Preaching Daily - October 3

Today's Reading...

”All Scripture is breathed out by God…” 2 Timothy 3:16

Today's Devotional Insight...

Preaching the Old Testament

How often do you preach from the Old Testament? Do you find it easier to stick to the New Testament? The history of redemption doesn’t start with the birth of Jesus, it starts in Genesis 1 and continues throughout the Old Testament and all the way to Revelation 22. Here are just a few reasons to encourage you to preach from the Old Testament. I hope you find them helpful and trust that the Spirit of God will guide you in your preaching.

1. We should preach the Whole Counsel of God
”All Scripture is breathed out by God…” The apostle Paul exhorts his young church planter Timothy that he is to preach and teach from ”all of the Scriptures” because they are ”profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-18). Remember, the Scriptures that Paul was referring to were the Old Testament Scriptures.

I realize that some of the Old Testament passages are difficult to understand. But as preachers, we shouldn’t shy away from them just because we don’t understand them. As a matter of fact, if you don’t understand some portion of the Scriptures then that is all the more reason for you to take the time to study them.

The Old Testament contains a rich history of God’s mercy, love and grace. There are many different types of literature in the Old Testament to preach on. From history, to wisdom, to prophecy to the worshipful message of the Psalms, the Old Testament continues to unfold God’s story of unrelenting love toward His people.

2. Jesus Taught from the Old Testament
If the Old Testament was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for you to. Read through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, read how Jesus taught the Pharisees about Old Testament law and the prophets in Mark 12, listen to how Jesus fights off the temptations of Satan by using Old Testament passages in Luke 4.

One of the ”rules of interpretation”, is for Scripture to interpret Scripture. So look for passages in the New Testament that explain what has happened in the Old Testment. The book of Hebrews is a good example of this. Hebrews is a sermon that explains some of the sacrificial laws in Leviticus. I know, ”What?, you think I should preach from Leviticus?” Absolutely, it all points to the sacrifice of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and the atonement.

Read the full article here.

Today’s Pastoral Resource...

Preaching Media

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