NCMI

TRAINING MANUAL

HOMILETICS
By Leon van daele

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without express written permission, providing it is not used for commercial purposes.
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HOMILETICS

INDEX
PAGE

"PREACHING" IN THE BIBLE 3

1. THE OLD TESTAMENT 3

2. THE NEW TESTAMENT 4

PREACHING AND THE PREACHER 4

1. PREACHERS ARE PARTNERS WITH GOD 5

2. TEMPTATIONS FACING THE PREACHER 7

3. THE PREACHER'S MOTIVES 11

4. THE PREACHER'S LIFE EXPERIENCE 12

5. THE PREACHER'S ENEMY 13

6. THE PREACHER'S AUTHORITY 15

7. THE PREACHER’S MESSAGE 18

8. THE PREACHER'S PREPARATION 24

9. PREPARING FOR THE PUBLIC READING OF THE WORD 29

10. PREPARING THE MESSAGE 30

11. PREACHING THE MESSAGE 33

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PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD

The communication of the revelation and the Word of God to His people and to a lost world of
those who neither know their Creator nor the purpose of their existence, is surely the most
serious and important matter we can be involved with. An activity of such eternal implications
deserves the very best we have to give in terms of obedience, dedication, training,
preparation and careful delivery, using every human faculty we have to get it across in the
power of the Holy Spirit.

As you read some of the recommended books it would be good to bear in mind that
traditionally "homiletics" has to do with the "art of preaching". This study in the past has also
often been limited to the traditional styles and definitions of "preaching".

Traditional preaching, in spite of differing styles, is generally far too narrow in its parameters
when compared to the examples of preaching in the Bible. Traditional emphasis is usually
laid on the style and rhetorical art of presenting the message. The Bible on the other hand
lays the main emphasis on the message itself, what it contains and the authority and
anointing of the preacher.

"PREACHING" IN THE BIBLE

The main words used in the Bible for preaching usually have much more to do with the
message itself and the heart of the preacher than the way the message is presented. Six
such words have been selected to demonstrate this point.

1 THE OLD TESTAMENT

Some of the Hebrew words used in the Old Testament are:

1.1 "basar" used in Isaiah 61:1

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor." (NIV)

This verse refers to the preaching ministry of Jesus and thus includes all who subsequently
are anointed and called to preach."Basar" is also translated "bringing good news, to publish
(in the sense of making it known to everyone), to announce good news and to proclaim."
Different forms of speech are implied but the emphasis is not so much on the way it was
communicated, as upon what was communicated, i.e. "good news".

1.2. "qara"
Jonah 3:2, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim (qara) to it the message I give you."
(NIV)
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This word carries more of the idea of addressing or confronting someone, and adequately
describes the task given to Jonah to confront Nineveh with its sin and call it to repentance. It
is also translated "to cry out, to summon, to call to, to call out, to recite, to give a name to,
and to proclaim". "Qara" would be more suited to describe traditional preaching as we know
it.

1.3. "nagad" translated "to tell, show, declare, announce." It has to do with making known a
secret or unknown information in a way that is conspicuous. Eg. Gen 41:24 "Nagad" was
used to refer to the interpreting of Pharaoh's dream. It is used in the sense of revelation and
making known that revelation by declaring it. Eg. Psalm 54:4. In Exodus 19:3, and in a
number of other instances, it is used to refer to Moses having to "tell" the people of Israel
what God said.

2. THE NEW TESTAMENT

Some New Testament Greek words used to refer to the preaching of the Word of God are:

2.1. "kerusso" is the most common. It is used in 61 references to refer to the preaching of
Jesus, the Apostles and John the Baptist. It usually implies utterances that carry authority
and obedience.

2.2. "euaggelizo" the second most commonly used, and is usually linked to the bringing of
good news, the Gospel, and is the equivalent of the O.T. "basar".

2.3. "kataggelo" used 17 times, and is linked with the idea of being a messenger and
bringing a message.

From the brief study above, one can see that the Bible is far more concerned with the
message itself and the heart of the preacher, than the techniques used to present it. Paul
in referring to his preaching made the same Biblical emphasis. He wrote such things as "we
preach Christ crucified ..! (1 Cor.1:23. NIV) and "I came to you in weakness and fear, and
with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive
words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on
men's wisdom, but on God's power."(1 Cor.2:3-5. NIV) THEREFORE, AS WE APPROACH
THE SUBJECT OF PREACHING, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE THAT WE FOLLOW THE
BIBLICAL EMPHASIS, RATHER THAN LET TRADITIONAL HOMILETICAL RULES
BECOME OUR MAJOR CONCERN,
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PREACHING AND THE PREACHER

Paul wrote to Timothy exhorting him to give attention to both himself and his
teaching/doctrine (1Timothy 4:16). Too many preachers give all their attention to their
teaching and preaching, failing to realise that the condition of their own characters, hearts
and lives is even more important. Preaching is not some professional thing we do, separate
from who we are. We are "members" of the body of Christ, (1 Cor.6:15; 1 Cor.12:12) in whom
He lives, and through whom He ministers to the rest of His Body. That ministry involves our
whole beings, relationships and life circumstances. Therefore, in a certain sense:

1. PREACHERS ARE PARTNERS WITH GOD

Anointed preaching has as much to do with the preacher as it does with the message. The
concept of being a medium, through whom God communicates to others without any
subjective involvement, belongs to the realm of the occult, of mediums and clairvoyants etc.
The underlying principle for those who serve the Master is one of a partnership between
God and man to achieve His purposes.

This is best described by the words of John 15:5. NIV "I am the vine; you are the branches. If
a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."
Throughout the Bible, God indicates His intentions to work through men and women, and with
them, using their faculties, thoughts, abilities, knowledge and experience.

It is this partnership that often eludes preachers, leads to a substitution of knowledge

preached with persuasive rhetoric, the very thing Paul said he would not do! It is far easier for
a gifted individual to acquire knowledge and put it across in an impressive style, than to have
to mature spiritually in order to work with the Holy Spirit in presenting God's prophetic
revelation for a specific time and a specific people. Although the one may impress and often
entertain people, it will leave them without spiritual nourishment. The other enables them to
meet God. They feel nourished, inspired and hungry to come back for more! T here can be
no activity that is more demanding of such a partnership as that of Proclaiming God's
Word and Will to His people.

However, such a partnership is not something we achieve easily. It is the direct opposite of
the sinful human nature which is inclined to want to be independent and in control. It will
require a lot of effort and the continuous humbling of ourselves as we learn to walk and work
with God in the pathway of experience.

There are also certain things required of us in order for it to be a success.

1.1. Partnership with God in preaching requires that one is called by Him into such a
partnership! Although we work in partnership with Him, He remains our Lord and Master. He
is the "Senior Partner" as it were, and we very much the "juniors". He is the One who decides
what He wants us to do. There are many who want to be preachers for the wrong reasons.
They see the apparent importance and glory of being on the platform, and their sinful human
natures want the same for themselves! Such an approach will influence their motives and
how and what they preach, and will make any partnership with God extremely difficult, if not
impossible. More aspects of this will be covered later.
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A "calling" comes in different ways, and must not be thought of in narrow terms of someone
else's experience, or some "mystical voice out of the clouds". God has His own different ways
in dealing with us and getting through to our hearts. He usually communicates in many
different ways, over a period of time, concerning important issues that affect our lives. What
is important is that as a result of His communication to us we eventually come to a strong
conviction that He has called us to preach.

There are those who find themselves thrust into a preaching ministry without such a calling.
They must not regard themselves as disqualified, but rather go to God on the matter and ask
Him to establish a calling in their lives. There are many who have had that experience and
been a success for God. Whichever way around, we need to know beyond any doubt that we
are called to preach.

1.2. Preaching in partnership with God requires that we depend on the Holy Spirit. Paul,
the apostle, was well aware of the supernatural nature of preaching the Word of God and his
dependence on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 6:19. NIV, he writes "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words
may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." There is a
very wonderful experience for those who are aware of this phenomenon, and consciously
depend on it.

The Holy Spirit prompts our minds with thoughts, illustrations, and deeper revelations as we
preach. Things we have heard and learnt are brought back to our minds. Jesus said that this
would be the work of the Spirit (John 14:6)

The Word of God and the Spirit of God go together. They work together to fulfil the
purposes of God. In the Genesis account of creation we see the Spirit of God hovering over
the waters that covered the earth, and then " God said ..." i.e. spoke His Word to bring about
the changes necessary to prepare the earth for the habitation of mankind.

Depending on either, to the minimising of the other, will reduce the effectiveness of our
preaching. As someone once put it ... "the Word (without the Spirit) puffs up, and the Spirit
(without the Word) blows up!"

"Blowing up" refers to the effects on a congregation who sit under the kind of preacher who
neglects the discipline and hard work of studying and researching the Word of God, and
thinks he can get away with it by simply depending on the Holy Spirit alone.

Being "puffed up" refers to 1 Cor.8:1 where knowledge without the revelation and work of the
Holy Spirit produces arrogance, evident in many Christians who "know it all" but do not live it.
It is an easy matter for preachers to fall into the trap of resorting to an academic handling of
the Word without humbly and earnestly seeking to work with the Spirit and preach under His
anointing. This becomes especially easy for those with much charisma and gifting in the area
of communication. We reap what we sow, (Gal. 6:7) and preaching that depends on man's
ability will produce a congregation of people whose Christianity depends on the same thing.
Paul, the apostle, writes to the Corinthians "…My message and my preaching were not with
wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith
might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Cor.2:4-5 NIV).
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It is the power of the Holy Spirit that opens up the otherwise "darkened" minds (Eph.4:18) of
people to receive the revelation of the Truth in God's Word. Conviction and true repentance is
the work of the Spirit, (John 16:8). Attempting to preach the Word of God without full
dependence on the help and anointing of the Holy Spirit will fail to produce a people who
have genuinely changed and who mature into the "fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4: 13.)
They will remain spiritual babies, possibly with a lot of head knowledge, continuously wanting
to be entertained by a preacher who has a lot of charisma.

