Homiletics II

B. J. Clarke

How should we preach topically?

T. J. Clarke.

The great commission of Jesus Christ was to preach the gospel of salvation: self-perpetuating, an
unbroken chain from Christian to Christian.

Preaching and teaching requires God’s Word as the content to be delivered (2 Tim 3:16ff)

The content of the preaching is the faith of the church: the inspired word of God.

The direct revelation to the apostles is written.

Just the reading of the Bible does not bring the people to the understanding of the Word. Peter
knew that Paul’s writing contained things hard to understand. We need help to understand the
Scripture, people need our help to understand the Bible.

All preaching should be based explicitly or implicitly in the word of God.

Preaching methods and style:

The Bible translates the word preaching over 153 times.

Take all the resources that you can to study the Bible.

Three types of the Sermons:

-Textual: dealing with a specific text. Can use material from parallel Scripture or outside sources.

-Expository: Biblical passage longer than a verse or two. It tries to unfold the whole truth from that
specific passage.

-Topical: The main points are taken from the related texts. A topic that uses Scripture to unfold
that topic.

Zondervan dictionary of Bible themes. – important for topical research.

The imperative of topical preaching:

God did not put everything in one verse. You have to put together all that God has said about one
topic to know the truth about it.

Barry family
What is Biblical preaching?

The right attitude towards the Word of God will determine your preaching: understand that the
Bible is plenary inspired: full authority.

Choice: either submit to the authority of the Word or depend on feelings and opinions.

Sermon: Kerussein: a herald.

We ought to be an emissary to the King. We don’t start with ourselves. Preaching is to deliver a
message that is never ours:

- certainty

- note of authority (thus saith the Lord)

- A source beyond himself: look beyond you to the source.

The authority is not arrogance or pride is humbleness to the source of authority.

1. The necessity of speaking as the oracles of God.

2. The joy and privilege to deliver that message.

3.

Euangelizo: good news concerning the Son of God.

Biblical preaching is the declaration of the Church to the people: the purpose is the salvation.

Three things that a right biblical preaching should have:

-The right message.

-The right man.

-The right purpose.

Secular speaking and Biblical preaching have different purposes: secular is the here and the now,
the Biblical is the hereafter (1Tim 4:8-9)

The objective truth of the Bible: avoid to put our opinions in it (Jer 23:25ff)

Speculative theorizing:

Sensational showmanship: Have the focus on the real purpose of the Scripture.

2 Cor 4:7

The need for the preacher to hide behind the cross: we need to let Jesus known to the audience.

We can get lost in the structure and homiletical specs that we forget to preach Christ: some of the
best sermons are not homiletical masterpieces.
We should start from the text, not from our own ideas: sometimes we write the sermon and after
just look for some passages to back it up. There is the danger to take the texts out of context.

From there, the goal of Biblical preaching should be to answer the “what?” and “so what?”:
explain the Scripture and apply it to the life of the audience. Investigation, explanation and
application.

Chapter 2

In preaching four things are affected in the audience: thought, will, emotion and life: the whole
being of man should be affected. We don’t speak to some type of man, we don’t speak to an
accident of man, but the essence of man.

Philipp preaching to the eunuch changed his life course.

That’s why the sermon starts with the man who preaches: there is an identification of life and
sermon. The practice is preaching and the preaching should be practice. There is no credibility in a
man who preaches something that he is not. Preachers should be called “men of God”.

A “man of God” should be converted: his life should be turned, a true compromise to what he is.
This should be followed by a conviction.

***Can there be a certainty without doubt? Can there be preaching without fear and trembling?

The preacher has to give a positive answer: when speaking of a Bible theme.

We need to acknowledge the value of human soul and the destiny that it will face. Preaching
should be a way to make better that confrontation with God.

The audience should be able to see us as consecrated people.

The preacher should address specific sins and not just broad generalities (Gal 5:19-21), but these
addresses should be made with compassion.

The pulpit is not a place to air personal problems with certain people.

Christ’s teaching was made with courage but with a lot of compassion.

Paul’s writings were with courage rebuking people to exercise discipline but then asking them to
console and comfort he whit has been disciplined.

1 Thess. 2:7

Compassion is shown in the rebuking.

Preachers should become workman: saturate himself with Scripture. The source material of every
sermon. A herald of Christ won’t proclaim his own message, the Jonah attitude to preach what has
been revealed.

God knows and is concerned with what we preach, it’s important to be faithful to the word in our
preaching.

-Careless method in preaching:

It will detract from the message. Bad delivery can affect the attention to the message.

Methodology:

1. Carefully select the subject: appropriate for the congregation.

How many different demographics there are in a church audience? How can we reach all of those
with one sermon?

Any sermon has something to say to all people, no matter what it is.

2. Structure of the sermon: the skeleton that organizes the Biblical information.

-Systematically present the information

-Makes it memorable

-Enables it logically

4 options for delivery

-Memory: every word is scripted.

-Manuscript delivery

-Impromptu delivery

-Extemporaneous delivery (the recommended one).

-Preaching a message from Christ

-Leading man to Christ

The problem of preaching another gospel: condemnation for me and others.

The Herald preaches on behalf of the king.

The Kerygma: does it have anything to do with mystical subjective experience?

John 6:44-45

Preaching a crucified Jesus is not to make every sermon about it, but to connect every word in the
sermon to that moment: the nucleus of all divine message: the true revelation of God.

The cross is the core of the message.

The word is like a mirror (James 2), is a reflection of ourselves that help us to become what God
wants us to be.

The importance of having a real relationship with the congregation. We are not professional
pastors who do their job every Sunday.

