This month we’re highlighting some D A Carson resources that we think will be helpful to anyone interested in the intersection of biblical studies and the Christian life. In this post I want to recommend Carson’s sermons; you can find many of them here. Listening to a Carson sermon will probably be a different experience for most people. He’s definitely a scholar, and it shows in his preaching. There is a depth not present in most sermons preached in churches on Sunday mornings.
Yet, his sermons aren’t lectures, nor are they step-by-step guides on how to live a better life. He digs into a text, but pulls back to show how this text ought to influence our worldview and practical living. Chances are it will take some listeners a couple Carson sermons to get used to his style. You might, at first, think it’s like listening to a commentary. But after some careful listening, you’ll realize that he’s penetrating into the heart of what’s going on in the Bible and today.
If you’re looking for somewhere to start, I recommend the series he preached last December at Mars Hill Church in Seattle (also know as Mark Driscoll’s church) at an event called A Day with Dr. Don- it’s easier to access the audio or video at this link than the TGC site. (Irony alert: the event was advertised “A Day with Dr. Don” with the subtitle “It’s All About Jesus.” I found that funny.)
For instance, in his sermon on John 11 (the raising of Lazarus), you get all sorts of insights: mourning practices in ancient Judaism (historical background), thoughts on the relationship of God’s love and delay (theology), how this chapter fits into the surrounding context (literary context), and so on. And along the way you just might have your perception of God and His Son broadened.
A couple random things I appreciate about Carson’s sermons:
1) He’s funny, though sometimes unintentionally. I always get a kick out of his insistence on pronouncing foreign words with the proper foreign accent.
2) Since he’s ministered in contexts all around the world, he has valuable insights into how culture and the church fit together.
3) I thoroughly enjoy his thinly veiled shots at N T Wright. I say “thinly veiled” because he doesn’t name him, but if you’ve read Wright and Carson’s critiques of him, you’ll definitely pick them up. It’s not that I dislike Wright, in fact, I’m a fan. It’s just that I like finding the potshots, almost like a Where’s Waldo? game or something. For the record: he does give credit to Wright when it’s due, such as Wright’s work on the resurrection.
4) Most importantly: Carson does an admirable job making Jesus the center of all things. Sounds like an evangelical cliche? I can assure you that when he connects different themes of the Bible to Jesus, it isn’t in some cheesy worship tune way. Christ, and what He has accomplished, stands in the middle of all that God has done and is doing in this world.
So, go check out some of his stuff. Like I said, I recommend the talks at Mars Hill. I also recommend his series, Missions as the Triumph of the Lamb, from the missions week at Reformed Theological Seminary in 2004. The format at the TGC site is a little confusing (and I think the dates are wrong), so I’ll give you them here in the order preached: Revelation 4, Revelation 5, Revelation 21:1-8, Revelation 21:9-22:6, Revelation 12, Revelation 13, Revelation 14. That’s right- a missions conference preached entirely from Revelation. No wonder I like this guy so much.
danny
bmarchio
