Preaching and Counseling, Lloyd-Jones and the celebration of recovery
This week two things came across my eyes that made me think...
First, I received a glossy piece of junk mail advertising a national conference (probably the biggest one out there) dedicated to counseling. Above the address label, the mailer asked in big letters: What can you do when preaching a sermon isn't enough?
Second, I was reading Lloyd-Jones' Preaching and Preachers this week with an intern at the church. There the Doctor makes an interesting observation. He says on page 17, "As preaching goes up, personal counseling goes down." Now, if you've read P and P, you know that this was Lloyd-Jones speaking off the cuff. In fact, in the very next paragraph after he makes the statement above he calls tape recording of sermons a "special abomination".
But it's got me to thinking. What is the proper relationship between counseling and preaching? Does the rise of counseling indicate a failure in the pulpit (like Lloyd-Jones seems to indicate)? Does the sermon have limits as a means of addressing people's problems (like the junk mail seems to indicate)? Or is it a both/and situation?
In my experience, I did very little counseling at the outset of my ministry. I was young(er), a new pastor in a new church. My authority was fairly limited. Not many people were lining up for my help. Now that I've been preaching for a while, I think people trust me more as a resource. I also think that preaching aimed at the heart will cause people to grapple with issues that may require more personal follow-up. So I guess I'm not happy with either extreme.
Thoughts?
"Preaching aimed at the heart will cause people to grapple with issues that may require more personal follow-up."
Yes to this statement. And the personal follow up is less about "counseling" and more about discipleship and sanctification. The vast majority of issues people present to me as a pastor are ones which could be dealt with through serious attention to the Word and prayer, and to living a Hebrews 10:25 life.
Posted by: Matt | Jun 20, 2008 1:41:36 PM
Llyod-Jones, incredible gift of God that he was, was wrong on this. In my opinion, good biblical preaching increases personal counseling. Baxter was right when he indicated that more good is down one-on-one than from the pulpit. Counseling, though the word is cheapened in the humanistic arena, is essentially biblical discipleship. It is teaching people to apply biblical truth to their life thereby embracing emotional, relational, and spiritual growth.
When we preach good, biblical sermons--and are inherently relational as pastors--our people will be convicted by the word of God and seek discipleship/counseling individually.
Good preaching increases counseling.
But, as an exegetical preacher who also happens to be a licensed professional counselor, I admit a degree of bias! LOL
Posted by: Josh Gelatt | Jun 21, 2008 12:55:50 PM
I think Lloyd-Jones views on this were more a product of his generation/culture. I find that the Greatest Generation were long on personal responsibility and self-reliance and short on relationships and humble inter-dependency. My grandparents never wanted to accept anyone's "charity" but also never admitted when there were problems. There was sometimes a pride built into 20th century "religiosity" which could outwardly appear that everything was together because you didn't want to be found out by your others. (I wouldn't say this was true of Lloyd-Jones but the stiff upper-lip culture was in effect.)
On the other hand, we have to be aware of our overly psychologized culture and know that we can go to other extremes of insecure neediness.
Ultimately, good preaching that exalts Christ and turns our attention away from ourselves to the fount of life is good counseling. And good one-on-one exhortation (call it counseling) does the same. Both were practices of the early church and are used by the Spirit.
Posted by: Matt Foreman | Jun 21, 2008 7:12:40 PM
I agree with MLJ and Matt. Hi Matt, Greg Bailey formerly at Grace in Taylors.
I do think that the biggest weakness in MLJ's minstry has proven to be small group discipleship, to include counseling. The very prescription he gives in the text for all of lifes problems (don't listen to yourself, preach to yourself!!!) requires personal discipleship relationships between church leaders and their people as well as peers.
In Christ Alone,
Greg
Posted by: Greg | Jun 30, 2008 7:02:42 PM