Gain Your Copy He Is Not Silent: Preaching In A Postmodern World Scripted By R. Albert Mohler Jr. Distributed As Readable Copy

to preach truth to a postmodern world where truth is claimed by most to be relative to the individual hearer is quite the difficult task.
For some preachers, declaring the truth of Gods word has taken a backseat to clever marketing tactics in the vein of the seeker sensitive model.
In an effort to reach the unchurched, the seeker sensitive approach far too often engenders the idea of adjusting the timeless truth of Gods word, something Scripture declares is a dangerous road to take.
Dr. Albert Mohler, in his book He is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World, provides a salient reminder for pastors and layman alike of the necessity to teach the truth of Scripture, especially in a time and cultural milieu where that truth is so desperately silent and needed.


While there certainly is a noticeable resurgence among evangelicals for sound doctrine and a concomitant hunger among the body of Christ for biblical truth, Mohler rightly comments “some contemporary preachers now substitute messages intentionally designed to reach secular or superficial congregations messages that avoid preaching a biblical text and thus avoid a potentially embarrassing confrontation with biblical truth.
” Without naming names, those who have taken that route almost assuredly gain popular attention with church attendance numbering in the tens of thousands on occasion.
Mohler cogently states the solution to combat that lukewarm and often theatrical approach to Scripture is the “Christian preacher simply must confront the congregation with the Word of God.
That confrontation will be a times awkward, challenging, and difficult, After all, this is the Word that pierces us like a sword, ”

Throughout this book, Mohler provides a number of key ways to remain committed to sound doctrine in an age when ear tickling has become quite popular in the body of Christ.
He first reminds the reader that preaching is an act of worship, Since many churches treat worship and preaching as somewhat separate enterprises, the reminder that “the norm of our worship must be the Word of God, the Word that He Himself has spoken.
” Worship devoid of sound biblical doctrine and a commitment to worshiping God in the manner that is worthy of the One we worship is simply not worship.
It is lacking in love towards God and is in the words of the Apostle Paul, a gong and nothing but empty noise.
True biblical worship is not so much about the argument over hymns or modern worship techniques and more about recognizing the holiness of God and our need to bow before the feet of the Almighty.
This leads according to Mohler to “an ongoing response seen in the proclamation of the gospel in personal evangelism and in missions.
”

Mohler also rightly declares “The sermon has not earned its place in Christian worship by proving its utility in comparison with other means of communication or aspects of worship.
Rather, we preach because we have been commanded to preach, ” Since the preacher is to declare the Word of God, it is thus vital to understand who God is so that the body of Christ may draw closer in their understanding of who

God is and the fact that the Word of God is just that, the words spoken by God Himself.
Thus, the preacher must aver the full authority of the Word of God in all matters, Furthermore, Mohler declares “If preaching takes its ground and derives its power from Gods revelation in the Son, then the cross is the paramount symbol and event of Christian proclamation.
Preaching that ignores or mitigates the importance of the cross is merely empty words, Moreover, both the cross and the glory of the resurrection of Christ must be declared from the pulpit for not only is the sin problem addressed at the cross, the death and eternal relationship problem was addressed with the empty tomb.


Yet another important aspect of preaching is that of how to preach, Should the pastor tell nice stories that make the congregation feel good about their life or should the pastor engage in expository preaching, the process of rightly dividing and declaring the truth of Scripture For Mohler and rightly so, the answer is found in the need for expository preaching.
He notes “the therapeutic concerns of our culture too often set the agenda for evangelical preaching, ” In response to that rather wishywashy approach, Mohler reminds the reader “we should define exactly what we mean when we say “preach.
” What we mean is, very simply, reading the text and explaining it reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and patiently teaching directly from the text of Scripture.
If you are not doing that, then you are not preaching, ”

Mohler then defines the parameters of what expository preaching looks like when properly applied, He further elucidates “Genuine exposition takes place when the preacher sets forth the meaning and message of the biblical text and makes clear how the Word of God establishes the identity and worldview of the church as the people of God.
” The necessity for pastors to properly understand the methodology of homiletics, more commonly known as the process of preparing a sermon is sorely needed as this skill is lacking in many pulpits.
The proper use of homiletics and sermon preparation will result in Scripture being central to the sermon, cultural and personal concerns being secondary to Scripture, the text being taught being the bedrock of the sermon, and finally, the provision to the congregation of the so what of the passage at hand.
Ultimately, as Mohler so wonderfully states, “God is most beautifully praised when His people hear His Word, love His Word, and obey His Word.
”

One final excellent aspect of this book is Mohlers reminder that the entirety of the message of Scripture must be taught.
Cherry picking elements that are nonconfrontational or that provide a nice backdrop to a story the pastor found on the internet is not what Scripture declares as sound teaching.
Mohler rightly avers “Many of our people are dying of spiritual starvation because they do not know the Bibles whole story, and thus they do not find themselves in the story.
True, they know many little stories, They have a bag of facts, But a little bit of knowledge is not a big picture, As we preach, we need to bring every text into accountability with the big story of Scripture, When you preach, help your people to know the beginning, the middle, and the end creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
” In an age when the front of the Book is diminished in importance, it is no wonder what is being taught are small stories that are far removed from the proper context of the overall message of Scripture.


