For A Lifetime

Preaching…

“Preaching, in order to be fresh and vital, takes hard work. The work can be quite agonizing at times. In fact, the longer you are in the ministry the more discipline and determination is needed to accomplish the work.”

Bruce Mawhinney in Preaching with Freshness

“As time goes by a certain smoothness comes with the experience of the years. That smoothness has a more professional sound to it, but it may also bring with it a certain dullness.”

Bruce Mawhinney in Preaching with Freshness

Challenges to Preaching Effectively

over the Long-Haul

1.The New Consumerism

“Without altars, we talk less and less about eternity and more and more about the here and now.”

Calvin Miller, Marketplace Preaching

Challenges to Preaching Effectively over the

Long-Haul

2. Christianity as a subculture

Church has become an addendum to American culture. Disassociation with the market-place centers preaching on “insiders.” “Separation from the world” is double-edged.

Challenges to Preaching Effectively over the

Long-Haul

3.Loss of appreciation for Divine Drama

“A sermon that loses its godly summons is at best a current event and at worst a morality monologue.”

Calvin Miller, Market Place Preaching

A Church….Overly Influenced by the Secular

andA World….Hungering for the

Transcendent

Church “life” takes its cues from the self-centered “spirit of entertainment.”

We trade the demands of Christ for a larger crowd.

Altars are the meeting places between God and humanity where the transcendence of God transforms and “abundantly pardons and saves to the uttermost.”

Summary

New Consumeri

sm

Influence of seculars—reality of a continuing hunger for the transcendent

Christian Subculture

Loss of Divine Drama

Interventions

The why and who of preaching are prior to the how of preaching

The message and the messenger are inextricably linked

“ How do I become a living memory of God; how do I accept and connect; how do I lift up the individual story into divine history?” Henri J. M.Nouwen

“The strategy of the principalities and powers is to disconnect us, to cut us off from the memory of God. It is not hard to see how many of our busy actions and restless concerns seem to be disconnected, reminding us of nothing more than the disorder of our own orientation and commitment.

When we no longer walk in the presence of the Lord, we cannot be living reminders of his divine presence in our lives. We then quickly become strangers in an alien land who have forgotten where we come from and where we are going.

Then we are no longer the way to the experience of God, but rather in the way of the experience of God. Then, instead of walking in God’s presence we start walking in a vicious circle, and pulling others into it.”

Henri J.M. Nouwen in The Living Reminder

Acknowledge that life is passing you by

Life passages are doorways to greater insightStarters for preaching come

from a variety of sources, but…

All starting points must be connecting to the

authoritative reference point

USA Today

Current Events

Chance Encounters

BIBLE Daily Bible Reading

Listening

Read widely

The six-fold pathNovels

HistoricalBiography

Diary/journalPoetry

Hot interest

Gathering Background Information and

Illustrations

Regularly gather/file/review

Newspapers, periodicals, web news

Use the experts in your congregations

Practice Self-Evaluation

Observe audio and video tapes of yourselfCritique voice--timing--personalityFind a supportive critic

Study the Sermons of Great Preachers

ClassicsAlexander MacClarenCharles Spurgeon20 Centuries of Great Preaching

Contemporary BooksPreaching to a Post Modern World by Graham Johnston, Baker BooksThe Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative by Steve Mathewson, Baker Books

Limit your usage of preaching web-sites

Preaching.com

PreachingToday.com

Sermoncentral.com

Crosswalk.com

ChristianityToday.com

The Challenge of An AudienceDear Speaker:

I hear a lot of people like you. I don’t mean to be impertinent, but give me one good reason why I should listen:Are you about to say something that I would find useful? Are you willing to promise me that if I do listen, I will hear something of consequence?Exactly what kind of promise would I like you to make? Promise me that after I have listened, I will upgrade my bogus values, jettison my impure motives, and commit myself to something glorious and dangerous and heady and wonderful.

Promise me that all the time I sit listening and you stand taling that I will see things I was unwilling to face before you preached. Help me see my sin, or God’s glory, or Jesus’ power.Promise me that I, who am riddled with inferiority, will at last believe in myself.I have always been afraid of heights. Challenge me with Everest. Promise me that after your words, I will be able to scale those icy walls and with God’s help plant his mighty flag on the summit of all my doubts.Promise me that I at last will know who I am and what I was born to achieve.Promise all this and you shall have first my ear. . .and then my soul.

