Introduction⤒🔗

As Free Reformed Churches, we have traditionally cherished some views and customs that have given us our identity among the various Reformed denominations. A critical one is a strict view of the infallibility and inerrancy of the Word of God, coupled with an unreserved commitment to the classic Confessions (in opposition to liberalism). A second is the preaching of the free offer of the gospel (as an antidote to hyper-Calvinism). A third characteristic is the simplicity of worship as evidenced by the centrality of (serious) preaching, (almost) exclusive psalmody and modesty in dress – in opposition to New Calvinism. A fourth characteristic is a realistic view of the congregation, necessitating a discriminating and experimental (or experiential) emphasis in preaching (as an antidote to Neo-Calvinism). We will look at some elements of this last characteristic: experiential preaching. I do not pretend to have the know-how to deal with this topic exhaustively. It is rather a view from the pew, a mere introduction.

Definition←⤒🔗

What is experiential preaching? Let me suggest the following as a possible definition:

Experiential preaching expounds and proclaims, on the basis of Scripture and the Confessions, the way in which the Triune God works savingly in sinners, particularly as it relates to the experience of guilt, grace, and gratitude. The focus of experiential preaching is to draw saints and sinners to a heart-felt communion with God in Christ; not merely an emotional experience.

In reference to initial conversion one could say that experien­tial preaching not only proclaims a poor sinner and a rich Christ, but also how these two are brought together.

It is paramount that experiential preaching be firmly based on Scripture and the Confessions, and that applications (lessons) be derived directly from the text under consideration, and/ or indirectly from other Scripture passages relevant to the text.

Experiential preaching explains how the objective truths of sin and grace are applied by the Holy Spirit and thereby become a felt reality. Experiential preaching starts with the objective and moves from there to the subjective; it is never the other way around.

Not every sermon needs to be predominantly experiential, since not every text or passage of God’s Word deals explicitly with God’s work in the heart. Experiential preaching is not the same as practical preaching. Practical preaching focuses more on the implications of God’s Word in various aspects of our lives and addresses questions such as: how should I dress, what type of person may I marry, how should I bring up my children, how should I spend the Lord’s Day? Neither is it the same as evangelistic preaching, which focuses primarily on the arresting, uncovering, calling and wooing of sinners to Christ. Doctrinal preaching primarily seeks to instruct the mind. While the experiential, practical, evangelistic and doctrinal elements can be present in one sermon, an experiential sermon is seldom exclusively experiential in nature.

Although experiential preaching deals with the subjective elements of true religion, it should not take precedence over the proclamation of the objective truths of God’s Word. Full justice must be done to both the doctrinal and experiential dimensions of the Word.

Dangers←⤒🔗

Experiential preaching should not degenerate into an ever-repeating lesson as to how the Lord leads a sinner from his initial awakening to the full assurance of his union with Christ, justification and adoption as God’s child. Where this is done, the danger is great that the substance of the sermon becomes highly predictable – only the text changes. In this way the preacher’s pre-conceived notions of how the Lord applies salvation deters serious Bible study on his part, and the spiritual lessons he wishes to impart are likely to be confined to his own experience of grace.

Experiential preaching is concerned with how the Lord generally converts and leads His people. On the basis of Scripture there are exceptions that should be considered. Also the details as to how, and the circumstances in which sinners are initially converted, can vary greatly. As in creation, a great variety can be expected in God’s work of re-creation. Other factors that may influence a person’s spiritual life is one’s character, upbringing, the quality of spiritual instruction and guidance, etc. Hence, a preacher should avoid an iron-clad method or way in which he believes the Lord leads all His people.

Another danger is preparationism where the way in which the Lord applies salvation is so pressed home that it becomes a condition to be fulfilled, resulting in a conditional gospel, be this done ever so unintentionally.

Despite all the dangers to go in wrong directions, the Reformers, Puritans and our more recent fathers considered it of utmost importance that the experiential element receive an important place in biblical preaching.

