Transcript Preaching… For A Lifetime “Preaching, in order to be fresh and vital, takes hard work.

Preaching…
For A Lifetime
“Preaching, in order to be fresh
and vital, takes hard work. The
work can be quite agonizing at
times. In fact, the longer you
are in the ministry the more
discipline and determination is
needed to accomplish the
work.”
Bruce Mawhinney in Preaching with Freshness
“As time goes by a certain
smoothness comes with the
experience of the years. That
smoothness has a more
professional sound to it, but it
may also bring with it a certain
dullness.”
Bruce Mawhinney in Preaching with Freshness
Challenges to Preaching
Effectively over the
Long-Haul
1. The New Consumerism
“Without altars, we talk less
and less about eternity and
more and more about the
here and now.”
Calvin Miller, Marketplace Preaching
Challenges to Preaching
Effectively over the
Long-Haul
2. Christianity as a subculture
Church has become an addendum to
American culture. Disassociation with
the market-place centers preaching
on “insiders.” “Separation from the
world” is double-edged.
Challenges to Preaching
Effectively over the
Long-Haul
3. Loss of appreciation for Divine
Drama
“A sermon that loses its godly
summons is at best a current
event and at worst a morality
monologue.”
Calvin Miller, Market Place Preaching
A Church….Overly Influenced
by the Secular
and
A World….Hungering for the
Transcendent
Church “life” takes its cues from the
self-centered “spirit of entertainment.”
We trade the demands of Christ for a
larger crowd.
Altars are the meeting places
between God and humanity
where the transcendence of God
transforms and “abundantly
pardons and saves to the
uttermost.”
Summary
Christian Subculture
Loss of Divine Drama
New
Consumerism
Influence of
seculars—
reality of a
continuing
hunger for the
transcendent
Interventions
The message and the messenger
are inextricably linked
The why and who of preaching are prior
to the how of preaching
“How do I become a living memory of
God; how do I accept and connect; how
do I lift up the individual story into
divine history?” Henri J. M.Nouwen
“The strategy of the principalities and
powers is to disconnect us, to cut us off
from the memory of God. It is not hard to
see how many of our busy actions and
restless
concerns
seem
to
be
disconnected, reminding us of nothing
more than the disorder of our own
orientation and commitment.
When we no longer walk in the
presence of the Lord, we cannot be
living reminders of his divine presence
in our lives. We then quickly become
strangers in an alien land who have
forgotten where we come from and
where we are going.
Then we are no longer the way to the
experience of God, but rather in the way
of the experience of God. Then, instead
of walking in God’s presence we start
walking in a vicious circle, and pulling
others into it.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen in The Living Reminder
Acknowledge that life is
passing you by
Life passages are doorways
to greater insight
Starters for preaching come from a
variety of sources, but…
All starting points must be
connecting to the authoritative
reference point
USA Today
Current
Events
Chance
Encounters
BIBLE
Daily Bible
Reading
Listening
Read widely
The six-fold path
Novels
Historical
Biography
Diary/journal
Poetry
Hot interest
Gathering Background
Information and
Illustrations
Regularly gather/file/review
Newspapers, periodicals, web news
Use the experts in your
congregations
Practice Self-Evaluation
Observe audio and video tapes of
yourself
Critique voice--timing--personality
Find a supportive critic
Study the Sermons of
Great Preachers
Classics
Alexander MacClaren
Charles Spurgeon
20 Centuries of Great Preaching
Contemporary Books
Preaching to a Post Modern World by Graham Johnston,
Baker Books
The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative by Steve
Mathewson, Baker Books
Limit your usage of
preaching web-sites
Preaching.com
PreachingToday.com
Sermoncentral.com
Crosswalk.com
ChristianityToday.com
The Challenge of An Audience
Dear Speaker:
I hear a lot of people like you. I don’t mean to be impertinent, but give me one good reason
why I should listen:
Are you about to say something that I would find useful? Are you willing to promise me that
if I do listen, I will hear something of consequence?
Exactly what kind of promise would I like you to make? Promise me that after I have
listened, I will upgrade my bogus values, jettison my impure motives, and commit myself to
something glorious and dangerous and heady and wonderful.
Promise me that all the time I sit listening and you stand taling that I will see things I was
unwilling to face before you preached. Help me see my sin, or God’s glory, or Jesus’ power.
Promise me that I, who am riddled with inferiority, will at last believe in myself.
I have always been afraid of heights. Challenge me with Everest. Promise me that after your
words, I will be able to scale those icy walls and with God’s help plant his mighty flag on the
summit of all my doubts.
Promise me that I at last will know who I am and what I was born to achieve.
Promise all this and you shall have first my ear. . .and then my soul.
-Your Audience
Preaching: Voices from
the Past & Present
The Reformers
“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word
of God.”
Martin Luther
“God deigns to consecrate to himself the mouths
and tongues of men in order that His voice may
resound in them.” John Calvin
th
18
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Century Preachers
I live by preaching. John Wesley
If I had come to you in my own name, you might rest
your elbows upon your knees and your heads on your
hands and go to sleep! But I have come to you in the
name of the Lord of hosts – I must and I will be heard.
George Whitfield
•
The great design & intention of a Christian preacher
are to restore the throne and dominion of God in the
souls of men and to attract the souls of men into a
state of everlasting friendship with him. Cotton Mather
Current Voices
“The church’s proclamation of him who is the
Word of God is very real human speech and
yet no less very divine speech, because it
articulates one who is in the language of the
Nicene Creed “very God and very man.”
James Daane
Preaching with Confidence
We can no longer assume our preaching takes place
within a more or less “Christian” culture. The great
narratives of Judeo-Christian belief, the pivotal stories
of the Bible’s characters, the events of the life and
ministry of Jesus Christ either are not known or do not
carry the meaning-making significance they did for
previous generations Biblical knowledge, Christian
doctrine and theological reflection must be presented
and re-presented from America’s pulpit-yes even
American Christians.
Craig Loscalzo
Apologetic Preaching
Pentecostal preaching is preaching the Word
of God. It is not preaching about the Word.
It should be simple preaching. By that I
