Books I've read by Micahel Horton A Better Way
Also, Dr. Horton did the Introduction to Dr. R.C. Sproul's great book: Faith Alone: An Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by Faith
Here are some quotes from Dr. Michael Horton:
"Has Rome's position changed? In fact, it has not. The Vatican documents, as well as the new Catechism of the Catholic Church reinvoke the theological position of the Council of Trent, condemning the Gospel of justification by an imputed righteousness. If it is not Rome that has altered its position in favor of the gospel, then it must be the other partner that has moved from its earlier position." (From the Introduction to Faith Alone: An Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by Faith
"... the concerns raised by the Reformers (and by those today who believe the gospel taught in scripture in 1517 is still taught in scripture in 1995) were not expressing bigotry or party spirit. The gospel defines the church, not vice versa, they insisted, and in our day we must defend the gospel without concern for party labels. (From the Introduction to Faith Alone: An Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by Faith)
"Reverend Billy Graham recently reasserted his view of Roman Catholicism: 'I have found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of the orthodox Roman Catholics.' From the Introduction to Faith Alone: An Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by Faith)
"We are repeatedly told these days that music is the most important thing we do in worship. In fact, 'worship' usually means singing or enjoying the singing of others. 'Let's just take some time now to worship' is roughly translated 'Cue the praise band!' (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Personal testimonies of changed lives, while not wrong in themselves, constitute neither law nor gospel...We may risk preaching ourselves rather than Christ. After all, what religion or self help group does not offer extra ordinary testimonies of changed lives? We need to really hear the law in all its threatening power, and then we will be prepared to flee to Christ for safety." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Notice that in Paul's preaching the power for the Christian life comes not from the question, 'What would Jesus Do?' but from the more genuinely practical question, 'What has Jesus Done?' (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"It is not that God is inherently unloving or full of wrath, but that he is inherently just and full of righteousness." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"A worship service should be interesting - we are meeting with God after all..." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Does God care about style? Are the differences between traditional and contemporary worship equivalent to preferences for one spot over another on the radio dial?" (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"It is always dangerous to separate how we worship (style) from whom we worship (substance): The first and the second commandments are inseparable." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"We have to go back further and deeper than most conservatives are even interested in going - back not only before Nashville, but before the gospel songs of revivalism, until we find deeper waters. Then we need to launch our boats there, searching for lost cities below." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"An advertisement keeps popping up for a new paraphrase of the Bible. It's a full page, color photograph of a woman who appears to be young, sophisticated, well educated, with a hint of cynicism. 'Pastor,' the caption reads, 'if you want to reach me, you better watch your language.' The inside cover elaborates: 'Distractied by deadlines and bills, this is the only time she takes to nurture her spiritual life. You can't afford to lose her attention when you reference Bible passages that are too lofty and obscure.' Why can't a good pastor respond, 'No, this isn't about making things comfortable for you. If you are baptized, then this speech that the Bible uses is your language. You have to make an effort to understand it, to live in its world, and to breath its air. If you are too distracted by deadlines and bills to take any time outside this one hour a week for your faith, then you'll pardon me for not losing the rest of my congregation to the world just for you." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Whenever we gather for public worship it is because we have been summoned." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"God still works through signs and wonders. The difference is that modern signs and wornders are ordinary, not extraordinary works. Ordinary preaching raises spiritually dead people to life, while ordinary water, bread and wine are taken up by God as signs and seals of God's saving presence." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Unlike the Psalms themselves many of the hymns and praise choruses of the last century and a half have become increasingly human centered. This is why I am always somewhat nervous when people argue for the 'old hymns' as opposed to the new choruses. Often 'old hymns' mean romantic gospel songs that exchanged object central praise (God and his saving work in Christ) for subject centered praise (we and our spiritual activity) ." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"The focus on worship these days seams to be on what we are doing, how we are feeling, and how we intend to respond. 'I just want to praise you; ' 'We will lift you up;' 'Let's just praise the Lord;' 'I am joyful...,' etc" (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Repeatedly, worship is reduced to a matter of consumer taste." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"We need props to strengthen our faith, but we dare not invent our own." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Too often preaching is primarily conceived as an event in which God is the topic but not the actor." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"The writer John Updike says, 'Mop up spilt religion! Let us have it in its original stony jars or not at all." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Typical hellfire and brimstone preaching therefore makes a place, not a person the object of fear." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"Many who were raised on hell fire and brimstone have reacted by preaching 'soft law' as if Jesus were a kindler, gentler Moses." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"A sermon is not only an exposition of God's Word, but is itself God's Word. It is the Son of Man preaching life into the valley of dead bones, wielding the two edged sword that kills and makes alive." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
"In short, God enters the room, just as he did at Sinai, a room filled with chattering, demanding, pleading, complaining, sovereign selves, and the announcement rings through the hall, 'The Lord is in his holy temple! Let all the earth keep silence before him!" He comes to expose us for the scam artists we are, to reverse the spin that we have put on our lives, and to leave us with absolutely no foundation and no hope apart from the Son with whom he is well pleased, 'who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (From A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God Centered Worship)
