SOME BRIEF THOUGHTS ON PREACHING

                                    SOME BRIEF THOUGHTS ON PREACHING

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What is Preaching?: At its most basic, Preaching is taking the ancient text and applying it to people living today in ways they can understand.

Quotable quote: “God uses contemporary preaching to bring His salvation to people today, to build His church, to bring in His kingdom. In short, contemporary biblical preaching is nothing less than a redemptive event.” Sidney Greidanus.

The Sermon’s Place in Worship: Prayer is the congregation audibly speaking to God. Bible reading is God speaking to us audibly. The two Sacraments are God speaking to us visually (with audible commentary). Singing praise is our audible response to God. The sermon is where God not only speaks to us but also calls for an active response. Therefore, because it is a call to action, the sermon is the high point of the worship service. If the congregation is to clearly hear and understand what God is saying to them, then the sermon must be articulated plainly. God’s will needs to be stated, explained and applied. “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air” 1 Cor. 14:8-9).

Yours truly

Quotable quote: “Is there no refuge from strife? Is there no place of refreshing where a man can prepare for the battle of life? Is there no place where two or three can gather in Jesus’ name, to forget for the moment all those things that divide nation from nation and race from race, to forget human pride, to forget the passions of war, to forget the puzzling problems of industrial life, and to unite in overflowing gratitude at the foot of the Cross? If there be such a place, then that is the house of God and that the gate of heaven. And from under the threshold of that house will go forth a river that will revive the weary world.” J. Gresham Machen, Christianity & Liberalism: 100^th Anniversary Edition, Westminster Seminary Press, 2023, p. 184.

Types of Sermons: 1. Expository. 2. Textual. 3. Topical.

Though all sermons are expository:

Expository sermons tend to be verse by verse, preaching through whole Books.

Textual is a section (a.k.a. a pericope) of Scripture, e.g., a Parable, a text on Marriage etc.

Topical deals with topics (e.g., what does the Bible say about Global Warming, Pandemics, or doctrines, such as Baptism, The Lord’s Supper, Justification etc.)

Regardless of the form in which the sermon is delivered, the hope is that both the Preacher and the congregation have a great desire to know what the Scriptures teach so that they can live accordingly.

Quotable quote: “Preaching in its essence addresses the perpetual human quest for authority and meaning. Though we live in an age hostile to authority, everyday struggles for significance, security, and acceptance force every individual to ask, ‘Who has the right to tell me what to do?’ This question typically posed as a challenge is really a plea for help. Without an ultimate authority for truth all human striving has no ultimate value and life itself becomes futile. Modern trends in preaching that deny the authority of the word in the name of intellectual sophistication lead to despairing subjectivism in which people do what is right in their own eyes--a state whose futility Scripture has already clearly articulated.” Bryan Chapell “Christ Centered Preaching” p. 23.

Sermon Structure: This will vary depending on a few factors, such as sermon type.

Expository sermons can run like a commentary, commenting on and applying verses as you go.

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Textual sermons ought to be structured, such as a typical three-point sermon. The big idea (i.e., what is the Holy Spirit telling us in this section?) is hammered home. Like hanging a painting, the three points are the “well-driven nails” (Eccl. 12:11) that the text’s big picture hangs on.

Topical sermons are structured the same as textual sermons, but unlike preaching from a single section, the message (i.e., the Topic) is drawn from all the Scriptures that address it.

Quotable quote: John Knox Before Queen Mary. “‘You interpret the Scriptures in one way,’ said the queen evasively, ‘and they in another: whom shall I believe, and who shall be judge?’ ‘You shall believe God, who plainly speaketh in His Word,’ replied the Reformer, ‘and farther than the Word teacheth you, you shall believe neither the one nor the other. The Word of God is plain in itself; if there is any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, who is never contrary to Himself, explains it more clearly in other places, so that there can remain no doubt, but as to such as are obstinately ignorant.’” Thomas McRie “The Life of John Knox” p.175.

Sermon Tools: A working knowledge of the original languages is preferred, at the very least, an ability to look up Hebrew and Greek concordances and lexicons. Bible Commentaries may be consulted. Systematic and Biblical Theology books, books of Bible illustrations, Christian books etc. Christian Creeds and Church Confessions, and Scripture genre must be kept in mind. Is it narrative, poetry, history, wisdom, gospel, law, eschatological etc. Scriptural context, Historical context, Literary context.

Quotable quote: “A creed (from the Lat. credo, ‘I believe’) is an authoritative statement of the main articles of the Christian faith to which believers are expected to assent.” New Dictionary of Theology.

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Intended Audience: Is your audience mostly university students, elderly, farmers, city-dwellers, young families, or a mixture of all? Congregational makeup will help drive sermon content, e.g., a predominantly elderly congregation may be more interested in Heaven than Parenting. However, regardless of audience, all need to hear about salvation and how they ought to live once saved. Both Gospel and Law need to be properly understood by the audience. The Preacher should try hard to feed new converts and also mature Christians, the surface feeders as well as the bottom feeders and everyone in between. The Preacher must help (not hinder) the congregation to, as it were, “down-tools” and be prepared to listen as an act of worship.

Quotable quote: “A sitting silently at the feet of Jesus is of more worth than all the clatter of Martha’s dishes.” CH Spurgeon.

Sermon Delivery: State/Explain/Apply. This method can be used throughout the sermon and/or it can be used where a) The sermon’s Introduction is where you State what the sermon is about. b) The body of the sermon is where you are explaining what you have just stated. And c) The application comes at the end of the sermon. However, since people tend to remember illustrations (which are application), application is probably best used throughout. It helps to keep the audience interested. Introduce what you are going to talk about. Then talk about what you’ve introduced. The sermon’s conclusion is where the “So what?” question needs to be answered. The congregation needs to know what to do (read, pray, trust, repent, believe etc.). The State aspect, if you will, is the Theory. The Explain facet is the theory explained. And the Apply feature is where the theory is put into practice.

Quotable quote: “Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892).

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Voice Modulation: Many a good sermon can be wasted by unclear articulation, from voice modulation to mumbling to monotone to a poor choice of words. 

“The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth” (Eccl. 12:10). Again, the Preacher’s choice of words will depend on congregational makeup. However, it is generally accepted that most twelve-year-olds ought to be able to understand what the sermon is about. This does not mean that abstract concepts or big words cannot be used, only that once stated, they should be explained (and even applied). Congregations do not like it when Preachers are condescending. Therefore, caution needs to be used when explaining big words. Humour can sometimes help here.

Quotable quote: “Remember the rule of theological terminology: Never use a big word when you can use a diminutive one!” Anon.