School of Theology 2013
Please note that the 2020 School of Theology did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

‘Recovery from Spiritual Decline’
› See 2021 lectures ‘The War Against the Authentic Biblical Text’
› See 2019 lectures ‘The True Dynamism of the Local Church’
› See 2018 lectures ‘The Depth and Scope of God’s Truth’
› See 2017 lectures ‘Our Glorious Reformation Legacy’
› See 2016 lectures ‘Calvary and Covenant’
› See 2015 lectures ‘Pathway to Power’
› See 2014 lectures ‘Rightly Dividing the Word’
› See 2013 lectures ‘Recovery from Spiritual Decline’
› See 2012 lectures ‘Living and Walking in the Holy Spirit’
› Four Rare Messages from Dr William Hendriksen (1979)
Sermons for Souls
The Word of God is a mine of appeals to lost souls, having persuasions and urgings for every kind of sinner, with soul-winning words and warnings. Two addresses will show how to recognise and deploy the powerful and varied evangelistic reasoning found in all parts of the Bible, providing an agenda for soul-winning sermons every week of the year, and supplying fuel and illustrations for the personal witness of believers.
What a Biblical church is like
Proving the New Testament Pattern. Promoters of new methods for church growth adopt the sin-connected culture of the world and dismiss the sufficiency of Scripture. This address will review the essential features of the New Testament pattern church, so derided by today’s innovators, but vital in God’s plan and purpose. These biblical principles are the basis of true blessing.
Principles of Biblical separation
1. Separation in Church Associations and Co-operative Ventures Obeying God’s call to His people to be separate from churches and organisations that tolerate false teachers. This address challenged today’s indifference to the principles of biblical separation, including a rebuttal of the misuse of the terms ‘hyper-separatist’ and ‘guilt by association’. 2. Separation in Personal Life, and in Service for God The biblical attitude to Gospel outreach were contrasted with the man-centred methods for success of new evangelicalism, giving special attention to the need for an integrity that rejects pragmatic compromise. An appeal to do God’s work in God’s way, and…
Reviving the ‘Working Church’
In a non-churchgoing age, the rarity of ‘working’ churches is a major element of spiritual decline. This address will present an essential biblical concept, by which as many members as possible are involved in Christian service. How is this to be attained? What are the hindrances? What spiritual nourishment is required, and what is the fruit?
Prerequisites for Revival
God’s sovereignty brings about in His people certain desires and moves them to a new level of consecration, in preparation for a season of great blessing. Here were the prerequisites traceable in times of true spiritual awakening, and identified in Scripture, that we should long to manifest and attain to.
Revival Preaching: What did they actually say?
What were the distinctive approaches of great revival preachers in their sermons? What were their characteristic texts and biblical arguments? How did they frame their appeals to souls? How did their language ‘fit’ with reformed theology? For our inspiration, two addresses will review the typical outlines and remonstrations of compelling revival-period preaching.
The Recovery of Evangelistic Preaching
The preaching of specifically evangelistic sermons on a regular, weekly basis was once the rule in evangelical churches, but not for many years now. Many preachers will not themselves have sat under such ministry when younger. Theological seminaries nowadays seldom advocate it, and churches suffer the outcome. Two addresses presented a new call to such evangelistic preaching, considering its aims and implementation
Upholding Biblical Marriage
Crucial to blessing upon churches is the restoration of truly biblical marriage ideals (by contrast with the deeply mistaken concepts of the ‘Christian’ marriage counselling courses), elevating and imparting the virtues of chastity, modesty, chivalry (including self-control and respect) and faithfulness. This address set out the basis of pastoral teaching and guidance.
Inspiring Strong Personal Witness
Beside the preaching, the backbone of spiritual awakenings has always been personal witness, equally essential to all church growth. In a single address Pastor Zenker presented the pastoral role in the reviving of individual witness.
Jeremiah’s Gospel Illustrations
Jeremiah employs graphic evangelistic reasoning more than any other Old Testament prophet, frequently calling individuals to consider their souls. To see the prophet’s searching, pressing arguments is like turning a key in a lock, opening the door to the utilising of Old Testament passages for evangelistic preaching.
Recovering the Purpose of the Church
During the Babylonian captivity, Zion languished, but with release and restoration to Jerusalem, God brought them to fulfil their calling once more. Two addresses drew out the lessons of this ‘typical’ restoration, when God’s people gained a renewed sense of privilege, a readiness to engage in labour, face opposition and sin, and rectify wrong priorities.
Evangelistic Preaching from the Psalms
Soul-winning reasoning often of a unique kind is found throughout the psalms. This address showed some of these themes and provide sample suggested sermon outlines, including individual verses with special potential.
Church Planting and Sunday Schools
Encouragement and counsel on the establishment of new causes