Preaching radical grace
Tullian Tchividjian is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A Florida native, he is a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. What he has to share about sermons seasoned with grace is encouraging and enlightening. Read this extract from SermonCentral.com and if you like the article and want to know how he prepares his sermons, read the rest HERE.
SermonCentral: How can pastors evaluate their sermons to see if they’re really preaching Jesus + nothing? What kind of litmus test can we take to make sure we get grace right in our preaching?
Tullian: The litmus test that I use for myself is that if people walk away from my sermons thinking more about what they need to do than what Jesus has already done, I’ve failed to preach the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has done for me what I could never do for myself. And a lot of preaching these days is “do more, try harder,” like you said. It’s behavior modification. We come to church expecting God to give us a to-do list or the preacher to give us a to-do list. As long as we are given a to-do list, we maintain some measure of control over our lives. Just tell me what to do.
This message of radical grace, that “it is finished,” is difficult for the human heart, the sinful heart to grasp because we’re so afraid of control being wrestled out of our hands. So we come to church saying, “Pastor, my marriage is in trouble…my children are going off the deep end…my business is failing…I’m coming to you as the expert to tell me what to do to fix my own life…” And as a result, our lives get worse, not better, because we’re taking matters into our own hands.
So my job at the end of every sermon—and this is the grid by which I preach—I preach God’s law, and then I preach God’s Gospel. Both are good. The law diagnoses my need and shows me that my best is never good enough. So I’m always trying to help our people realize that they’re a lot worse than they realize and they’re a lot more incapable than they think they are. But the good news is that God is more than capable, that He’s already done everything we need for Him to do. He’s already secured in Christ everything we long for. So my job at the end of every sermon is to, in some way, shape, or form, encourage our people by saying, “Cheer up. You’re a lot worse off than you think you are, but God’s grace is infinitely larger than you could have ever hoped or imagined. It is finished.”
And what I’ve discovered is that the people who lean on “it is finished” most are the ones who end up being the most free and whose lives change the most. It’s the people who constantly demand to-do lists and then preachers who capitulate to that demand and give them to-do lists, those are the people who get worse. I’ve realized, and I’m only 39 years old, but I’ve realized the more I try to get better, the worse I get. I’m just realizing I am a narcissist. I think way too much about how I’m doing, if I’m doing it right, have I confessed every sin. In other words, I’m thinking much more about me and what I need to do than Jesus and what He’s already done. And as a result, I’m not getting better. I’m getting worse.
I’ve come to the realization that when I stop obsessing over my need to improve, that is improvement. When I stop obsessing narcissistically over my need to get better, that is what the Bible means by getting better. That’s why Paul was able to say at the end of his life, “I’m the worst guy that I know, and the work of grace in my life is that I’m free to tell you that.” I think the whole notion of what it means to progress in the Christian life has been radically misunderstood. Progress in the Christian life is not “I’m getter better and better and better…” Progress in the Christian life is, “I’m growing in my realization of just how bad I am and growing in my appreciation of just how much Jesus has done for me.”
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True, we need both sides of the message to balance up. The problems come when Christians listen to grace message too much become lopsided and live a life not worthy of a Christian. Remember the bible gave us a parameter of how christian should behave e.g. In book of James, 1 & 2 Corinthians, etc However, we must always remember that we cannot do it with our own strength but through the grace of God by the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Hi Thinker, I think the author uses the law in his sermons to show Christians the futility of thinking that they can ever earn and deserve God’s favor and blessing and approval by fulfilling certain behavioral standards. There are always people including Christians who think that way. The law has a way of showing us we can never wing it. We always fall short. Only Jesus had lived the sinless life – and that righteousness has now been revealed and made available to us in the good news.
Sounds so much like Pastor Prince… I wonder if Billy Graham’s grandson is branded a heretic by other pastors, just as Pastor Prince often was.
Yes Stanley there are actually other preachers who preach like Tchividjian using a Lutheran law-grace model. Tchividjian has gone farther than others though, in my opinion.
The gospel of grace is also proclaimed by pastors, preachers and authors from the Gospel Coalition. The difference probably lie in specifics of the “gospel of grace”. Many of these folk stick with the need to return to the fundamentals of justification by faith and declaration of what Christ has done, as opposed to the moralistic and pragmatic “how to”, and “do it yourself” Christian living messages sounding off from many a modern pulpit.
