This one wasn't submitted via the blog, but it was asked to "me" publicly in the Biblical Recorder by Steve Davis, pastor of a really exciting NC church, Spout Springs Church, in Cameron. Here is the original question, and here is an answer (though, I must add, though I am on the task force, I am not an officially recognized spokesperson for the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, hereafter "GCR.")
I can certainly understand Steve's question… and hate that it has to be asked. But I understand why it is, and I can answer pretty confidently "no." I might have to go back and review what Danny Akin actually said in that message, but I am quite sure that no "acid test" regarding style has been given in the GCR task force talks about what should be considered "acceptable preaching." And I have worn jeans to every GCR meeting except one, and that was because my wife bought me a kickin' new pair of dress pants I wanted to show off.
Regarding preaching, Danny Akin's (who is a close friend) concern is that preaching be biblical and Gospel-centered. That is actually a direct quote I heard Danny say this past week… And I'm certain that "biblical" and "Gospel-centered" is something we can all agree are non-negotiables for Baptist preaching. We all have opinions, perhaps strong ones, about the best way to ensure we are doing that… some may believe it ought to be "verse by verse" exposition, others maybe feel more freedom in creative packaging. I certainly have opinions on that. But style is not nearly as important as substance. And style (reasonably speaking) will not be, and should not be, a defining issue for a Great Commission Resurgence. Until someone can get me a chapter and verse citation for why preaching must be verse by verse, it will not be a defining issue for us.
If it helps, Steven Furtick, while not on the GCR, is a good friend of
mine that I speak with regularly (read Steve's original question for
context on that one). And it is also worthy of note thatAndy Stanley is a keynote speaker at this year's pastor's conference.
My own preaching style, for whatever it is worth, is a mixture of "book" studies (currently we are in a series called "Mystery & Clarity" through Ephesians) and topical series. Last year we were about 2/3 book study and 1/3 topical, and some messages were mixtures of both. John Stott said in his excellent little book A Preacher's Portrait that a Bible teacher is a "steward" of God's word. House stewards in Paul's day were charged with feeding the children what the parents had bought for them. A good steward knows how to balance the children's meals, and how to serve it to them in a way they will eat it. In the same way, we must know what our people can handle and how best to serve it to them. Thus the good pastor, I believe, is certainly committed to teaching the "whole counsel of God," but also knows his audience and serves it to them in a way that they can get it. How to do that is the sacred charge of each pastor, and we may disagree on the best form of that, but it is not a reason for division.
And, for the record, we call the "platforms" at most of our venues "stages," and if anyone refers to the band as the "praise team" we immediately put them under church discipline.
A Great Commission Resurgence will be built on the centrality and priority of the Gospel, not on a particular style or way of dress. (I'll be talking more about this at our upcoming Advance the Church event this Thursday, though the audience there will not be exclusively Southern Baptist.)
And, to note, every time I've gone to meet with the IMB I've worn jeans and an untucked shirt, too. Please don't tell my mom.
JD,
Thanks for the excellent response and I certainly hope you’re right. If you were the voice of the GCR Task Force, I’d feel a lot better.
But I still have concerns. For one thing, if there is a “voice” for the GCR Task Force it’s Dr. Akin, and your view doesn’t match what I hear him saying in public. In a recent article from Baptist Press about his visit to Union University, he again seemed to define Biblical Preaching as expository preaching (as opposed to topical).
Second, Steven Furtick is your friend, but he wasn’t invited to the table (and I know you weren’t the one handing out invitations). From my limited, flawed perspective, your 2/3 book study style makes you acceptable. Furtick’s 100% topical does not.
I know it’s not at all about me, but I don’t think I’ll really feel comfortable that your opinion is representative of the “official” position until I stop hearing leaders like Dr. Akin publicly equating “Biblical Preaching” with “Expository Preaching.” And I’ll relax a lot when guys like I mentioned in the original piece start being invited to the table.
Thanks again for being willing to let your voice be heard on this issue. It is appreciated.
Thanks for your post and all that God is using you to do for His Glory. I’m an SBC & Acts 29 guy myself, and I’m really praying for the Holy Spirit to use the GCR to bring revival to our dying denomination… As far as the preaching stuff goes, it seems to me that expository preaching is least “dangerous” way of preaching in regards to taking things out of context, but if you really want to take something out of context then expository preaching is not going to stop you. Looking at the gospels, Jesus “preached” topical “sermons.” He spoke with people about questions and used parables to teach and explain. I completely agree with your focus on expository preaching, but topical at times… Keep fighting the good fight of The Faith my brother.
I must say that I also have a “concern that preaching be biblical and Gospel-centered.” I agree with J.D. that “biblical and Gospel-centered” is something we can all agree that are non-negotiables Christian preaching.
But, I must say that the a preachers “dress” and the way he organizes the preaching material (through ‘whole books’ or ‘series preaching’) is not the central issue of Gospel-centered preaching. Now, concerning how a preacher dresses, it seems that ‘dress’ would fall under the category of ‘de-contextualizing’ the Gospel message from our SBC sub-cultural biases. (I am taking the position that the medium of clothing sends a message also.) But again, this is not the foundational issue of Gospel-centered preaching.
The Gospel is the hermeneutical key to understanding any part of the Bible (1 Timothy 2:5-6; Romans 1:16). While all Orthodox Evangelical Protestants would agree with this statement philosophically, I think many diverge from it in practice. Much of the preaching I hear in SBC pulpits falls into the error of what Goldsworthy calls “evangelical Judaism.” What he means is that the Gospel is only applied for conversion, but not for sanctification. Simply put, application often ends up sounding something like “love Jesus more, try harder morally.” It’s a very subtle shift, but a very dangerous one. (See Graeme Goldsworthy’s book “Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture.”)
Gospel-centered preaching applies the text by asking two simple questions:
1. How does this text relate to Christ?
2. How do we relate to Christ?
I think Tim Keller illustrates well what Goldsworthy is arguing.
Here is a helpful sermon: http://www.theresurgence.com/r_r_2006_session_seven_audio_keller
Here is a helpful article:
http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf
I am not as optimistic as you are J.D. that this GCR will bring us to greater gospel centrality largely because the top leaders in this task force, including Akin, do not preach Gospel centered sermons. I have heard Akin and other top leaders preach many times, and they still motivate obedience with shame and guilt. Akin consistently tells people they ought to be ashamed of themselves when he preaches. He continues to teach legalistic messages that fail to show the centrality of Christ in every text. He fails to understand what wisdom is, speaking about it as if wisdom is a law.
There is a whole crop of young guys who are listening to Keller, Driscoll, Carson, Dever, Chandler, etc. who see that our leaders in the SBC aren’t even speaking the same language. The SBC leadership remains locked in legalism, so even if we get more money to the IMB, I am not that confident that our missionaries will be trained properly. I pray I am wrong.
The last thing I am worried about is people feeling left out because they wear their shirts untucked. If I were them, I wouldn’t want to be a part of the SBC if I was excluded for that.
I work with your dad, so I’ll see if he will make your mom aware of your break with proper IMB meeting decorrum.:>)
Thanks for your input about the GCR position.