Category Archives: pastoral preaching

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Practicing What You Preach. Literally, I Mean.

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Practice Makes Perfect, Sorta.

In one of the main passages devoted to guiding pastoral ministry, Paul says to Timothy,

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Timothy 4:15)

I am currently two-thirds through writing a manuscript for my second full-length book tentatively titled, Preacher As Soul-Watcher. 1 Timothy 4:14-16 is the second of two passages that create a strong foundation for a theology of preaching in church.

The research and writing, along with teaching Advanced Homiletics for Lancaster Bible College|Capital Seminary & Graduate School, affords me opportunities to see new material such as Jared Alcántara’s book, The Practices of Christian Preaching: Essentials for Effective Proclamation (Baker Academic, 2019).

I had the privilege of meeting Jared when he was a student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and attending the Evangelical Homiletics Society. I was thrilled to receive a copy of his book.

In describing famous saxophonist, Charlie Parker, Jared wrote that he “majored in zeal and minored in skill” (p. 2).

Probably that’s not what you and I want our congregants to say about us!

Jared’s research for the introduction led him to the phrase, “deliberate practice” (p. 5). If you’ve played a sport or instrument you know it’s possible to practice poorly. So, you know it’s possible to preach week after week–a few weeks ago I surpassed the 2,000 sermon mark–and not get any better.

Jared writes, “The central claim of this book is that preachers who cultivate life-giving preaching habits through deliberate practice will enhance their proficiency, grow in their commitment, and flourish in their homiletical ministry” (p. 5).

Okay, we could have some interesting discussions about this especially the last part which doesn’t take into account those preacher who enter dysfunctional churches, experience oppressive cultures, move on to their next assignment, preach the same way and flourish. But that’s not important right now.

What is is that it’s possible to preach and not practice the craft and all that’s wrapped up in the craft including the spiritual disciplines.

And Paul was the one who wrote for God, “Practice these things…” It’s very likely that His gift + your deliberate work + His blessing, including providing your congregants with ears to hear, can continue to give Him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Edward’s Understanding Of Sin’s Power: What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s earliest sermons

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Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash
What Sin Does To God’s Creation!

In the third sermon of Edwards recorded by Kimnach (volume 10 in The Works of Jonathan Edwards: Sermons and Discourses 1720-1723), Wicked Men’s Slavery to Sin, Edwards excels in his analysis of the devastating affects of sin. One of the things that keeps me reading Edwards is his theological depth which never drifts away from his listener’s plight.

Edwards wrote: “Query II. In what respects is a wicked man servant to sin? First Ans. The wicked man serves sin with his soul” (p. 343).

I would have said, “with his body” and possibly, “with his mind.” Edwards eventually gets to the body in his second answer, but not until creating a solid foundation.

Edwards knew, just as you do, that the effects of sin go much deeper than your physical body. He stated that,

“sin enslaves the very soul, so that he believes, wills, loves, nor thinks nothing but what sin allows of and commands.” (p. 344).

Sin is in control of it all, even though a non-Christian listener might feel in control.

Sin controls what they believe.

Sin controls what they want to do.

Sin controls what they love.

Sin controls what they think.

Edwards laments: “The eye of his reason must be open only to those things that sin allows him to see; he must keep his eyes fast shut, only when sin gives him leave to open them.” (p. 343)

And imagine, Edwards says, that all this starts from the moment we are able to use our reasoning powers (“as soon as we can speak or go” p. 345). So different from the air that we breathe that believes the human being to be inherently good.

Edwards is now in a great position to say to his listeners:

“Come, be bold and courageous, and don’t be afraid to disobey sin; if you so do, you will not be hurt for it the devil can’t hurt you for rebelling against sin.” (p. 346)

It’s possible that this week your preaching portion or sermon will contain the concept of sin. If so, may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you follow Edwards’s example of clearly stating sin’s effects.

Randal

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You’ll Probably Want to Slow Down When You Get to Numbers 14: Preaching Through Numbers

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How Many of our Parishioners Would Head in That Direction?!

I suggest you slow down when you get to Numbers 14 because so much of God’s people’s reaction to the report of the spies coming back from Canaan mirrors our own faith-journey in vv. 11-19.

