Ebook Download Let the Earth Hear His Voice: Strategies for Overcoming Bottlenecks in Preaching God's Word, by Greg R. Scharf
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Let the Earth Hear His Voice: Strategies for Overcoming Bottlenecks in Preaching God's Word, by Greg R. Scharf
Ebook Download Let the Earth Hear His Voice: Strategies for Overcoming Bottlenecks in Preaching God's Word, by Greg R. Scharf
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Uniting theological encouragement with practical advice, Greg Scharf identifies eight common bottlenecks that can clog a sermon's fruitfulness and faithfulness—humanly speaking—and gives diagnoses, strategies for addressing the problems, and exercises to overcome them. Seminary students, occasional preachers, and seasoned pastors will be given profound tools and insights for preaching faithfully, clearly, and applicably. A cross reference allows the book to be easily used alongside Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching.
- Sales Rank: #1059790 in Books
- Brand: P & R Publishing Co.
- Published on: 2015-10-22
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.90" h x .70" w x 6.00" l, .85 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 272 pages
Review
"If you are asking, 'Why is my preaching not having the effect that God's Word ought to have on its hearers?,' I urge you to read this book with a torchlight on your own heart. There may yet be hope!" --Conrad Mbewe, Pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church, Chancellor of the African Christian University, Lusaka, Zambia
"Greg Scharf has written a marvelously wise book. It is both full of biblical and theological counsel for pastors themselves and laden with practical counsel on development and presentation of excellent messages. This book will instruct the beginner and refresh the seasoned pastor." --Daniel M. Doriani, Vice President of Strategic Academic Initiatives and Professor of Theology, Covenant Theological Seminary
"Recognizing that the weekly work of sermon preparation and delivery is often challenging and even daunting, Greg Scharf draws on his years of experience in both the pulpit and the classroom to provide thoughtful and helpful instruction for students—young preachers and seasoned ministers alike. In this well-designed volume, readers are invited to envision fresh ways to develop and improve their faithful and effective proclamation of God's Word to God's people. By adeptly and ably addressing the major bottlenecks that so often divert preachers from their calling, Scharf offers much wisdom and ample encouragement for those who will put into practice the insightful guidance found in Let the Earth Hear His Voice. It is a joy to recommend this excellent book." --David S. Dockery, President, Trinity International University
About the Author
Greg R. Scharf (DMin, MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is chair of the pastoral theology department and professor of homiletics at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is a past president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and was previously pastor to three congregations in three countries.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
A handbook on preaching that is biblically grounded, theologically sound, and proven by experience
By George P. Wood
Let the Earth Hear His Voice asks two questions of vital interest to preachers: (1) What is preaching? (2) How can we preach more effectively? The book provides answers to both questions that are biblically grounded, theologically sound, and proven by experience.
Greg Scharf is a scholar-practitioner. He pastored three congregations in three countries, and now serves as chair of the practical theology department and professor of homiletics at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He authored or contributed to several books on preaching, including the revision and abridgment of John Stott’s classic book, Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today, which was published as The Challenge of Preaching.
In the Introduction, Scharf cites J. I. Packer’s definition of preaching as his point of departure: “Christian preaching is the event of God himself bringing to an audience a Bible-based, Christ-related, life-impacting message of instruction and direction through the words of a spokesperson” (emphasis in original). Elsewhere, he describes preaching this way: “God speaks to people through people.” Chapter 1 provides a biblical and theological rationale for this lofty understanding of preaching.
