Means of Grace: The Word – Preached & Taught
I. Intro: Review Means of Grace Meaning
II. What is the Word?
III. Why the Word?
IV. What is Biblical Preaching & Teaching?
V. What are practical ways we can be faithful hearers of the Word preached & taught?
I. Intro: Review of Means of Grace
A Definition of the Ordinary Means of Grace:
Charles Hodge: “Those institutions which God has ordained to be the ordinary channels of grace of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit, to the souls of men.”
- Like an artist uses a paintbrush to produce a masterpiece
- Like master blacksmith uses a mallet to shape a sword
- Like a seamstress uses a needle to sew a tapestry
- Like a songwriter uses lyrics to write a song
- What are the “means” in these examples?
- Where does the “power” of these means come from?
- What do the “results” of these means point to?
The means are NOT God, but they are surly wielded by him.
II. What is the Word?
Another way to think about Divine Accommodation and God “stooping” to think in terms of Revelation. God has revealed himself.
What are the 2 ways God has revealed himself?
- Natural Revelation – Creation (Romans 1:18-23)
- True things about God
- Enough make us without excuse
- Blurred by sin
- Not salvific – we don’t “preach Creation” or “preach philosophy” or “preach politics”...we Preach Christ.
- Special Revelation – The Word
- 1 Thess. 2:13 – the very Word of God
- 2 Peter 1:21 – God the HS wrote the Bible
- Hebrews 1:1-2 – Jesus is a fuller revelation
- 1 Cor 15:3-5 – Jesus is the center of a Christian doctrine of Scripture
What is the Word? The Word is God’s gracious, special revelation of himself, reaching its pinnacle in Jesus.
There’s a question underneath this one which is “Can I believe the Bible I have in my hand?” – Reference: Dethroning Jesus, Wallace
III. Why the Word?
(v. 13) Notice the Intro Context: The foolish world (outside & inside the church) will continue to swirl around you...stay focused...don’t forget...don’t be deceived...there’s nothing like God’s Word.
- Wise unto Salvation (v. 15)
- Speaks from the Mouth of God (v. 16)
- Given to transform the people of God (v. 17)
IV. What is Biblical preaching & teaching?
Biblically, there is a lot of overlap between preaching & teaching.
Biblical preaching contains teaching, but not the other way around.
This is not a preaching or teaching class, so we’re not going focus on the distinctions, but generally
- 2 Timothy 4:1-2 – the Word is the substance & foundation of Biblical preaching
- 1 Corinthians 1:21-23 – To preach the Word is to Preach Christ
- Matthew 7:28-29 – Biblical teaching carries the authority of Jesus
- Romans 10:13-14 – God uses preaching to save the lost
V. How can we, as members, encourage the Word preached & taught at C3?
- Daily ask the Holy Spirit for a hunger to want to know what He says
- Develop & grow a gracious, godly expectation that your local church makes the Word of God their authority and their focus - we want a community that is constantly hungry to answer the question: What does God’s word say?
- Pray for those who labor in teaching & preaching (2 Thess. 3:1 – pray for us that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored): not fall into error, strengthened to the task, not from prideful ambitions (Paul’s statement that either way Christ is preached)
- What are things we can pray for those who are preaching & teaching?
- When you are listening to someone preach or teach: listen to the Word first and primary then the personality 2nd. If a sermon or teaching finds any root in the Word there is profit (Isaiah 55:11 – My Word will not return void)