Aber 08 Report - Main Addresses by Art Azurdia III

For nigh on twenty years we have made the annual pilgrimage to the Welsh seaside town of Aberystwyth for the Evangelical Movement of Wales' English Conference. This year the main speaker was Art Azurdia III. With his quickfire preaching style, coupled with rapid hand movements, he was bound to make something of an impression. But what endeared him to the congregations that packed the University Great Hall was his evident passion for vibrant, gospel-centred Christian living. His theme for his four conference addresses, delivered each morning from Tuesday to Friday was "A clarion call to a Worldly Christianity". The textual basis for his messages was John 17:17-19 and Hebrews 4:14-16. In the first address, Art asked the question, "Why has God left Christians on earth rather than taking them straight to heaven?" He suggested that believers face two dangers when it comes to relating to the world. We may so disengage from the world that we become "culturally anorexic" or we may gorge ourselves on the pleasures of the world and become "culturally obese". Neither alternative is the biblical. God has sent us to bear witness to him in the world and that means we have to engage with the world without becoming like the world (John 17:18). His catchphrase was "You cannot be authentically Christian without being meaningfully worldly." The preacher told us that he was alarmed to see believers retreating into a cultural ghetto where contact with non-believers is minimised. He revealed that he and his wife had taken their children out of a Christian School and placed them in the State sector in order to make contact with the non-Christian world. Their decision brought with it fresh challenges, but also new opportunities for the family to bear witness to Christ in the community. Art modestly suggested that his American background did not qualify him to speak to the UK situation with any authority, but his emphasis in this first address on meaningfully worldliness hit the nail right on the head. He avoided the temptation to reduce worldliness to a set of arbitrary evangelical taboos. He emphasised that God made the body as well as the soul and that the Christian hope is that of bodily resurrection in the new creation. Worldly Christianity does not mean asceticsm. Believers are free to enjoy the riches of God world, sport, literature, music etc.

In the second address, Art Azurida addressed the matter of sanctification. We can be authentically Christian and meaningfully worldly only because God sanctifies in answer to Jesus' prayer. There is too much talk about mission that is not grounded in the gospel. But we cannot be truly missional without being theological. Sanctification is God's work of setting believers apart for himself via the truth as it is in Jesus. We need this sanctifying work is we are to face up to the problems of false teaching and poor conduct in the the church and the opposition of the world. Emphasis was laid on the importance of the instrument of sanctification - "the truth". In conclusion Art pointed out that we have so many different Bible versions and editions today: KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, MacArthur Study Bibles, Reformation Study Bibles, black leather, brown leather etc. But is the Christ-centred Word really having a sanctifying effect upon our lives?

On Thursday morning, the speaker drew attention to the sacrificial work of Christ. The sacrifice of Jesus was voluntary. He "sanctified himself" - set himself apart for the work of the cross (John 17:19). Jesus' life was not taken. He gave himself for us. The sacrifice of Jesus was specific, "for their sakes I sanctify myself (John 17:19 cf. 14, 15, 16, 18). Christ died specifically for the church, his people. In doing so he has redeemed a vast multitude out of every tribe, tongue and nation. The sacrifice of Jesus was purposeful. On the cross, Jesus cried out "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Redemption has been accomplished. In this powerful address, Art placarded the cross in all its effective glory. In closing, he told us that not to engage in mission is to negate the purpose of the cross. The atonement itself a call to meaningfully worldliness.

In his final message the preacher based his sermon on Hebrews 4:14-16. We are utterly dependent on need Jesus, our great high priest as we seek to bear witness to the gospel in the world. Art had four things to say about the text, 1. Jesus has accomplished what all other priests could only prefigure. He has sat down at the right hand of God, having completed the work of redemption. 2. Jesus possesses a stature that qualifies him as the ultimate priest. He is the Son of God who took human nature. That is why he is the uniquely qualified at act as mediator between God and man. 3. Jesus endured the full force of temptation's power. He was "tempted on all points as we are, yet without sin". We all too quickly give in to temptation, but Jesus endured the worst that the devil could throw at him. He had to fight to maintain his sinlessness. Jesus is therefore able to help us in the battle against temptation as we seek to be in the world but not of it. 4. Jesus supports his people with everything necessary to persevere in the world. With him there is mercy and grace to help in time of need. Our great high priest will enable us to be authentically Christian and meaningfully worldly.

All four addresses were delivered with power and punch. The preacher's prayers evidenced his dependence upon the empowering presence Holy Spirit. May this clarion call to a worldly Christianity continue to ring in our ears! CD's and DVD's of these addresses are avaliable from the EMW office.

