Category Archives: sermon development

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Securely Fasten Your Congregants To Scripture

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Along with passing along insights I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s early sermons, I’m also highlighting Carrell’s findings from surveying hundreds of sermon-hearers. Her book, Preaching That Matters: Reflexive Practices for Transforming Sermons, has helped me think about churchgoers hear sermons.

For instance, chapter 4 (Exegeting, then Organizing) listed poor sermon organization as the number one “listener-identified characteristic” (p. 72). I discussed our tendency to ramble several posts ago.

In light of my experience listening to masters and doctoral student sermons, Carrell’s next observation didn’t surprise me. When you hear it, hopefully you will think: “Well, duh!”

She writes, “Listeners also describe disorganized sermons as those without clear connections to Scripture, even though preachers who are perceived as disorganized often claim to be structuring content in a way that is especially biblical” (p. 73, emphasis added).

And, as noted above, my experience listening confirms this. I am often reminding preachers-in-training to keep us connected to the text during their sermons. Several minutes go by without directing our attention to verse ___.

You and I can help our listeners by keeping them connected to the Scripture being expounded. And, according to Carrell’s findings, our listeners will consider this a part of effective organization.

You might think that simply doing good exegesis will alleviate the problem of losing connection with Scripture. But, think for a moment about how many minutes can go by in a sermon while you explain the finer points of exegesis. The sheer volume of words contained in those minutes can create a disconnect from the very Text you’re explaining.

So, before Sunday, as you’re preparing your notes–you are manuscripting, right?–keep reminding yourself of the need to remind your listeners where you are in the Text.

And may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) because of your efforts to exegete and organize.

Randal

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If Edwards Preached Your Ordination Sermon: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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Kimnach writes,

“Edwards’ matured vision of the ideal preacher is most completely delineated in his ordination sermon on John 5:35, entitled The True Excellency of a Minister of the Gospel (1744)” (p. 25).

I am always looking for ways to guide my ongoing pastoral/preaching ministry and find Edwards’ approach very helpful. He identifies two necessary skills, heat and light; one is spiritual and the other mechanical.

The spiritual skill: “[the preacher’s] heart [must] burn with love to Christ, and fervent desires of the advancement of his kingdom and glory” (p. 25).

What I refer to as the mechanical skill: “his instructions [be] clear and plain, accommodating to the capacity of his hearers, and tending to convey light to their understandings” (p. 25).

If Edwards preached my ordination sermon I would come away with a burning desire for God. And that desire for God would be the foundation for my sermon development.

And what was clear about Edwards’ thoughts on clarity was that he was clear about the need for moving the affections of his listeners with his clarity. All his arguments and reasoning was designed to “move the affections” (Kimnach, p. 26 citing, Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England).

I would summarize the two aspects as passion for God and for His people. It means cultivating my love relationship with God. It means cultivating my understanding that His people’s lives are on the line each Sunday. I want to be used by God’s Spirit to move their affections so they love God supremely in the way Sunday’s Scripture presents Him and them.

Before Sunday, as you prepare for the first sermon in 2019, bring the heat and light so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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The Ability To Not Lose Our Listeners: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons

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First, like all good preachers, I’m taking these Drake lyrics way out of context (not having heard it, I’m guessing the question is asked in the context of a relationship issue). But, that’s not important right now.

What is is what Edwards learned from one of his two preaching mentors, Solomon Stoddard. In volume 10 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Wilson Kimnach begins the book with a detailed look at the context within which Edwards lived and began to preach.

Kimnach describes Stoddard:

“On the whole, Solomon Stoddard was a formally orthodox, but unusually powerful and even pontifical preaching; he was a master of the controlled tone and went beyond clarity, precision, and sincerity without losing them on his way.” (p. 14)

It took me a while to figure out what this meant. It was the pairing of clarity and precision that struck me. Often in my desire to be precise things get fuzzy or, if you prefer, muddy.

Have you ever wondered how many times you lose your hearers while you’re preaching? It’s a scary thought, I know. But I think it happens more than we think. Edwards, learning from Stoddard, adopted a preaching style that achieved a high standard of clarity and precision that never “lost” his listeners.

