Thursday, June 04, 2015

Perspectives on Preaching from the Giants


I have scoured countless books and resources for better helps and tips on preaching.  Some have argued that preaching could be best summed up as the explanation and application of Scripture.  This view would have differing camps rooted in differing degrees regarding the percentage that one might commit to explanation or application (e.g. 75% explanation & 25% application, 25% explanation & 75% application, or whatever).

The following are two different approaches suggested by two of my heroes . . . "giants" I call them.  Dr. John Piper and Dr. Timothy Keller offer their thoughts on how they approach the task of declaring the Word of God.  Both are good, both offer ideas that maintain their God-given giftedness and abilities, Piper strikes me as being dynamically dependent upon the Holy Spirit while Keller is thoughtfully careful in doing all the scholarly preparation required for a skillful delivery.  Both are faithful and devoted to Jesus the "craft of preaching" and also men of deep spiritual integrity and wisdom.

Piper offers his concise and weighty idea of "expository exultation" that echoes influences from the likes of Jonathan Edwards in a great snippet found over at Desiring God's site entitled "What I Mean by Preaching."

Keller, in his typical thought-out gospel-centric culturally engaging style suggests several points to how he approaches preaching.  In his TGC workshop "Preaching to the Heart [Affections]," Keller notes that effective preaching (to the affections) is cultural, affectionate, imaginative, specific, wonderous, and Christocentric.  Keller also draws much from his reading and understanding of Edwards in how he approaches the declaration of God's Word to God's people.