INTERNATIONAL EDITION

January / February / March 2001

 A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
PREACHING by Gerald Rowlands
Chapter 1
Homiletics

Introduction I would also like to acknowl- which mean "to be in company

Preaching the Word of God is edge the insight and inspiration I with, i.e., to converse, and com-
among the greatest privileges received from reading "Notes on municate".
entrusted to man. It is also one of Homiletics" by Aaron Linford Acts 20:11 is based on homileo.
his greatest responsibilities. (England). Note how it is translated in The
Through the foolishness of Seven years of ministry in Living Bible: "They all went back
preaching (1Cor 1:21), God has Africa has brought me into contact upstairs and ate the Lord's Supper
chosen to reveal Himself to men. with thousands of pastors and together; then Paul preached
This knowledge of God, conveyed church leaders; most have never [homileo] another long sermon — so
through preaching, is able to lead had the opportunity of any formal it was dawn when he finally left
men to eternal salvation through training in the art of preaching and them!"
faith in Jesus Christ. It is also able teaching. They have not been able Homiletics involves the study
to transform them into the image to study the principles of preach- of everything related to the art of
and likeness of God (2Cor 3:18). ing; consequently, their abilities preaching sermons. Good sermons
These pages are the simple and skills are largely undeveloped. (communication) are birthed out of
basic principles of preaching. They Their limitations in this area good communion (companion-
are intended primarily for those have impoverished congregations. ship) and fellowship.
thousands of fine church leaders An adequate preaching ministry is There are two distinct aspects
whose circumstances have denied essential to the growth and spiritu- involved in preaching: Firstly, the
them the training to develop their al development of a congregation. divine; secondly, the human.
latent skills. It is to these fine men that this sim- Homiletics is the study of the
The notes were originally pre- ple training is lovingly dedicated. human aspect!
pared for the students of the The art of preaching is called
"Africa Christian Training School" "HOMILETICS," derived from the A. HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE
in Harare, Zimbabwe. Greek words homileo and homilia, Preaching is the art of commu-
2/ACTS
nicating divine truth through task is to learn to receive the an urgency which "needs a sermon
human personality. A preacher is thoughts of God. Rarely will he for tomorrow" is certainly not an
essentially a communicator. He ever hear an audible voice of God. attitude of heart that can receive
receives truth from God and com- Divine truth will distill quietly the wonderful truths of God. We
municates it effectively to men. in his spirit like the morning dew. should allow truth an opportunity
God gives the revelation; man The prospective preacher must to have its effect on us before we
provides the presentation. wait patiently in the presence of endeavor to share it with others.
In order to do this effectively, God. There he will receive the pre-
he must learn to do several things cious thoughts and truths that God 2. Study The Bible
well. is always willing to share with Ideally, the preacher should
those who seek Him diligently. come before God with his Bible in
1. Wait On God It is good to make a habit of hand. Make time to sit quietly and
Firstly, he must learn how to spending time in God's presence. patiently before God in this way.
wait on God. The preacher must Set aside some portion of every Ask for illumination and inspira-
learn how to be still in the presence day to enter the presence of God tion on His Word.
of God, and discern the voice of and wait patiently on Him. You Prayerfully seek out the coun-
the Lord speaking within his own will soon learn how to perceive the sel, wisdom and instructions of the
spirit. (See Sections A2.1 and A2.2 voice of God speaking quietly in Lord in His Word. Spread out the
of World MAP's book The your spirit. Bible before you and read it in His
Shepherd's Staff for more instruc- We should not enter God's presence.
tions on this.) presence with the sole idea of "get- Sometimes it is good to follow a
Every worthwhile sermon ting a sermon." We need to enter regular pattern of reading, begin-
begins in the heart and mind of God's presence firstly to expose ning where you left off the previ-
God, Who is the source of all truth. ourselves regularly to the scrutiny ous day. This helps you to go con-
He is the fountain of all knowl- and counsel of God. sistently through the Bible, instead
edge. The effective preacher's first Rushing into His presence with 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
You must be willing to wait
on God for His direction and the thoughts and ideas that come to
word. 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 every-
thing 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 med-
itate on them.
ACTS/3
 Get into the habit of talking to rather, sharing things which you
INTERNATIONAL EDITION
January/February/March 2001 the Lord about His Word. When yourself fully comprehend and
Volume 28/Number 1 there are things you do not under- have experienced.
Published by World MAP stand, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal The following verse teaches us
Founded by Ralph Mahoney
the meaning to you. Ask for the this. "The hard-working farmer must
spirit of revelation (Eph 1:17). be first to partake of the crops" (2Tim
'ICTS Then learn to wait quietly and 2:6 nkjv). What you plant and har-
Contents
patiently before God as He gently vest (in a spiritual sense), you must
A Simple Guide To directs the answers into your spirit.
Preaching partake of (experience) before feed-
1. Homiletics 2 Record them as they come to you. ing it to others. You should never
2. The Textual Sermon 8 Get the truth down in your note- feed others what you have not first
3. Expository Preaching 13 book. Don't trust them merely to eaten. You should not try to guide
4. The Biographical Sermon .. . 18
5. The Preacher 20 memory. Even the best memory is others down paths and trails you
strengthened by writing things have not first walked yourself.
How To Prepare down. As the Word of God becomes
Sermons And Lessons incarnate (that is, indwells you),
1. Why Should
You Plan Ahead? 25 4. Be Cleansed By The Word you will then become a message
2. How To Plan
Ahead 28 Try to avoid the attitude that from God. You will not be one who
3. Have A Time And seeks a word from God so that you merely recites sermons, but one
A Place To Study 31 can preach about it on Sunday
4. Preparing Your whose very life and lifestyle minis-
Sermon Or Lesson 32 morning. Do not always be looking ters life, blessing and strength to
for spiritual bullets that you can those who know and hear you.
Sample Sermons fire at someone. Recognize the pri-
You Can Preach 33
mary need of your own heart. Let B. TWO FALSE IDEAS
God deal with your heart through ABOUT HOMILETICS
WMAP Founder Ralph Mahoney
Editors Frank & Wendy Parrish His Word and by His Spirit. Let the There are at least two common
Managing Editors Word wash and cleanse you first. mistakes that people tend to make
Africa Loreen Newington Sharing what God has spoken in regard to homiletics.
India Bill Scott
International Gayla Dease to you about in the way of cleans-
Copy Editor Keith Balser ing and correction is some of the 1. "Preparation Unnecessary"
Graphics Dennis McLain best preaching there is. The first mistaken idea is that
POSTAGE PAID AT It is important for you to feed preparation is unnecessary and
CHENNAI - 600 010 INDIA your own soul. One of the traps indicates a lack of faith. People
that preachers can fall into is this: who take this view tend to feel that
VISION AND MISSION they are so intent on finding food real faith disdains any attempt to
As a ministry to the Body of Christ, for their congregation that their prepare the mind, and merely
World MAP exists to:
1.Provide church leaders in the own spiritual welfare is neglected. stands before the people — believ-
countries of Asia, Africa and Latin This is one of the hazards of the ing that God will then supply the
America practical training
that will make them effective ministry. The thought is expressed words to speak.
ministers of the gospel. this way in Song of Solomon 1:6: A favorite scripture of such peo-
2.Share with believers in the western
nations the victories and trials of "...they made me the keeper of the vine- ple is Psalm 81:10: "...open thy
national church leaders so that yards, but mine own vineyard have I mouth wide and I will fill it." The
the church will pray more fervently,
and give more sacrificially, to bless not kept." context of the Psalm reveals that
and advance the work of these who Sometimes a pastor may be so this verse has nothing to do with
serve on the front lines of involved in looking after the spiri- preaching! This tendency to ignore
evangelism.
tual welfare of his flock that he the biblical context of a scripture is
ACTS (ISSN 0744-1789) is published
quarterly by World MAP, 1419 North San
sadly neglects his own spiritual rather typical of this kind of per-
Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504-4194, well-being. This is one of the prime son. It betrays an irresponsible and
U.S.A. Address inquiries to World MAP at
the above address or to P.O. Box 4142, reasons that ministers fail. A minis- naive attitude. This type of person
Manila, Philippines; Private Bag, White River ter cannot afford to neglect his own is often known to speak nonsense.
1240, South Africa; or Post Box 1037,
Kilpauk, Chennai, 600 010, India. spiritual life. We would not wish to blame God
Let the Word of God take root for this person's words.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes
to ACTS, World MAP, 1419 North San in your own heart and spirit. Let it There undoubtedly is a place
Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504-4194
U.S.A.
grow strong in your personal life for inspiration, but there is also a
and experience. Then, when you valid place for preparation.
preach, you will minister out of
Visit our website at:
http://members.aol.com/wmaporg experience. You will not be speak- 2. "Human Ability Is Enough"
ing as one with a theory, but The second mistake goes almost

