EmmausBibleCollege 2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001

Emmaus Bible College2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001

Features/DepartmentsJourney Magazine, volume 7, issue 1, Spring 2009

Journey Magazine is published by Emmaus BibleCollege, Dubuque, Iowa, USA.

Opinions expressed in articles published in JourneyMagazine are not necessarily those of EmmausBible College.

Editor: David A. GlockAssistant Editors: Ken Daughters, Ken MurrayBible Editor: Dr. David J. MacLeodCirculation Manager: Angie HubbardDesign, Lay-Out: Jesse Lange & Big Behr Design Co.Online-Journey: Jesse Lange

How to contact us:Journey Magazine

Emmaus Bible College2570 Asbury RoadDubuque, IA 52001(800) 397-2425www.emmaus.edu

Editor: [email protected]: [email protected] Admissions: [email protected]: [email protected] School: [email protected] Stewardship Services:www.believerstewardship.org

Other: [email protected]

Journey Magazine is available online at:www.emmaus.edu/journey

Journey Magazine will consider, but is not responsiblefor, unsolicited articles. Send submissions to Editor atthe address above. Submissions cannot be returnedunless accompanied by SASE. Advanced query is rec-ommended.

Bible Memorization for Every BelieverBill LongstreetCollective Bible memorization provides an important foundation ineducating the church. This article will encourage you toward the goal ofimproving the practice of memorization of Scripture in your local church.

Getting Excited about Church LibrariesRon and Kay ManessEveryone needs a library for personal Bible study and preparation forministry to others. The local church can provide this necessity forspiritual development by maintaining a functioning, well-equipped libraryfor the benefit of the entire congregation. Let’s get excited about ourchurch library!

The Regional Bible Study ModelSam ThorpeRegional Bible study classes present an effective option in ministering toa number of churches through gifted teachers. Perhaps this model seen inthe teaching ministry of Sam Thorpe can be duplicated in your area foreducating the churches.

Biblical HermeneuticsDr. Jack FishYes, there are specific guidelines for interpreting the Bible correctly.Dr. Fish presents the basic principles for understanding the meaning ofthe biblical text. The challenge is to apply these principles consistently inpersonal Bible study and in preparing for ministry in church life, with theresult that we build on the sure foundation of God’s Word.

Developing a Strategy forEffective Bible Teaching in the ChurchAlex StrauchEach local church should have a strategy of education that touches allmembers of the church from youngest to oldest! Alex Strauch presentshelpful guidelines gleaned from successful experience to insure the churchis being taught the whole counsel of God.

Travel Guides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2To The Praise of His Glory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Dr. MacLeod Asks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36A Word Along the Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38On The Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41News from Emmaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

God’s Approval of our Study

As a building inspector scrutinizes thequality of a workman’s construction, so Godwill evaluate our handling of His Word.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to Godas a workman who does not need to beashamed, accurately handling the word oftruth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB)

Our culture teaches us that we are eachentitled to our own opinions, and wouldeven afford us the right to decide what istrue for us individually. Rather than seekingto understand what a passage of Scripturemeant when the author penned it for hisreaders, we prematurely jump to creativeimagining of how the passage might apply toour situation. Finding application in itself isadmirable, but not unless the application isderived from the proper interpretation of thetext. Discovering the interpretation takeswork and skill and more time than many ofus wish to invest. Have you participated in agroup Bible study in which participants areencouraged to suggest what a passage meansto them? Their suggestions can be randomand arbitrary and yet others in the groupaffirm and validate their contributions. Dosome of your friends approach discernmentof God’s will from the Scripture in a mysticalmanner that treats the Bible as if it were amagical oracle? Have you helped theminterpret properly?

If we want God’s approval we must investmore time, energy, and skill in learning tohandle the Scripture accurately. Just as a

carpenter must make a straight cut throughthe wood, we have no right to bend ordistort the Scripture to fit our own prejudg-ments. We must resist subjective interpreta-tions. In the context of the second chapterof 2 Timothy, Paul is warning Timothy thatfalse teachers distort the Scripture to thepoint of saying the resurrection has alreadytaken place. Do we have the skill to refutethose who contradict?

To read the Bible devotionally is anadmirable pursuit well worth some of ourtime. To neglect the diligent study of theScripture will lead to shame when Godinspects our workmanship. We must learnhermeneutics to interpret and apply theScripture accurately. As a stone mason cutsand squares a stone so that it will fit into itsproper place in the structure of a building,so we must seek to understand how eachpassage of Scripture fits into the overalltheology that God teaches us in His Word.We cannot be lax. Our work is going to beinspected. We must work hardto be ready.

Journey | m a g a z i n eJourney | F r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t

Kenneth Alan DaughtersPresident,Emmaus Bible College

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Bible Knowledge CommentaryEdited by John F. Walvoordand Roy B. ZuckDavid C. Cook, 1985

Based on the NIV, this major commentarycomes from the faculty of DallasTheological Seminary and offers helpfrom expert scholars in interpreting theScriptures from a historical, grammatical,and premillennial perspective. Questionssuch as: What does That verse mean?How should I interpret this passage?What is the significance of this word orphrase in Hebrew or Aramaic? How doBible-time customs help me understandthe meaning of this passage? How doesthe information on the author, historicalbackground, and features of a Bible bookhelp interpret that book? are answered inthis book.This commentary is verse-by-verse and phrase by phrase. Maps, charts,and diagrams are also included andproblem passages, alleged discrepancies,customs, geographical locations are allexplained.

Wycliffe Bible DictionaryHendrickson, 1988

Wycliffe Bible Dictionary provides extensivebackground information on the namesand places mentioned in the Bible, as wellas important doctrinal, historical, and Biblebackground topics.Articles are written bymore than 200 leading conservative, evan-gelical scholars.

• A comprehensive, affordable Bibledictionary for students, scholars, andlay people.

• Major topics are given extensivecoverage, and contributors are notedafter each article.

• Many topics include bibliographies foradditional research.

• Over 900 photos, maps, charts, anddrawings illustrate the text.

Vine’s Expository DictionaryThomas Nelson, 1996

This convenient one volume combinesVine's Expository Dictionary of NewTestamentWords and Unger and White'sExpository Dictionary of the OldTestament.This book allows you to easily access thealphabetized English equivalents of theGreek or Hebrew words from whichthey are translated.Throughout the textthe most significant biblical words areillustrated by Scripture passages, com-ments, cross-references, ancient and mod-ern meanings, precise etymologies, histori-

cal notes, and clearly defined technicalinformation. Each original language isindexed, and the addition of a topicalindex allows you to access all the diction-ary entries pertinent to specific NewTestament ideas and teachings.

Basic TheologyCharles RyrieMoody, 1999

Over the years Charles Ryrie's name hasbecome synonymous with dispensationaltheology.With his clear understanding ofthe Scriptures and unpretentious writingstyle, Ryrie has written BasicTheology forevery student of God’s Word, from thedevotional student to the seminary stu-dent. Featuring charts, definitions, andScripture and subject indices, BasicTheology will give you a clear and compre-hensive picture of Ryrie's approach to sys-tematic theology. Its 94 chapters arearranged in outline style for easy refer-ence. Considerable emphasis is given toexplaining the dispensational view of theend times.

Morning and EveningCharles SpurgeonHendrickson, 1997

For thousands of Christians over the lastcentury, Charles Haddon Spurgeon'sMorning and Evening has been a dailydevotional guide through life's ups anddowns. New generations can once againenjoy Spurgeon's beautiful prose and ele-gant command of the English language inthis completely revised edition.Morningand Evening offers readers the best ofSpurgeon's insight and wise counsel onthemes that are as relevant to our day asthey were in his day. In this updated ver-sion, Spurgeon's work is returned to itsformer brilliance while retaining the beau-tiful language of the original King JamesVersion.

Living by the BookHoward Hendricksand William HendricksMoody

How would you describe your personalBible study? Mundane or motivational?Lackluster or lively? Redundant orreviving? Howard and Bill Hendricks offera practical 3-step process that will helpyou master simple yet effective inductivemethods of observation, interpretation,and application that will make all the dif-ference in your time with God's Word!

Survey of the Old& New TestamentsPaul BenwareMoody

This is an outstanding survey of the entireBible. Exploring the historical progressionof the Old Testament,Volume 1 offers abook-by-book analysis from Genesis toMalachi.Volume 2 examines the fulfillmentof the new covenant, and includesinformation on Roman politics and theintertestamental period.

Church History inPlain Language,Third EditionBruce ShelleyThomas Nelson, 2007

This third edition improves the mostengaging and readable single-volume his-tory of the Church by bringing the storyinto the twenty-first century. Faced withsome astonishing changes in the Islamicworld, a global resurgence of RomanCatholicism, the decline of Christianity inthe West coupled with the rapid growthof evangelical and Pentecostal Christianityin the southern and eastern hemispheres,readers need a current explanation withintellectual substance that will providehistorical context and update readers onall these new developments.The newedition of Church History in Plain Languagedoes that in a stimulating manner, and itpromises to be the new standard forreadable Church History

Pocket Dictionaryof Theological TermsInterVarsity, 1999

For every beginning theology student!This affordable A-to-Z reference gives youquick access to more than 300 definitionsof English and foreign terms. Writtenby a team of respected teachers, it alsoidentifies key theologians, traditions, andorganizations.

Basic Bible InterpretationRoy B. ZuckDavid C. Cook, 1991

Isn’t Bible interpretation just for theexperts? No, says Dr. Zuck – it’s essentialfor each Christian’s understanding andapplication of Scripture. Discover thechallenges, problems, key terms, andhistory of interpretation – all in practical,down-to-earth language. Develop theskills you need to get the most out ofyour Bible study!

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Journey: Spring 2009 3

This collection of some of thefinest reference books andcommentaries has been selectedby a team of faculty and studentsat Emmaus Bible Collegeto equip the believer withan essential and reliabletool for advancing inserious personal Biblestudy. These books canbe purchased as agroup or individually bycontacting John Rushat (563) 588-8000,extension 1003 orby sending an e-mail [email protected].

TravelGuides

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Is Bible memorization worth theeffort? Those who attended theBible Memorization for EveryBeliever seminar at the Iron

Sharpens Iron conference in May2008 seemed to agree and wouldanswer “Yes!”

For many people, memorizingBible verses is hard work. You’d besurprised at the excuses I’ve heardfrom people who said they can’tmemorize Scripture. Yet I’m amazedto find they have memorized or filledtheir minds with many insignificantfacts and statistics [e.g., Babe Ruth’sor Michael Jordan’s career averagesand accomplishments; or names ofevery song on albums by recordingartists from decades ago]. Many ofus have quickly learned new streetaddresses, e-mail addresses, pass-words for various log-ins and securi-ty codes, and mobile phone numbersof our friends. But we don’t thinkwe can memorize God’s Word norhave the time to do so. I have neverheard a good excuse from anyone fornot memorizing verses, and I’ve notheard a valid excuse for not studyingthe Bible, praying, or for spendingspecial time with the Lord.

The Heart of the StruggleWhy is Bible memorization such

a struggle for some of us? Is itbecause we lack desire to do so? Dowe really understand that we need tomemorize and meditate on the Wordof God? It is essential for our growthand maturity. Are we convinced thatby memorizing His Word we willknow our Lord and understand Hiswill better? The only way we canreally obey God is to know HisWord. We need to continually batheour minds in the Word [“Marinateour minds in the Word” is how FredKosin puts it!]. The first step in

being a successful verse-memorizer isto have a heartfelt desire to knowGod’s Word. You begin to under-stand that your time memorizing isreally time with the Lord JesusChrist. He is the living “Word” andit is His Word you are memorizing!

The only way we canreally obey God is to

know His Word.It Takes Discipline

I remember that after I trustedthe Lord Jesus Christ and became aChristian I had the desire to read theBible and pray. I wanted to soak upeverything I could to learn moreabout Him. But then something hap-pened: I found that if I didn’t disci-pline myself, my daily Bible readingand prayer time would often slipaway. I found that other things oflesser importance would fill in thetime. There was a competition formy time by many other worthwhilethings, some of which pertained toministry. [Sounds a little likeMartha, busy with service and notime to sit at the feet of the Masterto learn!] The “other worthwhilethings” really couldn’t compare toBible reading and prayer, my specialtime with the Lord, but I had tolearn that I needed to develop a dailydiscipline to strengthen these properdesires. Therefore, discipline is thesecond step towards being a success-ful Bible-memorizer.

It Takes UnderstandingThe main goal of Bible memory

work is to learn the meaning of theverses so you can apply them proper-ly. What good is it if you can recitehundreds of verses but don’t under-stand what they mean or how they

can be used to help you or others?Proper application and understand-ing are essential. This is why wedon’t use sledgehammers to swat atgnats or flies. The sledgehammerwould be misapplied.

It Takes MeditationMeditation is an essential ingre-

dient when you are memorizing.Spend time with a verse. Purposelytake a verse card and spend an entireweek with it. Read it. Recite it.Think about each phrase. Pray whileyou are meditating on this portion ofScripture. Don’t rush through it. Besure you have a clear understandingof what the verse means and howyou can apply it. Can you use thisverse to help others? Prepare yourmind for the occasions where thisverse can be appropriately presentedto others. What does the verse teachyou about the Lord? Did you gainany new insights about Him andHis will?

One Program in ActionOver the years at Fairbluff Bible

Chapel in Charlotte, NC, we havehad many Bible memory programs.Not all of them have been as suc-cessful as our most recent program.Of course, for anyone who partici-pated in the programs of the past andgrew in their knowledge of the Wordand relationship to the Lord, wepraise the Lord! But in our programlaunched in 2008, success was meas-ured by the following criteria:

• At least 40% of the fellowshipparticipating

• 90% completing the program• And subjectively: Is there a

noticeable difference in ourPrayer Time & Worship; Dowe see noticeable evidence ofapplication of the Word?

Bible Memorizationfor Every Believer

Bill Longstreet

out of your memory for many situa-tions: verses pertaining to evangel-ism; verses for encouragement; vers-es for times of temptation; for holi-ness; and many more!

I have also been surprised bybelievers not knowing where to evenlook for a suitable verse in theirBible, because they haven’t attempt-ed to memorize or meditate onScripture. Time spent memorizingthe Word will help you find yourway through the Scriptures.Meditating helps you to understandthe context. As a believer, youalready know that “All Scripture isinspired by God and profitable forteaching, for reproof, for correction,for training in righteousness; so thatthe man of God may be adequate,equipped for every good work” (2Tim. 3:17-17, NASB). A verse likethis should remind us of the greatvalue in committing many verses tomemory because of all the areas wecan apply the Word to our lives.

An Urgent Call to ActionDid you know there are many

places in the world today where it isillegal to have a Bible? Persecutionof believers who follow Christ isvery real, and there are those wholay down their lives for followingHim. How much value do you thinkthey have placed on the Word ofGod? If our Bibles were taken awayfrom us, would we be able to recitevast portions of it to help others?How would we witness to otherswithout a Bible to open? Would ourefforts to paraphrase something wethink resembles a verse be a con-vincing proof of the power of theWord? We must memorize His

Word! Who knows where we will beor when we will need it, and a Biblemay not be handy!

