Alan, in Liverpool, one of my preaching students, blessed my heart so much today by sending me a document he has put together which is a resume of what he has learned from my teaching over the last couple of years in a monthly online preachers course. I was so blessed and encouraged I thought I would bless and encourage others also. I share it with his permission and you can download it here if you wish.
John Brand – School for preachers – Brief summary of main points
PREPARATION
- Expository preaching = explains, displays, sets forth the truth of the Word
- Use biblical illustrations – make them relevant
- What, how and why does God say – every passage has a structure – why is the writer saying – look for focal point – find the main theme, don’t impose it – formulate the main theme
- Context determines meaning
- Make the main theme of passage the main theme of message
- Immerse in the passage, engage and know text, meditate, saturate in it – read it over and over – get the big picture, unpack it – absorb detail
- Look for plot, people, (characters) speech – identify the intended audience
- Reflect the authors intentions
- Point out practical applications
- Convey message and meaning of original author- find it – what is it saying – how does it apply to life today and how can I express that people will get it
- Write it as you intend to speak it
- Bring out the purpose of the passage
- Be grabbed by passage
- Have a healthy appetite for the Word – feed and digest and grow up
- The Word of God is means of spiritual birth, growth and maturity (measure) – long for more
- Check attitudes, actions and habits that are sinful – don’t dull appetite – make time to read
- Prepare well, memorize it
INTRODUCTION
- Keep it brief – begin with people not the Bible – they should say ‘why should I listen’
- Start in their world – engage with people – draw them in – wake them up
- Ask a question or make an interesting statement – get them to listen
- Introduce your main theme – create interest in what’s to follow
- Attract and get maximum attention – arouse sense of need, curiosity and interest
- Make them receptive – make them aware they need to listen
- Craft the opening sentence – make it simple, intriguing and maintain eye contact
- Opening message, why should people listen
THE MESSAGE
- Leave stuff out – don’t need to cover everything – don’t make it too broad
- Make it connect with the text – be a word-smith
- Make it audience orientated
- Make it understandable to a seven-year-old – keep it simple and clear
- Teach the mind, touch the heart and target the will
- Use relevant illustration to drive home truth, to inform, instruct, explain and clarify
- Make points part of illustration
- Weave application into message
- Turn the ear into an eye – help them see what they are hearing
- Don’t fill people heads with info – press on their heart’s obedience
- Preachers and listeners need structure
- One truth = one message = one main theme – one point, apply it to their lives
- Point of message must be point of passage – have a point – support it and apply it
- Ask questions that are found in the text
THE PREACHING
- Make it good hearing – make it relevant, memorable, positive and effective
- Make it interesting, specific, pointed, sharp, simple and intriguing
- Address life’s issues – be prescriptive and not descriptive
- Don’t speak in a written style
- Keep eye contact
- Preach from the heart with passion – preach relevance to transform lives
- Preach to paint pictures with words in people’s minds, so they can see it
- Preach with a sense of urgency – persuade people
- Good preaching is with teaching – proclamation, explanation and application
- Show you love, care and are concerned for their good
- Speak gracious words, rooted in love and care
- Have a point, support it and apply it
- Tell them what to believe and how to behave
- Tell them what they have to do – how it can be applied in everyday life
- Relay scripture to what is happening in our world today
- Make sure there is a connection between passage and people
- Be practical – spell it out – instruction, motivation and enablement
- Give them principles they can apply
- Teach them how to do the word, walk them through it – have one main application
- Move them to a decision – plead, appeal and warn them
- Help them see the danger ahead –
- Use words they that people identify with
- Be an ambassador, a messenger, speak on behalf of Christ – “Thus says the Lord”
- He who hears you, hears Me and he who rejects you, rejects Me
ILLUSTRATION
- Turn the ear into an eye – use imagery – paint pictures with words – help them see what they are hearing
- Illuminate the point – use biblical illustrations, make them relevant and more interesting / inspiring
- Use stories from real life
- Illustration drives home truth until it sinks in, it informs, instructs, explains and clarifies.
- Illustration helps preachers connect with their listeners, helps capture and regain interest / attention.
- Illustration helps motivate and convince -it aids recall to the meaning of the passage
THE DELIVERY
- Be a good communicator – make it interesting
- Watch your voice– vary speech, speed, tone, pitch, volume
- Watch your mannerisms, facial expressions, gestures, body language, appearance and posture
- Speak with authority and affection
- Be yourself – be serious – be clear
- Preach from the heart
- Paint pictures with words
- Preach in a way that makes the most impact to transform lives
APPLICATION
- Identify application intended for original readers
- Give them principles they can apply – truths that enable us to put into practice
- Weave in application – have one main application
- Apply one dominant theme to their lives
- Have a point – support it – apply it, to everyday life
- Lesson to be put into practice
- Depend on the Holy Spirit and prayer
CONCLUSION
- Spell out the main theme – review and summarize content
- Gather up main thrust of message
- Leave listeners with an awareness of their response – conclude quickly
- Hammer home the main theme – spell it out
- Help people do something with the message – impress obedience
- Make closing hymn relate to message