4/ACTS
to the other extreme. In this nugget! You can scarcely wait to • The clear and effective commu-
instance, a complete confidence is break it open and investigate its nication of the truth.
placed in preparation and human value! • How to present your subject in
ability. There is little or no depen- a manner which will captivate
dence on the Holy Spirit, but a self- 2. Composition the minds of your hearers.
confidence which is the result of Having received inspiration on • How to develop your thoughts
training and the development of a particular truth, you must now in such an orderly manner that
natural ability. begin to analyze it to discover all your audience can easily follow
Such training can certainly pro- which that truth contains. Your the line of truth you are seeking
duce a very interesting and con- notebook is important right here! to convey.
vincing talk. However, it is only As you prayerfully meditate, write • How to motivate your listeners
the anointing of the Spirit on the down carefully every thought that to appropriate actions, for we
message that can minister the life comes to mind. are to be "doers of the word and
of God to the people. At this stage, you may simply not hearers only" Gas 1:22).
The truth is that an effective make a list of every idea that your These concepts comprise the
ministry needs both the divine and subject suggests to you. Stay with it essential aspects of sermon prepa-
human aspects. God can certainly until you feel you have exhausted ration. We will be dealing with
bless and anoint thoughts which the theme and uncovered every each of them more fully later in
have been diligently prayed over possible area of truth contained in this study.
and carefully considered. your subject.
Let your preparation consist of Don't worry about neatness and D. THREE TYPES OF
thoughtful preparation and earnest order at this stage. You frequently SERMON PREPARATION
prayer. Determine to be the very need to write very quickly to keep 1. The Written Sermon
best you can, but make sure your abreast of the flow of inspiration This is a method which
confidence is in God and not your- you are getting. Just make sure you demands a great deal of time in
self. Always trust Him for His get everything down on paper. You preparation. It involves very copi-
essential anointing and blessing on can sort it all out later. ous notes. Sometimes the whole
your preaching. message is written out beforehand.
3. Construction The preacher knows exactly what
C. FOUR AREAS OF Having exhaustively analyzed he wishes to say and how he
HOMILETICS your subject material and listed wants to say it. Every thought is
There are four major areas with every aspect of truth you can find written out in full.
which homiletics is concerned: within it, you must now begin to This often involves several
assemble those thoughts in an pages of notes. It gives attention to
1. Concept orderly fashion. This is essential so great detail, the construction of a
This has to do with obtaining that you can give further prayerful sentence and the correct word to
the original theme for the message. consideration to the subject. use. Every aspect of the proposed
It is the art of knowing how to Getting the material into some sermon is considered in meticu-
receive a message from God. It proper sequence will help you lous detail.
deals with how to get the initial enormously in this regard. It will This method has advantages
idea and theme for a sermon. also assist you greatly in your pre- and disadvantages. An advantage
Frequently, a seed-thought is sentation of the subject to others. is that the whole sermon has been
sown in the mind, and may remain Sharing a developing progression the subject of very careful atten-
there for months before it develops of thought helps others to under- tion to detail.
to the size and proportion suitable stand and follow your line of rea- Thus, there should be an ade-
to be shared with others. Through soning. If your presentation is all quate coverage of every important
experience, one is able to develop jumbled up, it makes it very diffi- area of relevant truth. Nothing has
the ability to recognize a line of cult for people to absorb your mes- been left to chance. This style
truth suitable for sharing with sage. Sermon construction aims to should ensure a complete and
God's people. make it as simple as possible for comprehensive treatment of every
As you meditate on the Word, your listeners to grasp. subject.
there comes an inner quickening of This is the essence of sermon The disadvantage in the pre-
a particular aspect. Something sud- construction. It is very important sentation of this type of sermon is
denly lights up for you. It almost for every preacher to develop this. that it often comes across as unin-
seems to leap from the page. A teresting and does not capture the
sense of excitement is aroused 4. Communication listener's attention. This style of
within you. It is as though you Finally, we come to the presen- presentation can easily become
have discovered a large gold tation of the message: extremely boring.
ACTS/5
2. "Skeleton-type" Notes 4. Summary coverage of Bible truths. The min-
This is the most commonly I would suggest that the use of istry of any preacher is enriched by
used method, and the one which I skeleton-type notes combines the versatility.
feel is the most effective. Notes are better features of both the other
kept to a minimum, affording suf- styles. The notes are not so heavy 1. Textual
ficient outline of the message to that the preacher tends to get This style is usually based on
prompt the memory. bogged down in them. He has one relatively short portion of
The brief notes form the "skele- room to be flexible, and his mind Scripture. In fact, as the name sug-
ton" of the message. They are the remains open to fresh inspiration gests, it usually concentrates on
bones which give shape and struc- — even while he is preaching. one Scripture "text."
ture to what the preacher desires to On the other hand, he does It involves choosing an appro-
say. As he speaks, he puts "flesh" have an orderly format of priate statement of Scripture. Then
on the bones and a "body" to his thought before him. He does not you investigate it, analyze it, and
sermon. He amplifies the thoughts stand before his audience and discover all the truth it contains.
that his brief notes have stimulated. talk randomly about disconnect- Then you present that truth in an
This method allows the preach- ed concepts. orderly and progressive manner
er much more flexibility. He is not Skeleton-type notes are suitable that is easy for the hearers to
tied to his notes so much. He is for both teaching and preaching. assimilate.
more open to the inspiration that The teaching mode usually
will often come to him while he is requires a fuller treatment of the 2. Topical
actually preaching. His delivery is subject, so some form of notes is Here the preacher aims to pre-
more spontaneous and interesting, almost essential. It is difficult for a sent a specific topic to his congre-
but the framework of his message teacher to adequately cover his gation.
keeps his mind on track. He is able subject without the aid of some For example, he may take the
to give an adequate, well-thought- notes. subject of "justification." His aim
out coverage of his subject, but his I would, therefore, encourage would be, firstly, to discover every-
presentation is not hard to listen to. you to concentrate mostly on mas- thing the Bible has to say on this
tering the skeleton-type notes enthralling subject.
3. The Extemporary Sermon approach. Use this method in your He would then arrange all the
This style of preaching is spon- study times. As you meditate on Scripture references and thoughts
taneous, and usually presented the Bible, practice making short, he gets into an orderly format. He
without notes at the time of deliv- cryptic notes on the inspiration then develops his theme as fully
ery. The subject is often given a and revelation you receive. and faithfully as possible. His
good deal of careful thought This will help you also when objective is to tell his audience
beforehand, and the mind and you come to the construction of everything they should know on
heart are filled with the vital your message. Familiarity with this this important subject.
aspects of the message. style of note-making will help you Of course, he may not be able to
This style is often used to deliv- immensely when you stand to do this in one teaching session; so
er the more inspirational type of preach. It helps train your mind in he will then prepare a series of
sermon. Evangelistic messages can orderly patterns of thought. This messages or teachings on that same
be presented very effectively in also makes you more articulate subject. This ensures a much fuller
this way. The sermon flows from and easier to listen to. treatment of the topic.
the heart and often carries a strong The Topical Concordance in
emotional involvement. E. SEVEN KINDS The Shepherd's Staff is of immense
This kind of preaching can be OF SERMONS value when preparing such a mes-
exciting and stimulating when pre- I want to introduce you now to sage. There, one can quickly find
sented by a capable and experi- seven different kinds of sermons. I every Scripture reference relating
enced preacher. It stirs the emo- will try to explain briefly the idea to the topic concerned. A good ref-
tions as well as informing the behind each kind, and how you erence Bible is also helpful. This
mind. can use it. will also enable you to follow a
There are two potential weak- A pastor should become famil- given theme throughout the
nesses in this style. The first is that iar with each type. This will give Scriptures.
it often lacks meaningful content, added variety to his ministry, and
and the spirits and minds of the make it much more interesting for 3. Typical
hearers are not edified. The second a congregation who may be listen- This is the art of uncovering
is that the delivery may become ing to him week after week. and communicating truth which is
over-emotional, and become irra- Over a period of time, it will hidden beneath the surface of the
tional and unconvincing. help him present a much wider various "types" in the Bible.

