By Timothy S. Warren
When I say that preaching is propositional, I have in mind at least two notions.
The first has to do with our style. Propositions are single sentence expressions of a subject and its complement that give our preaching unity and direction (Robinson, 2001, 35). Too many sermons scatter fragments like birdshot, barely getting notice from distracted listeners. Propositions, like bullets, focus their power on strategic targets.
The second notion about propositions has to do with our philosophy. We are talking about authority here, the foundational truths that rule peoples' lives. God is the standard by which all things are judged and to whom all people will give account.
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We must continue to propose a comprehensive worldview. Our preaching must relate reality from God's perspective. Doubtless, God's Revelation cannot be reduced to simplistic aphorisms. It is multi-dimensional (Adam, 1996, 95-9). However, just because the Bible is more than propositions does not mean we need to abandon the use of propositions to express its truth. "God is sovereign." "God is love." "The wages of sin is death." These are universal propositions that Christians cannot abandon. They are reality despite the discomfort, tension, or rejection they may cause.
It has been said that propositions are the substance of the lived-out world and from propositions burst forth all the other things; painting, music, architecture, the loving and the hating of men in practice . . . and equally the results of loving God or rebellion against Him. Where a person will spend eternity depends on his or her reading or hearing the propositions, the facts of the Gospel (Schaeffer, 1982, 312-3).
We have a meta-story to share and truth to tell. God's message must not be lost while we sit silently, kept by "knowing" caretakers. Preaching is Propositional.
Fourth, Preaching is Spiritual.
More than a mere human exercise in persuasion, preaching involves the Spirit of God. If He is not present and active, our preaching is futile. Preaching is not merely an art, or a science, or a discipline. It is a relationship with the personal and dynamic Spirit of God. That gives us hope as we preach in this missionary age.
Revelation is the work of the Spirit. The Spirit inspired the Scriptures. The Spirit has preserved the Word of God. The Spirit also regenerates, calls to service, and gifts the preacher for ministry. The Spirit illumines the preacher to understand how what is written applies to life. And the Spirit empowers the preacher to speak the words of God. We often call this anointing.
A portion of preaching is truly supernatural. We may not be able to explain it, but God has promised His help, and we have experienced it. And it is more than simply "being in the zone." In preaching, we reach out, we speak out, trusting Someone beyond ourselves, that He will come and carry us.