The remainder of the book — Chapters 2 through 10 — identifies eight bottlenecks that “keep God’s voice from being heard” in the sermon and then identifies strategies for overcoming them. The bottlenecks are:
1. Unbelief (Chapter 3)
2. Unqualified or disqualified preachers (Chapter 4)
3. Faulty text selection (Chapter 5)
4. Inadequate understanding of the preaching passage (Chapter 6)
5. Inadequate contextualization to the preaching situation (Chapter 7)
6. Faulty organization (Chapter 8)
7. Inadequate or overused illustration (Chapter 9)
8. Flawed delivery (Chapter 10)
The first two bottlenecks remind us that ineffective preaching does not always occur because of deficiencies in what might be called the mechanics of preaching, e.g., sermon organization and delivery. Sometimes, preaching is ineffective because of the spiritual, theological, and moral deficiencies of the preacher. In other words, sometimes we — because of little faith, no spiritual gift, or moral failure — are the bottlenecks hindering God speaking to others through us. That is a sobering thought, and preachers would be well advised to think it.
Still, for those called and empowered to preach, it is imperative that we hone our craft and become the best preachers we can be. Effective preaching cannot be reduced to considerations of text selection, organization, illustration, application, and the like, but it cannot be separated from them either. Scharf provides valuable advice about how to write and deliver sermons that deliver God’s Word to our congregations.
I should note, in closing, that Scharf is writing out of the Reformed or Calvinistic tradition. (P&R Publishing is also Reformed.) I recognize that the Calvinist doctrine of salvation is a controversial topic in Pentecostal and charismatic circles, whose doctrine has been shaped by Arminian and Wesleyan understandings of salvation. That said, Let the Earth Hear His Voice is nonetheless a worthwhile read because it articulates a definition of preaching that is the common inheritance of all evangelicals, not just our Reformed friends. No Christian fellowship has a corner on all truth, so it behooves us to read and listen to those outside our own theological tradition. As Scripture says, “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). This book certainly sharpened me, and I believe it will sharpen you too.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
The Book You Wish You Had When You Began Preaching
By Erik Warren O'Dell
As a student of theology and preaching, I have come across many very gifted teachers who have said of themselves, "If I'd only known what I do now, I probably could have avoided some of the mistakes I made when I first began." Being in seminary, I am training to be able to deliver the Word of God to the people of God in the future and truthfully, I sometimes feel the overwhelming solemnity of how important it is not to obstruct the means of grace that God has given us in His Scriptures and the fear of making some of the mistakes I have heard about from those gifted men give me pause. Often, the question I ask isn't, "How do I do it right?" but "What must I avoid?" This volume by homiletics scholar and pastor, Greg Scharf is the providential answer to the prayer I have made to be given some clues as I prepare to embark on the journey of preaching ministry.
What is a bottleneck? The author recalls the work of University of Indiana professor, David Pace in defining a bottleneck as something that prevents students from breaking through to proper understanding. Scharf helpfully adds his mental image of a ketchup bottle with the narrow part of the bottle, which is "purposefully restricted to deliver it to a target such as french fries" but if it is blocked, it can prevent the flow of ketchup to its target. Much is the same with preaching; there are bottlenecks which "restrict the flow of God's word to his people." With keen insight, the majority of the book lays out and diagnoses and provides "treatments" to limit the bottlenecks in one's preaching.
There are 8 "bottlenecks":
1. Unbelief
2. Unqualified or disqualified preacher
3. Faulty text selection
4. Inadequate understanding of the text
5. Inadequate contextualization
6. Faulty organization
7. Inadequate balance of proposition and illustration
8. Flawed delivery
For the sake of providing a concise review, I will make a few comments about just a few of the chapters that stood out to me. While the entire book, in my estimation, is a gem, I prefer not to require too much reading of my own thoughts so that the reader can hurry up and just order the book. :)
1. Unbelief: This seems like a no-brainer, but as Scharf points out, unbelief plays out in different ways. Of course, an unbeliever in God, salvation through the person and work of Jesus Christ alone and his covenantal history of redemption (the Bible) has no business being in the pulpit preaching God's Word, though as liberal mainline denominations have shown, that doesn't necessarily stop the reprobate from mishandling truth to tickle people's ears. Instead, the unbelief that Scharf addresses is the kind that some preachers may exhibit practically, as in putting all of the weight of the power of their sermon on their own gifts and not trusting God to do the sanctifying work. This can, in turn, lead congregants to misplace their faith in the deliverer instead of the Author of the message. This also looks like padding the worship services with other "stuff" which then limits the appropriate amount of time given to the ministry of the preaching of God's Word. In any case, these things are bottlenecks which restricts the flow of the gospel power of the counsel of God's Word to his people.
