Scriptural Truth in Preaching, Part 1

Introduction to the Pastoral Theology Course and Sermon Preparation Distinction

0:02 Now, brethren, as we come to our first lecture of this new semester, let me remind you of where we are in the overall structure of your pastoral theology course. Eventually, we will cover three basic categories of pastoral duty, the pastor as a public teacher and preacher, the pastor as an overseer or governor or shepherd, and then the pastor as an intercessor. And last semester, under this first category of the pastor as a public teacher and preacher, we began to consider the essential elements of effective pastoral preaching as they relate, number one, to the man himself. And then we considered five categories under that heading, the man before God, before his people, in relationship to himself. In relationship to his family, and in relationship to his daily schedule. Now, today, we begin to take up the second major subdivision of the heading of effective pastoral preaching, and that pertains to the message, that is, its content and form. And those of you that have the old abstract that I distributed last semester will be able to see that in the outline.

1:23 The message and its content and form. And then. Roman numeral three will be the message, hyphen, in the act of preaching. Now, from this outline, it's evident that I am making a very sharp categorical distinction between the preparation of the sermon and the preaching and the delivery of the sermon.

1:45 Now, I do this because any serious and accurate reflection on these matters will force us to acknowledge that there is a fundamental difference. Between the disciplines of exegesis and homiletics on the one hand, and the dynamics of delivery or preaching on the other. One is the mental and spiritual activity of the closet and of the study. The other is the mental, spiritual, physical, and vocal activity of the sanctuary and of the pulpit.

2:21 To change the analogy. The one, that is. The pulpit. The pulpit.

2:26 The pulpit. The pulpit. The preparation of the message and its content and form constitutes the conception and the gestation of the message. Gestation is spelled with a G, but pronounced like a J.

2:37 It's the development of the babe within the womb. That's the period of gestation. Well, the message in its content and form constitutes the conception and gestation of the message. The preaching, the delivery, is either the live or the still.

2:56 It is the full birth of that message in the presence of God and of his people. And I have become increasingly convinced that any approach to homiletics, to the whole subject of the preparation and delivery of sermons that does not make this clear distinction and keep it in mind at every level of the development of a theology and the working, practical approach to preaching is doomed to fail. Now, the way of preaching is to preach in a practical way. The way in which I propose to cover the material on the message in its content and form is to organize the materials under two major headings.

Axiom 1: Scriptural Truth as the Heart of Preaching

3:36 First of all, large Roman numeral A will be general axioms, applicable or applicable, however you pronounce it, each are acceptable, to all kinds of sermons. And we're going to consider seven axioms that are applicable to all kinds of sermons. And then large letter B will be specific guidelines for the various species of sermons. And we're going to look at the various species, identify them, and then give some guidelines for those various species.

4:18 So today, we will take up the first of the seven axioms applicable to all kinds of sermons. And axiom number one is this. The proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and soul of all our preaching.

5:00 If you have the old abstract, you'll notice that I've changed the wording a bit and tried to streamline it. Proclamation, explanation, and application. The proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and soul of all our preaching. Now, few issues relative to preaching need more clear and emphatic articulation than does this axiom.

5:25 Now, in opening up the subject, let me set before you three fundamental categories of biblical testimony to substantiate the axiom.

The Function of Scriptural Truth in God's Saving Purposes (Part 1: Gardner Spring)

5:35 So, I've stated the axiom. Now, in demonstrating its significance, I'm going to start with the axiom number one. Scriptural basis, three major headings. Number one, the function of scriptural or special revelation.

5:52 The function of scriptural truth or special revelation in the saving purposes of God. The function of scriptural truth or special revelation, perhaps we should put special in scripturated revelation, in the saving purposes of God. Now, in drawing your mind to this subject, let me draw your attention to what I regard as one of the most powerful statements of this principle found anywhere in uninspired writing. And it's found in the recently reprinted and now available in the bookstore, I checked yesterday, of Gardner Spring's Power of the Pulpit.

