Simon Manchester on Preparing to Preach
In the latest Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, North Sydney’s Simon Manchester speaks about Preparing to Preach.
“What are the priorities we need to have in good preaching?
Preaching Matters welcomes Simon Manchester this month, asks him what his sermon preparation looks like, and he gives us some examples of why handling the text rightly is so crucial for good preaching. Simon talks to us about being sailors and divers, and preaching Jesus not just the Bible.”
Watch it here. Most encouraging.
A Sovereign Protector I have
“The book of Esther is another reminder that God is in control of all things, not just some things. God is well able to use peoples’ evil intentions to bring about His good purpose.
Joseph’s brothers; the evil Prime Minister of Persia, Haman; the weak Roman Governor of Palestine, Pontius Pilate; the able Jewish lobbyists, who demanded the death sentence for Jesus; and later the deacon Stephen, are all examples that the Sovereign Lord ‘rules the peoples justly and guides the nations of the earth’ (Psalm 67:4).”
– in his latest message, Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook calls believers to remember who is in control – the One to whom every knee will bow.
(Image: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Twelve marks of excellent pastoral ministry
“John MacArthur has had a long, faithful, fruitful ministry unblemished by great scandal. For decades he has maintained a tight focus on teaching the Bible verse by verse and book by book.
In 2006 he taught through 1 Timothy 4 and there he saw Paul providing his young protégé with ‘a rich summary of all of the apostle’s inspired instruction for those who serve the church as ministers, as pastors. And it all begins with the statement, a noble minister, an excellent minister, a good servant of Christ Jesus.’
What are the marks of such a man? MacArthur reveals twelve of them…”
– An excellent summary, and full of godly encouragement, from Tim Challies. (Photo: John MacArthur.)
‘Don’t Drift!’ — exhortation
At the SMBC Centenary Service on April 15th, David Cook preached from Hebrews 1 and 2, with the theme of “Don’t Drift!”.
“When I was Principal here, I received an invitation … to go to a conference in Cape Town, in South Africa, and the invitation was addressed to ‘The most dangerous person in the Church’. It was a conference for the Principals of Bible Colleges and Theological Colleges. The most dangerous people in the church.
That, historically, is an accurate description. If a denomination moves away from the truth, invariably, it is because its denominational College has moved from the truth…”
Audio of David’s sermon is now available (18MB mp3 file) on the SMBC Centenary web page. Encouraging.
Related: In his weekly column, David writes about Chappo and the need for evangelists.
Reflecting on Fifty Years of Expository Preaching in Australia (1965–2015)
“I was a new convert when I attended the CMS Victoria Summer School at Belgrave Heights in January 1965, when John Stott gave those studies in 2 Corinthians. It was the first time I had heard expository Bible preaching.
My response was, ‘That is how to preach the Bible, and that is what I want to do!’
I knew that such preaching would grow churches, and when I went to London in 1972 and visited All Soul’s Langham Place and St Helen’s Bishopsgate, I saw that it worked!”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Peter Adam remembers the impact of expository Bible preaching, as exemplified by John Stott. (Photo: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Endurance Needed: Strength for a slow reformation and the dangerous allure of speed
Several people have told us of the encouragement given by Mark Dever’s exhortations on Endurance in Pastoral ministry – at the Together for the Gospel Conference 2016.
Strong encouragement.
Watch it here – or listen at this link.
The Reformation meets ‘Trellis and Vine’
Mark Dever interviewed Phillip Jensen at Together for the Gospel 2016 two weeks ago in Louisville, Kentucky.
In an enjoyable and encouraging interview, Phillip introduces his hearers to Sydney Anglicans and the English Reformation, explains why Anglicanism is the way it is now, and much more. Phillip also speaks of the latest from Matthias Media – The Vine Project, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. (The book will be available during May.)
Back to Basics Part 6 — Will you stand with us?
“No one wants to see an end to the Anglican Communion. That is why the Primates went to Canterbury.
Certainly the leaders of GAFCON are clear on this point. They are not proposing to replace the Communion. They are dealing with schism, not provoking it.
Their insight has always been clear: since the institutional structures have failed to hold the fellowship together around the truth, the answer must be a spiritual one.
A prophetic voice is needed…”
– In the last of his six-part series Back to Basics, GAFCON General Secretary, Dr. Peter Jensen, invites like-minded Christian believers to stand with those who stand for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Reflections on discipleship (part 1)
“How do you get someone to do something when they are afraid; they lack confidence and competence; they are uncomfortable; they have no experience; they have no vision or passion? This is the question that often plagues pastors and ministry leaders as they seek to empower people to serve…”
– At Equal but Different, Lesley Ramsay has the first in a series of encouraging posts on disciple-making.
Your labour in the Lord is not in vain
“Wee Waa’s boom years were the mid 1960’s to the mid 1980’s, there was plenty of water, and cotton, as an Australian industry, was in its infancy.
American farmers led by Paul Kahl and Frank Hadley, two Christian men from California, were instrumental in establishing the industry, centred on Wee Waa.
Wee Waa Presbyterian was our first parish. We ministered there from February 1976 to December 1981. This last Easter we had the joy of going back to lead the Easter services…”
– David Cook goes back to Wee Waa, where he was the Presbyterian Minister forty years ago.
Encouragement from Psalm 41
Allan Blanch, an Emeritus Vice-president of the ACL, and who served as Rector in the parishes of Broadway, Beecroft and St. Philip’s York Street, recently preached at St. Paul’s Lithgow on Psalm 41.
Most edifying. Listen here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…