Why you have to titled it “radical grace” ? Grace is grace if you fully understand it. You mean there is less radical grace?
Thinker2, Just picked a title from author’s line: “This message of radical grace, that “it is finished,” is difficult for the human heart, the sinful heart to grasp because we’re so afraid of control being wrestled out of our hands.” When grace has become so deeply embedded in a humanistic “we can do it by our own efforts” mentality, then perhaps something has to be done at the root level, that is a message of radical (radix-root) grace.
Generally, our concept of the Gospel of Grace is only for salvation but it is also for progressive sanctification. Jerry Bridges(Navigators) says that alot of christians think that once we received salvation the next step would be discipleship and making disciples. While this is true, Jerry Bridges mentioned that there is something more basic than discipleship, something that actually provides the necessary atmosphere in which discipleship can be practiced. The one word that describes what we must continue to hear is the gospel.
He went on to say that it is only the joy of hearing the gospel and being reminded that our sins are forgiven in Christ that will keep the demands of discipleship from becoming drudgery. It is only gratitude and love to God that comes from knowing that He no longer counts our sins against us(Roms 4:8) that provides the proper motive for responding to the claims of discipleship.
The Gospel of Grace is not just being forgiven and saved from hell but through the glorious work of Jesus comes our victory, freedom, identity and inheritence. It is on such a foundation that our discipleship is rested on…or rather, rested IN(Christ).
Neil T Anderson has this to say in the context of discipleship/ progressive sanctification: ” It’s not that you won’t do good works after you become a Christian; bearing fruit is the natural consequence of being alive and free in Christ. The 2 biggest errors Christians make are trying to become someone they already are- a child of God and trying to get something they already have-freedom from sin and death.
Discipleship definitely has a cost… but it cost Jesus everything to make it possible for you!:)
My idea on grace is governed by the principle derived from the greatest commandment i.e. love. When we love we don’t sin. In order to love we are to become love. We can become love when we encounter/experience God who is Love. And we encounter Love because of His grace. The the only proper response to grace is to trust and to surrender, not more works or maintaining control. It is to let go. Therefore, our perfection involves experiencing and living out grace and love. In other words, we are to live in Christ.
Good illustration
From my walking with Jesus, the more you listen to the radical Grace, the Gospel, when you understand that all that you need or want is completed by Lord Jesus, you could walk out His Grace by trusting in He in you will come through you to do, to talk and to think!
Walking fully with Lord is good. Even enemies, when given them the free gifts of forgiveness, their reaction is of pleasant, not defensive. This could only be done because Lord in us has been judged fully of our disabilities that through Him, we are able to do all things by His Grace, His enablement, no by man’s self-effort.
Many people misunderstand this need to do. They thought through Grace, by beliving all things were done by Christ, they end up doing nothing. Just look at Jesus, He trusted in His Holy Spirit and He was abled to do lots of signs and wonders and to love the sinners. He was doing a lot by He was not striving hard to do anything. It was all completed by His Grace in Him.
If only you know how to access the Almighty One in you, you will understand what I am saying. It is just by believing, and this is just a choice to choose to believe so and walk in so.
He in you wants to be God in you. Are you willing to let Him be or you want to trust in your self abilities to do anythings?
Law is you tried to accomplish by yourself. Grace is you trust Lord had completed fully all that is needed at the Cross. He in you will lead you to do all things. What He wants you to do and not what you want Him in you to do. Who is boss here…that’s the thing!
To Blog Pastor
What is your stand on radical grace? Grace without preaching repentant anymore.
Repentance, in simplicity, is nothing more than changing our mindset.
I realise that when I am zero, that is, I am hopless and good for nothing if left to myself, grace gives me hope to live. When I am weak, then I am strong, the strength that is imparted by the grace of God. When I think I am strong, I can do it myself, then I don’t need grace(His favour)…and that is when the danger lurks …and that is when we need the most – repentance, a coming back to the realisation that we desperately need Him all the time in our christian walk.
To me ‘radical grace’, is an expression to emphasize that we are totally dependent on His grace to see us through, nothing else, not even our own effort. That does not mean we are lazy and do nothing.
We put the horse (God’s grace) before the cart (good works or character change, etc). For example, we know that bad temper and foul language do not reflect the goodness of God. We do not strive to control our temper through anger management. It may work for a while but is repressed temporarily. But if we allow the grace of God,the faith in His promises, the goodness of Him through the Spirit of God to give us self control, we can have a lasting good fruit (character). Basically, when we allow grace to work in us, we will be changed without striving. Rejoice
Thank you for the clarification.
