During my time in The Fellowship Residency Program, I read a long list of powerful books. To read more about my residency experience click here. One aspect of my assignments is to summarize and write key takeaways from each of the books. This is a summary of "Recapturing the Voice of God" by Steven W. Smith.
If I were to summarize the book as a whole, I would remind myself of two key truths. 1. Everything we say is at the mercy or exclusion of saying something else. 2. To capture the voice of God, we must understand the story line, the structure, and the themes of the text as well as the text’s canonical context. However, we must remember that we are preaching texts and not telling events or giving lectures. Allow the text to direct the sermon’s flow. This book helped me recognize that it is as important to think about how and why you are teaching a passage as it is to consider what you want to teach. By the time I reached this point of the semester, my summaries looked a lot more like bullet points. :) #senioritis
Recapturing the Voice of God – Notes
Introduction
Expository preaching is when we “remove” the “postulate” of truth from Scripture to show to our audience.
It is presenting the word of God through the voice of God. We do this by considering the genre of the text, the feeling of the text, and allowing the breath of life to move through our sermons.
We say “what God says in the way He says it.”
Chapter 1: Recapturing the Voice of God: Pitch, Rate, Volume
There are only three ways that our voices can be adjusted: in volume, in pitch or intensity, and in rate of speed. Our emotions that we are feeling emerge in our voice to communicate a specific message.
For example, Old Testament stories are a voice of encouragement to live faithfully and a reminder that the hurts in this world are a part of being God’s child. In Psalms, God is expressing His love to us by offering us ways to respond to Him. Ruth and Ester offer hope, the prophets are God’s pleads for His children, and the Gospel story is the final word. Jesus’s presence is so loud that the voice of God can be soft in this story. Every single story of scripture awaits a response, especially that of Jesus.
The book begins and ends with one word. “God, who is unchangeable, varied His vocal approach out of a desire to communicate Himself to us.”
We as teach must not only bridge the gap from scriptures to Christians, but also represent the text in the same way that God presented it.
We must remember it is not the goal of preaching to develop points, narrative, or free discussion, but to represent what God has already said.
We should preach in a way that sounds like God’s word. It is an “act of communication that we borrow from the source of communication.
We are to become closer and clearer in our theology and understanding of the texts.
Odd when someone says that we don’t need scriptures, simply Jesus. We wouldn’t even know Jesus without scripture. Likewise, we must not question what Jesus would say to our church, because He has already said it all in scripture. Therefore, that is exactly what we must preach.
God’s ability to communicate with complete accuracy and completeness is our primary aim in preaching.
Jesus is the visible representation of a God that we can’t see. Through the Son, we know the Father.
***We speak truth to help people see the Word, from there the Holy Spirit communicates Jesus, through Jesus they will see the Father. The Father represents and speaks for no one but Himself.
Chapter 2: Text-Driven Preaching: Substance, Structure, Spirit
The first step in structuring a sermon is to work on interpreting the passage or determining what the text means. One of the best ways to do this is to zoom into the passage word by word and pan out to view the contextual implication or the meaning of the surrounding passages. From there, you can work on communicating the passage with a focus on how to say it.
The shape of our sermon is greatly dependent on the substance, structure, and spirit of the text we are teaching on.
Substance is the core meaning of the text in one sentence.
Preachers have the heavy burden of stewarding the Word well. Everything said is said with the exclusion of some other message. If we avoid the true meaning of the text, we only develop an audience that is more susceptible to accepting lies.
However, both the structure of semantic shape of the text as well as the spirit or emotive function and design of the passage will influence your substance. Therefore, all must be considered
Our sermon’s shape should directly be influenced by the text’s shape since the Scriptures are not a simple flat instruction manual for our lives. Rather, the variance in genre brings the story to life. The first question will always be how is the text shaped before asking how to shape our sermons.
The spirit of a text is displayed most by its genre. For example, while the letters encourage and call out, the prophet poetry is utilized as a warning. Each genre does not communicate only one tone but rather a range of intentional emotions.
Scripture calls us to clearly encourage the Church by sharing the truth of God’s Word. We have a responsibility to protect and teach only the revealed truth. This responsibility should not be taken lightly.
Chapter Three: Preaching and the Genre of Scripture: Story, Poem, Letter
We must first understand that the range of genres are limited, situational, and continually moving.
