In late March, Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School welcomed Vaughan Roberts, rector of St. Ebbe’s Church in Oxford, for its annual William E. Conger Biblical Preaching Lectures.
Preaching in chapel and delivering two lectures, as well as a lunch conversation with guests, Roberts encouraged attendees to remember what they have in Christ, and to preach with authority as well as momentum.
In his chapel sermon, Roberts said there are three words that sum up the Christian life, preaching from Hebrews 10:1-25: persecution, perfection and perseverance.
Christians feel pressure, and in some cases, persecution, from the world around them, Roberts said, but should take comfort from the perfection of Christ and what they have in Him: a perfect priest, a perfect cleansing from sin, and perfect access to God. Because of that, Christians ought to persevere in their faith.
“May these truths always thrill us,” Roberts said. “That we are friends of God. That we can enter the most holy place. We don’t swerve to fit in and be acceptable.”
Roberts centered his first lecture on the need for the Word of God to be central to the pastor’s task of preaching, while the second focused on the method of delivery.
Preachers must not go first to the world, believing they have something to offer, Roberts said, but first to the Word of God.
“It’s not my authority. It’s the authority that comes from the Word of God,” Roberts said.
Preaching is hard work and is often used as a pejorative in this day and age, Roberts said. As such, preachers must be convinced that what they preach is the “living and active” Word of God, he said.
While preaching is not the only ministry of the Word the church needs, it remains “hugely important,” Roberts said.
Good preaching also allows the Bible to set the agenda, he said.
For preachers, the aim must be to “find the punch,” Roberts said.
“If you can’t preach it to me in two sentences, I don’t think you’ve understood what you just said,” Roberts said. “Look for the punch, the thrust.”
In his second lecture, Roberts shared some of his process for developing a sermon. The Word of God has momentum, and the role of the preacher is not to explain static truths, but to facilitate the Word’s momentum, he said.
There are seven “m’s” of momentum, Roberts said:
- Meat -- What's in the Text?
- Motive -- What's the Issue?
- Message -- What's the Thrust?
- Mood -- What's the Vibe?
- Messiah – Where is Christ/the Gospel?
- Monday -- How does it Apply?
- Method -- How Should I Present It?
Preachers ought to work out the thrust of the passage, answering these questions as they seek the best way to preach their chosen text in their respective contexts, Roberts said.