Preaching Christ in All of Scripture [Paperback]

Edmund P. Clowney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2003

Voicing one theme for the entire Bible and structuring allsermons around that idea may seem to be an impossible challenge.For veteran pastor and preaching professor Edmund Clowney it willnot do to preach a text from either the Old or New Testamentswithout fully preaching its ultimate and primary focus-the personand work of Jesus Christ. He writes, "To see the text in relationto Christ is to see it in its larger context, the context of God'spurpose in revelation."

Clowney's rationale for emphasizing Christ's presence in the OldTestament rests on the purpose of the Hebrew Scripture. The OldTestament follows God's one great plan for human history andredemption, and the plan is not only from him but centers on him:his presence in his incarnate Son. The witness of the Scriptures toChrist is the reason they were written, so it is appropriate toemphasize this element in the Old Testament as well as in the NewTestament.

By offering numerous full-length examples of his own sermonsthat emphasize Christ as the principle theme of Scripture, Clowneyillustrates for those who will never have the privilege of beinghis students how they can craft sermons which present Christ as theprimary consideration of the text. He also offers specificinstructions on preparing such a sermon. He discusses the personalhabits of prayer and Bible study that prepare pastors to seek outChrist's presence.

Clowney emphasizes the importance of including a specificapplication in every sermon so that Christ is presented both inwhat he says and does to reveal himself in the biblical text and inwhat he says and does to direct Christians' lives today.

Students preparing for the pastorate, pastors desiring toincrease their emphasis on Christ in their sermons, and thoseseeking Christ's presence in all of Scripture will find a help inClowney's writings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Edmund Clowney is this generation's patriarch of redemptive-historical preaching. For decades he was the voice crying in the wilderness to encourage evangelical preachers to make Christ the focus of all their messages, since he is the aim of all the Scriptures. Now, many others have joined Clowney's gospel chorus, but none with greater mastery than he of the harmonies that weave the symphony of grace throughout the Bible. As Clowney shares with us the jewels of his research, message, and heart, we discern ever more clearly how to make the Pearl of Great Price shine through all the treasures of Scripture." --Dr. Bryan Chapell President and Professor of Practical Theology Covenant Seminary "Edmund Clowney has given a wonderful gift to the church in general and to preachers in particular. Preaching Christ in All of Scripture is the kind of book that isn’t just about preaching. It's about Christ and the call on all believers to see him and his glory in all of God's Word. Preachers can rejoice and profit from the practical and profound teaching, and all believers can rejoice in the awesome reality of Jesus as Lord." --Dr. Stephen W. Brown Professor of Preaching Reformed Theological Seminary Here is instruction from a master Bible teacher on how to preach God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered sermons. Edmund Clowney's classes at Westminster Seminary transformed my understanding of how the whole Bible fits together, and I expect this book will do the same for all who read it. --Wayne Grudem Research Professor of Bible and Theology Phoenix Seminary "Ed Clowney taught me how to preach the gospel to postmodern people. To anyone who wants to learn how to do so as well, these sermons are priceless." --Rev. Tim Keller Senior Pastor Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

"Edmund Clowney is this generation's patriarch of redemptive-historical preaching. For decades he was the voice crying in the wilderness to encourage evangelical preachers to make Christ the focus of all their messages, since he is the aim of all the Scriptures. Now, many others have joined Clowney's gospel chorus, but none with greater mastery than he of the harmonies that weave the symphony of grace throughout the Bible. As Clowney shares with us the jewels of his research, message, and heart, we discern ever more clearly how to make the Pearl of Great Price shine through all the treasures of Scripture."
—Bryan Chapell, President, Covenant Theological Seminary

"Edmund Clowney has given a wonderful gift to the church in general and to preachers in particular. Preaching Christ in All of Scripture is the kind of book that isn't just about preaching. It's about Christ and the call on all believers to see him and his glory in all of God's Word. Preachers can rejoice and profit from the practical and profound teaching, and all believers can rejoice in the awesome reality of Jesus as Lord."
—Stephen W. Brown, Professor of Preaching, Reformed Theological Seminary

"Here is instruction from a master Bible teacher on how to preach God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered sermons. Edmund Clowney's classes at Westminster Seminary transformed my understanding of how the whole Bible fits together, and I expect this book will do the same for all who read it."
—Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Bible and Theology, Phoenix Seminary

"Ed Clowney taught me how to preach the gospel to postmodern people. To anyone who wants to learn how to do so as well, these sermons are priceless."
—Timothy Keller, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (June 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158134452X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581344523
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How To Preach Sermons Leading You to Worship Jesus, January 14, 2012

By 

David P. Craig "Life Coach 4 God" (Tustin, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Preaching Christ in All of Scripture (Paperback)

I was trained in an Evangelical University and Seminary where I had an excellent Biblical education and training in Systematic Theology. After being a preaching pastor for about five years I realized that the best preachers I was admiring had been trained in Biblical Theology and so I enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry preaching program at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California.

I vividly remember one of my professors talking about how the story of David and Goliath wasn't just about "David and Goliath" but pointed to the greater David - Jesus. It's taken me years to learn how to preach Christ and not just moralistic sermons. However, one of the masters of preaching Christ from all of the Bible is Edmund P. Clowney. As a matter of fact a lot of preachers today are excited about the teaching ministry of Tim Keller in New York - who really learned most of what he knows (that's what he will tell you) from the author of the sermons of this book - Dr. Edmund Clowney.

One of the first things I learned about at WTS was Redemptive Historical Preaching - which essentially follows the "big story line" of the Bible with an eye on Jesus and His Person and redemptive work in history. In my opinion, what Clowney does teaches and models in this book is the greatest need of the 21st century - getting back to preaching Christ from all of Scripture.
If you are a pastor who like me - has had trouble with "getting to Christ" from the passage - especially in the Old Testament - you will find some great examples of how to do this from the various genres in the Old and New Testaments from a brilliant and humble preacher who knew the Bible and the "big story" well.

Edmund Clowney's book is an outstanding contribution in helping preachers do what the prophets and the apostles did - preach Christ. Clowney begins with a chapter demonstrating how all of the Scriptures point to Christ - and he makes a wonderful case for this reality. In the second chapter he gives his methodology for "preparing a sermon that presents Christ."
The remaining chapters are sample sermons from different genres in the Old and New Testaments showing the application of the principles articulated in the first two chapters.

The sermons are as follows:

"Sharing the Father's Welcome" based on Luke 15:11-32

"See What It Costs" based on Genesis 22:1-19

"When God Came Down" based on Genesis 28:10-22

"The Champion's Strange Victory" based on Genesis 32

"Can God Be Among Us?" based on Exodus 34:1-9

"Meet the Captain" based on Joshua 5:13-15

"Surprised by Devotion" based on 2 Samuel 23:13-17

"The Lord of the Manger"

"Jesus Preaches Liberty" based on Luke 4:16-22

"The Cry of the God-Forsaken Savior" based on Psalm 22:1

"Our International Anthem" based on Psalm 936:3

"Jesus Christ and the Lostness of Man"

"Hearing Is Believing: The Lord of the Word"

As of the writing of this review you can still hear Edmund P. Clowney and Tim Keller co- teach a class for free on i-tunes called "Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World." It has 37 lectures and question and answers sessions from RTS and covers the full gamut of issues related to Christ-centered preaching. I highly recommend that you download this course and listen to it until you get it. It will make a huge difference in your teaching and preaching - and you will see real life change in yourself and your hearers as a result.

If you are a preacher, or teacher of the Bible you will definitely benefit from this book. More importantly, I hope that you will be influenced and impacted by this book so that your sermons and Bible lessons will be filled with Christ, lead to Christ, and bring glory to Christ in a way that articulates with passion and excitement - the greatest story ever told. I have been blessed in my own worship of Christ, understanding of Christo-centric preaching, and have become a better preacher and teacher as a result - going from teaching moralistically to Biblically and thus leading others to worship Christ the Lord.

12 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good book: not much new, August 15, 2007

By 

Joshua D. Jones (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Preaching Christ in All of Scripture (Paperback)

Having learned alot from the likes of Goldsworthy, Tim Keller and Chapel, I thoughtt hat I would greatly enjoy this book. But, if you've been introduced to the idea of the gospel being your interpreing hermenutic when approaching scripture and Jesus being the centre peice of the Bible, then I must say, there is nothing new here. I agree with what he says, I just felt like there was not much new here if you've read other books ont he same subject.
Most of the books are merely sermon transcripts, which, thought hey may be good sermons, were not what I expected out of the book. For those looking for transcipts of good sermons, this is a good book.