Key Bible Passage(s):

Acts 2:42 & 6:2; Acts 20:7 & 11; I Tim.3:1-4; II Tim.2:2; Ezra 7:9

Tier 1:

The whole process – from inception of the Scriptures, to our appropriating what the Bible teaches - is deeply embedded in the life and ministry of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t everything the Spirit does, but it does constitute a significant part of His work in us. As such, a Spirit-filled Christian or Church will be shaped by and aligned with the Spirit’s agenda and priorities. This will include a near obsession with the Bible.

Tier 2:

A key qualification for any pastor is their ability to teach the Bible. They must know what to teach and how to teach it. There are a number of levels at which the Spirit wants us to engage with Scripture, but a critical element is preaching. We often assume that preaching is a cultural hang-over from a by-gone era. Questions are regularly asked about whether it remains culturally relevant. Irrespective, it remains God’s preferred delivery system for His Word into the life of His Church

Tier 3:

Preaching is not simply explaining a passage. It is more the proclamation of a herald on behalf of a King. There must be a solid understanding, so that preaching contains a faithful representing of what the Bible says ! But there must also be the presence of the Spirit making that word living, imbuing it with the sense of absolute authority and compelling power for change. He is with the congregation, demanding our attention, captivating us, embedding His word in our hearts and changing us through it.

If I only had one more sermon to preach before I died, it would be about my Lord Jesus Christ. And I think that when we get to the end of our ministry, one of our regrets will be that we did not preach more of Him. I am sure no minister will ever repent of having preached Him too much.

Charles Spurgeon

Group Discussion:

What do you want from your pastor?  If you were writing a job description for the next vicar of your Church, what are the non-negotiables?

and later in the session:

What is the difference between an Apostle and their preaching, and a regular Church leader and their preaching?

What if the Preacher gets it wrong?  How would you know?  What would you do about it?

How would you recognize whether the Spirit of God was present in and bringing that sense of the immediacy of God’s Word to us?  What would you do if that dynamic wasn’t present?

What do you think are the responsibilities of a preacher in this? …and of the congregation?
Do you think we fulfil those responsibilities at [our Church]?

What should you do if you disagree with what the Preacher says in a sermon?

…and what about if you agree?

Homework:

Over this half-term we we will working to memorise Matthew 6:16-24. You will have to keep refreshing Matt.5:1-26, Matt.6:5-15 & 25-34 and Matt.7:7-28 whilst you do this.

(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the 3 years of DTP)

How is your ‘Rule of Life’ shaping up?

(Q&A 252-255) Especially in relation to you relation with and engagement with Bible?