Why Do We Preach Through Books of the Bible?

Pastor Bob O’Bannon

Among different church traditions, there are many approaches to organizing sermons – some follow the church calendar, or lectionary; others rely mostly on topical series (marriage, spiritual warfare, money); and some even look for a text or topic spontaneously from week to week. In the reformed tradition, it is customary to preach consecutively through books of the Bible (sometimes called “expository preaching”), which is what we will be doing May 15 as we begin a series on the Gospel of Mark. 

So, why do we do this? What are the advantages of preaching consecutively, chapter after chapter, all the way through a book of the Bible? There are five reasons:

1. Because all of God’s word is inspired. It’s tempting for us to receive only certain portions of the Bible as inspired, because we find them personally inspiring or helpful, but according to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God . . .” Those obscure books and verses that we tend to overlook or ignore are actually inspired by God to train us in righteousness. Preaching through books of the Bible will expose us to these neglected portions of God’s word.

2. Because some parts of God’s word are difficult. Not only is it easy to gravitate toward the passages we like, we can also gravitate away from passages we don’t like – that is, the ones we find difficult, controversial or culturally unacceptable. Expository preaching forces the preacher and the congregation to grapple with issues they might prefer to avoid.

3. Because pastors can get on hobby horses. Topical sermon series certainly have their place, but one of the potential pitfalls is that a pastor can simply choose the topics he feels strongly about, so that certain issues get belabored in an unbalanced way. But if the pastor preaches through a book of the Bible, he must preach whatever is presented in the next chapter, whether he wants to or not. This contributes to a more healthy balance of topics and issues.

4. Because sermon listeners can sometimes feel bullied. While it is common and even desirable that people feel great conviction when hearing a sermon (John 16:18, Acts 2:37), it can sometimes occur that a person wonders if the pastor was singling him/her out as a target for a particular point in the message. If the pastor is preaching through a Bible book, however, he can’t be accused of abusing the pulpit. All he’s doing is preaching whatever topic as come up next in the book he’s going through, which is largely out of his control.

5. Because it’s easier. This maybe sounds selfish on the part of the preacher, but it does help when the text for the next sermon is already chosen, because next Sunday’s text is simply the one that comes after the text you preached last Sunday. There’s also no need for extended cultural and historical background in each sermon, because that was already provided back when the book was introduced at the start of the series.

We don’t believe it’s wrong to follow the church calendar (which we do here at New Life during Good Friday, Easter and Advent/Christmas), or to preach topically from time to time (recently we did a series on prayer). But we do believe the best way to enjoy a balanced diet of Scriptural nourishment is to allow God to speak as entire books of the Bible are weekly proclaimed, so that the whole counsel of God might be declared to God’s people. (Acts 20:27).

How Can Christian Supporters of Gay Rights Be More Biblical?

Pastor Bob O'Bannon

A church in Alexandria, just about 20 minutes west of Yorktown, has recently been thrown into the national spotlight because of a situation regarding its former choir director. According to an article in the Ball State Daily News, the director, Adam Fraley, was forced out of his position at First United Methodist Church. The reason? Fraley is gay.

You can read about the situation here and here. Bottom line is the church has an interim pastor who does not accept Fraley’s lifestyle. Many in the church have protested the pastor’s position. About two-thirds of the congregation has left. But according to the DN article, Fraley will “continue to fight until he is welcomed back into the church for who he is: a gay man.”

Situations like this have become commonplace in our culture. Most of the ensuing discussions revolve around whether homosexuality is condoned by the Bible, or whether churches should employ homosexuals, or whether gays are being discriminated against.

But there is one significant topic that never surfaces in this debate. It is an issue that every professed believer should be concerned about, whether gay or straight. It is an issue that is near and dear to the heart of Jesus. I’m talking about the unity of the church.

When people in the church are insistent on pushing a particular agenda, no matter what it might be, the result is almost always dissension. Most Christians find a way to avoid the tension by seeking a church more in line with their convictions.