First, notice that the grumbling is labeled despising God. In v. 11 the Lord says, “How long will this people despise me?” I wonder how many of us equate complaining about our circumstances as despising God? Right. Probably none. That reaction is labeled unbelief in v. 11 (“how long will they not believe in me?”).

What’s frightening is the Lord’s gut reaction in v. 12: He’s had it with His people and ready to start over. Almost as frightening is the thought of trying to preach this. Have fun trying to explain how our God can be like this. It’s a great time to flex your exegetical/theological muscles and help your listeners see why God is portrayed like this in this narrative.

Thank the Lord Moses doesn’t like His idea. Moses’s reasoning is credited with moving the Lord to pardon His people (vv. 19-20 “Please pardon…I have pardoned according to your word.”). It’s a great time for everyone to hear that the Lord’s reputation is at stake in His world with respect to how His people fare (vv. 13-16).

As Moses pleads with the Lord our listeners are reminded about the promises the Lord made to them. Verse 18 may be one of the most important verses in Scripture about the character of God,

“The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

This is why the Lord does not give up on His people. According to v. 17 this is the Lord letting his power “be great as [He] promised.”

Anyone interested in a Christ-centered reading of the narrative can focus on God’s ability and method of pardoning sin (vv. 18, 19, 20).

And remember, our task is not to preach to them about the Bible, but to preach to them about them from the Bible. Or, if your prefer God-centered wording, we’re preaching to them about God and their relationship with Him from the Bible. This is not ancient history but a Word from God to us.

Anyway, I think you can see how God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) from such a preaching event.

Randal

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Add “powerful arguments” to Your Exegesis: What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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The Part We Play in Persuading our Listeners to Worship Each Sunday

Some of you may recall that my first observation about Edwards’s preaching was that his sermons lacked the kind of exegesis I was used to. I was trained and practice exegesis that is heavy on word studies. To my surprise, Edwards’s early sermons so far show little lexical work.

The second recorded sermon in Kimnach’s book is, The Value of Salvation, based on Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

When Edwards arrived at his Exhortation, he states an obvious implication/application: “Let us take utmost care that we don’t lose our souls” (p. 329). He then restates Matthew 16:26 and writes,

“We have now heard the most powerful arguments in the world to persuade us [to] take care of our souls [emphasis added]” (p. 329).

Edwards was right: everyone in the house had heard the most powerful arguments in the world to persuade them to take care of their souls. How did he do it?

Glancing back into the sermon I picked up on two things.

  • Edwards had a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture so he could pull together key texts that spoke to his subject matter. In this case, Edwards relied on verses that spoke of the end of all earthly things.
  • Edwards was a careful observer of life with all its realities. For instance, Edwards reminded his audience that “Worldly good things are very uncertain” (p. 314). Speaking of our best earthly loves, “How uncertain are friends and relatives; their being dear to us won’t keep them from being take from us” (p. 316). So true. The same with, “And what rich man has there ever been whom riches have made happy?” (p. 318).

Page after page exhibits this foray into the minds of his listeners. And all for the purpose of getting them to this place:

“…let us take no thought for this present any otherwise than as the means of the good of our souls…” (p. 330).

There’s still a place in sermons for dictionary definitions of key terms. But I am learning from Edwards that lots of sermon space is needed for logical, theological, philosophical arguments that urge our listeners to their proper worship response to God’s revelation. It’s almost as if Edwards were saying, “Only a fool would not value the salvation of their soul!”

May we also be so forthright with our faith-families so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Our Salvation Is That Good! What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Edwards makes our salvation look so good!

The second recorded sermon recorded in Kimnach’s volume 10 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards is, The Value of Salvation. It’s based on Matthew 16:26 “…what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Of course, you’d make sure your listeners answered, “Nothing!”

And Edwards makes sure they see the “inestimable worth” of salvation (p. 322). He does this by focusing our attention on what it means to be delivered from all evil.

He writes, “There shall be nothing to interrupt the happiness of believers: there shall be no evil approach the gates of heaven” (p. 322). Edwards is teaching me that that’s not specific enough as he continues with…

“They shall be perfectly delivered from sin and temptation. The saved soul leaves all its sin with the body; when it puts off the body of the man, it puts off the body of sin with it. When the body is buried, all sin is buried forever, and though the soul shall be joined to the body again, yet sin shall never return…” (p. 323).

