Preaching: Do's and Don'ts

Preach by the Way You Live

How Paul Started His Christian Life (Acts 9:19-31)

1. How did Saul/Paul begin his Christian life (Ac 9:20)? How did he finish (Ac 20:24)?
2. How did you start your Christian life? How comfortable are you to teach and preach that "Jesus is the Son of God" (Ac 9:20)? And to prove that "Jesus is the Messiah" (Ac 9:22)? How could Saul do so?

Paul's early Christian life. Immediately after his conversion, Saul began his Christian life by preaching in Damascus (Ac 9:20) after spending just a few days with the disciples in Damascus (Ac 9:19) without being instructed by those who were Christians before him (Gal 1:11-24), and without the Jerusalem apostles' prior approval, for their role in verifying individuals and missions (Ac 8:14-17; 9:27-28; 11:1-18, 22-24).

• Saul goes from persecutor of Christians (Ac 8:3; 9:1) to preaching Christ (Ac 9:20) and proving that Jesus is the Messiah (Ac 9:22), to being persecuted (Ac 9:23, 29) and needing protection (Ac 9:25, 30).

What the Holy Spirit Does (Acts 2)

What the Holy Spirit Does for You (Acts 2).

• In the past week how much time have you spent reflecting on Christ and Scripture? Based on Acts 1,
• what has Jesus begun in you (Ac 1:1)?
• what are ways that you can be a "witness" (Ac 1:8)?
• what are you doing with what you've been given (Lk 16:10-11)?

1. What is "the day of Pentecost" [50th] (Ac 2:1; Exo 23:16; 34:22; Num 28:26; Dt 16:16)? Who were "they" (Ac 1:15)? Why were they "all together" (Ac 1:4, 12-14)?  "...in one place" (Ac 1:13; 2:46)? What is the timeline of the Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost (Ac 1:3, 9)?
2. What was the sound (Ac 2:2; Jn 3:8; Exo 14:21) [audible], sight (Ac 2:3; Ex 3:2, 4-5; 13:21-22; 19:18) [visual] and speech (Ac 2:4, 6, 8, 11) [oral/linguistic] that they saw and heard? Why did this happen (Ac 1:4; 2:16-20, 33; Jn 14:16-17; Num 11:29; Isa 44:3; Eze 36:27; Joel 2:28-32)? How is this the continuing work of Christ in the world (Ac 1:1)?
3. Why were the Jews from every nation gathered in Jerusalem (Ac 2:5)? Why is this international gathering significant (Ac 2:9-11a)? What did they hear (Ac 2:6-8, 11b)? How is this a reversal of Babel (Gen 11:7-9)?
4. What did Peter do (Ac 2:14)? Why was it absurd to suggest that drunkenness was the cause (Ac 2:13, 15)? How did Peter explain what happened (Ac 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32)?
5. What does Peter's imperative, "listen to this" (Ac 2:22) suggest? What is his subject (Ac 3:13-26; 4:10-12; 5:30-32; 10:36-43; 13:23-41)? Describe the story of Jesus in 6 stages:

1. Ac 2:22--Jesus' _____ and __________.
2. Ac 2:23--Jesus' ________.
• How do you explain the paradox of divine predestination and human freewill (Ac 2:23; 4:28)?
3. Ac 2:24-32--Jesus' _______________.
• How does Peter use David's prophetic words to explain the resurrection (Ac 2:25-32)?
4. Ac 2:33-36--Jesus' ____________.
5. Ac 2:37-40--Jesus' ____________.
6. Ac 2:41; 42-47--Jesus' _____________.

• What are the 4 elements that characterize a Christian gathering (Ac 2:42, 43-47)?

The Role of Preaching (Bible Teaching) in the Church (Tit 1:3,9-16)

Titus 1:3,9-16; Key Verse: Tit 1:9

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."

Two words/phrases are repeated in this short letter of Titus:

• "sound doctrine" (Tit 1:9; 2:1), "sound in (the) faith" (Tit 1:13, 2:2) (4 times), and
• "loves/do(ing)/teach what(ever) is good" (Tit 1:8, 16; 2:3,7,14; 3:1,8,14) (8 times).

"Sound" means to be in good health. "Good" has the meaning of excellence and beauty (genuine, noble, praiseworthy, etc). Surely there is only One who is sound, and excellent, and with exquisite beauty. It is the Lord (Ps 27:4; Isa 33:17). How do we come to know what is sound and good? It is through the preaching and teaching of the Word, which is the theme today.

God Makes Known His Word Through Preaching (Titus 1:1-4)

Titus 1:1-4; Key Verse: 1:3

"...and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior" (NIV, 2011).

Paul wrote Titus during a 4th missionary journey (A.D. 62-64) not recorded in Acts. He instructed Titus in how to lead the churches in Crete. Tit 3:8, a key verse of Titus, says, "...those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone." The theme of Titus is the inseparable link between faith and life, principle and practice.

The 2 Preaching Key Verses of John Piper (1 Pet 4:11; 2 Cor 3:18)

Related post: Don't You Just Love the Way John Piper Writes!

Over the last few years, I began to read books and sermons and attend conferences where John Piper preached and taught. Over time I heard and read Piper share 2 Bible verses he regards as guides to his preaching and Bible teaching over the last 30+ years. They are 1 Peter 4:11 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.

How To Preach Christ (the Gospel) from Genesis

Related posts:

•  What is the Point of Genesis?
•  What Jesus Said the Old Testament Scriptures Are About
•  Counterfeit Gods
•  Rethinking Genesis: Man Equals Mission 
•  The Difference Between Religion (Imperatives) and the Gospel (Indicatives)
•  Imperatives - Indicatives = Impossibilities
  

D. A. Carson (NT scholar) quotes his pastor dad who says, “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text.” Go figure out the meaning of this delightful sentence! OK, it means to teach the Bible out of context, thus distorting the intended meaning of the Bible passage.