Gospel Preaching as Exulting Over God's Exploits

Isaiah 27:1-2:

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
In that day, "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!"

I would like to place the art of preaching the gospel not chiefly under the genre Instruction but Exultation. Worship in a "worship service" does not stop when the music is over; it continues in the sermon. The sermon is a music of its own. No matter the text, no matter the topic, the tune is the joyous anthem of God's slaying the dragon, a redemption song.

The Bible is about God; beginning to end, it is the ballad of God's exploits in vanquishing evil and restoring shalom through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Preaching rehearses this song. Each Sunday: Once more, with feeling!

Jesus is restoring all things. "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!"

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