Top Quotes and Takeaways From Doctrine That Dances by Robert Smith, Jr.
As part of A Year of Books on Preaching, I’m posting a review a month of a preaching book, and then a list of quotes and takeaways.
I posted a review of Julius Kim’s book Doctrine That Dances earlier this week. Here are some of the top quotes and takeaways from his book.
Top Ten Quotes
Doctrine and joy interpenetrate and are intertwined. (p. 1)
The preacher who handles the Word must first be touched by that same Word. (p. 2)
Doctrine without worship is empty. Worship without doctrine leads to ignorance. (p.5)
Doctrinal preaching is the escorting of the hearers into the presence of God for the purpose of transformation. (p. 25)
The greatest divorce to take place in the church in the last fifty years is the divorce between the minister of music and the minister of Christian education. (p. 85)
Joy in preaching is contagious. (p. 109)
It is impossible for the preacher to bring up information to the first floor of articulation when the basement of preparation is bare and empty. (p. 115)
Fred Craddock said to the Lord on his way to the pulpit, “Lord, here goes nothing. Let's see what you are going to do with nothing today.” (p. 162)
Wouldn't it be something for preachers to love the Lord and communicate the message the way jazz musicians do it? They have a hobby and a vocation, and preachers have a calling. Preachers should be able to get up with the same verve, vivacity, and winsomeness. (p. 163)
Soft theology won't sustain us on the battlefield. Marching into battle with superficial, false, and flimsy ideas of God is like going to war with a popgun tucked under your arm. (quoting Carolyn C. James, p. 168)
Takeaways
- We must engage listeners with both doctrine and joy in our preaching.
- Preachers must preach doctrine to both correct and prevent errors, even when it’s not popular. If it’s presented with joy and accuracy, people will begin to crave it.
- Preachers must exegete both the text and the hearers faithfully. We must pay attention to the questions voiced by culture.
- We must preach to the head through ideas, and also to the heart through metaphors, pictures, analogies, and images. We need both substance and style.
- Learn cadence from other streams of preaching. “Begin low; Proceed slow; Rise higher; Take fire; When most impressed, Be self-possessed; To Spirit wed form; Sit down in a storm.” (p. 41)
- Leave the study full with more than you think you need, and then preach yourself empty in the pulpit.
- Know when to challenge and when to comfort. Preachers must do both.
- Prepare well, but leave room for spontaneity in your delivery. Preach with joy.
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