Not as the Scribes: Jesus as a Model for Prophetic Preaching Review

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(More customer reviews)I remember a few years ago visiting an independent bible church in Gordonville Pennsylvania, just outside of Paradise. I walked into the building and had a seat in the pew, awkwardly glancing around. I quickly realized that I was easily thirty years younger then anyone else is the congregation. In fact, both the couple beside me and in front of me where sitting with breathing machines, loud breathing machines. As the elderly Pastor took to the stage, I comfortably pushed back in my pew waiting for a semi-dry but normally established sermon - only to find a sermon based on the explaining of the genealogy of the tribes of Israel. As I sat there, I asked myself, where is the part where the Holy Spirit moves? Where is the part about the Kingdom breaking through in my life? Where do we get to live this out in our own lives?
This is the very issue in sermons that Ryan Ahlgrim is journeying to grasp in his book, "Not as the Scribes". I recently purchased this book from Herald Press, through the Mennonite Publishing Network as a way to challenge my own preaching style. This book, Not as the Scribes: Jesus as a Model for Prophetic Preaching is a rather short read and I am not saying it's the best or most revolutionary read I have ever encountered, but Ryan as an author, is truly committed to the topic and spends his whole time throughout the book casting a vision for better preaching."Ultimately our task as preachers is not to repeat the old word but to proclaim a new word for our people and our situation that is congruent with Scripture and faithful to Jesus Christ" [P. 139]
Ryan takes some time to briefly enter into a look at the methods Jesus used when he taught, especially taking a look at the prophetic undertones in the Parables and stories he told. The book spends much time analyzing how Jesus announced with the authority of God, that the Kingdom of God was near and that it was interacting in the here and now. He then analyzes the type of preaching most used in bible churches and mainline churches across america, the two don't mesh with the style of Jesus. In fact, we find many sermons today looking more like the well rehearsed scribes (teachers, lawyers, wise guys) of the time of Jesus, much more so then reflecting the Kingdom speak of Jesus. Ryan points out, "When Jesus healed someone, it was never by his own power, but by God's power. When Jesus spoke, it was never by his own authority but by Gods'.....Jesus spoke in God's name and we are empowered to speak in Jesus' name"
As a Pastor this book has energized me to analyze my sermons. Are my messages speaking of the grace, mercy, forgiveness and healing of the Kingdom as something people can grasp, learn from, be captivated by and experience? Ryan gives an example of a modern parable, "the Kingdom of God is much like a nudist colony, we have to be completely naked to get in". That made me think of my own sermons as well. My sermons have to be naked of my style, of the me influence and solely focused on the Kingdom and authority of God through the name of Jesus.
This book is a great, simple and fast read that will challenge how we as Pastors draw people into a presentable invitation into a real living and breathing Kingdom. Let's present the Kingdom and the message of God for what it truly is, amazing.
"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority--quite unlike their teachers of religious law." Matthew 7:28-29

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