The Typical IFBx Conference Sermon

~ fundyreformed

A blog acquaintance of mine, who goes by “Regler Joe”, has started up a blog called Big Orange Truck. (You have to read his second post to understand the background to his title.) His blog promises to point out many of my concerns with the IFBx movement.

Recently, he posted about the typical “IFBx Conference Sermon”:

TEXT: it really doesn’t matter.

INTRODUCTION
Any dramatic story, whether true or exaggerated. No need to relate it to the text.

Here are the sermon’s points:
1. Homosexuals are destroying America.
2. You’re not right with God if you go to the movies.
3. Men ought to cut their hair.
4. Bill Clinton is a liar.
5. Women ought to give up britches.
(pause here to make fun of anyone not saying Amen loud enough to your preaching)
6. Hillary is a Jezebel.
7. Rock music is of the devil.
8. You’re not right with God if you’re not soul winning.
9. John Macarthur is a heretic.
10. Billy Graham is a compromiser.
11. If you’re not running buses you’re a liberal.

CONCLUSION
You need to surrender to the full-time ministry.

He concludes with some poignant comments:

“My point is not whether these statements are right or wrong. My point is that these statements are preached ad nauseam at many IFBx conferences, college chapels, etc., NO MATTER WHAT THE TEXT VERSE IS!

Bible preaching is not using Scripture as a “launch pad” into your sermon. Bible preaching is using Scripture as the substance of your sermon.

“Launch pad” homiletics will put you in orbit around the planet of “error and cultic doctrine”. I’ve been there, and let me tell you, re-entry into biblical reality is rough.”
[Read his whole post]

His example sermon is all too common among IFBxs, I am afraid. I have heard countless sermons of this nature to a greater or lesser degree. I have heard many which are not so egregious, too. But most of what I have heard has very little Bible teaching content to it.

I am going to have to dig out my old sermon notebooks to give some examples, one of these days…

∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7

5 thoughts on “The Typical IFBx Conference Sermon”

  1. Bob,
    Great post. I can’t remember where I heard the illustration (I think it was a message by Phil Johnson), but talking about in some branches of Fundamentalism…to make a particular point (like woman shouldn’t wear pants) the preacher just shouts a little louder. No scripture really..maybe some twisted, out of context verse but the less support the louder the shout gets.

    MSims

  3. Mathew Sims,

    AMEN!!!!!!!!!

    PREACH IT BROTHER!!!!!!!!

    (If you have a handkerchief, pull it out now and wave it vigorously while hollering)

    THAT’S BIBLE, BROTHER!!!!!!!!! (Make sure you are waving your KJV 1611, too!)

  5. I can’t help but laugh when every single text in the Bible somehow ties in to soul winning. Every week, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the 12 spies in Canaan, Jesus’ birth, the problems in the Corinthian church–whatever, the REAL meaning behind the text is how we need to be at Thursday night visitation.

Comments are closed.