Understanding the Dynamics of Preaching © by Larry d. Wright 1.You stand before the people of God each week under the auspices that you speak for God. You stand in the authority of “Thus Says the Lord”. Think about the awesome responsibility of standing before a group of people under the mandate to speak as the mouthpiece of Yahweh. You have no right to deliver your opinion! The art of preaching is to speak for God from your heart. It is not getting something off of your chest! If you don’t know the difference then figure it out NOW! You are under constraint to say, “Dear people, I am confident that this is what God told me to tell you this week.” You can only be confident IF you have prayed, prepared and studied. Sermon Sentence I try to always summarize the essence of my message is a simple, single sentence to make it clear for me and for them. “If the people remember the sermon but fail to get the message, you have failed.” 2.Understand the difference between a sermon and a message. A message is a rhema truth that God has spoken into your spirit or burned into your heart. A sermon is a vehicle used to communicate a message. I often pray, “Lord, don’t allow my sermon to get in the way of your message.” If the people remember the sermon but fail to get the message, you have failed. The challenge each preacher faces is to stand before the people of God with a message, not just a sermon. Remember, you are not trying to get something off of your chest or give them a piece of your mind. You are sharing from your heart! 3. Never leave your hearer uncertain about what God thinks. Uncertainty in preaching is the best tool Satan has to confuse the people of God. If you are not absolutely sure then be silent. The best I understand, my role as a preacher is to draw a line so clear as to leave no doubt as to which side of the line the hearer is standing. 4. I accept the Bible as the only legitimate source of truth and I approach the Bible with full confidence that it is absolutely accurate and applicable to every problem that men may face. In fact, the Bible is more relevant that tomorrows headlines. The Bible is a powerful sword but makes a horrible club. I don’t have to manufactor truth; rather it is my responsibility to discover, present and apply it! I am not a chemist who manufactures. I am a pharmacist who dispenses. The Bible is a powerful sword but makes a horrible club. 5.I am not done preaching until I make the appropriate application and tell them what they need to do about the TRUTH just delivered. I need to tell them what to do. It is ESSENTIAL that you know where you are going and that you make it clear to your hearers what you want them to do about the truth you just shared. Sermon Tip Sermon preparation is a science that can be learned by those who apply discipline and hard work, but walking with the Lord is an art that supports the science. When the art is missing, then the science of sermon preparation is dull, mundane and a drudgery. Also, the finished product will come across as lifeless. 6. Remember, preaching is a battlefield where the forces of light and darkness collide. You must prepare to preach like a soldier who goes into battle. Every time you preach someone can die (give up) or someone can live (choose hope). Literally, preaching is a life or death issue. It is my job to give them life and a reason to hope.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 10:49:18 +0000
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