The Day I Missed the Point
October 12th, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
Earlier this year, Crossway released a multi-author work entitled Preaching the Cross, for which John contributed one chapter. The book, a highly recommended resource, is a call to pastors and church leaders to have ministries that are gospel-centered. Today’s article comes from John’s chapter, and recounts an experience he had early in his ministry which made a lasting impact on him.
* * * * *
The dean of the seminary I attended was Dr. Charles Feinberg, one of the most brilliant and respected men I have ever known. He was Jewish, and after studying for 14 years to be a rabbi, he was converted to Christ. He knew more than thirty languages. He even told me once that he taught himself Dutch because he wanted to read Dutch Reformed theology. He also read through the Bible four times every year. Needless to say, he was exceptional and intense. We were all rightfully in awe of him, and I loved him at the same time.
In those days, every seminary student had to preach in chapel. When my turn came, I was assigned to preach on 2 Samuel 7, the great text on the Davidic Covenant. My sermon was probably a fine example of structural craftsmanship. It had a zinger for a beginning and a zapper at the end. It would have been a great success, too—if it hadn’t been for my lack of biblical content in the middle section. I preached a “practical” message that was only superficially related to the biblical text. In that passage, Nathan encourages David to build a house for the Lord. And God says, “Wait a minute, you didn’t check in. That’s not the plan.” So I preached about how important it is to not to presume on God.
When I finished, I felt pretty good. The chapel audience seemed to have followed with interest, and I even thought I heard some murmurs of approval. But I really only cared about the opinion of one man—my mentor, Dr. Feinberg. The faculty sat behind us when we preached in chapel, and they had legal-sized criticism sheets, which they filled out during the student’s sermon. After we were done preaching, we would stand at the door, and the faculty would hand us their sheets as they left the room. I just wanted Dr. Feinberg’s.
He was at the end of the line, and I could see that he had folded his sheet up very small and very tightly. When he handed it to me, he did not even look up at me. He kept his eyes straight down and walked firmly past. That was not a good sign. So at my first opportunity, I unrolled his paper. I was eager to read his feedback, hoping desperately that he would be impressed with my sermon.
To be sure, I expected some constructive criticism. But the few bold red words that stared back at me were much worse than anything I had prepared myself for. He had completely ignored all the suggested categories and scoring helps that were printed on the sheet. Instead, he wrote across the page in bold red letters a one-line critique that hit me like a hard punch to the solar plexus: “You missed the whole point of the passage.”
That is the worst possible mistake any preacher could make—but especially in front of someone like Dr. Feinberg.
Like many young preachers, I had naively concerned myself with just about everything except getting the meaning of the text right. My preparation was focused on delivery, gestures, anecdotes, the right mix of humor and illustrative material, and the alliteration of my main points. I had actually approached the biblical passage itself almost as an afterthought.
Later that day, I received a message instructing me to go to Dr. Feinberg’s office. When I got there, he was sitting at his desk, shaking his head in disappointment. “How could you? How could you? That passage presents the Davidic Covenant culminating in the Messiah and His glorious kingdom—and you talked about ‘not presuming on God’ in our personal day-to-day choices. That would have been a fine admonition to preach from Numbers 15:30-31 or Psalm 19:13, but you can’t reduce 2 Samuel 7 to that! You missed the entire point of the passage, and it’s one of the greatest of all Old Testament passages. Don’t ever do that again.”
He never said another word about it to me, but that incident hit me like a sledgehammer. In fact, it was the deepest single impression I ever received in seminary. Never miss the point of the passage. To this day, when I come to the text each week and begin to study its richness and depth, I can still hear Dr. Feinberg’s heartfelt admonition ringing in my ears. If you don’t have the meaning of Scripture, you do not have the Word of God at all. If you miss the true sense of what God has said, you are not actually preaching God’s Word! That reality has compelled me for nearly 40 years of preaching.
I often face criticism because the attending accoutrements of the preaching task are not there: I don’t illustrate enough, alliterate enough, introduce well enough or have enough application. I have heard it all. But what I never hear, praise God, is that I’ve missed the point. and the reason I focus on the point so much is because of John’s passion and the passion of my professors at the seminary in the early 90’s. I still work on all the other aspects of the presentation, but never to the exclusion of my time in exegesis. I’m sure while I was at seminary, Dr. MacArthur told that story about Dr. Feinberg on occasion. But everyday at Master’s was an exercise of getting the text right because Christ would judge the teacher with a harsher judgment. Praise the Lord!
