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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Call to the Gospel, May 3, 2007
This review is from: Preaching the Cross (Together for the Gospel) (Hardcover)
You may experience a sense of deja vu when reading Preaching the Cross since this book is the product of last year's Together for the Gospel conference. Several thousand men were in attendance and many have since read summaries of the sessions or have listened to the audio recordings. While the chapters are not mere transcriptions of the messages delivered at the conference, they are, as we would expect, very similar. Of course they are also more polished and are now nicely packaged in a hardcover book.
The task of overseeing the book, which is dedicated to "the next generation of preachers of the cross," and of writing its introduction fell to Mark Dever. He explains the connection between the book and the conference in this way:
Every once in a while God uses a conference such as this in a strategic way to put new heart in his under-shepherds and so bless his people. We prayed that this would be such a conference, that through it God would tune our hearts and minds to him as we thought and talked together about preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We prayed that those who attended would know great blessing from it.
Now, long after the conclusion of that event, we want to give thanks to God for the encouragement many did indeed experience as a result of that gathering and for the instruction given and friendships made there. In introducing this volume, which is comprised of the conference addresses, I want to say a little bit more about the history of the conference, the "heroes" we invited to join us, and the hopes that we had for the conference attendees--and for you as you prepare to read these messages.
Dever goes on to share the history of the conference, explaining how the four men came to know each other and to share a common desire to put together this conference.
It was at one of those meetings that, during our typically long, enjoyable, question-then-anecdote-then-straight-into-argument and- then-into-passionate-agreement conversations, one of us (I think it was Al, but we all were making the same kind of noises) remarked on the edifying nature of our conversations, and we all expressed a desire for pastors to experience this same sort of fellowship. As we talked, we came up with the idea of holding a conference at which the four of us would speak and afterward sit around and talk about the talks in front of our audience. (We talk about the talks late at night anyway, whenever we find ourselves together at a conference, although we do it without the audience!) We weren't sure what kind of audience we would get for our event, but we knew that we'd enjoy it no matter who came; any benefit accruing to others would be a bonus.
And just like that a conference was born. Though there were and still are several important theological disagreements between these men, they gladly laid aside these secondary issues for the sake of the gospel. "We thought that interest in the conference might be generated in part because of our differences, which actually serve to highlight our agreements," he writes. Dever discusses how they decided to invite three of their preaching heroes to the conference. He then introduces each of the three men: John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul and John Piper and reflects on the impact each of them has had on this group of men. I particularly enjoyed his description of John Piper:
And then there is that current evangelical rock star, John Piper! What a gift John is to the church. While too many of us are saying a lot of things quickly and running on to the next, John stops and stands and stays and stares at God's Word. Sometimes he stares at something that seems so obvious, but he keeps staring until it begins to expand and fill the horizon of his sight. It becomes rich and detailed and luscious and intricate and full and demanding and hope-giving and life-affirming and sin-denying and sacrifice-requiring--and adjective-adding. John prays and thinks until a part of God's Word which seemed simple and obvious becomes fresh and powerful.
The remainder of the book simply provides the content of each of the conference's seven keynote addresses. Mark Dever draws a contrast between a real minister of the gospel and a counterfeit one, showing that a real pastor preaches a cross-centered message, lives a cross-centered life and has cross-centered followers. Ligon Duncan provides eight exhortations to preach Christ from the Old Testament and not to fall prey to dwelling only on the New Testament, tacitly creating a canon with the canon. Al Mohler encourages pastors to preach with the culture in view and helps the reader understand the cultural context in which we find ourselves. R.C. Sproul writes of the center of Christian preaching in the great doctrine of justification by faith alone, first presenting the Roman Catholic view of justification and then introducing the biblical understanding. John Piper discusses preaching as expository exultation for the glory of God, first reflecting on preaching that is shaped by the glory of God, then portraying the glory of God that inspires this kind of preaching, then offering his understanding of how people awaken to this glory, and finally explaining how all of this calls for the kind of preaching he calls expository exultation. C.J. Mahaney encourages pastors to heed Paul's exhortation to Timothy to "watch your life and doctrine," explaining both the importance of this and showing practical ways of doing so. Finally, John MacArthur wraps things up with his ten-point explanation of why he still preaches the gospel, even (or, more rightly, especially) after forty years of gospel ministry. The Together for the Gospel statement of affirmations and denials is included as well.
Some will wonder if there is any need for this book or may be disappointed that it offers little content that is different from the conference's addresses. I think this book is a valuable addition to any library. While I was at the conference and now have access to the audio files, I found there was a great benefit to my soul in re-reading each of these chapters and in pausing, once again, to celebrate the gospel. Like the conference, this book provides a call for pastors to preach the gospel and to always keep the main thing the main thing. Where a million fads call pastors to do everything but preach the gospel, the authors of this book turn to Scripture to call us all back to a message that is immune to fads--a message that has stood unaltered for two thousand years. They call us to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. And there is nothing disappointing about that.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Call to Faithfulness, May 10, 2007
This review is from: Preaching the Cross (Together for the Gospel) (Hardcover)
Preaching the Cross
By Dever, Duncan, Mohler, Mahaney
Review by A.A. Carr
In April of 2006, over 2000 Christian leaders (most of them pastors) gathered for a conference entitled Together for the Gospel. This was a momentous event, as four men from different theological and ecclesiastical backgrounds (Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, Al Mohler Jr., and C.J. Mahaney) united, along with three special guests, (R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and John MacArthur) by a common passion for the gospel. Preaching the Cross presents the content of the messages delivered at that conference.
