MOVING FORWARD #14

Slight Shift in Blog Strategy Toward Longer Articles

The bodily Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ has been the major theme of my blog to date.  I remain convinced that this is the right direction for me to take. Following the suggestions of some of my friendly critics, however, I have decided to make one adjustment. Some of my blogs are going to be a bit more lengthy. I am convinced that you are right when you tell me that certain subjects I am trying to cover just demand fuller development than are possible in the brief articles I have been writing – none of them much longer than one type-written page.

The first more lengthy blog that I will send you will be the very next one, a sermon which I preached last Sunday on Psalm 33.  My theme in this message is:  GOD ALWAYS RULES IN LOVE OVER ALL HIS CREATURES AND ALL THEIR ACTIONS.  The theme is my development of a statement that occurs three times in this Psalm.  In verses 5, 18 and 22 the Psalmist refers to the “unfailing love of God” NIV, or the “steadfast love of God” ESV. The point I am establishing is that God’s “unfailing love” is so woven into his sovereign rule over us that we are compelled to spend our lives serving him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  And, yes, I do see the Resurrection of the Savior as integral to this wonderful love of God leading us to serve our savior.  You will see how I include that truth alongside the ASCENSION OF THE SAVIOR in the last part of point the second point of the sermon.

This blog will be at least 3 pages long, maybe longer.  My notes, as preached orally may need additions here and there so that they will be understandable in this written form.

SO I ESPECIALLY NEED SOMETHING FROM YOU IN RESPONSE!   I need you to either email me or use the “response” line in the blog to indicate your reactions to this change.  It is not that all of my blogs will be this long, but that I will try to give appropriate longer statements where the subject demands it.

Also, if you like the idea of getting a printed sermon like the one I will send, it will be helpful to know this.  I have often heard that published sermons are “hopelessly boring” and if that is your response, I need to know.  It is possible that I will send such sermons from time to time.  I preach about once every six weeks at TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN here in Union, Missouri and could send printed copies of sermons if you like.

The fact is that these sermons appear in audio form along with this blog.  You can listen to them if you like.  Feel free to email me with any responses you wish to make.

Now, this is going to be a remarkably short blog.  I am almost finished.

I will only reiterate my passion for the RESURRECTION theme of my blog.  I am deeply concerned to find so little emphasis on this central theme of the New Testament.  I am talking about the preaching I hear both from Reformed pulpits and broad evangelical pulpits. I hear it so seldom and when I do hear it there seems to be far too little stress on the ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL part that this truth must play in our preaching if we are going to be effective preachers of the gospel of Christ.