Christ Centered Preaching Book Analysis Essay

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In the second edition to Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chapell provides a guide to expository preaching based on the fundamental principle that the purpose of preaching is to promote union with Christ. According to Chapell, union with Christ has personal, community, and theological or cosmological implications. The second edition to the Chapell text includes several amendments and additions, encouraging libraries to stock both copies. Moreover, the author outlines some thematic changes to the second edition including greater explication of what Chapell (2005) calls the Fallen Condition Focus, or FCF (p. 14). While it may seem obvious that the FCF is the central story of Christ, redemption and resurrection need to remain the core focus of preaching. Preaching is also need-based, according to Chapell (2005), offering specific solutions to individual dilemmas while also offering a spiritual solution to all human problems. All themes common in preaching, from gratitude to obedience, need to be framed in terms of the Fallen Condition. Even expository sermons, the focal point of Christ-Centered Preaching, need to revolve around the central tenet of Christ’s redemptive message. In other words, Christ-Centered Preaching suggests all expository sermons be distilled to offer the essence of FCF. Chapell (2005) also argues for the reintroduction of authority into expository sermons, not just to eliminate ambiguity or moral relativism but also to avoid the pitfalls of subjectivity and outright incorrect interpretations of Biblical truths.

There are two prefaces to the second edition of Christ-Centered Preaching. In the preface to the first edition, Chapell (2005) offers an explanation of the two main themes of authority and redemption. Authority refers to the righteousness of scripture, as Chapell (2005) warns preachers against the secularization of Christian messages. Redemption refers to the FCF. Sermons can provide the guidelines for overcoming sin and receiving Christ’s redemptive message. The preface to the second edition includes references to addendums, and stresses more the importance of the Fallen Condition Focus. The list of Tables refers to terms from the Old and New Testaments, analyses of sermon introductions, and original language grammars. Lexical aids and study bible lists are also included, as are bible dictionaries. These lists provide further reference materials for readers. After the lists of figures and tables and also the brief Acknowledgements section, the meat of Christ-Centered Preaching begins. Christ-Centered Preaching is divided into three main parts, and also includes extensive Appendices that alone comprise about 50 pages of text including sample sermons and funeral messages that can be used for practical purposes. Christ-Centered Preaching also includes an index and bibliographic material, as the text is substantially researched.

Part One is entitled “Principles for Expository Preaching,” and the goal of the section is to establish the scriptural foundations for the importance of preaching, but also the substantive content of preaching. Here, the author discusses the nobility of preaching and the power of the spoken word in communicating Christ’s message: both of which have scriptural roots. Preaching is a noble cause and calling, an exalted role but one that should not intimidate anyone who is called to communicate the word of God. The author delves into the theological meaning of the Word of God, from the first few passages of Genesis onto the New Testament. God uses the Greek term Logos to refer to His son, and therefore presents Christ as the manifest Word of God. Words have power, the power to communicate God’s message in ways that cannot be achieved by other means. Words make God real, making preaching a divine and necessary act. Chapell (2005) also differentiates between Logos, as the manifestation of God in Christ, and logos, which is the message or spoken word cloaked in human languages (p. 28). In accordance with the FCF theme, the author also shows how the word of God—as both logos and Logos—is redemptive in nature. Christ redeems, and the preacher uses the spoken word to communicate the message of redemption. Chapell (2005) also discusses the effectiveness of testimony, with scriptural supports. An expository sermon is not just a testimonial, though, but a thorough explication of scripture. By focusing on a specific Biblical passage, an expository sermon reveals the word of God in explicit and implicit ways, without straying from the core spiritual messages embedded in the text. In other words, expository preaching is authoritative. A few concluding sections address the function of ethos in rhetorical strategies used in preaching. Ethos refers to the character of the preacher as well as grace, which is exuded in the sermon. A sermon should never be based around a personal message, but personal messages and the ethos of the preacher can help deliver the meaning of the scriptural passage.

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Because preaching is rhetorical in nature, Chapell (2005) outlines the three primary elements of classical rhetoric: pathos, ethos, and logos. Logos is of course the verbal content of the sermon, which is brought to life by the pathos or emotional power imparted by the speaker. Ethos is the character and credibility of the preacher, a critical component of every sermon. Good expository preaching aligns pathos, ethos, and logos, as the preacher transmits the Bible passage into a language the audience understands, relates to, and takes action on in their lives. Integral to preaching with character and credibility is the principle of guarding against pride and other barriers to communication. Chapell (2005) also refers to the components of exposition, to introduce readers to the priority of the Bible. The most important aspect of expository preaching is faithfulness to scripture.

Part Two of Christ-Centered Preaching is entitled “Preparation of Expository Sermons.” Divided into several sub-sections, this chapter covers the structure, outline, process, and patterns of sermon crafting. The author uses the metaphor of the labyrinth to show how a sermon can provide a direct and clear pathway to the truth, and that illuminating that path is one of the preacher’s roles. Road maps are helpful during the preparatory stage of preaching. To create an effective road map that helps guide a congregation, a preacher can rely on six critical questions. The questions are not designed to restrict the content of the sermon, but rather to help keep the sermon on course. All six questions help the preacher remain focused on the expository message within the FCF framework, to prevent unnecessary distractions, and to retain the authoritative message of the Bible. Naturally, the first three questions are related to the meaning of the text. Answering these three questions requires a substantial amount of research, including referring to correspondences, dictionaries, and other reference material. What does the text mean, how do I know what it means, and what caused the text to be written are the three central questions posed at this point (Chapell, 2005, p. 104). After answering these three questions, the preacher is armed with the preliminary information from which to base the sermon. The preacher should not take for granted familiarity with a favorite Biblical passage. Rather, an expository sermon requires more in-depth and objective research, analysis, and explication of the text.

The next three questions are related to how the preacher will relate, translate, and deliver that message to the audience. Answering these three questions will help bridge the gap between the Biblical world in which the text was written, and the contemporary world in which the audience dwells. The sermon is not just about what the Bible says, but how it applies to audiences now. Whereas the first three questions are like summaries or concrete observations of the source text, the second three questions are about meaning. The preacher might want to know why the passage might have been written in Biblical times first, to find universal clues to human behavior and society. Alternatively, the preacher might realize that the passage has a different meaning in different contexts. Locating the meaning of the passage within the FCF framework is simple: as the preacher retains a spiritual and theological focus for the sermon. When answering the second set of questions during sermon preparation, the preacher also figures out what language can be used to deliver the message, and how to instruct the congregation about the truths embedded in the text. The language in which the Bible was written might not be immediately meaningful to the congregation, which is why the preacher serves as a translator of sorts. When the preacher is able to discern the kernels of truth within the selected Biblical passage, it becomes easier to deliver that message using modern metaphors. Of course, the preacher needs to be careful to avoid oversimplification, misinterpretation, or secularization of the message. As Chapell (2005) stresses, the preacher needs to retain the authority of the source text, and also deliver the message within the framework of redemption.

Also in Part Two, Chapell (2005) provides four necessary steps in sermon preparation. These steps are not necessarily followed in order, but all four remain necessary during the sermon preparation process. The first step is observation of the text: close readings and….....

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