Friday, January 19, 2018

day no. 14,333: clarity, charity and authority in preaching

Three important areas of preaching ministry must be clarity, charity and authority.

The teaching component of preaching is most clearly articulated through careful, thoughtful, linear thinking. If you don't know how you got from A to B, odds are your hearers won't know either. The more work you can do in weaving a thread of continuity into your sermon, the better it will likely find its mark. Many great pearls fall to the floor without a thread to connect them. Our aim is a necklace, not a lot of loose gems. Think it through. You owe it to those who hear you to know what you're going to say and why you're saying it in that order.

The pastoral component of preaching is communicated by charitable compassion. If you don't show that you care about the reception of truth, many ears will be inclined to tell their hearts to ignore your wisdom. Granted, that is not entirely your problem as the preacher, but you can show mercy on distracted, hard-hearted sinners by removing obstacles for them by putting on a charitable disposition that pleads with your people as one who cares about the outcome, not just the information.

Lastly, the sacramental component of preaching is demonstrated by authoritative distribution as a herald on behalf of the great King. Preachers must command their hearers to respond by proclaiming the indicative truth of what God has done and the imperative need to believe His Word. It is the preacher's mission to proclaim what God has done in the indicative tone and then demand that His deeds be believed in the imperative tone. Preachers do not have authority because they are well read or well spoken, although those are certainly desirable attributes. Authority comes from the Author. Do not rob from God's authoritative Word by apologizing for the message or by insisting on sentiments outside the scope of His message.

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