Book Review: “Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery” by Greg Heisler
If we went for a coffee today, maybe we would talk about this book I just read.
How did I get it?
Back in February, Olivia and I took a trip down to Tampa to do a Brain Balance assessment. We stayed with my brother, Ben, who is an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Palm Harbor. He showed me this book. He read it because it was recommended to him during his time at the “Shepherd’s School” that Calvary Chapel of Finger Lakes hosts every year.
He hesitated to loan it to me, because it was full of his highlights and notes. They are on every page. He obviously enjoyed the book, was encouraged by it, and made changes to his speaking ministry as a result.
What is it about?
It’s an exhortation for Christian pastors and preachers to consider the role of the Holy Spirit in their pulpit ministry.
Dr. Heisler wrote this while serving as the associate professor of Preaching at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. His chapter titles are:
Missing in Action: Where is the Holy Spirit When We Preach?
What is Spirit-Led Preaching?
The Biblical Foundation for Spirit-Led Preaching: Paul, the Prophets and Jesus.
Recovering the Doctrine of Illumination for Spirit-Led Preaching.
Word and Spirit together: The Theological Foundation for Spirit-Led Expository Preaching
The Spirit and the Preacher’s Sanctification.
The Spirit and the Sermon’s Preparation.
The Spirit and the Sermon’s Presentation.
The Holy Spirit and the Anointing: Understanding the Spirit’s Empowerment for Preaching.
His definition of Spirit-Led Preaching is on page 21 in chapter 2. He writes:
“Expository preaching is the Spirit-empowered proclamation of biblical truth derived from the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit by means of a verse-by-verse exposition of the Spirit-inspired text, with a view to applying the text by means of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, first to the preacher’s own heart, and then to the hearts of those who hear, culminating in an authentic and powerful witness to the living Word, Jesus Christ, and obedient, Spirit-filled living.”
It’s easy to see from his definition and chapter titles that this would be very encouraging to a Calvary Chapel pastor who prizes verse-by-verse exposition and relying on the Holy Spirit.
What did I think?
Two simultaneous thoughts…
First, I was thrilled to see how much of the book ministered to my brother. It was evident that he was deeply encouraged, admonished and instructed. He’s been in ministry now about 3 years and developing his gift rapidly. He’s already a sought after speaker, even by the people at my church 6 1/2hrs away.
It’s a needed book. We have some people in our movement that are boring speakers. It doesn’t seem that their heart is connected at all with the things they are teaching, much less having taken the time to get the heart of God in what they are studying and teaching. They are committed to verse by verse teaching, but a lot of it is warmed over material that they received or heard from someone else, somewhere else. We need this encouragement.
The opposite is also true. We have preachers that are all heart and haven’t had their feet held to the fire of a verse-by-verse exposition of a letter, or book of the Bible. That changes and shapes us in all kinds of wonderful ways as a communicator and gives us the opportunity to have our pet doctrines and pet-peeves challenged.
My second thought wasn’t as kind. I’ve been on this track for a few years now, ever since a phone conversation with my friend Dave Vollmer. He commented in our conversation that at this point in my ministry, I am probably doing more meditating than reading commentaries. He was right, but I was at the nascent stages of that. His comment encouraged me to continue meditating, and that has been so fruitful for me and the congregations I’ve served over the years.
So, for me, this book would have been a great choice back in 2008 or ‘09.
Conclusion:
I’m glad it’s out there, glad it was recommended, and I’m glad I read it. But, I did have to push myself through it, choosing to delight in his use of concepts and words and illustrations thinking of who in my orbit would benefit from it.
Let’s place it alongside “Lectures to My Students” by Spurgeon and “Preaching and Preachers” by Lloyd-Jones as something that will give some solid encouragement and instruction in that phase of a preaching career that is still being shaped.
Would you be willing to offer your suggestions for books on preaching and teaching? I’d be interested to hear them in the comments.
soon!
andy
