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Description
This complete guide to expository preaching teaches the basics of preparation, organization, and delivery--the trademarks of great preaching. With the help of charts and creative learning exercises, Chapell shows how expository preaching can reveal the redemptive aims of Scripture and offers a comprehensive approach to the theory and practice of preaching. He also provides help for special preaching situations. The second edition contains updates and clarifications, allowing this classic to continue to serve the needs of budding preachers. Numerous appendixes address many practical issues.
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Publication
Baker Academic (2005), Edition: 2, 400 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member theologian
Best book on exegetical preaching that i've ever read.
LibraryThing member nate77
If someone were only able to buy one book on preaching I think this should be the one. Bryan Chapell champions the importance of preaching Christ from ever text, but he also reminds us of the importance of preaching the specific text rather than just embarking on some redemptive historical rant.
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His discussion of the Fallen Condition Focus is also very helpful. Show Less
LibraryThing member bsanner
In this introductory preaching text, Chapell offers rich insights into the theology, mechanics, and philosophy of expository preaching. Theologically, the text emphasizes the Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) and centrality of grace in each sermon. A good foundational text… A-
LibraryThing member theologicaldan
this is the best preaching textbook out there. if you want to know how to do it, start here (and return often).
LibraryThing member David_Norman
In Christ-Centered Preaching, Bryan Chapell (Chancellor of Covenant Seminary in St. Louis) provides a unique and important contribution to the study of preaching. In much the same manner as Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Vines’ Power in the Pulpit, Chapell strives to recover the importance
In chapter one, the author reveals his theological cards when it comes to the preached Word and writes, “preaching accomplishes its spiritual purposes not because of the skills or the wisdom of the preacher but because of the power of the Scripture proclaimed” (26). The preacher, then, is responsible to present the Word, explain the Word, and make exhortations based upon the Word (86). “The efficacy of the truths in God’s message rather than any virtue in the messenger,” he writes, “transforms hearts” (26).
This conviction – that God is the active agent in the preaching event – is woven throughout the entire book, and comes to full fruition in Chapell’s instruction that every sermon must have Christ at its most foundational point. It is this aspect of his instruction on preaching – “to disclose where every text stands in relation to Christ” – that seems to be noticeably absent from other preaching textbooks (279).
Critique
One major contribution of his text is his instruction to discover the Fallen Condition Focus of a text during sermon preparation. The preacher must search for, “the human concern that caused the Holy Spirit to inspire this aspect of Scripture,” and once discovered, the preacher is given the key to discovering the importance of the passage in the lives of his congregation (48). Once he discovers the Fallen Condition Focus (FCF), the preacher can search for a contemporary parallel in the life of his hearers that helps them realize the modern-day application of the ancient text. This emphasis on the FCF provides a biblical means of discerning God’s intended application of a text, whereas other methods that instruct the preacher to study culture and keep abreast of current movies and books places the authority that governs application outside of Scripture.
Another major contribution of Chapell’s book is that it is noticeably theological in nature. Rather than follow a portion of a chapter of theology with seven chapters of exegetical method and six chapters of the importance of water for a healthy throat, Chapell finds a much healthier balance between theology and practice. He maintains great insight into sermon preparation, yet never loses sight of the goal, “to sweep listeners up into the glory and the power of the Spirit’s revelation” (139).
His greatest contribution to the conversation lies in the final chapters of the book. In these chapters, he lays out a case for redemptive preaching. Such preaching comes about when it “specifies an FCF indicated by a text and addresses this aspect of our fallenness with the grace revealed by the text” (270). Christ-centered preaching is not searching for Jesus behind every rock and crag in the text in the hope that he will appear if one only look hard enough. Nor is Christ-centered preaching the type of allegory that permeated the medieval period. Christ-centered preaching strives to reveal each passage’s relation to the work of Christ. Every text is either predictive of Christ’s work, preparation for Christ’s work, reflective of Christ’s work, or the result of Christ’s work (282). The duty of the preacher is to discern this relationship between written Word and living Word and communicate that to the congregation.