6:35 This copy was given to me by someone who knew my high estimation of it and knew I didn't have my own copy. And he relinquished it to me. It was given to me some years ago and thankfully it's now generally available. But on page 72, Gardner Spring, in dealing with what he calls the constituent elements of the power of the pulpit, writes, The God of heaven is the God of truth.

6:59 Truth is infinitely dear to his pure and holy mind. He is its great asserter and guardian. Nor will he be respected, loved, and obeyed. And this earth filled with his glory.

7:13 Until it is flooded with his truth as the waters cover the sea. The scriptures instruct us that truth is the great instrumentality by which his purposes of mercy are accomplished. The wisely selected means by which he operates. A means well adapted to the end.

7:34 Nay, the necessary and indispensable means. Because truth alone presents the only truth. It presents the only objects of all that variety of right thoughts and holy affections and emotions which constitute true religion. The pulpit has no other instrumentality.

7:57 It has accomplished its calling when it has fully, clearly, and with a right spirit exhibited the claims of truth. The pulpit has accomplished its calling when it has fully, clearly, and with a right spirit exhibited the claims of truth. Truth is that to which there is a response in the understanding and conscience, which convinces even where it does not persuade, Felix trembled, and confounds where it does not control, they could not withstand the wisdom or the grace with which he spoke, Stephen, and which where it controls, becomes the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation. And after demonstrating that there is no conflict between the truth of general revelation and the truths of special revelation, and asserting that the pulpit has to do with the substance of God's written word, that is, inscripturated special revelation, then he goes on, on page 81, to make this tremendous statement. The pulpit has a conflict with ignorance. No absolutely vacant mind can be a holy mind.

9:23 Even if it has no errors, and is simply denuded of every religious truth, it cannot be holy. If we expect fruit, we must plant the tree that is to bear it. It will not grow unless it is planted. Any more than after it is planted, it will grow among thorns.

9:42 Whatever agency the pulpit exerts, it exerts through light, light poured upon the understanding, illuminating the conscience, and penetrating and perforating the gloomy prison of the heart. Now that is holy eloquence, brethren, that sets the truth out so vividly. Whatever agency the pulpit exerts, it exerts through light, light poured upon the understanding, illuminating the conscience, penetrating and perforating the gloomy prison of the heart. The prince of darkness holds his empire over all the faculties of the soul, and nothing disturbs it so certainly as truth.

10:24 He, that is the devil, would fain amuse men with fables, perplex them with sophistry, bind them by tradition, hold them in bondage by the decrees of popes and councils, and present his claims before his awe-stricken hearers, surrounded in clouds and darkness. That's how the devil does his work. Truth disclaims all such appeals to human ignorance and superstition. Her object is to instruct and convince.

10:55 Men were never made Christians in any other way than on conviction. Nor does the Christian pulpit desire to make them Christians in any other way. It has no oracular decisions, save when it utters the oracles of God. And then over to page 87, in his summarizing statement, there is no better definition of spiritual and practical Christianity than that it is the counterpart of truth in the heart and in the life of the believer.

11:32 Now you think about that. No better definition of spiritual and practical Christianity than that it is the counterpart of the truth in the heart and in the life of the believer. It is the fruit of God's Spirit operating by his truth and producing in the once alienated heart that delightful reconciliation to its nature and claims which constitutes the life of God in the soul of man. I hope that's whetted your appetite to save your pennies or be very sweet to your wife to conserve some of her growth free money and get hold of Gardner Spring's Power in the Pulpit.