Practice in Other Churches←⤒🔗

Experiential preaching is, of course, not unique to our churches. It was prevalent among the English Puritans, the Scottish Covenanters, the Dutch Puritans (Nadere Reformatie), the Seceders of 1834, and flourished greatly under the New England Puritans and Revivals (Great Awakenings) in Congregational and Presbyterian churches until the mid nineteenth century in the USA. Today, sadly, there is very little experiential preaching.

Experiential preaching may be found to varying degrees in our own Free Reformed Churches and sister churches in the Netherlands, the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken (CGK), the Netherlands Reformed Congregations in Holland and North America (NRC), the Heritage Reformed Congregations (HRC), the Hersteld Hervormde Kerk (HHK), a continuation of the Dutch State Church, in remnants of the recently organized Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN), Free (Presbyterian) Churches of Scotland, Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), and the Strict Baptist churches. One would expect it to be present in some of the small but faithful Presbyterian and Reformed churches scattered throughout the world.

It is amazing that churches, even large denominations in North America, at one time enjoyed an abundance of experiential preaching. These same churches have long since abandoned the practice and have almost entirely moved in a liberal direction. At the opposite spectrum, where experiential preaching abounds, it is to be feared that it is not sufficiently balanced by a consistent, unfettered gospel preaching, i.e. a preaching where Christ is not only described as desirable, but also presented and unconditionally offered, as was so ably done by the Dutch and English Puritans.

Where such gospel preaching is indeed lacking, preparation-ism, subjectivism and false mysticism are bound to creep in. Out of an overriding fear for deception, easy-believism, and false assurance, some preachers employ an increasingly rigid, experiential methodology of “how the Lord saves a sinner,” which few, if any, can ever attain. They and we are in need of warm-hearted, yet fearless law-and-gospel preachers! Closer to home, we may not overlook the sad fact that many congregations of our sister churches (CGK) who at one time enjoyed sound experiential preaching no longer desire it.

The Lord has granted us as churches a rich heritage that includes scriptural, experiential preaching. Let us seek the Lord that He would grant us a greater appreciation and understanding of experiential preaching in our churches. Let us, however, not be satisfied with merely a better intellectual apprehension of these issues, but diligently seek to have (more) vital godliness in our hearts.

Biblical Basis←⤒🔗

You may ask whether there is a biblical warrant for experiential preaching. I would suggest that there are ample grounds for it.

In the Bible we read of numerous experiences of God’s people, both in the Old and New Testament. Think of the detailed histories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, etc. We read how the Lord reveals Himself to them time and again; we read of their sins, the Lord’s rebukes and deliverances. We learn of the promises spoken to them for their personal edification and to those who would follow in their footsteps.

These narratives are not merely recorded to see how the Lord worked in and for His people in Bible times. They are not only recorded for us to see God’s dealing with the people of Israel in preparing the way for His Son to come to this sinful world, i.e. the historical-redemptive aspect. They also teach us how the Lord works in His people throughout all ages. Today, the unchangeable God works essentially in the same way in sinners’ hearts as He did 2 or 3,000 years ago. The different cultural situation in the Bible does not cancel out comparisons between us and the people of God of bygone days.

You can find numerous references in the New Testament to the saints of the Old Testament. Despite radically different cultural circumstances, the apostles do not hesitate to refer Gentile Christians to believers of the Old Testament. These Old Testament believers remain examples to all living in the latter days (cf. Hebrews 11).

From the various dealings of the Lord with His people in Bible times, we may distil a general way or method in which He works personal salvation. It is therefore biblically warranted in the preaching to include the way that the Lord works, provided the particular experiential lessons being taught are derived from the text at hand. It is obvious that some portions of God’s Word lend themselves much more readily than others to experiential preaching. The Psalms reveal a wealth of experiences of the Lord’s people. In the Psalms especially God’s people express their experiences of conviction of sin, of sorrow over sin, of longings after God, of deliverances enjoyed, of praises uttered, etc.

