Five-Fold Proclamation
I was trained by one of the 20thCentury’s “Princes of Preaching.” And, “no” that isn’t an exaggeration.
In1996, Haddon Robinson was named in a Baylor University poll as one of the “12Most Effective Preachers in the English Speaking World.” In 2006, he wasrecognized by Christianity Today in the top 10 of its “25 MostInfluential Preachers of the Past 50 Years.” In 2008, he received the E.K.Bailey "Living Legend Award." And in 2010, Preaching Magazine namedhim among the “25 Most Influential Preachers of the Past 25 Years.”[i]
Haddon was not only a great preacher, he was also a great teacher of preaching. In fact, you could say, “He wrote the book on preaching.” For decades his book, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, was the text of choice in seminaries and Bible Colleges around the world.
Not only was I privileged to study under Haddon in seminary, but I went on to do doctoral studies with him too. This opened the door for me to teach preaching in 1998, and I have been doing so ever since.
Challenged Thought
In my training to preach, Haddon wouldchallenge us to “think about you thinking,” because as he would remind us, “The greatest rape of theBible is to say in God’s name what God never said.”
Haddon was committed to expositorypreaching: a preaching that exposes the meaning of a scripture passage orpassages. For some who came before him,expository preaching was limited to one text and to a particular message structure– usually three alliterated points. ButHaddon’s definition of expository preaching created a wider road.
More Space
Haddon’s definition was wide enoughthat a message could start with a single text, or, it could start with a topicand move back to a text or even multiple texts.[ii] It could, and even should (because of the genreof the text[s] or the needs of the audience), take various forms. In fact, a message could even take the formof a story told.
In my training and even today, I feel very at home on that road. Its width fits me well; and it is a familiar and well-traveled road for me. In fact, give me a passage to preach, any passage, and I will stay awake at night dreaming of how I can expose its message for today’s audience.
But much to my surprise, and even disappointment at first, I have found that not everyone shares my passion to expose a text or set of texts. As I have taught preaching, and worked closely with other preachers, I have come to notice that some seem more concerned with motivating a church to tackle a new challenge than teaching a passage.
Others can find in any passage a reason to invitation people to follow Christ. Others have their ears so tuned to the voice of their sheep, they prefer to only preach passages that they see addressing their sheep’s needs. And still others, they do not even settle on a passage until after they sense what God want them to say.
What is the Right Way?
When I first began to spot this phenomenon,I tried to push people to develop their messages the “right way.” After all, Itold myself, once they gain some experience, they will find the same joy I findin an in-depth exposition of a text.
Of course, I would not be bringingthis all up except that I have been wondering for some time now if pushingpeople in this direction is the right thing to do. I have begun to wonder, “Am I trying to shutdown some of God’s design for God’s church? Am I trying to force apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds, to preachlike teachers?”
To put it more positively, “What would it look like if apostles were freed to preach as apostles? Prophets like prophets? Evangelist as evangelist? Shepherd as shepherds? And teachers like teacher?”
More Space Yet
In my next blog, I want to invite youwonder with me, “What might be each’s unique starting point, motivation,outcome, and default?” And, “Could knowingthat about ourselves free us to be more of who we are as a speaker, withoutcompromising on biblical authority?”
And in my last blog in this series, I want us to see how knowing this about ourselves could motivate us to build speaking teams that allow other’s strengths to shine. And I want to end by seeing how a five-fold speaking team can equip our communities to be fuller reflections of “the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13d NIV)?”
[i]From Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s tribute to Haddon upon histransition to be with the Lord, https://www.gordonconwell.edu/haddon-robinson.cfm
[ii]See Haddon’s treatment of “Topical Exposition” on pages 56-58 of BiblicalPreaching.
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