How would wewitness to otherswithout a Bible to

open? Wouldour efforts to

paraphrase somethingwe think resembles

a verse be aconvincing proofof the power of

the Word?There are many places you can

go to find useful resources and toolsto help you with Bible memorization.I found several useful Web sitesrather easily by doing a searchonline. Going to trusted sources likethe Navigators can also be helpful.There usually are verse packets thatcan be purchased inexpensively atChristian bookstores, but you caneasily make your own cards too.Some people prefer to hand-writetheir cards as it helps them immedi-ately in the memorization process.However, don’t let decisions likemaking cards or purchasing them bea stumbling block to you. Get start-ed right away to meditate and memo-rize the Word of God!

I don’t know anyone who everfelt Bible memorization was notworth the effort. Everyone whocommits to this grows in his or herrelationship with the Lord, especiallyif the desire is to honor Him and notbe puffed up with pride by the num-

ber of verses learned. I suppose Ishould clarify one point concerningthis: I have known unbelievers whohave memorized many verses with-out having a personal relationshipwith the Lord Jesus. Lord willing,this knowledge will one day helpthem to come to trust Him for salva-tion, “For faith comes from hearing,and hearing by the word of God”(Rom. 10:17).

This article has been writtenfor every believer with a view toencourage you — it is well worththe effort to memorize God’s Word.The rewards for doing so arepriceless! �

The Bible Memory Program isgetting excellent results at ourassembly. We began to make adjust-ments to our programs based onevaluating “what went wrong” in thepast and the changes we have madehave provided us with good results[as stated in the bullet points above].The main changes made were thefollowing:

• We introduced accountability.Every participant has a specificperson he/she recites to. Wecalled this person a “Hearer /Encourager” [HE]. The HE’swere carefully selected and sawthe work they were doing as aministry. They prayed faithfullyfor those who were memorizing;called the participants on thephone; e-mailed them; and hadregular contact to be sure noone lagged behind. The prayersupport and encouragement hasmade a difference! It has givenopportunity for several others touse their spiritual gifts in theassembly for the Lord.

• We instructed our fellowship onthe importance of the BibleMemory Program and its value.Memorization of the Word cankeep us from sin and folly. Itcan cleanse our mind. It pre-pares us for service. It helps ourworship and our prayer life.Many in our fellowship are nowconvinced of the value of Biblememorization.

• We made the structure of theprogram manageable. Each weekof the program, the verse orverses to be meditated upon andmemorized are what can fit on acard — a business card! The

program is not intimidating, thecards are convenient to carryaround, and we emphasize theimportance of meditating on theWord. We don’t see the value inlast-minute memorizing likesome of us might have done incramming for a final exam.The adjustments mentioned

above also can be used as good tech-niques by anyone who is developinghis/her own memorization programon an individual basis. Find anaccountability partner who knowswhat you are doing and will encour-age you and pray for you as youmemorize. Regularly have a time youcan meet so you can recite the verseslearned. You can also use the time toexplain to your accountability part-ner what the verses mean and howthey can be used. Perhaps evenspecifically, how they helped you!Pray together about your memorywork and any difficulty you may beexperiencing.

Write in your journal or on apiece of paper to be kept with yourBible, the value you see in memoriz-ing Scripture. Write down your goalsfor doing this, and define yourheart’s desire. You might explain thisas if you were writing a note to theLord. Affirm that you know you areobeying Him by doing this. Reviewwhat you have written on a regularbasis and begin to record the thingsyou learn as you meditate on eachverse. Perhaps, write these things onthe back of the cards you makefor yourself.

Keep the program manageablefor yourself. You should be thinkingabout a lifelong discipline — amarathon race, not a sprint. Bible

memorization is something everybeliever should be involved with allthe time. Each day we should bemeditating on a portion of the Word,why not the portion we are trying tocommit to memory? Some peoplehave the ability to memorize a versea day, or even more. Don’t measureyourself by what others are doing.Remember that the importance ofBible memorization is for you toknow the Word so you can apply itproperly and grow in the knowledgeof the Lord Jesus Christ.

Choosing the Right ClubI like to golf, but am a very

average golfer. Nonetheless, when Igo golfing I have a bag of clubs Icarry with me and each club has adifferent purpose. I have a driver touse off the tee box when a long driveis needed and I have other clubs forapproach shots and others for whenI’m around the green or in the sand,and a putter for when I’m on thegreen and trying to put the ball inthe hole. It wouldn’t be very helpfulto my game if I used only the driveron the course, it wouldn’t be appro-priate for every place or shot wheremy ball was lying. The same thingholds true for Bible verses. Mostbelievers know John 3:16; they canrecite it word perfect. But John 3:16is not the verse for every situation.It would be good for you to havemany other verses available [whichhave been committed word perfect toyour memory] that you can quotewhen the right situation presentsitself. In the same way that I pullout a different club for differentshots needed on the golf course, youshould be able to pull other verses

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Bill LongstreetBill has been married for 35 years to Marj, his lifelong love (whom he’s known since Kindergarten inSunday school!). Both trusted the Lord in 1980,after which the Lord blessed them with two daugh-ters – Jan (who graduated from Emmaus in 2005)and Sarah (who is home with the Lord, 2001).They look forward to becoming grandparents inMarch. Bill graduated from Rutgers University(’72) BA History (Concentration: MedievalEcclesiastical) and earned his NJ State Teacher’sCertificate (Secondary Education) from NewarkState College in ’73. Bill taught and coached inpublic school before trusting the Lord, and began abusiness career the same year he was saved. He isan Account Manager selling electrical control prod-ucts for 25 years (this has been his “mission field”where Bible memory work has been essential). Hisparticipation in Bible memory programs began atWoodside Chapel in NJ in 1981, and he has initiat-ed and led several programs at the chapel level. Billhas been an elder at Fairbluff Bible Chapel(Charlotte, NC) since 1990 and a recent memberto the Board of Trustees at Emmaus Bible College.

was working in a poverty-stricken areaof India with no libraries and limitedaccess to books. There were lots ofyoung Indian men passionate aboutministry, but their resources were verylimited, and they didn’t have access tocommentaries or Bible reference books.Natalie was shocked, remembering thatshe had grown up with the CBClibrary, where she could find 20 bookson any subject to read and make com-parisons, and formulate her own under-standing on a given topic. So she con-tacted us, and with financial donationsfrom members of CBC, we put togethera large collection of basic books to pro-vide them with a library. In that way,

the ministry of a church library inTexas was pushed to the other side ofthe world by a young girl rememberingthe impact of good books on her life.

CBC Library and EmmausSeveral current members of theEmmaus faculty and administrationattended CBC while they were atDallas Theological Seminary (DTS)and during that time each was a fre-quent user of the library. This listincludes Steve Sanchez, JoelHernandez, Ben Mathew, and KenDaughters. Because of that familiaritywith the CBC library, Kay and I wereasked to give a seminar on starting a

church library at the 2008 Iron SharpensIron conference, and this article isbased on that presentation. Because wecan’t include all of the details presentedin that seminar here, I invite you to goto the library section of our CBC Webpage (www.communitybible.org) for amore extensive article on “Starting aChurch Library.”

History of the CBC LibraryOur library began in 1984 with severalboxes of donated books from somegraduating seminary students. Our eld-ers recruited me (and I recruited Kay)to help get it started. Kay and I didn’thave any experience at operating a

Does your church have a library,one that is vibrant and active andgetting used? If not, why not? Doyou have any idea how much of ablessing a church library can be, andhow it can contribute to the buildingup of the body of Christ and theequipping of the saints for ministry?

Why Have a Library?Books have always been powerful tools inawakening hearts, minds, and con-sciences. Almost without exception, thosemen and women whom God has usedmost powerfully were men and womenwho knew the power of good books...Theright book placed in the right hands at the

right time can make a lasting difference.Terry Glaspey.

Most Christians who have been serving theLord for any length of time can pin-pointbiographies that have made a significantimpact on their lives. Sinclair Ferguson.

So if books are that important,then it is a short step of logic to theconclusion that it makes sense for achurch to have a library of good, well-chosen books for the use of the body —to place the right book in the right hands atthe right time. It is because of convic-tions like these on the part of our eldersthat a library ministry has long been

considered a core ministry atCommunity Bible Chapel (CBC) inRichardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

To illustrate the impact of the rightbook in the right hands, my wife, Kay,and I remember Natalie, who was sixyears old when we started the library.Every week she would run to the libraryfor new books and devour them. Themissionary stories in particular made animpression on Natalie, and especiallythe story of Amy Carmichael, mission-ary to India. Natalie dreamed of grow-ing up and following Amy’s footstepsand after college she moved to India towork with a Christian organizationwhich worked with AIDS orphans. She


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Getting Excited About Church LibrariesRon and Kay Maness

library, but what we did have was a reallove for books. So although we didn’treally know what we were doing orwhat we were getting into, we begancataloging and processing those donat-ed books. After those books wereprocessed, a church member made ananonymous gift of $5,000 for furthergrowth of the fledgling library and sowe had a fund to start purchasing newbooks. After that initial gift wasexhausted, the elders established anannual budget and began committingfunds each year for the purchase andmaintenance of Christian literatureand other media items for the benefitof the body.

A Thumbnail SketchCBC is not a large church, with lessthan 500 members including children.Our library is undoubtedly large for achurch our size because of a concentrat-ed and committed emphasis over a 24-year period. Some sample statistics willgive you an idea:

• 13,000 books • 1,000 videos andDVDs • 300 CDs and audio resources• Annual budget over $8,000 • Onlinecatalog with Internet access • Weeklycheckouts of 100 to 175 books andmedia items

Getting StartedBuilding a library is a step-by-stepprocess. We presently have a great facil-ity with 850 square feet of space, cus-tom-built bookshelves, and a computersystem that features an online catalog.It didn’t begin that way. We began witha library in what was essentially a largecloset, with a manually-typed card cata-log system. But when our church addeda new wing to our building, it includeda new library with greatly expandedspace, and we converted to a computer-based catalog system. When we latermoved into a new church building, a

centerpiece of the building was thecentrally-placed library facility. Next,we converted to another computer sys-tem that allows online access. It hasjust been a matter of taking one step ata time.

Developing a plan. Like most mat-ters in life, that first step should be todevelop a plan. Determine whichgroups you wish to serve, and whatmedia you want to offer (books, maga-zines, DVDs, audios, etc). Donatedbooks will only take you so far: at somepoint you need a budget to purchasenew media items on a regular basis.This brings up the issue of leadershipsupport. Church leadership needs toshare your vision for the importance ofa church library, and wholeheartedlysupport it by the provision of adequatephysical facilities and an adequatebudget for the regular acquisition ofbooks and other media. Will you use acomputer or a manual system? Thereare a number of good software packagesout there to fit any budget. Lastly, whatclassification system will you use-Deweyor Library of Congress? We use Dewey,which is the one generally recommend-ed for church libraries, and the SearsList for subject headings.

Thinking Ahead. You can avoid alot of headaches by thinking beyondjust your immediate needs. Because wedidn’t know enough to plan ahead, welater had to convert from the Unionclassification system to Dewey, thenfrom a manual card catalog to a com-puter system, and then from a DOS-based computer system to a Windows-based system with online access. Makesure you get a system that will providefor future needs, something you cangrow into. The same goes for physicalfacilities.

Beginning ResourcesFor a discussion of library supplies andresources needed to classify media itemsand assign subject headings, see my

article, or visit a very helpful onlinearticle on the DTS Library Web pagetitled “Resources for Starting andMaintaining a Church Library.” Go tothe DTS Library Web page and searchfor “church libraries” (Web address:http://library.dts.edu/Pages/Help/Misc/church_lib.shtml ).

Staffing Up:Tasks to PerformA number of tasks must be performedon a routine basis. You will do well tothink these through early on and deter-mine who can help you carry them out.Those tasks include purchasing booksand other media items; classifying themedia items (using Dewey and Sears);data entry into the computer; process-ing media items for circulation (attach-ing book pockets, labels, date due slips,covering the books, etc); processingreturned items at peak times on Sundaymornings; preparing new book lists; andmonitoring past dues.

What to Buy and WhereWe are fortunate to live in Dallas andwe visit the DTS bookstore once aweek to see what is new and purchasebooks. The rest of our purchases arelargely from amazon.com and otheronline sources. As far as what to buy,there are a large number of subjects andtypes of books to consider, such as com-mentaries, systematic theology, refer-ence books, church history, leadership,specific areas of ministry, counseling,apologetics, biographies, Puritan andother classics, fiction, marriage andfamily, women’s issues, Christianity andculture, cults, missions and missionbiographies.

There are a number of good guidesto commentaries and reference books,such as John Glynn’s Commentary andReference Survey: A ComprehensiveGuide to Biblical and TheologicalResources. Glynn’s guide is updated reg-ularly, and includes a “must-have” per-

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sonal reference library, recommendedcommentaries on each book of theBible (categorized by level and perspec-tive, such as conservative, liberal, etc.),and books on a large number of theo-logical topics. Other similar guidesinclude those by James E. Rosscup andD.A. Carson. One series I would partic-ularly recommend for church libraries isthe NIV Application Commentaryseries which is now nearly complete.My article includes more detailed rec-ommendations.

Promoting the Library:Encouraging UsageThe best-stocked library is of no benefitif it is not used. So the promotion ofthe library is essential. Ideally thelibrary is in a central location where itis visible, with a lot of traffic. Here aresome essentials to encourage usage:

Highlight new books, first througha new book display in the library. Sincewe add new books all the time, wewant library patrons to feel they mightmiss something if they don’t stop by thelibrary each week and take a look atthe new items. On the first Sunday ofeach month we have a bulletin insertwith a list of new books from the pastmonth, with brief summary commentsabout individual items. Lists from previ-ous months are available on the librarycounter, and are posted on the libraryWeb page.

Know your patrons and whattypes of books they like. When newitems arrive, don’t wait for them tocome in the library: carry the book outand put it their hands. Often when Ipurchase a new book, I already knowwho I going to show it to. Did you get anew book on missions or evangelism?Show it to the missions or outreachleaders. You will find that people appre-ciate that kind of personal attention.After all, a librarian doesn’t need to bepassive, just standing behind the count-

er waiting for someone to come in andcheck something out. Pursue yourpatrons.

Other suggestions to encourageusage are book reviews, done either byyourself or another patron. Hand themout in the library, include them inchurch newsletters, or post them on thelibrary Web page. If a book was recom-mended by a patron, type up a card say-ing, “Recommended by John Smith”,and attach it to the book. Encouragethe formation of reading groups to reada particular book and discuss it. Andyou can encourage Sunday schoolteachers to bring in their classes for vis-its to the library; encourage smallgroup ministry leaders to recommendbooks to their members; and preparelists of basic recommended reading.

Becoming aCommunity LibraryThat is what we have become at CBC.A large part of our usage comes frompeople who don’t attend our church,such as people from our neighborhood,or those whosechildren are involved with groupsthat meet in our building (scouts,AWANA, etc). If your church has amarquee sign, you could advertise yourlibrary as open to the community.