6/ACTS
 A "type" is a person, object or lical types, please try to keep the The study of Bible characters is
event which is prophetically sym- following principles in mind: very enthralling and absorbing.
bolic of someone or something yet 1) Use Simpler Types. Begin Choose a particular person. Read
to come. It is similar to, and char- with the simpler types, in which every reference to that person that
acteristic of, that person or event. the implication is very obvious. occurs in the Bible. Make notes of
In its biblical application, it 2) Keep To Broader Interpre- every thought that comes to mind.
refers to a Bible character or event tation. Never try to interpret every Begin to assemble those
which foreshadows some future tiny detail of the type. Keep to the thoughts into chronological order
one. broader outline of truth. — the order in which they
For example, the Passover 3) Don't Be Dogmatic. Avoid occurred:
Lamb in Exodus is a type of Christ. being dogmatic as to what the type • Study the birth of the person.
Every detail of that paschal lamb teaches. • Consider the circumstances of
spoke prophetically of the redemp- 4) Illustrate Doctrine. Never his upbringing.
tive role Christ would fulfill as the base your doctrinal position on the • Focus upon the dealings of
"Lamb of God" (John 1:29). Every teaching of types. Types should God in his life.
prophetic symbol was fulfilled illustrate doctrine, not initiate it. • How did he react to God's
when Christ died for the sins of the 5) Be Open To Correction. dealing?
world. Remain open to correction from • What did he learn from it?
Biblical types are often referred those of greater maturity than • If he was a success in life,
to as "shadows of things to come" yourself. what made him successful?
(Heb 8:5; 10:1). Such persons and • If his life ended in failure,
events are like a person walking 4. Expository where did he go wrong?
with the sun behind him. His By this method, we endeavor to • What can we learn from his
body casts a shadow into the expound the meaning and truth life?
future, before him, portraying the contained in a particular passage of These are all interesting and
shape of things to come. Scripture. We seek to bring out the informative things we can learn
The Law of God was a shadow truth which is often hidden from the rich lives of the men and
of the good things to come. It rep- beneath the words on the page. women we meet in the Bible.
resented, and was a shadow of, the This is an excellent method of
better things which were to come teaching the whole counsel of God 6. Analytical
in Christ (Heb 10:1). (Acts 20:27). This type of sermon relates to
The "holy days" of the Old You may take a book of the the detailed analyzing of a subject
Covenant were also shadows of Bible and explain the meaning of it in order to extract the greatest
things to come (Col 2:17). Those chapter by chapter. Perhaps you amount of truth from it. From this
holy days were not complete in may take one chapter each week truth, you can then teach the
themselves. Part of the purpose of — and go through it, verse by underlying principles involved.
their fulfillment was to project a verse, explaining the significance
prophetic picture of things which and truth as you go. This may 7. Analogical
were yet to come. develop into a series of Bible Much of the Bible is written in
The interpretation and exposi- studies that may take weeks or the form of analogy. It teaches a
tion of Bible types is a rather spe- months to complete. truth from a parallel case. The writ-
cialized task; it deserves the skill of Thus, over a period of years, ers often use a natural subject from
those who are mature and know- your congregation will become which to teach a spiritual truth. It
ledgeable in biblical subjects. familiar with every part of the involves the comparison of similar
Novices should avoid attempt- Bible, and be exposed to all the functions, and the process of rea-
ing to preach from the more pro- truth God wants to convey to them soning from parallel cases. The
found types, since unskilled inter- for their enrichment and spiritual analogical sermon endeavors to
pretations can lead into all kinds of equipping. communicate truth contained in an
unfortunate error. analogy.
A deep and thorough knowl- 5. Biographical
edge of the whole Bible is essen- A biography is a life story of a
tial to those who seek to expound person. Therefore, this method
the meaning of the types. Such involves the study of the lives of
teachings should be substantiated the many characters we encounter
and undergirded by the whole in the Bible. Every biography
Bible. recorded in the Bible holds impor-
a. Principles For Use. When tant significance for us. Every life 444
you first attempt to teach from bib- has something to teach us.
ACTS/7
 A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
PREACHING
Chapter 2

The Textual Sermon

I would like us to examine obviously biblically-based. The ten- afterwards. When they recall your
more closely the preparation of a dency is then to substantiate your message, it will frequently be the
textual type of sermon. I have pre- theme from other relevant parts of Scripture on which you based your
viously defined this method as an the Bible. talk which will be remembered
analysis and exposition of a brief Conversely, if your announced most vividly.
portion of Scripture, usually a sin- topic is other than a biblical one —
gle verse or text. whether it be psychological, social, B. CHOOSING A TEXT
cultural, etc. — then the substantia- 1. Read The Bible Regularly
A. ADVANTAGES OF tion for your theme will generally If you wish to become a capable
HAVING A TEXT be obtained from a similar source. and effective preacher, you must
1. Captures Interest That is not good. We are com- read your Bible regularly.
The announcement of an inter- manded to "Preach the Word!" Determine to develop good habits
esting text immediately captures (2Tim 4:2). in respect to Bible reading. Have a
the interest of your audience, thus special time each day to read the
giving you an attentive congrega- 4. Increases Boldness Bible. Carry a small Bible with you
tion. They are intrigued to see Preaching directly from the so that, if you have spare moments,
how you will deal with it. They Bible increases the boldness and you can spend them profitably in
want to know what thoughts and authority of the proclamation. reading the Scriptures.
implications you will bring forth When you specifically preach the
out of your text. The minds of Word of God, there is a special 2. Study The Bible
your listeners are stimulated and anointing of the Spirit upon it. God Do not merely read it superfi-
alert, affording you an interested anoints His Word. cially. Dig beneath the surface.
congregation. Statements taken directly from Meditate diligently on the things
the Bible can be presented with you read. Toss them around in
2. Prevents Wandering great feeling and conviction. This your mind. Look at them from
A specific text helps to prevent is because you are not presenting every point of view. Practice ana-
the preacher from wandering from your own ideas; you are telling lyzing what you study. Take it
his subject. It is difficult for an the people what God has to say on apart in your mind and put it
audience to retain active interest in the matter. It carries enormous together again.
a speaker who wanders in his pre- weight and authority when you Learn to "ruminate," which
sentation. declare, "The Bible says!" and means to "chew the cud." When a
Having a particular text — then read or share the verse and cow feeds, it chews the grass, swal-
and a context from which you give the meaning. lows it, and then brings it back
have taken your subject — helps It was when the disciples went from the stomach to the mouth to
to avoid such wanderings, and to forth "preaching the Word" that chew on again.
retain the active interest of your God worked with them, confirm- So when you ruminate in your
hearers. ing the Word with signs following. mind, you keep bringing the
The Lord "worked with the word" thoughts back to think about them
3. Keeps Sermon Biblical (Mark 16:20). again. Meditate on them. Ponder
Centering your talk on a specif- over them. Keep bringing them
ic portion of Scripture helps to 5. Aids Recall Of Message back to mind for further and deep-
keep you (the preacher) biblical. A good text helps to fix the er consideration.
Having presented text directly message in the minds of your lis- The more your mind is filled
from the Bible, your message is teners. They will remember it long with the Word of God and biblical

8/ACTS
meditations, the more you will must be on your knees all the time. should harmonize with what the
have to draw upon when you It is the attitude of heart to which I consensus of the Bible teaches. It is
stand to minister. "The Holy Spirit refer, not the posture of your body. possible to take a verse out of its
will bring all things to your remem- Ideally, prayer is a spiritual con- context, and teach from it some-
brance" (John 14:26), but you must versation with God. It is a two-way thing which the Bible does not sub-
have them in your mind for Him conversation. You speak to God, stantiate. It has been said that "a
to do so. but He will also speak to you. As text without a context is merely a
you learn to discern His voice, you pretext."
3. Always Have A will discover a continuous flow of Always study your text in the
Notebook With You inspiration. light of its context. Never try to
Whenever you read your Bible, God longs to reveal His truth. make your text say anything which
get into the habit of having pen and He waits for hungry, attentive is not confirmed by the verses
paper with you. Form the good hearts who can recognize and dis- which precede and follow it.
habit of making brief notes of every cern His voice. He wants to share Always endeavor to interpret your
bit of inspiration you receive. Try to His secrets with you. text in the light of what the whole
avoid doing this on loose pieces of Bible teaches on the subject.
paper, as you will tend to lose 5. Seek The Holy b. Complete. Your text should
these. Spirit's Illumination always form a complete statement
If you use a notebook, it will Place a high value and priority on of truth. Some preachers merely
become like a spiritual diary. the illumination the Spirit can bring take a phrase from a verse and use
Months afterwards, you will be upon the Word of God. The Holy it, regardless of context. This is dis-
able to go back over your notes and Spirit is a Sensitive Person Who can honest! It is called "handling the
draw fresh inspiration from them. be grieved and driven away. word of God deceitfully" (2Cor 4:2).
The more you meditate on them, You must cultivate the quiet, This must be avoided at all costs. It
the more revelation you will humble, sensitive spirit with which will lead to a dishonest and unbib-
receive. This will also create a file of He loves to associate. As your fel- lical treatment of your subject. In
thoughts on numerous subjects, lowship with the Holy Spirit devel- consequence, you will be misled
from which you will be able to pre- ops, He will introduce you to many and will mislead your hearers.
pare many fine sermons at the wonderful new truths which will c. Reasonably Brief. A textual
appropriate time. enrich your life and ministry. sermon should be founded on a
reasonable, brief statement of
4. Maintain A Prayerful Attitude 6. Your Text Should Be: Scripture.
This does not mean that you a. Biblically Authoritative. It d. Comprehensive. Although
brief, your text should also be com-
prehensive. It should be a brief but
adequate summary of what you
wish to share.
Always have a notebook When you read your text to the
40 with you and expect God to congregation, they should then
reveal Himself to you. gain a reasonable idea of the area of
truth you are going to present. You
should then seek to remain within
the boundaries of what your text
announces.

C. YOUR APPROACH
TO THE TEXT
1. Thoroughly Digest Its Words
Read the text over many times.
Ponder it in your heart. Meditate
on it. Memorize it. Speak it out to
yourself. Become thoroughly famil-
iar with it.

