FEATURED THEME
Dr. Mark Scott serves as OCC’s director of preaching and professor of New Testament.
LETTING THE TEXT WIN Mark Scott
Note from President Proctor: When Mark Scott was my preaching professor, he challenged us to be biblical preachers—to “let the text win” in our lives, our study, our sermons. Below is an edited version of his chapter in The Mind of Christ (College Press, 1987), and it summarizes well what he taught—and still teaches.
is indispensable to Christianity.” The message which saves is also the message which nurtures. As Paul Scherer said, “Nothing will replace biblical preaching unless it is better biblical preaching.” This article will overview the making of a biblical preacher, the nature of biblical preaching, and a method of preparing a biblical sermon.
Preaching is an important service to God. When a congregation seeks a minister, often the first question is, “Can he The Making of a Biblical Preacher preach?” Surveys show that preachers themselves list preaching “God makes his appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:20). The idea that in the top three priorities of their ministry. Congregation and God uses fallen folk to tell others of his divine message is mindpreacher agree that biblical preaching is important. boggling to say the least. But it is his way. Therefore, the only way When one preaches the Word of God, he is following Jesus’ to keep God’s message filled with integrity is for the preacher to example. Jesus was a preacher. Thomas Goodwin said, “God be a holy vessel (2 Tim 2:20-21). The preacher will not be perfect had only one Son, and he made him a preacher.” And what a before or after he preaches, but he can and must grow into the preacher he was! He taught as one having authority, and not as likeness of Christ (Eph 4:23-24). the scribes (Matthew 7:29). The The accent in the New Testament great crowd enjoyed listening to is not on the preacher; it is on the him (Mark 12:37), and the people Nothing will replace biblical preaching message. It is his story that matters. were hanging upon his words (Luke unless it is better biblical preaching. New Testament preachers put 19:48). Even the temple police said, themselves in the background and “Never did a man speak the way this - Paul Scherer Jesus in the foreground. man speaks” ( John 7:46). However, God still uses persons Since preaching was central in as instruments of glad tidings. Phillips Brooks famously defined the ministry of Jesus, so it should be in the church. While the preaching as “truth through personality.” Bishop William A. church may not always want biblical preaching, the church Quayle has perhaps overstated the case, but he still needs to be always needs biblical preaching. John Stott is correct, “Preaching
6
TO INSPIRE
