Practice the Fundamentals

Introduction

> Engage - Have you ever lost the forest for the trees? I certainly have. I remember when I was starting to learn the electric guitar, and I began to learn some simple cords. I started with the A chord, which was easy enough I thought, then I learned the C chord which was a little worse, then the wretched G chord, I didn’t know my fingers could bend the way I forced them to, but I ended up making it work. After semi-mastering these guitar positions, naturally I moved on to Thunderstruck by AC-DC, and upon watching the tutorial video in slow, slow, motion, I promptly realized that the guitar techniques were waaaay out of my league. And so, I decided to quit the guitar. Until about a week later, my passion for guitar was rekindled, because I realized that playing guitar wasn’t about mastering dozens of techniques, but about enjoying the learning and playing experience. I lost the forest for the trees, but I re-found the forest. I remembered the fundamental truths about why I started guitar, and stopped worrying about every detail I couldn’t master in a day.

>Focus - Like me, maybe you tried a new hobby, or decided to learn a new language, or studied a new topic, and became so overcome by all the details or techniques that you lost sight of why you started in the first place. You have lost the forest for the trees. And I think this is especially easy to do in Bible college. In this class, we set out to explore how we can become great communicators of the Bible, a beautiful and necessary task. Yet, after reading hours of material on expository and topical preaching, looking at relevancy patters, and introductory methods, it can become easy to lose the forest for the trees, and forget the fundamentals of preaching. So that’s why I wrote this message to you, because I began to forget too.

> Preview - So today, we’re going to ask and answer three fundamental questions that can help us stay on track, to see the whole forest, to remember and practice the theology and fundamentals behind preaching.

>Transition: And the first fundamental question is this, What do we preach?

We Preach Christ!

>Restatement: Christ is the not only the subject, but the entire essence of our preaching. The whole message of our preaching must be centered on him.

>Summary: And Paul, in our first passage today, shows us that we can preach Christ even when we are being tugged by different expectations.

1 Corinthians 1:22–23 CSB

For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

>Signs and Wisdom

I want you to first notice the outside expectations on what should be preached. Here Paul gives two, Signs and Wisdom. If you remember much about the Jews in the gospel accounts, you know they were always asking for a sign. In the gospel of John, the very same crowd he fed at the feeding of the 5000 follow him and start asking for a sign! They’re like “Thanks Jesus, I have no idea how you pulled that off, I’m stuffed! pause How about a sign tho? How about you flip Rome over now so Israel can be redeemed.” The truth is, they had a wrong expectation of what the Christ should have looked like. Since Christ broke their expectations, preaching Christ should also.

The Greek Gentiles had expectations of Christ too, they believed that a powerful man was a wise man, and they were often captivated by wisdom. But not the wisdom of God, rather they wanted to hear the wisdom of Man. They wanted to hear fables and new teachings and philosophy that brought them satisfaction, which is the opposite of Christ’s message of repentance from sin and faith in him. They had a wrong expectation of what a king and wise man would be. Since Christ broke their expectations, preaching Christ should also.

> Christ Crucified

In fact, the two words Christ Crucified being together at all breaks expectations. A Messiah dying on a tree? That’s a stumbling block if you believe that the Messiah is your deliverer from bondage, and the cross is God’s curse on someone. A king dying on a cross? That’s foolishness if you believe that a true ruler could ever be so ashamed. But Christ breaks their expectations, because a cursed messiah, a shamed king takes the curses and shame from all who believe in him.

Relevancy:

Our culture also has expectations. The expectation of Christ in our culture is that he should only be worshipped to make the individual happy. Individual happiness is our idol. As soon as we start preaching the exclusivity and supremacy of the real Christ, and the necessity of repentance, we can expect the culture to fight back, because we have broken their expectations. So when you get accused of being a bigot, or naive, or stupid, or too conservative, or too liberal, don’t stray from the path, don’t stop. Because we preach Christ crucified, exclusive and judgmental to the Americans.

Transition: Since now we remember what (or who) we preach, let’s move on to the second fundamental question, when do we preach him? And the answer?

We Preach Christ All the Time!

>Restatement: At any time, we must be ready to preach Christ. In any scenario we find ourselves in, we’ve gotta be ready to preach tHis word.

>Summary: And so, Paul in his letter to Timothy gives that command, to preach Christ at all times.

2 Timothy 4:2a (CSB)

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.

>Preach the Word: Paul starts by exhorting to “Preach the Word.” It’s easy to overlook this and focus on the other details of the passage, but it’s important here to realize that preaching is commanded. And Christ, the Word of God is the subject of this preaching. Even if you aren’t going to be the lead pastor, you can still preach in other ways. You can preach through praying, encouraging, serving, admonishing, through giving. The ways to preach the message of God’s word from Christ are many, and not limited only to the stage.

>In Season: And we preach this message especially when it’s opportune. That’s what Paul means when he says “In Season.” When you have a hurting friend that needs prayer, when people are asking you about your faith, or when you are asked to preach for a Sunday or Wednesday service. These are times where people want us to preach the word, when people are eager to hear what God has to say, and we must jump on these opportunities to preach Christ.

