Two New Books
Lloyd Moyer's Sermons From Psalms have lately been published by the Gospel Guardian Company. This is a sixty-six page booklet and sells for $1.00 per copy.
Some idea of the material in the book can be gained from some of the sermon titles — "The Blessed Man," "Who can understand his errors," "Oh, that I had wings of a dove," "A door-keeper in the House of God."
Power In Expository Preaching
Fleming H. Revell Company has lately published Power In Expository Preaching by Faris D. Whitesell. The book sells for $4.00 each.
The average audience becomes "bored" when the average preacher continues for an extended period doing what is ordinarily thought of as expository preaching, i.e., preaching through a book of the Bible. But many people who are qualified to speak with authority on the subject agree that the most valuable type of preaching is real expository preaching. What is the average gospel preacher to do in such a situation? Answer, let him become an above average expository preacher by really applying himself to the study of the Bible in order that his sermons will be a real exposition of the Bible. This will develop an above average audience which will not be bored when the word of God is being expounded unto them. The wicked practice, of putting out shallow sermons which fail to bring people to a knowledge of the "whole counsel of God," must be abandoned. Desperately needed are preachers who have the courage to preach to please God, even when from every quarter they hear shallow-preaching and men-pleasing preachers praised and even when the audiences fall off because the preaching is "too deep." "Try your own self." Was Paul too deep? If shallow preaching or even milk feeding were to have been the course to be permanently pursued, how did it happen that the Holy Spirit provided and preserved such letters as Romans, Hebrews, Galatians, Ephesians, etc.? Intellectual laziness and cowardice on the part of preachers, with a corresponding intellectual laziness plus ignorance of the members of the need for the whole counsel of God, has brought many congregations to a miserable state of spiritual poverty, nakedness and blindness.
The earlier part of the book, Power In Expository Preaching, is fine and will be helpful to anyone who is interested in preaching more effectively. In the latter part of the book, the author slips in some of his Baptist doctrine. On page 109 he works it in when he is supposed to be discussing illustrations and as is rather common practice, his illustration is an unfair presentation of the case for obedience. He sets forth an illustration (imaginary) which is supposed to illustrate justification by faith... His illustration contrasts two men, one morally good, the other morally bad. At the age of 80 years, the wicked one is caused to make an avowal of receiving Christ — the other "rests in his good works and scoffs at emotional religion." They both cross the street and "are hit by a speeding, drunken driver and both are killed instantly." Then he says, "Which one went to heaven?" The author seeks to limit his readers to a choice between these two of what it is to be saved by "grace through faith." With him salvation "by grace through faith" is salvation "apart from works of any kind." The Lord said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21) The author should ask himself, can doing the will of the Father in heaven be accomplished "apart from works of any kind"? "Works of any kind" will include the works of obedience — the doing of the will of God. When one is doing the will of God, obeying the gospel, submitting himself to the righteousness of God by obedience, is that one "saved by grace through faith" or is it the one who rants at the idea of obeying God, reflects upon the eating of the Lord's supper and sneers at baptism while braying about "trusting in the Lord"?
It would be a fine thing if the author of Power Through Expository Preaching would preach through the books of Acts and be satisfied with preaching just what appeared in the text, pointing out to his audiences that these are the Holy Spirit's illustrations of salvation by "grace through faith."
Those who believe that the "scriptures inspired of God" furnished the "man of God" completely unto every good work" will find some of the comments in the chapter on "Power Through Communication" out of line with what the Scriptures teach The author has used some of the promises which were made to the apostles as if they were of universal application for preachers of all times.
While there are several things in the book which should be criticized, yet there are many good things in the book. It is worth the price paid and the energy expended in studying it.
— 417 E. Groesbeck, Lufkin, Texas