And just before we launch ourselves into this task of preaching to one another, we want to talk about how do the word and the spirit function and how do we properly honor them as we preach. So obviously we want to be workmen who are well approved, well prepared for the task, but ultimately we want to be men on our knees who are thinking of our dependence upon what God provides for us. So our goal for this lesson if you look at your notes is to consider approaches to preparing messages that keep preachers true to the priorities of the word and spirit. We didn't talk about it so much because it's often just intuitive what one would be expecting of a preacher when you preach from the word. How do you say, I'm more concerned about the word than the words that I say. How do we communicate that when we preach? Here's some ideas just to keep in mind. A, preach from an open Bible. Now let me sound obvious and there are certain caricatures in our society. I mean, if you ever watch Billy Graham preach, what does he always has? He always has the large Bible until these recent years when his Parkinson's has been more difficult. But do you remember now it was a large Bible, but it was a Bible that was black and the pages kind of grouped over his hand both ways, right? And his classic phrase is the Bible says. And as simple as that may be, it is powerful, not just in culture but to the human heart. This is not what I'm saying. The Bible says. Now if what we're tempted to do when we're in academic settings is we've kind of got our sermon here on paper and we've got a small lecturing like I've got today, the temptation is to come to the end of our passage. However, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Now what did I just communicate? Now we're done with God's word. We're ready for the important stuff, my sermon. And the ability to communicate what I want you to hear is out of this open book. That it has more import in my mind than what I'm saying. So I'm going to base whatever I say on this Bible and it doesn't close the expositors ethic. Let me tell you what this text says. And that pretty much says obviously it's a visual thing, but you are saying with every aspect of the tools in front of you, this is a prime importance. So simply keeping a Bible open as you preach is one way in this culture anyway that we communicate the importance of the word. Now everybody's thinking what about modern PowerPoint? You know what about when typically you know even in churches that use a lot of powerport for people to look at while the scripture is being read, typically the preacher is still reading from a Bible. Some of the more noteworthy preachers who are appealing to younger audience these days have been known to start taking their computer into the pulpit and preach from the laptop, you know do that. Most stop doing it because they recognize even in a modern culture our sense is the word is what's represented on the pages here. Now you and I both know an electronic representation of the words is just as good as in the other, but there is something powerful about saying this doesn't close while I preach, while I preach this stays open. A second thing to do to talk about the priority of the word and even the patterns we've talked about emphasize this is refer to the text often in the sermon. Now if you're just following that pattern that we've talked about state place proof, state an idea, place it, say locate where in the text it is, state place proof, even the placement is going to take people back to the word over and over again. Look with me at verse three, look at verse two. Again in this culture the ability to say it's not me, this is what the word says by frequent citation of the text is typically very very important. We take persons to help for parallel passages. That's another way that we emphasize the importance of the word. Now this can be overdone, can't it? Early on in prep and del we talked about preaching that almost becomes let me show you that I've used my concordance in preparing this message. Because I go from this text to this text to this text and the classic line of the preacher with a congregation that loves turning text is what? All how I love to hear those leaves turn, you know, as people are turning back and forth. But it can ultimately be distracting, right? Instead of making a point of what this text says, we are just telling people I've got more and more text I can take you to. And people lose the sense of where they are. Tell me other problems in this culture in this day. If you're referring to numerous numerous text outside of your central text during the course of a sermon, what else may happen? Will? They just don't know, so they give up and tune out. I don't know. Now the thing we have to say is you all will be in many different church settings. Some of you will go to church settings which are highly traditional and well schooled, some of you won't. Some of you through the course of your ministry careers will vary. You know, you may start out in very traditional churches and then you may begin a ministry to people who are fairly unchurched. And so, you know, it's a, it's a attacked and prudent issue, isn't it? I'll tell you something that makes people nervous because I think most of us like saying, not only is it safe here, look where this word is used also. And we'll turn to another text or a parallel passage. It makes people nervous when you can't find it. Now, it's not just that you don't know where it is, but for most of us when we start preaching, what? I mean, I know where John 316 is, but with all 100 of you looking at me, I can't quite, you know, get there. And then the pages stick together and all that. I find these days, I often use those little sticky papers and I put them in my Bible to the passage I want to turn to. So I'm just confident. My concentration is not broken with trying to find the page. I found the page and I can be engaging people while they're finding the page. So I'm not worried about, can I find the text? And there was a time that I used to use paperclips to do that. That I would use a paperclip typically on the bottom side of my Bible, you know, so that I could turn to it just where my hand would fall and do that. Obviously, people see a lot of paperclips or markers here. They get a little concern for you, you know, so, you know, I just turn it. And I'm there and I can keep talking, knowing typically, I even mark often on my Bible in pencil, where I'm going to be reading from. Now, have you done this? Some of you teach Sunday school or preach and you somebody hand you a Bible different than the one you prepared your message is? You know, your eye knows even where to look on the page for the information you're looking for. So, some of the, you know, the keen idea here is you're very familiar with the text, but when you turn to the other passage, you got to mark so your eye figures out where it is on the page two. And it doesn't make people nervous that you can't find the text because you've kind of pre-inserted those things. So, taking people to helpful parallel passages, says something about the priority, and if you can find it, that also says something about your priority. Three, we've talked about this before. How do I indicate my concern for the priority of the word, give people time to find the passage before you read from it? If I'm saying, look with me at this passage, and then I start talking. What I really said was, I don't expect you to find it. It's not really important that you find it. So, if we are going to be taking people to parallel passages, we follow some of the same principles of the reason that we developed scripture introductions, right? I mean, scripture introductions are nice for context and creation of longing, but just has the pragmatic thing of, give people time to get to the text. Because if we just start talking with Alan there, we basically said it's not important that you read along. So, giving people time to read the text, find it before we read it, is encouraging people to read the text. I have begun to do something in recent years. I wonder if your pastors do where you are. And that is encourage people to read the text with you. Have you done that? I find that very powerful these days, that if I'm not only saying to people, look with me, but now read it with me. What does it say? And you actually have them read a clause with you that really makes your point? I mean, they can't help but miss it and feel the impact of it if the words have come out of their mouth as they are talking. So, I confess I was not taught to do that, but I've watched other preachers do it and felt their people want to do it then. I'm in Gid, you're giving me time, you're letting me read the text, I feel the weight of it. So, occasionally I think asking people to read the text with you, I'm not talking about just before the sermon, but even in the sermon, when you want them to really catch important details to ask them to read part of the text with you. Now, if you will, look in your Bibles at Luke 18. Because of the next thing we want to say, how do I show the import of the text? Well, I read it meaningfully. I read it meaningfully. For many of us, if we are only preparing academically, so we're in our studies, we're preparing our message. And we may even practice our message, but one of the things we often do not do is practice the reading of the text. Which is the first major thing we're actually going to say to people after that little scripture introduction. So, reading the text meaningfully involves reading at a halftime so that you know at the end of the sentence there is a question mark. It doesn't surprise you at the end of that sentence, or it's an exclamation point or something that you're prepared for. That certain words are hard to say together, so preparing ahead of time helps. But here's some principles. How do we read the word meaningfully? I would say this is part of what is that voice you hear in your head when you think about what preaching is? What does it mean to read the text meaningfully? I think for this generation particularly, it is not reading sentimentally, nor theatrically, nor with stained glass preacher tones. Now, what stained glass preacher tones? Luke 181, then Jesus told us disciples are parable to show them that they should always pray. If you heard it done that way, and you're kind of going, oh, get out of my face. I mean, it just is such a put off these days, although there was a time when being very oratorical in the presentation scripture, was part of honoring it. Now, it becomes a caricature, and so it seems to dishonor it. So not reading sentimentally, nor theatrically, nor with stained glass preacher tones, but this. Read at a conversational pace, let voice and intonation reflect content and meaning, and the primary way of doing that, which I wish you could almost put in boldface, is item D. Infocise verbs and modifiers. Infocise verbs and modifiers. Now, a verb is almost always going to carry the action or thrust of the sentence, right? So just saying, I need to emphasize the verbs is going to help your intonation carry the content of the passage. Modifiers. If I just say he was a big man, it doesn't carry the impact of saying he was a big man. The adjectives are often carrying the nuance of the sentence, whereas the verbs are carrying the thrust of it. So as you read a passage, and I'm going to have you do it, first of all, I want us just to hear it just so you're ready, I'm going to put you on the spot. First of all, I'm going to ask you to read it badly, okay? I'm just going to say read it flatly and fast. Luke 18, you got it there? Somebody hand it. Luke 18. Just read the first two verses, but I really just want you to read fast and flat for the moment. Excellent. That is just exactly the way we don't want to do it. Now, if you say what carries meaning in the first two verses, will, verse 1. If you said, what do you really want to emphasize out of that first verse? What would be words to pick up and kind of emphasize with your voice, just identify them first? Yes, definitely. Certainly he's going to carry the meaning that whole verse is going to be in the modifier. What else? Say it again? Yeah, Tom says, not give it surely. Those are going to be important in terms of what we would say. Okay, well, again, nothing theatrical. I mean, really, the idea is not to say, now I'm really going to emphasize those words like I'm in a theater somewhere. It really is saying, if I were conversing with someone and that's the point I want to make, how would you do it conversational? Give it a go. Read verse 1. And again, I'm not talking about theatrical, but how do you make your words say the meaning of what's there? I mean, I think that's helpful. I probably would have hit the show a little harder. He wanted to show them if you're doing an IV. Can look at verse 2. What things would you emphasize in verse 2 if you were saying, this is going to kind of carry this? Yeah, I think it's the feared and cared about. He knew their feared God, nor cared about men. I mean, I think it's the feared and cared about that are going to carry it. Try it, Ken. I think that's strong. And again, now you're not only slowing down over the words, you're actually showing the difference in how you set between fear and care. The thing we're trying