| Seminar 3 - Doctrinal Substance From: Preaching
and Preachers
A Series of Nine Seminars for Men Led by Stuart Olyott
We are preachers of God's inscripturated Word.
Nothing is of more importance than that we should get its meaning right! When
we have done this, we must still be found to have taught something.
- What we mean by 'doctrinal substance':
We mean that our sermons are full of doctrine and theology. We recognise
that the Bible teaches a system of doctrine and truth. This system is
beautiful in its unity and symmetry. So we refuse imbalance and lopsidedness, and
seek to set every individual facet of truth into the context of the whole spectrum of
divine truth.
We therefore look upon each sermon, not just as the explanation of a given passage,
but as a means of bringing our hearers to grasping that total system of truth
taught in the Bible.
- What happens where preaching is not doctrinally
substantial?
- God is not worshipped or loved as He should be.
- The Trinitarian nature of salvation is not admired.
- Believers are unaware of their privileges.
- Believers are confused about their priorities and their daily behaviour.
- Personal witness is impoverished.
- The way to holiness is obscured.
- Church life is not ordered.
- Prayer is superficial.
Non-doctrinal preaching spells the ruin of the church!
What are we going to do about it?
Questions for Discussion:
- What has been most helpful to you in sharpening your own
doctrinal understanding?
- What advice would you give to a young preacher who was not
very clear about biblical doctrine?
- What place, if any, is there for thematic teaching of
doctrine from the pulpit?
- Once a preacher has an accurate exegetical understanding of his text, and stands on a clear doctrinal
foundation, he tends to be very dogmatic. What do you honestly feel about dogmatism
in the pulpit?
- In being doctrinal, how do we stop ourselves becoming
doctrinaire?
- How can we best help those who are afraid or suspicious of
words like doctrine and theology?
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