See here for report of evening meetings.

An interview with Arturo G. Azurdia III

Arturo G. Azurdia III

GD: Hello Art Azurdia, and welcome to Exiled Preacher. Please tell us a little about yourself.

AA: Well, I’m 48 years old and have been married for 26 years. Lori and I are the proud parents of two children (Katherine Suzanne—17, Jonathan Edward—15), both of whom bring great delight to our lives!

For 24 years I was engaged in pastoral ministry: 5 years as an associate (working with university students), and 19 years as a preaching pastor. I am now the Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Church Ministry at a terrific institution in Portland, Oregon (USA)—Western Seminary—a theological school that possesses a decidedly strong commitment to reformation and revival.

My interests include film (my favorite is To Kill A Mockingbird), literature (Wendell Berry and Chaim Potok, in particular), baseball, and the music of Arturo Sandoval.

GD: Who has taught you most of what it means to preach the Word of God?

AA: It’s difficult for me to reduce it to one man, because several have had strategic influence on me at various stages of my development.

Shortly after I was converted it was the preaching of John MacArthur that had such a formative influence on my life. He evidenced (and still does!) such a thoroughgoing confidence in the Scripture, and the necessary corollary which suggests that one of the principal aims of preaching is to be relentlessly faithful to text itself.

It was a man named Jim Andrews who first awakened me to the importance of a sermon’s structure and delivery.

In the last ten or twelve years, however, the single most influential preaching mentor in my life has been Dr. Edmund P. Clowney. He taught me that the entirety of the Bible is Christian Scripture, and that preaching isn’t altogether Christian until it displays the influence of the Gospel.

Of course, my all-time favorite book on preaching is Preaching and Preachers by Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I long to incarnate everything he says a preacher ought to be and do. Of course, each week I feel like I fall miserably short. But every time I read this text I find myself saying to God: “Please make me a preacher like this.”

GD: I'd certainly have to agree with you on the value Lloyd-Jones' book on preaching. Now, what should be the main aim in training men for the pastoral ministry?

AA: Given the present evangelical scene in the USA—my greatest task is to persuade men that the Gospel must never be assumed but relentlessly applied to all of life. We desperately need men of courage who will passionately and winsomely declare the glories of Jesus Christ every week.

At the same time, we need men of genuine piety whose pastoral leadership will express itself, unapologetically, through the instrumentality of prayer rather than through the typical pastoral approach that panders after the latest schemes, fads, and gimmicks.

I must convince men that as pastors they must be theologians, first and foremost . . . and, also, that they must seek to intimately know and wisely love the people who have been entrusted to them by the Great Shepherd.

GD: What should be the relationship between preaching and systematic theology?

AA: Well, this is a bit of a difficult question for me. On the one hand, I very much enjoy the discipline of systematic theology, and my preaching is significantly informed by it. In fact, at Western Seminary I team-teach the concluding systematic theology course.

On the other hand, one of my great concerns with preaching in reformed circles (the circle in which I would place myself!) is that preachers will often use a text as a launching pad to espouse their systematic theology convictions; an agenda that, in many cases, is exceedingly remote from the original intention of the inspired author. And here’s the real problem: though these theological conclusions may be thoroughly orthodox, the power and logic of a text in its original and literary context often gets lost. In my view, this kind of preaching is not expository preaching. I want preaching that communicates the Spirit-intended purpose of a preaching portion.

In our day of widespread biblical illiteracy—and I’m talking about people in churches—it is the recovery of the relationship between preaching and biblical theology that is most needed.

GD: Kevin Vanhoozer is perhaps trying emphasise the same point in his The Drama of Doctrine, where he attempts to "make the pastoral lamb lie down with the theological lion". Who had the greatest influence on your theological development?

AA: Again, it is very difficult for me to reduce this to one particular individual—I have so many theological heroes/mentors. Let me give you a list: John Calvin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, B. B. Warfield, Edmund P. Clowney, D. A. Carson, Sinclair Ferguson, Anthony Hoekema, Donald Bloesch. Of course, it must be acknowledged that these various men (and many others) have affected me in different ways, for different reasons, and to different ends.

GD: What do you mean by Spirit Empowered Preaching? [The title of Art's book, published by Mentor, 2007 - see my review].

AA: I mean a kind of preaching that possesses a vitality from another world—a clarity, authority, immediacy, and efficacy that is authored by the Spirit of God.

GD: How may we seek God's empowering presence in preaching?