to do is restore natural speech, right? That's all we're really trying to do. We're trying not to be theatrical and we're trying not to be flat. We're saying, if I was talking to someone, if these verses were the Apostle talking to you, how would he have said it? If Luke were talking to you, how would he have said it? And in saying it, we are trying to repeat that conversational tone. It can engage people, or it can put them off. But if you recognize this, your reading is your first interpretation. Your reading of the text is your first interpretation. So if people are saying, what does this text mean? The way that we say it is actually interpreting the text. So when I'm saying, as Ken did, in a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God, or cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with a plea, grant me justice against my adversary. I'm going to do something to try to say there are words that make the point and say them as best I can. There are people who are great preachers who are poor readers. As far back as broad as he says, there are far more great preachers than there are great readers of text. And by that it means we typically, I mean, so curious, so it's of foreign to our theology. We dispense with the text so we can get to our sermon. Instead of thinking, the text itself has the power to transform. And it is, in fact, the first sermon because how we're reading the text is explaining it to people as we go. And if we're thinking in those terms, it helps. So here's some hints. Item E, I didn't cover except in passing. Practice out loud for sentence breaks, punctuation surprises, pronunciation problems. But hints for doing this, A, use the scripture introduction to prepare listeners for surprises and difficulties. Now what kind of surprises might be in the text? There might be hard terms or hard names. When I went to a town in southern Illinois and preached for a while, people told me that their preacher had taught them who our taxor access was. And I have no idea who our taxor access is. Well, over time I learned that was our dessert season. But a generation had grown up calling him our taxor access. And I mean, it didn't help. Now, part of the difficulty, of course, is that different generations and even different translations will articulate the words differently. If you were to pronounce the book in the Bible, a backook, the way the King James did, you would do it the way I just said it, a backook. But most of you are taught in Hebrew, it's what? Have a cook with the intonation and the vowel change. Now, in our culture, this is a hard place to be right now because those people who are, let's say, 50 years and up, even if they are reading NIV, their ears hear King James pronunciations. It's just kind of what they're accustomed to. So, you know, Jericho is Jericho and Gideon is Gideon and most of their ears expect that. So if you end up saying Gideon, which would be more proper, it's going to strike them as very odd. On the other hand, you're talking to many people who don't know the pronunciation one way or another, so they're going to take it from you. Most people, if they're preparing, are looking at the King James in this curious, one of the few places still that kind of marks the vowels and the accents. The King James still, if you want to know how people pronounce the term and you don't know, we just have to say in this culture, many of you might look at artisercises and not know. You might say, how do you say Gilead? You know, is this Gilead or is this Gilead? How do I know? Get a King James Bible because the way most people who are schooled in the scriptures expect to hear it is the way the King James pointed it. And that may just be a help to you. But that's part of preparing the read is not being surprised by names. There may be different things you can say in your scripture intro about new ideas, what's being introduced here and why, new background, new context or twist. Obviously, if you're going to skip verses, you want to announce it in your scripture introduction, because if you skip a verse while you're going through, what will everyone say? You didn't see it, your eyes slipped or you're afraid of it. So, say, if you're going to skip that and if you're going to combine passages, people still are thrown when the reading goes across a chapter. You may well know the chapter divisions are not scriptural or even the verse divisions were not originally inspired, but it throws people when you stop in the middle of a verse as the end of your scripture reading. Or conversely, you go across chapters that they think you don't know what you're doing and it helps sometimes in the scripture introduction if you're training people that they know what you're doing and why. Here's an interesting hint for reading effectively. Read indelicate matters in more appropriate translations or with unconcerned matter of factness. Indelicate matters. I come to you with great bowels of mercies to which everybody in this culture kind of snickers, you know, under their breath. What would an NIV say? King James would say bowels of mercies. NIV would say with a great tenderness of heart, something like that. So it will change the idiom to be something that in you'll find you have to do that. What are other kinds of indelicate matters? And these may be ones that you'll kind of say, oh, oh, so Onan spilled his seed upon a rock. Now, the teenagers may know and they may snicker, you know, on the other hand, the three year olds and the five year olds and the eight year olds don't know what you just said. So if you get all red faced and flustered and so forth, you know, then everybody is concerned, but that's in the Bible. And there are aspects of everything you can think of, incest and rape and people who have their bowels gushing out. That was one of my son's favorite verses when he was about 11. You know, the knife goes in all the way and the fat overflows the hilt. Obviously, there are things that you can talk about that if you get flustered, it will flustered others. But kind of a, this is what the Bible says matter of factness can take you through almost anything. Practice, read meaningfully, the children, that's dad. I mean, one way to see is your scripture reading engaging. Can you hold your kids attention as you read the scriptures? Another way of indicating priority of the word is to give respect before and or after you read the word. Can you tell me it's really more right now occurring than I can remember any time in my lifetime that preachers say certain words either before or after they read the text. And it's saying, I want you to know the respect I have for the word. What are the