Editor’s Note: Serving the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a calling to read. The Bible itself is the greatest of books which must be mastered by Christians as they seek to walk worthy of the calling they have received (Eph. 4:1). The discipline of reading good books is a sacred obligation for those who preach and lead the church. These books represent but a small sampling of the excellent writing given to the church for the building up of itself in love (Eph. 4:11-16). It is our prayer that time invested with these authors might result in greater advancement of the Gospel and the expansion of the Kingdom of God.
Yours in Christ,
Douglas Baker
1. Counterfeit Gods – Tim Keller
Establishing the fact that human beings are constantly making idols, Keller carefully reveals that the heart of many (perhaps most) spiritual struggles emerges from idolatry in the heart. Working to break down the defenses of religious people steeped in language of the church, he exposes the seduction of success and the hidden idols in the lives of Christians. With surgical precision, he is able to lead readers toward the end of their own idolatry and point them to Jesus Christ as the source and sustainer of all truth.
“More than other idols, personal success and achievement lead to a sense that we ourselves are god, that our security and value rest in our own wisdom, strength, and performance.” P. 75
2. Southern Baptist Identity – David Dockery
A collection of essays brought together under the skillful guidance of one of the Southern Baptist Convention’s premier theologians. Each essay carefully exposes areas of danger for the SBC at this hour in her history. Dockery proposes a way forward through a renewed focus on the Gospel and the primacy of the local church.
“We want to begin to build a new and much-needed consensus around the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—a consensus that was present at the first Triennial Convention in 1814 and again at the inaugural convention of Southern Baptists in 1845. We need to commit ourselves foremost to the Gospel, the message of missions and evangelism and the message that is found only in Jesus Christ and his atoning death for sinners.” P. 20
3. Why Johnny Can’t Preach – T. David Gordon
A short but precise analysis on the modern American culture and the ways pulpit ministers have succumbed to the forces of consumerism by “dumbing-down” biblical content in sermons. Without resorting to mere critique about modern preaching, Gordon offers reason why Christian preaching has suffered in the modern day and offers ways to restore sermons to their rightful use in the life of the believer and their role in the ministry of the church.
“Faith is not built by preaching introspectively (constantly challenging people to question whether or not they have faith); faith is not built by preaching moralistically (which has exactly the opposite effect of focusing attention on the self rather than on Christ, in Whom our faith is placed); faith is not built by joining the culture wars and taking potshots at why is wrong with our culture. Faith is built by careful, thorough exposition of the person, character, and work of Christ.” P. 76
4. Adopted for Life – Russell Moore
Russell Moore not only calls the church to action, but he also carefully fuses the ideas of Christian doctrine to the active mission of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Accomplishing what few theologians have done in the last century, he has carefully and systematically laid out orthodoxy and orthopraxy without sacrificing either on the altar of raw activism on the one hand or cultural withdrawal on the other. Truly, a book for our time.
“We believe Jesus in heavenly things—our adoption in Christ; so we follow Him in earthly things—the adoption of children. Without the theological aspect, the emphasis on adoption too easily is seen as mere charity. Without the missional aspect, the doctrine of adoption too easily is seen as mere metaphor.” P. 18
5. The Gospel Driven Life – Michael Scott Horton
Against the backdrop of theological drivel that often passes as “the gospel” in the modern American context, theologian Michael Scott Horton carefully defines the gospel, applies the Gospel, and calls the church to renew its focus on the Gospel as the power for her ministry during difficult times. This book is a one-stop-source for gaining a primary understanding of the doctrine of salvation as well as a view of the grand themes of God’s redemption accomplished in history. Horton constantly presents Jesus Christ as the central figure in all Biblical theology.
“The Bible is not a collection of timeless principles offering a gentle thought for the day. It is not a resource for our self-improvement. Rather it is a dramatic story that unfolds from promise to fulfillment, with Christ at the center. Its focus is God and His action. God is not a supporting actor in our drama; it is the other way around. God does not exist to make sure that we are happy and fulfilled. Rather, we exist to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” P. 26
6. J.I. Packer and the Evangelical Future – Edited by Timothy George
Perhaps no other figure towers above modern evangelicalism like J.I. Packer. His classic work, Knowing God, has been the gateway for countless thousands to a deeper and more Scriptural understanding of God and the great doctrines of the Bible. In honor of Packer’s life and ministry, Timothy F. George has assembled some of the world’s best pastors and theologians to write about those aspects of doctrine, theology and church history which have personally impacted Packer’s life and through him the modern church.
