As one called to preach, I appreciate your words. My own experience, and the lessons Christ has taught as I’ve struggled to learn how to rightly proclaim the Good News affirms your insights.

If I might, I’d add a few thoughts that seem particularly relevant.

1. Remember from whence we come. Most of us being drawn to the central themes of Christ, grace and the gospel come via a long experience in the broader evangelical church. The preaching in that branch of the Church, as you note, does seem to be dominated by the therapeutic model (just watch cable any Sunday morning for about 15 minutes – the best of the therapeutic preachers rule the airwaves).

Yet this is not the whole story. Preaching in the broader Evangelical church has only recently become dominated by the therapeutic model (last 2 decades or so). Prior to that (since at least the early 20th century), the preaching model was doctrinal. However, this model was deficient. Probably as a result of the damage from higher criticism, the unity of the interpretive method used in the Church fragmented. With reference to the preaching model, this resulted (IMHO) in preaching doctrine that stopped short of the gospel.

That is, a sermon would do well at explaining a particular doctrine, but stopped short of tying it back into the gospel. This results in a tragic failure of right (and therefore effective) application. Rather than being able to explain to the congregation how the particular doctrine is applicable through Christ-crucified, grace-Spirit-applied, the sermon ended at a point where the only hope of application was pragmatic (rooted in self-effort).

The gospel became only “cheerleading” slogans that were shouted, in hopes that the louder they were exclaimed the better the chances were that the hearer would believe in them. Meanwhile people heard all sorts of doctrinally rooted explanations, “do this, don’t do that.” Without intending it, LAW became dominant in the doctrinal expositions, and grace became miniscule.

Thus God’s people began to complain (more than usual) about the dry and stale spiritual food they were forcing down every Sunday. Crying for tastier food, for more understandable and realistic (i.e., read “worldly) application, the therapeutic model came into its own.

Admittedly this is a broad brush explanation, but I think the basic points are on target.

The solution to this problem is not simply returning to the dry doctrinal preaching of an earlier generation, but renewing the full, rich, even spicey doctrinal preaching of the Church that knows that the main course is always the gospel.

Practically speaking, at least for me this has meant following the same paradigm in every sermon. It matters not what text I am preaching from, as the NT is THE fullfilment and therefore THE interpretation of the OT. Its all about God’s people today and Christ today. I’ve found that these three touchstones help me keep focused on the gospel applied in any passage:

1. How does the particular passage explain the complete lostness, the desperate neediness of God’s people to satisfy the Law-aspect presented in the passage? I.e., I must tell God’s people how bad (particularly and/or comprehensively) the bad news is.

2. How is the need of the particular passage completely and fully satisfied by Christ? I.e., I must tell God’s people the good news of what their Savior has done to satisfy the Law’s demand in view.

3. How does the Spirit apply the benefits of redemption to the particular need of the passage? I.e., I must tell God’s people how (application) to express their faith in the sufficiency of Christ for this need.

This is a comprehensive paradigm as it explains and applies the gospel from two different and necessary angles: 1) for the uncoverted it expresses the fundamental need for salvation, even when growing out of the relatively parcticular circumstances of the passage. 2) for the converted it expresses the need for ongoing growth in salvation, and expressly in the particual emphasis of the passage.

Thus God’s sheep are fed a “well balanced” and biblically nutritous meal. It is doctrinally rooted, and it is personally applicable; both in a manner that exalts Christ and presents Him as the ONLY food his people need.

Admittedly this paradigm is the ideal pattern. As one still struggling with my mortal weaknesses, I am more or less consistent with this paradigm in my sermons. Yet, as with all God’s redemptive benefits, this is one I can confidently claim by faith, and see the Spirit grow me in.

I wish I had more time to focus my thoughts and clarify them, but I don’t. Hopefully the Spirit will “vet” my comments and make them beneficial to the conversation you have going here.

Thanks again for your work in gathering and reflecting on these resources.

Rev. Reed DePace
PCA, Elkton MD