Preaching - Summary of Sermon Types October 30, 2006
Posted by Jeff Voegtlin in : Preaching , 3 comments
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I have been summarizing the types of sermons in Alfred P. Gibbs’ The Preacher and His Preaching
First, most of the passages in Galatians naturally lend themselves toward the expostitional type of sermon. So I am not going to list all the passages that could be expositional. Second, I am not going to list all the passages that could be preached in all the different styles available. I just want to show some examples.
Almost from the start we see the need to do a topical study on the terms “gospel” and “grace.”
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.  Galatians 1:6
Here, we see that the topic of the book of Galatians is going to be grace and the gospel and we see from this verse that the two (grace and gospel) are either the same or closely comparable — so a topical study/sermon is in order.
Then, starting in verse 13 of chapter one through chapter two verse 16, or even 21, there are strong biographical elements that could be used to supplement a biographical study/sermon on the life of Paul. There is also in that section a historical incident that is quite important. The account of the “Jerusalem council” is told here and in the book of Acts.
Lastly, there are many wonderful texts throughout the book of Galatians. It seems to me that to preach the whole passage around these texts would force the preacher not to be able to bring to God’s people the great truths that have been given us in some of the individual verses of Galatians:
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:21
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Galatians 4:4
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8
My encouragement to preachers is this: Preach the Word. Whatever type of sermon the Word suggests, preach in that way. But above all, preach the Word. Do not come to sermon preparation with an idea and then try to develop it with Scripture. Come to the Scriptures looking for what is there that needs to be delivered to God’s people.
May God bless you as you serve Him.
The Preacher and His Belly October 28, 2006
Posted by Dave Mallinak in : Preaching , 5 comments Print This Post
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In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:37-39
The preacher reminded me of a dry brook. You could see the evidence of the life that had once been there. Traces of water still lay in puddles here and there. The water that once flowed, I would guess rather freely, had worn a path through the dirt and stone. But now, ants built small hills in the dust where the trickle once ran. Any water that remained from the old stream huddled in stagnant puddles, where bugs danced freely on the surface. The thirsty soul probably wasn’t thirsty enough to drink that.
We find the symbolism of rivers of living water throughout the Bible. In Ezekiel 47
, the angel of the Lord showed the prophet a trickle of water coming out from beneath the threshold of the temple’s door. The trickle moved eastward. The prophet followed his guide to the city gate, that faced eastward, and there they saw that same trickle of water.
Ezekiel’s guide measured one thousand cubits from the gate, and directed Ezekiel into that stream. The water was about ankle deep. They measured another one thousand cubits. When the prophet waded into the water, he found the stream about knee deep. One thousand cubits later, Ezekiel waded in up to his waste. And one thousand cubits further, that trickle flowing from the Temple’s threshold became a river. That river was water to swim in, too deep for Ezekiel to cross over. In just over a mile, that trickle from beneath the temple turned into a mighty river.
There, alongside this mighty river, stood Ezekiel and his guide. Trees lined the river on both sides, standing thick and strong along the banks. But where did the river go from there? The guide told Ezekiel that the river flowed down into the wilderness, and into the Dead Sea. And the water of that river was so pure that it would heal the Dead Sea.
Now, the Dead Sea is much like our Salt Lake. Nothing lives in it. Nothing. Nil. Notta thing. Well, that is, unless you count the brine shrimp. If you find a fish, something exported it. The Salt Lake really is dead. A dead sea. And so is THE Dead Sea. The angel told Ezekiel that when this river, the river that started as a mere trickle, flowed into the Dead Sea, the water would be healed, and there would be many fish. In fact, the guide said that wherever the river came, everything would live. Everything, that is, except for the miry places and the marshes. Apparently there are some places that love the stench and filth of their sin too much to be healed.
But along that crystal river, that healing river, will grow every type of fruit tree…
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
Wherever the living water flows, there will be life – abundant life. John 7:37-39 brings us back to that same temple, the Temple at Jerusalem on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel celebrated the harvest, and lived in tents to commemorate their years in the wilderness. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the priest would take a large golden pitcher to the pool of Siloam, fill the pitcher with water from the pool and bring it back to the altar, where he would pour it over the altar. The water from the pool of Siloam would run down that altar, and out of the temple and into the city.
It was there at the Temple that Jesus cried out to all the observers if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. And John tells us that he was speaking of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told the woman at the well that whoever drinks of the water that he gives will never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. But what about dry preachers? Are you dry? That fountain has not run dry! God calls for everyone that thirsts to come drink without money and without price. Just as the trickle from the temple’s threshold flows into the scum of the Dead Sea and changes it to a living sea, so the living water from the hills of God flow into you, preacher. The river of life didn’t flow in once, and stop flowing ever since. It is a continual stream. It continually flows. And Christ said that if you will believe on Him, out of your belly will flow rivers of living water.
This is important for all Christians in all places. This is important for all who would teach or preach. But this is essential for the preachers of the gospel. Here we see a living sea, its source, and the effect it has.
The abundant life
Abundant life comes when the water of life reaches the stagnant water of our heart. As those healing waters flow in, they heal that stagnant water, and then enable it to support life. That life will first be evident inside you. You must have life, and that life must be in you. You have been quickened, but are you alive? Would we need to stomp on your toe to find out? We have all endured messages where we felt the preacher needed someone to wake him up. Preacher, are you alive in all your duties? Some are alive during the football game, but dead during prayer time. If you have a dead bone in your body, it must be quickened or it will kill you. Some are alive at church, but dead at home. Your family needs you to be alive there too. Some would shock their families if they ever jumped up from the couch, turned off the TV, and did something with their wife and kids.
You must have life, and that life must be an abundant life (John 10:10). This warm, overflowing life ought to be evident in every part of your life. Tired? That should be more cause for rejoicing. The people to whom you preach should see the evidence of abundant life. Your children should see this abundant life. Some wonder how they could ever live without a TV or how they could ever cut out of their life those things that deter from God. An abundant life needs no crutch.
Soon, that living sea supports all sorts of life, both in the water and on the shore. That living water produces fruits of love and joy and peace. Ezekiel said that though they were eaten, the fruit from those trees along the river were never consumed, but were new every month. The fruit was for meat and the leaf for medicine. And that sea, once dead, also supports a multitude of fish.
But before we look any further, we need to see…
The source of the abundant life
The abundant life comes from the Holy Spirit. It is this Crystal Fountain that must fill us, and we must be filled. Remember, that Crystal Fountain fills the thirsty soul. If one would be filled, one must drink. Do you thirst for the fountain?
Christ said that it was the words that he spake that are spirit, and are life. God told Ezekiel to eat the roll. So then, the source of this abundant life comes through an abundance of Bible reading. It really is as simple as that. Fill your mind with the Word. Fill your days with prayer and with Bible-reading. Let it saturate you. Soak in it.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
What do you want to have flowing from your mouth? Do you want your words to have an effect? Then fill your mind with God’s Word. Pray until you feel sure that you have spoken to God. Read until you feel sure that God has spoken to you.
Do you have a lesson to teach? A message to preach? How will you get that across to your people? Soak in the lesson. Read it, study it, be sure you understand what the words mean, what the main points are. But then just soak in it until it fills you. And when you come across those difficult passages, the parts that you don’t understand, open it before God, and ask Him to explain it. Verse by verse. Look up what you need to look up, but then lay in the Word, roll in it, fill your mind with it, and let it soak in. Let the Spirit of God fill you through God’s Word. And let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
When that pure stream of living water healed you, it didn’t divert itself to another place. Once it starts, that stream continually flows to the same heart. You drank it once for your salvation, now drink it every day for that abundant life.
You won’t drink until you believe, so believe that you need the water of life. Believe that this water will work effectively in you. Believe that this water of life will also bless many.
