Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman

           This reflection is based on the book Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman. In Part 1, Leeman explores how the Word of God invites and divides, acts, frees, and gathers. Many thoughts came to mind while reading this section, but I have selected only a few to share. This reflection also continues into Parts 2 and 3 of the book. Part 2 focuses on the sermon, which exposes, announces, and confronts. Part 3 talks about the reverberation of the Word through the church's songs, prayers, and ultimately, its witness to the world. 

In Chapter 1, God’s Word Divides and Invites, the author’s insight helps me understand Scripture and God’s heart more deeply. He explains that God’s Word divides Christians from non-Christians. Jesus Christ, through His Word, invites us to divide! Based on this truth, the author challenges me with this thought: Since God’s Word divides, we will be tempted to unite people around something other than Scripture, like music, style, or acts of service. I find this insight profound, and I praise God for revealing it through the author. In my pastoral ministry, I failed to see this earlier. Influenced by the worldly mindset of unity at all costs, I sought common ground to keep people together, focusing on beloved hymns, VBS, or sports. But I never realized that whenever I preached God’s Word, I was already doing the work of division, separating believers from unbelievers. If God’s Word has already divided them, why try to keep them together through other means? In the church I pastored, nearly 40% of the members were likely non-Christians. A clear division existed: the sheep loved God’s Word, but the goats resisted His authority. When I attempted reforms, I burned out because many were unwilling to submit to God. Why am I reflecting on this? To remind myself that God’s Word divides, and in future church planting, I must ensure that only those whose lives demonstrate true faith become members. Of course, some may still be wolves in sheep’s clothing, but as much as possible, I must guard against nominal Christianity, unlike my former church, where many were merely cultural believers. In this way, the word of God will reverberate through me to church members and be fruitful so that those members will again reverberate the word of God on and on.

In the chapter Word Acts, the author rechallenges me with a profound insight: God’s Word is an extension of God Himself. This means that if I reject His Word, I reject Him; if I obey His Word, I obey Him. My response to Scripture is my response to God. After making this clear, the author asks a convincing question: Do we prefer the preacher’s exegesis or his personal stories?  When I read this, it felt like the author knew me! I have many favorite pastors, preachers, and scholars, but when I listen to them, I sometimes focus more on their personal stories than on the Scripture itself. Their testimonies move me, but this is a timely reminder: I must maximize my love for God’s Word above all else. It is not wrong to appreciate gifted teachers, but nothing and no one should overshadow my love for Scripture. Because when I love His Word, I am loving God Himself.

Continuing my reflection on the chapter Word Acts, Jonathan Leeman mentions how believers who hold God’s Word in high regard are often labeled as Bibliolatry (worshipping the Bible). I have personally encountered liberal theologians who accuse conservative Christians of this, especially in my context. One well-known liberal scholar from Northeast India (I won’t name the state) even said (not exact quote but same meaning), "People love God’s Word more than God Himself." When I heard that, I was stunned. How can such a statement make any sense?  They fail to understand that God’s Word is an extension of God; to obey Scripture is to obey Him. After reading this chapter, I feel even more convinced and unashamed to wear the label Bibliolatry if that is how they define it. Let me be clear: I do not worship the Bible like an idol, as some religions do with physical objects. No true Christian bows before a book as if it were divine in itself. But I do believe every word of Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). If trusting and submitting to His Word makes me a bibliolatrist in their eyes, then yes, I will proudly accept that title. And let that word of God reverberate through me to others.

In the chapter Word Frees, the author powerfully explains how God’s Word and Spirit frees us. Sin does not shackle our hands or feet, but it enslaves our hearts. True freedom comes only through the word of God and the Spirit. After laying this foundation, the author makes his central point: Word ministry must be the priority in the local church. This means preaching, sharing, singing, reading, and praying the Word. I wholeheartedly agree with the author. This is exactly what churches need today. When I first attended Grace City Church, I immediately thought, "This is the model for my next ministry step."  Yet pride can derail even the most well-intentioned leaders. We know only God’s Word transforms and breaks sin’s bondage, yet we still neglect its central place. This chapter serves as a crucial reminder: Word ministry must take the lead role. The author adds another striking statement: Since only God’s Word frees, it must take the lead role, and everything else should support it.  To do otherwise undermines the gospel itself. What more convincing do I need? Nothing. God’s Word alone must take the lead role. When it does, its power will reverberate endlessly.

In Chapter 5, the sermon exposes, while reading this book, I was surprised that the author Jonathan Leeman, whom I greatly admire, fell short of being faithful to the text while preaching. As a result, the four elders had to confront him. When I read this, I thought, wow, even a man I greatly admire once struggled in this way. But that is not where it ends. The most important part is that he humbly accepted the four elders’ counsel. And later, his preaching became a blessing to the congregation while he preached through the book of Mark. This made me admire the author even more- he humbly accepted his mistake and grew. Through his experience, the author reaffirmed what I have firmly believed. He says that creativity in preaching is good but warns me to be careful with it because, in the end, it is the Word of God that builds the church. I love the part where he says, “Preachers are to expose God’s message simply and directly.” To support this, Jonathan Leeman uses three analogies: a mailman delivering someone else’s letter, a news reporter sharing the actual news (not making it up), and a receptionist who does not create her own message but passes on the caller’s words. Why do I mention what Jonathan says? Because he beautifully reassures me to preach the text faithfully, since only the Word of God builds the church, and I would add, it is the only means by which people’s lives are transformed. Then what kind of preaching is a faithful preaching? The author mentions: Expositional preaching (by saying this, he does not rule out other kinds of preaching). He also gives a reason for this- it lays out the meaning and purpose of the biblical text clearly.