Sharpening Your EdgeTo sharpen or maintain your edge, visitother church libraries. If there isn’tanother one near you, perhaps there isone in a city where you will be goingon vacation. Visit the Web pages ofother libraries. There are churchlibrary associations, such as theEvangelical Church LibraryAssociation (www.eclalibraries.org).They publish a quarterly magazine withbook reviews and helpful articles andhave a mentoring program for newlibrarians. Let them know you wish tobe mentored: they will match you up

to a mentor. There are also onlineforums for discussions by church librari-ans. And certainly you are welcome tocontact us with any questions you have.

So Get Started!We hope this article has shown youhow to go about starting a library thatcan be a powerful tool in your churchfor building up the body of Christ. Godhas richly blessed the library ministry atCBC and He can do the same for yourchurch library ministry. I am still asexcited about buying books for ourlibrary and putting out each new booklist as I was 24 years ago. As Jesustaught in the parable of the mustardseed, great things can come from smalland humble beginnings. So what are youwaiting for? Get excited, and get started! �

Ron and Kay ManessRon Maness and his wife, Kay, who met at BaylorUniversity, have two grown children and threegrandchildren. Ron later furthered his education byenrolling in the non-degree program at DallasTheological Seminary, where he took various coursesof interest over a five year period. Ron has been inthe banking industry and Kay the travel industry forover 30 years. They began attending CommunityBible Chapel (CBC) in Richardson, Texas in 1980,where Ron’s passion for books and reading led theCBC leadership in 1981 to ask him to undertake thebuilding of a church library, which at that time con-sisted of several boxes of donated books. Kay joinedwith Ron in that ministry, and together they saw thelibrary grow to over 13,000 books plus other mediaitems, as well as an internet presence on the CBCweb page.

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12 Journey: Summer2008 Journey: Spring 2009 13

P reaching stands at the center ofassembly life. This is not onlytrue practically — in service

schedules and worship logistics — butit is also true theologically. Speakingthe Word of God is central becauseour God is a God who has spoken andspeaks through His Word. Christianitystands apart from all other religionsbecause in Christianity we have a Godwho initiates, who makes the firstmove, who speaks first.

The sad reality is that manycontemporary congregations gather

around a weak word. The loving Godwho speaks through His Word seemsto be essentially silent. Some churcheslook to the Bible for an ancient wordbrought to bear on contemporarylisteners’ minds merely through coldtruths in proposition form. Othersturn to the Bible with a skillfullygenerated attempt at “making that oldtruth relevant to today” (the skillvarying from pulpit to pulpit —although the issue here is not skill,but a wrong view of the relevance ofScripture). Others treat the biblical

revelation as a starting point for theirown message. Still others as a set ofaccepted vocabulary for a more con-temporary attempt at speaking intothe lives of those gathered — eitherby means of essentially new revelation(“as I was preparing, God toldme . . .”), or the increasingly com-mon lists of hints for living birthedout of human wisdom and then pastedonto a biblical narrative. How sad thatso many gather around a weak word!

To preach effectively,a preacher must loveGod passionately.{

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Help from theGreat CommandmentHow can we address these inadequateapproaches to preaching? How canour preaching honor the reality of arelational God who reaches out to us,in and through His Word? Perhapsone approach is to evaluate ourpreaching in light of the “GreatCommandment.” When Jesus wasasked for the greatest commandment,His response was to cite a very famil-iar text from Deuteronomy 6:5 —”Youshall love the LORD your God withall your heart, and with all your soul,and with all your mind, and with allyour strength.” Then he added anoth-er text from Leviticus 19:18 — ”Youshall love your neighbor as yourself.”In light of the love of God for Hispeople, Jesus emphasized the need forthe twin responses of loving devotion,both vertically and horizontally. Getthese two commands, and everythingelse falls into place. Perhaps the GreatCommandment might help ourpreaching?

If God is a loving God whospeaks through His Word, then theassembly is to be a listening andresponding community. Listening toHis Word and responding to His love.The community of God’s people iscalled by a captivating love to belovers: lovers of God and lovers ofothers. The “Great Commandment”must be given freedom to wreak havocin our individualized and self-centeredlives as believers, and it also must begiven freedom to run riot in ourpreaching. What might this look like?

Preachers Loving GodAt the risk of oversimplifying the ser-mon preparation process, it involvestwo phases. First comes the passagestudy phase, which focuses on under-standing the biblical passage. Secondcomes the message formation phase,in which the meaning of the passageis combined with an awareness of thelisteners in order to form a messagethat will faithfully, clearly, andrelevantly present the teaching of thepassage to them.

Preacher, Love God in thePassage Study PhaseThe preacher should pursue the studyphase as a lover of God. Studying apassage of Scripture should not bemerely cold exegesis, original languagestudy, commentary consultation andthe derivation of a proposition state-ment. The study phase should involvea prayerful, interactive and relationaldynamic as we fellowship with ourGod in the study of His Word. This isnot to say we are freed from the bur-den of the finest exegesis our Biblestudy skills will allow. Surely a heartgripped by the love of a God whogives of Himself through His Wordwill earnestly desire to understandthat Word as effectively as possible?The goal here is not some sort of amystical study phase divorced fromthe rigorous study of the revealedWord, but a spiritually sensitive studyfired to rigorousness by the captivat-ing love of God. Paul urged Timothyto be a worker who rightly handlesthe word of truth (2Tim.2:15), havingalready told Timothy of his goal in allthings — the goal of love (1Tim.1:5).

Preacher, Love God in theMessage Formation PhaseThe preacher takes the fruit of thatstudy of the passage and maintains thesame God-captivated motivationwhen it comes to forming the mes-sage. The goal here does not suddenlyshift from the sublime to the pragmat-ic. There should be no shift from thespiritual to the practical matter ofsimply being ready to preach whenSunday comes. The formation of themessage is to be an act of responsivelove in which the preacher seeks tobring pleasure to God by the diligentcare poured into this aspect of theministry. For when Sunday comes, thismessage is preached as a Word fromGod. Inasmuch as it accuratelyreflects the teaching and relevance ofthe biblical text, it is spoken with anauthority that is not the preacher’s,but God’s. So, the preacher is prepar-ing with the gaze of his soul fixed on aGod who is delighted to work inhuman lives through this message. Amessage that is at one and the sametime both an act of worship, a form ofworship-speech in which the preachermakes much of God, yet at the sametime it is an applicational message ofrelevance to the lives of the listeners.It is applicational and relevantbecause God loves them and caresabout the specifics of their lives today.

In preaching the preacher standsbetween heaven and earth and in thatmoment not only loves God, but alsorepresents (that is, re-presents) thelove of God to the people. In preach-ing there is the potential for a greatreciprocity between the spreadinggoodness of God’s Trinitarian lovetoward the people that are His own,

and the love of those stirred torespond to Him in that moment. Topreach effectively, a preacher mustlove God passionately. However, thisis not enough; the “second command-ment” also applies to preaching. Weare to love God, and to love others.

Preachers Loving OthersHow does the preacher preach out oflove for the listener? Surely, a lovingpreacher would not merely preach toscratch itching ears, while at the sametime failing to present the fullness ofGod’s message in His Word? A lovingpreacher will give what is needed, notjust what is wanted. Surely, a lovingpreacher would not deign to offer hisown nuggets of life skill in place ofthe grandeur of God’s self-revelation?Surely, a loving preacher would notsimply bruise listeners with the pres-sure of duty, after himself beingwarmed and delighted by that capti-vating divine love in his own timeswith God? How sad that so manychurches perceive repeated tirades ofguilt-inducing duty to be so spiritual(appealing to the flesh), while othersseem satisfied with tips for living onlyornamented by reference to an appar-ently now silent God.

Listeners do not need tips for liv-ing better independent lives, theyneed God. Listeners do not needguilt-stirring pressure to pull their acttogether, they need God. They needto be able to engage with Him in afaith response to His Word. Theyneed to experience in community thejoy of God’s wonderful giving of

Himself through the Word — boththe written Word, and the incarnatedWord. They need messages that arehighly biblical, for the Bible is whereGod speaks. They need messages thatare communicated clearly, for whatother standard is fitting for a God ofsuch effective communication? Theyneed messages that are relevant indeeply spiritual and practical ways, forGod is not pleased with irrelevanthistorical lecture, lofty theologicalramblings or petty practical tips. Godloves these people, so our preachingof His Word should reflect that in itsbiblical content, effective communi-cation and genuine emphasis onrelevance.

We must preach as those gen-uinely captivated by the love of Godin the Word of God. We must preachcontagiously as those who enjoydelightful engagement with this God.Our listeners will subconsciouslymimic our leadership in their own“spirituality”— the question is; whatkind of spirituality will they mimic?Will theirs be an intellect-only spiri-tuality? Or will it be a purely pragmat-ic, self-concerned spirituality? Will itbe a pseudo-spiritual flight of fancyunearthed in the truth of God’srevelation in His Word? Or will itperhaps be relational, Word-based,heart-level, real?

ConclusionPerhaps many of the weaknesses inthe church today reflect the weak-nesses of the pulpit? It is easy to lookback to “the good old days,” whenever

they might have been. But the truth iswe no longer have the greats fromprevious generations: Luther, Calvin,Sibbes, Edwards, Whitefield, Wesley,Spurgeon, Ironside or Lloyd-Jones.What we need are preachers greatlygripped by God in this generation. Weneed preachers captivated by the loveof God, gripped with a passion forGod, and thoroughly prepared topreach the Word of God to thelisteners of today.

Our preaching, perhaps thecentral ministry of assembly life, canbe greatly strengthened by evaluatingit in light of the Great Commandment.God is a God who speaks through HisWord. He is a God who speaksbecause He loves. We dare not standand speak for Him if we are notcaptured by that love — a loveresponding to Him, and a loveoverflowing to others! �

Dr. Peter MeadCommended from Westside Bible Fellowship inHillsboro, OR, Peter serves as a Bible teacher withOperation Mobilization. Peter graduated fromMultnomah Biblical Seminary (M.Div., M.A.)and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary(D.Min.) He is married to Melanie (Papworth) —an Emmaus alum, and they have four children:Hannah, Aliyah, Mariah and Joel. The Meads livenear London in the UK and fellowship at OakhallChurch, Caterham. Peter author’s a website forpreachers – biblicalpreaching.net. Peter andMelanie’s family website is www.pouredout.org

The “Great Commandment” must be given freedom to wreakhavoc in our individualized and self-centered lives as believers,and it also must be given freedom to run riot in our preaching.{

Listeners do not need tips forliving better independent lives,they need God.{


16 Journey: Spring 2009



The local chapel provided lunch, andthe fellowship and networking amongthe participants became of great value.A committee of leaders representingthe involved local churches gaveattention to the administrative andlogistical needs of the program. A free-will offering box made available to theparticipants provided the funds tosupport the program.

For many who never had theopportunity to attend formal Bible-school training, this program filled thegap. We observed spiritual growth andmaturity on both the individual and

assembly level. This model was adapt-ed from others and has since beenreproduced several times and adaptedin other regions. The WORD ALIVETeen program continues on strong atthe Lakeside Bible Chapel inLincolnton, Georgia and the adultBible study program has matured to thepoint that it could be decentralized toother local assemblies. Those interest-ed in starting a regional Bible studyprogram for their area are invited tocontact us for more detailed informa-tion: by phone (706) 359-6297; ore-mail [email protected] �

The Regional Bible Study ModelSam Thorpe

God’s Word is clear:All believers should be growing in their understanding and

application of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:11-14). God has placed Bible teachers

to facilitate this development process in the church. For a variety of reasons, some

local churches have not developed this resource internally and a systematic teaching

of the Scriptures is lacking. One alternative is to provide this teaching on a regional

basis and assist a community of local churches to encourage the

spiritual growth of the believers in God’s Word.

This is not a new concept. The New Testamentreflects a community of involvement among the localtestimonies of believers. Colosse and Laodicea sharedPaul’s epistles. Antioch and Jerusalem helped each otherpractically. Many of the apostolic writers sent the greetingsof the saints locally to the saints receiving their epistle.Believers are commended in fellowship between localassemblies. The spiritual gifts of Ephesians 4:11, whichinclude teachers, appear to be given for the edification ofthe body of Christ, on a regional, rather than local level.

Following the example of other successful regionalBible Study programs, WORD ALIVE Southeast wasestablished in 1999 to provide structured, systematicBible teaching to the local assemblies in Georgia and SouthCarolina. September — May, on the second Saturday ofeach month, four hours of in-depth biblical instructionoffered at a centralized location attracted 40-60 studentsfrom young believers to mature elders. The teaching staffcomprised of both local and national teachers took up bookstudies; overview surveys; doctrine; church truth; prophesy;Bible study methods; evangelism; apologetics; and varioustopical studies.

Sam ThorpeSam, along with his wifeBarbara, have raised fourchildren who are going on wellin the Lord in happy assemblyfellowship and seeking to serveHim in various capacities. Samserves the Lord in an itinerantteaching ministry being com-

mended into the Lord’s work on a full-time basis fromthe Lakeside Bible Chapel, Lincolnton, Georgia. Overthe past 30 years Sam has served on the Oversight ofthree local assemblies, the last of which was his com-mending assembly, a new work planted by Sam andanother brother in 1995. After completing the one-yearprogram at Emmaus Bible School in 1968, Sam joinedthe military and flew helicopters for the US Army. Atthe end of the Viet Nam conflict he returned to collegecompleting degrees in Civil Engineering and BusinessAdministration and was employed in the nuclear mate-rials industry with for E.I. DuPont and WestinghouseElectric Corp. at the Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC.After holding various engineering and human resourcemanagement positions for twenty-seven years, he tookan early retirement to enter full time Christian servicefor the Lord.





• Above all sing spiritually. Havean eye to God in every word yousing. Aim at pleasing Him morethan yourself, or any other crea-ture. In order to do this attendstrictly to the sense of what yousing, and see that your Heart isnot carried away with the sound,but offered to God continually; soshall your singing be such as theLord will approve of here, andreward you when He cometh inthe clouds of heaven.

Wesley’s words may bring asmile as we read them today, but hisconcerns about the quality of congrega-tional singing still ring true. In thesedirectives, one can sense Wesley’s frus-trations with those in the congregationsof his day that did not sing, sang tooslowly, sang only for the attention ofothers, or sang without engaging themind. Many of our congregations strug-gle with the same issues today.

Wesley was not, of course,the first to provide instruction for con-gregational singing. As one reads thepsalms, one senses that David and theother chief musicians may have had sim-ilar challenges in engaging their congre-gations. This may be one reason that thepsalmists emphasize the imperative tosing so many times in their psalm texts.

Psalm 9:11 Sing praises to theLORD.

Psalm 30:4 Sing praise to the LORD,you His godly ones.

Psalm 33:2 Sing praises to Him witha harp of ten strings.

Psalm 33:3 Sing to Him a new song.Psalm 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing

praises; sing praises to ourKing, singpraises.

