Delivery

Don’t Preach Lazy Apologetics

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Yesterday I attended a day conference about the resurrection held in Westminster Chapel.  NT Wright and Gary Habermas were the speakers, along with a brief session with Antony Flew.  He is the British philosopher who caused a real stir a few years ago by giving up his atheistic position to state that the evidence had convinced him of the existence of God.  His position is essentially deist, but he was asked what it would take for him to accept the deity of Jesus.  “Well, I suppose it would take something on the magnitude of what you’re talking about today, an otherwise impossible thing like a resurrection from the dead.”  When asked the same question about the Holy Spirit, his response was the same – “If the resurrection is true then everything else would come with it.”

Here is a non-Christian thinking more clearly about Christianity than many Christians.  How easy it is for us to slip into a very lazy apologetic, either directly or in testimony.  It goes along the lines of, “Obviously I can’t prove my faith, it’s like a leap in the dark really, but you just believe and then you know it is true.”

This easter season, let’s be sure to clearly communicate that the Christian faith is founded very firmly on historical fact.  The biblical record carries an unparalleled historicity.  If Jesus rose from the dead, then the implications are massive, but if he didn’t really rise, then let’s give up and do something else with our lives.  As preachers we are in the prime position to communicate the facts of easter and that the Christian message is not an invitation to take a leap into the dark.  As preachers we may also need to sensitively follow up on a testimony given by someone else that both affirms them, but also clarifies that actually Christianity is based and built on fact.

Saying the Text’s Something

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You have a text, maybe more, but certainly one.  You study it.  You determine what it’s purpose was and the author’s idea.  Then you consider your congregation and the purpose of preaching the sermon.  You shape the idea, then the sermon and preach.  Simple really.  But there are some traps we easily fall into.  Here are a couple to consider:

Don’t Overqualify.  Often the text will be saying something quite strong.  We want to make sure we’re not misunderstood or somehow imbalanced, so we qualify it.  This text says this.  But don’t forget that other text that says that, and the other that says something else.  Before we know it, we’ve overqualified the message and the force of the sermon has been dissipated like replacing a bullet with two dozen marshmallows.  There are times when we must communicate careful balancing of a potentially misunderstandable idea.  Generally though, don’t overqualify a message and end up saying nothing.  A lot of balancing can come through future preaching of other texts.

Don’t Overteach.  It’s easy to cram a perfectly good message with extra information that would be best suited in perfectly good other messages.  Either we can try to dump every scrap of exegetical inquiry into the message, or we can cram too many ideas into a one-idea time slot.  “Seven great lessons from the book of whatever” would generally be more effective as seven separate sermons.  Once the ideas start to pile up, people will either synthesize the message in their own way (over which you have no real influence), or they will take one “nugget” and ignore the rest (and that nugget may be a merely anecdotal illustration), or they will simply take away nothing.  Generally speaking, don’t overteach in a message so that in saying lots, people actually take home little to nothing.

Don’t try to say everything.  Don’t try to say lots of things.  Don’t risk the people getting nothing.  Say something.  Say the something the text pushes you towards.  Say the text’s something and try to say it well.

Banish Boredom from the Sermon

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

They say that people no longer want to sit through a boring traditional sermon.  I don’t agree.  I don’t think people ever wanted to sit through a boring sermon.  Fred Craddock suggests that boredom is a form of evil, and I agree with Haddon Robinson that it is a sin to bore people with the Bible.  Take a moment to self-evaluate – are your sermons ever boring?

Boredom is partly a contagious attitude.  Somehow we have to make sure that we don’t find the sermon or its content boring.  The danger is always present since we spend hours working on the passage and sermon before preaching it.  Actually, I think the danger is often the opposite: that we get distracted by other things and fail to spend the necessary time in preparation.  Generally, the more time I spend preparing in a passage, the more excited I get about it (unless I’m trying to force it into some sermon form).  Whatever the cause, make sure you are not bored with the passage, the ministry, the routine, even subconsciously, or else it will contagiously spread to your listeners!

Boredom can be overcome.  During preparation, scan your outline or manuscript with a boring meter.  Note the parts of the message that are somewhat boring.  At these points overcome the problem before it occurs.  Engage the imagination in description or illustration.  Consider contemporary ways to communicate the ancient truth.  Can a story be used that will drive the message forward?  Is it a moment to reveal something slightly personal?  How does the text affect me – can I let that show?  Would it be helpful and appropriate to season the sermon with a hint of humor?

Enthusiasm and imagination are keys to unlocking boredom from a sermon, but try to overcome the problem ahead of time.  Try to avoid discovering the sermon is boring by the facial feedback of a disconnecting congregation.  It’s far easier to fix in the study than in the service!

Preaching Like Parenting?

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We have been blessed with four wonderful children.  As a father I am very aware of my influence on my children.  Perhaps you’ve heard something along the lines of, “a child’s view of God is largely shaped by their experience with their Dad.”  If their Dad is cold and aloof, this will leave a mark on their spiritual perception.  If their Dad is harsh and legalistic, a different mark is left.  If this is true, and I believe it is, it places a huge burden of responsibility on parents.

