Dan Phillips Sermon Series: Thinking Biblically
Pyromaniacs blogger Dan Phillips is now also the pastor at Copperfield Bible Church in Houston, and I’ve had a chance to listen to some of his preaching, including his introductory message to a new series, “Thinking Biblically”: understanding the Bible and systematizing theology.
The audio encryption rate is only 16 bits, thus the voice loses a little quality and sounds a bit metallic, but the words and message are clear enough. After reading his online material for a few years, and his two recently published books, I agree with a friend who noted that his voice doesn’t quite sound like what I expected, and his preaching lacks the sarcastic humor seen online. (No doubt the sarcasm comes from the context of dealing with sometimes difficult people online, a different setting than a local Sunday morning sermon.) I have noted some style similarity, though, as in his use of the word “evidently” both in audio and writing.
His speaking style is easy to follow, casual like his writings. The content is a good example of what all preachers who claim to uphold “sola Scriptura” should preach: actually looking in detail at what the Bible says and what it means. The first message, an introduction to the series, considers three basic questions, and answers them — with scriptural support, in a message that covered a lot of ground in a survey-style approach.
- Is it possible to define the faith? (reference 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Hebrews 1:1-2)
- Is it desirable? Should we put together what the Bible says? (reference Psalm 19, Psalm 119:1)
- Is it Necessary? (Matthew 28:18, John 8:31-32)
On this last point Dan noted the meaning of the word disciple: a pupil, a student. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is not what people often think, that this means to go out and evangelize and save everyone. The wording instead is “make disciples”: enroll students in the school of Christ. A good analogy here, regarding the error of just preaching the basic salvation message and “get everyone saved,” would be if a church were to decide to promote and focus on marriage, and to do so by having a bunch of wedding ceremonies. “The wedding is only the beginning.”
Throughout the listening, I could not help but notice the very obvious contrast between Dan Phillips and the poor preaching seen recently at a certain local church: actually doing what you say you believe, by actually teaching the content of the word of God and explaining why it’s important to study. It’s all too easy to just skim the surface superficially, and make a whole sermon filled with general statements about how important and how valuable God’s word is, and how we uphold “sola scriptura,” and recount the story of Martin Luther upholding the faith, etc. Such a message only becomes hypocrisy, though, when the one preaching it rejects the truth of Genesis 1 and errs at numerous other specific points of scripture, with a superficial and loose interpretive approach of “what it really means.” Unfortunately, it fools a lot of people who only listen to those great words rather than the detail. Yet how much more satisfying is this positive, Bible teaching message, of actually delving into the word of God and noting what the Bible says about itself and about everything else, and to our biblical worldview.
Scripture Thoughts 
That would be a good series to follow Pastor Dan Phillips with! By the way, I do think you make a good point: Some people preach more about preaching the Bible and Sola Scriptura rather than actually preaching the Bible! Oxymoron…and totally ironic…something I pray would not be true in my preaching, but that I would preach Christ and the Word with all it’s gem!
Thanks, Jim. Yes, illustrations and talk about upholding Sola Scriptura are fine to a point, but not when that becomes the whole sermon and nothing else. Praise God for the grace that He works in godly preachers who faithfully expound the word instead of just preaching about the Bible.