04 May 2012

Friday Filler

by Phil Johnson



his may be risky, because I haven't had an opportunity to listen for myself yet, but yesterday Chris Rosebrough reviewed one of my sermons. You can hear his review in the second half of this broadcast:




Chris's sermon reviews are sometimes painful to listen to but always insightful. He plays the sermon from start to end, stopping the tape where he needs to make a point. If you want to learn how to listen to preaching with a discerning ear—paying attention to content, context, and doctrine, rather than style-of-delivery alone—Chris shows how it's done.

Chris reviews the good, the bad, and the ugly almost daily. There's a lot more bad and ugly than good, sadly. I'm guessing he (mostly) appreciated my sermon on Barabbas because it featured the kind of gospel focus he usually appreciates. But if you want some scary entertainment (better than any horror movie out there), you ought to listen to Chris's review of a bad sermon someday.

Phil's signature

12 comments:

Robert Warren said...

Yes, it is frequently very painful to listen to an entire bad sermon; the man has taken many a beating for our edification. How many Kung Fu Panda the Sermons can one listen to all the way through and not go stark-raving mad?

kalamazoomom said...

Well, getting to your sermon and the critique Chris undertook was PAINFUL. The first half of the show was only made slightly bearable by the fact that the running commentary by Chris kept you from crying (perhaps even screaming in abject horror) at what some so-called 'christian' people are saying/preaching. Need I mention the 'frequency' queen or the smiling preacher....?! No - they've enough mention to keep the stomachs of God fearing Christians lurching into eternity were it not for the fact we know them to be false teachers and will be dealt with by Jesus.
Now to the "Oh yeah...", as Chris said when it came to your sermon. Not only did he love it and use it as a great example on how to biblically preach a sermon, but I loved it too and so shall anyone who listens. You WILL be edified. Additionally it is REQUIRED to listen to fully in order to erase the icky, scuzzy feeling you will have in listening to the first half of the show. Poor Chris - I imagine he must have to shower after listening to some stuff he does. As the saying goes - it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Well, at least he can come clean with sermons like this.
Excellent!!!

Linda said...

Chris is excellent when breaking down the audio and stopping it at strategic points to show us how to use scripture and point it out to us like a good berean. He's helped me quite a bit. I have learned from him.

However, I'm not too fond of what I consider to be a bit childish with the whole Pirate accouterments. Maybe that's his way of being waggishly funny. And ,,If it's true(I don't know if it is or not) that he does dress as a Pirate such as when he tried to go to the ER2--I'm sorry but to be representing the body of Christ like that??? Well that's just not normal..

All in all he's an excellent Berean but I just cannot listen to him -he's just not my style.

Mary Elizabeth Tyler said...

I told kalamazoomom how great great Phil's sermons are. :)

I wish Pyro had an icon where you could link to facebook. Or do they, and I just don't see it? That's always a possibility. :(

Brian Smith said...

I am a frequent listener to Pirate C R and reader of Pyro. While both have much in common, is there not a big baby elephant in the room... namely, dr. Pettigrew's statement about the doctrine of infant baptism sending more people to hell than any other doctrine. Why is this infringement of justification by faith alone so acceptable while something like a Piper / Warren union the end of the word? Curious about the rational.

donsands said...

That photo of that guy in the chair is terrific.
I have fallen asleep like that. You really have a terrible stiff neck afterwards.

Have a great Lord's day! i was listening to John MacArthur last night, and I was so blessed and lifted up by this fine pastor of our Lord. Tell him thank you from me for being such a faithful servant to our Savior's Gospel, and the Word of God, the Holy Bible. His will in the years to come be a name held up as we hold up the names of the saints we so respect and honor.

Rachael Starke said...

The few times I've listened to Chris Roseborough I've been kind of convicted. I actually don't benefit from his Simon Cowell meets Statler and Waldorf critique schtick.

Except for the way it convicts me because that's what's going on inside my mind when I listen to some bad sermons.

I know there's a way to help teach people discernment about preaching. Not to mention a way to help preachers critique themselves and one another.

Just don't think his schtick is it.

FX Turk said...

The "share" feature of blogger does not work with our template. It vexes me weekly.

Linda said...

donsands said---"That photo of that guy in the chair is terrific.
I have fallen asleep like that."

well, my first thought was it looks like he swallowed a watermelon Whole.
I mean look at his stomach~

Geesh I'd have wooplash

donsands said...

Linda. The man has quite a gut, you're right.

I have a few friends who seem to gain pounds easier than others. That's a whole other avenue my sister.

have a Lord blessed week in our Savior's precious blood, which cleanses us from all our sins. What a Lord we have.

Linda said...

donsands --- "Linda. The man has quite a gut, you're right.

I have a few friends who seem to gain pounds easier than others. That's a whole other avenue my sister.

Oh dear precious brother, I wasn't meaning it in a way to make fun of anyone who is overweight at all.

I will in the future be more sensitive to what I say to people who might be struggling with weight problems that it can be taken in the wrong way. I do apologize for any hurt I might have caused.

Danny said...

Hey Rachel, As a two year listener to PCR I find myself convicted, too. I wish there were an easier way for Chris to critique sermons. He does it with a bit of entertainment and a serrated edge. If he didn't no one would listen. He's trying to get the attention of the same people who go to church for such entertainment. He uses sarcasm wisely and is careful not to attack the person preaching...only their theology. Paul uses quite a bit of sarcasm when dealing with the Galations.