John Stott’s Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today argues for the supremacy of preaching through historical examples, theological basis, biblical understanding, and personal holiness. This book, in comparison to Piper’s The Supremacy of God in Preaching, addresses a multiple facets within the topic of preaching. I found two subjects in the book especially convicting: the subjects of “Contemporary Objections to Preaching” and “The Call to Study.”
In the objections to preaching, Stott primarily focuses on the “anti-authority mood.” This attitude drives people to resist authority, an attitude that is inconsistent with a belief in holding the Scriptures as an authority. I personally find this attitude prevalent at many different levels. I believe that, although among my peers (and myself) aspects of anti-authority sentiments are present, in the greater realm of humanity people are seeking to seek themselves up as the ultimate defining authority. In conjunction with reading about existentialism in Philosophy class, I believe that an existential mindset has subtly become present within our churches. Although many of us would not claim that we are existential in our thinking, our actions speak otherwise. Many people, my age especially, are seeking to become aware of their own selves and define who they are, and what their purpose might be. This attitude of self-awareness and self-definition can result in an anti-authority mindset, especially as our definition of self begins to contradict Scripture’s definition of who we ought to be.
In the same chapter on objections to preaching, Stott gives several warnings concerning negative effects of television watching. Because of business in school and work, I rarely have time to just “chill out” in front of the television. The absence of spending time with this entertainment has distanced me from it, and I now tend to agree with many of his arguments against excessive television use, such as: excessive use tends to make people lazy, intellectually uncritical, emotionally insensitive, and psychologically confused. Recently, while reading Amusing Ourselves to Death, I have become more aware of the influence that the television has on the thinking of many teens, and I do not doubt that this influence extends to adults as well.
The second subject that I found convicting was the call to study. At the beginning of the book, Stott gave many historical examples of great preachers. Each of their lives were a challenge to spend time studying the Word. He dedicates a chapter to the call to study, which was motivational in making me want to sit down are read a ton of books, and to get up super early every morning to spend many hours a day in study. However, I do find it difficult to understand how some of these men were able to spend so much time in study. I also am not sure how these men were able to balance their extreme amounts of study time with spending time with people and fulfilling other responsibilities. Maybe some of this goes back to transitioning from living in adolescence and moving on to adulthood, but I’m not sure if there is a point where you can become so focused on study that you irresponsibly ignore other areas of life. However, I was convinced that study time should be pursued when approaching preaching, beginning with proper education (seminary and learning from others) as well as reading and studying specific texts of scripture that will be preached.
I enjoyed Stott’s book, and will probably reference it as I continue in my education.
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