There are arguable nine distinct genres in the Bible: OT Narrative, Law, Psalms, Prophecy, Wisdom Literature, Gospels/Acts, Parables, Epistles, and Revelation (Apocalyptic).
Story involves the OT Narrative, Law, Gospel/Acts, & the Parables. Poems consist of Psalms, Prophecy, and Wisdom Literature. Finally, the Letters are the Epistles and Revelation.
With the variety in genre, sermons must be written with the consideration of story flow, verve of poetry, and directness of the letters.
Though the genres are situation, they also trans-historically transcend time to speak into our situation today. They are able to do so, because the scriptures are alive and always moving.
Some preachers take the flat approach where a “text is a text is a text.” However, this approach fails to teach on the moving vitality of the living Word of God. “The breadth of the creativity [of sermons] should come from the depth of exegesis.” We should not bring creative elements to the passage nearly as often as we are highlighting the creativity that is written within the passage.
Scripture carries a complete message about a story that has yet to reach completion. Therefore, the genres are able to speak into an infinite number of situations that demand the Gospel. This is how teachers can make the Gospel explicit no matter which text is being presented.
We must ensure that “preaching is the act by which we die so that others may live.” Sometimes our desire to be engaging, liked, or successful will impede the Word of God to move within people. Additionally, we must be cautious to place the means of communication about the text itself.
Chapter 4: Recapturing the Voice of God in Old Testament Narrative
“We need to look around the text as much as we do within the text.” Each individual passage of Scripture is influenced by the larger compilation of text as a whole.
We have to be careful to avoid separating facts from stories. The facts and details are a part of the story, but they are not all of the story. Likewise, a story is not void of facts.
When teaching OT Narrative, we must remember that we are working to shape a mind not a moment. The big picture attitude helps people apply Biblical thinking about the Bible. We must first get people to apply the Bible contextually to itself before teaching them how to apply it to themselves.
When stories are treated as stand alone moments, moralism will begin to reign out teaching. Much of the NT teaching on theology are built on the OT narrative moments. It is helpful to discuss the theological setting, or where the story takes place in the history of redemption, towards the end of the sermon.
Generally speaking, plots take the path of: setting, tension, rising tension, release of tension, and the final situation. However, it is important to note that Jewish narrative does not always resolve the tension of a story.
For good sermons, we should allow the characters to emerge and build as they do in the story. The narrators of the stories should drive which details are important, not our own personal beliefs.
OT narratives contain a theme that transcends historical context and details
Since we do not know the point of a story until it is over, we do not need to feel obligated to resolve the story at the beginning of the sermon.
We must remember that the Gospel is in the OT. The OT both points to and is fulfilled in Christ. The first sermon ever given in Acts was a discussion of OT text. Everything is either explicitly or implicitly addressed in scripture, so we must search for it.
If our teachings on OT narrative only push moralism, we are only teaching on how to be better (and truthfully, you don’t need Christ for that). To avoid doing so, we must be familiar with the story and see the story in light of the author’s intended purpose.
***Too often we feel as if we can only be engaging or teach Bible, but not both. This is obviously incorrect.
When we are preaching OT narrative, we must avoid feeling like we have to tie up the story in a nice little bow. Time spent speculating on endings is time taken away from exhortation.
We must allow the flow of the story to determine the flow of our sermon. We shouldn’t be tempted to spill the main idea of the narrative before we have even reached that portion of the text.
Our main idea has a subject or content of the sermon as well as complements that are what we are saying about the subject. This will be important to remember as we teach in each different genre.
It is also important to remember that we don’t have to apply each section of the text. Sometimes the stories are best understood from the distance. We must also avoid making God small. People WANT God to be THAT big.
Avoid allegorizing or making the story into a one-to-one relationship with something that is outside of the story.
***“The message of Christianity is not, ‘Here are examples of how you can be a better person.’ Rather, the message of Christianity is, ‘You can never be better on your own. You need Christ.”
There are over 3,000 mentions of the OT in the NT. The OT mattered to Jesus, and NT authors, so it should matter to us as well. Matthew opens the NT with a description that says that “we are moving forward, but I want to give you a way to understand all the events in the OT – Abraham – David – Christ.”
Stories do not have to have points, but rather scenes. Show the story, then explain what you say.
Pay attention to semantic structure of passages (word intensify as Abraham goes to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22).
When preparing sermons, we first identify the main idea, then look to see how each scene supports the main idea.
When teaching narratives, it is good to remember that we don’t know the application of a story until we finish and see the main idea. Don’t feel pressured to apply the theme too early on.
