NICHOLS-ROY BIBLE COLLEGE

Article Review Developing a Transformative Theology for Preaching

Submitted to: Rev. M. C. Laloo

In Partial Fulfilment of the Course

Spiritual Formation- NCM/2302

Due Date: July 10, 2018 Date Submitted: July 10, 2019

Expected Word Count/Page Number: 1000 Actual Word Count/Page number: 1003/3pages

I declare that this assignment is my own unaided work. Every idea or phrase that is not my own
has been duly acknowledged.

Signature: ________________

By

Micky Donald K. Bani

July 10, 2019

 O`Lynn, Robert. “Developing a Transformative Theology for Preaching.” 99-111

1. Background of the Authors

Robert O’Lynn is Assistant Professor of Preaching and Ministry and Director of the Bible and
Ministry Program at Kentucky Christian University. His concentration is on homiletics (111).

2. Summary

From this article that Robert O’Lynn wrote, from the first part, he said: “God can exist and does
exist without good preaching and in spite of bad preaching.” (99). It is truly like what he said
because God can exist whether good or bad preaching; preaching is the command of God to His
people. God can exist because He is the creator of all things. Again another wonderful line he
wrote “the church cannot be the church without preaching. And preaching cannot be preaching
without God.” (99). From this perspective that he brought it really true because the church
cannot grow without preaching every church have preached because there is no church that will
exist without preaching. Preaching without God cannot be an affect or touch the heart of people,
even though the preaching can be so good but it won`t be good because the preaching is without
God.

Robert said the propose of the theology plan first we have to begin to define the term very clear.
“In today`s Church structure, little difference is seen between preaching and sermon” (99) this
very true that in today`s church there is a difference between preaching and sermon, and it has to
be different because preaching has to preach to any place especially to a place that Christianity is
not yet accepted by people to preach it is an action or to deliver the message or sermon. Sermon
is to frame the structure and it contains more theological because a person has to seat and prepare
for the structure of the message. Also preaching is to instruct the church, “sermon does not share
equal cognate” (100) Sermon is to implement preaching and it is the subject. The spiritual
transformation is the goal of preaching, a person need a spiritual transformation first before he
stand on the platform of preaching to preaching without spiritual transformation it won`t be an
affective preaching.

Robert said, “if we believe that simple behavioural change is the goal of preaching, then we
replace the sermon with therapy session.” (100) simple behaviour doesn`t change the way of

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preaching and it doesn`t help like Robert said if we believe simple behaviour is the goal of
preaching then it will replace everything. Sermon is a time of encounter with God while framing
the structure and at the same time to transform the spiritual life.

Preaching need a theological structure, every preaching should have theological and also
preaching is the communication towards people. “This also means that communication can be
affected by factors such as content, structure, mechanics and culture.” (101) the structure should
be very affective in the preaching and also the doctrine should be on according to the word of
God, because the word of God is living and active. The listener will be affected by how the
preacher preaching the word of God with a strong content and affective structure, it will make
the hearer to be concentrate in what the preacher preach.

The second theological structure that Robert brought hereis the trouble and grace he said trouble
is a law and grace is the gospel. He said grace has no strength without trouble or law, “these two
elements are theological poles that humanity finds itself tethered between.” (102). There is a
problem with this structure that can be misunderstand as a triumphant theology it is a sort of
liberation theology that promise all things will work for our good rather than God works for
good.

“Each person who stands to deliver a sermon to a congregation does so with some type of
purpose.” (103) this purpose is to develop the sermon and to guide the preacher through the
various stages of sermon. Parents and pries should take the opportunity to teach the meaning of
God`s word to their children and the youth so that the nation can grow in faith and obedience.

His reflection on this articles is a thinking about the meaning of the scripture and thinking about
the Christians. He said just simply study and learned Scripture is not enough for the spiritual
transformation but we need to put it into practice for what we have read and learn from the
Scripture. To draw he image of Jesus Christ in our daily life.

This application that Robert O`Lynn had drawn is very wonderful “we must do our best to
present [ourselves] to God as one approved by Him (2Tim. 2:15)” (106) we really need to
change ourselves before we take a decision to stand and preach let people seen Christ in us, and
if we did not change our life we are not preaching. Every preacher need to be transform in

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spiritual life, we must practice for what we preach or else our preaching will be just a preaching
without anything affected to ourselves.

3. Critique

After having read and summarize this article it really helps to understand the meaning of
preaching and sermon the different between these two. From the first paragraph itself the author
had mentioned that God can exist without good or bad preaching because He is the one who
create all things. Like in today’s world church are always exist even when is bad or good
preaching, because most of the church are just do it for their own benefit only not for the Lord,
this article it help people to understand the meaning of preaching. I agree with what he
mentioned in this article that preaching is a bit different from sermon.

4. Evaluation

This articles help the reader to understand the meaning of preaching and sermon and the different
between preaching and sermon, preaching is the action of sermon after the preparation there is a
time that have to put it into practice or to act what it had prepare.