Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Therapy vs. Gospel

If you want to understand the difference between a Gospel approach to preaching and a Therapeutic approach to preaching -- look at a funeral sermon. What's the point? Is the pastor trying to guide you through the process of grieving, or is he proclaiming that because Christ lives, so too shall this person live? Is it reminiscing about the life of the deceased so that we can all smile, or is it proclaiming Christ's victory over sin and death so that the deceased has life everlasting?

What is your preaching trying to do - comfort with earthly wisdom and reason, or to show people Christ and let His presence and salvation comfort them?

A preacher doesn't *do* much. He shows Christ - and Christ does everything.

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