The Greatest Letter Ever Written

I am in the middle of preaching through Paul's Letter to the Romans. This task is one of the most daunting things I have ever done. As I am taking the congregation God has given me to shepherd through what is called by the pastors and Bible scholars I read, "The Greatest Letter Ever Written," my head has been spinning as I try to communicate the deep truths that God had Paul pen under His inspiration.

In the past ten years I have preached verse-by-verse through the gospel of Mark, The Letter to the Hebrews, the life of Abraham from Genesis, and other Old Testament and New Testament books and passages, but Romans seems to be in a class of its own.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that every word in the Bible, Genesis through Revelation, is the very word of God without error in the original manuscripts. Period. Paul's Letter to the Romans is included. But Romans, with its tremendous truths of: depravity, justification by faith, sanctification, glorification, predestination, election, Israel, love and grace is truly special.
The last few weeks in chapter 7 my head seemed to be spinning as I studied Paul's writing concerning the two natures conflict within him. And chapter 8 is even more daunting. It might be the highlight of the letter, but as I talked to a colleague of mine today he told me to "wait 'till chapter 9 and my mind will be spinning again."

So, going verse-by-verse through Paul's Letter to the Romans is a sobering, scary yet exciting exercise. Pray for me as I continue studying and communicating God's great truth.

Your Pastor Has Style!

The first week of February my wife and I were blessed to be able to attend Moody Bible Institute’s (MBI) Founder’s Week Bible Conference in Chicago for the seventh time. Attending that conference always gives us a good spiritual shot-in-the-arm as we return to the work God has called us to.

Each time we plan to attend, I ask God to show me what He wants me to learn. This year I was surprised to have Him teach me that, ”I Have Style.” Stay with me now as you read on.

As I watched and listened to some incredible preachers such as James MacDonald, Erwin Lutzer, Chip Ingram, Haddon Robinson, Josh Moody, James Ford, and Gary Chapman I realized that each of these men have their own preaching style. Maybe you have read some of their books or heard them on Christian radio so you have a sense of what I mean. Over five days Karen and I heard twelve expository sermons preached by pastors and ministry leaders, again, each with their own style. We even watched a taped talk by Joni Earekson-Tada who couldn’t fly in to Chicago because of a snow storm.

Let me tell you what I learned from watching and listening to all of these biblical presentations. God uses all sorts of people with all sorts of styles.

James MacDonald was very dynamic and his sermons were highly interactive with the five-thousand numbered congregation. Josh Moody, who is from London, England read his manuscript as he preached in a very prim and proper English way and explained God’s word to us. James Ford is a black preacher from South Chicago, who, in being true to his culture, was very expressive as he brilliantly taught God’s word. Joni was as gracious as ever as she shared about her struggle with breast cancer last year as well as her ministry of Joni and Friends sending wheel-chairs around the word for the handicapped. Haddon Robinson, in his 80s, in his soft-spoken manner, masterfully told us the story of Hosea, and Chip Ingram’s sermon from Romans 12:1-8 was amazingly practical.

All this to say, again, God uses people with all sorts of personalities and speaking styles. You know what, after I attended MBI Founder’s Week 2011, I am much more comfortable with my own style as an expository preacher.

Christians, this is the reason I have written about this topic. If you are reading this, pray for your pastor and thank God that he exposits God’s word in his own style each Sunday and doesn’t try to be anyone else, because he has style too.