We Baptists like grace, because that’s the stuff we get free, but we sometimes are short on discipline, which is what we return to God,” Calvin Miller said to his Judson College audience.
Miller, professor of preaching and pastoral care at the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, was guest during Judson’s annual Christian Emphasis Week Jan. 20–22.
He spoke in three major convocations as well as to several classes. He chose “Servanthood” as his theme for the convocations, based on Philippians 2: 1–11.
“If Jesus possesses us,” Miller said, “then we become what He is: a servant. We bow our heads, bend our knees and yield our hearts to Him. We make less of ourselves and more of Him.”
Miller suggested part of Jesus’ becoming a servant was giving up some of His divine prerogatives. “For example, Jesus said He didn’t know the date for the end of the age, but only the Father knew,” Miller said. “This is something Jesus gave up when He put on human flesh. If we have the mind of Christ in us, as Philippians 2:5 suggests, then we won’t worry about the things we don’t know. There’s a mystery to our faith anyway, and I’m not convinced we have to know everything. The fundamentals are pretty clear.”
Miller said the work of service is hard, and sometimes those served have poor attitudes. “But we’re exhorted to do all things ‘without complaining’ (Phil. 2:2). That is, we don’t return a poor attitude to those we serve who grumble — we are to focus on ‘one purpose,’ which is to honor Christ in our lives.”
In addition to the Christian Emphasis Week lectures, Miller spoke at a seminar for pastors Jan. 22. “The Sermon Maker” seminar was co-sponsored by the office of LeaderCare and church administration of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, and was based on Miller’s latest book with the same name.
More than 100 ministers attended the final convocation worship service and remained for the afternoon seminar.
Miller suggested to the ministers that the old standby of “three alliterated points” isn’t the best model for modern preaching. “We live in an age of drama,” he said.
“People like stories, and stories are very memorable. I think this is how Jesus preached. He told 17 stories in the gospels, and the stories led His hearers to figure out the truth for themselves. (JC)
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