The anointing and power of the Holy Spirit will also depend on keeping Jesus Christ central in
our preaching. This principle is covered in the section 7.1 "The Preacher's Message"

There is no easy way for us to learn to preach in the Power of the Holy Spirit. It is something
each of us must give ourselves to. We have to learn to do this by practise. We have to grow
into it as we "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ" 2
Pet.3:18 NIV. It will develop in accordance with the development of our overall walk with God.
We must be patient, for it will take time. However, we must never be complacent about it. You
will find some suggestions that will help under the section "THE PREACHER AND HIS
PREPARATION"

The following section deals with some of the pitfalls many preachers have fallen into. They
are things we need to be aware of and watch for and which will severely interfere with the
sensitive and delicate balance of our partnership with God.

2. TEMPTATIONS FACING THE PREACHER

2.1. Preaching opportunities tempt the sinful nature. Having the opportunity to be on a
platform in front of people who have come to hear us speak, places us in a position of
authority and is a natural boost for the ego. All kinds of opportunities arise for the fallen
sinful nature to express itself. Two things will help us. First, we have to walk worthy of the
calling to which God has called us (Eph.4:1) with a deep sense of the privilege entrusted to
us and the accountability we have towards Him. Secondly, we have to genuinely see the
congregation as the "Bride" of our Lord. We have to make ourselves eunuchs for the sake
of the Kingdom of Heaven (See the New King James Bible Matthew 19:12.). We can never
sample, rape, use or take advantage of the King's Bride for our own benefit. It is our
responsibility to prepare her for the wedding day!

2.2. The preacher's human needs for affirmation and acceptance are met to a certain
extent by the love and responses of the people. The preacher is tempted to compromise
God's message to hold people, to keep them happy and to draw them to him/herself. We
do not seduce or draw the Bride of Christ to ourselves, but we endear her to Him by
keeping Him uplifted and central in all our preaching.

2.3. There will be a strong temptation to compromise and adjust the message to avoid
possible confrontation and rejection from people. The possibility of losing them is also
involved. This is especially significant when we have powerful, influential and wealthy
people in our congregation. It also becomes an issue when we happen to be leading a
small congregation. There is the danger of losing people and their valuable financial input.
We cannot allow the fear of man to affect our preaching. We have to anchor ourselves in
the call of God on our lives.
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We must have confidence in His ability to vindicate us if we walk in righteousness,

replacing those we lose for the above reason with those who are willing to align
themselves with the purposes of God. He will build His church, and only those He gives us
are truly ours in Him (John 17:9 & 24).

2.4. Personal problems, weakness, sin, and domestic conflict cannot be allowed to
influence our preaching negatively. The struggles of life give us both a field of experience
and also a personal testimony of God's grace. Both form a very valuable background to
our preaching ability. However, we cannot preach out of the negative emotions and impure
thoughts and values that arise out of these issues if unresolved. People pick it up. The
mature become offended and the weak are led further astray.

We have to be protective and pure in all we do. For example we must be able to
communicate on sexual matters with purity. "Kind produces kind" is the Biblical law
(Matt.7:17 & 18).

Purity and emotional health in the life of the preacher will impart and produce the same
qualities in the people. We need a healthy fear of God. It is the Bride of Christ to whom
we minister. Preachers have to get their personal lives sorted out. They must be part of the
solution and not the problem!

2.5. There is the temptation to promote oneself. The preacher uses illustrations from his
own life, making comments on how busy he is and what sacrifices he has made, subtly
promoting himself in the eyes of his hearers. Subtle self- promotion by the preacher will
receive a surprisingly positive response from most people because the idolatrous sinful
nature (Gal.5:20) seeks to idolize and elevate its heroes.

2.6. Preachers are tempted to make an impact on the hearers and to impress them by
means other than by the power of the Word and the Spirit. We cannot resort to such things
as being unnecessarily controversial by making statements and using language and
illustrations that shock the hearers. Humour, though a very important part of preaching can
also be abused. For those so gifted, being humorous and funny can degrade into simply
being a means to keep the people entertained and give them a good time. It can be a
means of self promotion or a desperate substitute for the genuinely anointed preaching of
the Word, or a mix of both! Whatever the reason it will not produce real spiritual growth
and maturity in the hearers, but rather a childish congregation who continually expect to be
entertained.

A variation of this kind of problem may stem from a desire to be "real" and "call a spade a
spade". Immature and unskilled preaching may use words and expressions that are
coarse, vulgar and shock unnecessarily. We must think through our choice of words when
we deal with subjects that are sensitive. Not everybody in the congregation is mature and
balanced enough to take it. Although we cannot compromise the truth and beat around the
bush in order to avoid offence, we can learn to skilfully choose expressions that will enable
us to be direct and yet take everyone with us from understanding to understanding of the
Truth.
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One such very sensitive area is that of the sexual. The Bible has a lot to say about it, and
the church has been far too silent on sexual matters through history. Augustine did the
Christian church a great harm when he linked sexual desire and pleasure to the original
sin in the garden, thus putting the entire world of physical intimacy between men and
women in the sin category. Thus the silence, it was sin and that was that.

We must return to a Biblical treatment of the subject to remove the confusion and
ignorance from the minds of people. However, in doing so we must also bear in mind that
most people are easily embarrassed or shocked when we make blunt and direct sexual
statements. Everything necessary can be said with skill and diplomacy.

It is important to remember that the public preaching of the Word of God is not only heard
by the regular people who attend, but is also open to visitors. Although we cannot make
their presence the major factor to be considered when we preach, unnecessary offence by
our language, comments and criticism of other churches is both inexcusable and counter
productive. The embarrassment felt by friends and loved ones who invited the visitors may
discourage them from making any further effort to invite them again. On the other hand,
the visitors may be so offended that they do not come back again.

2.7. When successes and blessings abound there is the danger of becoming totally
absorbed with one's own ministry to the exclusion of God's vision and heart for the lost
world. Mature preachers have laid down their lives for the Kingdom.

They are aware of their total dependency on the Spirit, and when success is present say
with Paul "Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach.
Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not
voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me." (1 Cor.9:16-17 NIV)

2.8. There is the danger of adopting techniques, methods, values and standards of the
world into our preaching, because they seem so much more effective and easier. There
are many psychological tricks used by the entertainment and advertising world that are
both effective and attractive, but do not impart the life of God. The preacher must develop
a faith in the power of the Word of God, empowered by the Spirit of God to touch every
heart in the congregation irrespective of where they are on the ladder of spiritual maturity.
1 Cor.1:21 NIV. "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know
him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who
believe."

2.9. Those called to preach the Word of God find themselves in a place of authority delegated
to them by God's call to preach, and in turn affirmed by the people who come to hear them
and follow them. Authority provides a potential to have power over the lives of people. The
rebellious inclinations of our sinful natures seek power and control. It is an easy matter to
abuse that authority with drastic results. History is full of examples of such abuse. We
have to be extremely careful of this danger. We begin to exploit our position without even
realising it. Some of the following points cover the subtle ways in which we do this.
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2.9.1. Becoming legalistic in our preaching out of a desire to try and force people into doing
what makes us and our church look good i.e. manipulating them by selecting certain
Biblical laws and forcing them upon the people.

Most people struggle with guilty consciences anyway, and it is easy to exploit the
situation for our own benefit. We cannot go beyond Scripture. Our responsibility is to help
people to walk in genuine liberty, repentance, forgiveness and peace.

2.9.2. Using the preaching opportunity to make people feel condemned about that which
is unreasonable. This is closely linked to 2.9.1.above. There is also the problem of
making unreasonable demands on people to attend the functions of a "hyperactive"
church. Many elders fall into the false idea that we grow the church by activity, and end
up with a programme that becomes destructive and counter-productive. When our people
begin to find it a burden, their attendance becomes erratic. We are then tempted to put
pressure on them by making insinuations and comments at convenient moments during
preaching, especially if the subject we preach lends itself to it. We have to be careful that
we do not make mandatory what the Bible does not.

2.9.3. Attacking others or exposing their weakness or sin in order to preserve or defend
one's reputation. This is another powerful temptation in the face of criticism and slander,
which inevitably will confront every preacher. The preacher must be secure in his/her
calling in God, and confident in His ability to protect, affirm and avenge if necessary.
Consider the example of this in Numbers 16-17 where Moses' authority was challenged
by the people, and vindicated by God.

2.9.4. Using the preaching opportunity to "get at people" in an indirect manner, avoiding the
unpleasantness of having to confront them personally. There is an old joke about the
"pulpit being six feet above contradiction!" - referring of course to the physical height of
the traditional pulpits of bygone days. However the point must be taken, that it is an
opportunity for the preacher to say things without much of a chance of being contradicted
or resisted publicly. It is a cowardly action. We have to develop the boldness and
diplomacy to confront people on a personal level, face to face, in a loving and Godly way
to bring repentance and correction (Matt. 18:15).

There are always reasons for the preacher to become hurt, frustrated, disappointed or
anxious over the behaviour of his flock. One cannot preach "out of" such emotions.
We must learn to stay healed, and deal with our emotions, referring them to the Master in
the place of prayer and intercession (Phil 4:6-7).

