In Part 1 on this subject, I wrote about how I was struck by something Fred Sanders wrote about how over-emphasis on a single facet of the gospel can make us reductionistic. So, now I’m doing a little reflection concerning how can I teach, preach, and share the whole gospel without being reductionistic myself. I’ve realized I need to constantly seek to improve in utilizing at least five strategies:

1. Continually meditate on the story of redemption so as to discover and rediscover different aspects of the gospel message for myself. The gospel is multifaceted. If I’ve fallen into a rut where I’m only focused on a singular aspect of the good news, then I can be sure only that emphasis will come through in my teaching and preaching. I need the whole gospel for my own spiritual nourishment before I can lead others into appreciation of the God who authored the story of redemption.

2. Work on being a disciplined reader. I need to read more quality works that help me to have a well-rounded view of God’s word, work, and my response to Him. I need to read Systematic Theology as well as Biblical Theology…not to mention regularly working through different genres in the Bible. I also need to be disciplined about this, which likely means accountability. I’d love to find a friend or group of Christian brothers to partner in disciplined, strategic reading (a kind of theological reading group may form out of this desire for accountability).

3. Seek to preach in a manner that is what some (including Dr. Daniel Block and Dr. Paul House) call “Christotelic”. For instance, Dr. House has been quoted as saying:

As for Christological preaching, this means that we understand that Christ is a structuring theme in every segment of the Bible (Law, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, Epistles), a central theme in the canon (note the location of the Gospels), and an eschatological theme in the Bible (note the epistles and Revelation). It is part of the whole, yet not part of every passage. Again, this is why I prefer “Christotelic” as my term. We know the goal is to serve Christ. We can look forward to him, at him, back at him, or again forward to him. We can learn how to see and serve him by looking at OT narratives, commands, etc. We can see how each text fits the whole picture.

If I’m preaching “Christotelically”, then my goal in every sermon is to follow the contours of an individual passage as well as the overarching Biblical storyline to focus on the good news of Jesus Christ. With this commitment in place it should be more difficult to make Jesus an “add-on” at the end of the message. To preach for 4o minutes before making any direct connection to the gospel almost guarantees that the connection hastily made will be reductionistic. There just simply isn’t time to develop a robust understanding of any facet of the good news in the last few minutes of a sermon.

This approach to preaching requires an integration of theological disciplines during sermon preparation (Exegesis, Systematic Theology, Biblical Theology, and Homiletics). I must strive to practice precise exegesis and homiletics while at the same time maintaining a grasp of the whole picture. (not just settling for the generals of any given text, but drilling down past the pat answers and trite maxims to get to the bedrock of gospel truth that is under the surface). Emphasizing a specific aspect of the gospel requires a commitment to precise exegesis, but integrating that aspect into the whole story of redemption requires equal commitments to Biblical Theology and a Christotelic hermeneutic.

4. Using careful language when speaking about any singular aspect of the gospel so as to make distinctions between the parts and the whole. Laziness in word choice is an enemy to good communication…and when teaching and preaching the word of God I need to strive for clarity. The stakes are too high to use ambiguous or confusing terminology. I want to be careful not to give the impression to anyone listening that the gospel is only about the cross, or only about the kingdom, only about grace, or only about forgiveness and eternal life. So often, I think in terms of “either/or” instead of “both/and”. I want to focus on these facets of the gospel in light of the whole, giving context that is helpful for Christian discipleship.

5. Guard against over-reaction to reductionism by realizing that pastoral ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. Faithful preaching over time is what is needed…so I don’t have to fit everything in every sermon. Fred Sanders said so in the quote I shared in Part 1 on this subject. Because I’m currently not the primary preacher at my church, I’m sometimes tempted to put more than I should into any given sermon. This can actually hinder me from drilling down deep into one particular facet of the gospel and only focus on the gospel as a whole (thinking “I can fit a little more in here”). This is a different problem than preaching a “reductionistic” gospel, though it is still a problem. It can stunt our growth as Christians if we never understand the depth of each facet before talking about the gospel in general terms (relating it to the whole picture). Preaching can easily become superficial and laden with non-specific applications. I’ve found that the “punch” of a sermon often flows from applying specific points, based on precise exegesis (as mentioned earlier), to a specific group of people who are seeking God together. That’s what our people need, while still making the connection back to the big picture for perspective on context.

I’m sure there’s more that I need to think through and work on in this area, but that’s probably a big enough piece to bite off for right now.