2023
ART OF PREACHING
PASTORAL TEACHING SUMMARY
BIM-KENYA
1/24/2023
,Chapter 1 – Homiletics
Introduction
Preaching the Word of God is among the greatest privileges entrusted to man. It is also one of his
greatest responsibilities.
Through the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor 1:21), God has chosen to reveal Himself to men. This
knowledge of God, conveyed through preaching, is able to lead men to eternal salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ. It is also able to transform them into the image and likeness of God (2Cor
3:18). These pages are the simple basic principles of preaching. They are intended primarily for
those thousands of fine church leaders whose circumstances have denied them the training to
develop their latent skills.
The notes were originally prepared for the students of the "Africa Christian Training School" in
Harare, Zimbabwe.
"I would also like to acknowledge the insight and inspiration I received from reading "Notes on
Homiletics" by Aaron Linford (England).
Seven years of ministry in Africa has brought me into contact with thousands of pastors and
church leaders; most have never had the opportunity of any formal training in the art of preaching
and teaching. They have not been able to study the principles of preaching; consequently, their
abilities and skills are largely undeveloped. Their limitations in this area have impoverished
congregations. An adequate preaching ministry is essential to the growth and spiritual development
of a congregation. It is to these fine men that this simple training is lovingly dedicated. The art of
preaching is called
"HOMILETICS,” derived from the Greek words homileo and homilia, which mean "to be in
company with, i.e., to converse, and communicate".
Acts 20:11 is based on homileo. Note how it is translated in The Living Bible: "They all went back
upstairs and ate the Lord’s S upper together; then Paul preached [homileo] another long sermon
-so it was dawn when he finally left them!"
Homiletics involves the study of everything related to the art of preaching sermons. Good sermons
(communication) are birthed out of good communion (companionship) and fellowship.
There are two distinct aspects involved in preaching: Firstly, the divine; secondly, the human.
Homiletics is the study of the human aspect!
,A. HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE
Preaching is the art of communicating divine truth through human personality. A preacher is
essentially a communicator. He receives truth from God and communicates it effectively to men.
God gives the revelation; man provides the presentation.
In order to do this effectively, he must learn to do several things well.
1. Wait On God
Firstly, he must learn how to wait on God. The preacher must learn how to be still in the presence
of
God, and discern the voice of the Lord speaking within his own spirit. (See Sections A2.l and A2.2
of World MAP's book The Shepherd's Staff for more instructions on this.)
Every worthwhile sermon begins in the heart and mind of God, Who is the source of all truth. He
is the fountain of all knowledge. The effective preacher's first task is to learn to receive the thoughts
of God. Rarely will he ever hear an audible voice of God.
Divine truth will distill quietly in his spirit like the morning dew. The prospective preacher must
wait patiently in the presence of God. There he will receive the precious thoughts and truths that
God is always willing to share with those who seek Him diligently.
It is good to make a habit of spending time in God's presence. Set aside some portion of every day
to enter the presence of God and wait patiently on Him. You will soon learn how to perceive the
voice of God speaking quietly in your spirit.
We should not enter God’s presence with the sole idea of "getting a sermon." We need to enter
God's presence firstly to expose ourselves regularly to the scrutiny and counsel of God.
Rushing into His presence with an urgency which "needs a sermon for tomorrow" is certainly _not
an attitude of heart that can receive the wonderful truths of God. We should allow truth an
opportunity to have its effect on us before we endeavor to share it with others.
2. Study The Bible
Ideally, the preacher should come before God with his Bible in hand. Make time to sit quietly and
patiently before God in this way. Ask for illumination and inspiration on His Word.
Prayerfully seek out the counsel, wisdom and instructions of the Lord in His Word. Spread out the
Bible before you and read it in His presence.
Sometimes it is good to follow a regular pattern of reading, beginning where you left off the
previous day. This helps you to go consistently through the Bible, instead of reading here and there
and neglecting large portions of the Scriptures.
At other times, you may seek some prompting of the Spirit as to where you should read. In this
way, you do not get into a rut.
