Introduction
Introduction: What is preaching?
Homiletics is the art or science of religious discourse or preaching. A homily is a sermon and the power of a sermon rests in its preparation. In the Bible, we find the pattern for Christian preaching. Following is a list of some of what we know about preaching:
- Teaching and preaching are distinct but go hand in hand (Matt. 11:1)
- John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4)
- A major reason Christ came was to preach (Mark 1:38)
- The Gospel must be preached EVERYWHERE to EVERYONE without exception (Mr 16:15; Rom. 1:15; 2 Cor. 10:16; Gal. 1:16; Rev. 14:6; Matt. 10:7)
- Christ must be preached (Acts 17:3; I Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 1:15,16)
- The preacher's duty and burden is to preach (I Cor. 9:16; Eph. 3:8)
- The Gospel is to be free (I Cor. 9:18)
- The preacher preaches and leaves the results and glory to God (I Cor. 15:11)
Preaching is the spoken communication of Divine truth with a view to persuasion. This definition covers three aspects of preaching:
- The Matter of Preaching. “Divine truth”—tells us what to preach
- The Manner of Preaching. “Spoken communication”—tells us how to preach
- The Mission of Preaching. “with a view to persuasion”—tells us why we preach
The Matter of Preaching
Preaching is the communication of truth (Gal. 1:8–9). This tells us what we should preach. Divine truth should be the subject matter of the sermon. In the key verse of this class (II Timothy 4:2), Paul told Timothy to preach the Word. The preacher is called to proclaim the Word of God. The Word of God is the final authority. The preacher must settle every question with The Word of God; he must rest in the absolute authority of Scripture. Preaching then by definition should be limited to:
- THE PROCLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE WORD OF GOD
- THE DELIVERY OF A MESSAGE FROM GOD TO MAN
- PREACHING CONCERNS ITSELF WITH GODLY SUBJECTS. The way of salvation is the most important subject a preacher will preach. Man needs a relationship with God and not merely a philosophical or even religious influence. The preacher will also instruct the congregation in Christian duty. The preacher is called to preach the Gospel of Christ, and not to lecture on literature or unbiblical subjects.
- THE SERMON MUST BE FOUNDED ON SCRIPTURE. When a preacher speaks as a herald, he must cry out THE WORD. Anything less cannot legitimately pass for Christian preaching.
The extent of Christian preaching
- BE CAREFUL—Do not attempt to preach too much at one time
- BE CLEAR—You need to keep the sermon to one main thought
- BE CONSERVATIVE—You should leave something for the next time. A sermon does not have to be eternal to be divine!
The authority of Christian preaching
You are delivering God’s Word and not some newspaper article. Preach out of the conviction resulting from the divine testimony of Scripture. The absolute belief in the inspiration of the Bible is necessary for strong conviction for its truths. We preach what we preach because it is right and we know it is right because God said it! If the foundation of your sermon is the Almanac or Encyclopedia, your message no matter how logical will lack authority. The Divine inspiration of the Bible is what gives Christian preaching its authority.
God's Word has the power to change men's lives and the preached Word is needed to produce that change (Rom. 1:16). Man's ideas will not change lives. The preacher must use the Word of God as the foundation of his sermon. There is life in the Word.
KNOW THE WORD!
You must study the Word of God because you must understand the text to be preached (2 Tim. 2:15). An understanding of the text will yield authority to the preacher during the delivery of the sermon. If you are unsure of what you are saying or lack confidence in your understanding of the message, then that will weaken the presentation of the sermon. If you don’t seem sure of what you are talking about then the people will not receive the message you are trying to preach.
The Manner of Preaching
The manner of preaching is “spoken communication.” The manner of preaching tells us how to preach. Communication involves relating a concept to the people. The concept must be understood by the people for communication to take place. The most practical requirements for communication are proper diction and plain speech. The preacher must speak in such a way that the people understand. Let us look at Nehemiah’s example in Nehemiah 8:8: "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." God’s word was read distinctly or clearly, they explained the Word to the people or gave the sense and the people were taught the Word, so that they understood it.
A preacher ought to so preach, that when the sermon is ended, the congregation shall disperse saying, 'The preacher said this...' —Martin Luther.
A powerful and effective delivery requires:
- the unction of the Holy Ghost (I John 2:20)
- clear, common speech (Effective preachers like D.L. Moody spoke in the language of the common man.)
- and passion (Say what you mean, and mean what you say.)
Persuasion is possible through a powerful delivery. Ultimately, the power of a preacher is the result of the unction of the Holy Ghost. The unction of the Holy Ghost will enable the preacher to preach with passion. Preach as if you were defying the entire host of hell as a David crying on that rock, “Is there not a cause!” The preacher must be convinced of the rightness and power of his message if he is to be effective. Follow the leading of the Holy Ghost because he will guide you right and respond to His unction because in that yielding the power of the almighty God can be manifested.