2. Determine Its Language

Is it to be taken literally, or is it
intended to be figurative? Does the
writer mean what he says in a liter-
ACTS/9
al sense, or are his words to be at the time of writing have specific and orderly fashion, with the least
taken as a figure of speech? bearing on what was said? obvious dependence on your writ-
d. Geographic Context. Where ten notes.
3. Analyze Its Message was the writer when he wrote e. It makes it easier for your
It will help you greatly to dis- these words? Where were the peo- listeners to follow the develop-
sect the verse. Separate it into three ple to whom he wrote? Does their ment of your presentation, because
or four main parts. Discover exact- geographical location have any it is communicated in the most
ly how much this verse contains bearing on what was said? orderly and logical fashion.
and what it has to teach. e. Total Biblical Context. "All
Scripture is given by the inspiration of 2. Concerning Your Notes
4. Investigate The Words God" (2Tim 3:16). Each part must a. Keep Them Brief. Train
Try to discover what the words be faithfully interpreted to agree yourself to use the "skeleton-type"
were originally meant to convey. with the whole. notes which you can take in at a
If you are fortunate enough to No Scripture should be glance.
have a Greek or Hebrew lexicon, removed from its context; it must b. Make Them Orderly. You
look up the word in the original lan- be interpreted by what the whole need to be able to follow them easi-
guage of Hebrew or Greek. Is there revelation of the entire Scripture ly at all times.
some special significance attached teaches. Scripture must interpret c. Let Them Be Comprehensive.
to it? Did the writer have a special Scripture, and our exposition of Endeavor to cover every aspect on
reason for using THAT word? This one text should always agree with which you intend to speak.
study will help you understand any what the Bible as a whole teaches. d. Concentrate On Ideas.
special application the writer may Condense your thoughts into brief
have wished to convey. D. ARRANGING sentences. Learn to crystallize
YOUR MATERIAL your thoughts and express them
5. Discover Its Development The orderly arrangement of in terse sentences. Practice reduc-
What line of truth was the writ- material is a distinct advantage, ing and expressing a concept in
er seeking to develop? What was both to the preacher and to those one sentence.
he ultimately trying to convey? who will hear him. For the preach- e. Make Condensed Notes.
How does he accomplish this? er, it affords the clearest grasp of Remember that the notes are there
Try to follow his lead and his subject. His thoughts are not to prod your memory. Even one
develop it in a similar fashion. muddled or confused. It also helps significant word can remind you of
him to ensure the most adequate some instance you wish to recall
6. Consider Its Context treatment of the subject. and share with your audience.
a. Biblical Context. What do the As for his audience, it will obvi- f. Make Them Easy To Read. If
preceding and following verses ously assist them greatly in their you possess a typewriter, you may
say? Consider the verse in relation grasp and comprehension of the find typed notes easy to read. If
to the whole chapter from which it sermon. not, then print your notes as clearly
comes. Consider it in the light of and legibly as possible. Never
the whole Gospel or Epistle in 1. What An Outline Does For You scribble out your notes so that you
which you find it. A good outline is the best and need to ponder over them in the
Make sure your understanding simplest way to organize your pulpit in order to decipher what
of it is faithful to the overall truth material. you have written.
conveyed in the book. To do this, a. It makes you carefully ana-
you must study the basic theme lyze your subject and the material E. THE STRUCTURE OF A
and premise of the book. you have gathered. In doing this, TEXTUAL SERMON
b. Cultural Context. Did the you ultimately select only the best The outline of your sermon will
culture of that time influence what of your material. usually contain three major ele-
was written? Would the people to b. It reveals any weak areas ments:
whom the words were originally in your treatment of the subject • The Introduction;
written gain a different view of and the development of your • The Main Statement
what was said than we would in presentation. Of Truth;
our situation? If so, what would c. It enables you to get the • The Conclusion
be the equivalent significance most out of your material, because And Application.
now? you reduce it to its most relevant Let us examine these in greater
c. Historic Context. When was and essential substance. detail.
this statement written? Did what d. It makes it easier for you to
was transpiring at that time influ- remember all you want to say, 1. Introduction
ence what was written? Do events and to present it in a progressive Your introduction may well be

10/ACTS
 the most important part of your ing exposition. If his message does the main part of your subject mat-
message, for if you do not win not then reach the level he ter into three major sections. These
your listeners' attention in this ini- promised, it will be an anti-climax. sections need not all be the same
tial period, they may pay little His audience will be disappointed. length. There should be a natural,
attention to the remainder of your They will also lose confidence in logical and smooth progression
sermon. him. from one point to the next.
The introduction often takes the 2) It Should Not Be Too These divisions do not have to
form of a condensed version of Sensational. Do not set a pace be obvious when you present
your subject. You tell your listen- which is impossible for you to them. Sometimes it is helpful to
ers briefly what you plan to speak maintain. Rather, let your intro- say, "Now, my third point is...."
about and the area you intend to duction be modest, and then your Perhaps the sections might take a
cover. audience will be pleasantly sur- form like this:
You may also explain just how prised when they discover the ser- A. STATE THE TRUTH.
you plan to treat this subject. In mon to be much more interesting 1. Declare It.
this manner, you endeavor to whet than they anticipated. 2. Explain It.
their appetites and make them 3) It Should Not Be Too Long. 3. Clarify It.
keen to hear more. Remember, this is only your intro- B. AMPLIFY THE TRUTH.
a. What Your Introduction duction, not the sermon. 1. Develop It.
Should Accomplish: 4) It Should Bear Obvious 2. Substantiate It.
1) Capture Interest. It should Relationship To Your Theme. 3. Prove It.
immediately capture the interest The introduction should lead into C. CLIMAX.
and imagination of your hearers. your theme, so it must always be 1. Present Your Conclusion.
2) Establish Rapport. It should vitally related to your subject. It 2. What May We Learn
establish a rapport between you may be a condensed version of the From This?
and your audience. subject matter you intend to share. 3. How May We Practically
3) Afford Acceptance. It should It may be a story which illustrates Apply It?
afford you an acceptance from the truth of what you plan to say.
them. You need to win their inter- 5) It Should Be Carefully 3. Conclusion
est, confidence and esteem. Prepared. Since your introduction Appeal to the mind.
4) Inform. It should inform is vitally important in winning the Summarize your talk. Restate it
them of what your subject is and attention of your hearers, it surely briefly. Appeal to the will. Seek to
how you intend to deal with it. deserves careful thought and persuade. Appeal to the emotions.
5) Convince. It should convince preparation. Try to motivate.
them of the importance of your Try to put yourself in the place
topic, and win their careful atten- of your audience. Ask yourself: F. HOW TO PREPARE
tion for the remainder of your talk. What would successfully gain my YOUR SERMON
Never open your introduction attention? Of all that I propose to 1. Prepare A Rough Plan First
with an apology. Never say: say, which particular aspect would An outline affords the most
"Unfortunately, I have not had suf- really capture my interest? By effective means of properly orga-
ficient time to prepare my sermon, using your imagination in this nizing your material. Once you
and I am afraid that it will not be a manner, you can determine the master the art of producing a good
very good one!" If that is the case, best style your introduction should outline, you will find it much easi-
the unfortunate people will find take. er and more convenient to orga-
out soon enough. They will not 6) It Should Provide A Natural nize your talk.
need to be told! Such an apology Transition Into Your Theme. As you begin to examine and
will only lessen your own confi- When properly presented, it evaluate your subject material,
dence in your abilities, and it will should be obvious to your listeners write down every thought on a
certainly not increase the people's just where the introduction con- large piece of paper. Don't worry
confidence in you. cludes and the sermon begins. at this stage about getting things
b. Characteristics Of A Good This is applicable to all your into their correct sequence. Simply
Introduction: message. It should be in several write down every valid thought
1) It Does Not Promise More distinct sections or points. All which occurs to you as you consid-
Than You Can Deliver! points should relate to the central er the subject.
Sometimes a preacher may make a theme or text.
most dramatic introduction to his 2. Select Your Main Thoughts
sermon. He excites the audience 2. The Main Body It is generally easier to find
for what is to come. He promises Of Your Message three main thoughts.
them a wonderful and enlighten- I would suggest that you divide • What are the three most
ACTS /11
 important statements you have Son, that whosoever believeth in him deep peace in her heart and mind.
written on that large sheet of should not perish, but have everlasting Our text could be a phrase from
paper? Get them into a natural life." verse 48: "GO IN PEACE." (This
sequence. could also be the title of your mes-
• Which statement should come INTRODUCTION sage!)
first? The world has known many
• What is the foundation state- people who are said to be great INTRODUCTION
ment that needs to be laid? Make it lovers. But I wish to speak about Surely every person desires to
your number-one heading. WRITE the One Who is, without doubt, possess inner peace and security.
IT OUT IN CAPITAL LETTERS THE greatest lover of all. It is God There are many factors in life
AND UNDERLINE IT! Himself! which may rob us of such peace.
Now ask yourself: "Which He loves the greatest number of One of these is sickness. It is diffi-
statement naturally follows on people, with the highest quality of cult to maintain inner peace when
from the first?" Make that main love, which prompted Him to one is plagued by serious illness.
heading number two. Now you make the greatest possible sacrifice. The mind is filled with uncertainty
are left with one more main A. GOD'S GREAT LOVE FOR and despair.
thought which should be a conclu- THE WHOLE WORLD Here is a story of just such a
sion of the matter. This will now be 1. He created the world and all person. She had been sick for
main heading number three. mankind. twelve years. Though she had visit-
Set them out on paper like this: 2. He loves every person in the ed many doctors, none had been
A. MAIN HEADING world equally. able to help her. In fact, she even
NUMBER ONE 3. He wants every one of them became worse.
1. to live eternally. Then one glorious day, she met
2. B. LOVE CAUSED HIM Jesus Christ. Through this wonder-
3. TO GIVE HIS ONLY ful encounter, she was instantly
B. MAIN HEADING BEGOTTEN SON healed of her long-standing sick-
NUMBER TWO 1. How precious the Son is to ness. She was also blessed with a
1 God the Father. No earthly father deep sense of inner peace.
2. loves his son so much. This same Jesus can also bless
3. 2. How great was God's your life today. Let us look into this
C. MAIN HEADING sacrifice! story, and discover how she
NUMBER THREE 3. God gave Jesus freely for received her healing — and how
1. whosoever (everyone in the world). you too can be healed!
2. 4. He gave Him to die to pay the A. THIS WOMAN
3. penalty for our sin and guilt. HAD NO PEACE
Now begin to go through the C. WHOEVER RECEIVES 1. She had been constantly ill for
rest of your material on your CHRIST NEED NOT PERISH twelve years.
ROUGH PLAN. Get those 1. This wonderful offer is avail- 2. She had spent all her money.
thoughts into order under the par- able to all. Now she was penniless!
ticular headings you have desig- 2. God loves even the worst of 3. She was disappointed and
nated. Let each of these be placed men. frustrated.
under the appropriate main head- 3. Salvation is a free gift 4. She was tempted to despair.
ing: A, B, C. Each thought then through faith in Jesus. It seemed that none could help her.
becomes a "minor heading." How typical she is of so many
Designate them 1, 2, 3, etc. CONCLUSION today who are lonely, frustrated
All your thoughts and material God now offers you the greatest and insecure.
are now coming into an orderly possible gift...eternal life in Christ! B. HOW SHE CAME TO CHRIST
arrangement. This makes it easier How foolish you would be to reject 1. She heard what He had done
for you to study the subject or neglect so wonderful a gift. for someone else.
further. Accept Christ now without delay! 2. She determined that she, too,
b. Example 2. Now, let us con- would seek His healing.
SERMON EXAMPLES sider a simple narrative from the 3. She encouraged herself in
a. Example 1. Allow me to illus- Gospels. In Luke 8:41-48, we find faith. She said within herself: "If I
trate this method from one of the the story of a woman who, after can but touch the border of his gar-
best-known verses in the Bible, twelve years of chronic suffering, ment, I shall be healed" (Mark 5:28).
John 3:16: "For God so loved the came to Christ and was immediate- 4. She overcame many
world, that he gave his only begotten ly healed. She went away with a obstacles.