In Chapters 6 and 7, the sermon announces and confronts, which Jonathan Leeman expresses in these sections, made me reflect deeply on my past life. This insight is new to me; I mean, the Sermon Announces and Confronts. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Grace City Church is the first healthy church among all the churches I have ever been part of. My home church, the one I had attended since childhood, had pastors who preached only motivational sermons. I never heard the gospel preached clearly and boldly. That is why, even though I attended church regularly, I was not saved because no one shared the true gospel with me. I was close, yet so far. Jonathan Leeman writes that when Christians preach, "every command, every exhortation, and every ‘how to’ must be grounded in the Gospel." This was what I missed hearing. And this is why I now have a burning passion to preach the gospel. Countless religious people like me have never heard the pure gospel in their entire lives, even though they claim to be Christians. I am not exaggerating. Now that I have read and understood that my expositional preaching should be gospel-focused, that announces and confronts the listeners. After this wonderful time of learning and staying at Grace City church and moving out for the ministry, should I feed the congregation with moralistic sermons? Absolutely not.

In Chapter 8, The Reverberation Sings, the author writes something that touches the softest corner of my heart: "A church’s songs should contain nothing more than the words, paraphrases, or ideas of Scripture." I grew up singing beautiful, classic hymns translated into my language, but I truly began to appreciate their depth during my seminary years while pursuing my bachelor's degree. Such hymns and spiritual songs should be sung not only in church services but also in Sunday school, small group meetings, and even family gatherings. Yet I remember singing songs like "Shake, shake, shake, shake the devil out…" in my home church’s Sunday school. Wait a minute, shake the devil? What I mean is, many of the songs I grew up singing were unscriptural. Now, Jonathan Leeman’s words in this chapter serve as a sharp reminder: in every area of church life, whether in worship services, women’s or men’s groups, or Sunday school, our songs must always be Word-centered. Nothing more, nothing less.

            In Chapter 9, The Reverberation Disciples, Jonathan Leeman outlines three vital functions of church membership. First, it publicly affirms our profession of faith in the gospel. Second, it exercises oversight of our discipleship to Christ while on earth. Third, it establishes a people among whom Jesus can place ministers of the Word. Among these, the second function stood out to me most. It both challenges and convicts me to pursue it wholeheartedly. In the church I used to pastor, we failed in this critical area. Church membership should spur believers toward love and good works. That is the very purpose of being placed in a spiritual family. Imagine a biological family where members gossip and tear one another down; how dysfunctional and heartbreaking that would be! Yet this is exactly what happens in a local church when members neglect to encourage one another in love. I take this matter seriously. As an aspiring pastor, I must cultivate a warm, nurturing environment where members thrive together as a true family of faith.

            In connection with my previous reflection, the author’s words in Chapter 11 caught my attention, especially because they address an issue rarely practiced in my home church association. Within our tribes, we have clans, and this often undermines church unity. Even if Person A and Person B attend the same church, A may not truly commit to B as a fellow member of Christ’s body. Instead, A will prioritize someone outside the church simply because they share the same clan. This mindset has infected the church like a virus, poisoning its atmosphere. As I mentioned earlier, many churches suffer from "gospel deficiency syndrome," and this tribal loyalty only worsens the problem. Jonathan Leeman argues that while Christians should love all people, they must have a special love for the gathered church, just as a man ought to love all women but reserves a unique, covenantal love for his wife. I wholeheartedly agree. As church members, we are bound not only to God but also to one another through covenant. Leeman is not saying we should not love the world; he actually, in this chapter, is talking about the reverberation of the word to the world through the church; but he emphasizes that our commitment to the local church should reflect its sacred priority so that through the church the word will reverberate to the world. We invite the world to accept God’s promises of forgiveness and join the church. In the latter part of the chapter, Leeman says the church should reverberate the word out of our church building doors and into the world. But if the church members, as I mentioned, fail to do their duty and fail to show their commitment to one another, how can the word be reverberated into the world? This truth is especially urgent for churches in Northeast India. We desperately need a biblical understanding of membership. As I prayerfully prepare for my upcoming mission, this chapter serves as a sobering reminder: the gospel must transform our relationships, breaking down tribal divisions and uniting us as Christ’s family, and then the church should reverberate the word into the world. Reverberation inside the church building is not enough, but it should go into the world, inviting them to accept God’s promises of forgiveness of sins and join the church. 

Through this book, I have learned that God’s Word divides, acts, frees us from sin, and transforms us. This convinces me: Word ministry should take the lead role in the church. When we prioritize stories, music, or programs over the Bible, we risk undermining the gospel itself. Moving forward, I am committed to letting God’s Word lead, even if it is countercultural. For in loving and obeying Scripture, we love and obey God. In Parts 2-3, I have been deeply challenged and have had my understanding of the Word’s central role in the life of the church shaped. From preaching that exposes, announces, and confronts, to songs and prayers that are rooted in Scripture, I have seen how the Word must saturate every part of church life. These reflections have not only affirmed my convictions but also exposed areas of weakness in my past ministry. They have stirred in me a renewed passion to build a Word-centered community. As I prepare for future ministry, I carry with me the reminder that true transformation, both within the church and in the world, comes only through the reverberation of God’s Word.