www.preaching.com/resources/book_reviews/11563041/ -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 1/1/2008
Last Visited: 2/15/2008
By Greg Heisler
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That is why Greg Heisler's book Spirit-Led Preaching is so important.Heisler, an assistant professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, offers a comprehensive, biblical evaluation of the role the Holy Spirit plays in the preparation and presentation of the preached Word of God.Heisler begins with a recognition of the renewed interest in biblical exposition in recent years, then indicates that his own book is "a call issued to preachers, pastors and teachers of homiletics to recover the Holy Spirit for expository preaching in the same way we have recovered the biblical text."He asserts that "the preacher must come to see preaching as the Spirit's ministry, not the preacher's own ministry.The Spirit is the one who does the preaching through the proclamation of the Word."
Initially, Heisler discusses the current state of preaching and why the role of the Spirit seems to get so little attention.He includes a powerful observation by A.J. Gordon: "Our generation is rapidly losing its grip upon the supernatural; and as a consequence, the pulpit is rapidly dropping to the level of the platform.
And this decline is due, more than anything else, to ignoring the Holy Spirit as the supreme inspirer of preaching.We would rather see a great orator in the pulpit, forgetting that the least expounder of the Word, when filled with the Spirit, is greater than he."
Heisler proceeds to discuss biblical teachings about the Spirit's role in preaching, specifically in analyzing Old Testament prophetic preaching and Paul's preaching in the New Testament.He includes chapters on the illumination of the Spirit, developing a proper theology of Word and Spirit, then deals with the role of the Spirit in the preacher's life, and in the preparation and presentation of the sermon.
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Greg Heisler has provided an outstanding resource to those who preach in reminding us of why and how the Spirit makes a difference in preaching.