Chapell’s instruction as to discover the intended meaning and application of the text as it relates to the work of Christ Jesus provides the student with the means to follow Spurgeon’s “bee-line to the cross” without making assumptions and impositions upon the text that simply do not belong. That provision stands as the greatest highlight of this text, and the greatest gift of this book to this preacher.
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and beauty of the expository sermon for his readers. Expository preaching, “puts people in immediate contact with the power of the Word” (31). Chapell is quick to dispel any notion, however, that his is just another text on preaching.In chapter one, the author reveals his theological cards when it comes to the preached Word and writes, “preaching accomplishes its spiritual purposes not because of the skills or the wisdom of the preacher but because of the power of the Scripture proclaimed” (26). The preacher, then, is responsible to present the Word, explain the Word, and make exhortations based upon the Word (86). “The efficacy of the truths in God’s message rather than any virtue in the messenger,” he writes, “transforms hearts” (26).
This conviction – that God is the active agent in the preaching event – is woven throughout the entire book, and comes to full fruition in Chapell’s instruction that every sermon must have Christ at its most foundational point. It is this aspect of his instruction on preaching – “to disclose where every text stands in relation to Christ” – that seems to be noticeably absent from other preaching textbooks (279).
Critique
One major contribution of his text is his instruction to discover the Fallen Condition Focus of a text during sermon preparation. The preacher must search for, “the human concern that caused the Holy Spirit to inspire this aspect of Scripture,” and once discovered, the preacher is given the key to discovering the importance of the passage in the lives of his congregation (48). Once he discovers the Fallen Condition Focus (FCF), the preacher can search for a contemporary parallel in the life of his hearers that helps them realize the modern-day application of the ancient text. This emphasis on the FCF provides a biblical means of discerning God’s intended application of a text, whereas other methods that instruct the preacher to study culture and keep abreast of current movies and books places the authority that governs application outside of Scripture.
Another major contribution of Chapell’s book is that it is noticeably theological in nature. Rather than follow a portion of a chapter of theology with seven chapters of exegetical method and six chapters of the importance of water for a healthy throat, Chapell finds a much healthier balance between theology and practice. He maintains great insight into sermon preparation, yet never loses sight of the goal, “to sweep listeners up into the glory and the power of the Spirit’s revelation” (139).
His greatest contribution to the conversation lies in the final chapters of the book. In these chapters, he lays out a case for redemptive preaching. Such preaching comes about when it “specifies an FCF indicated by a text and addresses this aspect of our fallenness with the grace revealed by the text” (270). Christ-centered preaching is not searching for Jesus behind every rock and crag in the text in the hope that he will appear if one only look hard enough. Nor is Christ-centered preaching the type of allegory that permeated the medieval period. Christ-centered preaching strives to reveal each passage’s relation to the work of Christ. Every text is either predictive of Christ’s work, preparation for Christ’s work, reflective of Christ’s work, or the result of Christ’s work (282). The duty of the preacher is to discern this relationship between written Word and living Word and communicate that to the congregation.
Chapell’s instruction as to discover the intended meaning and application of the text as it relates to the work of Christ Jesus provides the student with the means to follow Spurgeon’s “bee-line to the cross” without making assumptions and impositions upon the text that simply do not belong. That provision stands as the greatest highlight of this text, and the greatest gift of this book to this preacher.