things you hear pastors say? Okay, well, one is asking people to stand for the reading of the word to show its import. Certainly that was a pattern we know happened in the synagogue. So that would be one thing. What are the things people say to indicate the importance? Thank you. I mean, just simply listen carefully to what? To what the word of God says. Okay, so I'm identifying it as the word of God. As we are kind of in an era right now that liturgical practices are rising, particularly among younger preachers in appreciation, you will hear things like, this is the word of God and what do people often repeat at that point? Thanks be to God. Okay, so you may be after the word or an older generation would say things like thus far the word of God meaning now me. Now I never felt comfortable with that when I will tell you because it said the spirit may not be speaking through me now. Whereas I'm thinking he is if I have prepared accurately the truth but I understood that there was this sense of that was the word of God. Now there's human words about to come. I understand the ethic but I felt less comfortable with that one. I felt very comfortable with saying this is the word of God and having people say thanks be to God. So various ways that that may happen. You see another here just in my notes. Let's read together God's holy and an errant word just a way of announcing what it is we're about to read. Another way that we show the importance of the word to us is we pray either before we read or after we read the word to set it off in importance in our minds. The reason we're doing all of this and I just know that if you are like me I'm so focused on what I'm about to say that the reading of the word becomes perfunctory. So we emphasize this to say the reading is itself a type of exposition and interpretation. Sometimes it's way of studying the word itself is to read it out loud before you start doing your sermon research. To actually hear what it's saying to be a first century Christian and hear it being read to you as it comes out of your own mouth and hear what those words are carrying and to recognize again that the reading is itself an exposition and interpretation. The old word of the preaching masters is preaching is always the second sermon preaching is the second sermon that the reading of the word was the first sermon. Now the reason to emphasize the reading of the word more and more people are dependent on the public reading. Now we can say that's just a fault of our culture that people are you know that as you read they don't read along with you. But of course in the early church you know one person read the epistle everybody else listened. So it doesn't mean that we're you know so bad off but we recognize more and more in a culture and you will minister more and more to unchurched people I think generationally in your churches to recognize while I'm reading where are people looking they're looking at me. So they may not be reading the text that that awful mystical labyrinth book so hard to get through you know they're often looking at me. So as more and more our dependable are dependent on the public reading one of the things that I would encourage you to think about doing is ladling the text with your eyes you know how you ladle soup go in and out to do it this way. Then Jesus told us disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up even as I read the verse what was I doing I was looking up as much as I could I'm trying to engage those who are looking at me. Now I've I've done this in I think hundreds and hundreds of settings and I will tell you that probably in very traditional churches two thirds of the people while I'm reading are looking down. But even in the most traditional church a third of the people are looking at me and the way I keep engaging them saying this is important is looking up at them as though I'm speaking to them what the text says as a way of engaging I can't really rather they be looking at the text. But my primary concern is they not forget the text they not listen at all so I keep trying to engage them with my eyes. Another reason to emphasize the importance of the word is it reflects your own theology of the word you believe the word is able to change people eternally and is the source of authoritative truth. So the reason we preach from an open Bible try not to stumble over words unnecessarily try to read meaningfully try to say this is important more important the words I will say is because of what we know the Bible says blessed is he that reads. And they that here the words of this book it is the word of God that is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing a sunder of soul and spirit and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We could repeat the stories many time right of the person who simply read the scriptures and the spirit move their hearts to conversion or the one who simply had heard John 3.16 forever but it was read in such a way with such heart by the pastor that it finally broke through. To believe the word itself is part of God's instrument of change helps us to read it with due import. Now not only will we talk about the importance of the word today but the priorities of the spirit. I think these are not going to be new ideas to you but I want them to come in a way that I hope impresses you with the importance of being on your knees before you preach and that can be hard to do. You've prepared so well you prepared so long you're rushed before you go I sometimes say Lord forgive me I did not get on my knees before the sermon. And I don't say that is any sort of you know it's magical if you get on your knees but if the spirit is not operating in your preaching you're doing absolutely nothing. Something to remember is this preaching is itself a redemptive event when when Jesus prays he says this Lord sanctify that is make holy these disciples by truth your word is truth. I wonder if you've thought about that we often think that people will hear a sermon and then afterwards they will remember and they will act upon what we have said and that will be the sanctifying process that certainly is. But what I think we forget is the power of the spirit in the moment have you never while someone has been preaching been convicted by the spirit. I've been doing what I know is right not right I have been arrogant before God I have not listened to his word. And again in academic settings where we're training with information so that we respond to it later for the test or employed in our ministries later on we can forget that this very moment is a redemptive event. That as I am speaking the Holy Spirit is changing people right now