OT narratives are nice, because you get to drive home the main points of the sermon soon after you made the point.
Introductions in this genre often times include setting the scene. Intros done well leave the listeners with a question they hope the text will answer for them.
We should seek where the story fits into the overall picture of the Gospel and redemptive story.
If we ever compromise the text for structure, then we are practicing a form of idolatry that suggests sermon form are to be valued above Scripture. This is idolatry and this is wrong!
Chapter 5: Recapturing the Voice of God in the Law
“The only way to protect people spiritually is to make them strong in the Word.”
The law in its entirety remind us of the covenant God with Moses to protect His people.
We have to repurpose the law from governance to guidance. We will become grateful for the law because of the love we receive from the lawgiver. Ultimately, there is no grace apart from the law.
The challenge for us as teachers is to portray the law’s beauty, majesty, and practicality.
The law of God speaks to the character of God. He is holy and unable to be in the presence of sin. Still, he graciously offers ways for His people to receive forgiveness for their transgressions.
All of the law has a narrative that fit into the larger narrative of Scripture.
We cannot fall into the trap that moral law still has applicability to us today while the civil and ceremonial law do not. Instead, the law is part of the bigger story of deliverance of Israel and their relationship with their saving God.
The old law was conditional but have been overcome by the glory of the new covenant. The law no longer functions as a binding code of our relationship with God. Ultimately, the law was for the people as the people did not exist for the law. The God who gave people the law also gave them means to deal with disobedience towards the law. Here we see that the gospel message of saving faith came before the NT. Christ’s coming is a reaction to their abuse of the law.
The story of the law involves God teaching His people how to freely worship Him. We start with teaching that, then teach the larger story of the book.
Behind each law is a character or nature that we can learn about God.
Christ coming exposed that people could keep the law and also have a wicked heart. Therefore, we preach the law in a spirit of grace and allow it to lead us to Christ.
“When preaching the law, illustrate the transferable principle to the lives of your people.”
Chapter Six: Recapturing the Voice of God in the Gospels & Acts
The Gospels are a recording of the rods and works of Jesus, and therefore of God as well. The Gospel doesn’t tell us everything, but it tells us enough. They are the interpretative key that we utilize for the entire rest of the scriptures.
The Gospels include narrative, parable, wisdom, instruction and exhortation, and exposition.
Preachers must be convinced of the accuracy of the Gospels, because they will be forced to explain and reconcile the historical events including Christ’s tougher teachings and miracles.
The Gospel writers are often more concerned with the Biblical settings of the stories rather than their historical settings. We must ask ourselves what the Gospel text is saying about the Christ.
The Gospels are unique in their tension of narrative, theology, as well as history. Additionally, the Gospels are four ways of telling the same story.
John’s purpose is to encourage readers to believe in Christ and know that by believing you receive eternal life. John includes many signs to invoke faith in Christ as the Messiah.
Luke’s purpose is to write in detail the events to Theophilus has certainty in what occurred and who Christ was. Luke also emphasizes the lost.
Mark’s purpose was to inform that the kingdom had come, and Jesus had power over all things. Mark’s book is two halves. Who is Jesus? And What Sort of Christ is He?
Finally, Matthew’s purpose was to ensure readers understood that Jesus is the Davidic Messiah. Matthew has distinct sections regarding the kingdom.
Acts has two primary divisions with the first as the work of the Jerusalem church, and the second being Paul’s journey. Preaching the book of Acts involves a chronological flow where the Gospel spreads from Jerusalem out and then back into Jerusalem.
The dominant genre of the Gospels/Acts is narrative with the stories of Christ and the Church followed by the discourse and teachings of Christ. Within His teachings are the parables.
We understand the character development of the narratives by the immense and deep dialogues of the books. Additionally, the narration links the chain of events, particularly in Luke and Acts. As teachers, we cannot be tempted to supply and fill in details where the writer did not provide any.
The discourses often times include rhetorical markers or bookends sometimes even through the notation of the audience. Additionally, the discourses will have one central theme.
The Gospels are incredibly intertextual, because they are the interpretive key to Scripture as well as laced with teachings involving interpretation of OT scripture.
We must be cautious to isolate individual stories and turn them into individual lessons. Additionally, we must include the historical element of what happened, the theological element of truth to be shared as well as the narrative element of the story to be told. Each are important for teaching the Gospels. If we start to sound more like a lecture, then we have nor represented the scripture well. Finally, we are not preaching the event, but the text.
