For pastors: Preach the text of Scripture! Amen, Halleluja vilket bibelord från Kol. 2:13f

 "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." (Col. 2:13-14 ESV) "We are all beggars" Rev. A. R. Voltattorni/"Adonai ♥ , li, lo, ira" (great song)

 Rev. Voltattorni: "Let the word itself speak" (Skriftens klarhet) “This does not require a creative sermon, but rather one which says the same thing that has already been said for 2000 years: Christ is crucified for sinners”.

Every year as we approach Holy Week Pastors face the gravest temptation and the most condemning seduction Pastors are confronted with the temptation to preach something other than the text of Scripture.

The Pastor is to simply give the people what has already been said. 

To speak the condemning, throat grasping, Word of Law which drives sinners to their knees, and then to speak the sweet, precious, living-sustaining, Word of Gospel which delivers the very fruits of the Cross. 

This does not require a creative sermon, but rather one which says the same thing that has already been said for 2000 years: Christ is crucified for sinners.

 

“Just as it was in the first century, so it is today: faith comes through preaching. But this preaching must then be done in the power of the Word of Christ. A man may be ever so brilliant and eloquent, moving and wise, but it does not become preaching until he himself is taken captive by God’s Word and has not other desire except to let the Word itself speak."

Bo Giertz, quoted in Doberstein, Minister’s Prayer Book, 414-415.

It may seem like a completely ordinary, repetitive, even boring sermon.

 

It may be the same thing that has been said year after year. 

But we don’t need creativity or novelty. 

The Word of God which says “you, who were dead in your trespasses… God made alive together with him [Christ], having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross,” (Col. 2:13-14), is exactly what we need to hear, especially during Holy Week!

Read the whole text and the blogpost here:

http://allbeggars.blogspot.com/2012/03/temptation-of-holy-week-preacher.html
Rev. A. R. Voltattorni  



Kol. 2:13-14 "Ni som var döda på grund av era överträdelser och er oomskurna natur, också er har han gjort levande med Kristus. Han har förlåtit oss alla överträdelser och strukit ut det skuldebrev som med sina krav vittnade emot oss. Det har han tagit bort genom att spika fast det på korset."

Photo: Kerstin Lindén 
  
Great song: "Adonai, li, lo, ira" (Ps. 118:6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=veqScwrX_wE
Ps. 118:6 "HERREN är med mig, jag skall inte frukta. Vad kan en människa göra mig?"
Ps. 16:8 "Jag har alltid haft HERREN för ögonen, han är på min högra sida, jag skall inte vackla."

(via Dragan S.)