If you do not preach repentant how do they know it is sin?
Repentance is changing our mindset and turning back to him. Unbelief is sin and that captures every aspect of sin; when we turn away from unbelief to belief, that is repentance to me.
Scripture tells us “that the goodness of God leads us to repentance” (Rom 2:4). The hindrance to repentance is that we do not understand God’s goodness. This verse doesn’t tell us to focus or on sin or repentance but to focus on the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Again, it boils down to the horse before the cart analogy. That is God’s way,the higher way, but our way is always the other way round. Hope this helps
To Caje
Thanks for your reply. Will see if your simple analysis of grace is sufficient to heal a mental patient in mental institution.
Hi Confused
You are kindly invited to my website. There is an article that may answer your question ” Message of Grace and Miracles”. Rejoice
Please give your website. Tks.
Hi Thinker
Just click the blue coloured word ‘Caje’ and that will link you up directly to the website.
To Blog pastor,
Did radical grace preachers able preach on persecution? Interesting to see how radical grace preachers tied persecution to grace as the bible promised us that in the last days there will be more persecutions.
Hi Persecuted,
Persecution is a very real thing that even our next door neighbors like Malaysia and Indonesia and India are facing. This we cannot deny or ignore.Our fellow brethren are suffering around the world.
We Christians in Singapore are comparatively free of persecution. We experience limitations and restrictions due to our multi-religious environment, political sensitivity and small space.
However, we should not be surprised if things change for the worse, because the premier preacher of grace, St Paul wrote: “You know…the persecutions I endured….everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted….(2 Timothy 3:10-12). If grace leads to a godly life, then one sign of such a godly life would be the experience of opposition and suffering for Christ’s name.
When we preach Christ we inevitably have to mention how he was opposed and persecuted for doing the will of God, despite being full of grace and truth; and we as his followers, will not be spared either.
Thinker,
I am late on the discussion but here is my brief reply on repentance:
Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins” to all the nations (Lk 24:47) and Peter did it (Acts 2:38) and so did Paul(Acts 20:31). The Spirit, in the letter to the seven churches, also appealed to the Christian communities to repent (Rev 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3,19). Repentance is “metanoia” – a change of mind and attitude leading to change in direction and beliefs and action.
As we preach the gospel message of Christ some hearers will encounter truth and enter a process of change in their belief system and direction that transforms them. This happens as they behold the glory of God in the face of a preached Christ, and the Spirit transforms them into Christ’s likeness from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18). Repentance is their response to the message and a vital and ongoing part of this process. (Thanks Caje for your clarifications).
To Blog Pastor
When we purposely omit preaching sins and rependent, I think we are short changing the message of grace. A person will be ignorant of sins if it is not pointed to him. Here, we are not talking about changing of mindset, a person will not change if he does not realise he is sinning against God, so sins and repentent need to be preached NOT just grace alone as promoted by radical grace preachets.
Hi Thinker,
Scan through the sermons of the early preachers of the gospel of grace in the book of Acts and you will find that a variety of approaches were used: direct rebuke of hearers who handed Jesus to be crucified; unfolding of God’s purpose in the Old Testament and how Christ was the fulfillment; and testimony of what the preacher has seen, heard and experienced. I don’t see why we shouldn’t allow the same for today.
Pardon my ignorance and indulge my curiosity – surprised to learn that are so many phenotypes and variants of “grace,” Always thought grace is grace, nothing to add or detract from.
Seems to me irregardless of the variant or phenotype, “grace” has not been received well by a large majority of the human species. The fruits of grace seem mostly absent or rarely present in our daily societal dealings.
An interesting study is to quantify the instances of public acts of graciousness. Like giving up ones’ seat to an elderly, infirm or pregnant mother in a MRT train. The study should be done around MRT stations serving the better known “radical grace based assemblies.”
The result should be most revealing.
Will there be a difference of abounding and abiding grace before and after such sermons? Anybody want to hazard a guess?
Paul in his writings had BOTH radical grace AND do-lists
You are right, ncews. The problem today is that to do lists and imperatives have been divorced from the indicatives and what Christ has already done. Over the long haul you will get religiosity and moralism.