The Function of Scriptural Truth in God's Saving Purposes (Part 2: Biblical Texts on Regeneration)

12:13 That book has ministered more to me on Sunday mornings to prepare me for preaching than any other book but my Bible. I often read a chapter just to get my soul attuned to preach the Word of God. Now that's Gardner Spring's statement of broad biblical principles but now let us turn to the Word of God itself specifically to see under this first heading the function of scriptural truth or special inscripturated revelation in the saving purposes of God. I've given you this sampling of Gardner Spring's beautiful and eloquent statement of this but now let's turn to the Word of God itself and see that in the beginning of divine life and in the nurturing of that life inscripturated truth is God's great means. First of all then in the beginning of divine life there are three texts which break the back of hyper-Calvinism which break the back of the doctrine of eternal justification, etc. and they are James 1.18 Of his own will begat he us or he brought us forth by the word of truth.

13:34 Now it is sheer sophistry to say well the word used for the begetting is not strictly the word begetting the conception of life but the bringing forth and then they take the analogy of birth and say man is totally under the influence of a sovereign infusion of divine life apart from means in the conception and development of spiritual life it is only brought forth visibly before men by means. Now brethren that is a horrible doctrine and it leads to tragic practical heresies I hope you will never fall prey to it. Philologically one simply cannot build that doctrine on the different word used for the bringing forth in distinction from the word begetting. James is telling us that the Father who has no shadow of turning who is the author of every good and every perfect gift it is this one who by his own will brought us forth to spiritual life by the word of truth. So in the begetting of divine life the word of truth is God's divine instrument. Now the parallel passage is found in 1 Peter 1 and this of course

15:02 is a great embarrassment to those who hold to regeneration apart from the means of truth. Verse 22 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth the soul was purified in the context of obedience to the truth not out of that context or separate from that context but only in that context unto unfeigned love of the brethren love one another from the heart fervently having been begotten again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides. And then he quotes the text for all flesh is grass etc. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you. The divine begetting was found in conjunction with preaching and the preaching of that word brought them to obedience of the truth purification of soul divine begetting in the presence of truth truth received in the obedience of faith.

16:24 So in the begetting of divine life in the mind of Peter as he thinks of the Christians of the dispersion he cannot think of them in the possession of divine life apart from that word by which the life was imparted in the sovereign grace of God. And then a third text 1 Corinthians chapter 4 in verse 15 and because you probably never met a real live hyper-Calvinist who held to this other view you may wonder why I'm excited but hang around long enough you'll meet one and these texts will be your right hand armor. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 15 back up to verse 14 I write not these things to shame you but to admonish you as my beloved children for though you have 10,000 tutors in Christ there's a little bit of sarcasm here you've got myriads upon myriads of those who are ready to surround you and nurture you but he says yet have you not many fathers for in Christ Jesus I begat you I became your spiritual father through the gospel through the proclamation of special revelation which now for us is found in its entirety

17:50 in inscripturated revelation and so Paul regards himself as their spiritual father who brought them to birth by the instrumentality of the word the message of the gospel. So you see then the function of scriptural truth in the saving purposes of God it is central it is indispensable in the begetting of divine life. You remember the argumentation of Romans chapter 10 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved how shall they call upon him whom they have not heard how shall they hear without a preacher faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. The word of truth. But now what is true in the begetting of divine life is true in the nurturing of that life. If the statement of Gardner Spring is true that experimental saving Christianity is but the counterpart of truth in the mind and in the affections and will of the believer then that truth will not only beget the life but it will be central in the maturation and the development of that life. And now here I want to give you four pivotal texts.

The Function of Scriptural Truth in God's Saving Purposes (Part 3: Biblical Texts on Nurturing Life)

19:09 The first is John 17 and verse 17. In our Lord's commonly called high priestly prayer speaking of his own who have already been brought to life by his gracious work he describes them in verse 16 they are not of the world even as I am not of the world sanctify them in the truth thy word is truth. So his prayer for their sanctification for their being set apart unto God in ever increasing measures not only of devotedness to God but likeness to God is seen to be in the climate and under the influence and within the orbit of the truth which is identified with the word of God. Sanctify them in the truth thy word is truth. And then Ephesians 4 and verse 15 embedded in that great statement of the divine purpose for giving special ministering gifts to the church from apostles right down to standing ministries such as pastors and teachers they have been given till we all attain I'm sorry verse 12 for the perfecting of the saints