AA: Firstly, we need to connect our preaching purpose to that of the Holy Spirit’s purpose. His aim is to glorify Jesus Christ through the means of the Scriptures—the Christocentric Scriptures. Therefore, I must be resolutely wedded to His intention in the sacred text: explaining the text in its context, applying the text as was originally designed, and displaying its inner-canonical connections which will lead me to Jesus Christ.

Secondly, we need to pray for that which only the Spirit can supply: potency to transform the human heart.

Thirdly, we need to be willing to suffer. Why? Because the apostolic pattern seems to indicate that God’s power is perfected in weakness. Are we willing to be weak so there are no competitors for glory when God does what only He can do?

Beyond this, of course, we must remember that Spirit is sovereign. “The wind blows where it wishes.” Anything that smacks of a formula is sure to quench the Spirit rather than arouse His empowerment. This is the occupational hazard of the Christian ministry.

GD: Amen to all that! Right, if time travel were possible, which post-biblical historic preacher would you like to hear and why?

AA: This is an easy question for me to answer: I would want to sit under the preaching of George Whitefield. The reasons for this are simple: 1) He was relentlessly committed to the proclamation of the Gospel; 2) He was a warm, kind-hearted Calvinist; 3) He possessed a robust love for human beings—often expressed in great acts of social benevolence; 4) He was ecumenical in the best sense; and, 5) His preaching was uniquely empowered by the Spirit of God.

The only other historical person who might come close to this is C. H. Spurgeon—who, of course, also loved Whitefield.

GD: Good choice, (and second choice)! Are you looking forward to speaking at the Evangelical Movement of Wales' Aberystwyth Conference in August [9-16th]?

AA: Yes, with great enthusiasm. It is a distinctly high honor. This will be my third trip to Wales, and I find myself possessing such an affinity for the Welsh people. Moreover, I hope that I am a present-day Welsh Calvinist Methodist!!!

GD: I look forward to hearing you preach at the conference. I'm sure you'll given a very warm Welsh welcome. But it might be wise to bring an umbrealla to fend off the famous Aber rain. I note that you are due to speak on 'The New Creation: Revelation 21-22'. Would you agree that many evangelicals have an unduly Platonic and "spiritual" understanding of future glory?

AA: Well, please pray for me. My plan was to preach Rev 21-22, but I am having some second thoughts. I want to make sure I preach what will prove most timely and effective for the days we’re together.

Of course, Rev 21-22 is such a significant text for several reasons. For one, it is where the biblical story culminates. Here everything comes together. For another, it concretizes the eternal state. Now, of course, the language is apocalyptic. But the new heavens and new earth are not about an ethereal existence in a formless state. In my mind, the nature of eternity is best anticipated by the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. It is real, substantive, and expresses the fullest and finest expression of what God designed humanity (and, by extension, all of creation) to be. I don’t know of a more helpful book on this subject than Anthony Hoekema’s The Bible And The Future.

GD: May you know the Spirit's empowering presence as you declare God's Word. Now, care to tell us your top three songs or pieces of music?

AA: Do you mean Gospel music? [Not necessarily, but that's fine - GD]. If so, I must say that am so deeply thankful for the work of Keith and Kristen Getty. Their music (along with Stuart Townend’s music) is so satisfying to me: theologically robust and aesthetically beautiful. In terms of more traditional music, three of my favorites are: 1) And Can It Be?; 2) O, The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus; and, 3) Before The Throne Of God Above (with the contemporary tune).

GD: I don't think I've heard of the Gettys, but I too like Townend's hymns. We sing a nice mixture of old and new at Aber. What is the most helpful theological book that you have read in the last twelve months? It is a must read because?

AA: Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ From All The Scriptures by Dennis E. Johnson (P & R Publishing). It’s a must read because it is a warm-hearted apologetic for apostolic hermeneutics—reading the Bible backward as well as forward. It shatters the notion that to preach Christocentrically from all the Scriptures (especially the Old Testament) one must resort to allegory. I read a great deal in this area, and this is an exceedingly helpful work by an exceedingly fine Christian man and scholar. In my mind, it is a must read for every preaching pastor.

GD: Sounds like a good book. What would you say is the biggest problem facing evangelicalism today and how should we respond?

AA: I think I’ve already mentioned this earlier. And, of course, it must be kept in mind that my response reflects the limitations of my own cultural (i.e. American) context. In my mind, the most significant problem facing evangelicalism today is that evangelicals are assuming the Gospel—and, because of this, I fear we are a generation away from discarding it altogether. The reasons for this are many: the legacy of the seeker-sensitive movement with its emphasis on pragmatism, the rise of postmodernism, theological preaching that lacks the evangelical priority, et al.

