The Greatest Gift to Pastors Part 2

This is the Truth Network what's the difference between preaching from the Bible preaching about the Bible or preaching the Bible itself so excited about today's podcast I'm Stu Epperson the host you're going to hear from a man of God who spilled his whole life on X positing God's Word, the Bible. Stay tuned. And this is a great message to please pass along to your pastor if you're looking for a pastor who teaches the word were holding up the standard.

The gold standard, a man of God Dr. Stephen Davey, here it is. We want to say thank you to our friends at my pillow for being a sponsor of this podcast.

I've been sleeping on my pillow for a long time. All my family my kids. We love it. We have pillow fights because of my pillow when I think them and want to remind you that if you just go to my pillow.com and enter truth or Truth Network then give you a special discount and it also helps support all of her efforts here at the Truth Network and are awesome podcast. Thank you for being a part of this were so grateful for all the amazing support here is my interview with Stephen Davey, I think that the most to secure the is to secure the strongest influence that there can be in the life of the church and in the church, in turn, is to have its influence in the world and in the culture and society and everything that's going on so I think that the pulpit is the single most strategic place in the entire world until preaching is what it should be worship will always be less than what it should be evangelism Fellowship pursuit of holiness ministry. All of these things will be less than what it should be when the church is weak and so we want the church to be strong. We want the church to be Christlike and godly and so therefore it's a necessity that the pulpit be what God desires it to be. Okay that's that's Dr. Steven Lawson, who is very familiar with our guest today are just as smooth him talking about the power and the importance of expositional preaching Bible exposition, and we want to give a gift to all the pastors out there. Dr. Stephen Davey is really a pastor to pastors. He has a seminary called the shepherds at theological seminary.

He has a church he pastors in Cary, North Carolina God's hands on this man.

This man is in God's word and Dr. Daly. You don't get up there and read a verse and then make a bunch of really cool whizbang points you get up there and UTC.

The book of the row above Romans for six years. You teach these Gospels you're taking.

I've heard you preach on to verses for an hour before Dr. Dalian and I see it's titillating. It's it in and it breaks my heart. Though this isn't happening more and as goes the pulpit is Dr. Lawson's family quoted and yet there's another clip. I may not have time to play, but he talks about the great awakening the Reformation all these great movements revival started in the pulpit when men of God opened the word of God.

Dr. Davies your reaction to the Steve Lawson soundbite and please opine on this a little more force would agree.

And I would look into my mind really wonderful quote is quote from AW Koser that comes to my mind work yet.

He said that as a pastor week. We can't select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others because nothing the last battle all body people can medical whole Christian while and as pastors we are located around that by Kaiser Walter Kaiser said that the church or art art I like art studios been fed junk artificial preservatives. We are living in a time when the world is the band thing organic food in let's go back to the parodies and I don't actually guess absolutely were facing the greatest days of biblical belt, Christian and artificial preservatives that are set up to the congregation as being as harmful to their spiritual lives as bad food is to our physical lives, but I want to encourage the pastors out there.

I can remember as a young pastor. This is a daunting task. I remember walking around my study. One day the church is probably only about five years old and I remember thinking to myself I wonder what would be interesting to preach.

I just finished the book of Mark going to the gospel and I've done it fairly quickly. This Bible exposition was new to me and there were many examples out there in the spirit got really convicted me by by I could just about you know in my spirit heard him say what you know about my work to determine what's interesting it's all interesting and I decided that that point could go to Genesis chapter 1 and verse one and begin to teach through the Bible and I'm not to live long enough to finish it but we alternate between old and what I built preach justices up through no and you know about half of the estimate, but let me just encourage you pastors list that the benefits of Bible exposition apart from being obedient. Talk about that just being obedient and and Russ of being beneficial to the body, but there are other benefits to protect you personally from discouragement. You know when you get criticized for or what your preaching you well you just preached God's word. You can hide behind the word of God. Koser once said that the reason there are more expositors is because men want to stay out of trouble. Well, when you preach the truth, you can hide behind the bulwark of Scripture and know you're in the pleasure of God.

It will also protect you not only from discouragement is to protect you, by why am I going to deal with a certain subject and that's a tough one. I could really deal with that issue well at your preaching through a passage, a book of the Bible. The body knows you're not just picking that text out the bully pulpit that your you're just preaching on what comes next. And finally, it will also protect you from pride because it is our message. It isn't it we weeding concealer weed and come up with it in fact will the one thing I think a pastor still and and a preacher in Europe wonderful preacher as well. If this message does not originate with. We never make up the message it God's all we are are Harold that he works on the word translated preacher we are we are preachers, that as we come out on stage, the curtain opens.

We deliver the message of the King to the audience and then when God's ready closes the curtain and moved someone else in the pickup but I thought we are but but it then. So the protect us from pride.

It is in our best to consummate a comes up to take Wright's sermon.

