Expositionalogistix

I have found that one of the best developments in the area of sermon preparation for me is journaling. In fact, I have begun to use a Moleskine journal in order to write out my sermon notes before I even touch a computer. Here’s how one looks:

My Large Ruled Moleskine Notebook

My sermon notes on Psalm 23

Notes in my moleskine for a recent Deacon

Since March 28 (when I began using this type of journal), I have written just over 130 pages in my 240-page Moleskine. How has this helped my walk with Christ in general and my sermon preparation specifically?

1. I begin reading the text from which I shall preach devotionally. Journaling helps me to read the passage personally so the Word can soak into the fabric of my being. If I expect my people to come before God in his house and soak in the Word being preached, I must put myself before God beforehand so his Word will soak into me. This practice of journaling has really transformed this. I am not merely reading the Bible so I can get ’stuff’ for my sermon. I’m seeing what Howard Hendricks notes in his book Living By the Book that Bible study is for life-change. With this, I am fully engaged in the “so-what factor” — I always leave room in my entries to seek God in apply His Word, i.e., application, i.e., the ’so-what factor.’ “This is what the Bible says? Great! So what?” I am able to prayerfully brainstorm some implications.
2. I think better with pen and paper than I do in front of a computer. In a post at another blog I run, I noted: “Speaking of Moleskine: I am hooked, and I have Joe Thorn to blame for it. I was a Mead Composition Notebook guy, but found that the paper, the wide ruled nature of the layout, and the ease with which it falls apart made me begin to look for other options. So, I tried a Moleskine, and now I love it and am hooked on journaling, especially when it comes to sermon preparation. I find that if I write out my research in this journal rather than type it out on a computer, I absorb the content a bit more and the sermon becomes more personal to me as well.”
3. It’s portable. I do laptops, but dude are they a burden to carry, especially around an airport. But, if I need to travel and do some sermon preparation, I take my ESV Personal Size Bible, my Large Ruled Moleskine Notebook, my Large 18-Month Moleskine Planner, my Zebra F-301 0.7 mm fine point pen, photocopies of sections of commentaries from which I will be preaching, stick them in a manila envelope, and I am set. Then, when I get to a computer, I can just start typing.
4. It actually helps my penmanship. Computers not only hinder my thinking, but also kill my penmanship. I am just stunned at how sloppy my writing became.
5. It leaves a legacy. For more on this, I would recommend reading through Don Whitney’s Simplify Your Spiritual Life. He notes that in 100 years, your relatives may not know about you at all — except if you journal.

Do any of you journal as part of your sermon preparation? If so, what are some methods you use? We can always learn from each other.

Breaking in a new moleskine!

Many times, the rigors of ministry make the primacy of our calling as expositors dim. Here what Spurgeon has to say:

Unless we are careful, we shall be likely to say to ourselves, “Monday evening here again, I must give an address at the prayer-meeting. Thursday evening, and I have to preach, although I have not yet a topic! Sunday morning, Sunday evening; I have to preach again! Yes, preach again! Then there are all those extra engagements; it is for ever preach, preach, preach! I am always preaching. What a weariness it is!” Preaching ought to be a joy, yet it becomes a task. Constant preaching should be constant enjoyment, and yet, when the brain is tired, pleasure flies. Like the sick boy in the prophet’s day, we are ready to cry, “My head! My head!” We ask, “How can we keep up our freshness?” It is hard to produce so much with such scant leisure for reading; it is almost as bad as making bricks without straw. Nothing can maintain us in the freshness of our beginnings but the daily anointing of the Spirit” (The All-Round Ministry, Pilgrim Publications, 1973, pp. 134-135.)

I can entirely sympathize with this, but am continually thankful that God continues to replenish and supply. What steps do you take to remain fresh in your preaching ministry?

Whereas conventional wisdom in most evangelical circles dictates that pastors would do well to avoid the hard texts, my contention is that pastors should never shy away from this.  While the Joel Osteens and the Robert Schullers of the world will shy away from such dealings , I believe that many in our pews are just wanting a pastor who will deal directly with what the Bible says and address the issue at hand.

A case in point: the past two Sundays, I have preached on two rather “hard texts”: one dealing with the role of women in the church, the other on the necessity of giving.  After each of those sermons, one of my deacons came out and said, “Man, I thought you’d be black and blue right now — you really laid it out there.”  But the reaction couldn’t have been different.  By the grace and glory of God, I received thank you’s for being willing to tackle such issues and helping to make things clear.

Why should we preach the hard texts as well as the other types to our people?

