I’m currently reading through Steven Lawson’s short little book entitled The Expository Genuius of John Calvin. Here are some recent quotes and observations I thought were worth sharing. First, from Calvin himself:
Wherever the gospel is preached, it is as if God Himself came into the midst of us.
Let the pastors boldly declare all things by the Word of God, of which they are constituted administrators. Let them constrain all the power, glory, and excellence of the world to give place to and to obey the divine majesty of this Word. Let them enjoin everyone by it, from the highest to the lowest. Let them edify the body of Christ. Let them devastate Satan’s reign. Let them pasture the sheep, kill the wolves, instruct and exhort the rebellious. Let them bind and loose, thunder and lightning, if necessary, but let them do all according to the Word of God.
God begets and multiplies His church only by means of His Word. … It is by the preaching of the grace of God alone that the church is kept from perishing.
At the end of this particular chapter, Lawson summarizes by asking:
Where are such men of God today? Where are the preachers like Calvin, who will preach the Word with unwavering commitment? Where are the pastors who believe that God is uniquely with them as they mount their pulpits for the exposition of His Word? Where are the shepherds who have prioritized the preaching of the Word in public worship? Where are the expositors who will preach entire books of the Bible consecutively month after month and year after year? … May God raise up a new generation of expositors who are equipped and empowered to proclaim His Word.
If you are a minister of the Word of God, I hope you will take these words to heart. Pick up a copy of the book for yourself and be transformed by the historical example of Calvin’s pulpit ministry. If you are a layperson, consider perhaps picking up a copy for your pastor. And make the last statement of Lawson a matter of prayer. In a time in which congregations are fed steady diets of liberalized poison and/or popularized junk food, there is a great need for a healthy diet of God’s Holy Word.
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