not just out of memory but by what is being said right at this moment. So not simply thoughts from mind or memory but these things that we are reading and saying in the sermon are words of life that come by the word of life. Look how Paul says it in fresh Thessalonians. We also thank God continually because when you received the word of God which you heard from us you accepted it not as the word of men but as it is the word of God which note the present tense is at work in you who believe. The word is at work as it's being preached as it is being proclaimed. Now that to me is a both powerful and intimidating thought that as I am speaking to people the spirit is now working in them not waiting for them to apply it but right now is taking his scalpel and his forceps and working on the heart right now even as I am preaching. That that's what the spirit is doing right now. The reason for this in ways that astound us is the Bible is presenting even as I am speaking Christ as the speaker and God as the audience. Now often in the worship wars you know we get to the point of saying remember God is the audience of the worship all true. What we forget when we are preaching sometimes is not only is God the audience Christ is the speaker. If I am being true to his word if what I am saying right now is true to his word then Christ is speaking through me to his people. Remember the words of Calvin God has so chosen to anoint the lips and the tongues of his servants that when they speak the voice of Jesus comes out. And that's an amazing dynamic that God is both audience and speaker in the process of preaching. I have been in situations and you will be in them at times where I know I am facing very angry people who are very concerned about me or something the church has done. And to actually say to myself Lord let me preach to you be my audience now. Don't be ashamed of what I say let me speak for you. Now it's both ways then let me speak as though Christ were speaking to his father persecution difficulty anger embarrassment they all be here. But be my audience above these people and let me speak as your son let me not know your approach from the way I speak this day let me speak to you as your own son would. It's said in various ways you know the familiar words of second Peter for prophecy never had its origin in the will of men but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Now that's first just saying what we're working with spirit inspired text that's where we're starting and what Augustine would say remember that famous phrase where the Bible speaks God speaks. That's where the Bible speaks God is speaking but what is the Holy Spirit doing from John 16 we know this Jesus speaking but when he the spirit of truth comes he will guide you in all truth. So he's not only given the truth he's going to guide in truth but what's he going to say middle of that verse he will speak only what he hears. The spirit is only going to speak what he hears verse 14 he will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. Now here's the perception then the spirit is speaking to his people but the spirit only says what comes from Christ. So if the spirit is taking my words and working in his people the spirit is only taking what has been given to him by Christ. So in the in the Trinity economy of course and we don't want to be too boxy about this and put them in two stringent categories the father is the one who wills the son is one who performs and the spirit is the instrument. So the spirit is still the instrument of the process but he is only speaking what God has given him through Christ to do to say. So the words that are coming by virtue of the spirit are Christ's own words the spirit's testimony is of Christ and the spirit's testimony is from Christ. So that we could say this in the presence of God in Christ Jesus who will judge the living in the dead and in view of his appearing in his kingdom I give you this charge preach the word. Now this is one of those wonderful places in scripture where Paul is punning right in the presence of Christ who is the word of God preach the word of God. So that when we are preaching what are we actually preaching we are preaching Christ to his people humbles you doesn't it. In this moment just as a sacrament mediates the presence power and promises of God to his people so preaching is functioning so that I am now mediating Christ to his people by the truth of his word. His spirit is working but Christ is now present in the work of his spirit because the spirit does nothing apart from Christ. It is the testimony of Christ that has been communicated I don't want to overstate it but it's Luther's theology of Christ I am now Christ to these people by the proclamation of his word I am Christ to these people all my weaknesses all my sin but to the extent that my words are true his word I am Christ to these people. How does that happen? You know the word was made flesh but Paul takes that to new heights when he talks about preaching makes Christ ministry present notice kind of midway through verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 1. For the message of the cross yes it's foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is what it is the power of God put the two phrases together. The message of the cross is the power of God. For since in the wisdom of God the world through which wisdom did not know him God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe so that the message of the cross is the power of God to save as I preach God's power now comes and not my preaching but his power. His power now works to save. At his appointed season we are told he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior. Paul says we've moved from darkness to light but the word of light came by the preaching and people were moved from darkness to light the power of God by preaching. I wonder if you thought about the next words what that means is we become co-creators of a new creation God spoke and the world came into being but we are new creatures in Christ Jesus some of you know that goes as easily we are new creations so as God spoke his word and brought the world into being. So the preaching of his word is creating a new creation we become co-creators of the spiritual renewal of all things by the preaching of the word it it it astounds us to think when God says that all things are being worked together for good to those that love him are called according to his purpose. That he is taking by the prayers and the working of his saints all of creation and retooling it rebending it sovereignly by the actions of his saints so that all things now work together for good. Creation is