2.9.5. "Painting everyone with the same brush" as the saying goes. In the context of the
ongoing pastoral ministry, one becomes aware of a particular area that needs to be
addressed. It can be a matter that requires correction, and/or teaching. As shepherds that
carry the burden of the people on our hearts, the problem can fill our vision. A careless
and immature approach may give the impression that we consider everyone in the
congregation either as guilty and needing correction, or totally ignorant of the relevant
truth. Congregations are usually made up of a wide spectrum of people, from the
unbelieving to the veterans of the faith. Those, to whom the matter does not directly
apply, may feel offended to think that they are being labelled with the others.
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This immature approach of the preacher is not appreciated by them. They may react
quietly, move out of fellowship and eventually leave the local congregation.

Alternatively, they may suddenly overreact to some other insignificant matter which is
nothing but the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. In both instances the
preacher may not know why the reaction takes place. The answer is to choose our words
carefully, and qualify our statements in such a way as to show that we are aware of
where people may be. During our preparation we need to give thought to the possible
make-up of the congregation to whom we will be preaching, and how best to address
them.

2.9.6. Habitually only addressing the major character of the congregation, often leaving
minority groups out until they begin to feel excluded. For example preaching on subjects
and using illustrations that are mainly relevant to families and married couples may leave
the singles, divorcees and youth to conclude that "this church is only for families".
Another example may be in a university city where the congregation is predominantly
young, and it may leave the older people feeling excluded. Our task as preachers is to
preach the whole counsel of God to all His people. When we address the parents there
must be a comment for the teenager or the child. When we talk to the married couples we
need to include the divorcee who is hurting and the single who is longing for a partner.
We must develop the skill and wisdom to so present the Truth that all who hear it will feel
touched by God in some way. Such relevance requires a miracle every time we preach.
There will be the accompanying ministry of the Holy Spirit, but we need to do our
homework and learn the necessary skills.

2.9.7. Becoming territorial, divisive, and threatened by the presence and success of other
churches and preachers. Here the temptation is to protect oneself and keep our people
by implying or highlighting the bad points of others as we preach. There will always be
weaknesses, mistakes, and failures in every church and leader including our own. Every
genuine Christian church is on the same side - we do not shoot our own soldiers in the
back. It is when we try to self preserve that we fall into this trap.

2.9.8. Becoming tired, discouraged and burnt out, which deteriorates into cynicism,
rebellion and disillusionment. Receiving revelation, preparing and preaching anointed
messages on an ongoing basis is one of the most stressful occupations on earth. A
simplified lifestyle and a disciplined life of study, prayer, worship, refreshment in the Holy
Spirit, rest, exercise and diet are essential. These are all subjects in their own right, and
part of the whole challenge of serving the King and His Bride as elders and overseers.

Preaching is a difficult test of spiritual maturity, which is often failed by many a preacher.
It usually results in mixed motives, a desire to obey and serve God, as well as exploit the
opportunity for our own benefit.

3. THE PREACHER'S MOTIVES

3.1. Motives are often subconscious, and have to be examined. Our motives affect
everything we do and say. We do not always know the real motives behind what we do
and say. Our motives are often suspect and severely influenced by our sinful natures, by
our needs, ambitions, reputation, reactions to people and circumstances as we have seen
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in the previous section. We need to bear in mind what the Bible says about the "heart"
(Jer.17:9-10).

3.2. As preachers we must purify our motives (2 Cor.7:1). The purifying of our motives is a
process and we have to keep working at it. We need the supernatural work of the Holy
Spirit to expose them to us, so that we can bring correction through repentance and the
renewal of our minds.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart." (Heb.4:12 NIV).

3.3. There must be a heart decision to pursue the goal of preaching only for our Lord, to
promote Him, to bring His word without compromise, to edify and draw all men to Him, and
to keep our own needs, problems, and sin out of it!

3.4. We need to continually call on God to expose our hearts, and to enable us to
understand our true motives. He will gladly do it, and will use circumstances and people to
reveal the truth. David's prayer ought to be on every preacher’s lips: "Search me, O God,
and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

3.5. What God reveals must be ruthlessly dealt with, not side- stepped or explained away.
Many a preacher has thought they could get away with it, deceived by the fact that the
anointing continues to rest on them, with good results.

However, if we do not develop our characters and purify our motives to carry His gracious
anointing, that very anointing will eventually destroy us! There are enough examples in life
to prove it. Eg King Saul's character was not able to support the anointing that was upon
him.

4. THE PREACHER'S LIFE EXPERIENCE

As preachers our partnership with God includes our life experience. Our preaching
cannot be separated from it. God is happy with that, and wants it that way. We preach out of
what we know and what we are. What we are is a combination of various factors, including
the effects of what we have experienced in life. No experience is either irrelevant or wasted.
God causes everything to contribute to our effectiveness as preachers (Rom.8:28).

4.1. Our life experience gives us a practical knowledge of what life is about and what
people experience. That knowledge enables us to relate God's prophetic message to the
life situations of those we minister to. Without it, our preaching at best will be irrelevant and
theoretical. Those of us called to be preachers of the Word of God will find that He will
lovingly arrange extra experiences for us, including many difficult ones, in order for us to
be capable of effectively ministering His word to His people. Preachers must prepare
themselves for this, endure and overcome by His grace, and not complain! It is a privilege!
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4.2. Life experience also moulds our characters, matures us, and develops our
endurance, patience, confidence and faith in God and His Word. Experience requires
time. This fact can result in seemingly inexplicable delays for us. God may delay our
release into full-time ministry to mature and develop us to a place where we can cope with
preparing two or more messages a week. He knows when He can "let us loose "!

The other aspect is the rate at which God assembles a flock that regularly gathers to hear
us may have to be slow, to allow for our experience and maturity levels to catch up. We
must bear this in mind and submissively do our best to develop our preaching ability, while
trusting Him to determine our readiness for what He has in store for us.

4.3. We need to give ourselves to gaining life experience and knowledge of all walks of
life, and as far as possible also of the various kinds of people to whom we are bound to
have to minister the Word of God. This means making an effort to understand others
outside of our normal peer group, to observe them, understand the different values people
have and also how they think. This is especially true for all who have embraced the great
Commission, and will be involved in the discipling of people of different nations. We live in
the "Information Age" and have access to abundant information. We also have a rich
exposure to other nations and lifestyles on television. Instead of passive viewing, we need
to train ourselves to evaluate everything we see in terms of relating the enduring Word of
our God to a society that is slowly self-destructing. We need to keep abreast of world
trends and affairs, read journals and magazines, to be like the sons of Issachar "who
understood the times and knew what to do" (1 Chron.12:32). There may also be
opportunities for us to visit communities of other cultures (locally or abroad eg. an
Outreach in another country) participating in some of their activities. We also need to
spend time with people in other age-groups. We need to understand how the elderly and
the teenager think, what is important to them and what problems and temptations face
them.

People who come to our churches will quickly discern whether the preacher understands
life in general and where they are at. If the preaching of the Word is relevant to them they
will stay with us, if not they will most likely just quietly leave for some other place, leaving
many a pastor perplexed as to the reason for their departure !

5. THE PREACHER'S ENEMY

Who are the enemies of the preacher? Many would be quick to point out that they are the
people who resist the message, balk at the challenges, and criticise the preacher. Some
would point out that they are their own enemies in the matter of preaching, e.g. there are
many inner struggles with feelings of inadequacy, condemnation, and even failure at times.
However, these are not the main enemies of the preacher. What is often overlooked is the
unseen battle raging between the Kingdom of God and the realm of darkness for the
lives and minds of men, women, youth and children. The preaching of the anointed Word
of God will always be the most powerful instrument, sharper than a two-edged sword
(Hebrews 4:12), penetrating the spiritual darkness and liberating and transforming people to
be more like Christ. The Word is a target to satan. He will try to resist the preaching of it,
confusing, side-tracking, silencing and snatching away the seeds from the minds of people
before they take root and produce fruit. Should they take root, satan will try to choke them to
death by the cares and worries of this life (Matt.13:19-22).
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5.1. The war starts with preparation. For the unsuspecting, chaos erupts around them,
problems intensify, urgent demands command immediate attention, time seems to
disappear and exhausting fatigue sets in. One is easily convinced that all this is just the
nature of the pastoral ministry, and that it is perfectly normal to be tired at the end of the
week when most preachers have to prepare for Sunday.

For the visionary elder who has to be ready, full of inspiration and revelation Sunday after
Sunday, trying to prepare can produce pure panic. The effect on his caring family that
surround him during this crisis hour, is often very negative as tensions rise as Sunday gets
closer and closer !! Preparation is not only a matter of getting the message ready, but
preparing for the conflict.

In addition to the attack on the preacher, we must bear in mind that a strategy is planned
by satan to hinder the people from coming. He will upset them with domestic problems,
conflict, sickness or in other areas. Eg. a crisis at work causing an employee to miss a
meeting.

Although there are some practical steps to be taken (which will be dealt with under "The
Preachers preparation") the real answer is aggressive spiritual warfare, intercession
and faith. Here are some guide lines.

5.1.1. Recognise and anticipate the inevitable war. We have to keep reminding ourselves
that it is real. It is usually disguised and not readily visible and we are not always aware
of it. The Bible gives stern warnings about the enemy and the conflict, and considers it to
be normal for the Christian. How much more so for the spokesperson for God! (2
Cor. 10:3-5, James 4:7, Eph.6:10-18, Matt.6:13, 2 Tim.2:3).

5.1.2. We have to make sure we and our families are free from bondage, and that satan
has nothing in us, nor any unlawful authority over us inadvertently given to him by
ourselves, or by others in authority over us on our behalf. (cf. Luke.4:6 where satan says
"...for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to". "it" here refers to the
"exousia" or authority, that was "paradidomi" surrendered, yielded, given up to him, by
whom? Not God, but by the human race as it worshipped, honoured, served satan!)

5.1.3. Live in the safety of the spiritual armour of Eph. 6 which to my mind is more of a
"life style" than a mystical suit of armour we have to put on.

