This is my essay submitted for my MN-5430 Intro. to Pastoral Ministry.
Introduction
Preaching is a wonderous calling and “a noble task” (1 Tim 3:1).[1] Therefore, the task of preaching must be taken seriously and with reverence to God. Nevertheless, a preacher must have a sermon before he can preach. So, this essay will follow the order of the assigned prompts to elaborate on what preaching must include and entail and its purpose. Then, details of how a sermon is composed and delivered will be discussed. Most importantly, how the gospel of Christ Jesus enlightens every aspect of these works will be shared throughout each point and conclude this essay.
Preaching Includes and Entails
First and foremost, preaching must include the gospel of Christ Jesus.[2] We find the gospel explained in its simplest form in 1 Cor 15:2-4. Paul explains to the church in Corinth that Christians are saved by truly believing in verse two, and “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). All preaching must hang on to this most important truth. Preaching can say more than the gospel and should in order to edify and disciple the flock, but it cannot say less than the gospel.
So, how does one preach the gospel correctly? Dr. Wilson shared in his video lecture that preaching includes a faithful proclamation and a faithful message. As one preaches, being faithful to the gospel enables the preacher to stay true to God’s message for His people. We know the faithful message is the gospel itself. It cannot and should not be about worldly ways with a worldly message. What exactly is faithful proclamation? There are three important aspects to faithfully proclaiming a faithful message. The aspects of faithful proclamation are being spiritually aware, Christologically rich, and powerfully effective.[3]
Faithfully proclaiming spiritual awareness means understanding that humanity is a fallen creature in need of salvation. The only way to salvation is by the grace of God through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9). Man is a depraved creature in his fallen nature and cannot redeem himself no matter how hard he tries. God’s grace provides our salvation by training us to become Christ-like (Titus 2:11-13).
Being Christologically rich while faithfully proclaiming means finding Christ in every message being proclaimed. A preacher does not have to sound the same drum every time he preaches. God’s Word is abundant with examples of Christ’s supernatural offerings. The preacher is to use the wisdom our Lord has provided for knowledge and understanding (Prov 2:6). The gospel is not a formality in ministry philosophy but a means to seek Christ’s provision. Faithfully proclaiming the gospel is powerfully effective. The gospel is not idle. The gospel has the power to transform the dead into the living, which leads us to the purpose of preaching, where this idea will be expanded.
Preaching’s Purpose
The powerful effect of faithfully proclaiming the gospel showcases the purpose of preaching. It is the appearance of God’s glory and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). In his lecture, Dr. Wilson explained that preaching is about raising the dead—God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The purpose of preaching is to enlighten lost souls about their depraved state, that Christ is the only way to redemption, and that there is power in God’s grace.
Faithfully proclaiming these truths not only edifies believers but also allows us to bear witness to the Holy Spirit’s transformation of the spiritual dead. Faithful preaching enables us to praise and recognize the grace God has offered us in our unjust state. So, before a pastor can feed his flock a faithful message, he must develop a faithful message from God’s Word.
A Sermon’s Composition and Delivery
A faithful message to the gospel must start with a text from Scripture. How does a pastor know what text to use? He starts by knowing his flock and what “food” they need to be bolstered up for the glory of God. Spurgeon suggests that the pastor will know what text is correct to preach with the help of a friend.[4] That friend is that warm, goosebumpy feeling a pastor gets from his heart. It seems as though the biblical text picks itself guided by the Holy Spirit. So, the first step of composing a sermon is choosing the biblical text or having it choose you.
Once the text is determined, a sequential process is used to squeeze as much juice as can be gathered from it. The steps involve meditating on the text, which allows God to speak to the heart and mind to find the “big idea,” develop an exegetical outline that defines the primary markers for the idea and provides a skeletal structure, refer to secondary sources for background data (do not lean to heavy on them to avoid plagiarism), refine your progress by drilling down the details, develop a homiletical outline that succinctly and clearly represents the information from the exegetical outline with symmetry, and finally, complete a detailed outline or manuscript for your sermon.[5]
Now that the sermon is composed, how does a pastor deliver it? In Lecture 7, “On Spiritualizing,” in Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon offers many suggestions on how to use one’s natural voice and pitfalls to avoid. Spurgeon advocates for a preacher to “employ spiritualizing within certain limits and boundaries.”[6] I understand this means using emotion and vocalization to make a point stand out for the listeners. He goes on to warn against being monotone throughout one’s preaching, which leads back to spiritualizing as necessary. Also, a preacher should be aware of the volume, or lack of, in his preaching. There are times to be loud and times to be whispery. But, use the vocal chords God gave you to your ability while speaking clearly. It does no good to proclaim the gospel if you cannot be understood.
Also, illustrations and applications are important to clarify and edify the congregation. However, they should be relevant to the message being preached while bringing glory to God. Have God’s glory stand out in front, reminding the people that God’s mercy saves them, not their works or good deeds. The illustrations, along with the points being made, should be limited. Ideally, the sermon’s points should be kept to three to four so as not to lose the congregation’s attention span. The illustrations are best if they are limited, kept on topic, and reasonable.
The Gospel at Work
The gospel of Christ is at work during this entire process of preaching and developing a sermon. The Holy Spirit inspirationally provides a text for us to preach. The gospel is in every text; we must meditate with God to find and understand it. Once we develop the message, it must be faithfully preached with reverence and care by the gifts that God has provided to edify believers and bring unbelievers to Christ by His grace. Because as Paul wrote, “[O]ur great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13-14).
[1] Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016).
[2] Jared C. Wilson, lecture notes for M-MN 5430 Introduction to Pastoral Ministry, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, July 2024.
[3] Wilson, lecture notes.
[4] Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 78.
[5] Jared C. Wilson, Gospel-Driven Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021), 81-88.
[6] Spurgeon, 88.
biblical-insight.com 