Your points about certain issues at times needing to be studied on short notice and how foundations for a topic need to be taught/reinforced are spot on. In fact, I would suggest that this is an inherent danger of textual and/or expository studies/sermons being emphasized to the detriment of…
Your points about certain issues at times needing to be studied on short notice and how foundations for a topic need to be taught/reinforced are spot on. In fact, I would suggest that this is an inherent danger of textual and/or expository studies/sermons being emphasized to the detriment of topical studies/sermons. A particular topic that is truly needed for the congregation to hear and/or an individual Christian to ponder concerning their own walk with Christ right now might not be studied or touched on for a while if their textual studies are, say, in an area of God's Word that does not touch on that particular subject. This is why we must be truly balanced in these matters. We should work to study in such a way that we give good amounts of time and attention to each of the different ways to study, because they all have their merits and, if we focus too much on them to the detriment of the others, their dangers as well.
One final question to consider. If someone studies the totality of God's Word to find the whole truth about a particular topic (per Psalm 119:160a), and sticks to God's Word alone in doing so (per Proverbs 30:6; Galatians 1:6-10; etc.), then is it not true that God Himself is still choosing the topic and is guiding exactly how to approach it?
That's absolutely correct, and how topical studies should be approached. I think there's a little bit of a disconnect in what I'm getting at in regards to topical studies. As long as the material accurately and faithfully presents God's Word - I don't really have an issue with the "style" of sermon.
I'll try to explain a bit better what I'm getting at in the article I'm working on.
I hope you do and I look forward to reading it.
Your points about certain issues at times needing to be studied on short notice and how foundations for a topic need to be taught/reinforced are spot on. In fact, I would suggest that this is an inherent danger of textual and/or expository studies/sermons being emphasized to the detriment of topical studies/sermons. A particular topic that is truly needed for the congregation to hear and/or an individual Christian to ponder concerning their own walk with Christ right now might not be studied or touched on for a while if their textual studies are, say, in an area of God's Word that does not touch on that particular subject. This is why we must be truly balanced in these matters. We should work to study in such a way that we give good amounts of time and attention to each of the different ways to study, because they all have their merits and, if we focus too much on them to the detriment of the others, their dangers as well.
One final question to consider. If someone studies the totality of God's Word to find the whole truth about a particular topic (per Psalm 119:160a), and sticks to God's Word alone in doing so (per Proverbs 30:6; Galatians 1:6-10; etc.), then is it not true that God Himself is still choosing the topic and is guiding exactly how to approach it?
That's absolutely correct, and how topical studies should be approached. I think there's a little bit of a disconnect in what I'm getting at in regards to topical studies. As long as the material accurately and faithfully presents God's Word - I don't really have an issue with the "style" of sermon.
I'll try to explain a bit better what I'm getting at in the article I'm working on.