5.1.4. Do some earnest praying, calling on God to command His angels, (Heb.1:14, Psalm
91:11) to fight and work on our behalf for the sake of the Kingdom. We need to cover
ourselves, our families, our circumstances and our people. By doing this we prepare the
spiritual atmosphere of the meeting to prevent the "birds of the air" coming and snatching
the seeds and devouring them before they can take root (Matt. 13:4).

5.1.5. Go against satan and his angels in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Stop him
from interfering with our God-given mandate to proclaim God's Word to His people. Force
satan to release our people and their circumstances (whom God has placed under our
authority as elders) so that they will be free to attend and to receive the Word.
 15

We need to make sure we understand God's structures of authority delegated to us, and
the relevant areas of jurisdiction placed under us. We have to exercise that authority over
the enemy with faith and aggression. (Matth.11:12. Luke 16:19, 1.Peter 5:8-9,
Eph.6:10-13)

5.2. The war continues and intensifies when we preach.

5.2.1. Even before we start to speak, attempts can be made to distract or unsettle us. People,
who feel they must confront us on an issue or complain, will often tackle us just before
the meeting. It is amazing the way people are driven (often by forces they cannot
identify themselves) to get through to the preacher to unload some emotional issue which
could easily wait for later, unsettling and distracting him from the task before him.

5.2.2. While we preach we are in spiritual warfare. There is a conflict raging. Jesus said
we are to "cast out demons" while proclaiming the Word (Matt. 10:8, Luke 9:1-2). The
Word preached under the power of the Spirit directly confronts demons, demonic
strongholds on the minds of people, and the thoughts, values, and ideas of the fallen
sinful nature. It is a confrontation between the Kingdom of God and the realm of
darkness. There are many testimonies of how freedom and deliverance have taken place
while the Word is preached. Mind- sets are broken and ideas and values are changed. It
is often the preacher's experience to feel absolutely worn out after preaching under the
anointing.

While we are called to war, we must do so with confidence and expect victory. Jesus
said that the very gates of Hades, (considered by many as the very headquarters of
satan) will not be able to hold back the invasion of the church as it marches and ministers
by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 16:17-19)

Although the conflict may not always be as bad or as intense, it is far better to always
anticipate, be alert and prepared for the devil who "prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour " (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV). Where we have done our homework,
preaching will be easier, and more effective. A far worse situation is where we do not
prepare for war, do not reckon with the enemy, and as a result, we preach with little or no
results, and do not understand why!

6. THE PREACHER'S AUTHORITY

Very few of God's people have an adequate revelation and understanding of Godly
authority. We have been influenced by the rebellious tendency of our own sinful human
natures to resist it. The role models of authority we have observed as well as the poor
examples of the exercising of authority have further conditioned our thinking. Authority is
generally abused by man in some way or other. At best it is usually tolerated, held in
suspicion, criticised and resisted. Generally, we make attempts to get around it, to outwit it,
and if we have the courage to challenge it. We have only to observe a two year old to
observe these inherent tendencies at work! When we come into the place of having to
exercise authority ourselves, we are subconsciously influenced by the above mentioned
factors. We, in turn, face the danger of abusing it, abdicating it, confusing the different
authorities, resorting to substitute authorities, and even feeling guilty and apologetic for
having to exercise it (See the section on "Temptations facing the preacher").
 16

A good study of the Bible will reveal that authority is an integral part of God's Nature. It is
one of the purposes for the creation of man, essential for order and effecting of the purposes
of God, a fundamental principle of leadership and the key issue in spiritual warfare.

With this in mind, we have to consider the enormous importance, as Sons and Daughters of
the Most High, to give ourselves to appreciating Godly Authority, seeking revelation from Him
and having our minds renewed. We need to understand the various areas of delegated
authority from God, and how to exercise it in a covenantal manner.

There are two important areas of authority related to preaching, that need to be mentioned:
the authority of the preacher's calling from God, and the Authority of the Word of God.

6.1. The authority of the preacher's calling. Everyone who is called to preach the Word of
God has to keep that calling in focus.

A genuine calling from God becomes the source of faith, confidence and endurance for
the preacher. Again I quote Paul the Apostle ... "I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I
do not preach the gospel! (1 Cor.9:16-17 NIV).

In the face of demonic resistance, human reaction or criticism, failure, persecution,

suffering and inconvenience, the preacher must have both a higher authority and a
supernatural source of strength if he is to continue to preach the Word of God. There are
many examples in the Bible of those who had a Godly calling and anointing and
demonstrated powerful spiritual authority in their preaching ministry, eg. Moses, Amos,
John the Baptist, and of course Jesus, Who is our supreme example, to name but a few.

There are those who are not called. They set up their own authority. They like to preach,
enjoy it, are gifted, and set themselves up as preachers by using the opportunities afforded
to them by others and by their own gifting. They may enjoy a certain amount of success,
and depending on their gifting and charisma will have an audience. However, there will be
a definite lack of anointing and Godly authority if they do not have a genuine sense of
being called by God to preach. Romans 10:15 NIV reads "How can they preach unless
they are sent?"

The Greek word for "sent" is "apostello". It is usually used in the context of a superior
sending a subordinate on an errand or mission. Delegation of authority is implied. The sent
one is under orders from higher authority. To know beyond any doubt that we have been
called, and commissioned by our Lord to proclaim His truth, and thus carry His authority
delegated to us is absolutely necessary for bold uncompromising preaching of the truth.
Such authority will be made evident in a preacher by the Holy Spirit. It will be recognised
by the hearers. It will draw people as well as command their attention. The demonic will
back off. Release, revelation, and growth will take place in the lives of those who sit under
such preaching.

6.2. The authority of the Word of God is of utmost importance in preaching. The Bible
carries its own authority, apart from man. It is the Word of God, He is the Supreme
Authority in existence. By His Word the universe was brought into existence (Heb.11:3).
By His Word we are born again (1 Peter 1:23). He backs His Word and watches over it "to
 17

perform it" (Jer.1:12). It is powerful and penetrating, analysing and exposing the very
motives of men's hearts, better than any system of psycho-analysis (Heb.4:12) It is the
basis of instruction, exhortation, rebuke and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16) The
Bible declares its own authority, "…the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8 NIV).
See also 1 Peter 1:25. In order to be effective, every preacher must be absolutely
convinced of the Inspiration and Authority of the Word of God, as well as the power it has
to bring about the Will and purpose of God.

The preacher must learn to appeal to the authority of the Word of God, especially in the
face of opposition, addressing delicate issues, challenging unbiblical traditions, values,
teachings and the "status quo". It is the only authority that will stand in the end. It is not the
authority of reason, church tradition, cultural tradition, education, position, rank, opinions of
our own or the writings or quotations of the famous that will be ultimately effective.

The Authority of the Word must be upheld before the people in order to inspire them to
honour it, uphold it, and submit to it. This is accomplished by:

6.2.1. The way the preacher places himself under the Authority of the Word. His lifestyle,
family, values and behaviour have to demonstrate it, or else he will undermine it in his
own life and in the lives of those who hear him. There is a very clear and powerful law in
the Bible which every preacher must continually remind himself of: "Whatever we sow we
shall reap", including what we sow into the lives of those who hear us preach (Galatians
6:7). The harvest will always be a multiplication of what we sow. The results of a little
carelessness will astound us in the end. Many visionary elders or parents have been
absolutely overwhelmed by the results of their own behaviour and standards in the
people or children under them. Most often they cannot see or relate it to their own
behaviour and values, and end up placing the blame at the door of those who they lead
instead of taking responsibility for their own failure.

Another aspect of the preacher, placing himself under the Authority of the Word of God,
is by the way the message must become "his own". The Truth must first break into our
own lives and become a reality before we can communicate it with conviction. More will
be said about this aspect under" The Preacher's Preparation".

6.2.2. The Authority of the Word is upheld by the way it is read and referred to in public. It
is often poorly and hastily read. If we believe it is what it is, then we should give attention
to proper preparation. More on this matter can be found under the section on "The
Preacher's Preparation"

A quick verse as a "springboard" for the sermon gives the wrong message. The sermon
is exalted and the Word used merely as a stamp to give it credit!

6.2.3. The Authority of the Word of God is upheld by the way it is referred to as the final
Authority for faith and conduct. History shows us that there have been many attempts
by satan through his agents to undermine that Authority. Whole streams of liberal
theological thinking and whole movements have risen from those attempts, bringing the
Inspiration and Authority of the Bible into question. However, our God in His transcendent
Omnipotence has kept reforming the thinking of His people, taking them back again and
again to the Authority of His Word. Even to the present day such attempts to undermine
 18
Biblical Authority are at work. Arguments are being raised by church leaders about the
relevancy of the Bible to modern day issues. The apparent support given to slavery and
polygamy by the Old Testament is quoted as supporting such arguments (They overlook
the whole Counsel of God on these matters, and the superior requirements placed on
Christians under the New Covenant who have the Gift of the Holy Spirit). Their
arguments then go on to question the Biblical Judgements regarding homosexuality etc.
as being irrelevant to modern times. The Authority of the Bible then becomes subject to
the culture, traditions and social behaviour of the day. The reality of such efforts is that
man then makes the Word of God subject to his ideas, his way of life and his social
tradition. That kind of behaviour is as old as the events in the Garden of Eden, and is
simply rebellion against the objective, eternal, unchanging, ultimate Authority of the
Creator.

These things become the authorities to which preachers then appeal, teaching all who
follow them to do the same. To undermine the Authority of the Word is to place people in
a vacuum filled only by changing values that leave them in confusion, insecurity and
spiritual darkness. Preaching becomes the airing of the opinions and ideas of men. Paul
the Apostle said: "For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who
commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing
themselves among themselves, are not wise." (2 Cor.10:12 NIV)

Upholding the Authority of the Word of God is an absolute necessity if we are to produce
men and women who are prepared to submit themselves to the Will of God, and to
become the kind of people who are bold enough not to succumb to the volatile trends
and philosophies of our chaotic world system. After all, are we not ... "a chosen people, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." (1 Pet.2:9 NIV)

We are to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. How can we do that when
we become a mere product of the culture of the day, which, apart from many other
negatives, is fast deteriorating into the most violent one in modern history?

Preachers often resort to substitute authorities. This takes place either in the absence of
the genuine delegated authority from God, or simply following the easier path of depending
on their gifting, their reputation, their rank, position and title given by human organisation.
These things influence their motives for preaching, and in turn result in compromising the
message they preach (see 2.3).

7. THE PREACHER’S MESSAGE

7.1 THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS CHRIST

THERE IS ONLY ONE SUPREME MESSAGE THAT WE CAN PREACH, AND T HAT IS
"JESUS CHRIST". That is the New Testament emphasis, and the focus of N. T. preaching
"… But we preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor.1:23 NIV). "…For I resolved to know nothing
while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Cor 2:2 NIV). Jesus said of
Himself "... But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John
12:32 NIV).
 19
A subtle danger faces every preacher. Because we preach on such a wide variety of
subjects that ought to cover the whole Counsel of God and the whole spectrum of life, we
easily leave Jesus Christ out of it. We also have to live what we preach. We then at times
have to refer to ourselves and our lives and families. The subtle inclination of the sinful
human nature to exalt itself, causes us to put ourselves on centre stage and Jesus Christ
on the side lines see Phil. 2:5). Whatever subject we preach on, whatever examples we
use and references we make to ourselves or others, must be related to Him and referred
to Him. He must be presented as Supreme and Lord of everything. Read Ephesians
chapter one as a good example of this and especially note verses 23 and 24.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Beginning and the End (Rev.1:8; Rev 1:17; Rev. 21:6). He is
the Source of Life and the Centre of Life (John 1:4; John 5:21). He is the Resurrection and
the Life (John 11:25). He is the Way the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is the Centre
of all life. He is the Centre of all History. If we are to present answers to the problems of
life, then we must present the Source and Centre of Life to people.

Preaching without the help and anointing of the Holy Spirit becomes a mere academic and
rhetorical exercise without power or real effect. However, we must remember that the Holy
Spirit is not purely an amoral force like electricity, but that he is One of the Persons of the
Godhead. He will not work where we operate contrary to God's Will and Ways. The Father
has chosen to make Jesus Christ Lord of all and the Centre of everything. If we seek to
do the same in our preaching, we will find that the Holy Spirit has the freedom to
empower our preaching and the message, making a powerful impact on the lives of
those who hear.

The preachers of the New Testament had no problem with the Supremacy of Christ in their
preaching. They knew Him as the source of their faith, hope and Christian
experience. "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never
stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 5:42 NIV).
They saw Him as the One through Whom and to Whom and for Whom are all things (1
Cor. 8:6). Their preaching reflected their love for and involvement with Jesus Christ. The
Supremacy of Jesus Christ was a natural thing for them, because it was a reality in their
lives.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT NOW AND ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION "IS JESUS
CHRIST REALLY THE SUPREME CENTRE OF MY LIFE, MINISTRY, PASSIONS,
DESIRES, VALUES, AMBITIONS AND FUTURE? ANSWER THE QUESTION
HONESTLY, AND IF NECESSARY MAKE A DECISION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
FROM THIS MOMENT ON! If He is not, you will not be able to artificially make Him
supreme in your preaching, nor will those who hear you be able to either. Remember the
Bible Law, what we sow we will reap. The kind of seeds we sow by our message will
produce the same kind of harvest in those who sit under our ministry. The Supremacy of
Christ in our preaching will influence our people to do the same, enabling them to fix their
eyes on Jesus and run the race of life with patience and endurance (Heb. 12:1-2.) They
will be a people who will love the Lord Jesus Christ because of Who He is, and not
because of what He does.
 20

It may be difficult in the beginning of a preaching ministry to relate everything to Jesus

Christ. There is a skill involved that has to be practised and learnt. One of the questions
we must ask ourselves when we have prepared a message is "Is Jesus Christ central and
uplifted in this message? How does it relate to Him?" We may find at times we have to
rewrite the entire message! Nevertheless, as we work at it, it will become natural to us.

7.2 THE CENTRALITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

If the King must be supreme in our message, then it follows that His Kingdom becomes the
next important issue. We must keep Jesus Christ Supreme, and the Kingdom of God
central in all our ministry and preaching.

First of all, we need to have a clear understanding of the doctrine of the Kingdom of
God and Heaven. Preachers, therefore, need to give attention to understanding the
doctrines of the Bible.

Secondly a supernatural transformation has to take place in our hearts and minds,
where the Kingdom of God becomes more important than our own kingdoms. Without that
transformation, much of what we supposedly do for our King is mixed with building our
own kingdoms. We end up building our own kingdoms with God's bricks!

In the world of unbelievers this is obvious, but within the church it is often hidden behind
what seems so good and right. In fact many of God's leaders are blind to this truth and
really believe they are serving the King with pure hearts. This was the problem Peter had
before Jesus was arrested, and had to be exposed by the crisis: "... Simon Peter asked
him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow
now, but you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay
down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you REALLY lay down your life for me?
I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" (John
13:36-38 NIV). The crisis experience tested Peter and helped him to see His own heart,
helped him to change it. Eventually he was able to reply with sincerity to Jesus' question
"...do you love Me? ... Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." It was only then
that Peter was ready to serve and preach with pure motives. That is why Jesus was then
able to say to him "... FEED MY SHEEP" (John 21:17 NIV). All who preach the Word of
God ought to be praying David's prayer "Search me, O God, and know my heart…"
(Psalm 139:23 NIV).

Such a change is illustrated in the two parables in Matthew 13:44-46. The "discovery" of
the Kingdom in both cases causes the individual to see his previous wealth (his own
kingdom), as of little value and disposes of it to gain the Kingdom.

We need to give ourselves to both the understanding of the Kingdom and the heart change
necessary, if we are to effectively proclaim the Word of God. Consider such passages as
Matt.6:33 NIV "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well." and Matt.6:9-10 NIV "This, then, is how you should pray:
"`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. "
 21

The Kingdom of God consists primarily of all that is submitted to His authority and
control. There is an eternal dimension to it, i.e. the Kingdom of Heaven, which to us, who
are still in " time ", is still in the future, and will eventually " come " to those who are born
again of the Spirit of God ( John 3:3). The Kingdom of God is also present in this world
and is being established on earth through the ministry of the Word of God and the Spirit.
The Kingdom comes here on earth every time a person becomes a believer and submits
to the Will of God. The opposite is also true. Every time we rebel against the Authority and
Will of our Lord we "bring in" the realm of darkness and its authority, power, contamination
and defilement into our lives and circumstances.

John the Baptist's message was that they should repent because the Kingdom of God was
near at hand (Matt. 3:1-3). The Kingdom of God was what Jesus came preaching (Matt.
4:17). Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and preach "the Kingdom" while casting out
demons, healing the sick and raising the dead (Luke 9:2).

The Kingdom of God is larger than the church, evangelism, missions and all the
different ministries of the church. It embraces all these things and much more. Where
the Centrality of the Kingdom is not preached, these various aspects of Christian life and
ministry become ends in themselves instead of parts of the whole.

God's people lose perspective and these things turn into causes independent of the real
cause to seek and bring in the Kingdom. Repentance becomes merely an escape from
Hell, instead of transformation of the individual into an Agent and Representative of the
Kingdom, a member of "... a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that [they may] declare the praises of Him Who called [them] out of
darkness into His wonderful Light." (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

In the same way, preaching on prosperity without placing it in the context of the Kingdom,
will result in a half-truth that will eventually destroy those who seek to apply it. Missions,
also, and church planting become prestige symbols for the home church and often destroy
and damage those it sends out. Evangelism is not only the preaching of the Gospel, but
the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt.9:35). The goal of evangelism is not only to get people
converted, but to bring people under the Authority of the King and thus into the Kingdom.

Preaching that gives the Kingdom its rightful place will reduce the number of converts who
look for convenience alone. It will reduce backsliding, and produce a people who have
"Kingdom vision" and are willing to serve the purposes of God, in their generation, at any
cost.

The "coming" of the Kingdom of God is the Authority and Government of God coming into
a certain situation. That is why the healing ministry of the disciples to the unbelievers was
so closely related to proclaiming the "nearness" of the Kingdom "... Heal the sick who are
there and tell them, `The kingdom of God is near you.'" (Luke 10:9 NIV).

It is the Authority of God that comes in and confronts the authority of evil and the curse
and overpowers it. Without the Centrality of the Kingdom, healing becomes to most people
the central issue. When someone gets healed, we should celebrate that the Kingdom and
its Authority has come and overpowered the realm of darkness and the curse in the
person's body.
 22

Wherever we are we must see that the Kingdom of God comes in. Therefore the message
we preach must do the same.

7.3 THE SIMPLICITY OF THE COMMISSION

The "Great Commission" of Matt.28:19-20 is not some special instruction for a few
missionaries and evangelists! It was the last final and great command Jesus gave to the
whole church before He ascended. It is indivisibly linked to the Lordship of Christ and the
coming of the Kingdom. We cannot preach the Supremacy of Christ and the Centrality of
the Kingdom and neglect the Great Commission.