The importance of your attitude:

-Temperament
-His life outlook

-Educational life

Pertinent principles:

-Commitment

-knowledge

-doctrinal

Chapter 4

In order to preach the word, we need to handle it with skills, hermeneutics is the tool that allow us
to penetrate in scripture and deliver it faithfully.

Two important questions to study the Scripture:

What?

The importance of having a main thought in the sermon: Thesis. Avoids preaching inbroad
generalities: helps to develop the main points for the people to grasp.

The importance of the context: immediate context (verses right around it) and the remote context
(the general teaching of the Bible and how does it relates to the text).

Why?

Deeper study.

How?

Application.

Chapter 5

Process of preparation:

- The preparation of Christian character

- Knowledge of the Scriptures
- A study of the needs of man
- An effective way to communicate God’s word to meet those needs.

This should never be a substitute of specific preparation. It envolves:

- The selection of an appropriate subject

- The sermon has to be adequately developed and organized
- The writing of the sermon and oral practice.

Three factors in choosing a subject:

- Our concept of preaching.

- The depth of our spirituality.
 - The perception of the needs in the congregation

The selection of the sermon is not something that we can assume for one certain congregation.
Preaching fundamentals is important even in old congregations.

The genius of sermon design, demands:

- Scriptures
- Human experience
- Spiritual needs

Homiletical habit:

- Responding
- Retain
- Reviewing.

The more we read, the more we will remember and develop our skills in homiletics.

Know the Bible

Know the needs of people

Merge them together.

Incubation period for sermon preparation: leave some time to plan the sermon ahead.

Careful investigation of the needs, consideration on what Scripture fits that need.

There are times when a topical sermon is needed.

The danger of topical sermon is to piece passages in erroneous contexts.

Analysis of the Scripture: background, timeframe, place, author, etc.

Remember the “what?” and the “so what?”.

Verification of the main ideas of your sermon: biblical exegesis and hermeneutics.

Sermon structure and outline for the preacher:

- Thinking through
- Stay in line

Meditation and pray: ask God for wisdom.

Start preparing from many days ahead.

Valuable aid for the preacher and for the audience.

Unity, symmetry and order.

Seven parts of sermon structure:

-Title: name that describes the sermon. Careful with sensationalistic titles.
-Text: connects your sermon to God’s word.

-Thesis: sums up the content of the sermon. A thought provoking statement.

The preparation for every Sunday sermon:

The selection of the subject.

Sermon structure: makes it easier for the preacher and the audience and to keep the main thing
the main thing.

Symmetry and order: mile markers.

Seven parts of sermon structure:

- Title
- Scripture text
- Thesis
- Introduction: the very first sentence of the sermon is one of the most important. It makes
the audience interested in what you have to say.
- The main points: the discussion. What drives the sermon to the conclusion already stated
in the thesis.
- Conclusion: the place where to land.

How to close a sermon? May be a Scripture quote. Make a good connection with the audience. Be
emotional but never fake it.

Developing the main points:

1. A declaration of the main statement.

2. Substantiation of the thesis: correct use of Scripture.

3. The transition from intro to the main point.

Psalm 119:165

Alliteration is a good way to remember the outline easily.

Ideally the preacher should be able to look at the main points and have a panoramic view of the
complete sermon. Three C’s:

-Clearly

-Concisely

-Compellingly
The preacher is not quoting Scriptures for the sake of his ego.

-Help the audience to understand the Scripture

-Study the significant words of the passage

-Place the passage in the proper context

-Harmonize with other Scriptures

-Practical application.

Seven values of sermon illustrations:

-Make the message clear.

-Provides mental rest from the continuous argument of the sermon.

-Makes the truth more impressive visually.

The best source for all these illustrations is the Bible:

Transitions in a sermon:

-Words.

Example of transition between points.

Titus 2:11-14

Leaving: ungodliness, worldly lusts.

Living: soberly, righteously and godly.

Looking: blessed hope, glorious appearing

Try to make a smooth transition between the introduction:

- Variety
- Naturally

Set the background from the passage and fit the topic in the context.

There is a code in our character that affects our communication in preaching: the moral purity.

Rom. 2:20-24.

We can affect and destroy congregations when our actions do not match our preaching.

A vocal code: The words chosen.

Words that fit the message:

Jesus filled his sermons with simple words: Make people understand.

-Parables
-Metaphors

-Similes

The audible code: The volume and clarity.

The voice can show:

- Well being
- Emotions
- Enthusiasm

Present the sermon clearly and understandably, the voice conveys the message and the
personality of the speaker.

Emphasis on certain important words

The adequate use of a pause. Avoid vocalized pauses.

Be ready for anything: consider the acoustic quality of the auditorium.

A visible code: Matching the words with the appearance.

- Eye contact
- Posture
- Gestures

Variety in preaching

Fresh and new topics, but not over the top.

Different types of preaching

A part of preaching should be on the first principles.

- Young people that don’t know it

- Old people that should be reminded
- New Christians

Three types of preaching:

-Topical: selects a host of texts from different contexts

-Textual: the topic is confined to a single text

-Expository: Takes a longer text and explains and exposes all the details in it.

Variety in delivery: extemporaneous and impromptu.

The danger to preach only of the overflow: the background knowledge without preparation.

Sermon and visual aids:

- You control the use of the aids.

 - The material is only an aid.
- It exists not for its own sake, but for the message.

In case of using scripture in the slides, it is important to highlight the important words of the
passage.

Sermon criticism:

Learning how to critic yourself: no superficial or unrealistic views on myself.

Be careful receiving compliments of the audience.

All the areas of the criticism are directed to how well communicated it is the word of God.

Introduction ----- transition---- Discussion ---- transition ---- Conclusion

Inductive preaching: general rule from a sufficient number of cases.