Preaching to the Core

By Robert Morrin, Jr

Preaching to the Core is a book about God’s design in the individual. It is well known that without the empowerment of the Spirit preachers can accomplish little. It is not well known just how empowerment transpires from the heart of God to the hearts of individuals.

Most books on preaching deal with style, technique or content but this book reaches to the core of the individual, to the heart of spirit to spirit proclamation. Here is an in depth analysis of what transpires from the heart of the Spirit to the hearts of the listeners in words that are “spirit and life.” (John 6:63)

An issue critical to the art of preaching involves reaching beyond the surface of the individual, to the innermost heart in God’s design, triggering the reception of Life-changing Words.

Divine design is not only a topic of interest to preachers and pastors. Many people are interested in how mankind was specifically designed to comprehend just how the individual functions best, to the development of an “ordered personality.”

QUOTES FROM READERS:

“Once I started reading I did not want to put it down. You’ve hit on something both challenging and interesting”
Dr. Ray L. Parker, Trinity Theological Seminary

“One of the most extensively researched pieces I’ve read”
Rev David Klinsing, District Superintendent, Ohio Valley District of the C&MA

“You’ve hit on something outside the box that may have real value.”
Dr. Elbert E. Elliott, Trinity Theological Seminary

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Morrin, Jr
• Release date: Feb 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301144341

Book preview

PREACHING TO THE CORE

AN EXAMINATION AND COMPARISON

OF TWO MODELS OF MAN

AND THE

IMPACT ON PREACHING MINISTRY

by Dr. Robert G. Morrin

Preaching to the Core

By Dr. Robert G. Morrin

Published by Dr. Robert G. Morrin at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Dr. Robert G. Morrin

To my wife and children for their loving support and encouragement

Table of Contents

Section 1 - Reaching the Core in Ministry

Chapter One - The Best Biblical Design of Man

Chapter Two - Two Views of Man at odds

Chapter Three – A Prevalence of Three Functional Components

Chapter Four – Why This Impacts ministry

Chapter Five – Goals in This Book

Section 2 – Two Views of Man Explored

Chapter Six – The Two Part View

Chapter Seven – The Three Part View

Chapter Eight – Distinctions Between Soul and Spirit

Section 3 – The Self Life

Chapter Nine – The Flesh in Soul

Chapter Ten – The Flesh and Spirit Contrasted

Chapter Eleven – A Definition of Core Ministry

Section 4 – Application in Preaching

Chapter Twelve – The Need for Transformational Preaching

Chapter Thirteen – Preaching the Cross: Beyond Information

Chapter Fourteen – Ultimate Soul Care to the Core

Section 5 – Conclusions

Chapter Fifteen – Implications and Applications for Core Ministry

Chapter Sixteen – Recommendations from this Dialogue

End Notes

Preface

Every Sunday morning thousands go to church hoping for something significant to happen to them personally or in a loved one. Churches and pastors work hard to present something significant as well. Some places of worship develop major productions with a full orchestra, plays and million dollar multimedia systems but are these life-changing? Others stick to the tried and true simplicity of saying what the bible says. Still others work to simply find their niche in a community to make a difference for God’s Kingdom. These are all good things but what if there is something else more essential to the core of every ministry regardless its size? What if there is one thing that if this doesn’t happen people go home unfulfilled, dry, untouched and unchanged regardless of the production, the service or the words spoken? On the plus side what if something deeply significant could happen to each person each and every Sunday in experiencing transformation deep at the core of their God given design? I know this can happen. I think this needs to happen and I have seen this happen again and again, transformation deep within at the core of the individual.

Someone once said that we know good preaching when we hear it because, it touches us viscerally.¹ But what does this mean? To be touched deeply must mean more than information has been transferred. Something deeper must also occur in biblical preaching for a true and lasting transformational benefit, but what? It is well known that without the empowerment of the Spirit preachers can accomplish little. It is not well known just how that empowerment transpires from the heart of God to the hearts of individuals.

Preaching to the Core, addresses this issue in man. Is preaching an issue of behavioristic and performance-oriented change through the application of the will or is it something core-energizing through what God accomplishes deep within the heart? If something deeper than volition is concerned how are soul and spirit involved; how does man’s divine design come into play? The anatomy and physiology of the inner man is explored here in an extensively researched comparison of spirit and soul in Scripture. The goal is to understand a definition of holistic ministry in a model of man reflecting a biblically synthesized personality so the preacher may more specifically assist the individual toward his best self in accord with God’s design.

A clear and widely agreed functional difference between soul and spirit is offered as a biblical view of man to establish a fundamentally sound, broadly acceptable pastoral anthropology that contributes toward preaching to the core of the individual. Man's design is explored toward a healthier, more specifically directed pulpit ministry leading to individual transformation through first understanding and then applying a scholarly biblical physiology of man. The flesh and soul as biblically defined, with inherent inclinations to self-centered desires, are tightly interwoven and in contrast with spirit. A study of this deep-seated physiology contributes to a comprehension of man’s spiritual core giving direction for Spirit-generated preaching that touches and transforms the individual from deep within.