>Out of Season:

But we are also called to preach out of season, when people don’t want us to preach. Satan tells the world, “The Last thing you need is a preacher... what you really need is a new car, or a new president, or a new job, these things will make you happy.” And because the non-Christian follows Satan as his king, he is happy to oblige, he is happy to never hear a preacher his entire life. But we know that a preacher is exactly what he needs, and that’s why Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word out of season. When it’s not what the ears of others want to hear.

Illustration:

But even when we consider the time out of season, it’s still in season for God. I think of the first Christian Martyr, Stephen. Stephen preached to the most out-of-season crowd you can think of he was martyred shortly after. But his martyrdom was certainly not for nothing, because a great persecution broke out right after, which sent the Church all over the mediterranean, preaching the gospel wherever they went. What is out of season for man is in season for God.

Or I think of Martin Luther, who was imprisoned and threatened with death after the pushed the Catholic Church to return to the principles of scripture. Nevertheless, he led thousands upon thousands of churches to base their life and practices on scripture alone, to preach the word. Because what is out of season for man is in season for God.

Relevancy:

Maybe preaching all the time looks like asking your resturant waiter if they would like to prayed for when you pray over your meal.

Maybe preaching all the time looks like admonishing your friend when they start to value a relationship with their boyfriend or girlfriend more than a relationship with Jesus.

Maybe preaching all the time looks like mentioning Jesus at least once a day in conversation with your non-believing coworkers.

Transition: So what is the purpose of preaching? Why do we preach Christ, all the time? This is the third and most fundamental question of preaching, and the answer is...

We Preach for Salvation!

>Restatement: The reason for our preaching is so that the Spirit may bring transformation in others. So that they might be saved by God.

>Summary: And that’s what Paul is concerned about in our last passage. He shows that God reaching his people and bringing them to faith depends on our preaching.

Romans 10:13–15 CSB

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

Our call:

I want to first bring attention to how beautifully simple God’s salvation is. Isn’t it amazing that God’s salvation is simply a call? If I had to be holy, if I had to be worthy, if I had to be powerful, or I had to be loving to earn my salvation, then I would never earn it, and I’d be justly thrown into the pits of hell. But the one who calls, called me first, the one who is holy, worthy, powerful, and loving. So what can I do but call back? This beautiful and simple salvation has been given to me, and so I call on his name, and I am saved. And this is the same for all people. If anyone honestly calls to Christ for their sins to be forgiven, they will be.

Our Responsibility:

You might be thinking: “Landon, that’s all wonderful, but what does that have to do with preaching?” Much in every way. And Paul tells us here, that without believing, no one calls, and without hearing, no one believes, and without sending, no one preaches. The fact is, God’s call from heaven to sinners happens through us. God is the sender in this passage! We are the tools that God uses to save souls!

Our Limitation:

There’s no mincing Paul’s words here, that the preaching we do (or don’t do) hold great impact for the kingdom. Now that you feel the weight of that, let’s take some off. It is our job that the gospel in here (Bible) comes into here, (ears), but it’s the Spirit’s job that the gospel here (ears) comes into here (heart). We can preach without pressure, because we know that the great power of preaching to save relies on God and not us.

Our Pleasure:

Not only can we preach without pressure, but we can preach with joy. We should be thankful for preaching! God could save without us, but God wanted to include us for our joy! You have felt it at some point. The joy of leading a child or a student to Jesus on a Wednesday night, the joy of supply preaching a sermon to a church in need, the joy of serving your city with your mentor groups. These are all ways of preaching that God has given us for our joy.

Our Feet:

Paul adds this quotation from Isaiah 52:7. It says “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” This passage seems strange, but the context helps us with the meaning. So let’s read the whole verse:

Isaiah 52:7 CSB

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

This gives us a vision of the salvation we preach, a salvation where all relationships are restored, complete, fulfilled; it entails a salvation where the man and the world are free from the terror and bondage of sin. What a world we preach. That is why our feet are beautiful, because our feet carry the best news known to humankind. The mercy of God our savior. And that’s why we preach.

Transition: Now that we’ve answered each fundamental question, what are we left with? This...

DT: We preach Christ, all the time, for the salvation of others.

Conclusion

That simple truth, that We preach Christ, all the time, for the salvation of others it’s the reason we exist. It’s the reason the church exists, and it’s why this class exists. The reason we learn relevancy, and sermon internalization, (which I obviously failed at this week), the reason we learn exegesis, it’s because preaching Christ all the time for the salvation of others is our purpose.

Restate Intro:

So when you start to lose the forest for the trees, and start to forget that fundamental truth, practice it, remember it, and let it fuel your preaching. When your homework starts to pile up and you forget why you are here in the first place, practice the fundamentals, find the forest of preaching in all it’s glory, and Preach Christ, all the time, for the salvation of the others.