real conversions and changed lives, you should master the approach to the cross laid out in this book."

Rest, Hebrews 3:7-4:13

Here's my sermon from Sunday, a sermon on Rest from Hebrews 3:7-4:13.

Download: Rest.mp3
Listen: Rest

Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain

John Piper on why God doesn't fully explain pain:

One of the reasons God rarely gives micro reasons for his painful providences, but regularly gives magnificent macro reasons, is that there are too many micro reasons for us to manage, namely, millions and millions and millions and millions and millions...

But we can always object that there are other easier ways for God to accomplish those things. We want to know more specifics: Why now? Why this much? Why this often? Why this way? Why these people?

The problem is, we would have to be God to grasp all that God is doing in our problems. In fact, pushing too hard for more detailed explanations from God is a kind of demand that we be God.

Read the whole thing...

Marriage to a Difficult Man

Right now my wife is reading the book, Marriage to a Difficult Man. Hopefully she's not mistaking this book as autobiography, but rather enjoying this biography of Sarah Edwards' marriage to Jonathan Edwards.

Saturday Shot

Cru and his friend Adrienne kissing/hugging/wrestling.

Photo: Shannon Maass

Mark Steele, Half-Life/Die Already

I think it's particularly due to the season of life I'm in (turning 30/parenting a toddler/2nd kid on the way/stress/coming to better understand who I am and God's call on my life/etc.) that this week I've been entertained, helped, and moved to laugh out loud by reading Mark Steele's book, Half-Life/Die Already.

John Calvin's Birthday

John Piper offers some reflections on John Calvin's 499th birthday...

The Best Thing About Prayer...

"The best thing about prayer is who you get to be with when you pray."
-Ben Patterson

Sermon on Marriage

During my 4.5 years living in Santa Barbara, I benefited tremendously from sitting under the preaching of Reed Jolley at Santa Barbara Community Church. This past week I enjoyed, and was helped by, listening to a recent message Reed delivered on marriage. Single or married, I encourage you to give this message a listen:Download Marriage.mp3

Champion. Brother. Priest.

Here's my sermon from Sunday:

Listen: Champion. Brother. Priest. (Hebrews 2:8b-18)
Download: Champion. Brother. Priest.mp3 (Hebrews 2:8b-18)