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awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
John 3:16
It never fails.
It never fails.
Backwoods Presbyterian
Puritanboard Amanuensis
I preached at a PC(USA) church that was decidedly not Reformed and I preached on Romans 3:9-12. You need to start with the basic foundational building blocks.
awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
All jokes aside..Preach The Gospel. On what The Gospel is, and what it is not.
awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
Why avoid theological terminology?
rbcbob
Puritan Board Graduate
Seeking to do good to souls, glorify God, and provide no cause for stumbling. As I understand it this seems like a one-time opportunity. Assuming that the congregation is theologically untaught or misinformed I would not introduce theological terms that will not be comprehended or needlessly provoke the flock and have their minds tuning out the good Word of God.
John Weathersby
Puritan Board Freshman
Jonah 1:15 in comparison with Jonah 2:3; and how the reconciliation of that scripture applies to our lives DAILY! What a sweet truth is providence!
awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
O. okay. Wont the theolgical terms (as long as there is a explanation of these terms) be a good thing? To me, it just seems, that using these terms or encouraging believers to read theology is a great thing. We need a knowledge of God, and avoiding theology is one of the reasons our churches dont know God...
BobVigneault
Bawberator
I have preached in many non-reformed churches. I preached on suffering and the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture and finding Christ in the Old Testament.
charliejunfan
Puritan Board Senior
preach on Romans 9 
Ivan
Pastor
Listen to the voice of experience.
charliejunfan
Puritan Board Senior
No wait! Ephesians 1 or 2
Ivan
Pastor
Two CHAPTERS! That would take a while to unpack!
John Weathersby
Puritan Board Freshman
rbcbob
Puritan Board Graduate
Joshua asked
In a single sermon it is not to be expected that unfamiliar terms will be made clear to a congregation unfamiliar with strong meat.
2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
Ivan
Pastor
Amen, Bob!
Reformed Thomist
Puritan Board Sophomore
Original Sin.
awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
I disagree, but you are the elder...You know better than I do.
christianyouth
Puritan Board Senior
Since most non-Reformed churches today believe a false Gospel(one that does not include repentance) I would preach the historic, biblical doctrine of repentance for the remission of sins.
John Weathersby
Puritan Board Freshman
Wow. That's a rather sweeping statement!
Andrew, I'm going to dispute your assertion that "most non-Reformed churches today believe a false Gospel." They may be incorrect inasmuch as Reformed soteriology goes, but I am not going to cast the "heretic" label on them. Beware of fulfilling the Reformed stereotype. To us does not belong all the known truth of scripture. Terms like Arminian are thrown around so casually that little to no thought is given to the ramifications of such labels.
toddpedlar
Iron Dramatist
Exactly, Bill.
Look, you have one shot, one message. Pick a text and be faithful to it. Do not go looking for some particular text that will somehow win the whole congregation over to the Reformed cause. It ain't gonna happen. Simply do the job that a preacher must do, and set the Word before the people. Let God do the rest. One guest sermon is not the time to be choosing the juiciest most Calvinistic passage and shoving it in their faces.
John Weathersby
Puritan Board Freshman
I agree. Essential and non essentials as named as such because the division is over issues non-essential to salvation. Repentance and Sin, are essential (depending upon the issue) to salvation. This said, it very much depends upon what you mean when you use the term 'reformed'. However, there should not be, of necessity, a conflict between a reformed and non reformed over issues of salvation, repentance, and the gospel
christianyouth
Puritan Board Senior
Hmmm... I don't want to fulfill the Reformed stereotype. I've only encountered a small portion of the non-Reformed community in real life, that being the IFB community. But from poking around on a Baptist message board and listening to the popular non-Calvinist teachers and their idea of salvation, I don't know if I'm way off in saying that most non-Reformed don't preach the true Gospel(in the sense of preaching repentance and faith). But I've already changed so many of my views since being here on the PB, I admit I could be very wrong on this. Thanks for pointing that out.
John Weathersby
Puritan Board Freshman
Andrew,
I think so often we get into a defensive mode/posture and are unwilling to accept correction. I just wanted to stop and point out that you did so humbly; Praise God. (Matt 5:6)
Looking forward to dinner, Rev 19:9
John
Andrew,
When I first became a Calvinist I had a cage stage period. I couldn't talk to anyone about spiritual matters without Calvinism somehow getting into the conversation. As time has gone by I realize how myopic (and annoying) I was.
Not every non-Reformed church is teaching a false gospel. Piper's church isn't Reformed, nor is MacArthur's, and I wouldn't label them as preaching a false gospel.
I appreciate your humility in responding to my post.
I don't know Josh. I'm trying to stay away from the usual guest preacher, "light theology" sermons.
Reformed Thomist
Puritan Board Sophomore
No, but we have the Gospel right at least.
What's the Arminian 'good news' again? That God became Man, died on the Cross, descended into Hell, rose again, and ascended into Heaven... so that every sinner in the world now has an opportunity to choose salvation?
-----Added 7/13/2009 at 07:58:56 EST-----
Piper and MacArthur's churches are Reformed where it counts.
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