-Your Audience

Preaching: Voices from the Past & Present

The Reformers“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.” Martin Luther

“God deigns to consecrate to himself the mouths and tongues of men in order that His voice may resound in them.” John Calvin

18th Century Preachers• I live by preaching. John Wesley

• If I had come to you in my own name, you might rest your elbows upon your knees and your heads on your hands and go to sleep! But I have come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts – I must and I will be heard. George Whitfield

• The great design & intention of a Christian preacher are to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men and to attract the souls of men into a state of everlasting friendship with him. Cotton Mather

Current Voices

“The church’s proclamation of him who is the Word of God is very real human speech and yet no less very divine speech, because it articulates one who is in the language of the Nicene Creed “very God and very man.”

James Daane

Preaching with Confidence

We can no longer assume our preaching takes place within a more or less “Christian” culture. The great narratives of Judeo-Christian belief, the pivotal stories of the Bible’s characters, the events of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ either are not known or do not carry the meaning-making significance they did for previous generations Biblical knowledge, Christian doctrine and theological reflection must be presented and re-presented from America’s pulpit-yes even American Christians.

Craig Loscalzo

Apologetic Preaching

Pentecostal preaching is preaching the Word of God. It is not preaching about the Word. It should be simple preaching. By that I mean preaching that can be understood.

Guy Duffield

Pentecostal Preaching

Preaching for Response:Historical Considerations

• Theological assumptions & historical realities impact sermon construction/delivery and expected response.

• The Reformation was a reaction to human effort at religiosity. The expected response to preaching became a conceptual response altering a belief system.

• Luther, Zwingli, Calvin would not be the best preachers to model in giving altar calls.

Charles Finney exemplified a reaction to the “old school”. Left brained religion wasn’t enough for Finney. Finney’s preaching for response exemplified:– His own encounter with God– His belief that the affections must be addressed

specifically– A verdict for Christ was necessary.– Invitations to an “anxious bench” were standard.

Moody, Sunday and Graham perfect Finney’s “new school” efforts.

Preaching for Response• Shaped by theological assumptions

• Influenced by historical realities

• Response must not be taken for granted

• Biblical precedent exists

(Mt. 11:28; Luke 13:1-3; Acts 2:40; II Cor. 5:20)

Preaching for Response in the 21th Century

• Religious teaching or values minimally impact people’s moral choices

• Only 22% of Americans believe moral absolutes exist

• Compared to teens throughout the past 20 years, today’s teenagers have the lowest likelihood of attending church when living independent of their parents.

www.barna.org

Communication Realities that mitigate against preaching for response

• The central section of a sermon is least likely to be remembered

• Listeners usually “round off” a sermon to a general idea

• People tend to interpret messages on the basis of past experiences

• Listeners tend to select material based on how interesting it is to them

• Most listeners find it difficult to separate essential from non-essential in a message

• A speaker’s delivery and person can be more influential than the content of the message.

Preaching for response – the bottom line

• Start before you begin

• Begin with the end in mind

• End with clarity

Start before you begin

• Specificity increases clarity – in one sentence –what is this sermon about? What do hearers need to know to act on this message?

• There is a reward for the hard work of forgiveness– What do I want them to do?

• What about your dad, who left you and your mom when you were 8?

– Are you ready to forgive him?– What do I want them to become?

• If Rick, the plumber, were to take this message to heart, what would the changes look like?

• How does this sermon fit in the larger vision?

• Preaching to reinforce a direction of a mission-minded church

• Answer skeptics question– So what? Text must be linked to context– Oh really? Save yourself from trite preaching

Ask yourself• Do I believe this message will make a difference?• Has this biblical truth made a difference in my life this

week?• “If the preacher is not first preaching to himself,

better that he falls on the steps of the pulpit and breaks his neck than preaches that sermon” – John Calvin

• Will I use the material of others appropriately?

Ed Rowell – preaching today.com

Begin with the end in mind

Consider your audience.

• Narrative is powerful

• Entertainment is expected

• Technology is omnipresent

• Connection rather than education is valued

Consider your support systemWhat about notes?

• Comfort yields confidence

• Confidence yields clarity

• Clarity yields effective communication

Consider your physical presentation

• Dress

• Technology

• Vocal usage

• Modulate toward your personal style of communication

Consider your attitude

• Don’t make your pulpit a “bully pulpit”

• Make sure people know you care

• Humility trumps personal satisfaction

• Do you expect God to show up?

