The Bible, the Preacher, and the Spirit (8)

Strict rules are unhelpful, but if a preacher would spend thirty minutes to an hour expounding on one to three passages every Sunday, a healthy congregation can be developed over the long run. Anything less than twenty-fives minutes is probably too short for most Sunday sermons, unless the preaching is at the same time concise, deep, and explosive, or unless the church holds several meetings a week with good attendance from the people. A pivotal factor, of course, is in how skillfully the preacher expounds and applies the biblical passages.

Nevertheless, if a shorter approach is taken, the members should consume supplemental materials throughout the week. This is true even if the Sunday sermons are much longer and detailed, but it is especially needed when they are rather short and simple. The church can help supply these in various ways, perhaps through suggested readings, prayer meetings, and Bible classes. The leadership should realize that some congregations take "church" very seriously, making it an integral aspect of their lives, so that they even have daily meetings. I think all congregations should strive toward this, but the least they can do is to have two or three meetings a week.

At any rate, it is good for believers to develop greater interest in preaching and zeal in worship. Endurance will naturally increase. Where it has been established as a matter of habit and culture, as with many congregations in times past, extended gatherings are the norm. And where there is revival and awakening, the people even yearn to have them daily.

Here we find the basic model of the ministry of the word, or the two elements of biblical preaching. First, the preacher reads from the Bible. Then, he gives the exposition and application of the verses that he has read, just as the Levites were "making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read." Likewise, Paul instructs Timothy, "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13).

Whether the preaching lasts for five minutes or five hours, this is to be the basic and usual pattern. There are a number of examples from the Bible to illustrate this. We will select one from the ministry of Jesus:

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:16-21)

We are to build all our ministry efforts on this model of Scripture reading and exposition. This applies not only to the Sunday sermons, but to all aspects of Christian outreach such as discipleship, evangelism, and even parenting.

(to be continued)