The answer to "What is the purpose of preaching?" might seem obvious. We preachers spend hours in study and preparation to have a sermon to preach. If someone were to observe us from start to finish, it might look like that our goal is to prepare the perfect sermon.
Not being a heretic, but the end result of our preaching is NOT a Perfect Sermon! I remember that I had fallen into the track of trying to develop, prepare, and preach perfect sermons. Not that I articulated it that way, but if you observed my approach in preparation, study, and the intensity involved it appeared that I was motivated to concoct "the perfect sermon."
The reality is that even if I were given a perfect sermon, it would not be perfect any longer after I preached it.
If our objective is not a perfect sermon, then what is our goal?
Dr. Timothy Warren of Dallas Theological Seminary says that, "perfection is not our goal... Our goal in preaching is to stimulate faith and motivate life change for the glory of God."
Now by all means we must be faithful to the text; do our study; take time to prepare the message; and spend time preparing the delivery of the message. But the end goal is not for you or me to prepare a perfect sermon. Relieve the stress and tension!
The question we should ask ourselves is does this sermon stimulate faith and motivate life change to the glory of God? That doesn't happen without the work of the Holy Spirit in the midst of our preparation and preaching.
I'm sure this has happened to you. There have been sermons that I spent twenty to twenty-five hours preparing, and yet they dropped like a bomb! And there have been sermons that I had ten hours or less to prepare and they were like the Fourth of July! (That's not meant to be a reason to slack off in our study and preparation!) It shows it's not about you or me. Even our preaching is about God!
We should do the best we can in study, preparation, and delivery of the sermon message. We should pursue preparation with a passion, but not for you or me to prepare a perfect sermon.
The sermon is only perfect in the hands of God! when His will is being accomplished in the moment and/or years down the road.
I once heard a preacher say, we preach not for information, but for transformation!
Be encouraged and preach the Word!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Preachers Need To Listen!
Yes, we preachers need to listen! We spend so much time talking, speaking, and preaching, we need to be reminded that we also need to listen.
We need to listen to God. How do we do that? We listen to God through prayer. If you think about the earthly ministry of Jesus, we find Jesus constantly in prayer. Even the disciples implore the church about needing time to pray as they study the Word. You and I also need time to be in prayer. And something I've learned not too long ago, there are times I just need to "shut-up" before God. Yes, sometimes we just need to "shut-up" before God so we can hear God speak to us.
We need to listen to the audience. By listening to the audience, we can be more sensitive and more aware of their needs, their struggles, their issues of life, and their spiritual disposition. By listening to those to whom we preach God can speak to us as to what we ultimately preach to His people.
We need to listen to the Scripture. As we read the Scripture for enjoyment, devotion, and/or for preparation of sermons, we need to "listen" to the Scripture. Listening to the Scripture means that we step into the time machine and travel back to the ancient time, and mingle with the time, seasons, the culute, and the ancients. We imagine the smells and the tension. We vicariously experience the ancient text. As we become intimate with the Scripture, we no longer just tell the stories of the ancient text, we re-live them in the here and now. We bring to life for the audience that which has long since died.
We need to listen to other preachers, "good" preachers. Good preachers know how to effectively communicate to the modern audience. Listening to "good" communicators will help us in communicating to the audience that God gives us. Listening to others preach, is not imitating, but refining the rough edges in our own communication.
The audiences which we stand before are exposed to great communicators from television, movies, videos, and the Internet. Not that we are entertainers, but we are communicators of the most meaningful and powerful Word (God's Holy Word).
Be encouraged, as we do all of our listening, let us work to communicate well so that our listeners will listen and not tune us out!
Who are some of the preachers you listen to that help your preaching? (Let me know)
We need to listen to God. How do we do that? We listen to God through prayer. If you think about the earthly ministry of Jesus, we find Jesus constantly in prayer. Even the disciples implore the church about needing time to pray as they study the Word. You and I also need time to be in prayer. And something I've learned not too long ago, there are times I just need to "shut-up" before God. Yes, sometimes we just need to "shut-up" before God so we can hear God speak to us.
We need to listen to the audience. By listening to the audience, we can be more sensitive and more aware of their needs, their struggles, their issues of life, and their spiritual disposition. By listening to those to whom we preach God can speak to us as to what we ultimately preach to His people.
We need to listen to the Scripture. As we read the Scripture for enjoyment, devotion, and/or for preparation of sermons, we need to "listen" to the Scripture. Listening to the Scripture means that we step into the time machine and travel back to the ancient time, and mingle with the time, seasons, the culute, and the ancients. We imagine the smells and the tension. We vicariously experience the ancient text. As we become intimate with the Scripture, we no longer just tell the stories of the ancient text, we re-live them in the here and now. We bring to life for the audience that which has long since died.
We need to listen to other preachers, "good" preachers. Good preachers know how to effectively communicate to the modern audience. Listening to "good" communicators will help us in communicating to the audience that God gives us. Listening to others preach, is not imitating, but refining the rough edges in our own communication.
The audiences which we stand before are exposed to great communicators from television, movies, videos, and the Internet. Not that we are entertainers, but we are communicators of the most meaningful and powerful Word (God's Holy Word).
Be encouraged, as we do all of our listening, let us work to communicate well so that our listeners will listen and not tune us out!
Who are some of the preachers you listen to that help your preaching? (Let me know)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Preachers Need To Keep Reading!
I remember talking to a fellow preacher and was surprised that he said that he didn't read any books. If it's one thing I've learned from my journey, it's that I will always be a student, and students have to read. And our reading is not limited to the Bible. We never stop learning!
I strongly recommend reading one or two good books on preaching each year. Yes, there can be some or much overlap, but there are many benefits. For me, one of the biggest benefits is that it reminds me of some of the little things that I tend to forget when I'm in the weekly grind of preaching.
It refreshes me to the God given assignment of preaching. It reminds me of the higher calling of preaching. It keeps the fire burning bright. It's like having a dialogue with a fellow practitioner. It gives me an opportunity to try new elements in my preaching. It can keep you fresh for the congregation, especially if you've been in the same congregation for a few years.
I've listed some of the books that I recommend you read if you haven't already. It's just a few of what feels like a "zillion" books I've read on preaching.
Another reason I recommend reading one or two good preaching books each year? I want to be the best preacher that God has equipped me to be! Therefore I read, and just like my golf swing I'm never satisfied! There is always room to improve. I don't want to slice or hook God's Word in my preaching, therefore I read. As preachers let's keep reading!
(Be encouraged!) The Preachers' Notepad
I strongly recommend reading one or two good books on preaching each year. Yes, there can be some or much overlap, but there are many benefits. For me, one of the biggest benefits is that it reminds me of some of the little things that I tend to forget when I'm in the weekly grind of preaching.
It refreshes me to the God given assignment of preaching. It reminds me of the higher calling of preaching. It keeps the fire burning bright. It's like having a dialogue with a fellow practitioner. It gives me an opportunity to try new elements in my preaching. It can keep you fresh for the congregation, especially if you've been in the same congregation for a few years.
I've listed some of the books that I recommend you read if you haven't already. It's just a few of what feels like a "zillion" books I've read on preaching.
Another reason I recommend reading one or two good preaching books each year? I want to be the best preacher that God has equipped me to be! Therefore I read, and just like my golf swing I'm never satisfied! There is always room to improve. I don't want to slice or hook God's Word in my preaching, therefore I read. As preachers let's keep reading!
(Be encouraged!) The Preachers' Notepad
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