He is Not Silent is a clarion call for pastors to return to a sound methodology of teaching and preaching.
Ours is an age where a great conflict resides in defining just what truth is and why anyone should really care.
There is a desperate need for pastors to rise up and to stand firm on the authority of Scripture within their respective churches.
The conclusion by Mohler in this timely and excellent book is a stark reminder of what preaching is all about and something all pastors and layman should understand with great clarity: “No doubt, the challenges are great, and the frustrations are sometimes even greater.
But we do not preach because we thought it would be easy, We preach because our hearts are broken by the spiritual death and destruction all around us and because we see the spark of hope in the question our sovereign, livegiving God put to Ezekiel and now puts to us: “Son of man, can these bones live” So we answer as he did, with simple faith and deep truths: “O Lord God, You know.
” Back in the day, I tried to read this book, . . here's what I commented:

", . . Dr. Mohler is REALLY intent on grinding the ol' "preaching today is bad, bad, bad" ax I respect him but the drumbeat is beginning to wear me out.
"

Since I no longer respect his opinion on many issues affecting pastors and church leaders not the least of which because he's flirted with nationalist language and attempted to equate voting Republican with being a "good Christian", I won't be finishing it.
Why Mohler
For quite some time, Ive made it my intention to read a book or two by Al Mohler, but HiNS He is Not Silent ended up being my first foray into Mohlerland.
Ive wanted to read Mohler for a few reasons: Mohler is extremely and I mean extremely well read, and well read people have a better perspective on whats really going on in the world secondly, I respect the role Mohler has played in turning Southern Baptist Theological Seminary back towards orthodoxy and thirdly, Mohler comes pretty highly recommend from some people I trust.
I can honestly say that HiNS has encouraged me to dig deeper into Mohlers library of works in the future.


Two Criticisms
Having just given the book high praise, I will admit that HiNS initially angered me just a bit.
The part that disturbed me was the tone of the chapter on preaching as worship, I wholeheartedly agree with the chapters thesis,Cthat preaching should be the center of worship in our churches,D but I just felt like the examination Mohler gave of the current worship scene in Christianity was a little overnegative.
The worship musically and preachingwise that Ive experience from events like the Passion Conferences makes me a little sensitive to negative critique ofCthis generations worship.
D I know that Mohlers intent wasnt to criticize all modern worship because he states that in book, but none the less, the tone of the chapter made me wince a little.


The only other criticism I have of the book is that I personally feel a little more freedom to switch up preaching style than Mohler does.
Mohler defines preaching as follows, preaching isCreading the text and explaining it reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and patiently teaching directly from the text of ScriptureD Mohler,.
According to Mohler, if preachers dont simplyCread, explain, repeat,D then it isnt preaching, However, I think it is perfectly appropriate to begin a sermon with a story or attentiongetting technique as long as the content of the sermon is focused primarily on a text.
I also believe it is ok to sometimes preach topical sermons as long as they are preached in a hermeneutically faithful way although I dont think topical preaching should be the norm.


Having issued these two criticism though the tone of the worship chapter and the slight rigidity of sermon form the book as a whole is awesome, amazing, encouraging, definitely worth reading!!!

Quotes I like
I could write a whole lot about the parts of HiNS that I love, but for brevitys sake Im going to give youquotes that I loved from the book.


CThe sacred desk has become an advice center, and the pew has become the therapists couch, Psychological and practical concerns have displaced theological exegesis, and the preacher directs his sermon to the congregations perceived needs rather than to their need for a SaviorD Mohler,.


CYet theology is by definition not an ivorytower discipline, it is not merely a form of academic discourse, When rightly conducted, theology is the conversation of the people of God seeking to understand the Lord whom we worship, and to know how He wills to be worshipedD Mohler,.


CThe sermon has not earned its place in Christian worship by proving its utility in comparison with other means of communication or aspects of worship.
Rather, we preach because we have been commanded to preachD Mohler,,

CI believe that the central problem in our crisis of preaching today is thatwe no longer believe that hearing and responding to the Word of God is a matter of crucial importance.
That is the only plausible reason I can offer for why expositional preaching is in decline, or even absent, in so many pulpits.
Before the decline in expository preaching, there was the abandonment of the conviction that the Word of God comes as a matter of life and deathD Mohler,.


CIn preaching the biblical text, the preacher explains how the Bible directs our thinking and living, This brings the task of expository preaching into direct confrontation with the postmodern worldviewwe do not want to be told how to think or how to liveEvery text demands a fundamental realignment of our basic worldview and way of lifeD Mohler,.


Speaking of the importance of the metanarrative of the Bible:
CEven more, the moralistic fables that many evangelicals hear from their pastors week in and week out will not evoke the kind of burningintheheart awe that these two disciples experienced on the road to Emmaus.
If we want our people to feel that kind of excitement about the gospel, then they need to hear and know the same sweeping story that Jesus unfolded to these two disciplesD Mohler,.


CThe idea of the pastorate as a nontheological office is inconceivable in light of the New TestamentD Mohler,.


CWe will be hardpressed to define any activity as being more inherently theological than the preaching of Gods Word, for preaching is an exercise in the theological exposition of ScriptureD Mohler,.


Fav Two Chapters
Chapter: A Steward of Mysteries, The Preachers Authority and Purpose
Chapter:CDid Not Our Hearts Burn Within UsD, Preaching the Bibles Big Story

Verdict
Read it if you preach!.