ABSTRACT CASE STUDIES OF SELECTED CHURCHES UTILIZING EXPOSITORY PREACHING TO REACH UNCHURCHED SUBURBAN POSTMODERNS. Chadney G. Sparks Readers: Andrew Seidel and Scott Barfoot The thesis of this dissertation is that suburban churches can better reach the increasing number of postmoderns in their growing communities through the use of expository preaching rather than with other preaching methods. However, two indispensable elements must be present: (1) a perceived sincerity in the mind of the postmodern attendee on the part of both the preacher and the church, and (2) a cultural identification on the parts of the preacher and the church with the postmodern attendee. The main body of this dissertation has three parts. It begins with a literature review regarding the biblical witness, historical development, and recent opinion and movement of the two hypotheses. The dissertation continues with a presentation of the research procedure and an explanation of the details of the process utilized. It argues that the case study approach is the ideal way to study churches that reach postmoderns with expository preaching. The third chapter presents the case study research. The case study churches form an ideal study cohort since they share similar strategies for evangelizing and discipling people by preaching the Bible. They also have sincere and gifted preachers who are committed to expository preaching. However, the two churches and pastors have distinctly different attributes, a fact that allows their influence on postmoderns to be compared and contrasted. The case studies demonstrate that when one of the two indispensable elements is not present, postmoderns are not reached as effectively. The dissertation concludes with a chapter outlining principles for effectively attracting, evangelizing, and discipling people influenced by postmodern culture. CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Rationale for the Study Reaching Postmoderns and Expository Preaching: Incongruent, Co- existent, or Symbiotic? Definition of Terms Defining Suburban Unchurched Postmoderns Who are Postmoderns? Modernism, Postmodernism, Postmodernity Postmodernity as Culture Postmodern Plausibility Epoch Seismic Shift Suburban Postmoderns? Two “Languages” Defining Expository Preaching Hypotheses for This Study Hypothesis 1: The selected churches/pastors employ expository preaching successfully by providing cultural contextualization. Hypothesis 2: The selected churches/pastors employ expository preaching successfully by conveying authenticity on the part of the communicator and the message. Potential Benefits of This Study The Practical Paradox Preview of Chapters 2. PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND LITERATURE REVIEW ............................25 Introduction Hypothesis Area 1: Cultural Contextualization Biblical Precedent Historical Development Recent Opinion and Movement Summary Hypothesis Area 2: Conveying Authenticity Biblical Precedent Historical Development Recent Opinion and Movement The Recognition of a Problem v The “Likeability Factor” Does the Preacher Like Me? Get Real Get Personal Experiential Christianity Being Rather Than Doing Two Kinds of Incarnational Summary Summary and Conclusion 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................100 Introduction The Case Study Primary Research Question Research Design and Process Selection of Locations and Churches Selection of Participants The Primary Preaching Leader Other Key Church Leaders Attendees of the Church Data Collection Printed Resources Interviews Observations Data Analysis Grounded Theory Establishing Trustworthiness Reporting the Case Study Conclusion 4. CASE STUDIES AND RESEARCH RESULTS ..........................................116 Introduction Case 1: Bent Tree Bible Fellowship The Church and Her Community Pastor Pete Briscoe Defining the Need: Expository Preaching What Works? Questionable Trends Defining the Need: Reaching Unbelievers Inherent Incongruence or Sound Solution? Summary Bent Tree Bible Fellowship as It Relates to the Hypotheses vi Hypothesis 1 [cultural contextualization] Hypothesis 2 [conveying authenticity] Case 2: The Church at Brook Hills A Surprising Narrative (History) Description Scandal Hiring a Young Pastor The Rock that is Higher than I (David Platt) Philosophy of Preaching Postmodern Pilgrims Core Cultural Change Contrasting Leaders A Whole New Crowd Preaching to Postmoderns Mythbusting: What Postmoderns Really Want Hungry for the Word Authenticity Belonging to Community Physical Environment Passion for the Nations The Radical Experiment The Experience Summary The Church At Brook Hills as It Relates to the Hypotheses Hypothesis 1 [cultural contextualization] Hypothesis 2 [conveying authenticity] Conclusion of Chapter 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS ...............................172 Introduction Interpretation of the Results Limitations Implications for Ministry Possible application for churches and pastors Personal application for the author Implications for Future Research Personal Ministry Specific Churches studied Body of Christ BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................195 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Preaching in a postmodern age, as in any age, needs to be biblical preaching. Styles of delivery should change, but we still must “preach the Word.” It is good news that emerging postmodern congregations are rediscovering the value of biblical preaching.1 Ed Stetzer Rationale for the Study Postmoderns and Exposition: Incongruent, Co-existent, or Symbiotic? Imagine successfully evangelizing and discipling a growing community of diverse people by proclaiming the Bible verse-by-verse as the regular diet of a church’s main worship service proclamation. What is wrong with this picture? Should people consider expository preaching an ineffective methodology fit for the garbage bin of irrelevant styles as if an artifact of an ancient era? Or should it be recycled as a, perhaps even the, most effective use of the teaching portion of the church’s primary weekly meeting? Can it be essential for engaging and growing postmodern people? This much is true: explaining the Bible for the sake of spiritual transformation has been a primary strategy since the earliest days of the church’s existence: So [Philip] started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch…. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 1 Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2003), 282. 1 2 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:27 NIV).2 Ever since Philip explained and applied the Scriptures (vis. Isa 53) to the Ethiopian eunuch, the Holy Spirit has been leading Christians to “stay near” to unbelievers who are curious about the unique book which claims to be God’s specific revelation and to help them “understand what [they] are reading,” particularly as it pertains to the “good news about Jesus.” Placing high worth in this kind of examination and proclamation of the sacred texts of God’s Word is a core value that has ebbed and flowed in popularity yet has persisted throughout Christian history, particularly finding favor since the Protestant Reformation. In recent decades, however, a shift from this exegetical emphasis seems to be occurring, particularly among those churches whose stated purpose is to reach unchurched people in the growing suburbs of American cities who, like most segments of the population, are becoming increasingly postmodern in their worldviews.3 On the one hand, numerous suburban evangelical churches in the United States practice expository (e.g. verse-by-verse) preaching as the regular diet of their primary worship service proclamation. More than a style or a tradition, these churches 2 Unless otherwise notes, the ESV version of the Bible will be used in this dissertation. 3 George G. Hunter, III. The Celtic Way of Evangelism, Tenth Anniversary Edition (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010), 9. Preface to the Second Edition. 3 believe expository preaching is essential for the spiritual and theological health, missional focus, and continued evangelistic effectiveness of their churches. On the other hand, numerous suburban churches (both evangelical and non-evangelical) attempt to engage and recruit postmodern unchurched people. These churches believe reaching this growing majority of the population is crucial if the church is to accomplish the Great Commission in this and future generations. The purpose of this project is to examine the effectiveness of two specific suburban churches that intend to do both: preach expositionally and reach postmoderns. Few issues are more critical for the future of the church in the United States than how