Psalm 47:7 Sing praises with askillful psalm.

Psalm 66:2 Sing the glory of Hisname.

Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, singpraises to His name.

Psalm 68:32 Sing to God; singpraises to the Lord.

Psalm 81:1 Sing for joy to God ourstrength.

Psalm 95:2 Let us shout joyfully toHim with psalms.

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the LORD a newsong; sing to the LORD,all the earth.

Psalm 96:2 Sing unto the LORD,bless His name.

Psalm 98:1 O sing to the LORD anew song.

Psalm 98:4 Sing for joy and singpraises.

Psalm 98:5 Sing praises to theLORD with the lyre.

Psalm 100:2 Come before Him withjoyful singing.

Psalm 105:2 Sing to Him, singpraises to Him.

Psalm 147:7 Sing to the LORDwith thanksgiving; singpraises to our God on thelyre.

Psalm 149:1 Sing to the LORD a newsong.

And this in a culture that appearsto have been steeped in music! Musicalexpression was a part of all facets of lifein the Old Testament from family cele-brations to the entertainment of kings tothe worship of the One True God.

In our culture too, music is ubiqui-tous. It is so pervasive that we don’teven notice it at times. We hear it inelevators and medical offices and fromour car radios and iPods. Music plays apart in most of the memorable experi-ences in our lives — church meetings,weddings, and other special events.There is, however, a profound differencebetween music in our current cultureand music as seen in the biblical record.To a great extent, we are simply passiveconsumers of music, not active partici-pants. We watch others perform ratherthan joining in song. Is it any wonderthat many local churches struggle toengage people in fervent and joyfulsinging to the Lord?

We have little control over the cul-tural experiences of those in our congre-gations, but unfortunately, we oftenexacerbate the problem by actions and

choices that mayinhibit whole-hearted congrega-tional singing.Distracting song-leaders, musicianswith limitedskills, selectionsthat are unfamil-iar, a lack of vari-ety in musical expression, even the seat-ing arrangements or acoustical propertiesof a church building can put a damperon congregational singing. Attitudes canalso inhibit congregational song. Perhapsmusic is not valued in a local body, asevidenced by scant attention given tochoosing the music for singing. Maybepersonal preferences in musical stylestand in the way of unity of expressionin the body.

So...what can we do to encourage,rather than inhibit congregational song?

1. Provide direct teaching from the pul-pit related to the use of music in the church.Congregations may have little under-standing of the purposes for congrega-tional singing. Singing provides anavenue expressing our deepest thoughtsand emotions to God. It has the powerto communicate truth and unite us asbelievers. And God commands us topraise Him through song.

2.. Make congregational singing a priority. Even if there are individuals inthe church with significant musical gift,make sure that emphasis is given to congregational singing, rather than individual or group performance. Thereis certainly a place for special music inthe church; I have often been blessed bythe ministry of a soloist or small group.But...corporate praise and worship insong involves each individual as anactive participant, rather than a passivespectator.

3. Emphasize the object of our wor-ship, praise, and thanksgiving rather thanthe avenue. At times we are guilty ofequating the quality of our music withthe quality of our worship and praise toGod. Music is simply a vehicle; andthere are others — Scripture readingand prayer are two examples. It is the

Encouraging a Singing ChurchLisa Beatty

To the Praise of His Glory #7

In the preface to a collection ofCharles Wesley’s hymns, SacredMelody, published in 1761, his

brother John Wesley providedinstructions for singing the songs in the collection.

• Learn these tunes before youlearn any others; afterwardslearn as many as you please.

• Sing them exactly as they areprinted here, without altering or mending them at all; and ifyou have learned to sing themotherwise, unlearn it as soon asyou can.

• Sing All. See that you join withthe congregation as frequently asyou can. Let not a slight degreeof weakness or weariness hinderyou. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

• Sing lustily and with a goodcourage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or halfasleep, but lift up your voicewith strength. Be no more afraidof your voice now, nor moreashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

• Sing modestly. Do not bawl, soas to be heard above or distinct

from the rest of the congrega-tion, that you may not destroythe harmony, but strive to uniteyour voices together, so as tomake one clear melodioussound.

• Sing in time. Whatever time issung be sure to keep with it. Donot run before nor stay behind it;but attend close to the leadingvoices, and move therewith asexactly as you can; and take carenot to sing too slow. This drawl-ing way naturally steals on allwho are lazy; and it is high timeto drive it out from among us,and sing all our tunes just asquick as we did at first.


The answer to that question is, “Yes,without apology!” For 40 years I havebeen teaching the course at Emmauscalled Ecclesiology — it is the ninth ofthe 10 major doctrines of Scripture.When I was a student at Emmaus inthe late 1950s, this course was taughtby William MacDonald. It was calledChurch Truth. The truth has notchanged! Over those 40 years numer-ous changes have taken place in theBrethren Movement — some good,some not so good! Recently in anintroductory class of this course, Irelated my experience in assembly lifewhen I was the age of my present stu-dents. That was two generations ago!Help! My weekly church schedulewent like this:

• Early Sunday morning tract distri-bution by the young people: Weput them in the already-deliveredSunday papers! It wasn’t illegalthen.

• Sunday School for all ages —adults included

• Breaking of Bread• Park Evangelism in warm weather• Afternoon Sunday School• Evening Gospel and Ministry

Service • Monday night Girls Meeting (my

girlfriend, later wife went)• Wednesday night Prayer Meeting

and Bible Study• Thursday night Mission Work

(when I first preached)• Friday night Children’s Work

(We called it “Happy Hour”—well ahead of the age!)

• Saturday afternoon City HospitalChapel

• Saturday night Youth Meeting — We did the EmmausCorrespondence Courses together.

Worship, evangelism, Bible study,prayer, and fellowship—that soundslike a local church.

Whenever I start taking a strolldown memory lane, probably makingit better than it ever was, my son,Jonathan, with whom I serve atEmmaus will say, “That was then, thisis now!” The point I was making inclass was to emphasize the necessity ofParticipative Church as contrasted toObserver Church. ParticipativeChurch was then, was in the NewTestament, and it should be now!That is the design of the churchrequired in the dual truth of priest-hood and giftedness. Every believer isa priest and every believer hasreceived a gift to be exercised inchurch life. The church schedule ofmeetings and external activitiesshould be planned to provide opportu-nity for functional priesthood in wor-ship and prayer; and for functional useof gift in edification, fellowship, andevangelization. This is the geniusstructure of the New Testamentchurch that makes everyone depend-ent on one another and important tothe whole of the body though gifted-ness. It is the heart of a participativeBreaking of Bread where the priest-hood of all believers is scheduled forworship as it is for prayer in the PrayerMeeting. Priesthood and Gift!

At the heart of ParticipativeChurch is the necessity of education inHoly Scripture to be able to worship

God with understanding, to prayknowing the revealed mind and desireof God individually and for His people. At the heart of ParticipativeChurch is the necessity of education inHoly Scriptures to be able to use giftaccurately and effectively for thebuilding up the church and for evan-gelization in the world. We must beable to “keep our finger on the page ofScripture” in worship, prayer, teach-ing, Christian fellowship, and in thecommunication of the gospel.

To return to the opening question— yes this is a second issue on educat-ing the church. Because that is theneed of the day! Our history of partic-ipative church life is in decline.Personal Bible libraries are virtuallynonexistent, private Bible study israre, conferences and inter-assemblyeducation functions are disappearing.This decline will produce ignorantpriests and disable the use of gift.

The schedule of my church life asa young person would not fit today’sworld for numerous reasons. But thecommitment and priorities mustremain the same and be adapted totoday’s world if we are to serve aspriests and gifted members of our localchurch. This issue of Journey will provide some helpful suggestions forimproving our priestly function andour use of gift in church for God’sglory and for the benefit of God’s people! �


Journey | To P r a i s e H i s G l o r y

Another Issue on Educating the Church??? Dave Glock

Editor

object of our worship that is important,our holy and righteous God.

4. Add variety and freshness to your musical expression by learning newcongregational songs regularly. This isbest accomplished through introducing,singing, and reviewing new song litera-ture over a period of a few weeks. Iwould not, however, recommend learn-ing new songs during a worship service.When learning new music, it is verydifficult to focus on the meaning of the text.

5. Make judicious use of hymn stories. Knowing the circumstancesunder which a hymn writer composed atext can enhance its meaning. Forexample, knowing that the writer of OLove That Will Not Let Me Go lost hissight, and thus his fiancé, makes his ref-erences to light and to God’s faithful-ness even more poignant.

6. Challenge singers to focus onmeaning. Often, we sing words withoutfocusing the mind on the truths wesing. I was once challenged by a speak-er’s statement that Christians lie moreoften when singing than at any othertime. Our lips make statements of commitment that do not even register

intellectually. We sing words extollingthe beauties of Christ and a few min-utes later can’t even remember thehymn we just sang. We need to be reg-ularly reminded to sing with both thespirit and the mind.

7. Encourage the purchase of hymn-books, chorus books, and CDs for devo-tional use at home. In the Foundations ofChurch Music class that I teach atEmmaus, I require students to write ajournal entry on a hymn text eachweek. Students find this exercise veryvaluable, as it slows down the pace atwhich they reflect on the truths in thesong texts.

8. Church leaders should be spiritualmodels for the congregation. Demonstratethe value of music in the life of thelocal church by singing joyfully and fervently. I remember sit-ting in a meeting in a local churchwhere the elder making announce-ments and the scheduled speaker chat-ted through the song service. In otherinstances, I have observed elders finish-ing conversations in the lobby duringthe song service and finding their seatsjust in time for the message. Theseactions communicate loudly and clearly

to the congregation. To encourage obedience in praising God throughsong, we should model obediencebefore the congregation.

In our efforts to encourage asinging church, Wesley’s final instruc-tion is as important today as it was 250years ago: Above all sing spiritually. Havean eye to God in every word you sing.Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself,or any other creature. In order to do thisattend strictly to the sense of what yousing, and see that your Heart is not carriedaway with the sound, but offered to Godcontinually; so shall your singing be suchas the Lord will approve of here, andreward you when He cometh in the cloudsof heaven.�

Lisa BeattyLisa Beatty is the Vice President for AcademicAffairs at Emmaus Bible College and has been afaculty member in the Music Ministry departmentsince 1992. Lisa and her husband, Kevin have two teenage daughters.



The word hermeneuticscomes from the Greek word which means “tointerpret.” Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. How do we interpret the Biblecorrectly? What are the rules and guidelines forcorrect interpretation? If Scripture is theinspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16), then reading it, studying it, and understanding God’smessage to us is one of the most importantthings we can do. But how do I interpret theBible correctly? How can I read my Bible sothat I hear the voice of God and not my ownvoice, or the voice of man? There is a lot ofconfusion in this area.

Modern literary interpretation operates on a reader-centered hermeneutic. The readerdetermines the meaning of a writing. Theauthor has been banished. What a writingmeans is not what the author meant when hewrote it, but what the reader sees in the textand gets out of the text. This of course meansthat the meaning of a particular writing isalways changing. You see one meaning in it; I another. Everything is subjective.

Common sense would tell us that the meaning of a particular passage is what theauthor meant when he wrote that passage. Butwith the Bible we have a unique situation. Whowrote Romans? Our first answer is the apostlePaul. But 2 Timothy 3:16 says that God is theultimate Author of Scripture. So we have thehuman author and the divine Author.Sometimes God intended more than the humanauthors understood. But we still are looking forwhat the author of Scripture intended (whetherthe human author or the divine Author), notjust what we think a passage means to us.

BYJACKFISH




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The Main Rule ofInterpretationJim Van Dine, who teaches a coursein hermeneutics at Emmaus, intro-duces the subject by asking threequestions: 1. What are the three mostimportant things in real estate?Answer: location, location, location.2. What are the three most importantthings in French cooking? Answer:butter, butter, butter. 3. What are thethree most important things in theinterpretation of Scripture? Answer:context, context, context. This is sobasic that everyone agrees to it, but inthe actual interpretation of Scriptureit is often ignored. This is one of thereasons Scripture is often misinter-preted. I would like to spell out thisrule of context in six specific areas.

How can I read my Bible so that I hear the

voice of God and not myown voice, or the

voice of man?

The Rule of Context Spelled Out

1. Interpret According to the Context of Scripture as a WholeThe Reformers had a central rule, SolaScriptura, “Scripture alone”. By thisthey meant that Scripture is our onlyrule of faith and practice andScripture interprets Scripture. Onething this means is that if you havetwo interpretations — one that agreeswith the rest of Scripture and one thatdoes not — you accept the interpreta-tion which harmonizes with Scripture.This, of course, does not guaranteethe correct interpretation, but it doesshow us what is an incorrect interpre-tation — the interpretation that dis-

agrees with the rest of Scripture.That justification is by faith and

not by works of the Law is a truthclearly taught in many differentbooks. It is emphasized, discussed, andargued in Romans, Galatians, and theGospel of John (See Rom. 3:28; 4:5).But James 2:24 presents a problem.James says, “You see that a man isjustified by works and not by faithalone” (NASB). The rule thatScripture interprets Scripture, or theanalogy of faith, says that James is tobe interpreted by what is taught inPaul and the other books of Scripture.Do not make one Scripture contradictanother.

Jehovah’s Witnesses deny thedeity of Christ and claim that John1:1 should be translated, “The Wordwas a god.” Does Scripture allow us tobelieve there is more than one God?If Christ is not truly God but is mere-ly a god, then He is a false god! Thisis not the teaching of Scripture.Scripture calls Him God (see John1:18; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13;Hebrews 1:8-9; 2 Peter 1:10), He isworshiped as God, He has the attrib-utes of God, and He does the works ofGod. John 1:1 says He is God, not justa god.1

2. Interpret According to theContext of a PassageA second rule is to interpret accordingto the context of a specific passage. Totake a verse out of context is to makeit say something that is foreign to thesurrounding verses.

I remember a youth group whichalways ended its meetings by joininghands and reciting Genesis 31:49,“The LORD watch between me andthee, when we are absent one fromanother” (KJV). That sounds good-may the Lord protect us while we areapart. But in the context Jacob andLaban were separating. Neither of

them trusted the other. So Laban said,“The LORD watch between me andthee, when we are absent one fromanother.” The next verse is, “If youmistreat my daughters, or if you takewives besides my daughters,although no man is with us, see,God is witness between you and me”(NASB). In other words, if you wrongmy daughters while we are absent onefrom another and I can’t do anythingabout it, God will get you.

Psalm 2:8 should not be used as abanner verse at missionary confer-ences: “Ask of Me, and I will giveYou the nations for Your inheri-tance” (NKJV). This does not say weshould pray that God would convertthe nations. The next verse in Psalm2 says, “You shall break them with arod of iron; You shall dash them topieces like a potter’s vessel.” Thecontext is judgment not conversion.