So, before Sunday while you’re preparing to preach and teach Scripture this week focus on two things.

First, while you’re developing your sermon in your thoughts and on your screen, be relentless about your clarity and precision. What’s clear to you might not be clear to your listener. Work hard at clear vocabulary and clear logical connections during each message minute. I’ve discovered that I can gauge how precise I am by how concise I can be.

Second, while you’re delivering your sermon, be relentless about keeping your listeners with you in the moment. That means staying engaged and connected with them as much as staying connected to your manuscript/orascript. Even if you don’t actually dialogue with them like I do, at least keep them in the conversation with you through your use of questions and answers.

Drake’s chorus is a good refrain for us during the teaching time (whether articulated or not) and will lead to our Lord receiving glory in the church and in Christ Jesus because of your efforts (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

 

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Tell ‘Em Why: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons

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In these posts I’m observing how Jonathan Edwards crafted what may have been his first sermon, Christian Happiness. His text was Isaiah 3:10 “Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” (cf. Kimnach, pages 296-307)

In his doctrine section, proposition II is “The good man is happy in whatsoever condition he is in; and that, First, because…”

What follows are three reasons why this proposition is true. Let me give you the three so you can see what Edwards is doing in this segment of the sermon.

“First, Because no worldly evils can do him any real hurt….

Second….because of the spiritual privileges and advantages, joys and satisfactions, he actually enjoys while in this life….

Third. And lastly, from the joyful hope and assured expectation of the enjoyment of the completion of happiness eternally hereafter…”

There are at least two things to consider. First, why does Edwards spend these minutes developing these reasons. Second, how does Edwards maintain biblical authority while answering these questions that his passage doesn’t answer.

First, Edwards identifies these reasons because the listeners requires some proof that this is true. Isaiah 3:10 is too good to be true in a badly broken world (the same could be said about Romans 8:28). Sometimes this kind of theological/philosophical exposition–remember, I’m not entirely happy with this designation but feel it’s adequate for now–requires our investigation of why the assertion of the Word of God is true or not true.

Second, Edwards answers these questions that are not answered in his text by appealing to the rest of Scripture’s teachings. At times Edwards appeals to multiple Scriptures without quoting them directly. If you read this sermon, you could easily insert Bible references because of Edwards’ ability to loosely quote Scripture. At other times Edwards paraphrases the teachings of Scripture that directly affect his text in Isaiah.

Before Sunday, see if your text contains questions that need to be answered and answer those questions, especially the “why?” question so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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Limit My Word-Studies: What I’m Learning About Preaching From Jonathan Edwards’s Early Sermons

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The first thing I noticed is that Edwards spent hardly any sermon time on word studies.

Let me back up. Several months ago I decided to pretend I was in Jonathan Edwards’s 18th century parish. I began reading his sermons in chronological order (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 10, Sermons and Discourses 1720-1723, edited by Wilson H. Kimnach). It’s been a great addition to my Bible readings and also an excellent homiletical exercise (doing rhetorical analysis on Edwards’s early sermons).

The first thing that struck me was how little Edwards defined key terms. It seemed odd because doing word studies was such an important part of my exegetical training. So, I had to ask myself, “What did Edwards spend all his sermon time doing if he wasn’t doing lots of word studies?”

Edwards’s first sermon was, Christian Happiness, based on Isaiah 3:10 “Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

My hermeneutical/homiletical instincts would have me begin by explaining who are “the righteous.” Not Edwards.

He began by reasoning with his hearers in the same way Isaiah reasoned with his hearers: “Reasonable beings, while they act as such, naturally choose those things which they are convinced are best for them…” (p. 296). Reading Edwards’s first sermon made me realize how much God reasons with us.

Edwards preached, “…God always deals with men as reasonable creatures, and every [word] in the Scriptures speaks to us as such” (p. 296).

One thing to be gained by letting Edwards preach to you is that you will come away with a greater ability to reason with your congregants. Edwards has taught me so far that although God must act by His Spirit to convert sinners, God also believes that some will be persuaded by reasonable arguments. And, man, does Edwards spend time “arguing” with his congregants.