Also in the books of the prophets we frequently read of God’s people describing their encounters with Him. Think of Isaiah when he relates his experience when God revealed Himself in His majesty and glory (Isaiah 6): “Woe is me! For I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” While we may not expect such a direct revelation of God today (see Luke 16:29-31), nevertheless, a godly sorrow over sin (one of the first, and also abiding elements of spiritual life) results from a deep impression of the majesty, holiness and glory of God!

Especially in the gospels we encounter the Lord Jesus instructing His disciples and the covenant people of Israel concerning the three all-important elements of godliness: doctrine, practice and experience. The Sermon on the Mount is full of the marks of grace and the effects of an inner change in man’s life, i.e. regeneration. Christ taught the multitudes the blessedness and reward of being poor in spirit, of mourning over our sin, of meekness towards God and man, of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and peace-making. These holy activities and dispositions do not grow in the soil of our natural heart, but are graciously worked by God’s Spirit.

Christ’s parables of the Kingdom are unmistakably discriminating, and reinforce the need for a realistic view of the congregation. They also function as a corrective to presumptive covenant optimism, which was a problem not only in Jesus’ days.

Jesus continued His teachings through His apostles, but also indirectly in His admonitions and encouragement to the seven churches of Asia Minor. In these addresses Jesus rebukes them for leaving their first love, warns them for having a name that they live while not realizing they are spiritually dead, for being lukewarm, for not knowing they are wretched, miserable, blind and naked: all experiential, uncovering and discriminating language addressed to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ! But He also encourages to persevere, to be patient, to repent, not to fear, and He commends those who are truly faithful and watchful.

Paul’s realistic description of the old and new man in Romans gives us a window into the heart of every true believer and calls for a ministry that takes this, admittedly, sad truth into account. But let us not think that all has been said when we exclaim, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grand answer must also be proclaimed unreservedly: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” – the good news so gloriously explained in Romans 8.

From these passages it should be clear that a preacher is not only warranted to preach experientially, but one may say that preaching that consistently lacks this element is incomplete, not entirely faithful, and usually dry.

Purposes of Experiential Preaching←⤒🔗

The purposes of experiential preaching are 1) the comfort and growth of God’s people; 2) the drawing of poor doubting Christians to Christ; 3) the uncovering of the presumptuous, and (4) the arousing of jealousy on the part of unbelievers.

1. The Comfort And Growth Of God’s People←↰⤒🔗

Experiences of Bible Saints←↰⤒🔗

Experiential preaching is a means to show that the Lord’s people of the past had the same experiences, the same spiritual depressions, the same encouragements and deliverances as His people of the 21^st century. Noticing these similarities, and seeing God’s favourable and wise dealings with the biblical saints, causes believers today to take courage.

In particular, it may encourage us to diligently seek the same remedy for our ills and the same solution to our problems. We can thus be strongly motivated to plead the promised help offered and received by the saints of old. Furthermore, because the Bible so frankly discloses the sins of God’s people, those who learn more of the depravity and deceitfulness of their heart may receive renewed impetus to go on and seek the Lord’s favour despite their felt unworthiness. And when the Lord delays His coming and our need seems to grow unbearable, we may be encouraged with Jacob to cry out: “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26).

If, on the other hand God’s favourable dealings are experienced, when for instance the Word of God is applied with power and the heart is won over (again), a sweet sense of acceptance and assurance may be felt as experienced by the saints of old. When we experience in some measure what the Lord’s eminent saints in the Bible have also gone through, the Word functions as a mirror in which we see our reflection as a gracious subject of King Jesus (See Canons of Dort 1, Art. 12).