mean preaching that can be understood.
Guy Duffield
Pentecostal Preaching
Preaching for Response:
Historical Considerations
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Theological assumptions & historical realities impact
sermon construction/delivery and expected response.
The Reformation was a reaction to human effort at
religiosity. The expected response to preaching
became a conceptual response altering a belief
system.
Luther, Zwingli, Calvin would not be the best
preachers to model in giving altar calls.
Charles Finney exemplified a reaction to the “old
school”. Left brained religion wasn’t enough for
Finney. Finney’s preaching for response
exemplified:
– His own encounter with God
– His belief that the affections must be addressed
specifically
– A verdict for Christ was necessary.
– Invitations to an “anxious bench” were standard.
Moody, Sunday and Graham perfect Finney’s “new
school” efforts.
Preaching for Response
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Shaped by theological assumptions
Influenced by historical realities
Response must not be taken for granted
Biblical precedent exists
(Mt. 11:28; Luke 13:1-3; Acts 2:40; II
Cor. 5:20)
Preaching for Response
in the 21th Century
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Religious teaching or values minimally
impact people’s moral choices
Only 22% of Americans believe moral
absolutes exist
Compared to teens throughout the past 20
years, today’s teenagers have the lowest
likelihood of attending church when living
independent of their parents.
www.barna.org
Communication Realities that mitigate
against preaching for response
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The central section of a sermon is least likely to be
remembered
Listeners usually “round off” a sermon to a general idea
People tend to interpret messages on the basis of past
experiences
Listeners tend to select material based on how interesting it is
to them
Most listeners find it difficult to separate essential from nonessential in a message
A speaker’s delivery and person can be more influential than
the content of the message.
Preaching for response –
the bottom line
•
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Start before you begin
Begin with the end in mind
End with clarity
Start before you begin
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Specificity increases clarity – in one sentence –what
is this sermon about? What do hearers need to know
to act on this message?
There is a reward for the hard work of forgiveness
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•
What about your dad, who left you and your mom
when you were 8?
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What do I want them to do?
Are you ready to forgive him?
What do I want them to become?
If Rick, the plumber, were to take this message to
heart, what would the changes look like?
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How does this sermon fit in the larger vision?
Preaching to reinforce a direction of a
mission-minded church
Answer skeptics question
– So what? Text must be linked to context
– Oh really? Save yourself from trite preaching
Ask yourself
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Do I believe this message will make a difference?
Has this biblical truth made a difference in my life this
week?
“If the preacher is not first preaching to himself,
better that he falls on the steps of the pulpit and breaks
his neck than preaches that sermon” – John Calvin
Will I use the material of others appropriately?
Ed Rowell – preaching today.com
Begin with the end in mind
Consider your audience.
• Narrative is powerful
• Entertainment is expected
• Technology is omnipresent
• Connection rather than education is valued
Consider your support system
What about notes?
• Comfort yields confidence
• Confidence yields clarity
• Clarity yields effective communication
Consider your physical presentation
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Dress
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Technology
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Vocal usage
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Modulate toward your personal style of
communication
Consider your attitude
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Don’t make your pulpit a “bully pulpit”
Make sure people know you care
Humility trumps personal satisfaction
Do you expect God to show up?
Kenton Anderson – www.preaching.org
End with clarity
• Response times depend on clear content, clear
language, clear directions
• Lack of clarity at this point in the service creates
confusion
• Clear content assumes a simple pattern
• Billy Graham’s four points are:
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Admit you’re a sinner.
Christ’s provision on Calvary can cover your sin.
You must repent of your sin
Will you receive Christ’s forgiveness?
Clear language
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Avoid jargon
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Use words carefully to explain what you are
asking people to respond to
Clear directions
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People need to know what you want them to
do.
People need to know why they are being asked
to respond.
People need to know when to respond and
what to expect.
Greg Laurie (Leadership, Spring 1995)
Preachers who preach for response faithfully
can have faith in the God who calls people to
repentance and obedience.
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Preaching for response is biblically rooted – can be
hindered by lack of preparation – but never be
thwarted because it relies on the Spirit’s
empowerment.
Preaching for response is a Pentecostal preacher’s
responsibility because Pentecostal preaching bears
witness to the resurrecting power of God which
breaks into every aspect of God’s created order.
(James Forbes) The Holy Spirit and the Preacher
What Wells Will We Drink At?
“A study of hermeneutics helps…
Do not be afraid of it because of its
unfamiliar name. This is the
science of interpretation. Because
of ignorance here, some have made
foolish interpretations.”
Ernest S. Williams--1941
Exegesis and Hermeneutics
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Exegesis focuses on what was
said in the original biblical text and
what it would have meant at that
time.
Hermeneutics moves from the
original meaning to the reader
and/or the preacher in a
contemporary setting.
Arenas of Hermeneutical Activity
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Linguistic
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Historical setting
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Cultural-geographical-historical awareness
Teaching of the passage
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Translators movement from biblical language to
local language
Intent of the writer
Historicity of passage