The Methodists during the timeof John Wesley had a method of usingthe Bible to find guidance from Godwhich encouraged this abuse. Somecall this “luckydipping.” They wouldopen the Bible at random, point tothe page, and whatever verse theypointed to would indicate God’s willfor that moment. The story is told ofone lady who did this. The verse shechanced upon was Matthew 27:5,“and [Judas] went and hanged him-self” (KJV). That didn’t seem tooencouraging, so she thought that shewould try it again. Her next verse wasLuke 10:37, “Then said Jesus untohim, Go, and do thou likewise.”This was getting uncomfortable so shetried a third time. This time her versewas John 13:27, “What thou doest,do quickly.”

Let me give an example wheregood Bible students have differed andwhere I think the problem of interpre-tation comes from not observing thecontext. I am referring to the parable

of the prodigal son. Is the prodigal sonof this a parable an unsaved personcoming to the Lord for salvation, or isthis a parable of a backslidden believ-er who is restored to the Lord?

The Backslidden BelieverInterpretation. Two things support theinterpretation that this refers to abackslidden believer: First, it says thathe was a son. He never ceased being ason. He was not made a son by return-ing to his father; he was already a son.Second, he came back to his father.

The Unsaved Coming to SalvationView. The problem with the backslid-den believer interpretation is that itignores the context. Look at Luke15:1-2. “Now all the tax collectorsand the sinners were coming nearHim to listen to Him. Both thePharisees and the scribes began togrumble, saying, ‘This man receivessinners and eats with them.’ So Hetold them this parable” (NASB).Actually He told them three parables:the parable of the lost sheep, the lostcoin, and the lost son. In the contextthese three parables are our Lord’s jus-tification for eating with sinners.They are parables of sinners findingthe Savior, not of backsliddenChristians being restored to the Lord.

3. Interpret According to theContext of UsageThe principle here is that the mean-ing of words is determined by howthey are used.

At the time of the Reformationthere was a controversy over justifica-tion by faith versus justification by

works. Part of the controversy alsoinvolved the definition of the term“to justify.” The Reformers said itmeans “to account, to reckon as right-eous.” The Roman Catholics said thatto justify means “to make righteous.”This is actually a huge issue and itcontinues to be debated today. Whenwe are justified, are we made righteousor are we accounted to be righteous?

If to justify means to make right-eous, then it is a process that has notyet been completed. Does God makeus righteous? Yes He does. But theBible calls this sanctification. Oncewe have been saved, the Holy Spiritworks in us and transforms us progres-sively toward the final goal of makingus conformed to the image of God’sSon. But the process won’t be com-plete until we are glorified (Rom.8:29-30). If to justify means to makerighteous, then present tense (you arebeing justified) can be used, or thefuture tense (you will be justified) canbe used. But the past tense (you havebeen justified) cannot be used.

How do we determine the mean-ing of a word like justify? It is byusage. Let me give an example from apassage in the Old Testament wherethere is no theological controversyand where the meaning is clear.Deuteronomy 25:1 says, “If there is adispute between men and they go tocourt, and the judges decide theircase, and they justify the righteousand condemn the wicked....” Here isa court case. A person is guilty. Whatdoes a judge do? He condemns theguilty. Another person is innocent.

What does the judge do? He justifieshim. Now what is it that the judgedoes when he justifies the innocentman? Does he make him righteous ordoes he declare him to be righteous?The judge does not make him right-eous. He is already righteous. All thatthe judge can do is make a legal decla-ration. He pronounces him to berighteous. Isaiah 5:23 speaks of thosejudges “who justify the wicked for abribe.” What do they do? They don’tmake the wicked man righteous.Rather, they are corrupt judges whotake a bribe and make a legal pro-nouncement. They say this man isinnocent or righteous. A crookedjudge cannot make a guilty man righteous; but he can make a legalpronouncement. He declares himrighteous.

Theologically we have not beenmade righteous yet. We still have fall-en natures, and we continue to sin.But God reckons Christ’s righteous-ness to us and we are declared to berighteous in Him. That is whyRomans 5:1 says, “Therefore, havingbeen justified by faith, we havepeace with God.” It is something thathas already happened. We are fullyand completely justified, not on thebasis of our works, but through faithin the Savior who paid the penalty forall our sins and gives us acceptance byGod as righteous in Him.

The hermeneutical principle isthat the meaning of a word is inter-preted according to usage.2

4. Interpret According to the Context of the Type ofLiteratureWithin the Bible some passages arehistorical narrative, others are doctri-nal exposition, and others are poetry,prophecy, parable, wisdom literature,etc. Failure to recognize differences inthese types of literature has sometimesled to erroneous interpretations.

CONTEXTCONTEXTCONTEXT


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The Interpretation of ParablesA parable is not an allegory. From thetime of the early church the parable ofthe Good Samaritan has been allego-rized. An allegory is a literary devise inwhich the literal meaning is not the realmeaning. It is just a vehicle to conveythe real meaning. For example, Pilgrim’sProgress is an allegory in which all of thedetails are meant to be figurative illus-trations of spiritual truths. Pilgrim’sProgress was not meant to be taken literally.

The parable of the GoodSamaritan (Luke 10:29-37) has oftenbeen allegorized. The Samaritan repre-sents Jesus. The inn is the church. Theoil and wine are the Holy Spirit. Theman went down from Jerusalem toJericho. Down from Jerusalem is awayfrom God. He fell among thieves whostripped him, beat him, and left himhalf dead (v. 30). These are the effectsof sin in our lives. The priest and Levitewho passed by represent the Law.According to this allegory the parable issaying that Christ, moved with compas-sion comes to meet us, pays the cost tocure us, and provides for our spiritualneeds. I heard a preacher who used thisapproach, saying he could not figure outwhat the donkey in the parable repre-sents (v. 34). What he didn’t realize isthat the donkey doesn’t represent any-thing! It is not meant to be symbolical.It is just part of the story.

There are two reasons for sayingthis: 1. This is a parable, not an allegory.Not everything in a parable is symbolic.Parables often make just one mainpoint. 2. The parable is about our lovefor others, not Christ’s love for us.Remember the rule of the context ofthe surrounding verses. In verse 29Christ told this parable in answer to thequestion, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesushad cited the Scripture “You shall loveyour neighbor as yourself” (Lev.19:18). The lawyer had asked the ques-tion “Who is my neighbor?” in order to

justify himself. The parable was notdesigned to show how Jesus acted inlove to us but how men should act inlove toward others. You shall love yourneighbor as yourself.

The principle is: Do not allegorize aparable. This can become tricky,because parables are figurative ways ofexpressing a truth. But every item in aparable doesn’t have to be given ameaning. Some parts of the parable arejust parts of the story.

Historical Books versus EpistlesScripture is normative for our life andpractice, but how do we establish scrip-tural norms and practices? Can wederive a principle from a particularoccurrence in a historical book? Forinstance, some have argued on the basisof the book of Acts that receiving theHoly Spirit is a second work of grace.While it may happen at the time a per-son believes, it is something that nor-mally happens after salvation. That is adoctrinal conclusion based on examplesseen in the historical book of Acts. InActs 2, on the day of Pentecost, and inActs 10, when Peter was preaching inthe home of Cornelius the reception ofthe Holy Spirit was immediate at thetime of repentance and faith (Acts 2:2-4, 38; 10:44). However, in Acts 8:14-17the Samaritans had believed withoutreceiving the Holy Spirit and Peter andJohn were sent to lay hands on them inorder that they might receive the Spirit.In Acts 19:1-7 Paul found disciples whohad not received the Holy Spirit andupon whom the Holy Spirit came whenhe laid hands on them.

What we actually see in the bookof Acts is a mixed pattern. Somereceived the Holy Spirit immediately onbelieving, while others at a later time.But here is a case where the teaching ofthe epistles is clear and decisive. InRomans 8:9 Paul says, “However, youare not in the flesh but in the Spirit, ifindeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

But if anyone does not have the Spiritof Christ, he does not belong to Him.”If a person does not have the HolySpirit, he does not belong to Christ. Heis not saved! The doctrinal teaching ofthe epistles is that you do have the HolySpirit when you are saved. How then dowe explain Acts 8 and 19? Probably onthe basis that Acts describes a transi-tional period between the OldCovenant and the New Covenant,between Judaism and Christianity. Acts8 has to do with Samaritan believersand Acts 19 with disciples of John theBaptist. They were special cases to linkthe reception of the Holy Spirit withthe apostles in order to emphasize andestablish the unity of the church.

This does not mean we can dismissall historical incidences as normative.They are included to teach us some-thing. But we need to be careful when apractice is merely referred to, or referredto only once in a historical book. Weare on more solid ground when we finda principle or practice in the epistolaryteaching.

5. Interpret the Bible LiterallyThe term “literal interpretation” is oftenmisunderstood. We use the term “liter-al” in two different senses. Literal canbe opposed to figurative, or it can beopposed to allegorical. If we insist on lit-eral interpretation as opposed to figura-tive, then Matthew 5:30, “If your righthand makes you stumble, cut it off,”means we should literally cut off thehand. That is missing the meaning ofthe passage which is saying we must beruthless in dealing with sin in our lives.The other meaning of “literal” isopposed to allegorical and here literalmeans normal. “Interpret” literallymeans interpret the way you normallyuse language. Literal interpretationallows for figures of speech. Jesus is theLion of the Tribe of Judah. Is he a literallion? No. This is a figure of speech, ametaphor. He is like a lion in certain

characteristics. Another name for literalinterpretation is grammatical historicalinterpretation. We interpret using thenormal laws of grammar in the histori-cal context of the passage.

An example of a non-literal inter-pretation may be seen in the interpreta-tion of the 153 fish in John 21:11.When I was in school, a travelingpreacher came to our assembly and wasspeaking on John 21. He saw great sig-nificance in the number 153. What wasthe significance of the 153 fish? A liter-al interpretation would say it meansthat they caught 153 fish. What fisher-man can’t tell you how many fish hecatches? But that didn’t seem meaning-ful enough to this preacher, so hesought for a deeper meaning. He askedwhat number should be associated withthe Old Testament. The answer wasten-the number of Law (the TenCommandments). What number shouldbe associated with the New Testament?Answer: seven (the number of perfec-tion or completeness). Add ten andseven and you get 17. Then if you take17, 16, 15 ... 1 and add them all togeth-er, what do you get? 153! So the 153fish signify the completeness of both theOld Testament and the NewTestament! Such an interpretation saysmore about the ingenuity of the inter-preter than it does about the teaching ofthe New Testament.

While the Reformers insisted onthe literal interpretation of the Bible,one area where they made an exceptionwas in the area of eschatology, the doc-trine of prophecy. For example theyunderstood the church to be spiritualIsrael. When they saw Israel inScripture, they sometimes understood itto refer to the church. Many today stillinsist that the church is spiritual Israel.However, a concordance reveals thatthe term “Israel” is used 68 times in theNew Testament. There is no question itrefers to those who are ethnic Jews inthe great majority of cases. There are

only a couple of passages that are evencontroversial. The overwhelming literalusage of the term should make one hesi-tate before reading the term Israel torefer to the church in the NewTestament.

6. Interpret According to thePeriods of Redemptive HistoryWhy don’t we sacrifice animals? Doesn’tScripture command this in the OldTestament? Why don’t we stone peoplein the church for committing adultery?Doesn’t God’s Word command this?The answer is that while all Scripture isequally inspired, and all Scripture isprofitable and has lessons for us, not allScripture is written to us. We are livingin a different dispensation from the OldTestament saints. We are not under theMosaic Law. Christ is the end of theLaw for righteousness to everyone whobelieves. There are differences betweenthe Old Covenant and the NewCovenant.

For instance, do you like to singPsalm 51:10? “Create in me a cleanheart, O God; and renew a right spiritwithin me.” That is the cry of theheart of a godly believer. But then wecome to verse 11, “Do not cast meaway from Your presence; and do nottake Your Holy Spirit from me.” Donot take your Holy Spirit from me! Isthat a prayer a Christian should pray? Itwas David’s prayer, but it is not ourprayer. That is because in the NewTestament the Holy Spirit permanentlyindwells every believer. To lose theHoly Spirit is to lose salvation (Rom.8:9). But in the Old Testament theHoly Spirit would come on individualsselectively and temporarily. The HolySpirit came upon David, but there wasno promise of permanent indwelling.We are living in a different dispensa-tion.

We must distinguish the periods oftime in the progressive revelation ofGod. Only those things which are

directly for the church age can bedirectly applied to us. Other things maybe applied indirectly.

CONCLUSIONScripture is not putty in the hands ofthe interpreter, to be shaped into anyform and made to say what the inter-preter desires it to say. It is the Word ofGod and must be handled carefully andcorrectly. That is why Paul tellsTimothy, “Be diligent to present your-self approved to God as a workmanwho does not need to be ashamed,accurately handling the word of truth”(2 Tim. 2:15). Hermeneutics seeks todetermine the correct rules for interpre-tation so that we might be the approvedworkmen who accurately handleScripture. �

1 For a detailed discussion of the deity of Christin connection with the doctrine of the Trinitysee John H. Fish III, “God the Son,” EmJ 12(2003): 3-127. This is also found under the title“The Beloved Son,” in Understanding the Trinity,ed. John H. Fish III, (Dubuque, IA: ECSMinistries, 2006), 189-313.

2 Note also that etymology or root meaning maynot be a reliable guide to a word’s meaning. TheEnglish word “manufacture” comes from theLatin manus (hand) and facio (to make). But anautomobile manufactured in Detroit is not“hand made.” The word gymnasium comes fromthe Greek word gumnos which means “naked.”Even though the ancient Greeks competed inthe gymnasium without wearing clothes, thisdoes not affect the meaning of the word inmodern English usage.

Jack FishAs a result of listening to Billy Graham, Jackplaced his trust in Christ during his Junior yearof high school. He graduated from BrownUniversity with a B.A. in Linguistics andwent on to receive Th.M and Th.D degreesfrom Dallas Theological Seminary. For thepast 40 years, Jack has taught at EmmausBible College. He currently serves as Editor ofthe Emmaus Journal and as an elder atAsbury Community Chapel in Asbury, Iowa.Nancy and Jack have four grown children andfourteen grandchildren.

only teach so much. Most things youlearn in school are forgotten, unlessyour brain has been turned on andyour interest in the subject has beenpiqued. The best thing a teacher cando for a student is to excite him abouthis subject. The student will do therest. When you look back at your ownChristian education — your ownexperience in Sunday school, churchmeetings, or Bible camp — there wassomeone along the way who excitedyour interest and curiosity in the Bibleand the things of God. That personwas vitally important as a person toyou, his student.

A Call to StudyAs the New Testament makes clear, abeliever needs to be growing andlearning (1 Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12-14;1 Pet. 2:2). In the case of teachers thismeans they need to be growing intheir knowledge of the Word and intheir ability to communicate it. Toencourage you in this area I wouldlike to suggest a wonderful book byJohn Stott entitled, Between TwoWorlds: The Art of Preaching in theTwentieth Century. In it he has a chap-ter, “The Call to Study,” which is avery important chapter for young mento read.ii That chapter alone is worththe price of the book. He writes,“There is no doubt that the bestteachers in any field of knowledge arethose who remain students all theirlives.” This is especially true, he adds,for those who teach God’s Word.iii Thelegendary Charles Spurgeon agreed,“He who has ceased to learn hasceased to teach. He who no longersows in the study, will no longer reapin the pulpit.”iv The ideal church mustbe a “Bibliocracy,” wrote P. T. Forsyth.Its Bible teachers must “know [theirBibles] better than any other book. ...