Spiritual Growth←↰⤒🔗

When we see how Bible saints grew strong in faith, and evidently grew from “babes in Christ” (1 Pet. 2:2), to “young men” and even “fathers” (1 John 2:13), we may learn from those examples that spiritual growth is possible and highly desirable. The apostle Peter serves to illustrate this point. We can clearly see the rapid growth from the time he “went out and wept bitterly” after he had denied the Lord Jesus, to the holy boldness and confidence he displays on the day of Pentecost and thereafter. An even better example of spiritual growth might be the apostle Paul who through numerous sufferings and spiritual instruction was so moulded by the Lord that he could confidently say: “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21), and “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). These confessions do not reflect his attaining a (near) state of perfection or sinlessness, for we read that he called himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15) long after his conversion. See also how honestly he relates his ongoing struggle with remaining sin in Romans 7.

The experiential preacher seeks to discern the methods and lessons the Lord employed in causing His people to grow, with the purpose of stimulating and guiding His sheep today.

I believe there is a spiritual dearth in our days in that there are so few fathers and mothers in Israel who have been much taught by the Lord, and who function as living examples of eminent holiness and deep piety. Let us implore the Lord to do great things in our day, not only by drawing many more into His fold, but also by deepening spiritual life so that our young people and those outside the church would be made jealous of us.

Comfort in Trials←↰⤒🔗

From the dealings of the Lord with His people in Bible times we can learn that the comforts and spiritual lessons were enjoyed during and after periods of trials and afflictions. We see that clearly in Job’s life; how he in his great need learned to confess: “I know that my Redeemer liveth,” and how after his trials ended he greatly humbled himself and glorified his God and Maker (Job 42). Reflecting on these times we may even learn to echo the psalmist: “it is good for me that I have been afflicted” (Ps. 119:71), and “thy lovingkindness is better than life” (Ps. 63:3). May we more and more rest in what the Lord spoke through Paul: “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28), and take comfort from the fact that “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6). Trials and afflictions are frequently used by the Lord to impart deeper knowledge of self and the way of salvation in a sovereign triune God.

There may be times that true believers feel forsaken. They complain: “The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me” (Isa. 49:14). They go about finding Him, but with the bride of the Song of Solomon they lament: “I sought him, but I found him not” (3:2). With Job they sigh: “Oh that I knew where I might find him” (Job 23:3), and “I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him” (23:8). The sense of spiritual loneliness and desertion, feeling misunderstood also by fellow Christians and office bearers, aggravated by the sense that heaven seems like brass and our prayers remain unanswered, can cause us to complain that the “hiding of God’s countenance is more bitter than death” (Canon of Dort V, Art. 13). When our sad condition is thus described and explained to us from the pulpit, how refreshing to hear the Lord speak through His servants: “For a small moment I have forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee; saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Isa. 54:8). When this truth is thus applied in our desperate need, we leap for joy and loathe ourselves for having had such small thoughts of God’s faithfulness and loving kindness.

2. Drawing Poor Doubting Christians To Christ←↰⤒🔗

By relating the Lord’s typical dealings in the application of redemption, the trembling, doubting Christian may be encouraged by the realization that he is no stranger to what he hears. The preacher explains his case, seems to understand his struggles, thereby freeing the hearer to go out and touch the hem of Christ’s garment, to look up – be it ever so hesitatingly – to the brass serpent for healing, as Christ is presented and offered in the Gospel. When such seekers hear in the preaching that the Lord invites the broken-hearted, the undeserving, the unworthy, the unprepared, it dawns on them that not only nothing needs to be contributed – not even a contrite heart – but that sinners, as sinners, are called, invited and even compelled to come as they are. This coming, surrendering, and falling down at Jesus’ feet seems an easy task, but may often be experienced as a perplexing, insurmountable obstacle. But glory be to God, the Bible speaks of a drawing love of the Father, a being made willing in the day of God’s power (Ps. 110:3) and of Christ who reveals Himself (John 9:36).