20:39 unto the work of ministering or service verse 13 till we all attain to the unity of the faith verse 14 that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro but verse 15 speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things who is the head even Christ. Now I know that the translation and the exegesis of that passage is difficult but this much is clear that if the ascended Christ has given these particular gifts apostles, prophets, evangelists pastors and teachers for these various functions it is clear that the one thing they all have in common is that they are conveyors of and purveyors in special revelation apostles, prophets, evangelists pastors and teachers so the case does not stand or fall on the precise translation of verse 15 for in the whole setting of the passage it is clear that the church is envisioned coming to its maturity in union with Christ and in union with all the members under the sanctifying influence of those who traffic in divine truth and that's the point that I'm making from the passage and then of course the well-known passage

22:04 2 Timothy chapter 3 and here we have the servant of God with all of the responsibilities laid upon him and Paul first of all reminds him that the sacred writings the scriptures were the instrument of Timothy's own salvation 2 Timothy 3 verses 14 and 15 and then he goes on to say all scripture is inspired of God and is all so profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for instruction which is in righteousness that the man of God may be complete furnished completely unto every good work so that every good work that he is to perform in conjunction with the ongoing maturation of the church he is equipped for that by the God breathed scriptures they are sufficient to make him adequate for every good work demanded of him in the will of God so in the nurturing of that life the scriptures are central they are basic they are sufficient and then 1 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 6 1 Timothy 4 and verse 6 if you put the brethren in mind of these things

23:33 you shall be a good minister of Christ Jesus and here's the particular emphasis that I want to highlight nourished you'll be a good minister of Jesus Christ yourself nourished in the words of the faith and of the good or healthy doctrine which you have followed until now and here we see the nourishment of the servant of Christ and by inference and implication all of the people of God that nourishment being given by the words of the faith and of the good doctrine so in the beginning of divine life and in the nurturing of that life we see that the function of scriptural truth or special and scripturated revelation is absolutely central it is fundamental in the purpose of God now to give you another little taste of Gardener Spring in a book that is not readily available to you and certainly not in this beautiful binding I want to read a statement from his work called the Glory of Christ on page 136 and if you ever come across this book in a used bookstore I would urge you to purchase it it is a powerful wonderful setting forth of the glory of Christ in his various functions as teacher

25:01 preacher savior just very very rich and in the chapter in which he is dealing with Christ as a preacher he says this concerning Christ he was a most instructive preacher and then he goes on to say why the knowledge of God's truth is the germ and principle of all holiness spiritual life can neither germinate nor be developed in the dark and cold bosom of ignorance spiritual life can neither germinate nor be developed in the dark and cold bosom of ignorance now that dark cold bosom may be surrounded with a lot of heat of unenlightened emotion and a lot of religious fervor that has the appearance of spiritual life but it's not spiritual life if it is indeed a bosom of ignorance whatever it is it's not spiritual life to overlook this great law of man's intellectual and moral nature is to overlook what is primarily and essential to the great end at which the gospel aims there is no appeal to the conscience or heart no obligation urged no right emotions excited and no practical conformity to God cultivated except by presenting and believing the great doctrines

26:29 of the gospel his spirit operates only through the instrumentality of truth it is one of the laws of his kingdom that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and then he goes on to say now we see this great principle illustrated in the ministry of our Lord Jesus who himself was the truth and who labored to inculcate truth in the minds of his hearers so brethren axiom number one is true proclamation explanation application of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and soul of all our preaching why? because God has ordained that truth is central in the accomplishment of his saving purposes both in the inception of spiritual life and in the nurturing and development of that life but now I have a second line of evidence to validate our axiom and it's this the nature of the ministerial and preaching office the nature of the ministerial and preaching office now what is our precise identity as the servants of Christ are we to think of ourselves as philosophers organizers promoters orchestrators entertainers psychologists well obviously many men in the ministry would answer