A Baptist, for instance, might find it impossible to coexist in a paedobaptist church; if so, he will find a church more in line with his convictions about baptism. A charismatic might find it impossible to coexist in a cessationist church; if so, he will find a church more in line with his convictions about spiritual gifts. A Calvinist might find it impossible to coexist in an Arminian church; if so, he will find a church more in line with his convictions about God’s sovereignty.

But rarely, if ever, have I seen a Baptist, or a charismatic, or a Calvinist “continue to fight” until the church was willing to overhaul its beliefs to match their own. And one reason we don’t see this is because Christians see the way peace and unity are highly exalted in the Bible.

Jesus prays in John 17:20-23 that his people would be “perfectly one.” Paul admonishes us in Eph. 4:3 to “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.” He also lists “dissensions” and “divisions” as examples of “works of the flesh” in Gal. 5:19-20.

It does not seem to me that there is much peace at First United Methodist Church right now. A headline in a local paper sadly summed it up: “Alex church torn apart by gay issue.”

Perhaps mistakes were made with regard to how Fraley was hired and “pushed out.” If so, the church should acknowledge its error and make it right. Whether a person is gay or straight, he or she should be treated fairly and with respect by his/her employer. A spokesperson for the United Methodist Church denied that the decision had anything to do with Fraley’s sexuality. It was a “personnel decision,” they said.

Whatever the case, there is nothing unfair about a church staying true to its official position on an ethical issue. The UMC Web site says: “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” To demand a United Methodist congregation to defy this position does not seem to demonstrate an eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.

One of Fraley’s supporters said he believed in “accepting everybody for who they are, not what you think they are.” May I suggest that he and Fraley accept the United Methodist Church’s position on this issue for what it is? Would that not be the Biblical thing to do? Lord grant peace to First United Methodist Church in Alexandria.

4 Things to Remember If You Are Discouraged by the Moral Deterioration of Our Nation

Pastor Bob O'Bannon

Ross Douthat has written an article in the New York Times in which he says same-sex marriage will inevitably be legalized in all 50 states, and that all that is left for proponents of traditional marriage now is to “find out what settlement the victors will impose.”

It’s a pretty bleak prognosis. But there are at least four things to remember if you are one who is discouraged by the rapid changes that are taking place in our nation.

1. The leaders of our nation have been appointed by God. Pontius Pilate was in a position of authority to deliver Jesus over to be crucified. In John 19:11, Jesus said to Pilate: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” Rom. 13:1 tells us that the governing authorities have been “instituted by God.” Our president, our Congress and our Supreme Court are in charge because God put them in charge. But remember — God can remove people from power just as quickly as he placed them in power. (Is. 40:22-23)

2. We no longer live in a pro-Christian culture. Back in the 1960s, it was socially desirable to be a Christian churchgoer. The church enjoyed a place of prominence and respect in the culture. That is no longer the case. Many observers say we now live in a “post-Christian” culture, which means the basic values and convictions of Christianity are no longer assumed or even desired. This is alarming to many Christians, but it is certainly not unusual. For much of history, the church of Jesus Christ has been a marginalized, maligned and sometimes persecuted group. The psalmist, writing about 3,000 year ago, captures what many Christians feel today: “My foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.” (38:19-20)

3. We should not shrink back from speaking the truth. It does not follow from points 1 and 2 above that we should therefore resort to apathy or indifference about what is happening in our culture. Paul warns us not to take part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but “instead to expose them.” (Eph. 5:11). The psalmist says he hates “every false way” (119:128), and that his eyes shed “steams of tears” because people do not keep God’s law (119:136). As believers we should be prepared to respectfully but boldly take a stand for Christian truth, and take the hits that will inevitably result.

4. Our ultimate hope is not in the salvation of America. There is Biblical precedent for being passionate about one’s country. Paul suffered “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” because of the spiritual state of his fellow Jews (Rom. 9:1-5). He longed for them to be saved (Rom. 10:1). So it is good to long for revival in the United States, that our fellow countrymen might be reconciled to God. But the final culmination of God’s redemptive purposes will not be found in a “reclaimed America,” but in the new creation, the new heavens and the new earth, where godlessness will be eradicated and righteousness finally will dwell (2 Peter 3:13), where all of God’s people from a multitude of nations (Rev. 5:9) will gather around the throne and worship Jesus forever.