The overflow of the abundant life
The abundant life is like one of those fountains where the water flows out and fills the basin until it overflows into the next, and then into the next. Let the living water fill you, and you won’t be able to stop the overflow. This is the work of the Holy Spirit of God. He fills you, then uses you to fill others. But all flows from him.
Notice first the overflow of life in you. There will be within you a well of water springing up into eternal life. As Ezekiel 47 tells us, there will be many trees, whose fruit will serve for meat, and whose leaves will be for medicine to heal others. And there will be multitudes of fishes.
Notice also the overflow of life from you. Out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. Not a river, but rivers will flow.
…in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
They will be rivers of living water. And they will do for others what they have done for us.
One final thing should provoke us to be filled to overflowing. We will affect many when our heart overflows. When we open our mouths to preach, and out of our belly flows rivers of living water, many will be blessed. Your church family will be blessed, but not them only. Your own family will be blessed. The families in your church will be blessed. Your city will be blessed. And you will be fulfilling your purpose.
The stream can’t be stopped, so when we flood our place of service, those rivers of living water will need to go somewhere. Think of the missions that could be started across the globe. But don’t look too far ahead yet. The future distracts us too much from the present. Instead, look at today. Today is where this is needed.
For many, these rivers of living water aren’t overflowing from us yet. If they aren’t, it isn’t because somebody stopped up the rivers that they can’t overflow. If they aren’t overflowing, we aren’t filled to overflowing. So, get in the Word. I can’t imagine a preacher who doesn’t read his Bible. You that don’t read your Bible or pray, repent and start now. You that do, do more. Soak in it. Fill your mind with it.
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
I wonder what that dry preacher believes in…
Preaching Is WORSHIP (Well, Should Be) October 25, 2006
Posted by Kent Brandenburg in : Preaching, Worship , 3 comments Print This Post
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Israel, God’s Old Testament congregation, gathered for worship, which included sacrifices, singing, playing, prayer, and preaching. All of these were offered to God. Attendance was mandatory.Â
And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.    Leviticus 10:11
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.   Joshua 8:35
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.    Nehemiah 8:8
The primary criterion for Old Testament worship was acceptability to God—would God be pleased? Sometimes it is all called “the sacrificial system” to differentiate it from New Testament worship. However, New Testament worship is also a “sacrificial system” of its own—a living sacrificial system in contrast to a dead one in the Old Testament. A holy priesthood offers up spiritual sacrifices unto God (1 Peter 2:5; Philippians 3:3; 4:18). Like the Old Testament, the main requirement in New Testament worship is God’s acceptance.
Preaching is one of the New Testament offerings, part of the church, God’s New Testament congregation.[1] The preacher contributes to this by studying, rightly dividing (2 Timothy 2:15), and then preaching the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), giving attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13). The congregation is quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, setting aside sin, and receiving with meekness what is preached, not being just a hearer, but also a doer (James 1:19-22). When both do their part, the preacher and the congregation, due to the sufficiency of the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), the congregation is perfected for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), prevented from being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14), throughly furnished to every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), and provoked to love (Hebrews 10:25).
Paul looked at preaching as worship. In Romans 1:9 he wrote:
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.
The word “serve” here is latreia, which is a word understood as a kind of offering like the sacrifices of the Old Testament. It is translated “worship” in Philippians 3:3. The work of the Levitical priesthood is described by this word in Hebrews 8:5 and 9:9. When Paul preached the Gospel, he viewed it as a sacrifice offered to God. He worshiped God in his preaching.
So preaching is worship. Well, it should be. As worship, the chief criterion is whether God is pleased by it. Again, preaching should be God-centered, focusing on what God wants to hear. Whether the congregation likes it or not, if God does, then we have succeeded in a sermon. We have worshiped God.
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[1] Since a church is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:17), the locus of worship in the age in which we live, and the pastor is the overseer of a church (1 Timothy 3:1, “bishop,” episkopos=overseer), then the pastor is the designated “worship leader” of a church.
