|
A sermon is an explanation of a portion of Scripture with doctrinal formulations and practical applications. It is from the whole preacher to the whole person (no separation of head and heart). I agree that the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God (as long as it is faithful!) used by the Spirit to change people. I view explanation, doctrine, and application as being the three integral elements of preaching (this is the Puritan view). Without any one of those things, it is not a sermon. This raises the serious question of whether "topical" preaching is actually preaching. It can be done in a way that renders it little different from expository preaching (basing the topic on a Scripture passage). However, most topical preaching is not preaching, since they do not preach the Word, but their own hobby horse. The model is Ezra, explaining the text, and the Spirit effecting change in the people as they heard it applied to their situation. The application bit is where the relevance to our modern situation is to be explored. The Word applies not only to the original audience, but also to us in our situation.
|