More Light, Less Warmth (May It Not Be So!)

I read this a little over a week ago and it is still rocking me.  John Newton is writing about those things in life that are not necessarily clear in Scripture.  He is considering the idea that “first religious impressions are usually mingled with much of a legal spirit”.  I certainly can relate to this as I once for the sake of holiness burned all of my secular CD’s.  I now think that may have been going a bit too far and some of those burned are probably more true to the gospel than what is sometimes found on Christian radio.  But these words from Newton really shook me up:

And I believe the over-doings of a young convert, proceeding from an honest simplicity of heart, and a desire of pleasing the Lord, are more acceptable in his sight, than a certain coolness of conduct which frequently takes place afterward, when we are apt to look back with pity upon our former weakness, and secretly applaud ourselves for our present greater attainments in knowledge, though perhaps (alas that it should ever be so!) we may have lost as much in warmth, as we have gained in light. 

That last sentence is what really got to me.  I absolutely despise that there are areas in my life where I have increased in knowledge (light) but I have lost just as much in warmth.  I’m going to be vulnerable enough to display some of my early ridiculous beliefs—you can laugh if you desire.

I once had so much “faith” after watching a televangelist that I thought about driving 45 miles without my contacts so that God would heal me, thinking that perhaps God was calling me to exercise faith and then he would heal my deplorable eyesight.  Stupid.  I am much wiser now.  But I have lost a certain warmth and simplicity to my faith.  I sometimes catch myself thinking that quotes like this one are a tad silly, “expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”.  More light, less warmth.

I once was a passionate anxiously awaiting the rapture firm pretribulationalist.  In fact one of my first attempts at writing a book was about the end times mixed with various conspiracy theories.  We’re talking similar to the It’s Prophesied song.  Stupid.  I am much wiser now.  But I have lost a certain warmth and expectancy of Christ’s coming.  I do not believe I will be raptured (in the pre-tribulation since).  But I have also cultivated a lack of eager expectation as regards Christ’s second coming.  More light, less warmth.  (Although some would argue, less light led to less warmth).

I once prayed passionately during services that people would walk the aisle, get saved, and pray the prayer.  Of course I no longer subscribe to Decisional Regeneration, or even really am all that stoked about altar calls.  My theology of those things has changed—and I think rightly so.  But something wrongly changed in my heart as well.  I now find myself much less passionate about praying for lost people in our services.  I find less joy when somebody “makes a decision”.  I am more skeptical.  More light, less warmth. 

I could give many more stories, and that fact alone bothers me.  I am often convicted by the thought of being like the church at Ephesus—“forsaking their first love”.  Or perhaps the Corinthians that had “much knowledge” but not enough love.  Perhaps I’m only a clanging cymbal.

So, I want to pray that the Lord will continue to do a work of grace in my heart.  Rather than just light, I want light that leads to warmth.  I pray for a warm faith, a joyous expectancy of Christ’s return, and a vibrant passion for seeing the lost come to faith in Jesus.  I am reminded of something I once heard Keith Green pray—“I want my heart to have baby skin, Lord.  I want my heart to have skin like a baby”.  Then he sang this song:

 

Only a vision of Jesus will cure my withering heart. 

Monday’s Ministry Musing: The Need for Patience in Passion

Much of what I have learned in preaching has come through failure; and I have a ton to learn so I wonder if this means I have much more failure on the horizon.  Here is a principle that I learned the hard way a couple of weeks ago:

“The preacher is passionate.  This week’s preparation has engaged the preacher’s affections.  The sermon starts at an intense and animated register.  The problem is that the people have not had the preparation time given the preacher.  They do not yet see the truth that has ignited the preacher’s grand style, so they wonder what has the preacher so worked up.  But if the preacher will somewhat restrain while instructing so that all may see the light of the truth clearly, then when illustrating, the mixture of affection and explanation builds.  Application in a style more grand and designed to move the hearer will have a more solid foundation.”  (Eswine, Preaching to a Post-Everything World, p129)

In other words don’t floor it and go from 0-120mph in the first 30 seconds…otherwise your congregation will spill coffee in their lap and probably have a sore neck.  I made this mistake a couple of weeks ago.  I was extremely passionate about our need to rise above mediocrity as believers and I asked some very pointed questions in the introduction.  The problem is much of it was lost because I think the students were asking, “what has Mike so worked up”.  And these students know me well…we have been together for 5 years now.  Had I only waited and built up to those questions I think they would have had a far greater impact. 

Now, I certainly believe that the Holy Spirit can use truth in whatever form it is presented.  Not all is lost.  However, as a preacher of the gospel it is my responsibility to be dedicated to making the message the most understandable and faithful to the intentions of the Lord.  Maybe, sometimes we need to floor it, but I think a steady pace is far more effective and you’ll go through way less motors. 

So, preacher, slow down and build up to that which has you “so worked up”.  Let the congregation go through the same journey that you went through so that the truth will “work them up” too.  

Review of Alex Montoya--Preaching with Passion

Author: Alex Montoya

Pages: 160 pages

Publisher: Kregel

Price: 11.04

Genre: Preaching/Christian Ministry


Quick Summary:

In the 1600’s John Flavel proclaimed, “it is far easier to study and press a thousand truths upon others, than to feel the power of one truth upon our own hearts...” Some 400 years later Alex Montoya has detected the same problem; preachers are often trained for exegetical study but not preaching with passion. This short book offers principles to combat lifeless preaching. As Montoya says, “The fact is many of us simply preach sermons, not the Word of God. We preach the exegesis, not the divine oracle. We preach crafted, alliterated manuscripts instead of the living Word. We are biblical, but the Word has been deadened by a lifeless delivery or a hampering style.

Montoya proffers his suggestions on restoring passion to preaching. He hopes to teach us how to preach with spiritual power, conviction, compassion, authority, urgency, brokenness, the whole being, and the imagination.

What I Liked:

I have noticed, and even fell victim to, the type of passionless preaching that Montoya is combating. If nothing else this book will serve as a wake up call to pastors that merely being exegetically sound is not true expository preaching. Montoya helps us wake up to the reality that how we say something has a bearing on what it is we say. It will serve pastors well to heed the advice given in this book.

Montoya does a good job of reminding us where passion comes from and that it is not simply something that can be conjured up once you get in the pulpit. Passionate preaching is not yelling as you preach. It is, as Martin Lloyd-Jones said, “theology coming through a man who is on fire”. I appreciate that Montoya follows the mold of such men as Lloyd-Jones. It is rare to find a chapter on brokenness in a preaching book, hopefully Montoya’s words will be heeded and will as John MacArthur says in his recommendation, “start an epidemic”.

What I Disliked:

In an effort to stimulate the preacher and spur him on to action our author at times seems a little too anthropocentric for my taste. In Montoya’s defense I do not think he intends to be. There are a few other dangerous statements in the book as well: such as, “preaching needs to be constantly adapting itself to the changing face of culture”. I get what Montoya is saying but it could be potentially misunderstood. However, the overall tenor of the book is solidly biblical (and for my Reformed readers—it is of the Reformed persuasion) and not a major dislike with the book.

Should You Buy It:

Most certainly. The truth of the matter though is that a book cannot create a passionate preacher. This book will not fix all. It will define the problem and give a few suggestions for laboring to become a more passionate preacher. However, it takes a lifetime of boldly broken fellowship with the Almighty to create a passionate preacher.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars