Text Driven Preaching report

Allen, Bill Bennett, Ned L. Mathews, Robert Vogel, and Jim Shaddix. However the main authors are Daniel L. Akin who is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest North California. He holds a PhD in humanities from the University of Texas at Arlington and has authored or edited many books of Bible commentaries including ‘Ten Who Changed the World’ and the ‘Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. The writers of each chapter represent a wide range of experience and perspective in the writing. This book presents a distinct richness in covering the whole topic of preaching right from historical background to the key concepts to modern practices. The book has three main sections. The first section addresses the Preacher and begins with the historical roots of rhetoric and how it has shaped the entire preaching process.

The chapter introduces the three famous rhetoric means of persuasion in Aristotle’s Art of Rhetoric. The chapter goes on to explain that the text-driven preaching stays true to the substance of the text, the structure of the text as well as the spirit of the text. The main real value of this section is the extensive explanation in the perspective of ‘how to’ of the preparation and the excellent questions for a proper comprehensive analysis of the text. The introduction to biblical genres and theology also lead the reader to fully master the text in study and preparation2. The third section of this book addresses the Preaching. In regards to preaching, the introduction to communication skills and theories is very helpful in considering the best was to maximize the presentation of the intended message.

The book is helpful in preparation for delivery of expository sermon for anyone that is interested in expository preaching and teaching. The book is highly used in preaching classes with a good reason. It is among the top book on the expositional preaching. The book is written in such a way that despite being practical it give challenges and remains helpful at the same time. It is not kind of book that you will read once and put it away. This part gives a deep insight on expository preaching and also enables one to develop as an expositor. The duty of preaching is also defined with a lengthy support for exposition as the ideal philosophy of preaching. The foundation for preaching is seen in the word of God and worship of God, fundamental basics for preaching along with the less well supported concept of the call of God and anointing.

The first part also gives detailed view on a preacher for being an individual who is healthy and it also sets out that they should be hard-working individuals who are good steward of heart, mind body and schedule. The second part start by moving into the actual process of creating expository sermon using some time tested methods for interpreting scripture and creation of an actual sermon. The final part dwells on delivery, much more on how to present the expository sermon; they include ways to develop preaching styles and ways to deliver sermon and much more. Here the book comes into detail giving suggestions on ways to communicate the thoughts of the message in a way that will engage and communicate with the audience.

Some of the suggestion made is the awareness of the audience which is very critical in the sermon delivery. Factors that are considered include the level of education, type of vocabulary and manner of delivery and many more. When the preacher is required to make a connection necessary with the audience, visualization can be very helpful in cases of more vivid communication. The expositor can only experience the true power of the pulpit when the Spirit is upon him. Progress in the Pulpit The authors of the book are Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix. The book was published by Moody publishers in 2007 as a follow up to the power in the pulpit by the same authors. Progress in the pulpit is a companion volume that encourages preachers to continue in growing their preaching.

The book has twelve chapters from which a preacher is able to progress in his preaching in various ways such as planning, depending on the spirit, using language and many more. The preachers are advised to preach to commissioned, progress the spiritual conversation to the community and go as far as proclaiming the gospel to a wide crowd just like the way Jesus did. The second preaching model is the incarnation preaching which also utilizes the three concentric circles of Christ as the Core; here the conscience of the commissioned is persuaded so as to conduct the community and promoting the community in the crowd. In developing sermon, the authors challenges preachers to preach literature and take a fresh into the modern translation but not forgetting the traditional translation such as the King James Version, this openness to the new paraphrasing and updates enables us to view the world in a different and new way.

There is a chapter about making a beeline in every sermon. Although it has been agreed that Christ must always be preached the difference comes in on how to reach there. The third part of the book comes back to delivery of sermon and for preachers to grow in the pulpit they have to understand the changes in the cultural climate. Vines capture our imagination by narrating to us the story of Rip Van Winkle who slept through a sermon in 16th century and wakes up in the 21st century. It is a very powerful introduction but clearly shows the importance of contextualization and the relevance of sticking and staying truth to the text. There is communication theory and behavioral science that one should be aware of therefore preachers have to lead the way by ways such as giving the alter calls.