Fundamentalists love preaching. Most love it hot and heavy. We enjoy getting our toes stomped and our hearts tugged. We thrive on a sin-naming, righteousness-exalting, hell fire & brimstone, Bible-packed preaching!
So what does this post and it’s title have to do with preaching? Well, let me explain, if I may.
Remember our recent posts on wine? It was a topic here (see this post and that post) and also at Thirsty Theologian, Captain Headknowledge, and The World from Our Window. The last blog mentioned above is the one that spurred me on to do the posts on the subject at this time. Ken Fields was asking some questions and I tried to give some answers. Well, in subsequent posts Ken continued to discuss the issue. And then Billy Sunday was mentioned. Yes the beer-blasting, booze-battling, liquor-loathing, wine-hating, fiery, evangelist Billy Sunday. The world remembers him for his contribution to Prohibition and most fundamentalists remember him for that signature style–oh! and also for his gospel campaigns and numerical results. He was a preacher of yesteryear who was not afraid to call sin sin, and who also loved Jesus so much he did everything (including foam at the mouth and act like a nut) to get the message of salvation out.
And Billy Sunday’s mention resulted in this post by Ken Fields: Billy Sunday, Alcohol, and Moralism: A Fundamentalist’s Conundrum. He highlighted that Billy Sunday’s most famous sermon “Boston Booze” contained no mention of Christ, only one mention of sin or grace, and little mention of God. Of course it majored on the evils of booze. Ken found the sermon and the legacy of Sunday’s “moralistic” preaching troubling. And rightly so, although we should specify that Sunday was known for more than just moralism, and many were converted in Christ-exalting, Christ-focused sermons. But still, this kind of preaching which Sunday evidenced in at least one sermon, and which other fundamentalists’ have made all too common is very troubling.
I mentioned this very kind of preaching in a previous post, provocatively titled “Stomping Toes and Stomping Souls: The Moralistic Bent of Fundamentalist Preaching”. I pointed out that preaching against sin without a tie in to the gospel can be dangerous. Christ-less sermons should always be seen as dangerous. The problem is that apart from Christ there is no possibility of righteousness, no hope of acceptance with God, and so flesh-driven, self-reliant, moralism is an enemy of the Gospel. And sermons about moral virtues, character, and righteous living that do not reiterate that we are unable to attain the standards of God and thus need Christ, do more harm often than they do good. Many a person “pulls himself up with his bootstraps” and “grits his teeth” and determines to toe the line. In some circles the line is full of extra-Biblical standards. And this man does it! He does it all in his own strength, completely opposite of the teaching of:
Gal. 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Well, I gave Ken a big amen, and he was even linked to by Sharper Iron (in its filings). The ensuing thread at Sharper Iron attracted quite a few Sunday defenders. And most missed the whole point of Ken’s post. This prompted him to spit out another entitled aptly “More on Moralism in the Pulpit”. There he made it as clear as he could: “ALCOHOL IS NOT THE ISSUE, MORALISM IS!”
If you are interested in how the thread at Sharper Iron turned out, the discussion is continuing. Check it out, but especially notice my latest comment.
UPDATE: Ken Fields posted a follow up where he gives a long quote by Bryan Chapell from his book Christ Centered Preaching. I do not actually have the book, although I have flipped through it before. It is a great book which makes the point in these posts much better than I do. Anyway go over and read Ken’s post: Sub-Christian Messages in Preaching.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Ken has given us yet another post with an excellent quote from Jay Adams on this very issue. Be sure to check that post out!
∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7
Bob,
I’m a regular at SharperIron, and I’ve followed the thread over there with some interest. Not surprisingly, there are a few ‘fighting fundamentalists’ who will defend the “Mannagod” regardless of his lack of theological understanding, training, and academic credentials (let alone his spiritual qualifications set forth in Scripture). The issue isn’t the “Mannagod”, but rather the methodology and practices of the ‘fiery fundamentalist’ who preaches a Christless morality. I’m ashamed that some on SharperIron have taken a side and turned away from a reasonable critique of Billy Sunday; this is not my fundamentalism!
Check out the update about Ken’s newest post!
Bob,
I saw your post over at SharperIron (at 12:30 today, 8/17/2006) which quoted Ken Fields’ quotation from a book written by Bryan Chapell. That’s why we need to preach Christ and Him crucified! I wonder if many fundamentalists see the error of ‘morality preaching’ where Christ’s substitionary death and resurrection, grace and truth are left out, essentially neutering the Gospel of CHRIST. Chapell’s example is humbling and startling to say the least. I’m glad that you posted this on SharperIron, and please keep up the ‘fight’ (you, you fightin’ fundy, you!) :o)
Check out another great post from Ken Fields with a quote on this topic from Jay adams.