“Evangelicalism has functioned as a renewal movement within historic Christian orthodoxy. This draws us to the issue of the Great Tradition, and how the Great Tradition relates to the Puritan, Protestant and Reformational exclamation points in church history. Packer reminds us that the reformers did not intend to begin brand new churches from whole cloth but that they saw themselves as faithful and obedient servants of the one holy catholic and apostolic church, ever calling that church to be reformed on the basis of the Word of God.” P. 166
7. Evangelicals Engaging Emergent – Edited by William D. Henard and Adam D. Greenway
No current topic can draw a crowd quite like a discussion of the Emergent Village and the Emerging Church Movement. Confusion still exists surrounding the theological issues raised by various pastors/theologians in coalitions surrounding everything from the doctrine of Scripture to the way people comprehend truth. In this compilation of essays by leading theologians, Greenway and Henard have brought clarity out of confusion. The essays by Southern Baptist theologians Mark Devine and Ed Stetzer are particularly helpful in gaining a better understanding of this movement and its effects on modern congregations.
“Underlying motivations of the doctrine-friendly emerging leaders coincide significantly with one of the original motivations of the seeker and purpose-driven tributaries within the wider church growth movement, namely, the impulse to see the Gospel advance within communities, neighborhoods and segments of the populations largely untouched by or impervious to existing models of church and evangelistic approaches. Yet having gained from observance and consideration of these efforts, these doctrine-friendly emerging churches seem comparatively more protective of core orthodox, evangelical theological commitments than either seeker or purpose-driven models.” Mark Devine, p. 44
8. Evangelism Handbook – Alvin Reid
A better compendium on the history, sociology, methodology and theology of evangelism cannot be found. This book will solve many modern dilemmas surrounding issues such as the modern invitation; God’s sovereignty and human free will; and ministry contextualization. The research of this book—particularly data surrounding the changing North American scene—will be a great help to church planters and churches who desire to make an impact in the largest metropolitan areas of the United States.
“Too many evangelicals think ‘revival’ refers to a four-day meeting with an evangelist, aimed at reaching the lost. This is actually mass evangelism. Such attractional meetings can be useful, but they are not revival. Today, many churches hold such meetings aimed at revival of the saints and conversion of the lost, but it is still a meeting unless God moves in a mighty way. Such protracted services might be called ‘revival meetings’ but not ‘revival.’” P. 103
9. A Praying Life – Paul Miller
Honest, personal, thoughtful and biblical assessment of and encouragement in prayer. Written for those who struggle to begin and maintain a consistent prayer life, Miller connects his personal life experiences and breakthroughs in prayer to the biblical texts which have helped him and his family grow in prayer. His teaching about praying the Psalms is particularly helpful for those whose private prayer life seems dry and cold.
“Our natural desire to pray comes from Creation. We are made in the image of God. Our inability to pray comes from the Fall. Evil has marred the image. We want to talk to God but can’t. The friction of our desire to pray, combined with our badly damaged prayer antennae, leads to constant frustration.” P. 15
10. Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ – Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson
Often, there seems to be a division between psychological principles and biblical reality. This often results with therapy void of theology. This book steps in to fill the void and solve the problem of how to apply the Gospel to particular areas of human pain. Both Fitzpatrick and Johnson teach pastors and other church leaders how to lead others out of the darkness of their experiences into the light of the glory of God through Christ by carefully applying Scripture honestly, directly and in love. They show how the cross of Jesus Christ is the foundation for all true healing and the ultimate answer to life’s greatest suffering.
“Most of us have never really understood that Christianity is not a self-help religion meant to enable moral people to become more moral. We don’t need a self-help book; we need a Savior. We don’t need to get our collective act together; we need death and resurrection and the life-transforming truths of the Gospel. And we don’t need them just once, at the beginning of our Christian life; we need them every moment of every day.” P. 30
Douglas E. Baker is executive editor of The Baptist Messenger and Communications Team Leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.
