Theological Foundation of Christ-Centered Message
Bryan Chapell's Christ-centered Preaching has 11 chapters. I skipped the 9th chapter, which talks about introductions, conclusions, and transitions. Part 3, which is about a theology of Christ-centered messages, has two parts. In this concluding article in this series of lessons on homiletics, I just want to focus on chapter 10. This chapter on the theological foundation of redemptive messages has three major sections:
the biblical basis for the theological foundation of redemptive sermons
the importance of biblical theology and its implications in preaching, and
the need to distinguish redemptive from non-redemptive messages.
Biblical Basis for Theological Foundation of Redemptive Sermons
Chapell recognizes the homiletical justification for the importance of emphasizing the Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) in expository messages. However, he claims that such justification is insufficient without a clear basis from the word of God. The author cites several passages of Scripture to prove this point. He asserts that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 serves as a charter for biblical preaching. These verses teach us that apart from Scripture, even the most gifted and virtuous among men remain incomplete. It follows then that the Bible is the means by which God brings wholeness to any aspect of human brokenness. This power of the written word is true not only in a once-and-for-all sense of redemption but also as a continuous reality for life. Seen from this perspective, though the role of gleaning the FCF in every passage of Scripture is so important, this does not define the total function of the written revelation. Scripture is ultimately very positive in its emphasis simply because by exposing the FCF of a specific text, it leads in the end to the solution, which can only be provided by the gospel. And to bring to light this dual function of any portion of the Scripture is the primary task of an expository preacher.
Furthermore, Chapell mentions three other passages to prove the fact that the Scriptures respect the concern of both the original recipients and the contemporary audience. An example of this is 1 Corinthians 9:9-11. This passage tells us that Moses wrote for his own situation. Paul recognized that original intention. However, Paul believed that a complete understanding of the text includes its implication for his contemporaries. The other two passages to corroborate this claim are 1 Corinthians 10:6-11 and Romans 4:23-24.
The Significance of Biblical Theology and Its Implications in Preaching
Chapel then turns to the question: how can an expositor infuse the redemptive message into every sermon without superimposing ideas foreign to the text? He finds the answer to this question by introducing the role of biblical theology. He believes that biblical theology provides the general background to see the place of diverse biblical themes in the light of the overall theme, which is redemption. This shows that no text exists in isolation from other texts or from the overarching message of the Bible. It follows that a correct theological understanding of a specific text requires an expositor to discern how the idea of that text functions in the wider biblical message. Chapell quotes Geerhardus Vos to prove this claim. According to Chapell, Vos taught that all scriptural revelation discloses God, which means that every verse in the Bible, in some sense, points to the nature and work of God.
Central to biblical theology, which Vos emphasized, is the idea that the revelation of God through biblical history is progressive. This progressive process is organic. This means that revelation may be in seed form in its earlier period, which can be seen as a matured tree in the later period of biblical history. This explains the apparent diversity in various stages of divine revelation. Such diversity in reality is not a true difference because the substance remains the same throughout biblical history. Moreover, all stages of biblical history are important, for the earlier aspects of divine truth are indispensable for understanding the true meanings of the later forms and vice versa.
With the above consideration and since redemption is central in God’s revelation, this means that for an expositor to expound biblical revelation from any passage, he must relate its explanation to the redeeming work of God present in that passage. In this sense, the entire Bible is Christ-centered because his redemptive work is the capstone of all God’s revelation of his dealings with his people. No aspect of revelation can be thoroughly understood or explained in isolation from some aspect of Christ’s redeeming work. This is why biblical theology is vital in preaching. Biblical theology helps us to see that the Scripture presents one consistent, organic message. It tells us how we must seek Christ, who alone is our Savior and source of strength, to be and do what God requires. To preach what people should be and do yet not mention him who enables their accomplishment distorts the biblical message. True Christian preaching must center on the cross of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:22-24; 2 Corinthians 4:4-5; Galatians 6:14). Christ-centered preaching, rightly understood, does not seek to discover where Christ is mentioned in every text but to disclose where every text stands in relation to Christ (Luke 24:27; John 5:39, 46). Expository preaching, then properly understood, is Christ-centered preaching.