The Bible is the one [handbook]of the preacher still, the onemanual of eternal life, the onepage that glows as all life growsdark, and the one book whosewealth rebukes us more theolder we grow because we knewand loved it so late.”v These menall knew that Bible teachingrequires hard work and self-dis-cipline.

Time for Study and PreparationEvery good Bible teacherknows he must set aside time forpreparation. He knows he must say“No” to other things if he is to masterthis Book. It is in the area of self-discipline and hard work that manyteachers and preachers fail. Waitinguntil Saturday night to prepare themessage is an insult to God and toyour audience. I know a preacher whoprepared his messages on Sundaymorning. When the deacons foundthis out they fired him.

Elders and other teachers shouldencourage one another to set asideone or two evenings a week for serious study of the Word. I ask the people Iam involved with in teaching to setaside Monday night for their teachingpreparation. I tell them, “Don’t go outMonday night; don’t get involved inany activities that evening. Mondaynight is your night to prepare for yourSunday school class or for your smallgroup fellowship”. It grieves me tolook around in the Lord’s Suppermeeting and see someone preparinghis/her Sunday school lesson.

If I am preaching on Sunday, I setMonday aside for sermon preparation.Do not be like the preachers who startpreparing on Saturday. Their excuse

is, “I do betterunder pressure.” Let me tell you whythat doesn’t work. It goes against theway God has made us. If you will doyour preparation on Monday, yourbrain (the most unusual organ in theuniverse — more versatile than anymanmade computer) will work onthat material. I do all my hard studyon Monday and then, throughout theweek, my brain is mulling over andreflecting on that material. Andthroughout the week new illustrationsand applications will come to mind.So feed your mind Monday, let it doits work throughout the week, andyou’ll be a better teacher on Sunday.

I have another suggestion —especially for those who show realpromise of becoming gifted Bibleteachers. In addition to Mondaynight, you need a couple of additionalnights home a week to study theScriptures. One of the most terriblethings happening to the church is themadness of busyness. People are sobusy they have no time for God andthe study of His Word. So spend thoseadditional evenings at home preparingyour heart and soul by learning theWord of God.

Editor’s Note: This article is an edit-ed transcription of a message deliveredby Alex Strauch at the 2008 IronSharpens Iron conference held on thecampus of Emmaus Bible College.

In a previous article in Journey Isought to set forth a strategy for bibli-cal education in the local church.i

That article was addressed primarily toelders. In this article I am speaking toall those who have teaching responsi-bilities in the church. My commentsare directed to those who are mature,spiritually-gifted teachers and to thosewho are just beginning to be involvedin this important and wonderful work.

Although not all Christians arespiritually-gifted teachers who minis-ter the Word full time, there is a realsense in which every mature believershould be able to open the Bible andexplain the gospel and the basic truthsof the faith to others (Heb. 5:12).Parents, for example, should be teach-ing their children day and night(Deut. 6:4-7). Every believer shouldbe able to share the essentials of thefaith with his neighbor, fellow worker,or fellow student (1 Pet. 3:15).

Leland Ryken, professor ofEnglish at Wheaton College, has writ-ten, “Teachers are the single mostimportant ingredient in any educa-

tional program.” That is certainlytrue. When you look back at yourown education, whether elementaryschool, middle school, high school, oruniversity, it was the teachers whochanged your life. We must confess, ofcourse, that we do not remember allof what was said in class. Someonehas said that 80 percent of what theteacher says in class is forgotten with-in a half an hour of the student leav-ing the room. But good teachers turna switch on in the brain. And Goduses them to turn that switch on —and the light bulb goes on. And fromthat point on the student becomes alearner. Even the best teacher can

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Developing a Strategy forEffective Bible Teaching

in the Church

Alex Strauch

One ofthe elders

in ourassembly, aman in hislate 50s, wasthe CEO of

a billion-dollarcompany for 25 years. He worked longhours in what he called his “dark tun-nel.” Every day during those 25 yearshe got up an hour and a half early toread and study the Scriptures. Todayhe is a marvelous Bible teacher in ourassembly, but he paid a price. You willnot grow in your teaching if you arenot willing to pay such a price.

There was a young woman in ourchurch, just in her thirties, who diedof cancer. She loved the kids in herSunday school class. Before she diedwe visited her at home, and her mother showed us her lesson materi-als. She spent hours preparing everyweek-going well beyond the publishedlesson plans. It was the highlight ofher week to take several hours gettingready for that class. To this day peoplestill speak of what they learned in her class.

Basic Tools for Bible StudyEvery Bible teacher needs basic tools.First of all, you need a good Biblewith readable 12-point print and large

margins for notes. Let me suggest thatyou leave your study Bible at home inyour designated study area. Haveanother Bible for taking to church. Isuggest this because people are alwaysleaving Bibles at church or losingthem in other places. I will sometimeshave fun with such a person by ask-ing, “Did you read your Bible thisweek?” “No, I didn’t.” “Do you knowwhere your Bible is?” “No, I don’t.”“Well, I have it here at the chapel!”

I never take my study Bible out ofthe house. I keep it on my desk. Thereason is that I lost a very good Bibleone time with all my notes in it.Since then my study Bible remains athome. Bible paraphrases are fine foreasy reading, but for serious study youneed a good literal translation that istrue to the original languages and is inunderstandable English (e.g., NASB,ESV, KJV, older NIV).

Second, you must have a Bibleconcordance. The more I study theBible, the more I need my concor-dance. It will not only help you findtexts, it will help you see how wordsare used in different contexts.

Third, you will need books tohelp you with word studies. The oldstandard is W. E. Vine’s An ExpositoryDictionary of New Testament Words.The best edition of this classic work isthe edition published by Nelson. Itcontains not only Vine’s work, butNelson’s Expository Dictionary of OldTestament Words (by Unger andWhite) all in one volume. A more up-to-date work — William D. Mounce,ed., Mounce’s Complete ExpositoryDictionary of Old and New TestamentWords — has been published byZondervan. Neither Vine nor Mouncerequire that the student be able toread Hebrew or Greek.

Fourth, the Bible student needs aBible dictionary. A revised edition ofUnger’s Bible Dictionary entitled TheNew Unger’s Bible Dictionary (ed. R. K.Harrison, Moody) would be a goodplace to start. Those with a largerbudget might also want to procure the5-volume set, The Zondervan PictorialEncyclopedia of the Bible.

Fifth, you should have at leastone good one- or two-volume com-mentary. I highly recommend the 2-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary(Victor Books), edited by Walvoordand Zuck and authored by members ofthe Dallas Seminary faculty. I havegiven away many copies of this excel-lent set. I would also suggest BillMacDonald’s one-volume Believer’sBible Commentary (Nelson). It is verygood and very simple to read.

Sixth, I would suggest a studyBible, that is, an English Bible withstudy notes provided by the publisher.Most study Bibles are generic. Inother words, they take no stand onpremillennialism, dispensationalism,or covenant theology. They mentionsuch subjects, but offer no opinion onwhich interpretation is correct. I pre-fer a study Bible that helps the stu-dent in forming a correct theology.For that reason I suggest the studyBibles authored by Charles C. Ryrie(Ryrie Study Bible) and JohnMacArthur (MacArthur Study Bible).MacArthur’s work is a virtual com-mentary on the whole Bible. Ryrie isnot as elaborate, but is very good.

Basic Guides for Preaching and TeachingNot only do we need tools to helpwith Bible study, but we also needhelp in learning how to teach andpreach. If the Bible is the priority of

our teaching and preaching then wemust improve our teaching skills andmethods to make the Word attractiveand interesting to our listeners. It is asin to bore people with the truth.

Erasmus, the noted Greek scholarwrote, “If elephants can be trained todance, and lions to play, and leopardsto hunt, surely preachers can betaught to preach!” Fred Craddock, acontemporary writer on preachingwrote, “Concert pianists continue torun the scales. Tennis professionalswho have already won Wimbledonstill take lessons. Can anyone think ofa reason why a preacher should notwork regularly at his skill?”

In 1966 Alfred P. Gibbs came tospeak at Pinebush Bible Camp for twoweeks, something he did every year.He was one of the greatest children’sworkers and evangelists in the 20thcentury. Along with many otherbooks and pamphlets, he wrote APreacher and His Preaching(Walterick). That year I was atPinebush, and, for some reason, Mr.Gibbs was on a soapbox complainingabout the quality of preaching andteaching in the assemblies. And eventhough he was a part-time facultymember there, he did not spareEmmaus Bible School from his com-plaints. He said, “We believe in teach-ing, we do a lot of teaching, and wehave many good things to teach.”“But,” he asked, “Why aren’t weteaching well, and why aren’t weteaching people how to teach?” Hewent on to scold Emmaus and theassemblies for not teaching homileticsand helping young men improve theirteaching and preaching skills. He saidthat some of the preaching in assem-bly pulpits was so poor it was actuallycausing damage to people and turningthem off to the truth.

This is still a widespread problem,not only in the United States butaround the world. I was in anothercountry last year, and after I finishedspeaking a man came up to me andsaid, “I don’t know what to do in ourlocal church. There isn’t a single per-son that has any ability. They don’teven have a clue how to give a lesson.Not a one of them makes sense. Whatcan we do?” We need to help peoplewith homiletics. We need to helpthem to speak clearly and to be under-stood. It’s not impossible to learn this.

For help in this area I would rec-ommend that the fledgling teacher orpreacher read some books on homilet-ics. For those with little or no back-ground in public speaking it would beto good start with a book like A.Duane Litfin’s Public Speaking: AHandbook for Christians (Baker). Awell-known work on Bible teaching isCreative Bible Teaching (Moody), byLarry Richards. Then you might wantto read a basic textbook on homileticslike the book of Mr. Gibbs, APreacher and His Preaching(Walterick). Two standardseminary textbooks areLloyd M. Perry’s BiblicalPreaching for Today’sWorld (Moody, 1973)and the bestseller byHaddon W. Robinson,Biblical Preaching: theDevelopment and Deliveryof Expository Messages(Baker, 2001). Thesevolumes are for thosewho are addressingadult audiences, butthere are many othersgeared for those who teach littlechildren and teens.

It is also important that ouryoung preachers and teachers listen to

gifted speakers, and our modern tech-nology (MP3 files, CDs, books, andtapes) makes the world’s great preach-ers readily available. Martin Lloyd-Jones said this, “What then is a youngpreacher to do? Let him listen toother preachers, the best and the mostexperienced. He will learn a lot fromthem, negatively and positively. Hewill learn what not to do, and he willlearn a great deal of what he shoulddo.” Listen to good sermons, and readgood sermons.

In our church we will pick fivewell-known expositors and get theirsermons (CDs or tapes) on whateverbook of the Bible we happen to beexpounding at the time. After study-ing the passage, our Sunday preacherwill try to listen to each of these fiveexpositors through the week.

I have personallylearned much by listening to

S. Lewis Johnson, Bill McRae, JohnMacArthur, John Stott, James M.Boice, Eric Alexander, and others.

Journey | D e v e l o p i n g a S t r a t e g y Journey | m a g a z i n e





to exhort you to have a healthy fear ofteaching error or falsehood. Youshould know what you are teachingand why it is true. You need to rightlyhandle the Word of truth. Even if thematerial given to you is pre-prepared,such as published Sunday schoolmaterial, you are responsible for itsaccuracy. This means you must studyand be sure what you are teaching iscorrect. If you have questions, youshould call someone who is knowl-edgeable in the Scriptures who canhelp you.

Outline Your LessonWhen I first started preaching my wifewould say to me, “Alex, your outlinewasn’t clear and I got lost.” I realizedthat if she couldn’t follow me thenthe rest of the audience was lost aswell. It’s not the audience’s job tomake sense of what you are saying. Itis the preacher’s job to make Scriptureclear for the audience. Some time agomy wife and I were at a church listen-ing to the speaker. I leaned over to mywife and I said, “Honey, what is hetalking about?” She said, “I don’tknow. You’re the preacher!” I had noidea what he was talking about. Hespoke of many things, but I didn’thave a clue as to how it all heldtogether.

Whenever you are teaching,always have a clear, orderly outline. It structures your thoughts and keepsyou on track. This will allow your lis-teners to follow you. They will be ableto follow you and anticipate whereyou are going.

As you are studying a passage ofScripture and preparing a message onit, always be thinking of how you willoutline and structure the material.Your outline will contribute one ofthe most important things to your

teaching, namely, clarity. When I’mpreparing a message, I have two sepa-rate sheets of paper before me. As I’mreading commentaries or listening to aCD, I am always making notes on oneof the pieces of paper called my out-line. I know I am not ready until Ihave a good, clear, well-developedoutline that people can follow. (Onmy second sheet of paper I jot downideas for application). I’m not satisfieduntil I have the skeleton of the message, and that is the outline. It’svery simple, very clear, and very easyto follow.

All outlines should be parallel inthought. Your main heading may havejust a couple of words. Or it may be aprepositional phrase. Or it may be acomplete sentence. Each of the fol-lowing main headings should followthe same pattern. If Point 1 is just twowords, Points 2 and 3 should also betwo words. You should not begin withtwo words and then have a preposi-tional phrase as your second mainpoint and then have a complete sen-tence as your third.

Let me illustrate. I’m currentlyworking on a topical message on love.My headings might be: Study love;Request love; Teach Love; Modellove; and Practice love. The headingsare parallel. It would destroy the par-allelism of my points to have: Studylove; Please ask God for a lovingheart; Teach love to the teachable; Tomodel love is to inspire love so doloving things; Learning to practicelove.” If you can look at an outlineand figure out what the sermon is, it isprobably a good outline. If you look atthe outline on the back of the churchbulletin and it’s absolute mayhem,then I can tell you what the sermon’sgoing to be like.

When you have a good, clear out-

line, it doesn’t have to be a lot ofpoints. It should be whatever thematerial calls for — that’s really whatyou want. After announcing eachpoint, your first sentence shouldexplain what you are going to talkabout. Too many preachers announcetheir point and then wander all overthe place. It almost seems as if theyare filling time. Get right to whatyou’re going to say. If what you cansay can be said in five minutes, say it.Don’t take 20.

Gifted preachers have differentapproaches to time. Some are 20-minute speakers, some are 30-minutespeakers, and others (particularlyexpositors) are 45-minute speakers.The important thing is that everytruly gifted speaker makes very gooduse of his time. One of the character-istics of the ungifted preacher is thathe has no sense of time. He is boring,and time stands still. He speaks for 20,30, or 40 minutes and says whatever itis that he has to say and repeats it allthree or four times.