You can say a will that a great text you can come up with it. One year, if anything, you just simply get the right job. Howard Hendricks taught us in class without seminary in a you guys don't ever forget when something comes up to you and says you make the Bible really come alive like really bad that Colette be quick to tell them the light that is already alive.

It is a living sharp sword. I just did my job and delivering it the way God intended to be delivered with what it meant to the audience and now what it means to us and then you can really hammer away what you've delivered the truth of what it meant that I can deal with what it means and then you can do what Koser also encourage the pastor teacher to do and that is remember your your you're not. You're not a communicator delivering suggestions.

You are a prophet, delivering ultimatum while so you're letting you really just letting the word do its work.

You're allowing your study, but that takes study that takes hermeneutics interpreting the Bible. It's fundamentally what is it say what is it mean by what it says and then you then the application flows out of that and really the Holy Spirit makes the application like doc will who the Bible says I got my Bible open to second Timothy three it says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.

It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work that I read that word from the word yet why are we preaching the word. Why waste teaching through the books of the Bible just like God gave it to us doc what's happening sure. I think that the pastor is after you note behavior change that but we can't change behavior until we change our belief we we behave based on what we believe what the average person you really though, about the word of God. But what you really believe the illiteracy in the church is at an all-time high. I mean it, the illiteracy is tragic, and so we we think well on the effects it affects culture and awakening the church and so we can preach messages on what on human behavior relationships. You know you do a series on the marriage and we can do a series on the Hollywood producers on money to do a series on in our attitude that's all wonderful. I can find a way to get all of that out okay past the but we got it turned around the wrong way. Let's look deal with the Scriptures so if I wanted development deal with prayer. I want the people to really pray that really need to be doing is just like you've done in your book electric let's teach him the Lord's prayer is if we really want to help them understand how to pray… Equivalent of 10 cool things on prayer and how can they just make you feel better in and of the blessings are gonna row all well. I am speaking based on my authority.

Let's go to Matthew six speak on God's authority teach people what to believe about prayer and then will affect their behavior. They can't behave differently than what they believe Phyllis deal with their heart, and thereby while that's a blessing. Dr. Davey, thanks for visiting with us today. You have blessed me.

I got some pages of notes you have so encouraged. Thank you for your ministry with wisdom for the harm until everyone was on break out again here you God bless you my friend. Thank you for everything you were thinking of you so faithful to the foregoing up. I don't know where the Lord will place you after you graduate. I don't know what ministry that you have right now but I do not believe that there is a greater calling under heaven, then to be one who has been called by God to preach his word is Dr. Steven Lawson another quote I got a couple more soundbites out it is I want to play might want to play soundbite number two row quick to keep jockeys we play that this is the Steve Knowles on Stu Epperson filling in for my good buddy Steve and I went up I may play the Steve use this program on on other programs because it's so foundational, so important, I would say will return here is foundational and is the impetus but behind this the start. The genesis of this entire Christian radio network. My whole ministry and the basically the high calling of God and the power of God's word and maybe instead of calling this our biblical exposition.

What is it, maybe I should consider: the power of Bible exposition because when you unload the power. Like Luther said, you'll need to defend the Bible just over the cage and let you know you need to defend the lien. Just open the case. A line will defend itself willing to back down from of the pastors men of God, you need to open the word of God study it that your nose and there and then teach and preach and I must speak to that when I come back from this clip latest clip. I think it's number things. Clip number two teeth you play the force go ahead. I study in church history will reveal that there's never been a Reformation and that there is never been a great awakening, and there has never been a major movement of God and that was not initiated by a strong presence in the pulpit of preaching the word of God and what Dr. Lawson and that particular same will go on to say is that Martin Luther taught the word of God.

He got D taught just all kind of John Calvin. He just taught the word.

Verse by verse. As the word was given as it was written as God is revealed. What I do pastor you got a get together with your team yet was something really catchy for the next 13 weeks yet if you did, and there you know you can open the word of God. He is a let's go to a book of the Bible is good for minor profit and then will go through will go to the book of acts and and go through it and take a year or two to go through it. Take your time through it, for Pete's sake you're feeding people.

Your your studying to teach and preach expository preaching a couple definitions for you.

One is my interest a great job Austin archers were interned in David our team did an amazing job of helping me come up with some really really good stuff. One.

Expository preaching before preaching the details, the meaning of a particular text or passage of Scripture. It explains what it means by what it says. So simple, so this isn't I make my point and then I backed up with Scripture. This is Scripture makes my point for me this is not preaching from the Bible or about the Bible. This is preaching the Bible and UIC will stew your your your two technical or your your parsing your letters in your your your your juror to find on your on your and on how you're subdividing this, but no I'm not, because it says in Timothy chapter 4 second to before it says preach the word. Paul's final charge is final chapter of all of his letters before being executed for the gospel.

