PREACHWITHCLARITY:PROPHETIC PREACHING THAT MOVES THE SOUL AND MAKES A DIFFERENCE

AT THE 2016 INTERNATIONAL PASTORS &LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE #PL2016

Dr.AntipasL.HarrisAssociate Professor, Regent University

President, GIELD, Inc.

@drantipaswww.antipasharris.com

WHAT IS“PROPHETIC PREACHING?”

ClarifyingtheDefinition

PropheticUtterancesVersus

PropheticPreaching

PropheticChristianity“…PropheticChristianity...isthecallforrenewalandtranformation inthequesttoresistempireandestablishalternativespheresofpeace,justice,reconciliation,hope, andredemption intheworld....Itisatheologyofdifferencerootedinthepropheticcallforjusticeandreconciliationinthechurch andsociety.”

JohnnyBernardHill,PropheticRage:APostcolonialTheologyofLiberation

PropheticMinistry“Thetaskofpropheticministryistonurture,nourish,andevokeaconsciousness,andperceptionalternativetotheconsciousnessandperceptionofthedominantculturearoundus.Thus,Isuggestthatpropheticministryhastodonotprimarilywithaddressingspecificpubliccrisesbutwithaddressing,inseasonandoutofseason,thedominantcrisisthatisenduringandresilient,ofhavingouralternativevocationcooptedanddomesticated.”

WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination

TheProphet“Theprophet issomeonewhoisonfireforjustice,hypersensitivetothesufferingofothers,especiallytheweak,thevulnerable,thefatherless,motherless…Apropheticpersontellsthetruth,exposeslies,bearswitnessandthen,usually,ispushedtothemarginsorshotdead.”

CornellWest,BlackPropheticFire

PropheticPreaching“Propheticpreachingisdangerouswork,notonlybecauseithasasubversiveedgebutbecauseitrequiresanepistemologicalbreakwiththeassumedworldofdominantimagination.Thisepistemologicalbreakmakesusawareofourassumptionswehavenotrecognizedorreflectedupon.”

WalterBrueggemann,ThePracticeofPropheticImagination

PropheticPreachingiswhenYouTellitLikeitI-S…IS!

•Propheticpreachingisclear preaching:•Clearconviction– don’tleavepeoplewonderingwhatyoubelieve.•Clearmessage– morethanagreatdelivery;everybodyneedstoknowwhatthemessageis.•Cleararticulation– tellitwell.Maketheirearsstandup!

EXAMPLES OF GREATPROPHETIC PREACHING

IsabellaBaumfree (SojournerTruth)wasapropheticpreacher.TheSpiritstirredherup.Shewasfullofaboldconvictiontopreachanunpopular butclearmessage.Herdictionwasnotclearbuthermessagewasarticulate– “Ain’t IaWoman?”

“IfthefirstwomanGodevermadewasstrongenoughtoturntheworldupsidedownallalone,thesewomentogetheroughttobeabletoturnitback,andgetitrightsideupagain!Andnowtheyisaskingtodoit,themenbetterletthem.”SojournerTruth,“Ain’t IaWoman?”

ThismessageborethefullweightofanoffensivebutliberatinggospelamidstAmericanmisogynyandblackoppression.

FrederickDouglasswasapropheticpreacher.TheSpiritstirredhimup.Hewasfullofaboldconvictiontopreachanunpopular butclearmessage.He“criedloud”againsttheestablishedchurchthatdidnothingtobreakthebackofslaveryandprejudiceagainstblacksformanyyears.

CornelWestsuggeststhat,“IdaB.Wellswas‘prophetic’lookedAmericanterrorismintheface.Shelookedlynchingintheface.ShewasrunoutofTennessee— bountyonherhead— andthenwenttoEngland.Shewaswillingtospeaktruthsatthecostoflife.”

Isaiahwasprophetic.Hetestifies(Isaiah6:1–8),Intheyearthat KingUzziah diedI sawtheLordsittinguponathrone,highandliftedup;andthetrain ofhisrobefilledthetemple…And thefoundationsofthethresholdsshookatthevoiceofhimwhocalled,and thehousewasfilledwithsmoke. AndIsaid:“Woeisme! ForIamlost; forIamamanofuncleanlips,andIdwellinthemidstofapeopleofuncleanlips;formyeyeshaveseenthe King,the LORD ofhosts!”…AndIheardthevoiceoftheLordsaying,“WhomshallIsend,andwhowillgofor us?”ThenIsaid,“HereIam!Sendme.” 9Andhesaid,“Go,andsaytothispeople…”

Paulwasapropheticpreacher.InActs9hetestifies,

“Nowashewentonhisway,heapproachedDamascus,andsuddenlyalightfromheavenshonearoundhim. Andfallingtothegroundheheardavoicesayingtohim, ’Saul,Saul,whyareyoupersecutingme?’ Andhesaid,‘Whoareyou,Lord?’”