being changed by our prayers and new creation is being made by our preaching we are co-creators of a new creation by the power of the spirit. How do we do that if you go on to the next page John 17 18 just working through that passage because we as proclaimers become one with the father in the spirit. Jesus says to the father in his prayer this is the high priestly prayer as you sent me into the world I have sent my disciples into the world go halfway through the next verse so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me that they may be one as we are one I in them and you and me by proclaiming the truth we actually unite with the father and the son we become one with God in the proclamation of truth co-creators one with him in the purpose of that new creation. Peter is saying it powerfully for you have been born again not of perishable seed but imperishable through the living and enduring word of God in verse 25. The word of God stands forever and this is the word that was preached to you. You have been born again by the word that word will stand forever to what has been preached to you and what you now have to preach. All this is saying is that preaching is a supernatural event. Of course but all we've said about structure and organization delivery and reading the Bible well are techniques that mean nothing if we don't remember there's actually something supernatural has to occur or this is just all done in the flesh. It has no more significance than any carnal thing that we do. Preaching is a supernatural event. Some have compared it to fire and wax that the speaker the preacher is bringing the fire to melt the listener so that God can mold as he is intends. We tend to be more concerned to perform our part credibly than we are about God's mighty involvement in our efforts. We tend to be more hungry for success than we are for overpowering says dual. God made it clear to the rubble that the task of rebuilding the temple would be accomplished not by my nor by power but by my spirit. So as Philist Brooks said never allow yourself to feel the equal of your work. Well I can do this now I've had prep and down. Never allow yourself to feel the equal to your work. If you ever find that spirit growing on you be afraid. Well I can do this. There are times I will tell you usually it's when I'm very tired at the end of a conference or the end of a long trip and I'm asked to preach and I get up not nervous. And something hits me that says you're not nervous. There's a problem here. You're about to bring the word of God to his people. Christ is about to speak through you and this hasn't got your adrenaline going at all. And I know at some point in my tiredness I began to think oh I can just do this. I'm tired I'll call on the past message I call and I'll just do this. It's a danger if you ever begin to believe you are up to the task. Historically preachers have talked about the need of function which is an old fashioned word. The need for function which is the working of the spirit. By the way the word function does not include does not appear in most modern translations the only place it's in your notes there that you see it is first John 220. This in the King James but you have an option from the Holy one and you know all things curiously it's not applied to preaching particularly but to the to the understanding of the disciples. But it's saying you have something from on high something you could not provide and through the history of preaching that word function gets applied to preaching you need something that you can't provide. You need something from on high this is supernatural event there needs to be supernatural intervention here. It's expressed in different verses by concept anyway first that's only in one five August will came to you not simply with words but also with power with the Holy Spirit with deep conviction. In Luke Jesus of course is recorded as saying the spirit of the Lord is on me because he has appointed me to preach good news to the poor. Notice what that spirit now does in the preaching. Preaches good news proclaims freedom see that he sent me to proclaim freedom to release the oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Interesting task that the spirit would then be involved in. If we think of action and I confess this is traditional way it's used in preaching circles. Unction traditionally is this it means the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon a sermon so that something holy and powerful is added to the message that no preacher can naturally generate no matter how great his skills. Do you get to the point you ever do this at times do you ever figure what will I feel like if it's some point in life. I have the worlds acclaim for being a great preacher and yet I don't know if I've done anything spiritually because they say oh you're so easy to listen to. I'm just very moved when you speak. You're so articulate and you know that that can carry you for a few years what people say about you. But I find the pastors who pastor for 20 25 30 40 years are the ones to whom people say the Lord used you and the spirit convicted me. I was changed supernaturally by how the Lord used you. I think that's all that really carries your long term. In order for action to occur then we say well how do you how do you do this what's necessary for action when we preach. The Puritan divine talk about three things necessary for action illumination conviction and assimilation illumination is not all that surprising illumination is simply revealing the meaning and purpose of the word. What do you need to have action? You need to be able to understand the word and say what it says illumination is simply saying what the word says accurately. John 1426 when the counselor of the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name comes he will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I've said. So that teach is understanding having insight into what the scriptures say. And reminding is that notion of the spirit acts so as to remind us what is appropriate for the present task. Now let me say this in a couple of ways illumination involves understanding the word which anybody can do in the flesh to to an extent. I mean if you say you know tell me what loo means means to loose you know I can understand that logically. But if you said what does it mean to be loose from my sin I mean to really understand that that's part of the spirit's teaching. I heard an African American pastor that I very much respect a couple of years ago simply use the phrase in his prayer. Lord lift your hand from the page because if you do not lift your hand I cannot see what is there. Now I