I charge you, therefore before God and Lord Jesus Christ you will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. The next three words will transform your church the next three words pastor will feed your people feed the flock there starved. The next three words listener to the Steve Noble show listener to my voice right now on wherever your listing these next three words should color where you go to church preach the word if he's not preaching the word know what's going on is not studying, preparing to preach a biblical message right from the word of God and my wrong 866-34-TRUTH if you want to weigh in. 866-34-TRUTH 784 just a few minutes left today. I'm just so accursed. Listener Dr. Steven debuts been doing this for decades. Today's the birthday I said happy birthday to John MacArthur's his birthday today. He's been expository data celebrated 50 years of doing this and many of you, and what's interesting is I talk to people of different denominations different different flavors of of of evangelicalism that love the Bible teaching of John MacArthur why because he's teaching the word he open the Bible, it they said you got 30 minutes a preacher like over an hour is when he auditioned at Grace Community Church, 50+ years ago and he open to a text of Scripture in Ypres spent his whole sermon on like four or five verses, just going through the Scriptures. What is it say observation, what is it mean by what is says interpretation. By the way, that's the hardest part interpretation that speaks to a word called hermeneutics very very poor that's getting in to the word guys is getting deep in there that studying what the language with the Greek who is he talking to what audience is he talking to what's he saying, what is it mean not studying, I'm teaching a group of guys do little to look right now. Man, it's fascinating when Jesus uses the language he uses when you go in and you figure out who it to what a tax collector is why they were so hated two men went to the temple to pray, and you say will the Pharisee stood up and prayed with that wasn't bad. Everyone stood up to pray when they did that so it up with what was bad was the posture of his heart.

What was was bad. And in Luke 18 verse nine tells us the meaning of the whole parable for Jesus even tells it, but have we study that so we can expository expository expositor means to expose the word of God to the people of God, and it says that in Psalm 19 it says the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul so you tell me that it by just teaching the word people will come to Christ absolutely just go as people that have come to Christ that the word of God as it says in Hebrews 412 cut into their heart quick, and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sorts of questions I'm asked leading questions is the word really all sufficient or profitable sec. of the 316. Is it really that is the word really quick, and powerful, and sharper than a treasure that gets into the soul isn't really that is every word of God. Pure.

Proverbs 30 verse five.

Is it really that is every word of God exactly how Psalms 119 tells us it is a lamp and Olivia light into my path.

Is it that which leads me is it perfect sustaining will it make it make me wiser than my enemies. If the word of God is all the things that God Almighty has revealed to us through the word that it is, then maybe we should preach the word and you see so many people, including our guest was just on Dr. Stephen Davey Butler if you want to hear me as a radio program called wisdom for the heart. If you are all your you pop into his church.

Colonial Baptist Church but you see the blessing of his ministry say I when I say to him. Dr. Davey wiseguy. How is it how would you see, what would you attribute the fruit of your ministry.

All these measures always you will come to Christ. All these seminarians you sent out but you've equipped in the word noticing say it's God's word. God's word is done the work, I'm just a vessel as we are. So as a pastor as a leader when you are preaching the word.

You are right in alignment with exactly how God Almighty has such a felicitous of platelet number 540. Quick as a wrap up is been well said that God had only one sign animating the preacher and he sent him into this world preaching the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of his grace. This statement by Dr. Steven Lawson so so many wonderful churches out there and so many wonderful shepherds pastors with hearts the lead and shepherd and let me tell you, let me encourage you pastors to go to God's word and and rest upon the anchor of God's word and let me give you 3U3 things that should mark every sermon you ever preacher.

This is for those that are cheers that are looking for a church or your plug into church to encourage or pass a pastor I'm praying for you as you study was to be said that pastor I'm praying for you as you study, he is preparing and studying and and he is wrestling over this text to feed you. The word on Sunday.

Okay are you so have you asked your family.

If you have actually paid. Pray for pastor. So there's three marks that summer. Number one biblical pastor is going to preach the word. He's got a study prepare, teach, preach expositor reviews that word all hour-long biblical exposition, bringing out the word of God and bring out its meaning and letting it be my point. You don't need to make 10 points there. Your points read a verse or Templars. No let the word be those points. So first of all biblical exposition. Secondly, biblical exigent exhibition that exalts Jesus Christ and the gospel in every verse and every passage of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. We have that read that scarlet red thread of redemption flowing through is my message as I'm expedited who is Jesus in this passage is he who is Jesus Christ. And where is the gospel of what God is done for me in Christ, not what I'm doing for him.

Not my works but faith in his work, and thirdly how my taking this to the world. The church is expositional is not just teaching the word and not exalted, just that I just bit was centered in Christo centric but their missions driven their planting and they're going up as the word of God is reproductive not just academics is that education is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. Acts 18 preaching outward things for me with his honor to be here Stu Epperson my good pal Steve no going back. Soon word for your head. It's a pillow night