It is also crucial that we remember the main character. Over-identification with characters is possible and not recommended. Jesus not only identifies with us as humans, but has the divine power to forgive and save our souls.
When teaching the Gospels, it is crucial to have a Gospel call included in the message.
When structuring the sermon, we should identify the scenes when applicable and use them as the structure for our sermon. If discourse, structure your sermon similarly to how the speaker structured their sermon. Finally, draw the listeners into what the speakers are doing when they teach the sermon. It keeps the audience on their toes.
Chapter 7: Recapturing the Voice of God in the Parables
Parables are “true theology in a fictional story” and are of the imagination of Christ Himself. Parables often are “short narratives that demand a response form the hearers.”
Parables can either be full narratives, short narratives, or double parables where two short parables are told sequentially and mirror one another.
With parables, listeners are not intended to know the point of the message until the later sections.
When speaking on parables, we must consider the audience of the parable and allow that to influence the voice it is told. Additionally, identify Christ’s strategy in telling the story and allow that to shape your voice.
Parables primarily function to help believers better understand the kingdom of God or expose nonbeliever’s unbelief.
The parables function as allegory, but we should identify the allegory then move towards the correlation that Jesus is intending to make. The goal is to support the driving idea or primary theme. Again, we are preaching the text, not the event.
When teaching on double parables, look for what is similar as well as different between the two stories. The compare and contrast process is eye-opening.
Christ’s driving point is derived from the internal structure, frame, external structure, and how it is framed within the chapter.
Identifying the scene structure is helpful for retelling parables. Additionally, sometimes we will translate the parable first in a contemporary light, then move to the passage or vice versa. Finally, you can teach the parable as part of the context of the greater whole.
It is recommended to avoid utilizing the outline method when teaching parables as it will turn into a lecture.
However, we do it, it is important that we allow Jesus’s explanation of the commentary to be heard.
Chapter 8: Recapturing the Voice of God in Psalms
Truths when set to music are no less powerful. Only more easily accessed.
Poetry includes primarily Psalms and Lamentations as well as Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Hosea.
Often times, the Psalms are the psalmist singing with no regard or desire to wrap all the concepts into theological boxes. The Psalms are “as messy and difficult as the human condition.”
The songs are about Christ whether it is a Messianic psalm or not. The psalms are the medium for which we can express our gratitude to god and demonstrate Christ’s dwelling within us.
Most of the Psalms are categorized by parallelism: Rhythmic features that relate the concept of the line to the previous line. Not in rhyme but in meaning. Sometimes it reinforces, sometimes it repeats, and sometimes it contrasts. Parallelism reinforces truth with beauty and grace.
We must be careful not to preach the illustration of imagery over its truth. Finally, the Psalms have an affective dimension that uses our emotions to convey messages.
The Psalms include hymns, laments, thanksgiving, and spiritual songs. We must understand the structure of the psalm to appropriately convey it in a teaching (verse, strophe, progressions, etc.).
We ask, “what does God want me to learn about Himself?” and “What does God want me to know about how I should approach him?”
Preach the Psalm, not the story behind the Psalm. As always, the glory of the Psalms is in Christ. Scripture in the Psalms affirm our emotions and teach that Scripture is able to anticipate what we feel.
We can teach the Psalms analytically or topically. Either way, the Psalms reflect a love for God from His people.
We must conclude the Psalms teachings with the Gospel, because they often don’t end neatly.
Chapter 9: Recapturing the Voice of God in the Wisdom Literature
The wisdom literature includes Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Solomon. Wisdom is the function of life, the avoidance of folly, and has immense risk and reward. Wisdom teaching is both pragmatic as well as theological.
Job is unique, because the bulk of the book is poetry. Job will require you to preach the narrative flow. It may be seen best when teaching the entire book at once.
Proverbs allow for a wide spectrum of topics to be covered. The Proverbs are easy to recall, typically age focused, and make observations that are generally true (not necessarily a promise). The first 9 chapters can be preached verse by verse, but after that it may be best to teach topically while using a representative verse that functions as the sermon’s “home base.”
Ecclesiastes emphasizes the emptiness that life on Earth can bring. Its poetry is truly captivating, and includes a great deal of thematic teachings on taking pleasure in our work. Ecclesiastes works well to preach all at once as well. You must use oral interpretations to give emphasis to the text.