The Nature of the Ministerial Office Demands Scriptural Preaching

27:58 yes to one or more of those precise designations of ministerial identity but when we turn to the scriptures we find that the preacher is not the minister but rather is called supremely a herald an ambassador a steward an overseer a governor a ruler let me give you just a text under each of those he is called a herald a kerux second timothy one in verse eleven he is called an ambassador second corinthians five twenty he is called a steward of the mysteries of God first corinthians four in verse one he is called an overseer first Peter five he is called a ruler Hebrews thirteen seven and seventeen now what do all of these various designations have in common well the answer is that they all function by being true to a fixed body of revelation given as a deposit by another the herald was not the creator he was not an orchestrator of current town opinion the kerux

29:27 the town crier came into the village with a message not his own under the pressure of one single responsibility and that was to get a hearing for the announcement of the sovereign who sent him pure and simple that was the task of a kerux he was to be a herald conveying a message that was given as a deposit from his sovereign likewise an ambassador we then are ambassadors for Christ as though God were beseeching you by us the ambassador comes representing his sovereign representing his state his commonwealth and he comes to convey a message that represents nothing more nothing less and likewise a steward what is a steward someone who is given a trust generally we think of it in terms of a financial a monetary trust and he is to hold that in trust according to the will of the one who entrusted it to him well Paul says we are stewards of the mysteries of God is it required of a steward that a man be found faithful that a steward is a message then faithfulness

30:56 is delivering the message and likewise in the concept of overseer ruler and governor it is evident that we have no standard by which to rule to govern to oversee but the standard of the word of God so you see the very nature of the ministerial pastoral preaching office demands this axiom that the proclamation explanation of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and the soul of our preaching if it is anything less than that or anything other than that then we prostitute the very identity of our office and then we have thirdly the explicit directives of scripture the explicit directives of scripture both in the old testament and in the new testament those set apart to be the recognized teachers of others are called upon to traffic in the word of God and in the word of God alone both in the old and the new testament those set apart to be the recognized teachers of others are called upon to traffic in the word

Explicit Scriptural Directives for Preaching (Old Testament Examples)

32:24 prophetic calls and the experience of all of the prophets and my wife and I have been struck with this as we've been reading together in our own devotions recently the minor prophets and Amos who when the priest comes and says look Amos go do your thing in the southern kingdom we're weary of of your crying in our ears and he said look I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet I was following my plow and then he likened the call of God to the roaring of a lion and he said the lion is roared and I must speak his word it'll take more than you Mr. Priest to shut my mouth and you find that experience of Jeremiah he said look every time I open my mouth I got nothing but trouble so I said I've had it no more I'll shut up but he said then thy word was in my heart is a fire shut up within my bones and he said I had a greater problem when I preached I had a bad problem when I shut up I had a greater one he said I was weary with staying and I could not forbear then opened I my mouth he had to give vent to the word of God and all the way through but I want to take just a couple of specimen passages out of the Old Testament that I hope you will use brethren in your own meditations as you come back again and again to what this whole task of preaching is all about and one of them if God can bring honey out of the lion

33:49 it's amazing what honey he can bring out of that mixed up hireling called Balaam what a character he was but he said some wonderful things worthy of being memorized prayed over and constantly prayed in numbers chapter 22 he's a fascinating character if you have an eye for the fascinating you'll always find yourself coming back to Balaam you remember the heathen King Balaak wants to hire this man to prophesy evil with respect to Israel and we read in numbers chapter 22 verse 22 verse 22 verse 23 verse 24 verse 25 verse 26 verse 27 verse 28 verse 29 verse 30 verse 36 verse 38 verse 31 verse 34 verse 32 and verse 39 and verse 42 and verse 35 these words the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam go with the men but only the word that I shall speak unto you that shall you speak what a wonderful text to have prayed into our gut brethren only the word verbal