That is going to be a great day for anyone who is plagued by temptation in this life. The more godly your listeners, the more their ungodliness bothers them. Any of your sermons/lessons aimed at defeating temptation in this life are enhanced by thoughts of how happy the next life will be when evil is erased.

For instance, “there shall [be] no more assaults of lusts to be resisted….They shall no more be tempted by the shining vanities” (p. 323).

What a day that will be!

Edwards was a master at showing all the reasons why the salvation of the soul is of inestimable worth. And he was a master at using the rewards of the gospel to motivate his listeners to godliness.

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as we follow his example.

Randal

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How Much of Your Sermon Is Original?

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I believe that but also know of other preachers who have preached this text better!

In the middle of the week I began thinking about how much of my sermon-in-the-making is the result of my own thinking. I know about the debate surrounding whether or not anyone can ever have a truly original idea. And I’m not talking about plagiarizing either.

I guess I’m asking you to think about what parts of your sermon development and delivery are your work.

Let’s begin with some thoughts about using someone else’s material:

On one side of the spectrum, think about those times when you rely on an English dictionary, thesaurus, or original language lexicons and theological dictionaries. Now go all the way to the other side of the line and think about borrowing someone else’s sermon title and structure.

In the middle I put quotes or paraphrases from our favorite authors, like Jonathan Edwards, Augustine, or William Goldman (author and screenplay writer of The Princess Bride).

So, what do I bring to the equation? Every week by the grace of God I…

  • trace the argument of my preaching portion and discover how meaning is made before I know what that meaning is.
  • determine how this text intends to elicit worship (I complete the sentence: “We worship the Lord this morning by…”).
  • know enough about my congregants to know this text is relevant.
  • create a structure that leads to the theological meaning of the text.
  • talk to my listeners about their Christian experience from the text while I write out my sermon manuscript.
  • make critical word-choices that affect how the sermon sounds (an ora-script within the manuscript).
  • smile at them to let them know I love them.
  • show them how the Christ-event makes this text come true for those who believe.

What did I miss?

May our Sunday “originals” continue to give God glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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COVID-19 Preaching: What I’m Learning

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My Title Slide for the Past Few Weeks (built from an ABC image and
using a quote from the Psalms)

A few weeks ago I asked how the virus and lockdown were affecting your preaching and teaching. This week I wanted to take a moment and reflect on what the whole scenario is teaching me about preaching and pastoral ministry.

First, in case I had forgotten, preaching functions under the umbrella of soul-watching (cf. Hebrews 13:17). That means preaching is all about shepherding and caring for the souls entrusted to our care. No wonder it’s been so weird preaching to an empty house–no live souls!

Second, this has reaffirmed for me that I love people more than preaching. I really miss seeing the faith-family in person. The technology has been extremely helpful, but Zoom isn’t quite the same as hugs and holy kisses on Sunday.

Third, I am learning that there is something special about corporate worship. Something special happens when God’s people congregate to praise Him in song, Scripture, and sacraments. And, of course, important for us is the fact that something special happens when a soul-watcher speaks for God to them about them and their relationship with Him.

Finally–and I know you could add many more–I still have to be spiritually moved by the Scriptures before I try to move them with the Scriptures. In other words, preaching through technology has made me even more aware of my need for the Spirit’s transformation before I rely on Him to work on them. It’s been hard not to feel flat leading up to the recording sessions.

Yet, I am confident our Lord continues to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) through your efforts.

Randal

P.S. Does any of this ring true in your situation? I love to hear your thoughts on this too.

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Key Questions Your Sermon Delivery Answer

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There’s nothing wrong, necessarily, with folding your hands like this. Really.

In her book, Preaching That Matters, Carrell has a chapter titled, Delivering Not Decorating. You may recall that what I’m benefiting from most in the book are survey results of hundreds of listeners. For instance, she writes,

“Listeners use elements of the speaker’s delivery to determine the answer to many crucial questions: How much does the speaker care about us? How important is this topic? How sincere and credible is the speaker?” (p. 130)

Usually, discussions about sermon delivery focus on voice and body, things like volume, rate, and movement. All of this is often aimed at helping preachers be more interesting. But look at the questions above. The way we preach affects much more than being interesting:

Sermon delivery communicates relate-ability or pastoral care. This is where the pastor-theologian focuses on the “pastor” part. It’s where we let our folks know we love them dearly, as much, if not more, than preaching itself.