understand that at a deeper level than I can explain to you that he doesn't mean I can't see the words on the page and I cannot rationally cognitively make sense of what they say but I don't really understand. I understand it's impact for my life it's import for the people to whom I'm speaking I'll never gain that if you don't allow me to see what it really means for this moment in my people's lives. Lord buy your spirit teach me what this means for us now today my heart first and then these people and reminding what does that mean. Again I can't explain totally my understanding here but I believe that when the Holy Spirit is working in my preparation for preaching and when I preach in ways that I cannot fathom he is bring to mind things that I would not have thought of had he not been active. That I might not have thought about that person in that particular situation I might not thought of how this verse particularly reflected in the struggle that's going on our church say those thoughts would not have come together I'm being reminded how this truth from that text that maybe was an experience in my childhood I have with that text that is being brought to mind that is appropriate for this moment in my ministry and to believe the spirit controls that. So that part of function is teaching what the word says and being reminded appropriately of what it says at the right times. Some idea of the spirit aspect of understanding is very powerfully presented in 1 Corinthians 2.14 the man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God their foolishness to him he cannot understand them interesting he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Now again rationally yes but spiritually at a heart level they cannot be understood apart from the spirit see some questions here and just going to read to you a little bit does the Bible support an emphasis on the spirit's power in our preaching you know it does in 1 Corinthians 2 Paul states my message my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with demonstration of the spirit's power so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power. And then he says God has revealed the riches of God's wisdom to us by his spirit for the spirit searches all things even the deep things of God again this isn't something human that we do. We've not received the spirit of the world he says but the spirit who is from God that we may understand what God has freely given us this is what we speak just what we've understood now it's what we speak not in words taught us by human wisdom. But in words taught by the spirit expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words one of the things that the spirit does is simply he lumens us to the truth and significance of his word both by teaching us its meaning and reminding us of appropriately one needs to be brought to bear. Another thing the spirit does of course as part of auction is brings conviction. Paul Jesus says in the high priestly prayer I tell you the truth it's for you a good that I'm going away unless I go away the counselor will not come to you but if I go I will send him because when he comes this is what he's going to do. He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin righteousness and judgment. Here's what we can do we can make people feel guilty but we cannot make people feel dependent upon the cross of Christ apart from the work of the spirit. So the spirit is to convict people of sin show them what is wrong of righteousness show them what is right and of judgment of what is ahead both in terms of Christ victory and Satan's demise. It's a different concept illumination is what action requires for the preacher. Conviction is the required work of the spirit for the hearer. I not only need the spirit to understand I require the spirit for true conviction to take place not granted I need conviction to but without the spirit true conviction cannot take place. The last part of the old definitions of action are they involve illumination conviction and assimilation assimilation is Jesus saying this I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again I tell you the truth. We speak of what we know we testify what we have seen but still you do not receive why I have spoken you of earthly things and you do not believe how you speak of how you believe that I speak of heavenly things no one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven the son of man. You can't know heavenly things if heavenly things if heaven has not revealed it to you you cannot know heavenly things if heaven is not revealed it to you so assimilation is taking in the things the heaven has revealed. Now I'm about to say the things it's going to sound the least mystical of all that I've said so far because you know our question now when we begin to see the spirit is responsible for. For action and conviction which is teaching me and convicting others is my question becomes okay that power is so important so critical so vital how do I conjure that up how do I make this action happen. I don't think there's anything we can do more important first than study the word that's part of assimilation weird to be from second Timothy we know a workman who does not need to be ashamed and correctly handles the word of truth when Paul is instructing he says what I tell you to do is to work hard at it. The study to understand to assimilate what God has said second Timothy three but ask for you continue in what you have learned and become convinced of because you know that from you know those from whom you learned what the scriptures say how from your infancy you have known the holy scriptures all these things Paul is saying is are prelude to the man of God for 17 being fairly equipped for every good work. Now this is not magic having said all about the importance of the word I want to take away some of the magic of it because I do feel at times the way I was taught the notion of function is that it is just something magical that you know you just hope occurs somehow. But when you see Paul the Apostle instructing others in the past or letters talking about the importance of the spirit the task that he is giving to the ministers of the gospel is to know the word. So that you faithfully say what it says and then you're not depending on magic you are depending upon faithful representation of what the word says. Believing that God can then use more than you can imagine all scripture is God breathe what does that mean it means preach the word that's the spirit at work. The action is already upon the scriptures the Bible is already drenched in sacred oil when I preach I love those inexplicable moments I love it I mean maybe you have