After diagnosing the issue, Scharf offers biblical counsel of how to overcome this particular bottleneck: confession of our unbelief, supplication for God's grace and help and recitation of creedal convictions to remind ourselves what it is we believe, why we believe it and why we must be faithful to our calling as ministers of God's Word. He gives a list of very potent creedal statements which give practical and devotional value to this particular chapter.
3. Faulty text selection: In this chapter, Scharf lists 9 dangers of text selection, one of which is the haste-driven sermon, or the sermon which arises out of giving too little time to prayerful selection of the text and preparation of the sermon due to simply running out of time because of other ministry concerns. If you have not given yourself enough time to dedicate to carefully selecting the text, the same sort of haphazard work will go into the exegesis and preparation of the sermon, leading to the bottleneck of delivering a 30-minute sermon where inadequate treatment of the text is clearly evident, restricting the flow of the power of the text to effect change in God's people. Again, the pastor-scholar offers invaluable practical insights to avoid this particular bottleneck.
6. Faulty organization: As someone who has ADHD, I am used to my thoughts being scattershot and needing to be streamlined in order to provide clarity to others. While things may make sense to me, if I am going to preach, I will need to ensure that my work on the text is clear for the entire congregation. This is the main thrust of this chapter and is one that resonated with me the most with its practical insights in the preparation in writing an organized sermon. My personal favorite is his counsel to focus on inductive sermons: starting with the bits of biblical data and organically demonstrate what they add up to--like an unfolding story. As a fan of teachers like Kevin Vanhoozer (Faith Speaking Understanding), I am particularly fond of the idea that like God who gave us an unfolding story of redemptive history in his Word, so too should the preacher to God's people give an unfolding of the story so that they can see afresh the drama of God's work in their lives and the world around them.
I am so thankful for this timely book and it was a pleasure to read. It flows easily and benefits from its own helpful organization. Speaking as someone who is greener than the grass after a Spring shower, I confess that I may benefit from this book more than seasoned preachers, but given that this book is also endorsed by one of my professors and gifted preacher (Dennis Johnson), I suspect this book (at least in parts) can be helpful to even more experienced ministers of God's Word.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, whether positive or negative.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Practical and Helpful for Budding or Seasoned Preachers
By Chris Ho
Every preacher who has tried to excel in preaching would probably have felt the immense burden and enormous responsibility to preach faithfully and competently. Many a times, you would find yourself just like Paul who cried out to God, “Who is sufficient for these things”. No doubt some of these struggles come because of bottlenecks that occurs during the preparation of sermons.
Greg R. Scharf understands the problems face by preachers and wants to help them go through these bottlenecks. Although this is primary a book about resolving these bottlenecks, Scharf does not want to make any assumptions, he starts by making a biblical case for preaching. Having shown that preaching is biblical and necessary, Scharf then tackles 8 of such bottlenecks.
This book would especially be helpful for young budding preachers, since they would soon encounter these bottlenecks in the near future. More experience preachers would quickly identify themselves with the various bottlenecks, but they will go away learning some ways to deal with them. This book is definitely practical for preachers and deals with things that preachers often faces. Though tackling these situations Scharf gently encourages preachers to continue to work on their weaknesses rather than to give up on it.
Personally I was helped by this book, most of the books on preaching do not really deal with this bottlenecks at such a detailed level and I’m thankful that such a book has finally been published. If you’re looking for a book to help you with the practical issues in preaching, then this is the book for you. Pastors should get this book and review their preaching every year or every two years. I’m sure they will find themselves preaching better and better as the years goes by.
Rating: 5 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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