When I went to seminary, we had daily chapel messages. We were required to attend four a week for fifteen weeks, or sixty a semester.

During the spring semester, four fourth-year students were chosen to give sermons in chapel. These students represented what our seminary was attempting to produce.

Back then, the sermons chosen would be a balance of excellent delivery (gestures, eye contact, vocal variety, humor, and connection to the audience) and excellent exegesis (word studies, contextual observations, grammatical observations, cross–references to other passages dealing with the same issue, and dealing with seeming problems in the text).

I graduated from seminary forty-three years ago.

Things have changed dramatically in the teaching of preaching (homiletics).

I was reminded of how much things have changed when I received an email from a seminary. Embedded in the email was a link to a sermon given by one of the fourth-year students. You can view and listen to that thirty-minute message here.

As I watched this sermon, I observed fantastic gestures, eye contact, vocal variety, humor, and connection with the audience. A-plus on delivery. This preacher has a lot of potential.

But as I thought about the content, I wondered where the exegesis was. There were no word studies. No contextual observations. No grammatical observations. No cross–references.

What the preacher did was to read 2 Pet 1:1-11 then divide it using four alliterative phrases:

1. Found your life on grace.
2. Fuel your life with power.
3. Form your life by practice.
4. Fix your life on the cross.

How the words of the text led to these four points was unclear.

The preacher cited many theologians and preachers in his message. All of them were Puritan Calvinists: John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, William Cowper, Tim Keller, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, John Owen, and Brian Chappell, to name a few he mentioned.

Here are some things that should be addressed in a sermon on 2 Peter 1:1-11:

1. The verb add (epichoregeō) occurs in verses 5 and 11. It is in the active voice in verse 5 and the passive voice in verse 11.
2. If we add to our faith character qualities that result in perseverance in godliness and love, then God will add a rich kingdom entrance for us.
3. Faith alone will not give us this rich kingdom entrance.
4. Cleansing from old sins (v 9) refers not to regeneration, but to fellowship cleansing that occurs as we walk in the light (cf. 1 John 1:7; see also John 13:8-10).
5. “Calling and election” (v 10) refers to being called, then later chosen, to rule with Christ in the life to come. See “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt 20:16; 22:14). This order––calling and election––is the opposite of the Calvinist understanding of this verse. In that view, one is elected (to everlasting life) first, and called later.
6. The word sure in verse 10 is the same word translated confirmed in verse 19. We are to confirm that we are presently in line to be chosen to rule with Christ.
7. Texts that convey the same idea include Matt 16:24-27; 24:45-51; Luke 19:16-26; 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:9-10; Gal 6:7-9; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:12; 4:6-10; 1 John 2:28; 4:17-19; Revelation 2-3.

On our website we have several messages on 2 Pet 1:1-11. Click here for an article by Zane Hodges, and here for a blog by me.

In the text, Peter says we must add to our faith certain character qualities in order to have a rich entrance into the kingdom. What does that mean? The preacher said that we should look for “progress not perfection” (29:11-15) and “be hopeful” (29:40). While he did not spell it out, he was saying that we should be hopeful that we will continue in the faith and thereby gain this rich kingdom entrance.

Unfortunately, he gave the impression that you will either gain a rich kingdom entrance, or you will end up forever in the lake of fire. That is, after all, the Calvinist understanding of this text. If you fail to persevere, you either prove you were never born again in the first place (old Calvinist position) or you fail to win “final salvation” (the new Calvinist position of men such as Piper, Schreiner, and Caneday).

The preacher said nothing about eternal rewards or the distinction between eternal rewards and the gift of everlasting life.

Free Grace Theology is highly practical. Calvinism is not.

In our GES Seminary, Dix Winston and I taught our first course on homiletics this past semester. We taught students that both delivery and exegesis are crucial. Great delivery without good exegesis is entertaining, but mostly roughage. Great exegesis without good delivery is full of nutrients, but hard to digest.

We also taught that the Bible does not explain how to preach God’s Word. Preachers have a lot of latitude. But one thing about preaching is clear from Scripture: We are to preach the Scriptures.

The motto of the seminary I attended over forty years ago was “Preach the Word” (2 Tim 4:2). I like that motto. God’s Word endures forever.

Keep grace in focus by going to a church that preaches the Word!