It is the expression of the Heart of God. He is love and loves the world of lost people.
Therefore it is unthinkable that His commission should not apply to all who have
received the expression of His Love in the Person and work of Jesus Christ in salvation.
Preaching the Great Commission is not a particular subject for once in a while. It is the
Vision and the Goal of the whole church while it is still on earth! It must always find a place
in our message. As everything we preach must keep Jesus Supreme, the Kingdom
central, so too, it must be related to the great Love-Command of God. Everything we do in
ministry and activity in the local church must have as its greater goal to reach the nations!
The Word for "nations" in the original Koine Greek is "ethnos" which can also be translated
as "races" and "people groups". Reaching the nations with the Kingdom of God applies to
those locally, nationally and internationally.

The church that tries to reach the nations and plant churches with an expansionistic motive
is still building its own kingdom. It will suffer a degree of "death" in all it does, for Jesus
said that those who seek to preserve their own lives will lose them! This truth is recorded
in all four Gospels, and recorded as said on at least two occasions in two of them! Most
churches still spend most of their time, money and effort on themselves! When we neglect
to relate our message subjects to the Great Commission, we produce such churches and
such people.

The natural tendency of the sinful human nature is to be self- centred and "preserve its
own life". If our message focuses primarily on meeting personal needs, we will be
facilitating that sinful tendency. We will not meet much resistance to that kind of message.
It is the easiest kind of preaching. Our own sinful natures as preachers will encourage it,
but the end is death, a stagnating of spiritual enthusiasm and sense of fulfilment. It is
probably the most significant single reason for the demise of many Christian movements
and the empty church buildings around the world, let alone the many Christian leaders
who have become shipwrecks on the reefs of time.

Relating our message to God's vision and love for the lost world, and stirring people to get
involved in reaching the nations will produce reaction and resistance. People are always
wanting to go the easy way. There will be resistance to the inconvenience and
sacrifice of the challenge. There will be resistance to sending people and money to the
nations. There will be resistance to the message which brings these things about. It is the
 23

confrontation of the Will of the Spirit and the will of the sinful human nature " ... the sinful
mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."

Romans 8:7 NIV We cannot adjust our message to accommodate the sinful human nature.
We cannot pander to those who have chosen the "Centrality of the Local Church" in place
of the "Centrality of the Kingdom of God"!

The fear of such resistance that confronts us should be overcome by our sense of calling
and confidence in the Authority of God's Word.

We also face the danger of losing people, but for everyone who is offended by the
Gospel and leaves, God will give us many more! It is the preacher's own inclination to
preserve his own life (the size of his congregation) that causes him to modify his message
and omit the challenge of the Great Commission! However, in the end it will deteriorate
anyway. He may preserve the number, but lose the spiritual health and dynamic of a
people who are continuously inspired with a vision to reach the nations.

There is another reason for the diminished profile of the Great Commission in preaching.
Many have not given thought to how those who do not go can both have a vision and
participate in reaching the nations. A helpful truth to bear in mind is that reaching the
nations can involve everyone, those who actually go and those who stay. It is the
responsibility of the local elders to impart the vision and teach the people how to
participate. That is a subject in itself and beyond the bounds of this one.

Our message must always focus outward, even when dealing with inward needs. All
the preaching on deliverance, inner healing, spiritual growth, maturity etc. is for what
purpose? Is it not in order to produce a strong powerful people who will fulfil the Father's
desire to reach the lost nations bringing them into fellowship with Him?

Here are some examples that will illustrate the point:

Baptism in the Spirit is not primarily for personal benefit, but that we shall BE His
witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth! (Acts 1:8)

Salvation's call to the lost is not primarily to come and be saved and healed, but rather
in the words of Jesus "...follow me and I will make you fishers of men"!

Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV tells us that God gives His people "... the ability to produce
wealth ..." What for? The context tells us it is to establish His Covenant with us. The
major theme of the Covenant is that He will bless us so that we in turn will be the
channels through whom all the nations will be blessed.

Phil.4:19 is often preached about and quoted apart from its context. The passage tells
us that our God shall supply all our needs. What for? For our own comfort and
convenience alone? Definitely not Verse 10 onwards gives the context. It had to do with
Paul's apostolic mandate and ministry. They had supported him financially and shared
in his ministry to reach the other nations and plant churches. It is in response to their
involvement in the Great Commission that he responds with this wonderful promise of
God's provision.
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8. THE PREACHER'S PREPARATION

Preparation for effective anointed preaching is not a mere matter of sitting down and
preparing a "talk" or a lecture. It is not simply an academic exercise intending to entertain
people with some clever rhetoric. Enough has already been said about the dangers of
depending on human ability alone. Preparation of the whole life of the preacher is involved.

8.1 BACKGROUND PREPARATION

Those who occasionally preach to help out in the church may not fully appreciate the
following paragraph. However, for those who have the responsibility for the flock of God,
the ongoing preaching ministry places them in the front line of the army of God. There
is the direct confrontation with the realm of darkness already referred to under the section
"The Preacher's Enemy". There is the need to be in touch with the Lord of the Church for
instructions and direction. There is the need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach
with life-transforming power that will change and "prepare God's people for works of
service..." (Eph. 4:12 NIV). There is the strain of going against the mainstream of human
thinking, attitudes and values. There is the strain of potential criticism and rejection from
those who are not sold out to God. There is the strain of avoiding error, being theologically
sound, interpreting the Word accurately. There is the strain of the responsibility for those to
whom you are ministering the Word that they should hear, properly understand and obey
the Word of God. There is the strain of being alert to the possibility of people twisting what
you say to suit their own minds and interpretations. In addition to all these things, there is
the strain of the actual preaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which to the
surprise of most turns out to be one of the most strenuous of all occupations! All this is not
for the unprepared, the unfit, the faint hearted, or the lazy!

Preparation for preaching begins with preparing oneself in many other areas before
the actual sitting down to prepare the message we are going to preach. This is where
many make their mistake. They assume that preaching is a far easier and simpler matter
than it really is.

The results are often a ministry that is poor and not appreciated by the people. Those who
are leadership material (whom we desperately need to attract to cope with the growth of
the local church) are unimpressed by a mediocre preaching ministry, and do not stay with
us. Inadequate background preparation weakens the preacher, and he may buckle under
the strain, burn out and drop out of ministry. Surveys have shown that 60 percent and
more of pastors have dropped out of ministry in most denominations. Adding to such
statistics is not necessary if we understand and prepare for what God has called us to do.

8.1.1. PREPARATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES. Leading a church with the demand for an

ongoing preaching ministry will command most of our time and energy. Streamlining our
lifestyles, sorting out priorities and ordering our lives to be able to cope is not an easy
matter.

Many "good" things may have to give way to the greater privilege God has given
us. Giving our families the attention God expects is another consideration. No preacher
will be able to bear the strain of tension and trouble in the family and marriage in addition
 25
to the strain of the ministry.

8.1.2. PREPARATION OF THE PHYSICAL. Although this subject relates to the wider field of
pastoring a church, and is more fully covered in the course on Pastoral Studies, it is
absolutely necessary that some brief comments are made here.

The physical and emotional strain of preaching must not be underestimated. Many key
men and women in Christian ministry have had to pay the price of neglecting this area of
their lives. We must learn from them. Keeping fit and healthy is essential if we are to be
successful. Proper stress management, relaxation and rest and refreshment in the Holy
Spirit are matters that must be given good attention. God has given us everything we
need to manage this area of our lives. He is not going to do it for us! Most of those who
have landed in trouble, because they have been undisciplined and careless, have
discovered that God did not instantly heal them either. He usually uses the suffering to
help us learn lessons that will ensure our survival for the rest of our lives! Most of us
either neglect our health and fitness, or want to overdo it. The secret is a health and
fitness programme that is manageable in the context of the demands and disruptions of
full- time ministry for the rest of our lives! Unless we are especially disciplined and
already have such a lifestyle, an over ambitious programme will usually end in failure.

8.1.4. PREPARAT ION OF THE MIND. We are not born with knowledge. It is our
responsibility to acquire all the knowledge we can in preparation for that to which God
calls us. Again He has given us all the faculties necessary for the job. There are many
who feel called to a ministry of preaching, but who sit waiting for God to put them on
the podium when in fact He is waiting for them to get themselves prepared and
ready! Apart from gaining as much general knowledge as possible and keeping abreast
of what is happening on the world scene, every preacher must do his best to gain a good
knowledge of :-

8.1.4.1. The language in which he preaches. Words are the colours with which we paint
pictures in the minds of the people. We must learn how to use them for the best effect.
This does not mean sophisticated levels of vocabulary. In fact we must learn to use the
language level that will be understood by everyone. Consider the way Jesus preached,
and how people from all walks of life flocked to listen to him. Look at His language and
the simple day to day illustrations He used. It was not His language that baffled them,
but the profound truths of the Kingdom which they could not always grasp. One of the
problems facing preachers is that of how the reading of reference and other books of
academic sophistication affect us. We come to appreciate clever phrases and bigger
words, attaching a high value to their use and feeling very proud of ourselves as we
include them in our preaching! However, the truth is that they may mean absolutely
nothing to the average person who is not exposed to such vocabulary and even leave
them confused about what we are trying to communicate!

8.1.4.2. The Word of God itself. This emphasis may seem unnecessary, but it is amazing
how many preachers think they can attempt to preach without a good knowledge of the
Bible! As it is the Truth we are preaching, it is essential for us to know the Truth! This
knowledge is not acquired in a few months or years. It is a lifelong commitment to
regularly study the Bible. A good rule for those in full-time ministry is to set aside a
period each week (a morning or day) to study the Word. It is preferable that this study
be unrelated to what will be preached the following weekend.
 26

A good study of Bible background, times and customs, is also very helpful. It will
enhance our preaching, as well as help the hearers to better understand the message
of the Scriptures.

