The Scottish Method

I recently put this on  a blog I have called Sermon Illustrations (See here)
One of the things that all faithful preachers must speak about is sin. It must be done faithfully bit carefully. In his 1969 work The Homiletical Innovations of Andrew W. Blackwood (Studies in Preaching; No. 3) the pastoral theologian Jay E. Adams says that the homiletician Blackwood (1882-1966) advocated the use of the Scottish method in this area. That is to say, you preach against your own sins with the hope that even where people are not tempted in the same way as you they see how they can make a similar application to themselves.

I have heard many preachers do this well. Clearly if you are tempted to murder your kids or run off with the woman next door best to confess that to the Lord and say no more about it. What you want is a sin pr temptation that exposes our shallow and wicked nature but that is easily forgiven by most.

So for example, I heard an American preacher once describing how now that the children have grown up and left the nest he and his wife like from time to time to lie in bed watching TV or something of that sort. He will be sent downstairs for ice cream at some point further enhancing the evening's enjoyment. He then describes how, having filled two bowls he spend the time ascending the stairs carefully weighing up which might be the bigger of the two so he can give the other to his spouse. I think that is a neat way of exposing the greed that lurks in his own heart and in yours and mine too, no doubt.

Another time I heard a minister from the North of England describe how on a hospital visit, as he left the car park, he managed to bump another car. Quite candidly, he described how he seriously considered for some moments simply driving off and saying nothing. But how could he? And so he began to frame a note to put on the car he had hit. Again it is an identifiable way of exposing the selfishness and the lack of love that lurks in all our hearts. My be you would never dream of not opening up but no doubt there are other areas where you would be tempted not to do the right thing.

A third example would be an older Englishman who has ministered all his life in Scotland. I remember him describing how he has set there writing a letter to a grand child and in his head he has congratulated himself on how wonderful he is writing to the child such a wonderful spiritual letter. Again, it makes the speaker look a little silly and exposes his pride and self-regard - something we all share in common.

Each preacher has to think of his own example. The one that comes most forcefully to my mind in this area is the way on a Sunday we will be singing a hymn I have chosen and I will notice how well some of the words fit with what has been preached or is about to be preached, even though I did not choose the hymn for that reason. I imagine others in the congregation thinking "Oh, he's worked so hard on this and found such appropriate words." In truth, I doubt if anyone is thinking such a thing. it still exposes my pride and my willingness to take credit where no credit is due. It is a good example to take as it self-mocks and points to the foolishness and wickedness that lies in all our hearts.

Jay Adams on forgiveness

Helpful article found here. Adams has a whole book on the subject.

What a wonderful word! Yet, what does it mean? How do you grant forgiveness; and, for what?

As much as Christians talk about forgiveness, you’d think they could tell you all about it. Yet, there is hardly one in a thousand who can give sound, Biblical answers to the questions above.

Forgiveness of others is to be modeled on one’s own forgiveness by Christ: “… forgiving one another just as God, in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

Forgiveness must be extended to all who say they repent—even if the offense has been repeated (Cf. Luke 17:3). But it is only to be granted to those who confess wrong doing, claim to be repentant, and ask forgiveness (Prov. 28:13). In Mk. 11:25, Jesus tells you to forgive those who wronged you when you pray, thereby avoiding bitterness and resentment (Eph. 4:32). But, that is different from granting the wrongdoer forgiveness. You do that only when he repents. Forgiveness of others must reflect god’s forgiveness; He forgave you when you repented.

Some unthinking Christians advise forgiving another whether or not he confesses sin. But they misunderstood forgiveness. They urge this to benefit the one who forgives. Yet, it was for your benefit that God forgave you. Their self-centered concept of forgiveness is unbiblical. God did not forgive you until you repented, admitted you were a sinner, and believed. Indeed, even now, when God dispenses parental forgiveness, He says, “…if you don’t forgive men, then your Father won’t forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:15).

Some think when Christ prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” He forgave apart from repentance. But Jesus granted no one forgiveness by those words. He was asking God to forgive. Did God answer? Yes. On the day of Pentecost, thousands of those same people were converted, and their sins were forgiven. But, that did not happen apart from the means. Peter called on them to repent and believe in order to receive forgiveness (Cf. Acts 2:38).

