Month: May 2008

The fifth and final question I ask is …

5. “How will I say it?” [The Method]

Be practical. If the goal of preaching is changed lives, then application is the primary task of preaching! Knowledge doesn’t change the world, but action does (Luke 10:37. James 1:22). Interpretation of the Bible (what it means) is not enough. We must bring people to application (what they are to do). Exhortation without application leads to frustration. Jesus came to give life, not just information.

Always aim for a specific action (Matthew 28:20). Tell them why – explain the benefits. Show them how. We need far less “ought to” preaching and far more “how to” preaching. “Yes, but how?” People are looking for practical answers. We need clearer application not just deeper interpretation. Don’t be a commentator (content focus). Be a communicator (application focus). Changed lives are the goal, not just explained content.

A “lecturer” speaks about the Bible, is concerned about the facts (literary analysis), and seeks to inform. A “pastoral preacher” speaks from the Bible about the congregation, tells them what God wants from them, and is concerned about people. Life-changing preaching does not talk to the people about the Bible. Instead, it talks to the people about themselves – their questions, hurts, fears and struggles – from the Bible. Preach to people about their lives. Don’t just lecture about a topic.

Finally, be creative. Make the message interesting (Proverbs 15:2. Ecclesiastes 12:10). Saying, “We’re not here to entertain”, sounds spiritual. Our message is too important to present it in a boring manner. “Entertainment” is simply capturing and holding the attention of an extended period of time. We are communicators of the greatest message in the world. It is a sin to bore people with the Bible. People will think that God is boring.

Never make a point without a picture. Have an illustration for every exhortation. A picture or story is better than a definition. A point gets to the head. A story gets to the heart. Use visuals, drama, or role-playing. We live in a visual generation. Get people involved. Use humour. Be interesting, appealing and delightful. Humour relaxes people, it lowers defences, and it creates positive emotion. It’s not a sin to help people feel good.

Learn from others. No one can be brilliant every week. God has called us to be effective, not just original. Listen to good communicators and learn from them. Keep fresh. Ask for feedback.

Conclusion

We must faithfully preach God’s Word by motivating and enabling people to change. There are few things more satisfying in life than knowing you have influenced others in a positive way by helping them reach their potential in God. Yes, you can do it. Preach to change lives!

P.S. For a list of books and resources on the art of preaching, see my list of best preaching books, many of which have been very helpful in my own growth as a speaker and from which I have gleaned many of the insights shared in these blog posts. Also, check out the preaching category on this blog for more tips and thoughts on the topic of preaching.

The fourth question I ask is …

4. “Who is talking?” [The Messenger]

This makes me have a good look at myself. In many ways, as a communicator, you are the message. How you speak is very important – your personal style. Your personal style is a combination of your personality and your attitude. This has a big part in determining the impact of your message.

The basic elements of communication are message content, body language and voice quality. Communication experts tells us that effective communication is 7% content, 55% body language (things such as eye contact, a smile, gestures, dress, and appropriate movement), and 38% voice quality (things such as appropriate volume, pitch, and vocabulary).

When thinking about yourself as the communicator of your message, be enthusiastic. Do you really believe what you’re teaching? Are you excited about it? Do you believe it can change people’s lives? Put life and energy into your message. Inspire people. Make it interesting. Have a great attitude that’s contagious. Do it with excellence. Put a lot into it and show the audience their value.

Be open and personal. Honestly share your struggles, mistakes and weaknesses (2 Corinthians 1:8; 6:11. 1 Thessalonians 2:8). Be transparent. Drop your mask and let people see your heart. Talk about your problems. You’ll get people’s attention. Authenticity and genuineness are attractive. Share who you are and what you are currently learning. Be a model. This is the most effective way to change people. The minister is the message. The Word must become flesh (incarnated). Get people to trust you by being real.

Be encouraging. That’s purpose of God’s message as recorded in the Bible (Rom.15:4) and of everyone who speaks for God (1 Corinthians 14:3). Life is tough. Everyone’s had a tough week. People need their faith reinforced, their hope renewed and their love restored. Don’t tell it like it is. Tell it like it can be. “You have the potential to be … Here’s how.” Lift people to a higher level. Be positive. Jesus came to save, not condemn. He message was good news and so is ours.

The number one factor in communication is like-ability. If people like you, they’ll listen to you. Love them and they’ll like you. What you have to say (content) vs. how you say it (style) – both are important! Be yourself!

[Part 7]

The third question I ask is …

3. “What will I say?” [The Message]

Once you have established your purpose and formulated an objective statement, you are ready to do your research and prepare the content of your message. Purpose first, then content and outline.

Ask yourself what the Bible say about this subject or the audience’s needs. We don’t have to make the Bible relevant. It already is! We have to show its relevance by applying it to people’s needs.

Gather information on your topic from Bible study, personal experience, and other resources (books, articles, statistics, research, or advice from other people). Think of any illustrations that could support your message. Once you’ve done your research, narrow your ideas into a few points. Be brief and concise – keep it fast paced. Eliminate what's unnecessary. Summarise key points.

Next arrange everything into a logical sequence. The basic parts of your message are: (1) the opening or introduction where you gain rapport, generate interest, and establish a need to talk about your topic; (2) the main body of your message (organised around your main objective); and (3) your close or conclusion, where you summaries and call for action and/or a response.

Work on the transitions so that you tie each part together smoothly. Each new point should begin with an overview statement and conclude with a bridging statement to lead the audience to the next point. Help move your listeners from thought to thought with you.

Also, consider the time element. How much time should you give to introduction, body (key points) and conclusion? What is most important? Allocate time according to priority.

[Part 6]

The second question I ask is …

2. “What am I trying to say?” [Purpose]

Purpose is basic and central in preaching. You need a well-understood, clearly articulated and biblically justifiable purpose for your message. It is on this that you plan and execute everything you do when you preach. Whatever you do in a sermon, you should do consciously and deliberately to achieve some purpose. Everything should have its objective and you ought to know what that is.

Your purpose may be to inform, to equip, convince, or to motivate. It addresses what people should learn, believe, disbelieve or do. What do you want them to know or do?

If you can't write the objective of your speech in a single sentence, then either you're trying to say too much or you don't know what you're talking about. If you don't know what you're aiming at, you'll be sure to hit it. You will never be effective unless you know exactly what you want to accomplish with your message and thoroughly plan your strategy for achieving that goal.

Prayerfully choose a subject, then a central theme, and then narrow that down to a clear objective. Most topical messages are either in the form of an obligation message – ‘You should …’ or an enabling message – ‘You can …’ The logical question for the first is ‘Why?’ while the obvious question in response to the second is ‘How?’ For example, you might speak a message with an objective of communicating the message ‘You should pray’ and then you’ll show people why. Or you might speak on ‘You can be free from worry’ and the message will teach people how.

Whatever you speak on, it is essential that you have a clear purpose for your message and a single objective that you are trying to accomplish. Everything you then do or say in your message needs to contribute to this overall goal.

[Part 5]

Every time I prepare to speak, I ask myself five questions. Let’s begin with the first question.

1. “Who am I speaking to?” [The Audience]

When preparing to speak, I always start with my audience. Who am I speaking to? The first question is not “What do I speak on?” It is “Who am I speaking to and what are their needs?” The goal of teaching is to move people from where they are to where they need to be. Where do we start? Where they are!

We should always begin with: the patient, not the medicine; the student, not the curriculum; the customer, not the product; and the audience, not the message. Preachers at times are the only group who don’t do this! Something can be good in and of itself, yet irrelevant if it doesn’t match the needs of those being spoken to. Jesus always started where people were, not with the next lesson in his Scripture reading. The majority of his teaching to the crowd began with their needs. This determined his preaching agenda (Luke 4:18-19). We should do the same. The aim is to find ‘common ground’ (1 Corinthians 9:22-23) so you can speak words that will be helpful and beneficial (Ephesians 4:29).