How should we respond to this? Christocentric preaching and teaching! Christocentric ministries! We need to pray for a generation of pastors who will be: 1) courageous enough to disregard popular ministry methodologies that undermine the Gospel; and, 2) consumed enough with God’s glory to cease measuring success by the numerical size of a congregation.

GD: If evangelicalism isn't Gospel-centred then it isn't evangelicalism at all. Well Art, thanks very much for this conversation. See you in Aber!

'Spirit Empowered Preaching' by Arturo G. Azurdia III

Spirit Empowered Preaching, by Arturo G. Azurdia III, Mentor, 2007, 191pp.

Many books on preaching will help you to hone your homiletical skills. It is important that preachers give attention to accurate exegesis, clear structure, telling illustration and thoughtful application in their sermons. Yet all those things can be in place, but our carefully prepared messages may fail to hit home. They do not have the desired impact upon those who hear the Word of God proclaimed. As Azurdia points out, the preacher "is a man possessed by a holy compulsion but hobbled by human inability." (p. 115.) We cannot make our words powerfully effective and transformatory. Where, then are we to find the power that will make our preaching into an event where the God of the gospel is encountered in his life-transforming grace? Art Azurdia's thesis is that we need the "vitality of the Spirit". I agree entirely. But I am also aware that not everybody is convinced that preachers need to seek the Spirit's empowering presence. Some might ask, "Isn't he always at work when the Word is proclaimed?"

What we need is a carefully constructed biblical theology of preaching in the power of the Spirit. And that is what we get in this book. All too often writers who wish to stress the role of the Spirit in preaching, have focused too much attention on anecdotal evidence. They recall the powerful preaching of George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, C. H. Spurgeon and D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It is here, they say, that we find the meaning of Holy Spirit unction in the ministry of the Word. No doubt, it is good to have these examples of what the Lord can do through his servants. But anecdotes are no substitute for the hard work of Scriptural exegesis and theological reflection. Azurdia's approach, while not ignoring the lessons of history, is resolutely biblical and theological. His exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 and 1 Thessalonians 1:5 is especially helpful.

The Spirit has been given to glorify Christ. In Acts and the Epistles we find that the apostles were filled and empowered by the Spirit to proclaim their Christ-centred messages. The result of this was that sinners were saved, and the people of God built up in their most holy faith. Preachers today also need to be filled with the Spirit so that we preach Christ from all the Scriptures with boldness and convicting power. Personal witness and group Bible studies are valuable. But Spirit empowered preaching is the principal means of advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The "foolish" message of the Gospel is communicated by the "foolish" medium of preaching. This God 's ordained way, so that all the glory is given to him for the salvation of sinners. None of this means that preachers are exempted from the hard work of sermon preparation. We must study hard and walk closely with the Lord. But knowing that the effectiveness of our preaching rests in the empowering presence of the Spirit, will drive us to our knees in God-dependent, fervent prayer.

Azurida also devotes attention to the role of the church as the community that sits under the preaching of the Gospel. Preaching is not a one way street. A preacher may have prepared a message that deeply moved him in the study. He prayerfully looks forward to preaching it on the Lord's day. But the congregation gives little evident response to the sermon as it is preached. That is a very hard thing for a preacher to bear. God's people should listen to his Word with believing expectancy. If a church sits sullenly under the preaching of the Gospel, the Spirit is grieved and his influences may be withdrawn. When that happens, repentance and urgent prayer are the need of the hour. Spirit empowered preaching concerns congregations as well as preachers. That is why Paul often asked the churches to pray for God's blessing upon his preaching. Under God, Spurgeon attributed the success of his ministry to the fact that his people prayed for him. Dutch Reformed pastors tell their people, "You pray me full, and I'll preach you full."

Several other books on preaching may have something to say about the work of the Spirit. But this is the only one that I'm aware of that is entirely devoted to this vitally important subject. I commend this attempt to construct a biblical theology of Spirit empowered preaching. It is certainly true that preaching is (or at lest should be!) "theology on fire". But we also need a theology that will set fire to our preaching. If we take the lessons of this book to heart, we will moved to pray without ceasing for more of the "vitality of the Spirit" in the proclamation of the Gospel.

Art Azurdia III will be the main speaker at the 2008 Evangelical Movement of Wales Aberystwyth Conference.