It is difficult to believe that we are already 1/4 of the way through the course. This week, the Rockbridge students will turn in some reading questions and we will deal with some issues such as illness and theology, and bioethics.
In our discussions, I just wanted to share with you a little about preaching funerals. Sometimes you will be called upon to preach a funeral for someone you don't know very well. I am often glad to do this, but it is challenging to personalize your message.
Yesterday, I conducted a funeral for a gentleman I did not know very well. Bro. Roger did know him, so he actually observed my going through some of this process first hand
I had about an hour to circulate among the family, and I asked different ones, "If you could describe _______________ in one or two words, what would you say?" I found the answers to be fairly consistent: "hard worker," "knowledgeable/wise," "quiet," "married for 57 years!" I used to ask people if any particular memory stands out, but lots of times they "draw a blank" when I ask that question. This one, about describing someone in a few words, seems to work much better.
The people I talked to also told me about his early church attendance, that he had been saved and baptized. The church attendance had slacked off in the last few years; however, his three sons and several of the grandchildren very openly testified of their faith and even of his faith.
When I talked with him last, he had caught a squirrel. I went back and forth in my mind as to whether I would use that as part of the message. I actually was able to use that as an illustration of how we are captured and Christ sets us free. I also was able to use the fact that the Bible compares marriage to the church. This fit in very well because of their longevity in marriage.
During the service, one of the grandsons spoke of some specific memories and also talked of his grandfather's "Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." He did a very good job of speaking.
All of this new information made the task much easier. The sons also encouraged me to transithon into an evangelistic message as part of the service too. I usually do that anyway, but they particularly wanted the Gospel to be presented.
So, it ended up being a good day.
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Yes it was a good day!! Amen
The title of my book is THE ART AND CRAFT OF BIBLICAL PREACHING. The editors are Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson. I will be reading twenty chapters this week.
64.Why All the Best Preachers are Theological
65. Letting the Listeners Make the Discoveries
66. Conviction and Compassion
67. The Inadaquacy of "Yes" Theology
68. What Great Coaches-and Preachers-Know
69. Preaching That Opens Ears
70. Leading Hearers to the Tree of Life
71. Fundamentals of Genre
72. From B.C. to 11 A.M.
73. The Big Idea of Narrative Preaching
74. Life in Leviticus
75. Apply Within
76. Application without Moralism
77. Blending Bible Content and Life Application
78. Showing Promise
79. Helping Hearers Practice What We Preach
80. The Heresy of Application
81. Preaching for True Holiness
82. Less Joe, MOre Jesus
83. Preaching That Promotes Self-Centeredness
84. The Danger of Practical Preaching
Chapter sixty-five is called Letting the Listeners Make the Discoveries. It is about the fact that the Bible can speak for itself. We must keep the Bible first and let the urgency come through. The truth will sell itself if we will let it.
Chapter sixty-seven is about conviction and compassion. It takes both toughness and tenderness to help rescue people from sin. We must not have too many "conviction-driven" sermons. We have to have a good balance of uplifting sermons as well.
Thanks, Roger!
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