, 3. Keep A Notebook
A notebook in which to record the thoughts and ideas that come to your mind in these times of
quiet waiting is essential. It is amazing how quickly one may forget the most wonderful truth, if
the thought is not recorded while it is fresh in your mind.
Practice writing down every significant thought which comes to mind as you prayerfully read the
Scriptures. If a theme suggests itself to you, follow it through as far as you can, and jot down
everything you can on the subject. In this way, you will soon develop a good source of sermon
material.
Read through the notebook every once in a while. The thoughts will begin to expand in your
heart. You will find that some themes will occupy your mind for weeks, expanding continually
as you meditate on them.
Get into the habit of talking to the Lord about His Word. When there are things you do not
understand, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning to you. Ask for the spirit of revelation (Eph
1:17).
Then learn to wait quietly and patiently before God as He gently directs the answers into your
spirit. Record them as they come to you. Get the truth down in your note- book. Don't trust them
merely to memory. Even the best memory is strengthened by writing things down.
4. Be Cleansed By The Word
Try to avoid the attitude that seeks a word from God so that you can preach about it on Sunday
morning. Do not always be looking for spiritual bullets that you can fire at someone. Recognize
the primary need of your own heart. Let God deal with your heart through His Word and by His
Spirit. Let the Word wash and cleanse you first.
Sharing what God has spoken to you about in the way of cleansing and correction is some of the
best preaching there is.
It is important for you to feed your own soul. One of the traps that preachers can fall into is this:
they are so intent on finding food for their congregation that their own spiritual welfare is
neglected.
This is one of the hazards of the ministry. The thought is expressed this way in Song of Solomon
1:6: "...they made me the keeper of the vine- yard s, but mine own vineyard have I not kept."
Sometimes a pastor may be so involved in looking after the spiritual welfare of his flock that he
sadly neglects his own spiritual well-being. This is one of the prime reasons that ministers fail. A
minister cannot afford to neglect his own spiritual life.
ART OF PREACHING
PASTORAL TEACHING SUMMARY
BIM-KENYA
1/24/2023
,Chapter 1 – Homiletics
Introduction
Preaching the Word of God is among the greatest privileges entrusted to man. It is also one of his
greatest responsibilities.
Through the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor 1:21), God has chosen to reveal Himself to men. This
knowledge of God, conveyed through preaching, is able to lead men to eternal salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ. It is also able to transform them into the image and likeness of God (2Cor
3:18). These pages are the simple basic principles of preaching. They are intended primarily for
those thousands of fine church leaders whose circumstances have denied them the training to
develop their latent skills.
The notes were originally prepared for the students of the "Africa Christian Training School" in
Harare, Zimbabwe.
"I would also like to acknowledge the insight and inspiration I received from reading "Notes on
Homiletics" by Aaron Linford (England).
Seven years of ministry in Africa has brought me into contact with thousands of pastors and
church leaders; most have never had the opportunity of any formal training in the art of preaching
and teaching. They have not been able to study the principles of preaching; consequently, their
abilities and skills are largely undeveloped. Their limitations in this area have impoverished
congregations. An adequate preaching ministry is essential to the growth and spiritual development
of a congregation. It is to these fine men that this simple training is lovingly dedicated. The art of
preaching is called
"HOMILETICS,” derived from the Greek words homileo and homilia, which mean "to be in
company with, i.e., to converse, and communicate".
Acts 20:11 is based on homileo. Note how it is translated in The Living Bible: "They all went back
upstairs and ate the Lord’s S upper together; then Paul preached [homileo] another long sermon
-so it was dawn when he finally left them!"
Homiletics involves the study of everything related to the art of preaching sermons. Good sermons
(communication) are birthed out of good communion (companionship) and fellowship.
There are two distinct aspects involved in preaching: Firstly, the divine; secondly, the human.
Homiletics is the study of the human aspect!
,A. HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE
Preaching is the art of communicating divine truth through human personality. A preacher is
essentially a communicator. He receives truth from God and communicates it effectively to men.