There is an agreed upon distinction between references to soul and spirit with man in Scripture. Though one unseen substance of man is understood with both terms there are two functions of that inner man referenced in Scripture by the terms spirit and soul. In this book the term two-partist refers to adherents who theorize that man consists of body and soul alone. Traditionally this has been known as a dichotomy. Three-partist refers to those adhering to the belief that man consists of body, soul and spirit, a term know as trichotomy.

Does contemporary preaching touch spirit or soul and does this matter? Is preaching deeper and more transformational than teaching such as teaching at a university level and is that important? And if preaching is significantly different from secular teaching and if it involves much more than merely a higher content what does this mean? What is core transformational preaching that leads to life, preaching to deep inner change by God’s Hand?

If the condition of the church in America says anything at all it says that there is much ministry that is information-oriented alone as opposed to life-transforming. There is a good deal of transmission of information but little transference of Person and consequent inner revolution, much learning but little Christ-like alteration in the core of the individual. Biblical preaching is more than mental gymnastics, even Olympic-level gymnastics.

Preaching to the core addresses the missing link in contemporary preaching. The goal is preaching where words are spirit and life (John 6:63). Preaching to the core leads to inner transformation where a greater percentage of attendees respond with core-transformed compliance to the truth. This is something felt but more than felt. This is something experienced. This is the key to transformational change at every preaching opportunity.

SECTION 1

REACHING THE CORE IN MINISTRY

CHAPTER ONE The Best Biblical Design of Man

What is man? This question has been asked since the times of Job (Job 7:17) and David (Psalm 8:4). Since philosophers began debating the basic substance of existence the idea of man’s make-up or design has been a major fascination. In a study of man’s purpose and design there is a general consensus that man’s nature consists of both seen and unseen substances. This body-soul debate, as suggested by John W. Cooper, is far from a dead issue.² The components of man comprise the very crux of understanding the basic unity of man and his peak function and purpose. This issue is a significant concern for pastors who are consciously and subconsciously steered in their ministry approach based on their assessment of who man is and of what he consists. What man is for the pastor is therefore a critical consideration. To whom is the preacher preaching and how is the core of the individual reached for life-changing transformation?

The premise that man is holistic in function is attested to in a broad range of philosophical, psychological and theological frameworks. Each individual, regardless of substance(s), functions as a single unit. This holistic function of a multi-component creation, clear in the broad spectrum of Scripture,³ negates the idea of man as a mere monad from either Testament. Robert Gundry has made a strong case for a treatment of the Old Testament, in a depiction of man that reaches well beyond monistic (or single-substance) interpretation.⁴ Monism is broadly considered non-viable as a biblical model and is largely rejected in progressive evangelical thought. It is therefore not included in this exploration of man’s design and ministry to the individual.

The separate components mentioned at man’s creation in Genesis 2:7 and the many passages referencing an intermediate state reveal that man is more than a single substance creation. Separate biblical aspects of man in terms like soul, spirit, heart, etc. are too replete to ignore. Also the strong implication of an intermediate state in continuity between death and resurrection is attested in the New Testament at least forty five times.⁵ It may therefore be deduced that man is a synthesis of at least two parts (body and soul), a composite being⁶ from the neshemah chayyim that God breathed into man. This too elicits fascination. What is this that is only possessed by God and man?⁷ Of what specifically does man consist and why is this particular design vital in spiritual/pastoral leadership?

It is a well known precedent that distinctive theological understandings make a difference in manners of living and have an impact on pastoral ministry. Post-millenialists and Pre-millenialists see the world differently and consequently minister with dissimilar outlooks. Calvinist and Arminian pastors preach differently as a result of their theological distinctions. This will also be the case for distinctions in pastoral ministry rooted in how man himself is basically and functionally perceived. As counselors will respond differently to problems encountered based on their philosophy of man, so pastors will respond differently in their ministry contingent on their theology of man.⁸ Pastoral care will be impacted by the individual pastor’s theological anthropology.⁹ It will have an impact on how that pastor relates to and seeks transformation in the individual.

Pastors have long been considered those who are given the responsibility of soul care.¹⁰ What exactly does this mean? Does this mean that a pastor only has concern for the inner unseen aspect of man while other professionals must deal with the other aspects of man? Or does it mean that the pastor is best qualified to assist in the better functioning of the whole person? It is contended here that the pastor must grasp most biblically and clearly the totality of man in the context of his unique divine design and holistic personhood. The pastor seeks to serve the living soul, the whole person.¹¹

What bearing does this basic anthropology have in pastoral ministry? Is it true according to theologian George P. Pardington that man’s make-up and the discussion between a three-part view (body, soul, and spirit) and a two-part view (body and soul alone), does not seriously concern any important truth of Christian Theology?¹² Or is it true that an overall healthy theology is impossible without a solid theology of the soul?¹³ If an understanding of anthropology is important toward impacting many other theologies including some of the most important doctrines of the Bible¹⁴ then this issue is critical to quality pastoral care. A well-rounded and applied anthropology is also vital for an individual’s daily life. A refined biblical view of man may also help individuals become better equipped to face the pressing problems of the world today.¹⁵ The issue of man’s particular design is a vital issue in ministry to the individual. Pastoral advice, direction, curatives and