Show Less
LibraryThing member NGood
Bryan Chapell continually reminds us through his book “Christ-centered Preaching” that in order to be effective we have to keep our focus on Christ. We need to take time to prepare, we have to try to understand what the text means, we need to be organized, we need to present the material so
Bryan then also covers the other things involved in preparing and delivering a sermon. He talks about taking the message from a particular text in the Bible and expounding on that text. He also talks about how to organize a sermon. Even though there is no prescribed order in which these components need to appear in a sermon he says that every sermon should, “present the Word, explain what it says, and exhort based on what it means. This is expository preaching.” He especially emphasized the need for exhortation, or application in a sermon. He writes, “The application of the sermon is not merely an appendage to the discussion or a subordinate part of it, but is the main thing to be done.” A sermon without application leaves people where they started. They may understand a little more about culture in Bible times, or about tenses in Greek or Hebrew, they might even have a better understanding of how the text fits into the whole scheme of the Bible, but if there is no application to their personal life then the sermon was pointless. It didn't help them grow and it left their life completely unaffected.
He also goes over the importance of using illustrations and how to format introductions and conclusions. But in the end I believe that the most important thing that he stressed was the need for the sermon to be Christ focused. He wrote a lot of things in the book, and though I wrote a lot of notes, there is no way that I am going to remember even one third of all that he said, but if there are two things that he stressed that I will take with me, one will be, “Even if your words barely crawl over the edge of the pulpit, love of God's Word, will, and people ensures an effective spiritual ministry.” It is important to try hard to prepare a good sermon and to have good delivery, but in the end I have to put it in God's hands, because He is the only one that knows exactly what is going on in people's hearts and that can touch them where they need to be touched. And the other thing is, “God called you to this situation. He wanted no one else in the universe to prepare this message for this moment other than you.” It's easy to think of oneself as being inadequate for preaching a sermon, or delivering any message from God for that matter, and in truth we are, but even though we don't deserve to be His messengers he has chosen us and we have to trust that He knows what he's doing. However I do any time I get up in the pulpit, I can rest in the fact that whatever happens, it's what God wanted to happen, and he'll use it for his glory.
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that it is interesting and understandable; but above all these things, we need to focus the attention of the congregation on Christ and His work. If the people listening to a sermon leave thinking about how organized the sermon was, or how nice the preacher looked, or how nicely he read the scripture, then the sermon was ineffective. The work is not complete unless the congregation leaves thinking God and his grace.Bryan then also covers the other things involved in preparing and delivering a sermon. He talks about taking the message from a particular text in the Bible and expounding on that text. He also talks about how to organize a sermon. Even though there is no prescribed order in which these components need to appear in a sermon he says that every sermon should, “present the Word, explain what it says, and exhort based on what it means. This is expository preaching.” He especially emphasized the need for exhortation, or application in a sermon. He writes, “The application of the sermon is not merely an appendage to the discussion or a subordinate part of it, but is the main thing to be done.” A sermon without application leaves people where they started. They may understand a little more about culture in Bible times, or about tenses in Greek or Hebrew, they might even have a better understanding of how the text fits into the whole scheme of the Bible, but if there is no application to their personal life then the sermon was pointless. It didn't help them grow and it left their life completely unaffected.
He also goes over the importance of using illustrations and how to format introductions and conclusions. But in the end I believe that the most important thing that he stressed was the need for the sermon to be Christ focused. He wrote a lot of things in the book, and though I wrote a lot of notes, there is no way that I am going to remember even one third of all that he said, but if there are two things that he stressed that I will take with me, one will be, “Even if your words barely crawl over the edge of the pulpit, love of God's Word, will, and people ensures an effective spiritual ministry.” It is important to try hard to prepare a good sermon and to have good delivery, but in the end I have to put it in God's hands, because He is the only one that knows exactly what is going on in people's hearts and that can touch them where they need to be touched. And the other thing is, “God called you to this situation. He wanted no one else in the universe to prepare this message for this moment other than you.” It's easy to think of oneself as being inadequate for preaching a sermon, or delivering any message from God for that matter, and in truth we are, but even though we don't deserve to be His messengers he has chosen us and we have to trust that He knows what he's doing. However I do any time I get up in the pulpit, I can rest in the fact that whatever happens, it's what God wanted to happen, and he'll use it for his glory.
Show Less
Subjects
Original language
English
Physical description
400 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
0801027985 / 9780801027987