12 / ACTS
 5. She came to Christ. 5. It was her faith which made This is excellent practice for
6. She touched Him by faith. her whole (Luke 8:48). God desires you. It may not come easily at first,
7. His life flowed into her. everyone to be whole: perfectly but persevere. Determine to master
Immediately she was made whole! sound in spirit, soul and body. it. After a while, it will become
C. HER SALVATION easy for you.
1. The disciples could not help CONCLUSION I often liken the construction of
her. They did not even know her She went away a transformed a sermon to the building of a
need. There are times when no person. You too can be trans- house:
human being can help us. Only God formed if you come to Christ in • The introduction is like a path
is able to meet our deepest needs. faith! leading up to the house. It takes
2. Christ required her confes- 4. Summary you from the front gate to the door
sion. "Who touched me?" He already Practice dissecting and analyz- by which you may enter.
knew who had touched Him, but ing such incidents from the Bible. • Each main heading is like a
He wanted her public confession. Try to discover the three main room in the house.
Romans 10:10 says: "With the heart thoughts or sections of the story. • The minor headings are the
man believeth unto righteousness; and Once you have determined the furnishings in each room.
with the mouth confession is made three main thoughts, begin to ana- • Illustrations are windows
unto salvation." lyze each of them separately and built into each room to throw light
3. Christ called her "daughter." break them down into their com- on the furnishings in that room.
He accepted her as a member of ponent parts. (Illustrations are simple examples
God's family. There may be four or five which help us to understand pro-
4. He told her to "Go in peace." smaller truths within each main found truths.)
From that moment, she knew real statement. Analyze the various Keep this analogy in mind
peace. Uncertainty and anxiety parts. Get them into sequence when you are preparing your
were banished, and the peace of and order. Then, arrange them sermons.
God filled her heart and mind. progressively. 44-ph
s-
-

A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
PREACHING
Chapter 3
Expository Preaching
Here, we deal with the art of teaching the Bible. It has many dis- how they pointed to Christ, and
expounding a passage of Scripture. tinct advantages, and is a good proved Him to be the Messiah.
To expound means to interpret and style to cultivate. Here are some of Again, we find Stephen using
explain; to set forth a matter in the obvious advantages of this this method of expository preach-
detail. method: ing in Acts 7. The Bible is literally
For example, you may decide to filled with fine examples of exposi-
go through the Gospel of John, 1. It Is A Biblical Method tory preaching.
chapter by chapter. Commencing Jesus Himself frequently used
with the first chapter, you would this method. He would take a por- 2. It Produces Bible Preachers &
seek to interpret and explain the tion of the Old Testament Scripture Bible-Oriented Congregations
meaning and significance of it, and interpret the meaning of it to Expounding the Scriptures
verse by verse. His hearers. ensures that there is plenty of Bible
You might deal with one chap- Peter also used this method on content in your ministry. As you
ter each week — and thus, over a the Day of Pentecost. He took proceed through a chapter, verse
period of weeks, finally go through some of the Old Testament by verse, your congregation is
the whole book. Scriptures referring to King David, being filled with the Word of God.
and explained the true meaning of
A. ADVANTAGES OF them to the great crowd. He care- 3. It Invites Holy Spirit
EXPOSITORY PREACHING fully showed the prophetic impli- Reinforcement
This is an excellent method of cations of those Scriptures and The Spirit of God always agrees
ACTS/13
with the Word of God (lJn 5:7). It is sometimes a useful exercise 4. Endeavor To Thoroughly
Therefore, the more Bible content to ask yourself: "If this were to be Understand Your Theme
we preach, the more of the Spirit's my last chance to speak to this peo- Always seek to discover the
anointing there will be upon the ple, what is the most important underlying theme of the passage.
proclamation. The Holy Spirit thing they need to hear?" What was the Holy Spirit seeking
delights to confirm the Word of Preaching with this kind of to convey when He inspired this
God. He does so many times with thought in mind helps you. It will passage? What is at the very heart
signs and wonders (Mark 16:20). ensure that your topics are relevant of this teaching? What is it that
and vital to the development and God would say to His people
4. It Encourages Deeper maturing of the people in the pur- through this?
Interest In The Bible poses that God has for them.
The more of the Bible you share 5. Have A Definite
with people, the more hungry they 3. Study The Passage Carefully Objective In Mind
become for it. They will soon begin From Every Angle Your objective should be in
to study it for themselves at deeper Read it through several times complete harmony with God's
levels. Their lives will be trans- until you begin to become very objective.
formed. They will be strengthened familiar with it. Then study it care- Having discovered what you
and reinforced by the Word. You fully, verse by verse. Whenever sense He is wanting to communi-
will have a Bible-oriented church. there is an obvious link with some cate through this Scripture, your
other passage of Scripture, read task is to be as faithful to that as
B. SUGGESTED PROCEDURE that portion, too. possible. So, you need to soak
1. Carefully Choose An If you have access to any refer- yourself in the message.
Appropriate Passage ence books, then by all means read It is not sufficient to mentally
Of Sciipture them. But above all, keep your comprehend what God is saying.
Make 'sure the passage is one mind open and alert to the Holy You need to feel what He is feeling.
which will minister life and Spirit, to glean whatever thoughts He wants to communicate His
strength to your hearers. Do not He may share with you. heart as well as His mind. So His
choose a 'subject merely because it
interests or intrigues you. Never
select' 4 subject which engenders Let the word of God come alive to you
disputek division and strife. through its characters and stories.
'itpu(are seeking to be a channel
for God, that He might speak His
Worcii i to His people through you.
Yjni afire therefore responsible to

tet the mind of God for the people

er whom He has given you
responsibility. This ministry is one
of the greatest privileges given to
mortal man. It is also one of the
most awesome responsibilities!