And, so far, he hasn’t defined one term.

Help your parishioners be reasonable people so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

P.S. If you are interested in homiletics as a discipline, you will benefit from Kimnach’s excellent insights concerning the preaching of Edwards’s day and his own method.

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Preach the Book of Job in One Sermon?!?

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I hope Jesus returns before I have to preach through a few books of the Bible. One of them is Job. But nearing the end of our summer series, Worshiping the Creator Rather Than the Creature, I selected Job 38–42:6 as one of our Texts.

In the course of preparing to preach that section of Job, I quickly realized I had to help everyone know the context. That forced me to preach the theology of the entire book of Job in one sermon.

Here’s my approach:

Title: The Next Time You Ask, “Why?”

  1. The test every Christian must pass (Job 1:9-11, 22; 2:4-5, 10b). Satan wanted to show God that Job’s integrity was a sham. God knew better.
  2. The question that shows the test is a real test (Job 3:20-26; 40:1-2, 8). This is where Job begins to question, “Why?” He says some awful things about his life, like wishing he didn’t ever live!
  3. How our Creator “answer” our question (Job 38:1–39:30; 40:6-7, 9–41:34). God never answers Job’s questions. Instead, God bombards Job with over 50 questions of His own. As Job is forced to answer God’s questions…
  4. The genuine worship that results (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). Job no longer demands an answer, but takes his rightful place as a worshiper of God.

I chose not to include a thought block covering Job’s friends’ attempts to “help” him, but you may want to do that. They say some good things, but God indicts them in the end and vindicates Job.

And if you want to preach Christ from Job, one way to do that is to move from Job’s “Why?” to Jesus’ “Why?” on the cross, “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?!?” True worship begins by acknowledging our need for the Savior God provided for us. By faith, Christ’s righteousness creates the same kind of character exemplified by Job in the opening verses of the book and sends us on a journey where our faith is tested to produce maturity (cf. James 1).

This example provides some help for tackling other similar assignments. For instance, notice that I deal with the beginning and ending of the book of Job. Many books reveal their intention at the beginning and the end. Then, you’re able to make better sense of the middle portions.

I hope you’ll have an opportunity some time to preach a whole book in one sermon. When you do, God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. Last week I referred to Mark Dever’s, The Message of the Old Testament. It’s an excellent resource when you plan to preach an entire book of the Bible in one sermon. Dever’s book is a collection of his attempts to do the same for the Old Testament.

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Four Categories That Help Us Evaluate Our Preaching

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If you are a dentist you might be interested in the product advertised above. If you are a preacher, the four quadrants I list below are a great way for you to evaluate and potentially elevate your preaching.

Quadrant #1 Am I Biblical?

Most preachers answer, yes, but it’s important to note the difference between preaching from the Bible without preaching the Bible. Biblical preaching occurs when the intention of our sermon matches the intention of the Scripture being preached. Notice I said, intention, not meaning. The two are connected. However, matching intention assures that we are using the Bible in the way God designed it to be used. For instance, if you preach the Parable of the Prodigal and focus on the prodigal son, your intention does not match God’s for Luke 15.

Quadrant #2 Am I Relevant?

Exposition sometimes deserves the bad rap it receives. During student sermons I will sometimes start my stopwatch and mark the time when the preacher strikes relevance (when I hear them speak to me about me from the Bible). In a 15 minute sermon, there have been times when I have stopped the clock at 8 or 9 minutes! Up to that point, I was listening to fairly good exegesis. Just no relevance.

Quadrant #3 Am I Clear?

Have you ever been in a conversation, said something, saw the reaction and said, “I didn’t say that right”? Sermon clarity involves, among other things, choosing the right words to say. While I’m writing my sermon throughout the week, I’m working hard to create clear sentences, sentence fragments (due to conversational style), and clear paragraphs. Besides my Bible, my Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder is the book I consult the most each week. It’s a combination dictionary/thesaurus.

Quadrant #4 Am I Organized?

My wife, Michele, listened to a sermon preached by one of my pastoral colleagues. One thing that stood out to her was how well the sermon flowed. That’s the sign of a well-organized sermon. That kind of organization allows congregants to follow along without getting lost in all the details and without losing sight of the intention.

