missio

Here’s Becca’s story about how she came to Harmony (link). Pretty Acts 17ish if you ask me [look it up].

I just finished reading The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Dr. Steven J. Lawson, and I must say, I’m fired up to preach this coming Sunday. The book gives a rundown of Calvin’s preaching methods, how he structured his sermons, and how he saw his congregation with regard to his preaching. Some of the anecdotes Lawson includes I had never heard, and I’m eager to dive into further biographies of John Calvin. I will allow you the luxury of reading the first chapters without revealing their ideas, but I have to focus on the main gist of the book, which is this: expository preaching was not only Calvin’s method of preaching, it should be ours as well, as it is the method through which God’s glory is most shown. And I have to agree. The last two chapters of Lawson’s book examines the doxology in Romans 11:36 with regards to preaching. Romans 11:36 states this:

for from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Lawson then explains the expository method, and indeed Calvin’s preaching, as an exemplification of this verse: that the expository preacher declares things that are from God, that the preacher gets from God all things needed to preach (correct interpretation, wisdom, passion, etc.), so that the message is not only from God, but is preached through God. Finally, the message is exposited so that the hearers will have their affections ignited for the glory of God, and so they will turn towards Him in their daily lives. This is how the message is not only from God or through God, but ultimately, is to God.

Throughout the book, there are “distinctives” listed that make Calvin’s expositions so “genius”, such as a pressing appeal in his conclusion, a stated theme in his concise introduction, so on and so forth. Lawson examines Calvin’s pulpit approach, preparation, introduction, exposition, the delivery itself, application, and the conclusion.

My only problem with the book is that it seemed very concise and short. I would have liked to have more examples of Calvin’s preaching, along with a bit more application to our preaching today. How can we institute some of the distinctives from Calvin? Lawson leaves us on our own to figure that out. But my problems with the book stem from two things, more than likely: it was not Lawson’s intention to tell us how we should preach, only to examine how Calvin actually did preach. Secondly, my yearning for Biblical preaching is overly passionate, so I want more naturally.

Overall, don’t let the hangups of the book (which may not be hangups at all) overshadow the richness of the examination of Calvin’s expository preaching. It truly was genius, and we have much to learn from both Calvin’s preaching and Lawson’s examination of it.

You can buy the book, The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven J. Lawson, from Reformation Trust here for $12: The Expository Genius of John Calvin

Sidenote: The book is the first in a series, A Long Line of Godly Men, by Lawson.