1. Those texts are in the Scriptures! Obvious, yes.  But I have had well-meaning ministers tell me that just because it is in the Bible does not necessarily mean it will be appropriate to preach on.  This is why I make the case for expositional preaching: if forces you to deal with a text that your flesh may tempt you to avoid.
2. For all the talk about our people despising authority, I believe they are looking for solid ground on which to stand.  We all are.  All this noise about postmodernism winning the day is far too premature.  It may be prevalent, but it hasn’t won anything.  If anything, our culture feels more in the dark than ever because many people’s spiritual journey is leading them down some deadends.  Preachers must never forget the supernatural transformational power of the Scriptures that are breathed out by the Spirit of God himself!   Never give up preaching!  The world may deem it folly, but to those who are being saved it  is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
3. People, especially Christians, long to be dealt with honestly. Many in my generation are becoming angry at the church for their failure to teach them the things of the faith.  They praise God for churches sharing the gospel with them and showing them Jesus, but afterwards they become afraid of being too doctrinal (read: divisive) and therefore they do not “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
4. People feel patronized when pastors fail to deal with a text or issue.  When pastors avoid these texts, they are in so many words telling their people, “You really can’t handle this right now.”  Yet, pastors who stay with their churches and invest their time in their people can take them along slowly and help them step-by-step.  Young pastors especially need to remember that you don’t need to tell them everything you know (or think you know) in one sermon.  Pour yourself out into your people and teach them with patience (1 Timothy 4:13-16).

What do you think?

I find myself pondering the place of the preaching ministry not just in the life of the church in general, but in my church in particular. Having been here almost five years, I am now seeing the importance and the cruciality of leading from the pulpit. The pastor is the primary vision-caster and mission developer of the church by virtue of his leadership status but also due to his studious diligence in his primary duty, preaching and teaching the Word. In Acts 6:1-4, we read:

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. [2] And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. [3] Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. [4] But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1-4, ESV).

This oft-quoted passage really stresses the necessity of why “prayer and the ministry of the word” is so important. Prayer crafts our hearts to the framework of God’s will and way. The Word helps give us an objective anchor to the relevation of God through the person of Jesus Christ. The pastor is the intercessor and the point person for each local church assembly to connect with God and then in turn connect God’s people with God’s vision for them.

Ultimately, God’s vision for his church is found in Romans 8:28-29:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

God’s vision for his local church is to conform his people to Christlikeness. And the preaching ministry should and must drive every person and every other ministry to this pursuit.

Where churches encounter trouble is when we forget the ‘why’ of a particular ministry or program and simply get caught up in the ‘what.’ If a missions program exists, we are tempted to focus on the ‘what’ of that program and how we should have that program because its that program. But when asked ‘why,’ the response can be boiled down to the following: ‘Because this is what has always been done.’ It can be any other ministry in the church.

The pulpit ministry of a church should encourage Christlikeness and challenge the traditions, mindsets, and ministries of the church by asking this question: “How does this exalt Christ, His gospel, and the believer’s transformation to Christlikeness and (to be redundant) holiness?” Pastors must challenge their people in this, regardless of the age or influence of the church. When churches begin to lose sight of this, it is because their leaders have lost sight of this.

So pastors, use the pulpit for not only to faithfully exposit the Word of God, but prayerfully consider how to apply this to your individual people and to the corporate ministries of the church. Evaluate, question, challenge, encourage, love, support, motivate, compel, and pray over everything that takes place under the banner of your local church and, ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastors must not be afraid to lead. Hebrews 13:17 says:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

What think ye?

“Insulated Western Christianity is waking from the dream world that being a Christian is normal and safe. More and more, true Christianity is becoming what it was at the beginning: foolish and dangerous” (ix). So says John Piper, senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and author of Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. Piper sees that the professionalizing of the ministry kills pastors rather than refreshes. He calls pastors to abandon a secular view of seeing their pastoral ministry as a professional vocation and to reclaim the view of God’s call as a prophet. “The aim of this book is to spread a radical, pastoral passion for the supremacy and centrality of the crucified and risen God-Man, Jesus Christ, in every sphere of life and ministry and culture” (xi).

The title of this book is sure to garner attention and even surprise from full-time pastors and preachers. To this, Piper offers his rationale behind the title:

The title of this book is meant to shake us loose from the pressure to fit in to the cultural expectations of professionalism. It is meant to sound an alarm against the pride of station and against the expectation of parity in pay and against the borrowing of paradigms from the professional world. Of for the radically Bible-saturated, God-centered, Christ-exalting, self-sacrificing, mission-mobilizing, soul-saving, culture-confronting pastors!

Summary

Piper divides this book into 30 short chapters that may serve well as a devotional for pastors to read one chapter a day, thus finishing the book by the end of the month. These chapters deal with different areas. The first area Piper addresses is the love of the true nature and glory of God. He lays an excellent foundation for the pastor’s ministry in rightly representing God’s character before his people. Piper also encourages pastors to have a love for the doctrines of the Scriptures by rightly dividing the Word of truth, even the hard texts.

Piper also encourages a love for the church of Jesus Christ. He exhorts pastors to avoid sacred substitutes and man-made traditions which add to and take from the Scriptures all at once. Piper also encourages pastors to actively minister to their people during times of affliction and tragedy, giving them the sacred promises of God and assurance of his presence. He also encourages pastors to preach salvation not just to the lost but also to the saints so they will persevere in the faith.

Piper then encourages pastors to maintain a strong and healthy devotional life. He promotes the priority of prayer, as well as the reading of Christian biography. Pastors must see themselves as fellow servants of Christ and the church and therefore must sincerely model a walk with Christ before their people.

Soundbites

• “[God’s love for his glory] is no isolated note in the symphony of redemptive history. It is the ever-recurring motif of the all-sufficient Composer” (7).
• “The holiness of God is the absolutely unique and infinite value of His being and His majesty. To say that our God is holy means that His value is infinitely greater than the sum of the value of all created beings” (13).
• “Paul warns against any view of God which makes Him the beneficiary of our beneficence. His informs us that God cannot be served in any way that implies we are meeting His needs. It would be as though a stream should try to fill a spring that feeds it” (40).
• “Prayer is the coupling of primary and secondary causes. It is the splicing of our limp wire to the lightning bolt of heaven” (53).
• “Since preaching and the pastoral ministry in general are a great means to the saints’ perseverance, the goal of a pastor is not merely to edify the saints but to save the saints. What is at stake on Sunday morning is not merely the upbuilding of the church but its eternal salvation” (106).
• “The issue of racial prejudice and snubbing and suspicion and mistreatment is not a social issue; it is a blood-of-Jesus issue. When you get the conviction and the courage to say something about it to your people, tell them you are not becoming a social-gospeler but a lover of the blood-bought blessings of the cross of Christ” (197).

Critical Review

John Piper stands as a pastor and scholar captivated by displaying the glory of God in all things. As a result, he sees the professionalization of pastors diametrically opposed to exalting the glory of God in preaching and ministry. God must set the course for Spirit-led pastoral ministry and not the agendas of the world. John Piper’s book is a much-needed tonic for the contemporary evangelical world that looks to the culture first in order to address cultural issues. Piper declares:

We are most emphatically not part of a social team sharing goals with other professionals. Our goals are an offense; they are foolishness (1 Cor. 1:13). The professionalization of the ministry is a constant threat to the gospel. It is a threat to the profoundly spiritual nature of our work (3).

This statement sets this book apart from other books dealing with pastoral ministry which are pragmatic and program-laden in nature.

What strikes the reader most is the difference of perspective between Piper and those of the New Homiletic and the Emergent Church. Whereas these two movement seek (whether intentionally or unintentionally) to move away from the sole authority of Scripture to a more open and conversant style of ministry, Piper sprints toward Scripture’s authority thus giving traction to the pastor’s message and ministry.

One of the great strengths of this book is Piper’s dogged determination to support every belief he preaches from Scripture. This fact alone distinguishes this book from the majority of other so-called Christian books. Piper seeks to establish every principle he puts forth on the basis of Scripture. All pastors would do well to model this practice of his. He notes:

Where pastors can no longer articulate and defend doctrine by a reasonable and careful appeal to the original meaning of Biblical texts, they will tend to become close-minded traditionalists who clutch their inherited ideas, or open-ended pluralists who don’t put much stock in doctrinal formulations. In both cases the succeeding generations will be theologically impoverished and susceptible to error (84).

This exhortation serves the pastors and their churches well. In many Baptist state conventions, a large amount of rhetoric comes forth from these entities against the ill effects of alcohol and gambling. In regards to alcohol, traditionalists advocate total abstinence — even though the Bible never explicitly advocates this understanding. In regards to gambling, few biblical references accompany the high rhetoric against the lottery and casinos, although exceptions to exist.

In Chapter 21, entitled “Brothers, Don’t Fight Flesh Tanks with Peashooter Regulations,” Piper unfolds the controversy within himself and ultimately the church in dealing with the subject of alcohol. The majority of Baptist churches contain a clause in their church covenant calling for abstinence of alcohol. To this, Piper responds, “I am persuaded that such a regulation for church membership falls into the category of legalistic exclusivism and stands under the judgment of the apostolic word in Scripture” (152). Piper describes legalism as “the terrible mistake of treating Biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to show our moral prowess and earn God’s favor” (153). Again, on every level, the reader sees Piper’s desire to honor God and his Word in every area, even in areas that may cause great controversy and even dismissal from a ministry position. He makes the pastor and preacher think through each of the issues he holds dear and to examine those issues under the white-hot light of the Spirit-inspired Scriptures.

Piper uses the gospel to address to distressing social issues of our time: racism and abortion. In Chapter 26 (“Brothers, Sever the Root of Racism”), Piper asks, “Are our churches thermometers registering the racial attitudes and actions of the world; or are they thermostats raising the warmth of commitment to racial understanding and love and demonstrable harmony” (197)? Instead of appealing to another social construct to turn the church away from racism, he appeals to the Scriptures’ discussion of the barrier broken down between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-22). In addressing the issue of abortion, Piper adamantly exhorts pastors to exhibit courage to stand and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

I believe pastors should put their lives and ministries on the line in this issue. The cowardice of some pastors when it comes to preaching against abortion appalls me. Many treat the dismemberment of unborn humans as an untouchable issue on the par with partisan politics…. The law of our land is immoral and unjust. That should be declared from tens of thousands of pulpits in America (212).

One rather convicting area Piper addresses to pastors is the issue of continually using and understanding the biblical languages. Piper believes that the languages in our churches and denominations should be “cherished, promoted, and sought” (82). He believes that the reason that expository preaching has lost its luster among the churches is because it lacks “precision and clarity” (83) along with the problem that preachers “tend to be second-handers. The harder it is for us to get at the original meaning of the Bible, the more we will revert to the secondary literature. … Secondhand food will not sustain and deepen our people’s faith and holiness” (83).

While this book stands tall above the majority of other books on pastoral ministry, one weakness is the intensity that Piper brings to the book. Clearly, the Puritans’ influence on Piper shows. When Piper noted how the Puritans preached salvation not just to the lost but also to the saints, he says, “What is at stake on Sunday morning is not merely the upbuilding of the church but its eternal salvation. It is not hard to see why the Puritans were so serious” (106). Piper is short on humorous anecdotes and illustrations in this book and for a reason. He does not want to give pastors the idea that pastoral ministry should not be taken with utmost gravity and seriousness. Yet Piper shares so many convictions in this book that he deems necessary, the reader risks being overwhelmed under the load, which may serve as Piper’s point.

Conclusion

I have read this work several times over the past five years and would highly recommend this book to every preacher and pastor. Pastors need to reclaim the understanding of the high calling God has placed on them. Piper’s contagious attitude toward the glories of Christ and the love for the church is refreshing and illuminating. This would stand as one of the first books I would recommend to any pastor, regardless of age or experience.

Piper, John. Brothers,
We Are Not Professionals. Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002. 286 pp.
$14.99

Dennis E. Johnson, author of Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures, was gracious enough to take time to answer five particular questions I had about expository preaching. I am thankful for the depth with which he answered these questions. I pray that his answers will help you in your understanding of expository preaching.

MRP: What role do you see expository preaching playing in the life and ministry of the local church?

DEJ: I began to “catch the vision” for Christ-centered preaching through my M.Div. studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (1970-73), and then became increasingly more convinced of it through my pastoral ministries in New Jersey (1973-76) and Los Angeles, CA (1976-81), although I did not have a clear idea about how to preach Christ appropriately from each distinct passage of Scripture and often did not give myself enough time for meditation, for turning over the passage in my mind and comparing it with other texts and themes throughout the Bible until I could see the intrinsic lines of connection that tie the whole Bible to Jesus through the theme of God’s covenants with his people. When I began to teach at Westminster Seminary California in 1982, and especially as I began to teach other pastors in our D.Min. program in preaching in the early years, I began to work through more consistently a way to see what Jesus showed his apostles in terms of the interconnections of the Scriptures in Himself.

MRP: Who has been your greatest influence as an expository preacher?

Edmund P. Clowney has been the greatest influence, without a doubt. I have also learned from the way Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC preaches Christ, and from my own pastor, Ted Hamilton, of New Life Presbyterian Church in Escondido. I also have learned from Dr. Iain Duguid, now teaching at Grove City College in PA, both in his preaching (he taught with me here at WSC and pastored a PCA congregation in my presbytery), and in his writings.

MRP: Do you believe that expository preaching can be inductive as well as deductive?

DEJ: I believe that expository preaching must first of all be inductive–that is, observing carefully what the text actually says, its inner flow of thought and logic when read in the context of the book in which it appears and in the context of the spiritual need and situation of its first readers. Then, I believe it is also appropriate to engage in a more “deductive” analysis, comparing what I believe I have heard this text say with the broader themes and framework of truth revealed in Scripture, including the way in which that system of truth has been summarized in the great creeds and confessions of the church.

MRP: What role does the local church play in training preachers? Should they farm this training out exclusively to the seminaries?

DEJ: I believe that the local church is a great training ground for preachers-in-the-making, and that the best arrangement is a close cooperation between churches and seminaries. In seminaries, pastoral candidates can get exposure to the gifts of a variety of teachers and mentors who can each bring his own strengths into his relationship with the budding pastor. In the church, the focused studies pursued in seminary can be put to the test “where the rubber meets the road,” in bringing the gospel of grace into the lives of really hurting people in real life venues.

MRP: What would be some of the basic areas you would cover in training lay preachers who have had no theological training whatsoever?

In training lay preachers I would focus on making sure they have a solid grounding in systematic theology that is based in Scripture and proven by the church over the centuries. This will help keep them on an even keel when winds of doctrine, promising “new” insights, blow across the church. Then I would focus on a basic hermeneutic or method of interpreting Scripture, in light of the way language works, and in light of the context of the Bible in the history of redemption. Finally, I would emphasize, for any and all leaders (whether those who can attend seminary or those who cannot), the importance of godly character as Paul places that “center stage” in his lists of qualifications of elders in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1. These attributes of humility, holiness, integrity, etc., must be grounded in a firm grasp of the gospel of God’s grace, given in Christ and received by faith alone.

I came to my church in 2003 at the age of 31 — by far, the youngest pastor they had had since the early 1980s. I had not quite finished my MDiv work at Southern Seminary, but I had already received a Master of Church Music from Palm Beach Atlantic University as well as having been in the ministry since 1992.

On Sunday nights, I am meeting with four other young men who feel a calling into the ministry. During our time together, they asked my advice on a number of things. I began to recall advice I received as a young pastor (and still do). I had received no shortage of advice as I entered my first full-time pastorate. And now that I am in my fifth year as a pastor and in my 17th year of ministry, I have started to accumulate some of that advice for young pastors that I would like to pass on to you (for what it’s worth).

1. Train yourself in personal holiness and godliness.

In 1 Tim. 4:7-8, Paul tells young Timothy: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” While a lesson here about the personal physical fitness of a pastor would apply, the fullness of personal holiness in the development of character in the pastor must not be missed. If a pastor is to serve as an “overseer” (1 Timothy 3:1) of a church, then the character we oversee in our people must also be found in ourselves (1 Timothy 3:2-7).

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. [26] So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. [27] But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

2. Never, ever, ever stop learning once your academic work is completed.

Even when Paul was in jail and facing the end of his life, he urged Timothy: “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus and Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). Paul had an insatiable appetite for study. Why? In 2 Timothy 2:15, we see the reason for the desire: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (ESV). One of Paul’s greatest fears was getting the Word wrong. Yet his love for the Lord and his love for those to whom he preached. He knew life and death hung in the balance. He never stopped learning because he never stopped loving God or his people.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel (Ezra 7:10).

3. When taking the pastorate of a church, take into consideration the age and geographic location of the church and institute change accordingly.

I had one church growth leader tell me, “If you want to institute change in a young church, it’s like turning around a Volkswagen in the parking lot. If you want to institute change in a historic (old) church, it’s like turning around a battleship in the Atlantic.” When I told one pastor friend of mine the age of my church (200+ years old), he told me not to institute any change at all the first year. I will need to gain the trust of the people. My friend Mark Combs just quoted something to me from Audrey Malphurs’ book “Being Leaders” that it takes five years in the church for people to begin seeing you as the leader. Wow!

Plus, in considering geographic location, rural areas are different than suburban areas which are different from urban areas, etc. So if you implement a program developed in Chicago in a small town heartland, it will not fit. Get to know your God, know His Word, spend time with the people, and quit trying to make each church a cookie-cutter of another or implement a program that is the equivalent of a broadcast feed to a bigger, more influential church. They called you as pastor. No short-cuts allowed!

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. [9] For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you [10] always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. [11] For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— [12] that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. [13] I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. [14] I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. [15] So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome (Romans 1:8-15, ESV).

4. Your ministry must never be divorced from the people. ‘Nuff said. After all, it is a ministry … to actual people … under the calling of the living God through Christ.

5. Never enter a pastorate looking ahead to the “next gig.” You risk missing the blessing of your current ministry and deprive the people of your full attention.

Some pastors see small churches like the minor leagues. They groom and hone their talents so they can “move up” to bigger and better. They risk wanting to be influential nationally or globally rather than locally among their own community. The issue has become so problematic that smaller churches now expect young pastors who have certain gifts to move on. “Oh, we’ll never be able to keep him here,” they say.

But isn’t that what our smaller churches need: stable leadership and those who love God, love the Word, love their people? When Paul wrote the Philippian church, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5, ESV) or when we writes the Colossian church, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven” (Colossians 1:3-5a, ESV) — we see how thankful Paul is for the people that God entrusted to his care.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, [3] remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 1:2-3, ESV).

6. Craft your preaching around the themes of the Word of God first, not the felt needs of your people.

We know that God has given us His revelation. But when people come in to church with “felt needs,” we have to understand that our feelings are tinged with the Fall and that the Word of God will always penetrate and go deeper. The high risk of topical preaching is that the preacher begins with a person’s felt need, then looks to Scriptures to deal with surface issues. Yet, the high risk of expositional preaching is that we believe we can completely remove ourselves from our people and can preach to them without the establishment of any relationship. But I will say this, I would recommend expositional preaching coupled with embracing your people. This balance shows that, again, you love the Word and take it on God’s terms, but you also love your people. That way, when hard texts are preached, they know it is coming from someone who loves them where they are — but is also on a journey with them to help them be all they should be in Christ.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

Young pastors, please keep in mind that you must remain diligent and invest yourself in the work that God has for you. Don’t try to keep up with the Jones, but follow His Spirit. Don’t try to look first at the latest church growth plan — God’s already given us a sufficient plan found in the Scriptures.

John Stott, in his wonderful commentary on Romans, deals masterfully with Romans 4 by showing how Abraham and David maintain a justification by faith alone — showing that at Paul’s contention of justification by faith is not a mere novelty. For us preachers of the Word, I think Stott’s paragraph about an “apparently innocent question” Paul asks in Romans 4:3: “For what does Scripture say?” (ESV).