Apply Your MessageHere is where many young teachers ofthe Bible fail. They give facts andinformation, but they do not applythe text to real life situations. Theydo not move or challenge people. Iwould make this a rule, if you have a40-minute message, make sure a solid15 minutes is application, minimum.As I noted above, when I am prepar-ing my message, I keep a separatepiece of paper upon which I writeapplications. While reading books Itry to find strong application. Theelders at Littleton Bible Chapel wantstrong application on Sunday morn-ings at 11:00; not just information,but application. It is the applicationthat challenges people and makes the

Additional EducationThere are additional things we can doto help our teachers and preachers.First, I would recommend sendingthem to conferences where they willhear the best preachers, teachers,Christian educators, and theologians.Put money in your church budget tohelp with at least part of the cost forthose who go. Every year there areconferences in the United States thatprovide good preaching and excellentseminars. In our community there isan annual Sunday school convention.We always send people to that con-vention to get them acquainted withnew materials and new ideas for work-ing with children and youth. Weinvite them to then share whatthey’ve learned with their fellowworkers — things that willhelp our localchurch.

Second,if you have young people who are notgetting enough training at home,encourage them to attend Bible col-lege. I encourage all of our young peo-ple to attend for at least a year. Two ofmy daughters attended Emmaus Bible

College and loved it. They sat underthe ministry of good, balanced teach-ers, and they made friends with youngpeople from all over the country. Ipersonally attended the whole pro-gram (three years in those days, fouryears today), and it changed my life.And don’t be afraid of them whenthey come back with lots of newideas. Encourage them to return anduse those ideas to help the work growand improve. If I had the money Iwould send every one of our youngpeople to Emmaus — for at least ayear.

A Call to Love Your StudentsHoward Hendricks was an unsavedkid on the inner city streets of

Philadelphia, and there was a guynamed Walt. Walt loved kids and

wanted a Sunday school class,but none was available. So he

went out into the neighborhoodand rounded up his ownSunday school class. Everyweek he would pick up thir-teen kids that he found onthe inner city streets of

Philadelphia — unchurchedkids — bring them to church, and

teach them in Sunday school. Allthirteen came to know Christ. Elevenof them went into full-time Christianservice as missionaries and otherteachers. One of them was HowardHendricks, probably one of the great-est Christian educators of our time.He is still alive today and still teach-ing — a man in his 80s. Hendrickssays this about his Sunday schoolteacher, Walt, “He was not the mostscintillating person in the world, buthe was for real. I knew it, and so dideveryone else in that class ....

Actually, I can’t tell you much ofwhat Walt said to us, but I can tellyou everything about him ... becausehe loved me for Christ’s sake. Heloved me more than my parents did.”vi

What is the greatest thing we can dofor our students? Love them.

Another educator says this: “Nosubstitute exists for a teacher’s love forhis or her students. Teaching is farmore than getting across content. It is also cause for communicatinggenuine, personal interest in and lovefor each student.” In short, the firstessential skill is love and respect forthe students. Good teachers love theirstudents. They respect their students.They value them, they care for them,they’re patient with them, they under-stand them, and they want to helpthem in any way. So if you want to bea good teacher, love your students.

A Call to ContinuallyImproving Your Teaching SkillsAll of us who are teachers, at whatev-er level — from teaching young children to seniors — need to have adriving passion to improve. And wecan. We can all improve immensely. I have seen teachers I thought wouldnever make it, and today they’redoing a marvelous job. They are doingwell because they stayed at it, wantedto improve, and were willing to learn.

Be Accurate in Your WorkThe apostle Paul wrote, “Do your bestto present yourself to God as oneapproved; a worker who has no needto be ashamed, rightly handling theword of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, ESV). Itis a terrible thing to present God’sWord and then afterwards be ashamedbecause you were not prepared. I want

Word practical. Remember, the Bibleis a practical book, meant for life.

Illustrator Your MessageJesus was the master Teacher and Hewas a great illustrater. He took illus-trations from every sphere of life.Illustrations drive home your point;they open a window onto the truth ofthe Word. They can be of all kinds,but people particularly like personalillustrations.

Illustrations are hard to find. It iseasier to study the text of Scripturethan to find good illustrations. I ago-nize more over illustrations than any-thing else. Studies have shown howpeople pay better attention when theillustration comes. People can onlytake so many facts and informationbefore zoning out.

Illustrations are especially impor-tant for children and young people. Ihave done many years of children’scamp at Camp Elim in Colorado, andI always use films and slides. I stillhave adults tell me they remember theslides I showed when they were chil-dren and all the sound effects I sup-plied. I made lots of noises and soundsand beat with a stick before I changedeach slide. I would cry and scream andsometimes the kids would get socaught up in the presentation thatthey would cry.

A very helpful resource on thissubject is the book by Leslie B. Flynn,Come Alive With Illustrations: How toFind, Use, and File Good Stories forSermons and Speeches (Baker). An oldclassic is Donald Grey Barnhouse’s,Let Me Illustrate (Revell). Barnhouse,a real master at the art of illustrationgives some clues to his approach inthe foreword to this book.

Deliver It WellOnce you have accurately preparedyour well-outlined message with itsillustrations and applications, you stillhave to communicate it to people.Unfortunately, many of the people youwill teach aren’t that interested, haveother things on their minds, or they’reeasily bored. Teaching people — youngpeople, especially — is not easy. So youmust be well aware of how you arecommunicating. It is a lifelong pursuitto learn to communicate well on anindividual and corporate level. Here aresome suggestions:

Introduce the Message BrieflyThe purpose of the introduction is tocapture the audience’s attention andintroduce listeners to the major themeof the message. John Broadus oncequipped, “Well begun is half done, andill begun is apt to be wholly ruined.”Good counsel on this important subjectis offered by Michael J. Hostetler,Introducing the Sermon: The Art ofCompelling Beginnings (Zondervan).

Frederick Buechner estimates thata good sermon should have a two-minute introduction in which the audi-ence’s expectancy is aroused. Tragically,many preachers offer introductions thatare far too long. Such a preacher gets sobogged down it becomes evident tohimself and his congregation he willnot have time to finish. He will oftenconclude with the apology, “I’m sorrythat I didn’t cover all my points!” Well,of course, he spent too much time onthe first one. And then he reallyoffends; he goes overtime. Be gripping,and be brief.

Be YourselfNever try to be someone else or use adifferent voice. God made you the wayyou are and He wants to use you. Ofcourse, He will improve what you areand who you are, but it will still be you.If you try to copy someone else, peoplewill see you’re not being yourself. Manystudents at Dallas Seminary havelearned the hard way that there is onlyone Howie Hendricks — he can beemulated but not imitated.

Be Simple and ClearThe experts agree that this is one of themost important attributes of goodteaching. Be clear! Be direct, simple,and obvious. One book on preachingsays that the three principles onpreaching are: be clear, be clear, beclear. Don’t wander around or talk inmysteries. Young preachers often makethe mistake of having too much materi-al, much of which is complex. Don’toverload people with too much detail.Sadly, some preachers have a tendencyto wordiness and sanctimony. Both ten-dencies should be curbed.

More and more I have discoveredin preaching that you must make clearpoints so people are actually anticipat-ing the next point. You should enablethem to clearly follow you. You shouldwhet their appetites for the next point.You need to provide very clear transi-tions in your sermon and not just jumpfrom idea to idea.

Use Good Voice InflectionYour voice is your tool for speaking andcommunicating. Learn to improve itand use it correctly. Don’t speak in amonotone or without inflection.Change your speed and learn to pause.Learn to speak out loudly when youneed to. It’s not loudness but intensitythat’s important.

Be AnimatedThis is especially important with chil-dren. Walk around, use facial expres-sions, use your hands and legs; in fact,use your whole body. Smiling is veryimportant. Be alive! Only dead peopledon’t move, and you’re not dead yet.Remember, you’re not preaching forundertakers but for living people.

Use HumorHumor is a great tool from God. but benatural. Don’t try to be funny, yet usehumor when appropriate. Remember,you are using this tool to communicateGod’s truth. Preaching is serious business, so don’t let humor get out of control.

Be PassionateShow some passion and interest in yoursubject. Don’t leave the impression thatit’s killing you to teach God’s Word. Assomeone once said, “Don’t look as ifyou were baptized in lemon juice orweaned on a dill pickle.” Be interestedin your subject and show excitement.You need energy. You should exhaustyourself in your teaching. BillyGraham’s physician told him that onesermon delivered with passion uses upthe emotional and physical energy ofan eight- hour job.

Speak with AuthorityPaul tells both Timothy and Titus toteach with authority (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2Tim. 4:1-2; Titus 2:1, 6-7, 15). It isGod’s Word we’re teaching, and whenwe are correctly communicating HisWord, we have His authority behindus. Think of yourself as a great ambas-sador delivering the message from theKing of Kings. If you don’t know some-thing, say “I don’t know!” There isnothing wrong with that. But when you

are convinced of the truth of the Word,speak with authority (1 Pet. 4:11).

Use Visual AidsI include under this heading hand-outs, outlines, power point presenta-tions, overhead projecturals, etc.People learn through both the ear andthe eye. Don’t be afraid of using propsor visual illustrations. It is even appro-priate to have someone join you torole play to make a point.

Control Your Material and Your TimeMany teachers and preachers fail atcontrolling their material. They get toPoint 1 on the outline, and they givetoo much time to it. Then they haveno time left for their conclusion ortheir big point. Even great teachersmake a mistake here. They spend toomuch time on some illustration orpoint and run their time out for thebig point of the sermon. We need toask ourselves before we start, “Whereis the heart of my message?” And thenwe need to make sure we get there.Here’s what I do. I write five minutemarkers indicating where I need to beat each stage of the sermon. I makesure there is always plenty of time formy big “cannon shot” and for myapplication.

And they fail to control theirtime. Many preachers do not realizethat when they are speaking, timegoes faster for them than for their lis-teners. So learn to move throughpoints quickly. Force yourself to iden-tify where you should spend the mostamount of time in your message.When I look a message over I lay thewhole thing out on a table before me,and I tell myself, “Move over thesepoints quickly and don’t get boggeddown. Here is where I want to spendmost of my time.”

Conclusion and ResponseThe conclusion is what I call “landingthe plane.” Some people are great atgetting the plane off the ground intothe air, but they can’t land it. If youcan’t land the plane, you crash. Manysermons crash because the preacherdoesn’t know how to land it, so herepeats himself three or four times,circling the runway and never deliver-ing his payload. Make sure you knowhow you’re going to conclude yourmessage. Then, try to have time forthe audience to respond in a momentof silent reflection. �

i Alex Strauch, “Developing a Strategy forBiblical Education in the Church,” Journey 6(Fall, 2008): 6-21.

ii John R. W. Stott, Between Two Worlds: TheArt of Preaching in the Twentieth Century(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 180-210.

iii Stott, Between Two Worlds, 180.iv C. H. Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry:Addresses to Ministers and Students (1900;reprint ed., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth,1960), 236.

v P. T. Forsyth, Positive Preaching and the ModernMind (1907; reprint ed., London:Independent Press, 1964), 26.

vi Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives(Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 1987), 13-14.



Alex StrauchAlex Strauch is the author of Biblical Eldership,The New Testament Deacon, and A ChristianLeader’s Guide to Leading With Love. He serves asan elder at Littleton Bible Chapel in Littleton,Colorado where he resides with his wife, Marilyn.

Faculty member Dave MacLeod leads us in a public forum todiscuss issues pertinent to contemporary Christian life. Lastissue he asked the following question:

Dr.MacLeod

AsksTHIS ISSUE’S QUESTION:How can we more effectively contribute to the improvement in the moral standards in our community? To denounce “wickedness in high places,” as some do, is easy but makes no impact where impact is needed. To set a good example in our own lives is essential, but is it sufficient? What further suggestions can readers make?



Journey | D r . M a c L e o d A s k s

NEXT ISSUE’S QUESTION:Many assembly elders have expressed concern over the attitude of their young people to the Lord’s Supper. The elders observe that many

of their remembrance meetings lack the qualities of edifying worship and spontaneousenthusiasm. They remember days in thepast when the meeting was vital, joyful,spiritual, and filled with worship. Do youfind this to be true? What can be doneto revitalize our meetings?

Please send responses to Journey Magazine,Emmaus Bible College, 2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001, or e-mail to [email protected]. Include name, city, state, and daytime phone number.Letters may be edited to yield brevityand clarity.

Steven Ritland responds:

Perhaps the most important reason why moral standards are low is that so many people are unbelievers. The impact of modern media (films, TV, and coarse musical tastes) have had a tremendous impact on born againChristians as well as those who are unregenerate.

My suggestion is that not only do we need to be more aggressive in evangelism, but that we need to be morediligent in prayer and fasting, more serious about our devotedness to the Lord, more consecrated to His will, moredependent upon the Holy Spirit, more conscientious about abiding in Christ, the true vine. Without these thingsthere will be no fruit. In short, the problem is that unbelievers are worldly, but too many believers are worldly also.There is a need for believers to be consciously pursuing a sanctified life.

The stories of revival should motivate us. Wesley’s preaching literally changed Britain. The slave trade, violencein sports, coarseness and lewdness of behavior, public drunkenness and swearing disappeared because of the gospelpreaching of that man and his fellow Methodist, George Whitfield. A humorous, but powerful, illustration comesout of the Welsh revival of the early 1900s. It is said that miners who had been converted were puzzled that theirhorses no longer obeyed their commands. Then they realized that the poor animals did not understand the minersbecause they were no longer swearing at them.

So let’s repent of our worldliness and lack of evangelistic zeal. Let’s earnestly seek the face of the Lord in prayer.And let us boldly share the gospel with family, friends, co-workers, fellow student, and neighbors who will go to hellif they do not place their faith in the Savior.

Steven RitlandRochester, MN

�Subscriptions to Journey Magazine are sent free of charge to addresses in the United States and Canada, as well asto those serving the Lord full-time overseas. Emmaus incurs an average cost of $10 per yearly subscription. Please considermaking an investment towards this ministry of Emmaus by enclosing your contribution along with this form.

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Please help us update our mailing list! If you moved this year or have changed your mailing address in any way, please fill outthis form, detach it from the page and return it to: Emmaus Bible College, Journey Magazine, 2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA,52001. Thank you for helping us keep our mailing list current.

that the sun and moon stand still, recognizes one of so many Old andNew Testament miracles our God performed that defy the wisdom andunderstanding of man. God’scovenants with the nation Israel andwith the church at the time of Christand thereafter reveal His awesomesupernatural power that transcendsthe natural world. Franklin’s world,however, was transforming into a newera, based on the “new science” of the16th and 17th centuries. IsaacNewton’s theories on the nature ofgravity and laws of motion had revo-lutionized the manner in which scien-tists viewed the universe. Newton,who was a Christian, believed thestudy of mathematics held the key tounderstanding all of nature and led tothe increasing importance of empiri-cal data and observation.

Science as it is...Science, then, through careful

observation and collection of factualinformation, became the method ofinterpreting all of life. Scientificknowledge revealed nature only forwhat it was and nothing more.Hence, theological and spiritual truthcould not determine the principlesthat governed the natural world —that is, the amazingly complex systemof naturally occurring and perfectlyrepeating laws and recognizableprocesses around which all of liferevolved. Religion and faith exist andremain outside the natural order. Andsimilarly, science could not determineany aspect of divine reason and pur-pose in the faith life of an individual,gained spiritually — for science must deal with empirical truth alone.