to when I find myself soaring what I almost feel like I'm being carried along by the Holy Spirit. And you just feel like you you want this to go on forever you can't stop when the word is like honey and fire. But I've learned from Paul's last admonitions to Timothy as well be prepared in season and out is that I have to learn to trust the action that is always upon scripture even when my words seem clumsy or common. It doesn't feel that way doesn't feel like it's working sometimes action is simply received by faith without feeling the wind or the heat we go home on a Sunday afternoon nap saying it was so badly right I feel deflated. If you're like me my adrenaline always falls off after I preach I always go into depression after I preach because I've been so wired for it if I'm depending on what I feel to be an expression of action then I have to recognize that is just being. You know hormonally controlled by my adrenaline not by what the spirit is doing. When with a pure heart a Christian preacher declares the scriptures or proclaims Christ or calls for repentance and holiness his words are still anointed not because of what he feels because of the truth of what he says. Martin Lloyd joined set it this way the right way to look upon the action of the spirit is to think of it as that which comes upon the preparation. The preparation that Martin Lloyd Jones has in mind includes all that I've been saying this includes the preparation of the message exegesis exposition homologics and the preparation of the preacher through prayer personal holiness devotional exercise study general reading. Lloyd Jones set it this way to my mind this is the sanest and most holistic treatment of the way true spiritual action is to be found in any 20th century treatment of the subject it is not praying five times and turning east. It is saying prepare well be a man of God and preach faithfully and you may never see anything change in your lifetime and still the spirit is a work because his word does not return to him void. The last part of of action that is beyond the those things that we're mentioning to you are simply aspects of personal piety we do want the power of the spirit when we preach we do want the power of God to come upon us. But we know this the psalmist says if I cherish sin in my heart the Lord will not hear me being a man of God is part of the spirits working through us now perfection is not going to come your way. So repentance is part of being a effective preacher but there have been moments in my life and again I don't want to over mystical it but where I've actually felt that my sin has caused power to drain out of me. To actually almost physically feel my ineffectiveness before God because I know I have uncomfessed sin in my heart and to simply say Lord I have to repent before you or there is no power in me. I'm asking you to bless I'm asking you to bring your word to these people but there is sin in my heart that is not confessed and I believe the Lord saying to me then I will take the power from you. To the Jews who had believed in him Jesus said if you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples you want to be a disciple and effective one you have to hold to his teaching. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. That always shocks me a little bit to think if I'm not active in sharing my faith I really don't understand the scriptures. First of all I don't understand their import there to be a fountain out of me but don't you find when you really are dealing with non-believers that something you ignites about the necessity of your own understanding of the word you begin to see it feel it here differently as you share your faith. Hodg said it simply this way you must know like to see light that is you must walk in God's light to see his word correctly. Alexander McLaren said power for service is second as the power to be able to serve God is always secondary to what power for holiness and character is first the first second and third requisite for our work is personal godliness. I think I'm going to stop reading there and simply go to the last page and remind you if our piety is so important to our preachings effectiveness then our prayers better be very effective too because my piety is insufficient for God to use me effectively. So I have to say Lord work beyond me I pray for it because I can't do this and Lord forgive me where my piety has not been what it should that you might serve me. Think how Paul said it in Acts 6 brothers choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom we will turn this waiting on tables responsibly over them and give our attention to prayer in the ministry of the word. The piety is some right criticism of a seminary environment that we give so much attention to learning to preach and not much attention to diligent prayer whereas when the Apostle said why they needed to be relieved from the deaconal duties of waiting on tables they said there are these dual things that must occur now for us to effectively minister the word of God prayer and the preaching of the word. So if I could leave you with a thought it is proclaim the word make sure people know that's more important than the words you say that even the way you are presenting the word you are giving it honor and respect. And then not really believe you are equal to the task of preaching in that strange I said at some point the amount of God and God can all make you a great preacher. Now here I am at the end of the curriculum saying don't believe you can do this apart from the work of the spirit because with the spirit you can be great preachers apart from him you can do nothing nothing eternal and believe therefore that the preaching task begins with prayer and ends with prayer before you prepare before you crack the commentaries pray Lord lift your hand from the page or I can't see what's here. Melt their hearts or they cannot hear what I say and then preach and then pray Lord overcome my weakness and let's settle in their hearts only what you have said. Father I for these men who are gathered here in this place to prepare for preaching your word do bow before you I even bow before them how much respect I have for these men who are at this stage of their lives saying that they want to be faithful to you and they want to proclaim your word and be true physicians of souls for your people. Would you give them such regard for your word that they would be faithful to it and such regard for your spirit that they would bow before you and ask for you to overwhelm them to flood them with the power that's beyond them for the doing of your work. Unless for Christ's sake we pray in Jesus name. Amen.