So, before Sunday, evaluate your sermon:

  • Is it biblical?
  • Is it relevant?
  • Is it clear?
  • Is it well-organized?

And, as always, preach so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. I was introduced to a similar critique back in the good ole days at DTS in the mid-80’s.

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Four Ways To Exegete Your Text: Following Jonathan Edwards’ Practices

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A couple of weeks ago I finished reading Douglas A. Sweeney’s, Edwards the Exegete: Biblical Interpretation and Anglo-Protestant Culture on the Edge of the Enlightenment (Oxford).

One of the take aways from this book for those of us who preach or teach the Bible is the four different ways Edwards regularly approached studying the Bible. The four ways are Canonical, Christological, Redemptive-Historical, and Pedagogical exegesis. Think of them as supplements you take to boost your daily nutrient intake. Do you take any or any combination of them each week during sermon preparation?

These four approaches supplement what we normally think of as exegesis: historical-grammatical-literary. Edwards helps us remember why we need to move beyond the realms of word, historical, and literary studies. Here’s what we gain and how our congregation profits from the results of the following four exegetical practices:

Canonical Exegesis: This shows how your preaching portion fits with other Scriptures. Look for times when other Scripture provide vital additional information for the interpretation of your preaching portion.  Your congregants will appreciate seeing how God’s revelation works together to create meaning.I don’t recommend the common practice of showing listeners other Scripture that say the same thing as your preaching portion.

Christological Exegesis: This shows how your preaching portion functions for the Church because of Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and dispatching His Spirit on those who believe. Your listeners will appreciate learning how all Scripture points to the grace of God in Christ. This will keep all sanctification efforts faith-based and help avoid the dreaded moralistic, self-help sermon application. And remember that when you remind the saints about the Gospel, any non-Christians in attendance get to hear the Good News too.

Redemptive-Historical Exegesis: This shows how your preaching portion is part of the meta-narrative flowing throughout Scripture. Your parishioners will profit from the times when you locate your passage in the Story of Redemption (creation, un-creation, recreation, new creation). They will begin to appreciate that salvation is something much larger than the personal, saved-to-go-to-heaven variety.
Pedagogical Exegesis: showing how Scripture guides faith and the Christian life; here we gain precepts for living life as a Christian. One of the great quotes from the book came from this section. It reminded me of my primary responsibility as a soul-watcher. Sweeney writes of Edwards:
“At the end of the day, however, he was a clergyman and teacher paid to unpack the text in a pedagogical way, with the formation of disciples at the forefront of his mind.” (p. 188)

Before Sunday I hope you will supplement your normal exegesis with one or more of these four approaches, all for God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Introducing My Second Most Important Resource

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Since I just completed the blog series on preaching through Judges, I thought it was time for a lighter kind of post. Let’s face it. Preaching through Judges is tough sledding.

So, this week let me take a moment to encourage you to spend some time in sermon prep using some kind of thesaurus. Yes, it’s shallow, untheological advice.

My Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder gets used hard every week. Next to Logos Bible Software, the Wordfinder is the resource I use the most.

And, I should tell you that I use it all week-long, not just at the end of the week. You might think that the end of the week is the time for refining my sermon manuscript. My approach is slightly different.

The end of the week is the time when I am refining my thinking about the details of the sermon and the way in which I am communicating them. But all week-long–beginning Monday morning–I am continually working on my wording.

That’s where something like the RD Wordfinder comes into play. Even after doing my own word studies in Hebrew and Greek and after scanning my favorite commentators, there are times when I still don’t have a clear understanding of a concept. When that happens I turn to my RDW. Inevitably, the still-fuzzy concept clears up when I survey synonym options.

The selected synonym becomes an important part of that sermon segment. It helps me communicate the theology of the passage more clearly.

So, while some kind of thesaurus will help you massage your manuscript, it will also help you master the material in the early stages of sermon preparation.

Before Sunday, see if your thesaurus can help you gain clarity about your passage’s main theological concept.

Preach well this new year so God continues to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal