Tag Archives: Sermon Preparation

10 Ways To Squeeze The Juice Out Of A Sermon

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I do believe in preaching. But I also believe – with equal ferocity – in the importance of hearing God’s Word. Ideally, a sermon should be listened to with rapt attention and deep affection. In its wake, the sermon should evoke both faith and action in the life of the believer.

Yet often we achieve less than this ideal.  Sermons can be ‘water off’ the Christian’s proverbial ‘back.’

So how can we make more of the sermons we hear? Let me offer ten recommendations to help us squeeze the juice out of the sermon.

Accept your relentless need for the Word of God.  What bread is to your body, sermons are to your soul. Essential. In this sense, sermons are unlike desserts. Desserts are tasty but optional; by contrast, sermons are life-giving and life-sustaining. Here’s the truth: we will benefit little from sermons if we do not first believe they are terribly important. Let the believer come to the preaching-moment utterly convinced of their need for God’s Word. May they say to their soul on sermon’s-eve:  “This a means of grace!  A necessity for growth in godliness!”

Read the passage beforehand. Does my pastor preach consecutive sermons? Then the opportunity before me is great! Let me read the text when Sunday is still far off. Let me ponder it in my home, even as the pastor ponders it in his study.  This creates in our soul the same sort of desire that is aroused when reading a menu. Ponder the passage in prospect and you will more eagerly await the meal!* 

Rest well the evening before. I’m probably not the only pastor who often looks out on a tired congregation on Sunday morning. There can be many reasons for this, but some of them are controllable. Could it be that Sunday morning worship is often being ruined by Saturday evening leisure? Television, internet and smartphones are keeping many of us awake till the wee small hours. Does this make for sharp concentration on a Lord’s Day morning? If you cannot keep your eyes open during the sermon, it may be a sign that  your Saturday night routine needs changing.

Sit nearer the front. This might not apply to everyone, but I would say that if:  a) your hearing is not so good, or b) you are easily distracted, you would be well advised to sit near the front of the meeting room. This always baffles me: we want to hear preachers clearly, yet we fill church halls from ‘back to front’. Should it not be the other way around?

Look and listen. Besides your mind, the most important parts of our body during a sermon is your eyes and ears. Listening is a challenging skill. Truly hearing with our ears takes concentration, an undistracted mind, and of course the help of the Holy Spirit. Our eyes can also help our ears. Looking at our bible can help us follow what the preacher is saying. Looking at the preacher can help us grasp his message, which isn’t just conveyed with verbiage, but with facial expression and body posture.

Take some notes.  ​There are different schools of thoughts about this, I know. But many people have found that taking limited notes can aid concentration during the sermon. As well as helping listeners focus, notes also enable the hearer to review the sermon later. I do have one caution though.  Remember that a sermon is not an academic lecture. God is addressing us through His Word! Every once in a while, note-takers should drop their pens in wonder and worship!

Be aware of typical distractions.  Crying babies, fainting fits, coughs and splutters etc! Wherever there are people, there will always be distractions. At one level, this is part and parcel of worshiping in community.  Yet we must be prepared for typical distractions, and re-divert our distracted minds whenever we find them wandering.

Think about the sermon but don’t stop listening to it. Although our primary posture during sermons is one of listening, it is inevitable that we will often find ourselves ‘conversing’ with the sermon. Questions will arise. Something the preacher said (perhaps incidental) will send our thinking down some avenue or other. We may even have a “quibble” or disagree with something the preacher said. All of this is well and good; but perhaps one word of caution. Don’t be so absorbed in your own thoughts, that you stop following the thoughts of the preacher. Listen to the whole sermon.

Talk about the sermon afterwards.​ A great way to maximise sermons is to talk about sermons.  I frequently talk about the sermons I preach with my wife. This is less on a “critiquing level”, more on a personal level. How does the passage affect us? How does it speak into our thinking, our faith, our practice? This is hugely beneficial. Whether with a fellow member, friend, or in the family, some kind of brief discussion will promote application and a prayerful response to God’s Word. Try it!

Review the sermon during the week.​ This is an extension of the last recommendation. Why not download and listen to the sermon again on Monday? Or read over last week’s sermon notes in your morning devotions?  In our church, I am often encouraged to hear members referring to Sunday sermon themes during the Wednesday evening prayer time. However you do it, some further reflection on the sermon will surely be beneficial.

* Even where the minister ‘chooses’ his text week on week, you can usually find out what he is preaching on by asking him.

 

Workman’s Toolbox – 23.4.13

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Saving Eutychus

A lot of people I respect are talking highly of the book Saving Eutychus, written by Gary Miller and Phil Campbell. Here, for example, is Don Carson’s glowing recommendation:

I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is interesting, and I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is faithful to the text, but this book wants your sermon to be both. If I could, I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry. It avoids cutesy and manipulative suggestions, and makes its practical points while urging integrity, faithfulness, and imagination. Many books on preaching are published every year; this one is a “must.” (D.A.Carson)

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Some voices from the past warn us about “over-polishing” our sermons. Plainness, men!

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Mitch Chase shares 14 lessons he has learned from 14 years of preaching (pt 1, pt 2) . I found his reflections helpful. His 14 lessons are:

1. Listen to Great Preaching
2. Be Receptive to Feedback from Trusted People
3. Learn, Read About, and Grow in the Craft
4. Pray for Yourself, Sermon, and Hearers
5. Don’t Fret Over Fancy Outlines
6. Preach Tough Texts
7. Preach Controversial Texts
8. Preach from the Old Testament
9. Don’t Cling to a Certain Genre of Passages
10. Don’t Preach Everything You Learned about the Passage
11. At Least for Yourself, Summarize Your Sermon in a Simple Sentence
12. Rehearse Illustrations Before the Sermon
13. Sit Under Your Own Preaching
14. Get to the Gospel

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A post on a subject not often addressed, yet of great relevance to pastors:  Pastoring the Idle.

Lost in Translation?

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I had never preached with a translator before. But during my time in Portugal last month, I had the  experience of preaching four times through a translator. What did I learn from this new experience?

The best translator is a fellow preacher

When choosing a translator, it would be tempting to simply opt for the best linguist one could find. That would be a mistake. Certainly, adeptness with languages is important, but my time in the Iberian peninsula showed me the immense value of having a translator whose ‘day job’ is preaching. Rogerio Ramos didn’t simply translate my words; he preached my sermon!

Sermon preview is vital

A few days before preaching together I gave Rogerio my sermon notes. Rogerio was able to query any words he was unsure of; he was also able to advise me where my ideas wouldn’t “come across” in a Portuguese context. This meant I could make adjustments to my sermon if necessary. It also meant that Rogerio was better prepared for the forthcoming translation.

Use short but complete sentences

This was new to me. I discovered that there are two pitfalls to be avoided in constructing sentences for translation. One danger is lengthy sentences. The problem with this is obvious. When sentences are overly-long, the translator has difficulty remembering all that you have said. But there can also be a difficulty when one’s sentences are short but incomplete. When I preach only half a sentence then pause, I may not be helping the translator. Preaching a complete idea makes it easier for your partner to translate the sentence. The best practice is to preach in complete sentences but keep them short.

Keep the pace up

Translation can become slow and ponderous. It is vital that both preacher and translator keep the pace up. I was ready to come in immediately after Rogerio had completed his translation. Together we managed to establish a certain “rhythm” to our collaborative preaching. Surprisingly, the overall length of the sermon was not much longer than I would normally preach.

Depend more on God than oratory

You realise how truly powerless your own oratory is when you cannot speak a local language. You are entirely dependent on the translator. You are even more dependent on God.  Preaching with translation raised significant and helpful questions for me. Do I overrate the importance of eloquence in preaching? Do I have confidence in the bare Word of God? Do I believe that the Scriptures are sufficient to make a saving and sanctifying impact across linguistic and cultural borders?

“The Purpose-Driven Wife” (and other sermon titles)

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In all my years of ministry, I have never preached on (never had the courage to preach on?) the Epilogue of the Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 31:10-31). But if I ever do, I have the perfect sermon title – “The Purpose-Driven Wife” ! It encapsulates the theme of this section and is certainly more memorable than the NIV’s “The Wife of Noble Character”, bearing more than a passing resemblance to a certain well-known book and course!

Not everyone likes or uses sermon titles. I understand that Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones didn’t, yet it is interesting that the editors of his published sermons usually added a title to each sermon – if for no other reason than to distinguish it from others, rather than just identifying it by the verses or passage on which it was based. I recently reviewed “Born of God”, the latest Banner of Truth publication of his final sermon series at Westminster Chapel. which contains 32 sermons from John 1, ten of them on verse 17, and eighteen of them on verses 12-13.  Most of the titles simply summarise the subject of the sermon – for example, “The Relationship of Law and Grace”, “The Abundant Riches of His Grace”, but a few are somewhat broader – for example, “Facing the Future”, “Religion or True Faith?”

The Content Title

The simplest and most common title for a sermon is one that summarises its content: like the section headings in most modern English versions. They usually vary little – especially for narrative passages. For example, the NIV heading at the beginning of John  4 is “Jesus Talks with a Samaritan Woman”,  while the ESV has “Jesus and the Woman of Samaria”. However, while the ESV heading covers verses 1-45, the NIV has two further headings: “The Disciples Rejoin Jesus” (verses 27-38) and “Many Samaritans Believe” (verses 39-42). Even in doctrinal teaching in the epistles,where there might be more scope for variety, there is still a fair degree of uniformity. For example, the NIV introduces Galatians 3 under the heading “Faith or Observance of the Law”,  while the ESV puts it as a question: “By Faith, or by Works of the Law?”  The Good News Bible simply has “Law or Faith”.

This is a fairly random check (which might merit more detailed  research) but the content of a passage is not much of a source (if you will excuse the pun) of contention. And as the title for a sermon, it doesn’t tell the listeners anything more than they can read in the Bibles in front of them. For that we need a different kind of sermon title.

The Creative Title

First and foremost, any title must connect in some way to the main theme, the “big idea”  of the passage in question. Ideally, it should also be something which is memorable or “attractive“. So, for example, I once suggested to a colleague who was preaching on John 4 the title “Thirst things first” (which, perhaps wisely, he didn’t use!) But it does focus on the theme of the conversation between Jesus and the woman – and it is certainly memorable (if difficult to say without practice!)

I have just been in email discussion with John Percival, a former colleague and contributor to “Unashamed Workman”, who has invited me to speak at an evangelistic service at the church where he now ministers. We decided that the incident recorded in Mark 10:17-31 would connect with many of the issues facing people in Hong Kong but for advertising the event, rather than a title like “The Rich Young Man” (NIV & ESV),  a more engaging title would be “The Man who had Everything but lacked Something”.

Titles can be useful in highlighting future sermons and events, especially those such as guest-services. However, the title chosen needs  to be as “inclusive” as possible. I once saw a leaflet for a series in Luke’s Gospel which a new church were distributing in their local community. Inside the attractive cover were the dates with the passage and a title. Luke 8:40-48 was entitled “Woman with haemorrhage”  which, I would suggest, had a limited audience appeal! Something like “Hoping for Healing” or “Getting in Touch with God”  would have attracted a much broader interest.

Some Engaging Examples

One of the best exponents of stimulating titles, especially from the Old Testament, is the American preacher and professor, Dale Ralph Davis. In his book, “The Word Became Fresh – how to preach from Old Testament texts” (Christian Focus Publications, 2006),  he tells how, on the Sunday before one Christmas, he preached on the long lists of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 9 under the title, “A Whole Bunch of Dead Folks for Christmas”!  He comments, “We were, I am confident, the only church in the whole USA that carried 1 Chronicles 9 on its bulletin cover.”

Here are a few of my favourites from his “Looking on the Heart – Expositions of the Book of 1 Samuel”  (Christian Focus publications,1994):

  • 1 Samuel 17 (David &  Goliath): “Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth – Thud!”
  • 1 Samuel 24 (David in the cave with Saul at his mercy): “This is the Day! Or is it?”
  • 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2 (David among the Philistines): “What can a Godless Text teach us?”
  • 1 Samuel 29 (David sent back to Ziklag): “Accepting the Philistines as your Personal Saviour”

Notice in two of the titles the use of questions – questions which are asked of the text and also of the hearer.

Sometimes, a creative title can replace a familiar yet misleading title.  This is especially true of the parables of Jesus. Everyone who has preached on “The Parable of the Sower”  knows that the distinguishing point of the parable is not the sower (or the seed or his sowing method) but the soil, so the title “The Parable of Soils”  is  more accurate. Similarly, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”  is not about one but two sons, the elder of whom (representing the Pharisees) is the main point of the parable. And the main character in the parable is the father which is why (way back, pre-Keller!) I preached on it under the title “The Parable of the Prodigal Father”  (using the secondary meaning of prodigal – “extravagantly generous“) to catch people’s attention.

Jonathan Gemmell, pastor of Bruntsfield Evangelical Church in Edinburgh, recently preached on Mark 13 (“Signs of the End of the Age“) under the title “Is the Fat Lady Warming up?” and entitled a previous sermon on Lot’s Wife “From Sodom to Sodium Chloride“! These kind of titles are not for everyone but once the hearers (and you!) have heard them, they are unforgettable.

Here are a few of my (much more conservative!) examples:

  • “The strength of meekness” (Matthew 5:5)
  • “Back to the future” (Matthew 6:10)
  • “A surprising prayer in a strange place” (Jonah 2:1-9)
  • “The green-eyed monster” (Genesis 37:1-11)
  • “Just say,’No'” (Genesis 39)
  • “From eternity to here!” (John 1:1-18)
  • “Where there’s death, there’s hope” (John 11:1-44)
  • “Give up your great ambitions”  (Jeremiah 45)
  • “War and Peace” (Psalm 2)
  • “24” (Mark 1:21-34)
  • “Closed minds or open mouths?” (Acts 5:17-42)
  • “Can you sing in prison?” (Acts 16:16-40)
  • “People matter more than pigs” (Mark 5:1-20)
  • “The mathematics of a miracle” (John 6)
  • “Forty days with Jesus” (Acts 1:1-5)
  • “The most alarming verses in the Bible” (Matthew 7:21-23)
  • “A tale of two cities” (Acts 17:1-15)

Titles for Sermon Series

When preaching through a book of the Bible, it is often helpful to highlight a title theme for the whole series. The tradition in Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh where I ministered for 17 years, is that we would preach through a book from the Bible for the year, and choose a title and a key verse for the sermon series.

Here are some examples:

  • “Living in Hope” (Jeremiah – key verse 29:11)
  • “Building on the Rock” (The Sermon on the Mount – key verse  Matthew 7:24)
  • “Good News for Bad People” (Romans – key verse  1:16)
  • “The Lion Roars” (Amos – key verse  3:8)
  • “Treasure in Jars of Clay” (2 Corinthians – key verse 4:7)
  • “Shining like Stars” (Philippians – 2:15-16)

(See my “Firm Foundations”, Christians Focus Publications, 2011, for 15 sermon series and over 200 sermon outlines with titles, and the sermon archive on www.charlottechapel.org for over 800 sermons!)

Planning ahead

Although many churches produce a programme card for each “term” giving sermon topics and titles, I have found that, unless I am very familiar with the passages in question or have preached from them before, it is difficult to choose the right title ahead of time. I have tried to do this but often found, when I have done my intensive study in the week before the sermon that there is a better title (based on a different “big idea“) than the one I chose three months previously. For this reason, I would tend to give the passage but no title ahead of time unless it is for a special event. I also find this is a problem as I now preach around churches and in University Christians unions – that I sometimes have to introduce  my sermon explaining why the title they chose for the passage on which they want me to preach is not the best (or even completely misses the point!).

In conclusion

Not everyone has the imagination to think of creative titles, and I see nothing wrong (providing you give due credit – see the recent article on plagiarism) with borrowing a good title from someone else. You may have noticed that some of my titles from above are borrowed from people ranging from William Shakespeare to Leo Tolstoy, and from Charles Dickens to Stephen Spielberg!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wisdom’s Anticipation of Christ

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I am hoping to post on this subject tomorrow, but I wanted to direct you to a helpful interview where Douglas O’Donnell attempts to answer the tricky question of how do we preach Christ from the wisdom genre?

First, he answers in general terms:

Jesus is presented in three ways. First, he is the wisdom sage par excellence. Like the sage of Proverbs 1:26, Jesus taught practical, intellectual, moral, and mysterious wisdom to the young, the simple, and the already wise, using proverbial sayings, parables, beatitudes, and many other figures of speech. Second, Jesus is wisdom acted. That is, in all his relationships, mostly notably his relationship with his heavenly Father, Jesus acted as the obedient son—the perfectly wise child—should. Put differently, our Lord Jesus, in his incarnate nature, perfectly and perpetually feared the LORD. From the cradle to the cross, he walked the way of wisdom. Third, Jesus is wisdom embodied—he is the very “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24), “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). And he beckons all to come to him for rest and fullness of life.

Collin Hansen then goes on to ask, how would you explain the unique message of each OT wisdom book as it anticipates Jesus? O’Donnell answers:

Proverbs: For our own good and the glory of God, the book of Proverbs invites and instructs God’s covenant people—especially young men—to embrace wisdom. For Christians, such wisdom comes through fearing God’s beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:21), and walking in his wisdom.

Ecclesiastes: Ecclesiastes is about finding the goodness of God while living within the vanity of this world. Such goodness or “wisdom” is found only through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship involves trusting in Christ and heeding his commands, which brings rest, justice, and joy.

Job: The book of Job prefigures the purposeful sufferings of Christ. That is, the story of God’s servant Job prepares us for the story of Jesus, the suffering servant, who in his passion and death shows how innocent suffering can show forth the justice of God.

Workman’s Toolbox – 11.12.12

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With Christmas on the way, I was reminded of this great video:

Max McLean (that brother with the amazing deep voice!) gives us some thoughts on reading Scripture publicly and bible memorization.

An interview with John Piper on what he has learned over 30 plus years of pastoring. Was struck by this paragraph, where he encourages pastors to think:

“Outrun your people and your colleagues in thinking. That is, stay ahead of them in thinking through biblical implications of what is being said or proposed. Make a practice of thinking before a meeting. Think of as many implications of a proposal as you can. Think of as many objections to the proposal as you can. Think of good biblical answers to all those objections. Think of how much it will cost and how it will be paid for. Think of who might implement it. Think of the ways that it will bring joy—or temporary sorrow. Think about its relation to a dozen other things that people like or don’t like. Sit with your pencil in your hand (or your fingers on the keyboard) and doodle until you’ve exhausted the possibilities, or the time you have. Go to the meeting having thought more than any one else, and more deeply than anyone else. This is what good leaders do.”

RC Sproul reminds us about the true power of preaching.

Workman’s Toolbox – 4.12.2012

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Scottish friends, did you know that Paul Tripp is coming to Scotland?  His marriage conference (held at Charlotte Baptist Chapel, Edinburgh) can be booked through The Good Book Company .

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Speaking of Paul Tripp, here is a very convicted post by him: 5 Signs you glorify yourself.

This is helpful by Peter Mead: 10 mistakes preachers make with narrative. I’ve made more than a few of these!

I really like Thabiti Anywabwile definition of preaching:  “God speaking in the power of His Spirit about His Son from His word through a man.” Here is the latest post in his excellent series.

“Who do you think he is?” (a further Christmas text)

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Following on from Colin Adams’ excellent article on what to preach at Christmas, let me suggest a further passage of Scripture, and some ideas on how to preach it. “The Genealogy of Jesus” with which Matthew begins his gospel (Matthew 1:1-17) is rarely used at Christmas. “What’s the point of a list of names?” the uninitiated might ask. And “How can I pronounce all those Hebrew names?” (the only time my reading of Scripture was followed by spontaneous applause was after reading through Luke’s genealogy!)

Matthew’s purpose

Of course Matthew, writing his Gospel for a Jewish audience, gives us his reason for beginning with the genealogy in his opening statement: to demonstrate the pedigree of Jesus Christ: “the son of David” (in the royal line), “the son of Abraham” (in the patriarchal line). And the genealogy at least demonstrates that Jesus is a  real human person with named antecedents – not some mythical figure. There is a story of a team with Wycliffe Bible Translators who completed the Gospel of Luke for the first time in a language – except for the genealogy. There was minimal interest in the story from the people group in question until the missionaries finally decided (believing that “all Scripture is God’s breathed”) to translate the genealogy – a fairly simple matter of adapting the names using the sound-system of the language. The response when it was read out was astounding and the key to the reception of the gospel in that community.  In a group that prized their ancestors (and could name them many generations back) they realised that this Jesus Christ was a real person – unlike the mythological figures who featured in their own religion.

Surprising people!

But there is even more in Matthew’s genealogy. Kenneth Bailey, whose book “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes – Cultural Studies in the Gospels” (SPCK, 2008) is a must for every preacher (especially at Christmas), points out that Matthew, written for Jews, includes four women in his genealogy and asks why:

Matthew 1 contains a genealogy of Jesus that few bother to read. But a second glance reveals some meaningful surprises. Amazingly, along with the men, Matthew includes the names of four women. Middle Eastern genealogies are expected to be lists of men.  Sirach began his list by saying, “Let us now praise famous men’ (Sirach 44-50) and Luke 3:23-38 is a list of seventy-six men without the inclusion of a single female. Along with a list of forty men, why does Matthew include four women?

And not just any old women! The four listed are all of dubious reputation or background:

  • Tamar (verse 3) See Genesis 38:1-30 – pretended to be a prostitute to entice her father-in-law and got pregnant and was almost killed  by him!
  • Rahab (verse 5) See Joshua 2, 6:24-25 – a Canaanite prostitute
  • Ruth (verse 4) See the Book of Ruth – a member of the Moabite nation, excluded from worship in Israel.
  • Bathsheba (verse 6) See 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25 – and Matthew won’t even write her name but refers to her as “the wife of Uriah” (a Hittite!)

Yet Matthew deliberately includes them in his genealogy. Why? Bailey answers his question:

“With such a list, Matthew gives us a clue about the kinds of people that the Messiah came to save. He was to be a Saviour for women and men who were both saints and sinners, Jews and Gentiles. This genealogy is truly comprehensive. Many can look at the stories of these women and men and find some reflection of themselves.”

Matthew’s Gospel continues…

Little wonder then that Matthew’s Christmas story features foreigners who come to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12) and concludes with the Great Commission given by Jesus to his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations (people-groups)” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Relevance

Any preacher should be able to work out the contemporary relevance of this genealogy. One of the most popular shows on British television with 8 million viewers is “Who do you think you are?” in which well-known people trace their ancestry – with many surprising discoveries.

Some people find out that they have royal blood – others that their great-great-great-grandfather was transported to Australia for stealing a sheep! And many are moved to tears – as was even Jeremy Paxman, the BBC’s “rottwelier” interviewer when he learned of the tragic background of one of his forebears.  Yet Matthew is not embarrassed to include people of dubious reputation people in the genealogy of Jesus – indeed he deliberately (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) includes them. Who do you think he (Jesus) is? Matthew tells you, beginning with the ancestry of Jesus Christ.

“Who do you think you are?”

Here is Christmas gospel/good news for everyone: no matter what your pedigree or background, no matter who you think you are. You can be included in God’s family through faith in Jesus. Here are some useful connecting Scriptures:

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  (Galatians 3:26-29)

 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)

 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  (John 1:11-13) –

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons, through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  (Ephesians 1:4-5)

Gospel opportunity!

Surprise your congregation (who are expecting wise men after shepherds last year!). More importantly, connect with the  visitors who only attend church at Christmas and offer the gospel of hope to rootless people who are “without hope and without God in the world”.

For further ideas,  see the videoed seminar “Preaching Christ at Christmas” on http://2tim4.org/index.php/2009/11/preaching-christ-at-christmas/  and contact me if you would like any of the PowerPoint presentations at peter@2tim4.org

 

Preaching Christmas: How Shall We Package The Gospel This Time?

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Suspend your disbelief, pastor. December is about to arrive on your pastoral doorstep. No, I am not “pulling your leg.” Snow will soon be falling. Advent sermons will soon need preparing. Ere long we will stand before the old and young, the believer and  skeptic, proclaiming the message that Angels once declared!

So how can we make the most of this opportunity?

1.  Be sure the incarnation is thrilling your soul.

The very repetitiveness of Christmas carries with it an obvious danger. Quite frankly, preachers can become bored with the subject matter. I have heard pastors talk of ‘advent sermons’ much as someone might speak of tax returns: a necessary chore that comes round once a year. Some of us may never have said as much, but God knows, we’ve thought it in our hearts.

Yet to groan about preaching the incarnation is to reveal darkened minds and cold hearts!  What could be more interesting, fascinating, and exciting than the Word becoming flesh?  “God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man” should fill our minds with wonder and our souls with praise!  If it doesn’t, we should get on our knees and open our bibles till our cold heart melts and our soul ignites in worship.

2.  Do not get original with your content.

Since there are a limited number texts from which we can preach Christmas, there is a temptation to become ‘creative’ in our expositions. Eisegesis is never more of a temptation than when preaching nativity narratives.

But the Christmas narratives do not need to be “jazzed up.”  Even as our hearts burn with wonder, let us keep cool heads and exegete our passage with the same careful precision as we would any other. Let us not be speculative, but exegetical. Let us not be original, but conventional. Let us preach the Word, trusting that the old, old story continues to have fresh force and impact!

3.  Keep “the packaging” of Christmas sermons fresh.

Being unoriginal in exegesis does not mean that there is no room for creativity in how we package our message. British preachers such as Rico Tice and Vaughan Roberts strike me as particularly good examples of how to be faithful with biblical texts but fresh in communicating it.

Our introductions and illustrations, particularly, should be bang up to date with the times in which we live.  We may be preaching about 6BC, but we are preaching in 2012. May we sound like it!

4.  Preach the full range of passages that address the Christmas theme

Although Nativity related texts are not numerous, pastors should utilize all that is available. Some preachers basically rotate around the shepherds, the wise men, and John chapter 1! But there are many more possibilities that we could consider. For example:

  • Genesis 3:15 (Christmas is promised)
  • Isaiah 7:1-17 (The virgin conception)
  • Isaiah 9: 1-7 (To us a Son is given)
  • Micah 5:2-5 (The ruler from Bethlehem)
  • Matthew 1:18-25 (The birth of Jesus)
  • Matthew 2:1-10 (Visit of the wise men)
  • Luke 1:26-38 (Angel’s announcement to Mary)
  • Luke 1:46-55 (The Magnificat)
  • Luke 2:1-14 (The birth of Jesus and shepherds visit)
  • John 1:1-14 (The Word became flesh)
  • John 3:16 (God so loved the world that he gave)
  • 2 Corinthians 8:9 (rich and poor, poor and rich)
  •  Philippians 2:5-11 (The humility of Jesus)
  • Hebrews 1:1-3 (God’s final word)
  • 1 Timothy 1:15 (Why Christ Jesus came into the world)
  • 1 John 3:4-10 (The reason the Son of God appeared)

5.  Consider consecutive Christmas preaching

There is great benefit to be gained from preaching a series of consecutive sermons on advent themes.  I am presently preaching a series on Luke’s gospel and have deliberately started the series in November to coincide with the advent season. Similar series could be preached on the opening chapters of Matthew, Isaiah’s advent prophecies, or the various Christmas ‘hymns’ which Scripture records.

6.  Consider preaching individual texts

Despite comment number 5, I must say that some of the most powerful preaching I have heard at Christmas has handled much smaller amounts of material. The focus has fallen on a single verse which has been explained to the Christian and unbeliever alike (eg. Isa 9:6. Mat 1:21. 1 Timothy 1:15).

Consider such preaching. Especially in an evangelistic context, a single verse well explained and applied can be a powerful approach.

7.  Remember to preach the Christmas narratives as fact not fiction

Many unbelievers consider the nativity narratives on a par with fairy-tales. As Christians we know different. Yet as preachers we are presented with the difficult challenge of knowing how to preach to such a skeptical listener.  Several things must be borne in mind as we seek to speak to such skeptical listeners:

First, we must convey to such skeptics that we will not take our theological scissors to the supernatural elements of the text. We will not excise the virgin conception from the Gospels because it might make them feel more comfortable.

Second, we must preach the supernatural “Apologetically.’ This means recognizing the existence of objections, and responding to them in a reasonable manner.

Third, we should assure the skeptics that we have no time for extra biblical legends that have become attached to the Christmas story (such as the three wise men, and the doorstop drama at countless Bethlehem inns!).

Finally, and above all, we must convey an evident conviction that we believe that what we are preaching is fact.  For us –  if not for them – the Christmas narratives are to be found in the section of the library marked ‘History’.