Many attempts since that timehave been made to reconcile science

and religion. In the 17th centuryBlaise Pascal would seek to explainthe essence of religion as a “leap offaith,” a step away from empirical science, when an individual would putfull confidence and trust in divinegrace. What all later attempts wouldshow is that the natural world is aclosed system wherein all of life’sintricate details can be explored andcatalogued according to the principlesof rational thought and strict observ-able data. But faith in a supernaturalGod suggests truth and understandingin a system that is not closed.

Some Christians would face aninteresting dilemma as sciencebecame a greater part of man’s under-standing of the world and realityaround him: if God had created thenatural world with natural laws thatoperated perfectly, and perfectly estab-lished the order in the universe, withrational explanations for all systems,would He, if petitioned in prayer,change these natural laws to effect themiraculous? Would God change thewhole natural system to answer abeliever’s prayer? The thinking wasthat God would not invalidate thesystem He created; in fact, He wouldalways function within the system,not contradicting the mechanisms ofHis own creation. The prevailingphilosophy of the age, deism, suggest-ed that God had created the worldand all its wonders — and then“stepped out of the way” to leave thesuperintendence of everything toman. Therefore, if God has “steppedout,” would He then have to “stepback in” to answer prayer in a super-natural way?

When Joshua asked God for amiracle, when we ask God for a mira-cle, are we hoping for something thatshould not and could not happen — if God is true to His own creation?

Emphatically no! As believers, weknow that, though we have a Godwho works in time and space (in theclosed system which He created thathad a clear beginning and has an endknown only to Him), our sovereignGod exists outside of that continuum-and He enters into our reality accord-ing to His sovereign will — apart fromour finite understanding. And yet, ifwe are speeding downhill on skis,traveling more than 40 miles per hour,our bodies are going to be subject tothe same laws that Newton first theo-rized centuries ago. When we pray forprotection while skiing, are we pray-ing that God will work outside of Hisnatural laws, thereby protecting uswhen we catch an edge and prevent-ing our bodies from traveling like mis-siles as all other objects do when soset in motion?

Thomas Jefferson, one of ourFounding Fathers who was profoundlyimpacted by the age of reason andrational thought, decided to removefrom his Bible all the miracles Jesusperformed. He wanted to know God by his reason, without the supernatural elements that could notbe validated by empirical science.The Jefferson Bible is still on saletoday in bookstores.

Faith as it is...But as believers we don’t know

Him solely through the revelation ofscience. We know Him because Hehas made Himself known as the Godof the natural and the supernatural.“For since the creation of the worldHis invisible attributes, His eternalpower and divine nature, have beenclearly seen, being understoodthrough what has been made,... ”(Romans 1:20, NASB). He is theGod “who gives life to the dead and



TheMiracleofFaithJourney | A Wo r d A l o n g t h e Wa y

Chris Lange

As the widely-circulated storygoes, Benjamin Franklin wasattending a lavish Paris ban-

quet along with the British ambassa-dor and the French minister. The fullcompany included many of the mostbrilliant and intellectual men andwomen of the day who surrounded theextravagant court of Louis XVI.During the evening the diplomatswere asked to toast their native land.The British ambassador remarked, “To

England! — the Sun, whose warmbeneficent rays encourage the growthand industry and assist in the expan-sion of labor in every form throughoutthe world!” The French minister’sresponse was, “To France! — theMoon, whose soft glow encourages theflowering of literature and the mel-lowing of the arts!” Many in theaudience were wondering how thesagacious Franklin would find some-thing to claim for the United States.

Franklin, without hesitation, claimed“To the United States! — the Joshuaat whose command the sun and themoon stand still!” I would love tohave been there at that moment!What a remarkable political coup forFranklin in those heady days ofAmerican independence.

Apart from Franklin’s intent thatAmerica’s prominent place in worldpolitics was imminent, his referenceto Joshua’s prayer to God (10: 12-14)

Gustav Dore, public dom

ain

calls into being that which does notexist” (Romans 4:17b).

What does this mean for me as ateacher? What would I want thoseunder my care in the church to know?I want them to know — in the sameway that I want to know — that wemust have absolute confidence inGod. We must have absolute trust inHim no matter what the rationalworldview of today insinuates aboutour faith. His plan for us is always ademonstration of His loving goodnessand mercy, regardless of our pain andsuffering or of our disillusionmentwith earthly events. Our humannessrejects suffering, loss, and pain. Wedo not want to encounter ill-timedand tragic circumstances. Most of uswant calm, peaceful, healthy, andcarefree lifestyles with no emotionaland psychological disturbances. WhatGod causes in our lives, however, isfor His glory.

When Joshua asked God for a miracle, whenwe ask God for a miracle,

are we hoping for something that should notand could not happen —

if God is true to His own creation? Emphatically no!

Truth as it is...Those who live by faith must

hold fast to this truth, regardless ofwhat He does in and through us. Thisis not blind, mindless acceptance or

hopeless resignation. It is our place inHis eternal plan for us, and embracingthis truth brings the joy and hope andpeace that center us in Him. Myfiniteness is evident to me every day,and my understanding of God’s over-arching will is tentative at best. Iwish I could say with certainty that Iknow why God does what He does inthe situations that arise in my lifewith those I know and love. Thefamiliar verses in Isaiah 55 remind meof my frailty: “ ‘For My thoughts arenot your thoughts, nor are your waysMy ways,’ “ declares the LORD. ‘Foras the heavens are higher than theearth, so are My ways higher thanyour ways and My thoughts than yourthoughts’ “ (vv. 8-9).

The Bible tells me that Godcounts and names the stars. It alsotells me that Jesus Christ is Lord ofthe wind and the wave. I know fromScripture that my frame was not hid-den from God when I was skillfullymade in secret, when He saw myunformed substance and my days werewritten in the Book of Life before Ibreathed my first breath. I know thatwhatever this world deals out to me,no one and nothing can snatch meout of Jesus’ loving hands. Jesus hastold us all that where He is, there wewill be when God sums up all of timein His Son. Will my heavenly Fatherwork miracles in my life (apart fromthe miracle of my own salvation)?Will He work them in your life? It isnot a question of “would He?” or “willHe?” but “can He?” — and yes, Heworks all things after the counsel ofHis own will. Maybe the sun and themoon will “stop” for you and for me inour days yet to come. If not, we must have deep, enduring faith in the One who will never leave us orforsake us. �

Journey | A Wo r d A l o n g t h e Wa y


Journey | m a g a z i n eJourney | O n t h e R o a d

Emmaus On the RoadName Location/Events City/State Dates

Ken Northwest Bible Chapel Chicago, IL April 19, 26Daughters Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24

Koronis Bible Camp Paynesville, MN July 20 – 26

Jack Fish Woodside Chapel Maywood, IL Apr 19, 26Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24 Woodside Chapel Fanwood, NJ June 14

Ken Fleming Bayside Community Church Tampa, FL Apr 12Conference Logansport, IN Apr 18, 19Hokah Christian Church Hokah, MN May 3Conference Quebec City, QC May 16, 17Missionary Orientation Program Greenwood Hills, PA June 13 – 19 Bayside Community Church Tampa, FL June 28

Dave Glock Asbury Community Chapel Dubuque, IA Apr 12, 26 May 3, 10, 17

Oak Ridge Bible Chapel Milan, IL Apr 17 – 19 Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24Warrenville Bible Chapel Warrenville, IL May 31

June 7, 14Des Moines Gospel Chapel Des Moines, WA June 22Lakeside Bible Camp Clinton, WA June 22 – 26 Koronis Bible Camp Paynesville, MN July 20 – 26

Jon Glock Bible Truth Chapel Wausau, WI Apr 17 – 19 Iowa Bible Camp Manson, IA June 21 – 26 Horton Haven Bible Camp Chapel Hill, TN July 12 – 17Des Moines Gospel Chapel Des Moines, WA July 19Lakeside Bible Camp Clinton, WA July 19 – 25

Joel Missionary Orientation Program Greenwood Hills, PA June 13 – 19Hernandez


Chris LangeChris Lange teaches history, english composition andliterature at Emmaus where he has served on the faculty since 2000. Chris and his wife Nancy havefour grown children and are enjoying their twograndsons.

Journey | O n t h e R o a d

Emmaus On the RoadName Location/Events City/State Dates

John Jimo Warrenville Bible Chapel Warrenville, IL Apr 12Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel Dubuque, IA May 17, 24Iron Sharpen Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24Mountain Top Youth Camp Pinnacle, NC June 14 – 20Woodside Bible Chapel Maywood, IL July 12, 19Bair Lake Bible Camp Jones, MI July 12 – 18

Ben Mathew Warrenville Bible Chapel Warrenville, IL Apr 19, 26Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel Dubuque, IA May 3, 10Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24 Sandy Creek Bible Camp Washington, TX June 7 – 12Oak Lawn Bible Chapel Oak Lawn, IL June 21, 28

David MacLeod Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel Dubuque, IA April 12, 19, 26Oak Lawn Bible Chapel Oak Lawn, IL May 3, 10, 17, 31Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21

Dan Smith First Colony Bible Chapel Sugarland, TX Apr 19Sandy Creek Bible Camp Washington, TX Apr 20 – 24 Park Manor Bible Chapel Elgin, IL Apr 26, May 3Warrenville Bible Chapel Warrenville, IL May 17Oak Lawn Bible Chapel Oak Lawn, IL June 14

Mark Stevenson Iron Sharpens Iron Conference Dubuque, IA May 21 – 24Park Manor Bible Chapel Elgin, IL July 19, 26

Steve Witter Bible Truth Chapel Wausau, WI Apr 17 – 19 Southern California

Men’s Conference, Verdugo Pines Wrightwood, CA May 1 – 3 Horton Haven Christian Camp Chapel Hill, TN June 7 – 12 IFCA National Convention Kalamazoo, MI June 22 – 26

If you would like more information about having faculty speak at your assembly, retreat, conference or camp please call 1-800-397-BIBLE or e-mail [email protected].


From the Emmaus BibleCollege Alumni CommitteeWe would like to extend a heartfelt“thank you” to the individuals/coupleswho donated to the AlumniChristmas Gift for 2008. With 129gifts, we were able to raise $13,007towards the purchase of a new snow-plow/maintenance pickup truck. Onceagain the Lord has chosen to blessEmmaus through our faithful and gen-erous alumni! The search will beginsoon for a truck that will meet theseimmediate needs of the College.Thank you as well to all those whoprayed with us for these needs to bemet. We look forward to another great year of service in 2009!

Christian Ministries SeminarEmmaus was pleased to host its annualChristian Ministry Seminars onFebruary 8-10, 2009. Our plenaryspeaker, Phil Parsons from ChristianMissions in Many Lands, broughtencouragement and insight to our

students on the need to hear and livethe commands of our Lord. Over 80people from 40+ ministries were oncampus to expose our students to themany opportunities in camp, missionsand para-church ministries. It was awonderful time of encouragement andfellowship, and a time where manystudents make decisions about theirministry for both short and long term.

Strategic Long Range Plan In ProcessThe time has come in the cycle ofinstitutional life for the college tocraft a new strategic long range plan.The process will result in a plan docu-ment that will articulate the directionthe college is going over the next 3years, and specific initiatives thatneed to be accomplished. As the planis developed, input is being sought bya variety of stakeholders in the col-lege, such as board members, adminis-tration, faculty, staff, and students.Data gathered from InstitutionalAssessment is also used in the plan-ning and decision making process. Weare working with a consultant fromthe Chicagoland area to help us withthis project. Please pray with and forus as we seek the Lord’s direction andwill for the future.

Iron Sharpens Iron 2009 Emmaus Bible College will host theninth annual Iron Sharpens Iron lead-ership conference to be held at theCollege on May 21 - 24, 2009. Eachyear approximately 300 leaders fromacross North America gather togetherfor teaching, interacting and for stim-ulating opportunities for growth anddevelopment in Church life. Thetheme for ISI 2009 is Truth Under Fire- Doctrinal Confusion in the Church.We are excited to welcome Dr.Norman Geisler, Alex Strauch, MarkStevenson, and Dr. David MacLeod asour plenary speakers, as well as severalseminar speakers from across NorthAmerica. Register online or findmore information atwww.emmaus.edu, or by contacting Angie Hubbard ([email protected]). Spanish translation is available.

News fromEmmaus



Emmaus Bible CollegeNamed to PresidentialHonor Roll for Community Service The Corporation for National andCommunity Service honored EmmausBible College with a place on thePresident’s Higher EducationCommunity Service Honor Roll forexemplary service efforts and service toAmerica’s communities.

Launched in 2006, theCommunity Service Honor Roll is thehighest federal recognition a school canachieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.Honorees for the award were chosenbased on a series of selection factorsincluding scope and innovation of serv-ice projects, percentage of student par-ticipation in service activities, incen-tives for service, and the extent towhich the school offers academic serv-ice-learning courses.

Emmaus Bible College has workedto serve the Dubuque com munity foralmost 25 years. During the Annual

Service Day in September, students,faculty, and staff work together on proj-ects for area organizations, includingthe YMCA, Dubuque Park andRecreation Department, Sisters of thePresentation, Dubuque Arboretum,Dubuque Community School District,Oakcrest Nursing Home in Dyersville,IA, and Tri-State Christian School inGalena, IL. They also assist privatebusiness and property owners with vari-ous outdoor projects. As part of theService Learning component of everyacademic program at the college,Emmaus students provide approximate-ly 13,000 hours of service each year to local churches,ministries, schools, and other non-prof-it organizations in the Dubuque area.

“In this time of economic distress,we need volunteers more than ever.College students represent an enormouspool of idealism and energy to helptackle some of our toughest challenges,”said Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair ofthe Board of Directors of theCorporation for National andCommunity Service, which overseesthe Honor Roll. “We salute EmmausBible College for making communityservice a campus priority, and thank themillions of college students who arehelping to renew America throughservice to others.”

Overall, the Corporation honoredsix schools with Presidential Awards. Inaddition, 83 were named as Honor Rollwith Distinction members and 546schools as Honor Roll members. Intotal, 635 schools were recognized. Afull list is available atwww.nationalservice.gov/honorroll.

Please Pray for Our FinancesThe recession has hurt Emmaus significantly in three ways. First, ourstudents are finding it more difficultto afford college education. A surprising number of newly acceptedstudents were not able to come thisyear due to finances, and our existingstudents are in need of more financialaid. Second, our donors have alsobeen hurt by the economy and arehaving a hard time keeping pace withour needs. Through the fall giftincome from individuals was trackingat only 45% of normal. Third, ourinvestments, though relatively small,have gone the way of the stock mar-ket. The losses from these three equal20% of our budget. We have cut 10%from our already frugal budget, but tohave to cut another 10% would besevere. Please pray with us that theLord will provide so that these cutswill not be necessary. There is goodnews, too. Donations duringDecember exceeded our expectations,and applications for fall enrollmentare tracking ahead of schedule.

News fromEmmaus

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