TheLordJesuswasprophetic.InLuke4:18-19Jesussays,

“‘TheSpiritoftheLord isuponme,becausehehasanointedmeto proclaimgoodnewstothepoor.

Hehassentmetoproclaimlibertytothecaptivesand recoveringofsighttotheblind,tosetatlibertythosewhoareoppressed,to

proclaimtheyearoftheLord'sfavor.’”

“AstudyoftheprophetsofIsraelmusttrytotakeintoaccountboththeevidenceoftheOldTestamentandthecontemporarysituationofthechurch.WhatweunderstandabouttheOldTestamentmustbesomehowconnectedwiththerealitiesofthechurchtoday.”

WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination

“Idecidedthatitwasnotwisdomthatenabledpoetstowritetheirpoetrybutakindofinstinctorinspiration,suchasyoufindinseersandprophetswhodeliveralltheirsublimemessageswithoutknowingintheleastwhattheymean.”

Socrates

ThePrivilegeofPropheticPreaching

ACALL TO ACTION“PropheticministryconsistsofofferinganalternativeperceptionofrealityandinlettingpeopleseetheirownhistoryinthelightofGod’sfreedomandhiswillforjustice.”

WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination

TheProblemofPropheticPreaching

“‘Propheticpreaching,’undertakenbyworkingpastors,isprofoundlydifficultandleavesthepreacherinanambiguousandexposedposition.

TheProblemofPropheticPreachingThetaskisdifficultbecausesuchapreachermustatthesametime‘speaktruth’whilemaintainingabudget,amembership,andaprograminacontextthatisoftennotpreparedforsuchtruthfulness.Indeed,giventheseductionsandaccommodationsofmanycongregations,nottomentionlargerjudicatoriesinthechurch,suchvenuesareoftennotreadilyvenuesfortruth-telling.”

WalterBrueggemann,ThePracticeofPropheticImagination

TheProblemofPropheticPreaching(Cont’d)

MarvinMcMickle explainsthreethingsthathavecontributedtothedemiseofpropheticpreaching:1. Anoverzealouspreoccupationwiththeplaceof

praiseinsomechurchesandservicesofworship(whichhasresultedinpastors’downplayingorignoringthepainandsufferingofourworld);

TheProblemofPropheticPreaching(Cont’d)

2. Afalseandnarrowviewofpatriotism(thathassometimesequatedunqualifiedpraiseofcountrywithloveofcountry);

3. Afocusinpreachingonpersonalenrichmentthemesoraprosperitygospeltotheexclusionordetrimentofthegospel’sbroadersocialjusticeclaims.MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?

TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching

CONSERVATIVES:Thereisacommonconservativeassumptionisthattheprophetsweremerelypredictors,thosewhotellthefuture,withparticularreferencetopredictionsofthecomingChrist.

WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination

TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching(Con’t)

“Aproblemwithconservativesisthattheybootstraptopartypoliticalagendas,assumingthattheyhavethegreatestadvantageforsocialimpact.ConservativeChristiansdefinethemselvesmoresoalongthepoliticalveinof‘familyvalues’andabortionandignoringotherimportantjusticeissues.“

MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?

TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching

LIBERALS:Thereisacommonliberalassumptionthattheprophetsweresocialactivistswhoworkedtoestablishsocialjustice.However,theancientprophetsonlyrarelytookupanyconcretesocialissue.

WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination

TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching

Aproblemwithliberalsisthattheybootstraptopartypoliticalagendas,assumingthattheyhavethegreatestadvantageforsocialimpact.LiberalChristians,then,definethemselvesprimarilyinaccordancewithhumansexualityandgayrightsandignoringotherimportantjusticeissues.

MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?

PropheticPreachingintheContextofPropheticChristianity“ThetraditionofpropheticChristianitystillrepresentsoneofthemostpowerfulaspectsoftheChristiannarrative.ItistheelementofChristianitythatdemandconstantrenewalandreform,thatrefusestorestwithdoctrinesandcreedsalone,butcallsforimmediateandunrequitedjustice,love,peace,healingandreconciliation inGod’screation.”

JohnnyB.Hill,PropheticRage