In 2006, four mutual friends who are also pastors with a passion for the Gospel gathered together for a conference entitled Together for the Gospel. These four pastors, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, and C.J. Mahaney, were joined by R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and John MacArthur. Together they exhorted an international audience of pastors to focus their preaching on that which endures.
 In 2007, Crossway published the messages of this conference as the book Preaching The Cross. (Preview it here.) The book is an invaluable resource for those who were at the conference as well as for those unable to attend. This is one of those books that one comes away from wishing that every pastor would both read and heed. As we look forward to next week's 2008 Together for the Gospel conference, we would do well to remember what was spoken at the first.
Expounding on 1 Corinthians 4, Mark Dever reminds pastors of the importance of placing the preaching of the Word of God front and center in their ministry. He encourages pastors to preach a cross-centered message and to live a cross-centered life.
Ligon Duncan provides pastors with important instruction of the necessity of preaching the Old Testament. He offers eight simple exhortations, reminding pastors to preach the Old Testament expositionally, to preach Christ from it, to preach the one plan of redemption narrated throughout it, to preach grace and the character of God from it, to preach experientially from it and to preach the Christian life from it.
Albert Mohler writes on the importance of preaching with the culture in view. He warns against the danger on the one side of trying to disengage completely from culture and of the danger on the other side of allowing the culture to dominate one's ministry. He emphasizes the need to understand the cultural context in which we minister and explains several facets of our culture.
In his chapter on Justification by Faith, R.C. Sproul reminds us that this doctrine is not only the article upon which the church stands or falls, it is the article upon which you and I stand or fall. He reminds us that this is a doctrine that cannot be compromised for any reason.
John Piper entitles his message, "Peaching as Expository Exultation for the Glory of God." In his message he reminds pastors that their preaching is to be shaped by the weight of the glory of God. He reminds us with powerful words:
God did not ordain the cross of Christ or create the lake of fire in order to communicate the insignificance of belittling his glory. The death of the Son of God and the damnation of unrepentant human beings are the loudest shouts under heaven that God is infinitely holy, and sin is infinitely offensive, and wrath is infinitely just, and grace is infinitely precious, and our brief life -- and the life of every person in your church and in your community -- leads to everlasting joy or everlasting suffering (pp. 105-6).
C.J. Mahaney expounds on 1 Timothy 4:16, reminding pastors of the enormous importance of watching both their doctrine and their life. He warns pastors that a failure to do both can and will have disastrous consequences.
John MacArthur concludes the book with his message: "Why I Still Preach the Bible After 40 Years of Ministry." He outlines ten basic reasons for doing so, and all pastors would do well to reflect on these.
With dozens, if not hundreds, of books each year being marketed to pastors on one church growth fad after another, this book is a refreshing reminder of what really matters. It is about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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Tags: Book Reviews, Preaching
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