8.1.4.3. Theology and doctrine. We can never fully have or understand the Truth. However,
to gain a good knowledge of Theology and Doctrine, (while keeping an open mind) is to
have a framework which will help guide us into consistency and balance in our
understanding and dealing of the Truth.

8.1.4.4. How other preachers have handled Truth. We have to produce our own message
out of the revelation we receive and the research we do. Resorting to preaching the
sermons of others is equivalent to serving up regurgitated food! However, reading the
sermons of others and listening to their preaching as an extra study develops our field
of experience and exposes us to new ideas and different ways to approach a subject or
a text. It is a good idea to buy books or tapes of good preachers.

8.2 PREPARING ONESELF

Preparing oneself to preach, as well as the spiritual environment for the message is as
important as the preparing of the message. The matters discussed under section 5, "The
preacher’s enemy" apply here. War must be waged in the study before we get to the podium.
Preparations must get us ready to operate under the anointing or we will not be able to
preach successfully. If we are genuinely anointed, people will come through much quicker
into salvation, freedom and maturity. As Visionary elders we often find ourselves in a place of
fatigue at the end of a busy week. We may be discouraged, grieving over those who are
rebellious. We may also have come under an attack of condemnation or intimidation from
satan and his agents. We then have to be able to come before the congregation on Sunday
full of faith, power and enthusiasm to lift them up, inspire them, renew their vision, and
minister to their varied needs! This state of affairs will not be a one off event, but will occur
again and again over many years of faithful ministry of the Word. No one is able to achieve
such impossible standards without the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit.

Every preacher should have received the Holy Spirit. The issue is to prepare oneself by
stirring up the Spirit within us, fan the flame of our faith, pressing into God, and expecting the
anointing to operate. Consider such passages as Ephesians 5:18-20, 2 Timothy 1:6 and 1
Samuel 30:1-6.

Although our circumstances and emotions will always have relevancy to our preaching, we
must rise above ourselves, our emotions and circumstances like eagles on the thermals of
our God (Isaiah 40:31) and bring the message of God in the power of the Spirit.

Perhaps a few comments about the preacher's Saturday would not be out of place here. If
possible, it should not be a day overloaded with activity that leaves you physically exhausted
or exposes you to all kinds of things that attack the sanctity of mind and heart. Watching the
late Saturday night movie full of violence, seduction and human upheaval will not help to
bring about a quiet spirit that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and full of the Heart of God. Be
careful how you plan the day, and what commitments you make on it. Set it aside for final
preparation for preaching on Sunday, as well as an opportunity to "wind down". Have a good
nights rest and be ready for the noble task of declaring the Counsel of God to His people with
 27
the best you have to give. They are the Bride of Christ, they deserve it!

8.3 CHOOSING A SUBJECT OR TEXT

By far the most difficult and often frustrating matter is for the visionary elder to choose his text
or subject week by week. This of course depends on whether he is committed to building the
Kingdom of God or merely entertaining his people and building his own (in that case anything
will do!). Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church, He wants to build it (Matt. 16:18) and
He will have something to say to it through His chosen leaders. Therefore, it becomes a
matter of determining the Will of the Master concerning the message. It will require being in
tune with Him, and alert and observant. The result of properly identifying God's choice is that
a conviction develops within us. There is a stirring and moving of the Holy Spirit which is quite
wonderful and it is a privilege the preacher enjoys! The Holy Spirit continues to develop the
message with thoughts and ideas as time passes. A good idea, therefore, is to set a day
aside earlier in the week to spend time in prayer and meditation to settle this choice, and not
leave it to the last minute! Make it a priority that is non negotiable and go aside where there
will be no interruptions.

God in His Omnipotence has many different ways of communicating His will to His preachers.
Each of us have to learn to recognise and identify His dealing with us. However, for the
beginner, here are some examples of how this can take place.

8.3.1 The easiest and most enjoyable of these is simply when God "drops" the message
into our hearts. We know it is from Him, it grips our attention and it "grows" in our
thoughts as we think about it. There is excitement, and we can't wait to preach it! Whole
outlines can come this way by revelation and may require little effort or research to
prepare for preaching. All preachers would like this to happen continuously! However that
would be the easy way out, and in the end stunt our growth and development.

8.3.2. A close second to 8.3.1 is when a text, or passage "comes alive" for us while we
are reading or studying the Word of God. We must, however, be sure that it is for the
congregation as well and not confuse it with when God is speaking to us personally for
our own correction or encouragement. It must be pointed out, nevertheless, that at times
our preaching is born out of our own experience of God's dealings with us.

The message must become part of us and fill our hearts if we are going to preach with
passion and reality (see 6.2.1). God's leaders often have to go through the "fire and
water" first to understand and appreciate where the people are at, and be able to
effectively apply the Truth to the situation. Consider how some of the prophets of the Old
Testament had to go through certain experiences in order to communicate God's Word to
the people.

8.3.3. We may be deeply moved by the life of one of the Bible characters and be led to
preach a series on them. Here the problem is that the initial enthusiasm we experienced
may not be there when we sit down to prepare the second message. The answer is to get
down to prayer and hard work, trusting the help of the Spirit to continue to open up the
Word to us as we prepare.

8.3.4. Jesus Christ builds His church and His leaders are to work with Him. Jesus' own
ministry was in partnership with the Father. It was only what He "saw" the Father doing
 28
that He got involved with (John 5:19). Pastors often overlook this truth and fail to keep
watch to see what the Holy Spirit is "busy with" in the lives of the congregation. He has a
programme and there are often "seasons" during which He will be addressing certain
issues, creating circumstances in the lives of the people to expose ignorance, needs,
areas of sin and bondages etc. Recognising His work and identifying these areas,
and then preaching relevant Truths into such a context is one of the most effective
ways to build up the congregation into a powerful and mature people for God. Again the
choosing of texts and subjects to preach on in such a context is not so much a great
spiritual revelation as common sense and responsibility. Revelation and anointing is
needed to prepare and preach the message.

8.3.5. An event in the life of the people or a growing awareness of a need among them
may make it obvious that we need to teach on a certain subject such as financial issues
and tithing, marriage and relationships, caring for each other etc. (common areas of need
in every church.) This means of choosing a subject or text may not seem such a
"spiritual" way of going about it. Remember, it is a matter of "determining" what God's Will
is, not necessarily always hearing a specific word from Him. Elders are charged with the
responsibility to care for the sheep, to teach, guide and correct them. (2 Tim. 4:2;
Heb.12:17.) While it may not be that exciting it is common sense, and God expects us to
use our heads! Many preachers are so super spiritual that they are preoccupied with
getting some "exciting prophetic revelation "from God when the obvious is staring them in
the face! While they are "surfing" the spiritual "internet" to pick up God's Will, their people
are dying and scattering for the lack of care!

8.3.6. Current issues or events taking place internationally, nationally or locally

require the light of God's Word applied to them. They may be crises, catastrophes,
major changes, deteriorating morals, economic and political issues. The visionary elder is
a leader of a community of God's people. As such they will look to him to come up with
Biblical perspectives, answers and direction relevant to the times they live in. Consider
the characteristics of the sons of Issichar mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:32. Preparing
messages to respond to such matters is common sense, hard work and simply part of the
responsibility of leaders.

8.3.7. Another means can be the choice of one of the books of The Bible that we are led
to preach "through" systematically. This is the most difficult, but provides some unique
opportunities and advantages. It is an excellent exercise for the preacher to "submit"
himself to the particular section that comes up for that week whether it is difficult or easy.
He is forced to "tackle" it, pray over it and do the research necessary to receive God's
revelation on it. He is forced to learn how to use different approaches, and deal with
subjects that are new and challenging. All this develops his preaching skills. We cannot
afford ourselves the luxury of staying within our comfort zones if we are going to be the
best for the Master.

Charles H. Spurgeon, the English preacher regarded by many as a "prince of preachers"

once said "if I can be a ram's horn for God, this is good; but if a silver trumpet, that is far
better! One of the advantages of preaching through a book is that one can deal with
sensitive subjects as they come up, avoiding the suspicion that the preacher is targeting
those particular people. Another is that one will systematically cover many of the truths
and doctrines of the Bible, relevant to both the veterans and the new Christians in the
 29
congregation. An important caution is to choose a book that is short and relatively easy
such as the book of James. The books of Romans and Revelation are not a good idea for
the beginner!

9. PREPARING FOR THE PUBLIC READING OF THE WORD

The Word of God is our final Authority for faith and conduct. That truth must get to the people
if we are to bring change, growth and maturity to them (It would be good for you to review 6.2
at this point). The Authority of the Word must be upheld before the people in order to
inspire them to honour it, uphold it and submit to it. One of the ways the Authority of the Word
is upheld is by the way it is read and referred to in public. It is often poorly and hastily read.
We then impart the wrong message to the people. An added problem faced by most
preachers is the many different versions found in the hands of the people in a single
congregation. People are attached to and often love their particular version. One cannot
override this fact. When we read from a particular version, those who do not have the same,
find it difficult to follow, often get discouraged and give up. Our aim should be to
ENCOURAGE people, especially new converts, to bring their Bibles. It may not seem
important. However, there is no substitute for the great value to the individual of actually
finding the place and reading the truth for themselves. We have to do all we can to help them
towards spiritual maturity, so that they search the Word for themselves.

When the Word is read properly with anointing and authority, the Authority of the Lord
Jesus (The Living Word) is declared and established in the presence of the enemy. It
has a powerful effect on the demonic that might be present, and creates an atmosphere as
does good worship for the preaching of the Truth.

Spending some time preparing the Bible passages you will refer to in preaching will go a long
way to overcome these difficulties. First there is simply the matter of reading the passages
properly, especially the main passage, if you have one. Read it out loud, clearly with
expression.

Familiarise yourself with it, making sure you are able to pronounce any difficult words. Learn
to read it slowly, with clear enunciation, making the correct emphasis on words and phrases
that bring out the message. Make it interesting.