34:57 very Originally the word Balaam literal and the word included in Waaleth againstzekhi is a natural And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am coming to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak. All right, God's word comes to him through the angel of the Lord, saying, Speak only the word that I speak unto you. Now, Balaam stands before Balak, and he says in response to that directive, Have I power to speak anything? Am I at liberty to speak whatever I choose, or whatever you'd like to bribe me to speak? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak. And then we turn over to chapter 24, verses 12 and 13. Balaam said unto Balak, Did I not

35:51 speak to your messengers that you sent unto me, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold? I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah to do either good or bad of my own mind. What the Lord speaks, that will I. I tell you, you don't have a better theology of the identity of a preacher in the most holy, true prophet found anywhere in Scripture, even though this character is flatly condemned in the New Testament as a harlot. But nonetheless, his words are worthy to be written upon the tables of our hearts by the power of God's Spirit. If you give me the house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do either good or bad out of my own mind. What the Lord speaks, I will speak. My mouth will be but the sounding board of God's mouth. My words will be but the echoing of His words.

36:59 Well, you see, that's your task. That's my task. That's why this first axiom is so central, that the proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and soul of all our preaching, because that's what we are called upon to do, to go neither beyond nor fall short of all the words that God has spoken. Now, another great passage. As I say, I'm only selecting a couple. There are just so many, and you'll come across them in your consecutive reading of the Scriptures. Again, and again, Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah 23, verses 28 to 32. Words that have peculiar relevance in our day. Jeremiah 23, verses 28 to 32.

Explicit Scriptural Directives for Preaching (New Testament Examples and Application)

37:56 The prophet that has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he that has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat, says the Lord? Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I'm against the prophets, says the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I'm against the prophets, says the Lord, that use their tongues and say, He saith. Behold, I'm against them that prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies. And by their vain boastings, yet I sent them not, nor commanded them, neither do they profit this people at all, says the Lord.

38:51 And why did they not profit? They had all the outward appearance of prophets. They even said, Thus saith the Lord. They even laid claims to prophetic dreams and visions. Yet they were not giving the people the word of God. And God says to Jeremiah, If you have my word, speak that word faithfully. It is my word that is like fire. It is my word that is like a hammer. And brethren, that's got to become a visceral conviction for which we are prepared to bleed inwardly, for which we are prepared to have reproach heaped upon us, for which we are prepared to do anything short of sin, that we shall deliver faithfully the message entrusted to us. Now the New Testament references again are manifold. Let me just give several quickly, and then we'll take a break and come to the second part of the lecture after the break. I commend to you a constant perusal of Matthew 28, 19. What am I commissioned to do? Make

39:59 disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever that which I have commanded them to do. All that. All that as I have commanded them to do. Those who are in Christ's presence.

40:13 Those who have been to the name of the Father. Those who have been to the name of the Son. Those who have been to the name of the Father. And those who are in the kingdom of God.

40:17 Or those who have been to the kingdom of God. The plan is the same by which I command them to do. The plan. The plan of the name of the Father.

40:21 So, as the Heavenly Father said, if for you I have commanded you, which I have commanded you, I have commanded you. And we know by the analogy of Scripture that squeezed into that commission now, as the standing task of the church, with its ordinary ministry, is the instruction in all things that are found in the inscripturated revelation of God. is to be meticulous and universal obedience on the part of God's people, and that pattern of meticulous all things, universal whatsoever I have commanded you, is to be nurtured by a ministry that instructs them concerning all things whatsoever he has commanded. And then, of course, Timothy's great task, 2 Timothy 2.15, do your utmost to show yourself approved unto God a workman who has no need, no just grounds to be ashamed, cutting a straight course in the word of truth. Timothy, if you do anything other than that, if you cut a straight course in current consensus about reality, you ought to be ashamed. You were never called upon to be a sounding board of contemporary consensus on issues. And brethren, I've lived long enough to be made sick that men whose theological, and linguistic gifts are such that they should no better have joined the wholesale sellout on all the male-female role passages in the New Testament. And we have the John Stotts advocating joint

41:47 ordination of men and women to the ministry. And I could name other names in a recent publication of InterVarsity that I sat and suffered through as I read it. What's happened? They're not cutting the straight course in the word of truth. Get their finger out.