2. Seek A Theme Relevant To

The People's Present Situation
God always has "present truth"
that He wants to speak to His peo-
ple (2Pet 1:12). There is a constant
progression and development of
God's purposes among His people.
He has a specific purpose for each
body of believers.
Every congregation should be
moving forward in the particular
purpose of God that He has
defined for them. In order to
accomplish this, it is essential that
His specific word of truth is minis-
tered to them consistently.
14 / ACTS
Word must flow through your 8. Make It Practical But if you have a notebook in
heart as well as your mind. Always try to clearly show the which your devotional thoughts
You are to be God's instrument practical applications your message are recorded, you can go back to it
to convincingly relay His message may have for the people. A grave again to familiarize, your mind
to His people. You are His mouth- danger among Christians is often with what the Spirit showed you
piece! "too much knowledge, too little then.
You are not called to share practice." If you have not been keeping
YOUR mind with the people. You Many Christians have listened such a book, get away somewhere
are called to share HIS mind with to sermons for years. Yet, there is quietly so your mind can dwell on
them. This awareness should be little change in their lives or practi- the subject without interruptions.
your motivating factor. It should be cal expression of the teaching. Meditation will help you recall
the compelling reason for your Do not be content to merely those things you were taught by
preaching. speak to people. Make your conclu- the Spirit.
sions abundantly clear. Endeavor to
6. Speak From Your make practical suggestions as to 3. What Have I Ever
Own Experience how tte people may meaningfully Observed That Relates To
In order for you to effectively respond to God. This Theme?
communicate truth, it should be Follow up your messages with Frequently, we have observed
something which God has worked practical programs in which people things which throw light on the
out in your own life first. may become involved in order to subject we are considering. We
Many preachers present theories. be doers of the Word and not hear- may recall incidents from our
They preach platitudes which some- ers only! experience which illustrate
times have no practical relevance. some aspect of truth we are now
No man can convincingly preach a C. GATHERING considering.
"born-again experience" unless he RELEVANT MATERIAL Sometimes it is a thing we have
has experienced it himself. In addition to studying the pas- observed in nature which confirms
You must know the experience sage of Scripture, how do we collect a principle we are studying in the
as a reality in your own life before additional relevant material? Here Word of God.
you can effectively share it with are a few questions to ask yourself: Illustrations from nature often
others. The preacher is called to be bring tremendous light to a
a living epistle. He is not only 1. What Have I Ever Heard Scripture. African preachers are
required to preach the truth; he is Or Read On This Subject? usually very adept at this. I have
also required to practice and Begin to stir up your memory. often been thrilled listening to an
demonstrate it. He is to be a living Perhaps you once read a good book African preacher illustrating Bible
example of all he preaches. on this subject. What was the book? truth from those things he has
What did it say on this matter? learned about nature. The God of
7. Make It Push your memory until the nature is also the God of the Bible!
Meaningful thoughts come back to your con-
Exegesis means "to bring out the scious mind. 4. What Thoughts Have I Ever
true meaning." You are responsible Perhaps you once heard some- Had On This Subject?
to ensure, to the best of your ability, one preach on this subject. What Many of our previous
that the true meaning and signifi- was said? How was it presented? thoughts on a given subject are
cance of the Scripture becomes clear Frequently something that was said now buried in the subconscious
to your listeners. will become a seed-thought in your mind. They need to be brought to
Always endeavor to make your mind. From this, a whole train of the surface again. This can often
subject simple. This is obviously new thoughts will come. be accomplished in a time of deep
what Jesus did. This was an impor- meditation.
tant reason why His ministry was 2. What Has The Holy Spirit Ever As we sit quietly, focusing our
so powerful and effective. He took Shown Me On This Subject? minds on the Bible, buried
profound issues and made them This is where the benefit of thoughts will float to the surface
so simple. keeping a notebook is realized. again. I often tell my students:
Many modern preachers do the Sometimes months or even "Push your memory; make it
very opposite. They take the simplest years previously, God had given work. You will not damage it by
subjects and make them so profound you some interesting thoughts and making it work for you. You can
and complicated that their audience insight on this very theme. If you only improve it." Never be afraid
understands little of what they hear. did not write down those thoughts, to do this.
Remember this: the simpler, the you may have a problem recalling Sit and concentrate. Will to
better! them again. remember what your thoughts
ACTS /15
were. Refresh your mind with You certainly do not have the released into redeemed hearts, it
them again. sum total of all the knowledge God will create and transform.
wants to impart to you. Be ready to Always be aware of the creative
5. Who Or What Can I Consult learn whatever new truth God may potential of God's Word. Handle it
On This Subject? have to share with you. with an attitude of faith and
Discussing a biblical topic with expectancy. Always be mindful
a fellow preacher is always a stim- 2. Investigate It Thoroughly that it is filled with creative ability.
ulating and valuable experience. If Analyze the passage. It has far more energy and
you have opportunity to do this, Interrogate it! Take it apart and ability than you will ever under-
then seize that chance! It will be examine it thoroughly. Do this stand. It is always capable of pro-
edifying and enlightening for all with your mind open to the Holy ducing far more than you could
concerned. Spirit. Anticipate fresh thought comprehend.
This kind of exercise should and revelation from God. Expect to Remember, it is a miracle
take place every time preachers are discern truth which you have Word. God is in His Word. His
together. Engaging in discussion never noticed before. creative genius is in it. Your min-
on edifying Bible subjects would The Word of God is like a mine istry should be aimed at releasing
do a tremendous amount of good shaft. The deeper you go, the more this creative ability into the lives of
and foster true fellowship and precious the deposits you find. your hearers.
unity: I feel very sad for many of Many people are content to dig
my minister friends who have no around the surface. Their conclu- 5. Treat It Constructively
reference books. But they do have sions are always superficial. They Remember that you are a labor-
each other! are able to share only what others er together with God. You are
Share your knowledge and already know. involved in CONSTRUCTING
experience with each other. Pool A secret of effective teaching is something, not destroying it. Your
your Bible knowledge through to investigate those areas of truth task, under God, is to build up the
good discussion and frequent con- which have not previously Body of Christ. Therefore, your
versation. Don't waste those gold- occurred to people. In this way, messages should be constructive,
en opportunities when you come you can share fresh and refreshing not destructive.
together. truth with them. Sometimes your emphasis may
be very searching. The word you
D. PREPARATION OF 3. Do Some Original deliver may bring your listeners to
YOUR MATERIAL Thinking About It heart-searching and repentance.
Having found a suitable, rel- Do not let your mind stay in the Their reaction may be brokenness
evant passage, deal with it as ruts you have created. Trust the and tears, but they should not be
follows: Holy Spirit to illuminate your left like that!
mind. I am sure He will share Consider Ezra and Nehemiah
1. Be Open Minded About It
- something with you that you have (Neh 8:5-12). God had delivered a
Put aside your preconceived never known before. very heavy word to the returned
ideas on the subject. Let your mind Check it out with the rest of the exiles. As they listened to the expo-
be open and unbiased to receive Bible. No "truth" ever contradicts sition of the Law, they realized
and learn something new. the whole body of truth revealed in how far they had gotten away
Someone has said that if we the Scriptures. Check it, too, with a from it during the years of exile.
really want to grow spiritually, fellow preacher — ,one who This caused them to weep,
then we must read all those parts knows more about the Bible than bowing their faces to the ground in
of the Bible which we have NEVER you do, and not one that you know repentance. The prophets allowed
underlined. will always agree with you! them to do this for a while. Then
Frequently, we have firmly Do not be afraid to have some they interrupted their weeping and
established concepts; and we tend original thought. Let the wind of mourning and got the people on
to see only those things which the Spirit blow the cobwebs from their feet again.
confirm what we already believe. your mind! They said: "...go...eat...and
We must approach God's Word drink... neither be ye sorry; for the joy
with openness and honesty. 4. Approach It Creatively of the Lord is your strength" (vs 10).
Don't nullify or make of "no God is a Creator. His Word is a Do not constantly bring the
effect" the Word of God because creative Word. Everything which people under condemnation. Your
your religious tradition has shut God made, He created by His ultimate goal is to see them built
off your mind to anything other Word! The Word of God should up, strengthened and edified. To
than what you presently believe not be bound. It is still a creative accomplish this, you must minister
(see Mark 7:13). and powerful Word. When constructively.

