In D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s sermon excerpt we see it matching McDill’s
Preaching for Faith model. He begins talking about the character of God
and how He can do all things, and nothing is impossible for Him. He points
out how Mary was so confused, but the Angel declares that God is fully
capable of doing what he says, and He will bless who He so chooses. The
preacher is working people up to have faith in What God is saying through
His messenger the Angel Gabriel. The preacher is pointing out that some
things are too wonderous and amazing for man comprehension. God sees
our weakness and our frailty, and He still decides to use it for His Glory.
This preacher’s sermon requires the hearers to have faith that God says
what means and means what He says. The preacher does a great job in
summarizing the story and really helping the people feel like they are
there with Mary listening to the Angel. Indirectly the preacher is telling us
we can and will often come to God with our concerns and confusion, but
God makes it known that He is bigger than our problems and that if we
trust Him, He will perform His Will. A Great sermon to be cherished
indeed!
-
D.L. Moody’s sermon excerpt borders on two of McDills models the first is
Persuasive elements and the second is the Natural analogies. I want to
focus in on the former model, on the persuasive elements. Moody is
developing an explanation as to why and how a person must be Born-
Again. He is using illustration from Genesis and then at the Cross. Moody
demonstrates how God created the World alone without man and God
redeemed man alone without mans help. He acknowledges the argument
some make for working for their Salvation. He admits that Salvation would
certainly be worth working for, but in the end, it is not worked for. He
points out that we as believers don’t work to be saved but we work
because we’ve been saved. Moody points out that a person must be born
again. We can’t make ourself be born. It is a thing only God can do.
Moody’s sermon does a great job capturing this essential truth. Salvation
comes to us and we are born again. One major reason we can’t earn
salvation is because it’s not affordable, it’s a gift. The gift manifests itself
by making us a new creation. We cannot make ourselves new and thus
only God can make us Born Again and new creations. A great sermon to
persuade people of Gods Sufficient and Holiness and that draws men and
women to an act of Faith.