Consider the implications of this apparently innocent question. First, the singular form (’the Scripture’), like our ‘the Bible,’ indicates that Paul recognizes the existence of this entity, not just a library of books but a unified body of inspired writings. Secondly, his quasi-personification of Scripture as being able to speak indicates that he draws no distinction between what Scripture says and what God says through it. Indeed, throughout the New Testament we seldom know whether to translate legei, when it has no subject, as ‘he says’ or ‘it says.’ Thirdly, instead of the present tense, ‘What does the Scripture say?’ Paul could have used the perfect tense and asked, ‘What was written?’ or ‘What stands written?’ (gegraptai). For ‘The Scripture’ means ‘what is written,’ and in asking what it ’says,’ the apostle indicates that through the written text the living voice of God may be heard. Fourthly, to ask the question is to turn to Scripture for authoritative guidance. It implies that, as with Jesus and its critics, so with Paul and his, in every controversy Scripture was acknowledged as the final court of appeal! (Stott, Romans, 125)

Prior to preparing for a sermon, I must be sure my prayer and devotional life are intact. Charles Spurgeon poignantly points out, “True and genuine piety is necessary as the first and indispensable requisite; whatever ‘call’ a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to the ministry.” [1] Don Whitney, Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary, exhorted seminary chapel students in the Fall of 2005 at Southern, “Don’t let the ministry get in the way of Jesus!” [2]

The way to avoid this is to see the job description of the expository preacher: ones who are devoted “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4, ESV). In 1592, the Puritan William Perkins gives the proper balance to the pastor’s preaching ministry:

There are two parts to prophecy: preaching the Word and public prayer. For the prophet (that is, the minister of the Word) has only two duties. One is preaching the Word, and the other is praying to God in the name of the people. . . . Notice that in Scripture the word ‘prophecy’ is used of prayer as well as of preaching. . . . Thus, every prophet’s task is to speak partly as the voice of God (in preaching), and partly as the voice of the people (in praying). [3]

Perkins’ exhortation is well spoken. Without this understanding, I risk becoming as one pastor friend of mine noted, a sermon machine. John Piper helps pastors avoid this problem:

If we are going to feed our people, we must ever advance in our grasp of Biblical truth. We must be like Jonathan Edwards who resolved in his college days, and kept the resolution all his life, “Resolved: To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.”[4] Growing, advancing, increasing — that is the goal. [5]

I then proceed by prayerfully determining the text on which to preach. The expository preacher surely has a distinct advantage over the inductive preachers and the average advocate of the New Homiletics preaching philosophy. The inductive preacher committed to topical preaching spends precious time not only looking for a text, but also exhausting necessary energies in creating a compelling and intriguing form and flow to the sermon. On the other hand, preachers committed to an expositional model usually plan ahead by preaching through a biblical book or doctrinal study. As a result, expository preachers know on Monday morning, Lord willing, the exact passage from which they will preach. Thus, the preacher may spend his time more focused on exegeting and understanding the theme or themes of the text prior.

This understanding has transformed my study time. Not only do I know on what I shall preach, I know that with expository preaching I would dismiss the temptation to avoid difficult texts. Heisler says, “Expository preaching assures us that we are keeping the sermonic train on the biblical tracks and helps us avoid unnecessary detours and breakdowns on our way to the final destination of Spirit-filled living.” Expositional preaching helps me not only grow as a preacher who delivers the message, but helps me in worship in the study as one receiving the delivering of the Word first. If I preached topically and inductively as Craddock and Lowry advocate, I would risk losing that precious time of study and prayer in order to design in a creative manner a listener-driven sermon, rather than a text-driven, Spirit-led sermon grounded in the Word of God.

As for the planning aspect, I have found that developing a preaching plan is helpful for a number of reasons. First, I read the entire book from which I shall preach to understand the direction and the particular themes found in the book. Secondly, I break up the book into expository units. Chapell defines an expository unit as “a large or a small portion of Scripture from which a preacher can demonstrate a single spiritual truth with adequate supporting facts or concepts arising within the scope of the text.” This definition does not mean that preachers should only preach from paragraphs, but should understand the particular genre from which he preaches so that the listener hears entire scope of the passage. Narrative texts usually cover not only paragraphs but also a chapter or chapters at a time. Chapell also notes, “[Beginning preachers] are well advised to consider how they may ultimately expound passages of varying lengths since biblical truths are related through a great variety of literary means and lengths.”

In this planning stage, I found a method used by Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, quite helpful. If I know the text that I shall preach from over the next four weeks, I will take a manila file folder, designate that folder with the corresponding Scriptural passage, then have either my secretary of myself photocopy four or five commentaries on that passage and insert those copies into a folder. That way, if I am ever on a trip, at a conference, or even waiting in line for a haircut, I am able to pull out that file folder and study. I am grateful for the discipline of beginning this type of organizational system.