The congregation needs to be kept in view throughout the entire sermon process
Keep the congregation in view during the preparation of the sermon
Pray for and consider the kind of people to whom you are preaching. Effective preaching requires great flexibility and discernment on behalf of the preacher. Certain approaches are guaranteed to only “shut off” certain kinds of people. Allow the Holy Ghost to lead you in your sermon preparation so that those who hear sense the Divine influence and appointment of the sermon. God knows who will be there and in what frame of mind they will be in, but also there are things we can learn about each different preaching scenario. Whether speaking at a young people’s service, Sunday School class, to a mature congregation, on a Street corner, or in a tent crusade the setting and its congregation must be kept in view. In one sense, the preacher is a student of humanity. “Sir, it is not books, it is men that we must study”—Patrick Henry
Keep the congregation in view during the presentation of the sermon
You will learn to tell if they are receiving the Word. You can add more illustration and emphasis if the people do not seem to be getting the message. Respect the time given to you.
The sermon should be a familiar, rhetorical and reasoned discourse
A familiar discourse uses the Scripture as its foundation because God’s Word is relevant and not disconnected from the needs of men
It would seem (and rightly so) very foreign to a Christian congregation if their pastor stood and chose his text out of the Reader’s Digest. Second, the sermon should be familiar in the sense that its vocabulary and meaning can be easily understood. Everyday illustrations can help people relate to the sermon. Jesus was very effective in using that which was familiar (sheep, farming, etc.) to illustrate that which was unfamiliar (The Kingdom of Heaven). Simple exposition of the Scripture will never alienate the hearers, but drawn them in by its relevancy and truth.
A rhetorical discourse is a formal declaration of the Word
Organization and proper outlining will ensure that the hearers will be able to follow the preacher. Unity and orderliness should be accompanied with a passionate presentation of the Word. Structure alone is not enough, but is only the beginning. All the tools of rhetoric benefit the preacher, but his passion and anointing will determine how convincing he will be.
A reasoned discourse presents the facts of God’s Word
Compare Scripture with Scripture and interpret each text within its context. God’s Word is the final authority and standard for all principles of life. Clearly and sensibly communicate. You need to make sense because the people need to be able to follow you while you are preaching. Present truth in a simple logical order. Share truth step by step and progressively build as the sermon continues.
The Mission of Preaching
The mission tells us why we preach. The sermon is framed with a view to persuasion. To truly preach is not just to talk about the Bible, but to produce a decision in the hearts of men. The goal of preaching is edification and changed lives (Col. 1:28; Luke 4:18; 9:60; Ac 5:42; 10:42; 14:15; 15:21; Romans 15:20). The aims which the preacher sets before him are:
The Salvation of Souls
The salvation of souls is one of the main aims of preaching. Preaching is the method God has chosen to reach the souls of men. God chose to use man to reach man with the Gospel. Sinners will not come to God by the wisdom of man, but by the preaching of the Gospel. God chose the foolishness of preaching to save the lost (I Cor. 1:21).
Spiritual Growth
God has given ministers to the church for the express purpose of the perfecting of the saints (Eph. 4:11–14). The preacher is responsible to feed the sheep with the Word of God (Jn. 21:15–17).
Produce Faith
By the preaching of the Word of God, seeds of faith can be sown in the hearts of people for healing and other needs (Rom. 10:17). God requires faith (Hebrews 11:6) to be exercised by every individual and the preacher’s mission is to cause the people to believe God’s Word.
Instruct the Church
Encourage Believers
A faithful minister of the Gospel carries a burden that all who have heard may be encouraged and helped. While he is preaching, the preacher is reaching down by the help of the Holy Ghost to the lowest places that by any means someone would be helped up and out of their horrible pit.
You should be positive and encouraging in the pulpit. Even reproof can be preached with a positive outlook. Remember you are trying to uplift people and not tear them down. If you tear down it is always with the purpose to rebuild! Do not end your sermon negatively, but positively. After the doctor diagnoses the disease, he does not go home, but follows with the remedy.
Hebrews 4:12—For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Bring the Congregation to a Decision
Never be content as a preacher to have been "inspiring" only. Unless the hearers are brought to a point of decision, they will leave the same way they came. The preacher is not responsible to and cannot force people to obey, but he can straightway lead the people in his preaching to the water and boldly declare with the authority of the Holy Ghost, “Drink! This is what you need! Come to Christ!” The preacher must work towards the "altar call" as he preaches because that is where each person will be brought to a point of decision where they must accept or reject the message.
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