In class last week we were discussing effective sermon delivery. We brainstormed through the categories of verbal, vocal and visual presentation. So what goes into effective verbal delivery – i.e. the words you choose to use?
One person mentioned the need for accurate and precise word choice, rather than lots of filler words and verbal pauses. Absolutely. If you spoke on behalf of the government you wouldn’t arrive with a, umm, you know, imprecise kind of, you know, message. How much more when you speak as an ambassador of heaven?
Another mentioned the need for common language. After all, despite what some may think, Jesus spoke in common language. The New Testament was written in common Greek. We need to communicate with the people who are listening to us.
Related to this is the importance of your motivation in word choice. One brother mentioned the temptation to try to look well educated by choosing erudite terminology. I stumbled across a great quote in Briscoe’s book, something like, “if you are consistently shooting over the target, this is not an indication of your superior ammunition, but proof that you can’t aim properly.” Fantastic.
Biblical Preaching 
Peter, after reading some of your blogs, I see that you have things figured out when it comes to preaching. But sir, in preaching, its not about trying to get to the point of just telling a story to make people have good feeling in service, the Bible already does that. The point of preaching is to get the sin out of people lives. If it takes preaching about how wrong alcohol is to someone to get it through their hearts that they can’t be drinking and call themeselves “saved”, then thats what it has to be. A message comes from God in prayer on your knees in supplication and pleading with God to make you clean so that you are able to preach to others. The preacher is more important than the preaching. Nowadays, preachers are more worried about trying to sound good in a message and forget the main point of preaching: for the salvation of men’s soul. People have to get really saved. Jesus told the disciples that “you shall recieve power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you”. Preachers are preaching but not in the Holy Ghost. We preach in the flesh. I say we because I have done that in the past where I would preach in the flesh, but people want to get to Heaven, and its our job to help them. The message has to come from God. We need power in the pulpit as well as power in the pews. We can’t be afraid to stir up some people and step on some big toes. We have to preach with the unction and anointing of the Holy Ghost.
But I’m not trying to bash you about what your saying because I understand we have to deliver the message right so the people can understand. I just had to say something about some of your blogs I have read. I am in Bible College and what I’m telling you is not all what I learned in class, I got this from my prayer life. I get convicted on a day to day basis because the Holy Ghost is dealing with me on every hand to make sure I am living right so I don’t get up and preach trash and battery acid on the congregation. The world needs not just a preacher, but a holy man of God that spends his time in the prayer closet more than just making clever messages. The Bible says that God uses “the foolishness of preaching to confound the wise”.