But, for the most part, we seek to follow the example of Isaiah who said, “But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept line upon line, line upon line here a little, and there a little ” (Isaiah 28:13). We don’t want to fall into strict legalism where we analyze every sermon to see if it was homiletically correct and expositionally presented. We’re not saying that topical messages are wrong or evil. It doesn’t mean that on occasion we don’t address a particular topic or give topical messages. And that’s why in the majority of the Calvary Chapels, and the most successful ones, you’ll find the systematic teaching of the entire Word of God, going through the Bible from cover to cover.įor the most part, the teaching ministry of Calvary Chapel is expositional in style. We’re currently beginning the eighth round. Now, I believe that I can say to the people at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, “I have declared unto you the whole counsel of God,” because we have taken them from Genesis to Revelation seven times. So the value of going straight through the Bible is that you can say, “I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God.” If you’re only preaching topically, you may also tend to avoid controversial or difficult topics, and the people won’t gain a well-balanced view of God’s truth. The human tendency, however, is to avoid these. They don’t excite the people, but they are necessary issues that have to be dealt with. And there are topics in the Bible that aren’t very inspiring. Topical sermons are good, and they have their place, but when you’re preaching topically, you’re prone by nature to preach only those topics that you like. Once you’ve taken your congregation through the Bible, then you can say to them, “I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God.” Now, how is it possible for a person to claim to have declared, ‘the whole counsel of God?” The only way a person could make that claim to his congregation would be if he taught through the whole Word of God with them, from Genesis to Revelation. As they were on the shore of the Aegean at Miletus, around the coastal area of Ephesus, Paul said that he was innocent of the blood of all men, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27). We see this principle illustrated when Paul met with the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”Ī primary distinctive of Calvary Chapel is our endeavor to declare to people the whole counsel of God.
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