16/ACTS
6. Study It Comparatively tant, particularly in expository Your comments should flow
Scripture must be compared preaching. Remember them, and freely from one to the next, with
with Scripture. It must always be seek to cover them whenever you unity and clear development and
interpreted within the total context expound the Word of God. progression. Keep moving forward
of the Bible. This demands a matu- smoothly to your ultimate goal.
rity of understanding of the whole 1. Clarity
Bible. Make sure that your commen- 5. Concise
You must study the Bible con- tary is easily understood. Do not Aim to be brief. It is far better to
sistently "to show yourself approved try to be too profound or mysteri- have your audience wishing that
unto God, a workman that does not ous. The aim of effective expository you would continue, than to have
need to be ashamed, rightly 'applying' preaching is to make the relevant them wishing you had finished
the word of truth" (2Tim 2:15 pph). passage as easy to understand as twenty minutes previously.
possible. Avoid the temptation to speak
7. Conclude It Practically Do not try to be clever or to dis- for the sake of speaking. Don't get
All effective Bible preaching play your knowledge. Try to break into the habit of rambling on. It
and teaching must have a practical the Bread of Life in such a way that only confuses your audience. A
conclusion and application. your entire audience is able to easi- good piece of advice was once
Ministry is not merely to inform the ly follow the emphasis you are offered to preachers in this form:
mind, but rather to form the life. making. STAND UP! SPEAK UP! SHUT
You should always have a practical UP!
conclusion to make. Suggest to 2. Consistency
your audience some meaningful Keep your comments consistent 6. Comprehensive
response. People need to respond with the theme you are expound- This point may seem to contra-
to the word you have brought. ing. Avoid the temptation to wan- dict the previous one in which I
der off down various devious path- advised brevity. To be comprehen-
E. DELIVERING THE ways which may occur to you. By sive means to cover the subject as
EXPOSITORY MESSAGE keeping faithful to your subject, fully as possible. But there is no
1. Turn To Passage you reinforce it in the minds of contradiction.
Have your congregation turn to your audience. It is certainly possible and desir-
the appropriate passage in the Do not be afraid of some repeti- able to cover a subject comprehen-
Bible. tion. A certain amount of it is nec- sively and yet as briefly as possible.
essary in order to fix a truth into Being comprehensive does not
2. Read Passage Aloud the hearts of the people. necessitate speaking at so . great a
If you plan to expound a partic- length that your audience becomes
ular chapter, read it out to the peo- 3. Coherence tired of the sound of your voice.
ple. Perhaps the congregation may To "cohere" means to hold Try to balance the two!
share the reading with you, each together. So be sure your thoughts
one reading out a verse or two. have a clear unity. A person speak- 7. Conclusive
ing incoherently is one whose Here is the most important
3. Introduce Your Theme speech is lacking in unity. It is point. What is the conclusion of all
Explain how you intend to deal often impossible to connect to the you have said? What is the end
with it. Explain your purpose and point he is trying to make. result? What will your words
intention, so that the people may Let the expression of your achieve?
cooperate with you. They will then thoughts have obvious unity. Do the desired conclusion should
understand where you are heading not wander from thought to dominate your mind from the com-
and will be able to follow along thought. Be clear and concise. mencement. You should be moving
with you. Make sure your thoughts have relentlessly towards it. Minister in
cohesion and hold together well, faith, expecting God to bring to
4. Read Passage Aloud Again each supporting and complement- pass His desired objective.
You may then decide to read the ing the other. Remember that it is not your
chapter through again, one verse at responsibility to achieve the
a time, making a suitable commen- 4. Continuity desired result. That is God's task.
tary on each verse. There should also be a clear You must keep looking to God, not
progression of thought. Your state- to the people. Confidently expect
F. SEVEN PRINCIPLES ments should be continually mov- Him to give the increase.
At this point, I would like to ing your audience towards the pro-
introduce to you seven vital princi- posed objective. Each point should 4044,
ples which are extremely impor- follow clearly the previous one.
ACTS/17
 A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
PREACHING
Chapter 4
The Biographical Sermon
A. ADVANTAGES OF THE 2. Are Examples To Learn From g. What was the conclusion of his
BIOGRAPHICAL SERMON They are examples for our bene- (or her) life?
I have intimated previously that fit — that we might learn from
this type of sermon relates primari- them, rather than from our own C. EXAMPLE OF A
ly to teaching from the lives and painful experience. BIOGRAPHICAL
examples of Bible characters. It SERMON
entails the detailed study of such B. HOW TO BEGIN There are so many lessons
characters in order to learn as 1. Choose Characters we can learn from these great
much as possible from their lives. From The Bible characters.
An interesting feature of the You could begin this style of
Bible is the manner in which the preaching by studying some of the 1. The Life Of David
men and women who form the greater characters of the Bible such Let us look briefly into the life
narrative are presented just as they as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, of David to give a simple example
are. There is no attempt to cover up Paul and Peter. of a biographical sermon.
their weaknesses and reveal only These are men whose deeds
their strengths and virtues. illuminate the history of God's TITLE: DAVID, A MAN AFTER
Many of the great heroes of the dealings with mankind. There is GOD'S HEART (Acts 13:22).
Bible have their human flaws. We SO MUCH to learn from their lives.
are very much aware that they are There are many great women in the INTRODUCTION
flesh and blood as we are. They Bible, too, whose lives have a spe- His name means "Beloved of
faced temptations common to all cial message to convey. God." He is called a man after
men; frequently, their response God's heart. Why did God call him
was little different from that of the 2. Study Their Lives this? What was it that appealed to
average Christian today. Begin by reading the narrative God's heart? There is obviously
In all the narrative of Bible his- which tells of the birth of the person. much we can learn from this man!
tory, there is only one truly perfect Find out the meaning of his or her A. A MAN AFTER
man — the man Christ Jesus! name, for most Bible names have GOD'S HEART
Even the great heroes of faith are tremendous significance. Study the 1. David had a special place in
manifestly human. This certainly circumstances of his or her upbring- God's heart.
helps us identify with them. ing. Pay special attention to the pur- 2. It is wonderful that God
The art of expounding truths pose of God in his or her life. finds such delight in a human
learned from studying the lives of a. What did God want to accom- being.
these men and women is an plish through him (or her)? B. WAS NOT A PERFECT MAN
extremely valuable one. It is a style b. How did He make His purpose 1. His weakness became known
of preaching which may be used to known? to all. Yet this did not alter God's
great effect by a pastor. c. What was the reaction of the feeling about him.
person? 2. We too are far from perfect,
1. Deals With Realities Of Life d. What can we learn from the yet God can find delight in us.
It deals with the realities of dealings of God in his (or her) C. WAS A VERY "HUMAN"
human life, with its strengths and life? PERSON
weaknesses. We can frequently e. Are there some dangers we 1. Typical mixture of strengths
learn so much from the struggles, should be aware of? and weaknesses.
triumphs and failures of those who f. What was the secret of his (or 2. Longed to please God, yet so
have gone before us. her) success? often grieved Him.
18/ACTS
 3. Longed for God's rule in his
4. "After you have suffered a while,
life, yet did his own thing.
4. Ascended to great heights... God will make you perfect, stablish, 5. Failed to overcome tempta-
strengthen, settle you" (1Pet 5:10). tion while it was still in mind. All
descended to sad depths.
5. David was not a superman. temptation begins in thoughts.
F. DAVID TESTED THROUGH This is the easiest place to defeat it.
He was truly human as we are! Cast down thoughts and imagina-
BATHSHEBA (2Sam 11)
1. He was spiritually "off tions (2Cor 10:5). Failure to do so

11 CHOSEN FOR guard"... Was now fifty years old...

Had been king for 20 years. How
may lead to disaster.

G. HIS REPENTANCE
SPECIAL TASK
God chose him from among his easy to drop one's guard! (Ps 51:1-10)
older, outwardly more impressive 2. Was overly self-confident. It was David's sincerity in
brothers. Never trust the arm of flesh! repentance which endeared him to
3. Idle moments led to his God.
E. HE HAD TO BE TESTED downfall. Should have been at 1. He acknowledged his trans-
1. Every man called of God battle-front. Satan takes advantage gression. Did not try to blame
must be tested and proven. of idle time. someone else.
2. Jesus was tested in the 4. Material prosperity bred 2. Repented thoroughly of his
wilderness (Matt 4:141). sensuousness. Paul disciplined his iniquity.
3. "Don't think it strange when flesh to ensure he was not disap- 3. Sincerely sought forgive-
you are tested" (1Pet 4:12). proved (1Cor 9:27). ness.
4. Cried out for cleansing.
King David 5. Sought a clean heart and
Modern Man
right spirit.

H. HIS SUFFERING
• Thinking (Ps 32:3,4;77:2-6)
4[•••••1

1. Heavy conviction day and

al=1.

Attitude night.
2.Tears of remorse.
3. Bones waxed old.
eart Condition
I. WHAT GOD SOUGHT TO
Actions ACCOMPLISH (Ps 51:6, 10, 17)
1. Truth in the inward parts.
Direction 2. Clean heart and right spirit.
3. Broken spirit and contrite
heart.

J. THAT HIS SERVANT

MIGHT BE:
1. A meek and humble soul.
2. A truly joyful person.
3. Sustained by God's free
Spirit.
4. A man after God's own
heart.
This is a brief and simple exam-
ple of a biographical sermon.
Determine to spend some time
studying some of the great charac-
ters of the Bible so that you can
teach important truths from their
lives.