3. Uncovering The Presumptuous←↰⤒🔗

By describing the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the soul, the presumptuous will sense that he misses this, and may thus be brought off his false hopes. Experiential preaching in this way discriminates and separates the vile from the precious. The hoped for effect, of course, is that the sinner will lose all grounds in his own righteousness and cast his sorry self as a lost sinner at the feet of Jesus.

This discriminating, uncovering element is shown very clearly in the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The foolish man built his house on sand, which he presumed was good enough. The wise builder, on the other hand, “digged deep” (Luke 6:48) seeking a foundation, a rock to build on. The parable points to people who have a false assurance of their acceptance with God. They are quickly satisfied that all is well, lean on their “good works” or church membership, perhaps even rest on answers to prayer in times of trouble or some religious feelings in days gone by; but they are loath to check the ground of their hopes for eternity. The wise builder is not so quickly satisfied; he sees the paramount need to prepare for the coming judgement, and frequently examines himself by the standards of Scripture, seeking confirmation and assurance from above.

4. Arousing The Jealousy Of Unbelievers←↰⤒🔗

When the joy, satisfaction and safety of God’s people are described in their dealings with the Lord (or better put, the Lord’s dealings with them), it may arouse unbelievers – those who acknowledge themselves to be such - to become jealous and envious of the great privileges of the truly godly. It reinforces their emptiness, their peril, their sad and vain condition. When the preacher then declares the freeness of the Gospel, the way of salvation becomes not only desirable, but also available. Hear God’s precious promise in Jeremiah 50:4, 5:

In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

Some Observations←⤒🔗

1. Experiential preaching is an integral part of faithful, biblical preaching that can only be ignored at the peril of our souls. It’s not optional.
    
2. It needs to be fully explored, but within the bounds of Scripture and our Confessions. Merely offering an occasional experiential or discriminating comment does not suffice.
    
3. Experiential preaching is a delicate matter that can easily be distorted or misunderstood. If we expect it from experiences we have misunderstood it. E.g., the work of the Holy Spirit is not the ground of our salvation – the work of Christ is! Christ must have the pre-eminence.
    
4. Experiential preaching requires balancing with a full and free Gospel offer in order to avoid preparationism. The warrant to come to Christ is His invitation, not so-called “saving” convictions.
    
5. Expect variety in the application of redemption. True believers shall be known by their fruit and their character in the first place – not so much by their experiences.
    
6. Promote and urge genuine Christian experience – not mere emotions. Watch for false mysticism, which focuses on the unusual, the periphery – not the heart transactions with the Lord.
    
7.  Stay clear of clichés used in some experiential preaching, such as “a revealed Christ is not an applied Christ,” “seeing is not possessing,” “sins may be covered but not yet forgiven,” “loving an unknown God,” “a stolen Jesus,” “God’s people remain unconverted,” “has it become Christmas for you?” – there are many more. In some cases this “language of Canaan” is simply unbiblical. I fear that it tends to confuse the people rather than instruct them. Instead, use plain, contemporary language to explain what you mean.
    
8. If we lose this experiential element, we lose the right to continue as separate churches. Then we may as well join one of the much larger Reformed denominations.
    
9. Last but not least, an “effective” experiential ministry requires a personal acquaintance with the things of God, a lively communion with one’s Sender, and an unction in speaking which only comes from above.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

In experiential preaching the minister will describe the Lord’s dealings with the soul, and seek to glean and impart spiritual lessons from the portion of Scripture being expounded. By making comparisons and seeing our similar condition, needs and failures, but especially the typical dealings of the Lord in various situations, we may receive encouragement, instruction, edification and comfort in our earthly pilgrimage.

If it is well, the true believer will learn to rely more and more on the objective truth, i.e. the grand facts of salvation, and the person and work of Christ in particular, viewing his spiritual experiences merely as a by-product, as something incidental, something fleeting, something not to rest on. The growing Christian’s focus will more and more become the praise and adoration of a triune God, in all His works and glorious attributes – looking forward to be rid of sin and self, and to soon cast his crown at Jesus’ feet (Rev. 4).