42:05 To the winds of current sociological phenomena and saying, well, the church must not be radically different here or we'll lose our hearing. If we live in a generation so utterly besotten with its own arrogance and pride that it won't hear God, then preach to the birds until God works in hearts to hear his word. But we don't change that word. We cut a straight course in the word of truth. And as I told someone just a few weeks ago, I said, we're not doing anything different now than when we met in a little school room with 70 people. And if God should take away hunger, I said, we'll throw up some curtain walls on the side sections and one halfway. And if we get down to where all we've got is 100 people that want truth, and if it gets smaller than that, we'll rent out the building for something else and meet down here. But we're not going to budge from preaching truth. We cannot. We dare not. We must not.

43:05 For to do so is to relinquish saving. Religion in the hearts of men. Cutting a straight course in the word of truth and in the handling of that truth. Not just handling it, but cutting a straight course in it. And there's all kinds of debate as to what the imagery of that verb cutting the straight course is, but this much is clear. It means handling the word properly. Not doing like that sharp young doctor that I saw on the cable television while we were on our vacation, saying, do you know that God wants all of his children who live in obedience to him and take good health laws and the rest to live 120 years? Did you know that? And then he quotes out of Genesis, man's days

43:52 shall be 120 years. And he built his whole thesis on it. He says, ah, but you're saying Moses said his days are three score and ten if by reason of strength four score. You know why Moses said that? That was a generation that God killed in the wilderness because of their disobedience. But his original will is articulated in Genesis. We should all live to be obedient. We should all be 120 like Moses. And when he died, his sight was not dim. His natural powers are not abated. God just brought him to the end of his days. And if you live in the spirit and obey good health rules and have good exercise, that's God's will for every one of his children. Well, he proved it out of the Bible. He talked about cutting a crooked course, a winding course in the word of truth. Well, brethren, that's a grosser manifestation, but that kind of stuff is just inundating our country. And our task is to cut a straight course. A straight course in the word of truth. Second Timothy 4.4, our task is to do what? It is

44:51 to preach the word. Preach the word. Proclaim the word. That's our task. To do as we read of Nehemiah in Nehemiah 8.8. To read distinctly and to give the sense that the people might understand. Then you will be a fulfillment of God's wonderful promise under the new covenant Jeremiah 3.15, in which God says, I will give them shepherds who will feed them with knowledge and with understanding. That's God's promise, that he will give them shepherds after his own heart who will feed them with knowledge and with understanding. Now, that's our task. And if God doesn't give people a heart for the knowledge and understanding that come from the scripture, we can't give them a heart. We can't give them a heart for

45:48 the knowledge and understanding that come from the scripture. We can't give them a heart. We cannot change our message. We have no other task assigned to us. And so I say, axiom number one with regard to the message and its content and its form, that the proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truth must constitute the heart and soul of all our preaching. Now, God willing, after the break, we're then going to take up five correlative truths that grow out of that. And that will be the first one. The first one is that God will put some teeth into it, and I hope will send you into this semester with renewed vigor. When you get the weariness that comes with midwinter, I hope what I give you in the last half hour will be used of God. And I better not use the imagery I was just thinking. I'll use one a bit more genteel. To be a means of gracious encouragement. What

46:41 I was going to say, give you a good kick in the butt. But both are the same thing, all right? Whichever one strikes you best. Okay? Good. All right. Let's break.