Role of the Holy Spirit in Social Preaching

¶ … Holy Spirit in Social Preaching

David M. Doran, a theologian with the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, emphasizes that Biblical preaching is vitally important to the fulfillment of the mission of Christianity. The Scriptures explain to readers that the way to honor God is through what Doran calls "Christ-centered preaching" -- and Paul explains, "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ" (Col 1:28).

Doran makes it clear that God intended his disciples to be given the power to actually go out and do the preaching that was necessary. God gave the Apostle Paul the "ministry of the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:8, 12), which Paul of course needed to carry out the work that he was appointed to do. On page 105, Doran explains that Paul was "so zealous of having this power in him" that he was perfectly willing to put up with the pain from the thorn in his flesh. That having been said, the New Testament, according to Doran, points out that a believer can "actually minister without the power of God" but Paul did have the power, something that C.H. Spurgeon had, Doran continues, but very few preachers have had such power.

Spurgeon knew perfectly well that he was not in an "unparalleled" position as a pastor and an evangelist just on his own; he was "abundantly clear" that in fact his talent was in reality the work of the "Spirit" that had accomplished such wonderful things. The Holy Spirit worked within him, he said. His words reveal his faith:

"To us the presence and work of the Holy Spirit are the ground of our confidence as to the wisdom and hopefulness of our life work. If we had not believed in the Holy Ghost, we should have laid down our ministry long ere this…" (Doran, p. 105). On page 107 the pastor makes clear that the "anointing of the Spirit" can in no way be "manufactured"; that is because the Holy Spirit is simply not available to humankind as something you can reach out for and touch or secure for yourself. The Spirit is "priceless," and it is beyond any measure (there is no way to quantify it, in other words). When a preacher receives this gift of the Spirit it can become so profound, Doran quotes Spurgeon saying, "It will sometimes work upon us so as to bear us completely out of ourselves. From the beginning of the sermon to the end, we might…say, 'Whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell: God knoweth'" (Doran, 107-08).

On page 108 Doran introduces some of the views of Reuben Archer Torrey, an American evangelist, pastor, writer and educator. As to the receiving of the Holy Spirit, Doran quotes him saying that the baptism with the Spirit was "…a definite experience of which one may and ought to know whether he has received it or not," which makes it sound like a very mysterious and powerful experience. Without having been baptized with the Spirit, the candidate for the ministry cannot expect to provide the service to his congregation, Torrey explains. If the candidate for the ministry has not be baptized with the Holy Spirit, Torrey asserts, "We should say to him as Jesus said to the first preachers of the Gospel, 'Sit down until you are endued with power from on high'" (Doran, 109).

Stephen Olford and his son David wrote a book on expository preaching, and the basic premise of the book is simple, according to Doran (113). A pastor or a candidate for the ministry can prepare a great sermon, and put spiritual energy behind it with all available intellectual and philosophical depth, but "Only the Holy Spirit can transform a manuscript into a message," according to the Olford book.