I wonder whether this is also true of us as preachers?  Not only do we present God’s Word to people by way of explanation and application, but we also represent God to people.  I would suggest the parents of children leave a deeper mark in those early years than anyone, but still, as preachers we are marking our listeners.  What mark will we leave today?

As well as what we say, we need to think about how we say it.  What is our tone and attitude during preaching?  Just like a parent, we will do harm if we are always harsh and legalistic in our tone.  We don’t help if we constantly demonstrate fear that our charges might hurt themselves.  Equally, we do not help if we are always fun and light-hearted either.

Let’s pray that today, as we head to church, we will represent God well.  In the pulpit, and out of it.  Let’s make sure people get the subconscious impression that the God we know and represent is loving, gracious, inviting, and welcoming, as well as clear on what is right and wrong.  Perhaps preaching, like parenting, is something of a mystery when you consider how much influence God has entrusted to such fallible and weak creatures as you and I!

Don’t Dress Up Non-Preaching In Bible Dress

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you have something to share that is not the normal biblical sermon.  Perhaps you have an announcement to make, a vision to cast, an update on the new building project, some other leadership issue to address.  Even though you are in church, don’t automatically attach a Bible text.

Typically, if not always, there will be a biblical basis for what is being communicated or done.  It is obviously fine to share that, but make it clear that is not an authoritative warrant for the action.  For example, you can present a biblical basis for fellowship, but don’t leverage that biblical content to add pressure for attending a church social event.  There are biblical examples of God’s people working together on a building project, but that is not divine pressure for your people to sign up to the current project.  It is fine to give some biblical support, but evaluate if it is really fair and helpful.

Don’t automatically attach a Bible text.  Just because you’re in church doesn’t mean every announcement has to be “sanctified” in this way.  Let people evaluate what they hear on its own merits, not with the unnecessary pressure of apparent biblical warrant.  This is not a hard and fast rule, it’s a judgment call.  If the church is following through on church discipline, I would strongly suggest you do give a biblical explanation for the procedure.  But for a social event, just take the pressure off and let them choose!

I Can’t Use The Word “Sensitivity” For This

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Yesterday I wrote about careful and considered sensitivity toward diverse groups within the congregation. I deliberately left out a very significant group and would like to mention them today. Problem is, I can’t call it “strengthened by sensitivity – part 2.” I don’t really want to open the can of worms relating to seeker sensitive church models. There are strengths and weaknesses in all these approaches to church, but I don’t want to make us think of that right now.

I want us to think about the next congregation we will speak to, those individuals sitting in the chairs and listening to us preach. Among them there may well be non-Christians. We need to be careful in what we say. As Nathan suggested in his comment yesterday, “Sometimes we pepper our messages with phrases like, “You know the story about Japheth…”, or, “But we as Christians….” These phrases can unintentionally make the non-Christians feel like what we’re saying doesn’t apply to them, and that we’re oblivious to their presence among us. It can also give the impression that church is like a graduate course that requires a bunch of prerequisite courses in order to track along.”

So take a moment to think through who may be there tomorrow. Pray for them. Prayerfully consider whether there are elements in the sermon that could require too much background, or anything that could be misunderstood, or might imply something you don’t intend (in reference to outsiders, or the gospel, etc.)

Let’s pray that tomorrow, whether we are being overtly evangelistic or not, many non-Christians will respond to the captivating work of the Spirit of God and spark celebrations in heaven!

Strengthened by Sensitivity

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Sensitivity can really strengthen a sermon.  If it is overdone it can also neutralize a sermon, but well-placed and well-worded sensitivity is well worth the extra thought it takes.  If the text was originally targeted at one specific type of person (such as the early chapters of Proverbs targeted at young males), perhaps a careful comment or two can open up its relevance to a wider audience.  Or in your illustrations and applications, perhaps another one is needed to include a group that may feel excluded.  Or when the subject can feel sensitive to some, a careful acknowledgement of that is well worth considering.  For example:

Singles.  A lot of biblical stories and teaching relates to marriage, either human or the relational image of God and His people.  For some singles in the church, this can be hard to take.  Sensitivity to their feelings can really help.

Childless.  It is natural and easy to relate stories of your own children, but for some in the church this can be painful since they remain childless.  Be especially careful in biblical stories where God has “closed the womb” as a form of discipline.

Women.  It is definitely worth being sensitive to the existence, worth and ability of women.  Make sure your illustrations don’t always default to male imagery, male characters, and male thinking patterns.  As ever, too much is generally not appreciated by men or women, but deliberate well-placed sensitivity is well worth the effort.

The elderly.  High energy practical applications for hectic families and workplace interactions can easily miss the elderly who no longer have a full nest, a full work schedule or even a full tank of energy.

The unemployed.  In our desire to be relevant to the majority, we can easily apply the sermon in respect to work life.  There may be some wrestling with the reality of unemployment and the many feelings that come with that.  They probably don’t want to be put in the spotlight, but will sense your sensitivity.

So five groups of people that can easily feel left out or even hurt by insensitivity from the pulpit.  Any other groups we should be aware of in our sermon preparation?  A well-placed and well-worded comment here and there, an extra illustration from daily life, and our sermons will be strengthened by sensitivity.

