All Behavior is Rooted in Faith or the Lack Therof.

I was listening to a lecture on Preaching to Believers and Unbelievers given by Dr. Tim Keller at Covenant Seminary in 2004. Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian (PCA) in Manhattan. His first point really struck me and made me think about my own behavior.

Here are my notes as I listened:

Most ‘edificational’ preaching tends to be oriented towards behavior: “This is how you should live”.

Most evangelistic preaching tends to be oriented towards belief: This is the truth; this is what Jesus did; this is what you have to believe”.

Johnathan Edwards in his book, “Religious Affections”, says that behavior is rooted in belief. So, if you are behaving in a way that you say you don’t believe, you actually are believing something different than what you say you believe.

If someone says, “I know God cares for me but I am petrified with fear”, Edwards would say, “No, you don’t really know.”

“I believe in the sovereignty and the wisdom and love of God but I am still petrified with fear.” No, you really don’t, you don’t really believe it, if you really believed it you wouldn’t be petrified with fear.

So how does this apply to preaching?

Lloyd Jones did not like people taking notes during the sermon. The object of preaching is not only to give information but to produce an impression. It is the impression at the time that mattered. While you are writing your notes you are missing something of the impact of the Spirit at the time.

Preachers must not forget this. We should tell our people to read books themselves and get information at home. The business of preaching is to make such knowledge live.

A moralistic understanding of preaching is that the preacher gives you information on how to live and you go out and change your life with it. Preaching should convert the heart. At that moment, during the sermon, you suddenly realize you don’t really believe the gospel and that is why you have been stingy or why you have not been a good husband. You are, at that moment, gripped with the generosity of Christ or with the spousal love of Christ and at that moment you are having your life changed.

HatTip to Steve @ Reformissionary for a link to this lecture