Reflexion on Old Testament preaching

Luke 25 : 13 - 35.

Christian preaching preaches Jesus Christ.  ¤

Apostolic preaching preaches the cross.

¤ I don't mean that whatever question the text puts to us, the answer is always Jesus. What I mean is that the Christian gospel is that we are hopeless, helpless rebels by nature and by practice, more wicked that we ever realised, but that God has come in the person of his Son and lived for us and died for us so that we might live now with him for ever, more loved than we ever dreamed.

** rant alert **

What provoked this post was reading some notes on 1 Kings 8 : 22 - 30 where Solomon prays for the temple. No mention of Solomon being the anointed of the Lord (the prototype Jesus). The temple's significance only being the presence of God (what happened to sin?). The point being "walk before God with all your heart and your life will be successful". 

Yeah. Like Solomon.

That kinda stuff just lifts the sinner high and bypasses the cross. "You can walk before God with all your heart. You just gotta get up earlier, try harder, do what you ought to do. That's all. And if you do that then God will make your life successful. 'Cos he's faithful and he's just waiting for you to get to be faithful, too, because him, me and you - we all know you can do it." 

oops - blood pressure going up. stop now, Alan.

Incidentally I don't know if any recording is available, but I would recommend Steven Rees' message that he preached for the BEC some years ago in Liverpool entitled "The King prays for the Temple". I can't supply it but maybe somebody could track down a recording.

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