Soaking up the blog shower
In case you haven't caught it elsewhere, here's a roundup (as I have it) of the blog discussion on the responsibility of directing congregational preaching to both the lost and found.
Diane of Crossroads made a case Tuesday that preaching should be for Christian discipleship and warns against watering down preaching "so as to not 'offend' the sensibilities of non-believers." Matthew Self of Gad(d)about made a good point: "I have a hard time understanding how maturing the flock is somehow a detour or deviation from the plain message of what Christ did on the cross."
On Wednesday Peter Bogert wrote that, as little time as Christian leaders have for feeding the flock, it's a shame to miss the opportunity for edification in the sermon. Mick Porter at Unveiled Face took a different angle and described ways to build Christian maturity outside the pulpit.
John Schroeder, who issued the initial challenge, summarized what had been written as of Thursday and made an important point: sanctification requires more than simply answering an altar call; it's a lifelong journey. He also makes a distinction between the roles of pastor and preacher. Broken Messenger's Brad Huston concurred and reminds us that the preacher merely plants and waters, while God makes the Word grow in the hearts of hearers.
Yesterday Agent Tim offered his thoughts on the subject including this critical point: "Our evangelism should go beyond the Word preached on Sundays."
As John said, the response to his challenge may not have been a "blog storm," but it's been a pleasant shower. At this point it looks like Christian bloggers have come to agree on this: if we preach Jesus Christ, the power of the Word can change the hearts of both the saved and lost. It's been a nice shower. Unless John or someone else comes up with some really earth-shaking new insights, this will probably be the last post on the subject here.
Diane of Crossroads made a case Tuesday that preaching should be for Christian discipleship and warns against watering down preaching "so as to not 'offend' the sensibilities of non-believers." Matthew Self of Gad(d)about made a good point: "I have a hard time understanding how maturing the flock is somehow a detour or deviation from the plain message of what Christ did on the cross."
On Wednesday Peter Bogert wrote that, as little time as Christian leaders have for feeding the flock, it's a shame to miss the opportunity for edification in the sermon. Mick Porter at Unveiled Face took a different angle and described ways to build Christian maturity outside the pulpit.
John Schroeder, who issued the initial challenge, summarized what had been written as of Thursday and made an important point: sanctification requires more than simply answering an altar call; it's a lifelong journey. He also makes a distinction between the roles of pastor and preacher. Broken Messenger's Brad Huston concurred and reminds us that the preacher merely plants and waters, while God makes the Word grow in the hearts of hearers.
Yesterday Agent Tim offered his thoughts on the subject including this critical point: "Our evangelism should go beyond the Word preached on Sundays."
As John said, the response to his challenge may not have been a "blog storm," but it's been a pleasant shower. At this point it looks like Christian bloggers have come to agree on this: if we preach Jesus Christ, the power of the Word can change the hearts of both the saved and lost. It's been a nice shower. Unless John or someone else comes up with some really earth-shaking new insights, this will probably be the last post on the subject here.
posted by Milton Stanley at 8:34 PM
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