Biblical theology supplies the needed redemptive focus for the expository preacher that remains fair to the text by appreciating the redemptive context of that text. Aside from Old Testament types (the study of the correspondences between persons, events, and institutions that first appear in the Old Testament and preview, prepare, or more fully express the New Testament salvation truths) and passages that contain direct reference to Christ, this redemptive context identifies where a passage fits in the overall revelation of God. Biblical theology provides four redemptive contexts essential to biblical preaching. These are passages which are predictive of the work of Christ, preparatory for the work of Christ, reflective of the work of Christ, and resultant of the work of Christ.
Examples of passages predictive of Christ’s work are Messianic psalms, prophetic literature, Old Testament sacraments, the exodus from Egypt, and others. For a specific instance, the comfort that Isaiah 40 speaks of is actually predicting future comfort in Christ.
Passages preparatory for the work of Christ aim to prepare the people of God to understand aspects of the person and work of Christ. The law is a particular example of this.
Chapell suggests two interpretive questions in determining passages reflective of the work of Christ. The first question is, what does this text reveal about God’s nature that provides redemption? The second question is, what does this text reflect of human nature that requires redemption? The theocentric nature of all Scripture should not lead us to trivialize the redemptive lessons that God may be presenting through the human characters in the Bible. We can see redemptive themes by perceiving that God uses biblical characters as both positive and negative models of behaviors and commitment he requires.
Passages resulting from the work of Christ help to correct the popular mistake of preaching biblical instructions as conditions for divine love and acceptance. Such preaching errs not by detailing what God requires but by either implying or directly stating that a relationship with God is a consequence of obedience. The Gospel proclaims that obedience itself is a blessing that results from God’s love for us. To consider divine love made conditional upon human obedience is legalism. The only kind of obedience approved by God is that which he himself enables and sanctifies. This is also true in prayer. Prayers in themselves cannot earn, deserve, or require God’s blessing. God mercifully receives and honors prayer not because our prayers are sincere and diligent but because of the sufficiency of Christ’s ministry.
The Need to Distinguish Redemptive from Non-redemptive Messages
Non-redemptive messages are more popular than one could think about. Just listen to a radio station giving Bible meditations. It is so difficult to decipher the false teaching not because of its obscurity but because of its clarity. A message that merely promotes morality and compassion remains non-redemptive even if the preacher can prove that the Bible demands such behaviors. This is contrary to the Gospel, for it ignores the fact of human sinfulness—that even the best works of men are tainted and neglect the grace of God.
Chapell coined the term “the deadly be’s” to describe messages that neglect the grace of God. What are these deadly be messages? The first one is “be like” messages. The focus of these messages is the biographies of biblical characters. Preachers focus on the exemplary characteristics and accomplishments of a particular biblical personality. The error in this type of preaching is the failure to identify the source of the character quality that Scripture commends, which is the grace of God. It is proper to preach such commendable character if it serves the function of the law. Expositors should preach both the commendable character of these people and at the same time make it plain that such godliness can come only as a response to God’s unconditional love and as a result of His enabling Spirit.
The second deadly be is “be good” messages. Here the emphasis is on behaviors such as being good and being holy. Again, the failure here is not in what preachers say but in what they failed to say. Such a sermon is moralistic and loses its Christian distinctiveness. It implies that if a person obeys God, he will be loved more, and if he does not, God will love him less.
The third deadly be is “be disciplined” messages. The diligent use of the means of grace such as prayer, Bible reading, quiet time, and fasting is emphasized. The problem with this message is that Christian disciplines are promoted without highlighting the grace of God. The true efficacy of spiritual disciplines is not in their power to bribe God but in their usefulness in opening hearts to the perception and exercise of his power. Without redemptive emphasis, “be” messages in the Bible would either result in Pharisaism or despair. At the end of the day, the bottom line question that people must answer is this: How will people fulfill the will of God? If they march to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil with only me, myself, and I, then the message leads to despair. If the sermon has led them to the grace of God, walking into the world with Jesus, then that is the sure path towards wholeness.
For the AI-generated song version of this article, check The Gospel Through The Ages.