3 WAYS TO PLAN YOUR PREACHING
What pastors do to keep their preaching fresh, balanced, and useful.
Marshall Shelley
April 1, 1983
Author H. G. Wells, whose active mind created The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and War of the Worlds, knew how precious creative thoughts are. "Most people think once or twice in a lifetime," he observed. "I've made a reputation of thinking once or twice a month." Pastors, however, are expected not only to think but to deliver powerful ideas once, twice, even three times a week. It's enough to pale both rosy-cheeked seminarians and ruddy veterans. What is the secret of communicating the Word of God to the people of God without them becoming tired of God? Parents who love their children try to provide food that's both healthy and tasty. Pastors, too, are in the business of feeding the family. After interviewing pastors from a wide range of denominations, a consensus emerged: balanced diets don't just happen. Pastors must plan a nutritious menu. Part of the planning problem is the complex role of the sermon. A sermon, like a Swiss army knife, must handle a variety of jobs. Consider the varied preaching models in the Bible. John the Baptist demanded repentance and baptism. Jesus, in Luke 4, read a passage of Scripture and explained it; on the mount, he talked about lifestyle. Peter, at Pentecost, interpreted current events in the light of prophecy. Paul debated the existence of God with secular philosophers and corrected bad doctrine in struggling churches. Likewise, today's sermons must play multiple roles. Preachers are caught somewhere between Paul's resolve to "know nothing but Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2) and his equal satisfaction in preaching "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Modern sermons waver between the evangelistic and the educational. They must both engage unbelievers and enrich the faithful. They ...
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