Because in forgiving one promises not to bring up the offender’s sin, to him, to others, or to himself, it is not right to forgive before repentance. Jesus requires you to confront an offender (Matt. 18:15ff) in order to bring about reconciliation. If he refuses to listen to you, instead of forgiving him, you must tell one or two others. If he won’t hear them, then you must tell the church. Indeed, apart from repentance, the matter, must be brought up to an increasingly larger number of persons. Why? Through their aid to win the offender. In love, true forgiveness seeks not to relieve the forgiver, but to deliver the offender from his burden of guilt. Out of concern for the other person, the offended party pursues the offender until the matter is settled before God and men. Any bitterness on his part, Jesus said, must be dealt with in prayer. Because forgiveness is a promise not to refer negatively to the offender’s sin any more, it would be utterly inconsistent to forgive an unrepentant person before Church discipline has been successfully used.

People who try to be kinder than God, end up becoming cruel to others. The kind thing is not to focus on relief for one’s self, by forgiving others whether they repent or not, but by every Biblical means to win offenders. It may seem unkind to bring matters up again and again when an offender refuses to be reconciled, but you must do so, not to irritate, but to help relieve him of the burden of his sin. To ignore him and focus on one’s self, saying, “feel better since I forgave Bob, even though he didn’t seek forgiveness,” is the epitome of the modern, self-centered psychological heresy.

Seeking forgiveness is not apologizing. There is nothing in the Bible about apologizing—the World’s substitute for forgiveness that doesn’t get the job done. You apologize, and say “I’m Sorry,” but have not admitted your sin. The offended party feels awkward, not knowing how to respond. You are still holding the ball. You asked him to do nothing. But, confess your sin to him saying, “I have asked God to forgive me, and now I’m asking you,” and you pass the ball to the other person. You ask him to bury the matter for good. Jesus commands him to say “yes,” thereby making the promise that God does: “Your sins and you iniquities will I remember against you no more.” That brings the matter to a conclusion. Apologizing does not.

Is there someone to whom you should go ask forgiveness? Has someone sought it from you to whom you said “Once, yes; twice, maybe; three times, no!”? Perhaps there is someone whom you have never confronted about a matter that has brought about an unreconciled condition between you. Are any of these problems outstanding? Then you have business to attend to. Why not settle the matter today?

You don’t have to feel like it to forgive. Forgiveness is a promise that you can make and keep, whether you feel like it or not. And, it is easier to forgive another—even when he sins against you seven times a day—when you remember Christ’s great sacrifice for you sins by which He forgave you. And, then too, remember how many times a day He forgives you ever since you have become a believer. One other fact may help. If you have truly forgiven, it isn’t the fifth, of the third; it’s not even the second time. If you have truly buried the matter, truly forgiven—it’s always the first.

Honey and spiders

Good illustrations come from a preacher’s own background. Charles Haddon Spurgeon kept bees. Some of his richest illustrations had to do with honey—its sweetness, the way it drips through your fingers, etc.

Jonathan Edwards as a young man studied and wrote a book on spiders. When he preached his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, one of the most powerful moments in the sermon came when he spoke of a human being hanging, suspended by a single spider’s web, over the gaping pit of hell.

So, preacher, you don’t have to go to the illustration books where you’ll find mostly stale material. You don’t have to steal your examples from other preachers. Talk about what you know best. Barnhouse used to say that the whole material world is illustrative of the spiritual. All you need is the eyes to see.

Come on, now. What are some of your hobbies? Interests? Pastimes? There is a wealth of illustrations there. How about your travel, adventures? Oh? You’re not an interesting person; you don’t go for trips in exotic lands? So what? Are bees, or honey, or spiders, or their threads exotic? Of course not. They were just things that Spurgeon and Edwards knew something about and they framed illustrations around that knowledge.

You know something—or you’re dead! So start ransacking your brain about matters in your everyday existence to find those illustrations that are packed away just waiting for the light of day to shine upon them. They will possibly be the very best illustrations you could ever use. Why? Because you can speak most confidently about that which you know well.

Found this here.