Preaching - Topical October 23, 2006
Posted by Jeff Voegtlin in : Preaching , 1 comment so far Print This Post
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I have been summarizing the types of sermons in Alfred P. Gibbs’ The Preacher and His Preaching
The Topical Sermon
This sermon is built by choosing a particular topic and then searching through Scripture to see what the Bible says about the subject. The topic can be compared to a river with all the Scripture passages that are related to it compared to the tributaries and streams that feed the river. Each subtopic or division of the subject must be clearly related to the topic. Good topical sermons possess unity, coherence, and emphasis.
There are five advantages of topical sermons:
- It enables both preacher and hearer to grasp a subject of the Bible as a whole.
- It affords ample opportunity for a thorough discussion of the subject.
- It impresses an audience with the unity of holy Scripture.
- The great doctrines of the Bible can best be studied by this method.
- It makes for variety of presentation.
There are disadvantages of topical sermons. If the preacher tries to continually preach topical messages, he will necessarily run out of topics on which to speak. It must also be considered that there are only a certain number of topics that can be studied in this way. The Bible is not necessarily a topical textbook. There is more to preach in the Bible than just topics.
When preparing a topical sermon, you should read all that the Bible has to say about the topic again and again. You should then ask your seven interrogative friends to help you.
I have seven faithful serving men,
Who taught me all I ken;
Their names are What, Why, How and Who,
And Where, When, and What-then.
I must point out that all these questions are asked of the Scriptures. For many, the meaning of topical sermon has morphed into something other than preaching what the Bible has to say about a topic into preaching what they believe about a topic and throwing some verses at the major headings. The latter is not a biblical topical sermon.
Next week I will demonstrate how all these sermon types may work together to preach the whole counsel of God to His people. You might want to do a little exercise on this matter ahead of time. If you are a preacher, as you read the Bible, consider what type of sermon the text suggests.
The Preacher and His Exegesis October 20, 2006
Posted by Dave Mallinak in : Preaching , add a comment Print This Post
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Careful exegesis characterizes solid Bible preaching. If the preacher’s goal is to preach the Word, then he will preach what the Word says. When diligent exegesis characterizes his preaching, and when he is careful to preach what the Word says rather than what he has on his mind, then this preacher can preach any style of message. Topical messages are truly wonderful when they present the whole of Scripture. I personally enjoy preaching textual messages more than anything else. Exposition, when it presents the whole of the meaning of the passage, can provide the hearer with a rich and full exegesis of Scripture.
On the other hand, the absence of exegesis in topical messages turns the Word into a trampoline, from which the preacher can bounce from point to point. In the absence of careful exegesis, textual messages turn into a springboard into nearly unrelated topics… shut your Bibles and let me talk to you tonight. 
More than once, I have endured “expositional” messages that reminded me more of a diving board display. The preacher said he would preach the passage verse-by-verse. But instead, he bounced on each verse a few times, did a spectacular swan dive into the pool, swam around for a bit, climbed back out, bounced on the diving board (the next verse) again, this time followed by a jackhammer dive, and so forth until he reached the end of his passage. This is not exposition, nor is it careful exegesis. This is that very special form of interpretation known as eisegesis.
Exegetical preaching carefully explains, unfolds, and illustrates the meaning of Scripture. In order to accomplish solid exegesis, the preacher himself must fully understand the passage. In my studies, I have encountered a very helpful method for examining a topic, text, or passage. This method was developed by Hermogoras nearly two hundred years before Christ. It utilizes a series of questions to ask of the issue. These questions should not be considered a replacement for careful exegesis. Rather, they are careful exegesis.
These questions will help the preacher to thoroughly examine the material from which he will preach. Although the questions will greatly aid the preacher in examination, they will not write his message for him. After a careful examination of the issue, the preacher still must arrange his points and prepare his presentation. But these questions will enable him to be thorough in his examination.
The questions divide into four categories: conjecture, definition, quality, and procedure. The questions of conjecture seek to get at the fundamentals of the issue. If we were dealing with the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal”, we would ask if stealing exists, and does it happen. Does stealing exist? Is it true? Where did it come from? How did it begin? What is its cause? Can it be changed? [1]
The questions of definition examine what essentially the issue is, asking how it can be defined, or what kind of thing or event it is. Again, on the issue of stealing, we would seek a precise definition of what constitutes stealing. What kind of thing is stealing? How would you classify it (to what larger class of things does it belong)? What are its parts and how are they related? [2]
The questions of quality are more complex. Thus far, the study focused on the fundamentals of the issue. Now, the study will focus on the issue, event, or act itself, seeking to establish the rightness or wrongness of the topic at hand. questions of quality divide into two categories: simple and comparative. [3] The first asks simply, is stealing right or wrong? Is it a good thing or bad thing? Should it be sought or avoided? Is it honorable or dishonorable? [4]
You could probably guess that the comparative questions of quality make comparisons between the issue and other, similar issues. In our study of the eighth commandment, you would compare stealing to borrowing or purchasing. Is stealing better or worse than something else? Is it more desirable or less desirable than some other alternative? Is it more or less right or more or less wrong than any other choice? Is stealing more or less honorable than any other option? Is it more or less base than another choice? [5]
Finally, one should ask questions of procedure. In this case, we will not have a series of questions to ask. Rather, we should simply consider what should or should not be done. In the case of the eighth commandment, we would seek to establish what the commandment requires and what the commandment forbids. In our questioning of the passage, we have moved from the theoretical to the practical, a direction that sound preaching should always take.
Again, we should always remember that these questions will neither write your message for you, nor will it give you a finished product. When one has answered these questions, he has a starting point of sound exegesis, and from there will be able to preach what the topic, text, or passage says.
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Footnotes:
- Sharon Crowley, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students
(New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1994), p. 39
- IBID, p. 39
- IBID, p. 40
- IBID, p. 40
- IBID, p. 40
The Most Important Trait for the Expositor: Boldness October 18, 2006
Posted by Kent Brandenburg in : Preaching , 9 comments Print This Post
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When a preacher is filled with the Holy Spirit, what is the result in preaching? Let’s have Acts 4:31 tell us the answer:
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
The filling of the Spirit results in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23), the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), including verbal and manual gifts (1 Peter 4:11), God-honoring singing and music (Ephesians 5:19), thankfulness (Ephesians 5:19), submissiveness (Ephesians 5:20), and right relationships (Ephesians 5:22-6:9). With all of these tremendous consequences of Spirit-filling, you can add boldness in preaching, or perhaps better add those to this one. Of all the traits to look for in preaching, this is the one most mentioned in Scripture.
Acts 9:29
If you skipped over the above verses, go back and read them. It isn’t a good habit to read these kinds of articles and skip the Scripture that is quoted. The Greek words in all of these instances are the noun parresia and the verb parrsiazomai, which mean “to speak openly, freely, and fearlessly,” “a use of speech that conceals nothing and passes over nothing,” and “a state of boldness and confidence, courage, fearlessness, especially in the presence of persons of high rank.”[1]
God’s admonition to Jeremiah at the beginning of his preaching ministry was for him to have this very quality:
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD (Jeremiah 1:8
This was the characteristic for which Paul asked the church to pray that he would have in his own preaching (Galatians 6:19).
Why do I believe this trait is the most important to exposition?
1) It is the most important to all preaching based on the above passages of Scripture.
2) When we find out that what a passage means will be a problem for the people to whom we are preaching, our flesh will be tempted to alter the meaning to fit what they want to hear. This is the “itching ears” preaching of 2 Timothy 4:3, characteristic of perilous times. I believe this is the number one cause of false doctrine. Preachers tell people what they want to hear a passage means instead of what it actually says.
3) The Holy Spirit is quenched by the selfish pride that motivates our fear, so that we will forego His illumination to know a passage even before we lack His holy boldness to declare it.
When the preacher is not afraid to preach anything that God says, He can enjoy peace with any portion of God’s Word. The most difficult passages are those which say something that clashes the most with our culture. For this reason, many preachers adapt God’s Word to its popular criteria. As a historic Baptist, I am no Martin Luther fan, but I love this quote attributed to him:
If I profess, with the loudest voice and clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battle fields besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.
You can’t get the right interpretation if you are not willing to get it. You can’t be afraid to want what God says. You won’t preach it the right way if you are even the least afraid to do so.
[1] Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Third Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker base on the Walter Bauer’s Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments un fer frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous Enlish Editions by W.F.Arndt, F.W.Gingrich, and F.W.Danker. Electronic Edition.
Kinkade gets the complete Kandenburg Tour! October 17, 2006
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So now it comes to my attention that Thom really likes the SF Bay area. So when he visits of course he attends the only lightning rod church in the area, which is pastored by the esteemed Hammer Time, a.k.a. Brent Kandenburg. Well anyway, the last time Thom was there Brent gave him the full Kandenburg Tour of the area and Thom just couldn’t get over all the insight Brent had. It really shed some light on his own perspective and inspired him to put it all on canvass:
The City By the Bay
Fisherman’s WharfÂÂ
Golden Gate Bridge
Chinatown
Alcatraz
Market Street
Union Square
View from Coit Tower
As you can see, Thom really enjoyed himself while he was there. You can pick up any of these if you drop off some pretty pennies at the Village Gallery Online.
Dogwood Chapel
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I thought this might be an appropriate time to introduce this. Here’s a perfect picture of the perfect church in a perfect dogwood grove.
There’s probably a perfect pastor there preaching perfect messages to perfect parishoners who have perfect dogs in there perfect kennels back at there perfect homes.
Then there is, of course, one of Kinkade’s favorite cities:
And this picture that just might be a scene from the Maine coast:
Preaching - Biographical, Historical Incident October 16, 2006
Posted by Jeff Voegtlin in : Preaching , 1 comment so far Print This Post
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I have been summarizing the types of sermons in Alfred P. Gibbs’ The Preacher and His Preaching
The Biographical Sermon
This sermon is built around the study of a person’s life. We may learn many lessons from others’ lives. If a person was blessed by God, we may look for reasons in his character or deeds. If he was punished, we may be warned against following his example.
There are three advantages of biographical sermons:
- Biographies make both interesting and valuable reading.
- Much sermon material is available from this source.
- Biographical preaching makes for that variety which is so necessary to effective preaching.
When preparing a biographical sermon, you should read all that the Bible has to say about him again and again. You will then decide what are the outstanding events in his life and his chief characteristics. Do not overlook weaknesses or good points. You could ask these questions: What sort of person was he? What made him this sort of person? What resulted in his life because he was that sort of person? Learn and then make application from his weaknesses and virtues. Alexander Whyte, F. B. Meyer, and F. W. Krummacher have prepared excellent examples of this type of sermon.
The Historical Incident Sermon
This sermon is developed by taking an incident from the Bible and applying spiritual lessons from it as the story unfolds. It is similar to expository preaching because it also takes a passage of Scripture and opens it. The difference is that the passage in this instance tells of an event and the story revealed is the theme. Application is then applied throughout the sermon.
There are three advantages to historical incident sermons:
- All the world loves a story.
- A wide range of sermon material is here provided.
- The incidents of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, have been specially recorded for this purpose.
Overspiritualization is the chief danger of historical incident sermons. We must beware of pushing the application beyond what is taught in the Bible. This is especially true with parables. Parables serve to illustrate a particular point of doctrine. As a ball rolling across the floor, they touch doctrine at only one point.
When preparing this type of sermon, besure to check all parallel accounts of the event. There are obvious parallel accounts in the gospels, and in the Old Testament books of history, but do not neglect parallels in the epistles and the book of Acts and also in the Old Testament prophets and books of history. I might also add, be sure to place yourself in the historical context of the event. Do not place the event in 21st century America!
It is still my opinion that there is not a type of sermon that is more biblical than another (as long as it is biblical in the first place!). Kent (Hammer Time) has argued for the superiority of expository preaching. I would generally agree, so long as the passage lends itself toward that type of preaching (it seems that many/most passages would). This may be a symantical point, therefore he may agree completely with me also, but I’m not sure. Of the five sermon types that I will present, all are good and all should be used. In order to preach the Word comprehensively (giving the whole counsel of God), all must be utilized.
The Preacher and His Rhetoric October 14, 2006
Posted by Dave Mallinak in : Preaching , 13 comments Print This Post
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There is no particular virtue to being seriously unreadable. – Charles Spurgeon
And we could say the same for the preacher. Preaching has no value if the people don’t get it. Some sermons go so deep that the listener would drown trying to get at it, or would get the bends coming back up. The preacher succeeds when the audience understands and is moved. A meal from the best cook, using the finest ingredients and prepared with the utmost care, still has no value until it reaches the table, and from the table to the plate, and from the plate to the mouth, and from the mouth to the belly.
So, the preacher must consider his audience. Some argue that only the text should be considered. Those preachers love the text, love the material, all very honorable and good. But God calls us to love one another as well. Certainly, the text gets the priority, but there are other considerations as well.
In fact, in every sermon there must be three considerations. The preacher preaches to a congregation. So, the three considerations would be the giver, the receiver, and the thing given and received. Every preacher should consider himself, his audience, and his message. Ancient rhetoricians referred to this as ethos, pathos, and logos. And Paul instructed Timothy to do exactly this —
1Timothy 4:16
We Cannot Separate the Ambassador from His Message
We are ambassadors. The ambassador delivers the king’s message, a message of peace and reconciliation. Delivering that message is the ambassador’s calling. The king chooses the ambassador believing him to be respectable and trustworthy. When the ambassador stands before those to whom he is sent, he must consider himself. He does not consider himself like a peacock in a mirror, but as one representing the king. He takes heed unto himself for the king’s sake, and not his own. But there are other reasons too. He takes heed unto himself so that his audience will respect him and listen. The message must be delivered; it is of utmost importance. The audience must receive the message, and the ambassador’s own conduct will sway the audience. Thus, the preacher must consider his own ethos.
Paul had this in mind when he said,
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (ethos). 1Corinthians 15:33
A man’s ethos is his character and reputation, not only in general, but also with the audience. God requires his preachers to be above reproach, and this with good reason. He proclaims the Word with his tongue, and with his life. We should remember that his life preaches as loudly as his rhetoric.
The preacher will preach the Word week after week, in some cases to the same congregation for forty or fifty years. In His infinite wisdom, God planned it to be this way. It would seem that the congregation would tire of hearing the same voice, the same presentation, the same applications made the same way. It would seem that the illustrations – the ones we have told countless times, would wear thin on the audience. But God has chosen this way for his Word to be preached. The way the people hear their preacher will depend very much on his reputation with his audience.
Ethical appeals are persuasive, and we see them used repeatedly in Scripture. Paul uses them with Philemon (Philemon 1:4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 19), with Timothy (I Timothy 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:1-5; 3:14-15), with the Galatians (Galatians 1:1, 6-24ff), and with the Jews (Acts 22:1-5). Paul used his well-earned reputation as capital to move his audience. The preacher can and should do the same.
Ethical appeals are enhanced by evidence of good character in the message itself. The preacher demonstrates good character in each and every message; they accomplish this by doing their homework. When the audience recognizes the evidence of hard work, both in your study and also in preparing your presentation, they appreciate that. When the congregation sees that you deal with the issue justly, they appreciate that. When the audience knows that you are faithful to the text, more so than your opinion, then they are ready to be persuaded.
