Delivery of the Sermon

The Delivery of the Sermon

This chapter will look at the delivery of the sermon. We do not want to over emphasize oratory and platform skills, but there are certain skills the preacher can develop that will help him to preach the Gospel. Preaching is still public speaking and God gives gifts and talents to men that He can use to spread the Gospel.

The preacher should be himself

Do not try to imitate another preacher

Never try to be someone else. Some try to imitate the actions and motions of other preachers or try to imitate the voice of a great preacher thinking this will make them spiritual and effective. This is not an effective way of preaching the Gospel. The best way to preach is yield your personality to the Holy Ghost.

You should be natural in the pulpit

Do not try to force an unnatural presentation. Don’t just wave your hands for the sake of motion. Let your hand gestures be natural and flowing, and not rigid and forced. A preacher may shout and get excited about what is being preached and the anointing will give power and authority to his voice, but always use your own voice in the pulpit. (You are preaching and not play acting.)

God will use your personality

The personality of the preacher will be evident in the pulpit. God will use who you are to proclaim His Word.

Avoid nervous habits which will distract from the message

We will discuss a few things that many people do that are very distracting to what is being said so you can get an idea of what to avoid while you are preaching. There are many other similar habits that even seasoned preachers get caught up in:

Don’t put your hands in your pockets

Some people do things when they are nervous that they don’t even know they are doing them. Some preachers will jingle coins in their pocket or play with keys in their pocket while they are preaching. Habits such as these are very distracting and can hinder what God is trying to do in people’s lives.

Don’t tap your fingers

Something as simple as tapping your fingers can be very distracting.

Do not say aah… or umm… transitioning between thoughts

Some people have a habit of trying to fill in non words such as the ones listed above while they are talking. Some of these habits may take time to overcome, but will be worth it in the pulpit. It is okay to pause for a second while you are preaching. Sometimes a pause can be very effective to gain attention. It is better to pause than to try to fill the space with words that make no sense and do not add to the message.

Do not pace incessantly while you are preaching

It is okay to walk and move while you are preaching and sometimes a preacher will get right down and move among the people while he is preaching. There is a difference, though, between natural walking and pacing. A caged animal will pace back and forth with no intent of going anywhere. Pacing like a cage lion while you are preaching will certainly take away from your message.

Eye contact is crucial to a good sermon delivery

Do not look down while you are preaching

Some preachers have a good message, but people have a hard time to receive the Word because the preacher is always looking down while he is talking. It is important that the preacher is not always looking at his notes while he is preaching. The notes should only be scanned quickly from time to time during the sermon. You should look at the notes and then look up at the people to preach to them. The notes should only be a brief outline to help the preacher to remember what he has studied and to add Scriptures to support the message that is being preached.

Look people in the eyes while you are preaching

Preaching is the communication of truth. A good communicator looks people in the eyes when he is talking to them. When there is a large congregation it will not be possible to look everyone in the eyes, the preacher still needs to look at the people while he is preaching. Eye contact tells the listener that you are talking to them!

Proper diction is necessary for a clear delivery of the message

Don’t mumble while you are talking

It is important that you speak clearly and pronounce every word so that people can easily understand what you are saying. Practice clear diction in your everyday conversation; this will help you to get in the habit of speaking clearly. It will also save you the embarrassment of people turning to a friend constantly to ask, ‘What did he say?”

Speak loud enough so people can hear what you are saying

Even with a microphone and sound system you should still speak loud and clear. Good speakers project their voice from their diaphragm. Practice projecting your voice and let the air come from deep within the lungs.

Preach with passion

The people need to feel that you believe what you preach

You are trying to convince people the Word of God is true and that they need God in their lives. There must be no doubt or question in the mind of the preacher while the Word of God is going forth. The congregation will pick up on any hesitancy or unbelief from the preacher. If there are any doubts or questions you need to pray until you have the assurance of God in your heart concerning the Word that is to be preached.

Preach with feeling and emotion

It is okay to get excited about what you are preaching. Jesus came to give us life. The preacher should be full of the life of Jesus.

Gestures & Movement

It is okay to use hand movements while you are preaching You are preaching a living Word; you do not need to be stiff and dead in the pulpit. If you are telling the story of David and Goliath, it is okay to swing your arm over your head like you are slinging a stone. Body motions can be helpful when preaching to children, but are equally important when preaching to adults.

Body movements can add to the effectiveness of the message

A good speaker will illustrate with his hands while he is speaking. Our goal as a preacher is to be more than just a motivational speaker, yet we also want to use every means possible to communicate the truth of the Word of God. Let your movements be as such which adds to the message. You don’t just want to flail your arms aimlessly with no motive or reason. To some people the use of hand gestures while they are talking comes natural to them, while to others it will seem unnatural to illustrate with their hands. You need to remember to always be you, but it is also okay to learn to express yourself through body motions.

Action can also help to illustrate your point

You can use action movements at times to illustrate what you are sharing with the people. For example, you can hold up the shield of faith or make motions like you are swinging a sword to illustrate the sword of the Spirit. You are trying to convince people of their need and share truth with them; you can use almost every means possible to get your point across. You do not want to be excessive with your motions to the point where you take away from what is being said, but it is okay to put life and energy into the sermon.