Kenton Anderson – www.preaching.org

End with clarity

• Response times depend on clear content, clear language, clear directions

• Lack of clarity at this point in the service creates confusion

• Clear content assumes a simple pattern• Billy Graham’s four points are:

– Admit you’re a sinner.– Christ’s provision on Calvary can cover your sin.– You must repent of your sin– Will you receive Christ’s forgiveness?

Clear language

• Avoid jargon

• Use words carefully to explain what you are asking people to respond to

Clear directions

• People need to know what you want them to do.

• People need to know why they are being asked to respond.

• People need to know when to respond and what to expect.

Greg Laurie (Leadership, Spring 1995)

Preachers who preach for response faithfully can have faith in the God who calls people to

repentance and obedience.

• Preaching for response is biblically rooted – can be hindered by lack of preparation – but never be thwarted because it relies on the Spirit’s empowerment.

• Preaching for response is a Pentecostal preacher’s responsibility because Pentecostal preaching bears witness to the resurrecting power of God which breaks into every aspect of God’s created order.

(James Forbes) The Holy Spirit and the Preacher

What Wells Will We Drink At?

“A study of hermeneutics helps… Do not be afraid of it because of its unfamiliar name. This is the science of interpretation. Because of ignorance here, some have made foolish interpretations.”

Ernest S. Williams--1941

Exegesis focuses on what was said in the original biblical text and what it would have meant at that time.

Hermeneutics moves from the original meaning to the reader and/or the preacher in a contemporary setting.

Exegesis and Hermeneutics

Arenas of Hermeneutical Activity

Linguistic Translators movement from biblical language to

local language

Historical setting Cultural-geographical-historical awareness

Teaching of the passage Intent of the writer

Historicity of passage Assumptions about nature of historical events—

miracles are crucial

Literary Setting of Passage Meaning based on relationship of words

Canonical Context How the particular text being studied relates

to Scripture as a whole History of Interpretation

We aren’t the first to study this biblical text. Present Significance of the Text

So what?

Arenas of Hermeneutical Activity

Interpretive Assumptions for Biblical Hermeneutics Faithful interpretive efforts require a

person to be inhabited by the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 2:11

Essence of God’s revelations points to the necessity of repentance to and obedience to the Gospel. I John 2:26-27

One part of Scripture need not undermine another part of Scripture so as to undermine the Gospel. II Peter 1:20-21

The Bible “reads” us and is heard by those with a desire to listen and obey. Psalm 119:105

Interpretive Assumptions

Skill sets are similar regardless of our faith tradition.

Hermeneutics really is about the assumptions you come with as you do thorough preparation for the preaching event.

Therefore, our Pentecostal faith does contribute to how we will prepare for preaching.

Hermeneutical Doorways that Serve a Pentecostal Preacher

The wells of influence that we drink from shape our lives as preachers: It is absolutely necessary that we

acknowledge the deep and continued work of the Holy Spirit who uniquely shapes Pentecostal preachers. (p. 91)

The doorway of the Baptism of the Spirit produces an eye on eternity. Spiritual transformation is necessary. Spirit empowerment is non-negotiable. Healing is a testimony to God’s concern

for the lures of humanity. The future is not in doubt and gives us

perspective in the murkiness of the present.

Doorway of Spirit Baptism

The Doorway of Seeing God at Work

Paying attention to the testimony of God’s activity in human experience Seeing God at work always pushes us

back to the Bible for an explanation.

The Doorway of Continued Missionary Vision

The Baptism of the Spirit produces a “regions beyond” perspective. We are empowered to bear witness to

those unlike ourselves who have never heard the Gospel.

In view of the modern tendency to degrade the dignity of the Christian pulpit, making it a lecturer’s platform, or the place for buffoonery and dramas, or submitting to the experiments of the unprepared or untried, it is important that dignity be emphasized and a fresh attempt be made to maintain it. The pulpit is where God’s called ones stand in Christ’s stead, the visible and audible expression His Father.

Ralph Riggs--1931

“Every sermon is stretched like a bow-string between the text of the Bible on one hand and the problems of contemporary human life on the other.”

Ian Pitt-Watson

“Every sermon must be a defining moment in the life of a congregation. There is no time for frivolity or slickness; these are moments of destiny…which the gates of hell cannot contain or diminish.” (p. 107)

Wisdom of Pioneers “No room for foolish interpretation.”

E.S. Williams

Pentecostal preachers talk in Christ's stead.Ralph Riggs

A Pentecostal “this is that” hermeneutic that Presents to God thorough preparation (II Timothy

2:15) Lives in the continual fullness of Pentecost that

connects what God has done with what He is doing (Acts 2:14-40)