The next step is to find the main idea or ideas from the passage. A number of preaching books define this main purpose in differing ways. Bryan Chapell calls this the “Fallen Condition Focus.” Haddon Robinson designates this purpose as the Big Idea. Ramesh Richard calls this the Central Proposition of the Text, or CPT. Whatever the designation, the purpose is to find the central idea of the text. Haddon Robinson believes that:

Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept. That affirms the obvious. A sermon should be a bullet, not buckshot. Ideally, each sermon is the explanation, interpretation, or application of a single, dominant idea supported by other ideas, all drawn from one passage or several passages of Scripture.[9]

Understanding the main point of an expository unit, regardless of how large or small, helps give direction to the sermon and avoids the risk of being repetitive over a number of weeks. Yet, those from the New Homiletic and Emergent Church philosophy reject this notion. Leonard Sweet, a faculty member at the Drew Theological Seminary and at George Fox University, puts forth a brand of preaching known as “E.P.I.C. Preaching,” that is, preaching which is experiential, participatory, image-rich, and connective. Sweet notes, “Preachers are homiletic hemophiliacs, hereditary bleeders of liquid life. If you’ve never bled, you have no material for preaching.”[10] Sweet seeks to make preachers who are not simply orators who put forth rational, word-based discourses; but rather ones who connect with stories, experiences, and conversant participation. He believes that “preachers [should] look for … less the ‘main principle’ or the ‘key idea’ or the ‘big point’ and more the ‘master metaphor,’ the leading or controlling metaphor that refrains the conversation.” [11]

Next, I begin to sketch out a thematic outline on the text. Helpful for me in this area is Preaching with Bold Assurance by Hershael York and Bert Decker. York recommends that preachers “diagram and write a thematic outline of the passage one to three weeks before you plan to preach it. This will allow your mind more time to ruminate on the text and to choose and edit illustrations, etc. before actually planning the sermon in detail.” [12] This textual outline will not be in all likelihood the outline taken into the pulpit, but is still crucial in understanding the direction as well as helpful in gleaning the main points along with the subpoints. Bert Decker advocates using Post-It™ notes to write down any principles that arise from the text, then organizing them. I prefer using an 8 ½” x 11” legal pad to sketch out the passage, sorting out the main clauses from the subordinate clauses. From this exercise, I begin to see the sermon that God wishes to me to preach because I begin to see the themes found in the text.

Next, I begin to organize the themes and subthemes as I move from hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) to homiletics (the presentation of the sermon). How do I determine the order of these themes? The Scriptures determine the order. The Holy Spirit who inspired the text of Scripture also inspired the order of the Scriptures as well. As I organize these themes, I begin to search for illustrations — on either news websites or the recesses of my memory. Personal illustrations are quite effective — when used sparingly — while news stories over the past week or month help connect the relevancy of Scripture to our contemporary culture.

I confess that I struggle with appropriate illustrations not because of how poorly I speak them but because of the temptation to illicit a quick response from the congregation. The New Homiletic philosophy of preaching is right in that the majority of people in the pews enjoy stories. Our image-driven, visceral culture enjoys the plot of a good movie, the quick humor found in situation comedies, and the thrill of sporting events. I live in Lexington, Kentucky, which is known as the “jumping off point to Eastern Kentucky.” In the mountains of eastern Kentucky, storytelling is king — and that mindset exists at our church among our elderly members.

Yet, even when I find myself preaching the Word in a faithful manner yet have minimal response either during or after the preaching time, I succumbed briefly to the temptation of littering my sermons with illustrations that generated a smile or played on the emotions. Soon, I grew convicted — for I felt God impressing on me this question (a question I have alluded to numerous times in this paper): to whom are you trying to connect your people: my Word or yourself? Since that time, I have been very careful about how I use humor and illustrations.

Concerning humor, one rule stands out above all the others: never use humor at the expense of another human being. Some pastors like using their spouses, children, or even church members as the object of a joke, in the process exposing their behavior to elicit a laugh — all the while causing embarrassment for that person. Humor is not a sanctuary from the commands of God that tell us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1b-3, ESV). Humor of this nature is divisive and harmful to the body, even when guised as amusing.

Concerning illustrations, Bryan Chapell helps me greatly understand their role:

The craft of sermon illustration begins when you as the preacher bracket an element of experience in order to give your listeners access to an associated concept, or an isolated experience may spawn the associated idea. Whatever the sequence of events, both elements operate together. [13]

Though preachers need not be in the business of trying to make the Bible relevant, they must be in the business of connecting biblical principles with contemporary reality. They must be accurate, bolstering the integrity of the Scriptures as well as the integrity of the one preaching. Illustrations serve a crucial and pivotal role in the proclamation of the Word.

Once these items are in place, I begin to construct the introduction and conclusion. These areas have proven to be the most difficult for me in the preparation process. After reading York’s understanding how the sermon’s introduction should “get past the gatekeeper” of the listener’s heart, I added undo pressure on myself because I wanted to find that perfect introduction. The same issues arose concerning the conclusions of the sermon. Like the composer of a symphony, preachers want to end on a powerful and memorable chord — since that chord will serve as the last sound the listeners hear from the concert.

To help me in this issue, I have developed both an electronic filing system on my laptop and a hard copy filing system in a cabinet in my study. For general filing, I have a drawer for articles covering various topics and another drawer with folders for designated Scripture passage on which I will preach in the weeks ahead.