Song of Solomon can be approached in multiple different ways. Allegorical view involves a love story with deeper theological meaning. Typological method sees Solomon as Christ coming for His bride. Mythological method views it as an ancient cult? Finally, literal method views the book as a celebration of marital love (most theologians land here). Either way, the flow is going to be similar to a narrative moving from scene to scene.
The best way to connect Wisdom literature to Christ is to emphasize and show that being a Christian in the NT is closely linked to having the fear of the Lord. We can ask ourselves: How does this text fulfill or reflect the covenant? How does this text show us what only Christ is able to do perfectly? Is this text related to a NT text? Is this text quoted in the NT? Is there a linguistic connection in the text and a NT teaching? Is there a theme taught in the NT that echoes that of the wisdom literature text? Avoid turning the Wisdom literature into an ethical command.
Chapter 10: Recapturing the Voice of God in Prophecy
When first looking over the text, recognize how the prophets reflect the spirit of the Mosaic covenant. The call to be faithful to the old covenant is similar to the call to be faithful to the Christ Messiah in the new covenant.
The prophets primarily contain three messages: repentance, judgment, and hope. The kingdom is here, repent or you will be judged, but fear not for there is hope and healing available to all through Christ.
Note that Jesus is not echoing the message of the prophets, rather the prophets were anticipating the teachings of Christ.
It can be tough to bridge the cultural gap between the nations that no longer exists and us today. However, it is still an important text to cover.
There is no “secret” to understanding prophecy. Most is not foretelling, but forth-telling. The texts should encourage us and build are faith. When preaching from the prophets, it will feel similar to preaching NT, because we are preaching the fulfillment of what the prophets already prophesied.
“understanding that conditions come on the other side of understanding the context of the situation in which they are written.” The prophecies are contextually conditional. The hope is conditional with obedient faith.
Chronological books include: Ezekiel, Haggai, and Zechariah. Most, however, are topical.
We should only include however much background material is necessary without distraction from the main theme. Also, it is important to show the people the first context so you can get to the future fulfillment. We must also note that the hope would only come after 70 years of judgment. Hope is a process, not an immediate gift.
Like poetry, the structure of the strophe can serve like “points” supporting a main idea.
Chapter 11: Recapturing the Voice of God in the Epistles
There was a huge shift from oral to written communication that created distance. We have to recognize and appreciate that change that is clear in the written epistles.
We have to be cautious to move from primarily teaching epistles to teaching them exclusively. NT is a completion of the OT and build on its foundation, and therefore, both are important.
***”If our preaching of the Epistles does not build anticipation and hope of Christ’s return, then we have missed something.”
The epistles have a doctrine and a practical section in the text with the exception of Hebrews and James. With the Epistles, so much hangs on such little. We must preach from both the macro and micro section of scripture.
Objectives of the text have to do with the personalities of both writer and recipient. We must remember that the letters are personal. Often times, the letters are dealing with a theological concept or the application of the concept.
The Epistles are unique, because they come with their own introductions and conclusions. For the most part the epistles are easy to understand, but difficult to do. However, some are simply tough to understand.
***With the Epistle, you are more welcome to state the main idea at the beginning. We must provide clarity in the message, subject, and main points. The ultimate goal is clarity paired with love and understanding. Clarity without love is legalism and clarity without understanding leaves people bonded with disobedience. All are important.
Chapter 12: Recapturing the Voice of God in Revelation
***I tend to side with the author that view Revelation with a minimalist viewpoint. We understand that Christ wins, and that is enough.
You don’t have to love end times prophecy to enjoy Revelation. Instead, you must love Jesus and seeing Jesus revealed. It is Christ explaining how we must see Him.
Many people get stuck in Jesus as a baby or the resurrection. Revelation gives us the fuller picture of Christ as the ruling king for all of eternity.
Like we see in OT, prophecy is as much proclaiming as it is predicting. Get comfortable proclaiming Jesus as Lord of Lords. Additionally, the prophecy functions as a warning to the church. The function is to teach more than predict. We must avoid speculation.
Our challenge as teachers of Revelation is to tell the vision that John saw while we speak about what he wrote in the vision. Likewise, when teaching we must stop to point to Jesus throughout the book. We must avoid preaching sermons that include platforms for our own understanding of the end times.
Ultimately, we are to help the audience realize the momentum of the scripture leading to the final climax and victory. Remember the starting place is hope.