Introduction
My coaches used to tell me that you’re always supposed to sit toward the front of class. I haven’t always followed that rule but I’m sure glad I did in the late Spring of May 2023 in Charlotte. I was sitting toward the front left of the “big pulpit church” when Dr. Reeder was to preach the Word. When we had failed to say “amen” to a beautiful truth just proclaimed, Harry reminded us that his congregation of Briarwood Presbyterian Church was a “feedback” church. And this sermon that Dr. Reeder was to preach would certainly be one of hearing many “amens”.
In my experience of listen to preaching, I’ve heard few sermons that so wonderfully blended doctrine with experience. Through Dr. Reeder, the Holy Spirit was present with His unction as we were powerfully confronted with realistic Christian experience and the life changing truth of progressive sanctification. It was a sermon so full of Christ and His grace for sinners that one could not walk out of there unaffected. As people have said of the preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, I couldn’t imagine anyone in there not being saved after hearing that.
As a young minister, it was a model for me to learn how to adopt that “experiential expository preaching”. As a Christian, it further solidified a hunger to hear sermons so full of Christ and His sufficient grace.
It was not long after this when Dr. Reeder was transferred from state of progressive sanctification to the perfection of glorification. He was promoted from the ranks of the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. He had completed his race here on Earth to cross the finish line into the inestimable experience of being in the presence of the Ascended Christ.
This is not only a wonderful example of doctrinal preaching but also of pastoral preaching to sinners who are still on their way to glory.