Rumors of Commentaries

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

When I get to listen to a sermon, I sometimes pick up on a commentary vibe.  That is, a sense that the preacher has been spending some time in the commentaries.  Sometimes it is overt references to “the commentators” or a specific commentary (I am describing what I hear, not affirming the practice of citing and quoting the commentaries).  Other times it is a series of background facts that feel like they’ve come from some time in the books.

On the positive side I am always glad to know the speaker has been working in preparation for the sermon.  I’d much rather have somebody who has prepared responsibly than someone who is “winging it” without humble reference to “experts” in the field.

On the negative side I sometimes get a feeling of concern.  It’s hard to pinpoint, but it’s a feeling of concern nonetheless.  I wonder whether the commentaries have been conversation partners in the personal study of the text, or crutches leant on to short-cut the process of exegesis.  I wonder whether the commentaries have simulated wrestling with the structure and flow of the text and consequently the sermon, or whether they have merely furnished a dissected structure on which to hang the broken pieces of a partial sermon.

I thank God for commentaries and good commentators.  We are so blessed today with access to these reference works.  I think it is either arrogance or stupidity that would lead us to ignore them in sermon preparation (provided we are blessed with access to them).  However, they are just one part of our preparation.  We have to wrestle with the text, with its flow of thought, its meaning, its purpose, its idea.  We have to wrestle with the sermon purpose, its idea, its strategy, its structure, its flow, etc.

Commentary study alone will provide a veritable pile of tidbits that can easily fill the sermon time.  But remember that as the preacher, our job is not to fill sermon time, but to prayerfully, carefully, and personally develop a sermon that faithfully explains and relevantly applies the text for our specific congregation.

Vulnerable Time

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

I recently spoke to a preacher after he had preached and thanked him for his ministry.  I asked how he felt about it.  To my surprise he said something like, “Oh, I never think about it, the job is done and I move on.”  If that is true, it is strange.  I suspect most preachers are full of feelings after they’ve preached.

Positive Feelings – Every now and then comes that feeling of having really nailed the message!  It’s a great feeling, but probably the rare.  It can be accompanied by high energy or a sense of being wiped out.

Negative Feelings – If you are like me, then these are much more common!  The feeling of having fallen short, failed to fully communicate something or connect as you had hoped.

The Truth – The truth is that these post-sermon feelings can be very deceptive.  We have to try to rest in our Lord, not our perceptions about the ministry.  It probably was not as negative as it felt, so rest in Him.  Or it may not have been as effective as it felt, again, rest in Him.

The Danger – There are several dangers for those of us who have a feeling or two after preaching.  It is easy to take offence, to give offence, to miscommunicate or to misunderstand.  For that hour hanging around the church building after the service, and the first few hours after getting home, be careful.  Don’t get too caught up in any conversation.  Don’t try to make big decisions.  Try to smile, engage with your family and enjoy your lunch (accepting that every other home may well be eating roast pastor!)

You may want to share this post with your spouse, or slip it to that person in the church that always chooses Sunday after church to pick a fight with you about something.  It would be nice if people could leave the feedback for a day or two, but they probably don’t understand.  Whether your feelings are positive or negative or a confusing mixture of both, post-sermon is vulnerable time!

Most Illustrations Need More Time

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

Robinson and other instructors teach a hierarchy of illustrative materials.  In a simplified four-level hierarchy the list would be as follows:

Level 1 illustrations come from the experience of both the speaker and listeners.

Level 2 illustrations come from the experience of the listeners, but the speaker has to learn about them since they have not personally experienced the same.

Level 3 illustrations come from the experience of the speaker, but must be learned by the listeners.

Level 4 illustrations lie outside the experience of both speaker and listener.

Level 1 illustrations can be brief and passing, but don’t have to be.  The experience of joining the shortest line of people, but ending up in the slowest is probably one we’ve all experienced at some point.  That kind of life situation is easy to include and can connect quickly with listeners.  However, even here, it is important to remember that images take time to form in the minds of listeners, so it may be worth adding some detail and taking some extra time.

Lower level illustrations need more time in delivery.  If people need to learn about something in order to get the illustration, then the illustration must take more time.  A throw-away line about a movie, a historical event, a personal experience of yours, and so on will not form in the minds of the listeners and so will either be missed or create confusion.  Be sure to take the extra thirty seconds, minute or longer to make sure you are actually communicating as you speak.  Alternatively try to use a level 1 or 2 illustration since it will probably be more effective anyway!

Lower level illustrations need more time in preparation.  If you are speaking outside your own experience, then you must take the time to learn what you are talking about.  Extra research!  For instance, if you are single but want to give a “married” illustration of some kind, it would be worth talking to a couple of married folks to be sure you communicate accurately.  Or if you have experienced something but the listeners haven’t, it might be worth checking with a couple of folks to make sure what they hear is what you intend (for instance when you refer to an aspect of your job or ministry).

We probably would do well to take extra time on most illustrations and pieces of support material.  However, as you move down the levels, more time becomes a necessity.  Not only in delivery, but also in preparation.