God gives the revelation; man provides the presentation.
In order to do this effectively, he must learn to do several things well.
1. Wait On God
Firstly, he must learn how to wait on God. The preacher must learn how to be still in the presence
of
God, and discern the voice of the Lord speaking within his own spirit. (See Sections A2.l and A2.2
of World MAP's book The Shepherd's Staff for more instructions on this.)
Every worthwhile sermon begins in the heart and mind of God, Who is the source of all truth. He
is the fountain of all knowledge. The effective preacher's first task is to learn to receive the thoughts
of God. Rarely will he ever hear an audible voice of God.
Divine truth will distill quietly in his spirit like the morning dew. The prospective preacher must
wait patiently in the presence of God. There he will receive the precious thoughts and truths that
God is always willing to share with those who seek Him diligently.
It is good to make a habit of spending time in God's presence. Set aside some portion of every day
to enter the presence of God and wait patiently on Him. You will soon learn how to perceive the
voice of God speaking quietly in your spirit.
We should not enter God’s presence with the sole idea of "getting a sermon." We need to enter
God's presence firstly to expose ourselves regularly to the scrutiny and counsel of God.
Rushing into His presence with an urgency which "needs a sermon for tomorrow" is certainly _not
an attitude of heart that can receive the wonderful truths of God. We should allow truth an
opportunity to have its effect on us before we endeavor to share it with others.
2. Study The Bible
Ideally, the preacher should come before God with his Bible in hand. Make time to sit quietly and
patiently before God in this way. Ask for illumination and inspiration on His Word.
Prayerfully seek out the counsel, wisdom and instructions of the Lord in His Word. Spread out the
Bible before you and read it in His presence.
Sometimes it is good to follow a regular pattern of reading, beginning where you left off the
previous day. This helps you to go consistently through the Bible, instead of reading here and there
and neglecting large portions of the Scriptures.
At other times, you may seek some prompting of the Spirit as to where you should read. In this
way, you do not get into a rut.
, 3. Keep A Notebook
A notebook in which to record the thoughts and ideas that come to your mind in these times of
quiet waiting is essential. It is amazing how quickly one may forget the most wonderful truth, if
the thought is not recorded while it is fresh in your mind.
Practice writing down every significant thought which comes to mind as you prayerfully read the
Scriptures. If a theme suggests itself to you, follow it through as far as you can, and jot down
everything you can on the subject. In this way, you will soon develop a good source of sermon
material.
Read through the notebook every once in a while. The thoughts will begin to expand in your
heart. You will find that some themes will occupy your mind for weeks, expanding continually
as you meditate on them.
Get into the habit of talking to the Lord about His Word. When there are things you do not
understand, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning to you. Ask for the spirit of revelation (Eph
1:17).
Then learn to wait quietly and patiently before God as He gently directs the answers into your
spirit. Record them as they come to you. Get the truth down in your note- book. Don't trust them
merely to memory. Even the best memory is strengthened by writing things down.
4. Be Cleansed By The Word
Try to avoid the attitude that seeks a word from God so that you can preach about it on Sunday
morning. Do not always be looking for spiritual bullets that you can fire at someone. Recognize
the primary need of your own heart. Let God deal with your heart through His Word and by His
Spirit. Let the Word wash and cleanse you first.
Sharing what God has spoken to you about in the way of cleansing and correction is some of the
best preaching there is.
It is important for you to feed your own soul. One of the traps that preachers can fall into is this:
they are so intent on finding food for their congregation that their own spiritual welfare is
neglected.
This is one of the hazards of the ministry. The thought is expressed this way in Song of Solomon
1:6: "...they made me the keeper of the vine- yard s, but mine own vineyard have I not kept."
Sometimes a pastor may be so involved in looking after the spiritual welfare of his flock that he
sadly neglects his own spiritual well-being. This is one of the prime reasons that ministers fail. A
minister cannot afford to neglect his own spiritual life.
