In picking two preachers from our textbook the first one I have chosen is D.L Moody.
In this excerpt “The New Birth” I believe falls under persuasive speech. McDill states
that, “Preaching that does not aim to persuade is not preaching in the best
sense.”[1] In this excerpt Moody is trying to get his audience to understand that
Salvation is something that is worth working for but not received from working. He
tells of his desire to receive a letter from home and not having any money because
he had spent it all. The letter he finally receives is from his sister and most of the
letter is to inform him to watch out for pick pocketers within the city. The problem
here is that he has nothing in his pockets to pick. He paints a visual for his listeners
to persuade them that salvation is a gift and must be obtained first before anything
can be worked out. He plainly conveys that fact that one cannot work with anything
that they do not already have, and this includes salvation that can only be accepted
as a gift through Christ Jesus out Lord. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
The next preacher I have chosen is Jerry Falwell and in his sermon excerpt “Never
Quit”. This sermon I believe falls under the model of preaching for Faith. In this
excerpt Falwell let’s people know that just because you are a Christian does not
make you exempt from trouble. He states that “Knowing Christ simply means
deliverance in trouble, and that’s very different.”[2] He gives the example of the fiery
furnace and how they did not get to skip the furnace just because they worshipped
God. They did however get delivered from the trouble in the furnace. Falwell
encourages people to never quit and keep faith, face your problems head on, and be
champions for Christ. Which is still the model for Liberty University today. This
sermon excerpt is still very relevant today with some people’s misconception that if
I trust in God then all my trouble will go away. Which is not what the Bible says as
stated by Falwell in his sermon. Falwell says that the reason most Christians are in
trouble is because of their wrong view of trouble. a a
a a a a a a
[1] Wayne McDill (2015). (p. 118). 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching. B & H
Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com a
[2] Benjamin K Forrest (2019). (p. 536). A Legacy of Preaching, Volume Two:
Enlightenment to the Present Day. Retrieved from
https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com
