The Importance of Theology in Preaching

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“Fortify”: the importance of being grounded in Theology and how that translates into how we communicate, teach, and relate to our people.

Introduction

But I’m not a theologian. (Quote from Veith)

Who is your God? What is he like? You believe something about God/god/gods.

But I don’t need to study what other people say. I just read the Bible.

Okay. So what does the Bible say? How do you know that? What does that mean?

or… I don’t get into the minor things. I just stick to the important things. “Keep the main things the main things.” “Don’t major in the minors.” Let’s just all get along and focus on what we agree on.

You believe something about God’s Word. You believe something about baptism.

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

Testimony

Pietism/revivalism - moralism/mysticism

Jesse & John - uptown coffee shop discussing religion (all three) & philosophy (speculation)

My crisis of faith - Calvinism/speculation

The Doctrine of election

Paradox

The Study of God

God’s Heart - Large Catechism 1st commandment

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions The First Commandment

to “have a god” is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts.

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions The First Commandment

You shall have no other gods.

1 What this means: You shall have Me alone as your God. What is the meaning of this, and how is it to be understood? What does it mean to have a god? Or, what is God? 2 Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart. I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. 3 If your faith and trust is right, then your god is also true. On the other hand, if your trust is false and wrong, then you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God [Hebrews 11:6]. Now, I say that whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in is truly your god.

4 The purpose of this commandment is to require true faith and trust of the heart, which settles upon the only true God and clings to Him alone. It is like saying, “See to it that you let Me alone be your God, and never seek another.” In other words, “Whatever you lack of good things, expect it from Me. Look to Me for it. And whenever you suffer misfortune and distress, crawl and cling to Me. I, yes, I, will give you enough and help you out of every need. Only do not let your heart cleave to or rest on any other.”

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions The First Commandment

13 So you can easily understand what and how much this commandment requires. A person’s entire heart and all his confidence must be placed in God alone and in no one else. For to “have” God, you can easily see, is not to take hold of Him with our hands or to put Him in a bag ‹like money› or to lock Him in a chest ‹like silver vessels›. 14 Instead, to “have” Him means that the heart takes hold of Him and clings to Him. 15 To cling to Him with the heart is nothing else than to trust in Him entirely. For this reason God wishes to turn us away from everything else that exists outside of Him and to draw us to Himself [John 6:44]. For He is the only eternal good [Matthew 19:17]. It is as though He would say, “Whatever you have previously sought from the saints, or for whatever things you have trusted in money or anything else, expect it all from Me. Think of Me as the one who will help you and pour out upon you richly all good things.”

Vs broken cisterns

Vs non living idols

The Word

Committing yourself to teaching from it, studying it (you’ve gotta sweat!), holding to it when it is uncomfortable, sharing God’s Word not your thoughts

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4:4–7, ESV)

Getting Grounded

Scripture - Inspired, inerrant, infallable

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Living and Active

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Law & Gospel - God’s two words

Center focus & purpose of the Bible - Christ crucified

(not a to do list (Jesus Storybook bible) or centered on other good things like “the sovereignty of God”)

Word & Sacrament -

God’s creative, efficacious Word (not pragmatism) - Luther’s lense for Scripture from Gen. 1

God’s delivery method - means (Sacraments must be Commanded and instituted by Christ, with God’s grace & promise for the forgiveness of our sins, and have a physical element)

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Colossians 2:11–14 ESV

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Getting God Right

One God

The Shema:

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

see vv. 1-9

Trinity

(Three Ecumenical Creeds; Lutheran Satire - Patrick)

Two Natures of Christ (Chemnitz)

Colossians 2:9 ESV

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Transcendent and Immanent

The Holy Spirit -

(The Shy Member of the Trinity; not a commodity)

John 15:26 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

John 16:7–14 ESV

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Romans 5:5 ESV

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Getting the Gospel Right

Law & Gospel - not mingled

Lori - It’s not like we have to be perfect

Monergism vs. Synergism

Objective and Subjective

Why?

It is our only hope. It is what creates Christians, creates and builds the church, forgives sins, gives eternal life, sanctifies, makes us a new creation, compels us with the love of Christ, empowers us to do good works for our neighbors

Getting the Goal Right

What are we trying to accomplish in the ministry when we preach, teach, & counsel teens?

Are we trying to make them better people? (Veggie Tales; polishing the bronze on a sinking ship)

Are we trying t motivate them to do good deeds?

Are we trying to Improve their self-esteem and feel good about themselves?

Are we trying to give them a guilt trip about their bad behavior and lack of good behavior?

Law & Gospel

Law

Romans 3:19 ESV

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Gospel

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Romans 4:17 ESV

as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

comforting burdened consciences

The Bondage of the Will and the Freedom of the Christian

Free will?

Theology of the Cross vs. Theology of Glory

not self-righteousness or self-improvement

not self-esteem but Christ esteem

Salvation -

How is it accomplished/aquired/won?

Saving from sin & condemnation and…

He is making all things new (You Are What You Love)

Revelation 21:5 ESV

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Justification and Sanctification

Sanctification (Christ in Action)

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

Evangelism - Why are we still here?

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Vocation - working for the neighbor, not to earn salvation

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.