Secondly, compare the most common translations, for example KJ, NKJ, NASV, and NIV.
Using a computer Bible programme for this purpose which includes the original languages
will make it that much easier. Make sure that the text you refer to, to support your point is
clear in all the translations. (You may find in certain translations it will make no sense at all to
the person who is trying to follow) Where it is not clear, make a note (perhaps in your Bible)
and while reading it, stop and mention it. This will not leave the people who have that
particular translation confused and wondering if "their Bible has mistakes in it "! That will be a
sure way to undermine their confidence in the reliability of God's Word.

We are now touching on the field of "Textual Criticism" which is a vast subject in itself beyond
the scope of this course. However, the following comments might be of help in making the
right statements to people about the problem. Translating from the original languages of the
Bible is no easy matter. The Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Koine Greek words
have many different shades of meaning. The groups of translators who produce the versions
have to make a decision as to which of the English words best translates the main meaning
 30
of the original. This choice will obviously vary between groups. Another consideration is the
"readability" of the translation. The idiomatic phrases of Bible times and the way sentences
are constructed in the original languages, result in translations that are difficult to read and
understand. Some translators have chosen to move to a little towards "paraphrasing" or using
extra words to make the translation easier to read and understand. The most popular
example of such a translation is the NIV, which is very easy to read by most English
language groups all over the world, and chosen as the source of most Bible quotations in this
study guide for that reason. Translations that seek to cover all the different shades of
meaning like the "Amplified Bible” would be the ideal translation for everyone. It is, however,
difficult to read with all the different meanings included for the various words. It is a good
study help.

The object of the above explanation is to give a very brief reason why there is no one
translation that suits everyone, is easy to read and understand, and at the same time
adequately covers all the different shades of meaning of the original. It is important to get this
across to our people without becoming technical. It is also most important to rather refer to a
certain translation as the one that brings out the particular meaning (with which you are
concerned in your message) BETTER THAN OTHERS, and NOT that the others are no
good or weak. We have to be very careful that we do not undermine the confidence people
have in their Bibles! If we are careless about the way we express this, or neglect to ever say
anything about it, we may be very surprised how much damage we cause without perhaps
ever knowing about it. WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN T O UPHOLD THE AUT HORITY OF
THE WORD OF GOD AND LEAD OUR PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME!

It is obvious from the above comments that preachers need to do their homework in
comparing the different translations before preaching, noting where there are important
differences and making some comment to explain them. Apart form the value to the people it
is also an excellent study principle for the preacher, and will broaden his understanding of the
text and the truth he is preaching on. A helpful suggestion is to encourage people to bring
along a pencil with a soft lead to write any significant variations in translation into their Bibles
for future reference.

Not withstanding the above comments, there are translations which are very "liberal" and
raise questions about their accuracy and reliability. We cannot avoid the task of familiarising
ourselves with them, and warning those in our care concerning them.

10. PREPARING THE MESSAGE

We now come to the matter of constructing a "sermon" to carry across to the people, the
message God has put into our hearts. This is also referred to in the study of Homiletics as
"Sermon Construction". You will have realised by now, that there have been many other
important issues related to preaching besides this one.

In the introductory section of this study guide the point was made that the Bible places the
main emphasis on the preacher and the message rather than on the technical construction of
the "sermon". However, there is much to be said for putting together a structure for a
message as long as we do not bind ourselves to it and make it rigid and inflexible. A good
rule to follow is to prepare as if there is no Holy Spirit, and then preach as if there are no
notes and only the Holy Spirit!
 31

Good sermon construction will do the following for us:

10.1. Help us to keep to the main message pruning away irrelevant points and prevent us
rambling all over the place. Remember we are trying to get God's message and truth
across, not demonstrating to the people how much we know!

10.2. It will enable the message to progress logically (logical progression) ie. each point
building upon and following the previous one. This makes more sense to the hearer. It is
extremely difficult to follow and understand a preacher who is making a whole lot of
comments and statements that do not seem to go together. What would you make of the
following? "Jesus walked on the water ...... Elijah was a powerful prophet!" Yet it is one of
the most common weaknesses most preachers have! We often assume too much in terms
of what people know and how they think. We assume they will be able to make the logical
connection when they cannot.

10.3. It will help us to keep the sermon balanced and avoid giving more time to the less
important issues and ending up failing to give sufficient time to the main message.

10.4. It will help us to plan to bring the sermon to a point where we can challenge people
to make a decision concerning the truth they have heard.

Details on sermon construction will not be covered in this study guide. You will find that this
subject is fully dealt with in most of the recommended books. You will now be required to do
your own research as you read the book of your choice. As you do so, remember the
approach you have been given in this study guide. None of the books have quite the same
approach. Be selective, choosing what is good and leaving what is not. That should in fact
always be our approach when reading and studying what is written by man. As the saying
goes; "eat the meat but spit out the bones!" They do however have many related matters you
will find extremely helpful. As you study your book look for the following:

- The different kinds of sermons according to subject matter.

- The different parts of the sermon construction.

- The use of illustrations and what to be careful of.

- The use of commentaries.

- Look for rules on bringing out the meaning of Bible texts properly, also referred to as
"exegesis", as well as rules of interpreting the Scripture.
(The principles of interpretation are covered fully under the subject of "Hermeneutics"
and should be studied in conjunction with this one.)

- Look for additional pitfalls and tips in preaching not covered in this guide. Preaching
is a vast subject with many options, and styles. Learn as much as you can from as
many as you can!
 32
There is no substitute for good hard disciplined study, research, thought and
planning. Someone has put it this way:

"Sermon preparation is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration!"

Especially in the early years of a preaching ministry, one does not have the resource base
either in your filing system or your head to just produce messages with minimum effort. More
time to give to preparation is usually also available compared to the later years of ministry
where responsibility and commitments are often greatly multiplied. When the going seems to
be a bit hard, remind yourself that you are building up your resource base from which the
Holy Spirit will draw in later years! It will be a means of encouragement to you. Many young
aspiring preachers watch older preachers who are good, and think it is simply their
"spirituality" and anointing that enables them. They are unable to see the many hours of
study, sweat and, at times, tears behind the scenes.

Each preacher will eventually develop his own way of going about preparation. However, the
following suggestions may be helpful:

- When you feel you have God's message or subject, take a sheet of paper and write
down everything that comes to mind, (even if the thoughts and points are not in
progressive order) before you do any research on the matter. You will often find that
that will contain the main message! This is referred to in some circles as
"brainstorming".

- The next step is to write out in one simple sentence the main theme or
message you believe God wants you to share with the people. Keep it before you as
you prepare. It will help you to prune your material and keep your sermon as simple
as possible.

One of the problems we face, when we do research, is we get excited about all the
other related things we discover and want to include them in the sermon. A common
mistake made by inexperienced preachers is that they overload the message with
information and Bible verses. The main message is obscured and the people get
indigestion with the huge variety served up for them! An exception to the above will
be when you are teaching on a subject, preaching through a book or a passage etc.

- Look at your brainstorm sheet, and see if you can work out an outline from what
you have. You may have to give this some thought and add headings and points.
You now have a framework for your message. Keep it next to you while you do some
research adding the material you select under the relevant headings. If you can't fit it
in, ask yourself if it is really necessary, no matter how wonderful and exciting it
seems! The use of a computer word processor makes this task so much easier.
 33

- Write out your whole message in the beginning stages of your ministry,
complete with illustrations. It is a lot of work, but it will develop your ability to express
yourself, choose the best words and expressions to communicate what you have to,
and help you determine how long your sermon is.

11. PREACHING THE MESSAGE

You will find adequate material available for this section from the recommended books. Every
preacher must develop their own style and technique. Never try to copy and be someone
else! That is not God's way. We must become the unique workmanship of His hands. On the
other hand, take note of the suggestions made by others as your read, avoid the pitfalls and
apply the good ones. Watch other preachers preach and on video, and learn from them.
Observe the many varied techniques they use. Provide a background from which the Holy
Spirit can draw to shape and mould your own ministry. Some important points are;

- Don't take your written sermon to preach from. Make sure you are thoroughly
familiar with it before hand, and then take a clearly printed or written outline with
you. Learn to be sensitive to and to trust the Holy Spirit to adjust, change and guide
you as you preach.

- Be careful not to be preoccupied with your notes. Rather try to have the "picture"
in your mind of what you want to communicate. Focus on that and use every
reasonable means to get it across to the congregation. Don't forget the use of object
lessons to make a point. The prophets of old did. Many Bible experts believe there
actually could have been a farmer sowing his seed on the mountain side to which
Jesus may have pointed when he told the parable of the Sower to His hearers. Some
training in drama can help us illustrate with body language and gestures which can
go a long way to get the message across. These things may not be conventional, yet
many very successful preachers have used them with great effect. Where a church
has a drama team, it can be used from time to time to support the message with
practical illustration.

- Remember to give the Word of God its rightful place announcing the passage you
are going to read. Clearly give the book, chapter and verse. Pause to give people
time to find it. Finding it yourself in your own Bible may help you in the beginning to
give them enough time. Repeat the reference again to fill the gap and to help those
who missed it or part of it at first.

- Finally, a few comments about the "aftermath" of preaching. Most preachers find
they experience some depression, which is usually just emotional fatigue. Consider
the comments in 8.1.2 on the stress of preaching.

The answer is simply rest and relaxation which helps distract the mind from doing a
post mortem on the sermon. Place your efforts in the hands of the Master and trust
Him to compensate for your weaknesses. Doing our best is all He requires. Be
careful of condemnation from satan. If he can't get at you before or while you
preach he will certainly try afterwards when the pressure is off and you are less alert.
Resist him firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:9).