Who are you speaking to? Think of your listeners right from the beginning. If you don't meet a real need, then your message is a waste of time. A message that is specific is much more powerful than a general motivational message. For every sermon we preach, people are asking, “Am I interested in that subject or not?” If they aren't, it doesn't matter how effective our delivery is, they won’t be attentive nor will they benefit from the message, no matter how good we think it is.

Ask questions about things such as people’s needs, problems, stresses, challenges, hurts, and interest. Get appropriate and relevant information. Do all you can to know all you can about your audience. Take a survey of your congregation or of the needs in your community – “I wish someone would preach about …”

If we don’t do this step well, then we will be scratching where people aren’t itching!

[Part 4]

Jesus was a master communicator and therefore he is our model for preaching to change lives. Jesus was the greatest speaker, teacher and communicator who ever existed. He spoke to large audiences in places like the synagogues, the mountainside, the seaside, and in the streets. He addressed small groups such as the Pharisees who liked to debate him, the disciples who wanted to learn from him, and his friends such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus who conversed with him about their daily needs. He also spent time one-on-one with people like the Samaritan woman and the rich young ruler.

Jesus was always prepared and he spoke with authority and confidence. So much so that the people were often amazed at his teaching (Matthew 7:28-29). He used simple language (not shallow, but easy to understand) yet the awed the educated. He used a variety of techniques (parables, object lessons – coin, analogies, humour, role models, questioning, and lectures). No wonder the Gospel writers tell us that the common people heard him gladly – they listened to him with delight (Mark 12:37).

In John 12:49, Jesus tells us that the Father told him what to say (the content of his message) and how to say it (the delivery style of his message). Both of these are important. Through learning from Jesus, the disciples gained confidence in speaking even though lacking in formal education (Acts 4:13).

The objective of our communication is not oratory or brilliant speech but to make the message clear so that people can respond (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). The great commission commands us all to be teachers of the gospel and of God's ways of living. There must be a balance between our preparation (skill) and our dependence on the Holy Spirit (anointing).

Tomorrow we’ll begin looking at five questions I ask myself every time I prepare to speak.

[Part 3]

A healthy growing church has good leadership and good teaching. It is well-led and well-fed. There is clear vision and change is occurring in people's lives. Teaching heats up the church’s values. It is like a rudder that steers the church in the right direction. What do you want to see happen in your church? Teach it into existence. Teaching is an important factor in church health and growth.

Preaching and communicating the message of Christ is to be a vital part of every church and ministry (see Luke 4:18. Mark 16:15. Acts 2:42. Romans 1:15. 1 Corinthians 9:16. 1 Timothy 4:13. 2 Timothy 4:1-5). Evangelist D.L. Moody once said, “The best way to revive a church is to build a fire in the pulpit!”

Our desire as ministers is to be clear communicators anointed by the Holy Spirit to impart truth that will bring godly change to people's lives. People come to church with a desire to hear a message that is both practical and relevant to their life situation. Learning to communicate better will pay off in every area of church life. Good preaching enhances your leadership skills, gains respect and credibility, and enables you to help bring about change in people's lives.

Some people have a God-given gift of teaching. How do you know if you have this gift ? I once heard Bill Hybels share five indicators that you have the teaching gift. Here they are:

1. You sense a positive anticipation towards the preparation of a message and the communication experience itself.
2. You enjoy the wonder of discovering truth and the creativity of working through how best to communicate it.
3. You have an unusual confidence in the power of God’s Word.
4. You receive regular uninvited affirmation from others after you have spoken.
5. You sense a quiet affirmation of the Holy Spirit after you have spoken.

Although only some people have the gift of teaching, each one of us can learn and grow in our ability to speak well. Preaching and teaching are gifts but they can be developed. You can preach, enjoy doing it, and do it well by blessing people through your message. Keep learning and improve your God-given abilities. Presidents have speaking coaches. Speaking is not a natural skill yet doing it right is important and essential to our success as a minister.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Jesus as our model for communicating in such a way as to help change people’s lives.

[Part 2]