Assumptions about nature of historical events—
miracles are crucial
Arenas of Hermeneutical Activity
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Literary Setting of Passage
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Canonical Context
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How the particular text being studied relates
to Scripture as a whole
History of Interpretation
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Meaning based on relationship of words
We aren’t the first to study this biblical text.
Present Significance of the Text

So what?
Interpretive Assumptions
for Biblical Hermeneutics
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Faithful interpretive efforts require a
person to be inhabited by the Spirit of
God.
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I Corinthians 2:11
Essence of God’s revelations points to
the necessity of repentance to and
obedience to the Gospel.
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I John 2:26-27
Interpretive Assumptions

One part of Scripture need not
undermine another part of Scripture so
as to undermine the Gospel.
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II Peter 1:20-21
The Bible “reads” us and is heard by
those with a desire to listen and obey.
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Psalm 119:105
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Skill sets are similar regardless of our
faith tradition.
Hermeneutics really is about the
assumptions you come with as you do
thorough preparation for the preaching
event.
Therefore, our Pentecostal faith does
contribute to how we will prepare for
preaching.
Hermeneutical Doorways that
Serve a Pentecostal Preacher

The wells of influence that we drink
from shape our lives as preachers:
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It is absolutely necessary that we
acknowledge the deep and continued
work of the Holy Spirit who uniquely
shapes Pentecostal preachers. (p. 91)
Doorway of Spirit Baptism
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The doorway of the Baptism of the
Spirit produces an eye on eternity.
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Spiritual transformation is necessary.
Spirit empowerment is non-negotiable.
Healing is a testimony to God’s concern
for the lures of humanity.
The future is not in doubt and gives us
perspective in the murkiness of the
present.
The Doorway of Seeing
God at Work
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Paying attention to the testimony of
God’s activity in human experience

Seeing God at work always pushes us
back to the Bible for an explanation.
The Doorway of Continued
Missionary Vision

The Baptism of the Spirit produces a
“regions beyond” perspective.

We are empowered to bear witness to
those unlike ourselves who have never
heard the Gospel.
In view of the modern tendency to
degrade the dignity of the Christian
pulpit, making it a lecturer’s platform, or
the place for buffoonery and dramas, or
submitting to the experiments of the
unprepared or untried, it is important
that dignity be emphasized and a fresh
attempt be made to maintain it. The
pulpit is where God’s called ones stand
in Christ’s stead, the visible and audible
expression His Father.
Ralph Riggs--1931
“Every sermon is stretched like a
bow-string between the text of the
Bible on one hand and the
problems of contemporary human
life on the other.”
Ian Pitt-Watson
“Every sermon must be a
defining moment in the life of a
congregation. There is no time for
frivolity or slickness; these are
moments of destiny…which the
gates of hell cannot contain or
diminish.” (p. 107)
Wisdom of Pioneers
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“No room for foolish interpretation.”
E.S. Williams
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Pentecostal preachers talk in Christ's stead.
Ralph Riggs
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A Pentecostal “this is that” hermeneutic that
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Presents to God thorough preparation (II Timothy
2:15)
Lives in the continual fullness of Pentecost that
connects what God has done with what He is
doing (Acts 2:14-40)