Sermon delivery communicates the life-and-death nature of God’s Word to us. I’ve said before, that one of my most common comments on sermon evaluation forms is, “I don’t sense that what you’re saying is important.”

Sermon delivery communicates our own interest in God and shepherding God’s flock. We can preach in a way that shows we’re in this with them, that we’re hearing God speak to us too.

For the sake of God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) we don’t want to preach and have one of our listeners say,

“When he preaches, it sounds like he doesn’t care–about what he is saying or about us. If he doesn’t care, why should I?” (p. 130).

Randal

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Never Study Without Typing Out Your Sermon. Ever. Period.

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That’s you writing out your sermon from minute one of your study!

This was supposed to be another, What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s early sermons post. It still is in a way.

Kimnach’s general introduction to volume 10 (The Works of Jonathan Edwards) includes a section called, The Making of Sermons. It’s a gold mine for anyone interested in Edwards’s homiletical method. For instance, Edwards changed the way he took notes as he gained preaching experience.

In the early years Edwards’s sermon notebook contained Scripture that might be preach-able. Later “the notebook becomes a workbook, perhaps indicating an increasing devotion to the art of making sermons, but more likely indicating an effort to eliminate the need for a full first draft, separate from the pulpit draft of the sermon” (p. 67).

That means Edwards began writing out his sermons much earlier.

I can’t remember when I started the practice of writing the sermon from the moment I begin my studying on Monday mornings. But it’s one of the best practices I’ve learned over the years.

It means not separating studying for a sermon from the actual writing of the sermon. Sermon studying = sermon scripting.

Try this: copy and paste your preaching portion for Sunday onto a Pages or Word document (for me it’s Psalm 3 in the morning and Psalm 4 in the evening), begin at verse 1 (or whatever your first verse is; of course you’ve confessed your sin if you have wormed your way into the middle of a pericope!), and begin preaching to your congregants.

You don’t need to select one or two; preach to them all just like you’ll be doing on Sunday, Lord willing. You’ll find that you’ll preach some, study some, then preach some more, then study some more, etc. That is, you’ll write down what you’ll say to your folks, visit your favorite helps in Logos or commentary, and write out what you found and want to convey. That rhythm occurs repeatedly for the duration of your sermon preparation.

If you combine this practice of writing your sermon while you study with my ABIT approach to your first hour or two of study, you’ll find your sermon comes together quite nicely.

May our Lord be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus as you work hard for Him and your flock this week (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Becoming a Deep Theologian for Your Faith-Family

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Your Stack of Good Pastor-Theologians

Over the past several weeks these posts have been switching back and forth between help on preaching through Numbers (Ouch!), what I’m learning from Jonathan Edwards’s early sermons (Yes!), and what I’m learning from, Preaching That Matters (Interesting!). This week I’m combining the second and third categories. Here’s why…

Carrell writes,

“If your sermon communication content is going to be deeper, you are going to have to be deeper. Depth isn’t something you can borrow from a source you find on a website. As a spiritual leader, you must go as far below the surface as possible.” (p. 113).

I’m all in when it comes to having to become spiritual, intellectually, exegetically, and theologically deeper. It’s the middle sentence that arrested me, so let me nuance it a bit.

It’s true: you can’t borrow depth that doesn’t belong to you. Carrell states, “Speakers who live and breathe their subject matter are deeper” (p. 113). But you can gain depth through reading someone like Jonathan Edwards.

Certainly. Pick another pastor-theologian if you like or at least settle for a theologian. But have your favorites and read your favorites so that you learn to think like they think about the Scriptures and their listeners. You can’t borrow depth, but you can burrow deep into the depths of someone like Edwards on a regular basis.

“Why did he say that? What caused him to think like that?” That’s what I ask while I read him. And, over time, I begin to find myself going deeper.

I know I’ve said this before, but you realize that most pastors are reading more church growth and leadership material than they are reading deep theologians. Our deep preaching comes from deep thinking, which, for me, comes in a large part to deep reading.

And may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as a result of our Spirit-driven efforts.

Randal