Dear John,
You should know that your example of preaching the main point of a text has also stuck with me. While I attended Grace as a young Christian, I gained confidence that after hearing a sermon of yours on a particular passage, I would know the point of that passage God intended.
Today, as I prepare my sermons I too am concerned that I transmit the meaning the Holy Spirit had when He inspired the text. I must tell you that it is a constant weight upon me that I might mislead God’s flock because I might “miss the point!”
Thanks for your example.
Blessings,
Steve Lamm
John,
I am not currently in a teaching position, but I have been teaching the Book of Genesis in a military chapel. Two things strike me as I read the above:
1. I am amazed that after graduating from Talbot 28 years ago, it wasn’t until five years ago that I began teaching this foundational book. I am reminded almost weekly of your preaching, your commitment to “the pint of the passage,” and I count myself as blessed for having been at Grace during those formative years.
2. I have listened to a wide range of preacher/chaplains during the years of association with military chapels. There have been those who have been unashamed workers, rightly dividing the Word, and there have been a few who should hang their heads in shame. One, in particular, preached for over 2 years, and never once found the point of the passage. What a painful experience.
Thanks you, John, for your wonderful example to all of us who have been called to open the Word of God before His people.
Dear John,
GOD used the D.E. ministry of G.C.C. at a local park in 1982 to save my soul.It was During the 10 years of Discipleship & Training at Grace that I heard the quote from Studd that stuck in my heart about “a rescue station one yard from the gates of hell itself”. Now, here I am Preaching in SO. Nevada near the Las Vegas strip.
It is very hard for the lost to hear a message from The LORD when The Majority of PULPITS Are telling jokes, stories, gestures, and personal opinions. I am Convinced that the only thing that will make a difference in SO. Nevada (97% of the 2 million are unsaved) is a message from the LORD thru His Word, and for the preacher to stay out of the way.
The only training I have Recieved in Preaching is your example to me over the last 25 years, and it has helped me through some very hard times.
Thank You for Preaching the point of the passage, and the Meaning of Scripture.Thank You for Preaching GODS Word!
Your Servant in Christ, Pastor John Yesh
Dear brother,
I am a 24 year old seminary student, just beginning to see the breathtaking spendor of God through His word. I was raised in an experience-driven church, awash with allegorical analysis of cultural problems and “churchy” responses… but the thing I longed for, and never received, was the pure spiritual milk of the Gospel of Christ. Sure, I heard that Jesus died for me, but now to hear the scriptures taught, and to teach it myself, as it was intended… I am finally able to glory in God, to understand the depths of my depravity, the great mercy He has bestowed…
Thank you for these encouraging words. May God open the eyes of others to the wonder of the scriptures… to our audacity in preaching what we feel is relevant over the purpose of God in the text.
Sola Scriptura
Dear Pastor John,
I live in India where there is no scarcity for experience-driven churches and where faithfulness to the Scriptural texts are sometimes despised. This article has once again reiterated the importance of handling God’s Word with utmost care. I believe this would be of immense help when i study my Scripture portions. Thank you for your guidance through this article.
Vimal
This brilliant dean’s intense convictions (which were thankfully passed on to his students!), to “never miss the point of scripture”, are the same convictions that seem so hard for me to find in the books I read, published by Christian publishers; namely, many of the books authored by women. As a woman, particularly, it’s frustrating and heart-wrenching to no end, really.
Truly, praise God that this dean left such an impression on Dr. MacArthur; and many others, I’m sure.
Thanks for this John,
This encourages me, as a young preacher I have had a fair amount of criticism over my preaching, one particular instance really stung me. My mentor mentioned about four things that I was doing consistently in my messages where I was losing credability. Looking back on those I am thankful and I believe that his criticism has made me better. But no matter what, we have got to get our exegesis right but no matter how hard we try sometimes we miss the point. This makes me cringe.
Chris
John MacArthur missing the point?? Incredible. Thank you for sharing your fond remembrances of a God-fearing, brilliant man whose admonition shaped your teaching and preaching in such a profound way.
P.S. As a side note, Psalm 19:31 doesn’t exist. I think it’s a typo of Psalm 19:13.