By Jere L. Phillips
7.
Maintaining the integrity of the message. Finally,
the effective preacher will maintain the integrity of his message while adapting
the method of transmission. As James S. Stewart eloquently wrote:
“Surely in this
immensely critical hour, when millions of human hearts are besieged by fierce
perplexities; when so many established landmarks of the spirit are gone, old
securities wrecked, familiar ways and habits, plans and preconceptions banished
never to return; when the soul is destined to meet, amid the crash of old
beliefs, the ruthless challenge and assault of doubt and disillusionment’
when history itself is being cleft in twain, and no man can forecast the shape
of things to come – the church needs men who, knowing the world around them
and knowing the Christ above them and within, will set the trumpet of the
Gospel to their lips, and proclaim His sovereignty and all-sufficiency.” 16
__________________
Jere
L. Phillips is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Mid-America Baptist
Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN.
__________________
Notes
1 Louis B. Hanks, “American Generations: The Churches in the 21st Century,”
(Nashville: The Baptist Sunday School Board, 1996), p. 9.
2
Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Books,
2001), p. 28.
3 Stephen and David Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching (Nashville:
Broadman and Holman, 1998), p. 188.
4 Harvie M. Conn, Eternal Word and Changing Worlds (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, Acadamie Books, 1984), p.184.
5 Olford, p. 188.
6 Merrill Abbey, Communication in Pulpit and Parish (Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1973), p. 36.
7 David J. Hesselgrave, Counseling Cross-culturally: An introduction
to theory and practice for Christians (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984),
p. 148.
8 Sheila Massey, Delhi Bible Fellowship, “Cross-Cultural Communication
(III),” The Work of an Evangelist (Minneapolis: World Wide Publications,
1984), p. 469.
9 Robert Cunville, “Cross Cultural Communication (IV),” The Work of
an Evangelist (Minneapolis: World Wide Publications, 1984), p. 474.
10 Sherwood Lingerfleter and Marvin Mayers, Ministering Cross-Culturally.
(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986), p. 18.
11 Cunville, p. 474.
12 Lingerfleter and Mayers, p. 18.
13 Cunville, p. 474.
14 Leonard Sweet, Post-Modern Pilgrims (Nashville: Broadman Holmon,
2000).
15 McIntosh, p. 158
16
James S. Stewart, Heralds of God. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1972),
pp. 12-13.