While books detailing preaching methodology are legion, books of this sort are hard to find. Preaching the Cross will challenge preachers to consider the foundational issues of their calling. This book is a clarion call to biblical fidelity, passionate preaching, doctrinal and personal purity.
Chapter 1 A Real Minister: 1 Corinthians 4 by Mark E. Dever
Challenges those who stand behind the pulpit to examine their calling in light of 1 Cor. 4. Mark Dever argues very persuasively that our churches need to be recovered, and for this to happen we need real ministers who follow the example of the Apostle Paul. This will result in pastors and congregations who place the word of God at the center and faithfully proclaim the glories of the cross.
Chapter 2 Preaching Christ from the Old Testament by J. Ligon Duncan III
Is a brief but excellent study in hermeneutics with a view toward preaching. Duncan exhorts his audience to preach the whole counsel of God -including the Old Testament! The pulpiteer who takes this chapter seriously will model good interpretation, a high view of all of Scripture, and feed many souls.
Chapter 3 Preaching with the Culture in View by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Is an astute analysis of culture and its implications for all Christians, but especially those who minister to God's people. The wise preacher will be aware of the impact of culture in preaching dynamics without being enslaved to it.
Chapter 4 The Center of Christian Preaching: Justification by Faith by R.C. Sproul
Awakens the complacent from their slumber and arouses them to proclaim justification by faith. Evangelicals often assume this without warrant. Justification by faith is seldom denied outright, but rather eclipsed by doctrinal subtleties, love of technique, and passivity.
The Scriptures and history show that justification by faith alone is always prone to various attacks because it cuts across the grain of human nature and offends religious sensibilities. We are all legalists at heart. An examination of Romans and Galatians will quickly bear this out. Two good questions to ask yourself: 1) When was the last time you were in awe of the grace of God? 2) When was the last time you were misunderstood or criticized for preaching grace (Rom.3:8;6:15)?
Chapter 5 Preaching as Expository Exultation for the Glory of God by John Piper
Will challenge all who speak for God to return to a passionate, expository proclamation of God' s word. And who better to tackle this assignment than John Piper? This message reminds us that preaching is in the final analysis primarily about God and his glory. In an age of banality, the reader is exhorted to preach the weighty matters of the Word- heaven and hell, the cost of discipleship, and the majesty of God. Never forget that there is an invisible listener to every sermon preached and our primary goal should be to please Him.
Chapter 6 The Pastor's Priorities: Watch Your Life and Doctrine by C. J. Mahaney
Is one of the most needed topics for those in ministry today. It is easy enough to become so preoccupied with feeding the souls of others that the preacher forgets to feed himself. It is also easy enough to subtly drift in the proclamation of the truth. This chapter addresses both topics and hits the bull's-eye in the process.
The call to accountability is bold and refreshing. History shows that God has used small groups that truly desire to grow in holiness (The Holy Club and the Moravians come to mind). C.J. Mahaney and his associates are marked by the uncommon combination of zeal and humility.
Chapter 7 Why I Still Preach the Bible after Forty Years of Ministry by John MacArthur
Answers the question of whether expository preaching is truly viable over the long haul or are vast quantities of spiritual snack food really necessary? The longevity of John MacArthur's pulpit ministry should be an encouragement to all pastors, especially those who are experiencing a period where faithful exposition of Scripture appears to be unfashionable (2 Tim.4:2). This is a rousing call to return to clear preaching based on the proper interpretation of the biblical text. It is here that the preacher finds authority, passion and boldness to proclaim, "Thus says the Lord".
This just released book will be a welcome addition to the library of all those who desire to faithfully preach the cross.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a Look for the Preacher, November 13, 2010
This review is from: Preaching the Cross (Together for the Gospel) (Hardcover)
This is a collection of addresses that were delivered at the first (2006) Together for the Gospel conference. The catalysts for the conference are a group of Christian thinkers who have become friends over the years and their desire for their friendship to benefit other church leaders/pastors. The group includes two Baptists (Dever and Mohler), a Presbyterian (Duncan), and a non-denominational leader (Mehaney) who set aside their differences to focus on the main agenda--Christ and the Cross. Also appearing at the conference (and consequently in the book) are other popular preachers of our day--John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul.
Dever pens the introduction, speaking for the group, which outlines the history and make-up of the Together for the Gospel ideology. And then each person contributes a chapter dealing with a variety of aspects pertinent to genuine gospel preaching--Old Testament connections, Cultural responsibility, expository preaching, and the like.
Some of the addresses are exceptionally helpful, while others tend to drag. I found Dever's treatment of I Corinthians 4, inspiring as a pastor, and Duncan's highlight of preaching Christ from the Old Testament was certainly refreshing. Piper, who has a tendency to lose me after the first paragraph, continued to do so (perhaps I'm just not as intellectual as he is).
Altogether, this is a sound book for any preacher to have in his library. I would hesitate to recommend it to a larger audience out of simple interest appeal, though. Therefore I give it a rating of 3 out of 5 reading glasses.
--Benjamin Potter, November 13, 2010
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