Once I have complied my information, I begin to write the manuscript. Many preachers whom I respect greatly discourage this practice — and for good reason. Speaking and writing are entirely different forms of communication. Yet, in the study, I write out my sermon word-for-word to help my mind maintain an order and clarity and I take that manuscript into the pulpit. On occasion, I give my manuscripts to some in my congregation who request them, and frequently they observe, “You did not preach this the way you have it on paper.” That is true the majority of the time. By writing out a manuscript and highlighting the key themes, quotations, illustrations, etc., I not only have the themes and the flow of the sermon in my mind, but I am able to keep a record of that manuscript in case I need it in the future for a publication or another preaching engagement.

Conclusion

I am an expository preacher. I say this without shame or apology. I know that if my calling is grounded in a passion for God’s Word and a love for God’s people, then I shall preach to them the only message that is assured to change hearts and minds toward Christ: the Spirit-inspired, Christ-centered Word of God. May God continue to give me that passion to preach his Word with great patience and readiness for the days ahead.

NOTES:

[1] C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), 9.

[2] Donald S. Whitney, The Almost Inevitable Ruin of Every Minister … and How to Avoid It. Downloaded 22 January 22, 2008. Accessed at http://www.sbts.edu/MP3/fall2005/20050915whitney.mp3: Internet.

[3] William Perkins, The Art of Prophesying (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1996), 7.

[4] Jonathan Edwards. The Resolutions. Downloaded 18 January 2008. Accessed at: http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Edwards/j_edwards_resolutions.html: Internet.

[5] John Piper, Brother, We Are Not Professionals (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 74.

[6] Heisler, 23-24.

[7] Chapell, 61.

[8] Ibid, 61.

[9] Haddon W. Robinson. The Big Idea of Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001), 35.

[10] Sweet, Leonard. “E.P.I.C. Preaching.” REV!, November/December 2005, 57.

[11] Ibid, 62.

[12] York and Decker, 83.

[13] Bryan Chapell, Using Illustrations to Preach With Power (Wheaton, IL: Zondervan Publishing, 2001), 91.

[14] York and Decker.

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Today (Monday) was an exceedingly sad day — I had to preach a funeral of a member who was of great encouragement to me. While I feel the immense privilege of preaching a funeral and being able to minister at such a critical time, I find that there are some lessons that I have learned in regards to preaching a funeral sermon.

First, spend time with the family of the deceased. There is no substitute for this. It’s not enough to simply preach a sermon during this occasion. There is pastoral work to be done. Be there at least by the day after the family members’ death — after the funeral arrangements have been made and other personal issues are in order. Go to where they are and just sit and listen. Some would say, “I don’t want to intrude on family time.” To that I say, if had the choice of erring on the side of a personal presence or no, I would err by risking intrusion. You will be able to tell in about 15 seconds if it is a bad time — but they will appreciate the gesture and may well give you a better time to come by. And when you do, be prepared to listen, to inquire, to go through pictures, read letters, hear wonderful stories. But most of all, be prepared to be the Lord’s presence to them at that time. Since you are a minister, you are an ambassador for Christ — and even the most pagan individual will see you as such (and may not understand why).

Second, when you preach keep it short — 12-15 minutes top — unless the family asks you otherwise. Yes, the family asked you as the minister to do the funeral — but this time is not about you or your sermonic skills or for you to take pride that the family asked you to preach at such a life-altering occasion. You are there to represent Christ and to give his Word — but take care. The family is emotionally, spiritually and in all likelihood physically drained. And listening takes energy. An economy of words would suit everyone well here.

Three, share the Gospel without fail. Yes, address the reason why you all are gathered in that place. Yes, eulogize and recall some fond memories. Yes, address the family and send your condolences on behalf of yourself and the church you serve. But shame on any minister of the Gospel who does not share the Gospel to people who are most open to hearing about this. Some would object and say, “This is manipulation! You shouldn’t take advantage of people in that state.” But death is what the majority of people are most afraid of, and the finality and mortality of this age is clearly front and center. And, as was the case with this individual’s funeral I did on Monday, this person dealt with some severe medical issues and remained resolute, the family and friends looking on need to know why. So tell them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and give them the encouragement that the Apostle Paul gave in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Fourthly, be the last one to leave. If you end with a graveside service, stay until everyone else is gone. Don’t say, “Amen!” then run to the car. Stay with the family until they leave. Walk out with the last family member if possible. Be the Lord’s ambassador right until the end. If there is a meal afterwards for the family and they invite you to stay and partake, stay and partake. Some very pastoral and teachable moments happen on such occasions that would not happen at any other time. So take advantage of the opportunities God brings your way.

Lastly, touch base with the family one week after the funeral. By now you may be saying, “Matt, I thought this was about preaching a funeral.” Yes, and by you showing that you care outside the pulpit, you will give more credence to what was said in the pulpit. There is something to be said for living a sermon, not just preaching one.

Those are my tips. What about you? Any tips come across your mind?

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