The Ambassador Cannot Ignore His Audience
The ambassador must speak the language of his audience. His king ordained him to deliver a message. If his audience cannot or will not hear him, then he will not succeed. So, he must consider how best to reach his audience. How we reach a particular audience with a particular message will vary, even from message to message. And although the priority must be on the message, the preacher succeeds when his people get it. He wants this.
So the preacher must consider the congregation, something the Greeks referred to as pathos. As with ethical proofs, pathetic proofs are also persuasive. We derive several English words from the Greek word pathos, including apathy, sympathy, and empathy. Pathos indicates passion, and the preacher would do well to consider the passion of his audience on a given subject. He does not consider the audience’s passion in order to decide whether or not to address the issue, but rather how to address the issue. If the audience is apathetic, he must motivate them to hear. If the audience is hostile, he must win them over. If the audience is favorable, he must excite them further and move them to action.
Even in a good church, various messages will meet with these different responses. In approaching the presentation, the preacher would do well to analyze his audience, and develop an approach designed to meet them.
We also see this exemplified in Scripture. Consider the difference between Christ’s approach to the Pharisee’s, the woman at the well, the disciples, and the multitudes. Think about Paul on Mars’ Hill, Paul before King Agrippa, and Paul before the Sanhedrin. We must consider our audience.
Furthermore, the preacher appeals to the emotions of his congregation. God calls us to provoke one another to love and to good works. Paul purposely stirred up the anger of the Corinthians, and the shame of the Galatians. Paul encouraged Timothy. Preachers should seek to do the same. Extended pathetic appeals are a lawful, important, and sometimes a necessary part of preaching.
That is not to say that we can stir emotions any old way we please, seeking what we want ourselves. The Word must be used to do the stirring, and emotional appeals must come from and be based on Scripture. The preacher should remember that the Word itself, when fully expounded, will stir true believers to respond.
The Ambassador Must Deliver the Message
The preacher must deliver the message faithfully. This requires that he be faithful to the message. All things considered, the logos takes priority. The preacher can have a carefully polished ethos, can speak in a way that is very appealing to the audience, and will still fall short if the logos is abused or neglected.
Logos is one of those rich words that really cannot be adequately summarized in one word. it basically means “reason.” Christ is the logos. God’s Word is the logos. We get our word logic from this Greek word. Fundamentally, logos refers to everything that can be said about an issue. The preacher’s priority must be the logos. God gave the preacher a message he must deliver; that is the logos.
So, the message has preeminence, not the preacher, and not the audience. Misplacing the priorities leads to many of the errors that plague us today. When the preacher has preeminence, the audience gets treated to fine displays of rhetorical fireworks, showmanship, and theatrics. When the audience gets preeminence, entertainment becomes of primary importance. The service features bands, dramas, fifteen minute “talks,” and theatre seating. The Who plays over the fine speaker system at the coffee shop in the lobby, while members kick back in couches sipping cappuccino and doing Thomas Kinkaid puzzles. Purpose Driven Drivel® is all around.
But the fact that the message takes priority does not insure against misplaced priorities. Within the message, the rhetoric can easily displace the message. Presentation is important, necessary in fact. But the presentation is not the message. The Word is the message. By all means, we must deliver THAT. The Captain of our Salvation gave us the message. We must deliver the message He gave. That would be His Word, and not our opinion about the message. We are ambassadors. We cannot speak for ourselves.
So, the preacher must preach the Word as it is and not as he wants it. He must take time to prepare his presentation of the Word, preparing it in such a way that his audience will be moved. We all know that vegetables are healthy. So why not simply throw them all in a blender with a little water, and drink? Presentation is important. We should neither garnish a plate of twinkies, nor serve up bland servings of health food. Cook the meat, flavor it, and then serve it to the people. And don’t forget the sides. We want the sides too. Corn and all.