ACTS / 19
 3. Longed for God's rule in his 4. "After you have suffered a while,
life, yet did his own thing. 5. Failed to overcome tempta-
God will make you perfect, stablish, tion while it was still in mind. All
4. Ascended to great heights... strengthen, settle you" (1Pet 5:10).
descended to sad depths. temptation begins in thoughts.
5. David was not a superman. This is the easiest place to defeat it.
F. DAVID TESTED THROUGH Cast down thoughts and imagina-
He was truly human as we are! BATHSHEBA (2Sam 11) tions (2Cor 10:5). Failure to do so
1. He was spiritually "off may lead to disaster.
D. CHOSEN FOR guard"... Was now fifty years old...
SPECIAL TASK Had been king for 20 years. How G. HIS REPENTANCE
God chose him from among his easy to drop one's guard! (Ps 51:1-10)
older, outwardly more impressive 2. Was overly self confident.
-
It was David's sincerity in
brothers. Never trust the arm of flesh! repentance which endeared him to
3. Idle moments led to his God.
E. HE HAD TO BE TESTED downfall. Should have been at 1. He acknowledged his trans-
1. Every man called of God battle-front. Satan takes advantage gression. Did not try to blame
must be tested and proven. of idle time. someone else.
2. Jesus was tested in the 4. Material prosperity bred 2. Repented thoroughly of his
wilderness (Matt 4:1-11). sensuousness. Paul disciplined his iniquity.
3. "Don't think it strange when flesh to ensure he was not disap- 3. Sincerely sought forgive-
you are tested" (1Pet 4:12). proved (1Cor 9:27). ness.
4. Cried out for cleansing.
King David 5. Sought a clean heart and
Modern Man
right spirit.

H. HIS SUFFERING
(Ps 32:3,4;77:2-6)
1. Heavy conviction day and
night.
2. Tears of remorse.
3. Bones waxed old.
eart Condition
I. WHAT GOD SOUGHT TO
ACCOMPLISH (Ps 51:6, 10, 17)
1. Truth in the inward parts.
2. Clean heart and right spirit.
3. Broken spirit and contrite
heart.

J. THAT HIS SERVANT

MIGHT BE:
1. A meek and humble soul.
2. A truly joyful person.
3. Sustained by God's free
Spirit.
4. A man after God's own
heart.
This is a brief and simple exam-
ple of a biographical sermon.
Determine to spend some time
studying some of the great charac-
ters of the Bible so that you can
teach important truths from their
lives.

ACT S 119
 A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
PREACHING
Chapter 5

The Preacher
I mentioned previously that 1. Be Yourself It is a great mistake to try to
effective preaching is largely the Be relaxed, natural and unaf- copy any other preacher. No matter
product of two factors, one divine fected. One of the most important how effective that person may be, it
and the other human. Both are nec- aids to effective speaking is to be will not enhance your ministry to
essary — for "without man, God relaxed. try to copy him. To do so would be
will not, and without God, man Tension creates nervousness. like David trying to wear Saul's
cannot." It is the human aspect Under tension, the memory does armor. It just did not fit him, and
with which we are dealing primar- not function well. Speech does not would have been more of a hin-
ily in these studies. flow fluently. Your nervousness drance than a help (1Sam 17:38,39).
will be communicated to the audi- If you are endeavoring to copy
A. PERSONALITY GUIDELINES ence, and they too will feel tense. or imitate someone, your listeners
An elderly preacher was once The best way to relax is to com- will quickly become aware of this.
asked by a group of young minis- mit your message to God. Do the They will realize that your preach-
ters: "With regard to the human best you can and leave the results ing is not wholly sincere and gen-
aspect of preaching, what is the to God. uine. It communicates shallowness
most important factor?" His imme- or superficiality.
diate reply was: "Personality!" 2. Try Not To Copy Others You will never be completely
"But tell us," they persisted, "what God chose YOU because He relaxed and at ease, if you are not
is personality?" "Ah," he said, "if wants to use YOU. You have some yourself. Your ministry will be
only I knew!" special features peculiar to you stilted and artificial. Determine to
Preaching involves communi- alone, and God has a purpose for be yourself, and be the best that
cating divine truth through human them. you can be!
personality. So the development
and proper use of personality is
important.
Someone has analyzed effective
public speaking (I refer to public
speaking as distinct from preach-
ing) in this manner:
An effective speech is com- Your
posed of:
• 50% subject matter; Message
• 20% psychology of approach
and conclusion;
• 20% effective delivery;
• 10% personality.
Yet, that 10 percent "leavens"
the whole speech! It can make the
difference between a boring talk
and a fascinating speech. I have,
therefore, felt it desirable to devote
some space to the matter of the
preacher's personality. The follow-
ing are some simple guidelines.

20 / ACTS
3. Be True To Yourself Such dedication will foster the attractive and appealing about
Integrity and honesty are development of your personality in simplicity. Don't try to be overly
essential for a preacher. You are a the best manner suitable to be a complicated or profound. You
channel for God — a mouthpiece, spokesman for God. don't have to impress people. You
that He might speak to mankind Do not allow preaching to be a are there to minister to them, not to
through you. Therefore, He wants hobby for you. It is the highest call- impress them.
a vessel which is honest, free from ing of God available to man. If God
hypocrisy and guile. has called you to declare His glori- 4. Attractiveness
ous truth, devote yourself whole- I am convinced that the most
4. Be A Clean Vessel heartedly to pursue the ultimate winsome and attractive personality
It is unlikely that your hearers development of that calling. It is this world has ever seen is Jesus
will rise higher than you. If your the most important thing in your Christ!
life is polluted, you will pollute life. Never allow it to be relegated I don't mean particularly in
your hearers. If there is bitterness to a secondary position. physical appearance. Isaiah said:
in your spirit, you will communi- "...when we see him, there is no beauty
cate it to your listeners. 7. Be Wholehearted that we should desire him" (Isa 53:2).
If you are critical, this will Nothing worthwhile is ever The attractiveness of Christ was
come through your preaching, and achieved by half-hearted people. not primarily in His physical
your congregation will become Nothing of value is ever obtained appearance. It was His character
critical, too. If you allow yourself without cost. Give yourself whole- and personality which were so
to be controlled by negative atti- heartedly to the great task of appealing.
tudes, the people will also become preaching. The average people of His day
negative. Let this goal be uppermost in responded to Him with great
You will always reproduce your mind. Study everything you can enthusiasm. The Bible says: "...the
after your kind (Gen 1:12, 21). You on the subject. Let it absorb and moti- common people heard him gladly"
have a grave responsibility to BE vate you. Make it the most important (Mark 12:37).
the kind of person God wants to thing in your life; determine to be, in They flocked to Him. They
reproduce. The fruit of your min- every way, worthy of the high calling were drawn like steel filings to a
istry will be of that variety as well. God has put upon you. magnet. There was a sweet gra-
ciousness about Him which gave
5. Be Sincere B. PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT Him an enormous appeal. It was
Sincerity means to be free from IN PREACHING partly this personal magnetism
pretense or deceit. It means to be 1. Naturalness which drew huge crowds wherev-
the same person in reality as you Be relaxed and be yourself. God er He went. The Holy Spirit can
are in appearance. Do not try to wants to use YOUR personality as develop a similar attractiveness in
appear to be in public what you a channel to communicate His you!
are not in private. Be genuine, Word. That is why He chose and
honest and sincere. called YOU. Do not be overly criti- 5. Spontaneity
Many preachers develop a cal of yourself. Accept yourself. Don't act unnaturally. Be free
public image. They have a reli- God has accepted you. No one can and unimpeded, doing things nat-
gious facade. Please avoid this — be YOU nearly as well as YOU! urally. Spontaneity means that
it is religious hypocrisy and an things happen easily without being
abomination to God. God is cer- 2. Originality forced or coerced. Don't develop a
tainly unimpressed by such a false Let your message and the man- religious style which is heavy and
image, and people are not fooled ner in which you present it be your unnatural. Let your style of com-
by it for very long either. own unique product. God has munication flow freely and natu-
made us different one from anoth- rally. Don't let yourself be bound
6. Have A Clear Purpose er. He enjoys our uniqueness and and restricted.
And Objective the variety this gives to the human
The personality is properly race. 6. Adaptability
shaped and developed when one Use the unique personality God A good preacher must learn to
has a real objective in life. If your has given to you, and allow Him to be flexible and to adapt to many
life is truly dedicated to becoming express His mind through your life different circumstances.
an effective minister of God's in the special and unique way He Every gathering you preach in
Word, your personality will be has desired. will be different in some way from
developed to that end. It will take others. You need to be able to dis-
the shape best suited to a commu- 3. Simplicity cern in each situation what the Holy
nication of truth. There is something extremely Spirit is desiring to accomplish.
ACTS / 21
 God has a specific objective to preacher in action. Who can 2. Vocabulary
achieve in every gathering of explain just what constitutes this A preacher's vocabulary is com-
believers. The preacher is a very phenomenon? posed of the number of words he
important key to the accomplish- I clearly recall some of the times knows and with which he is famil-
ment of that purpose. when I have been privileged to iar. Obviously, words are the tools
Try not to be too rigid or ortho- hear Dr. Billy Graham. What which a preacher employs in the
dox in your mental approach to a power and authority is released pursuit of his calling. The more
preaching occasion. Endeavor to through the preaching of this man! words he knows and understands,
keep your mind flexible and open. It is a combination of the power of the more fluent and expressive he
Learn how to wait on God continu- God and the cooperation of man. can be.
ally in your spirit. Keep your spirit He is an example of how won- Words are to the preacher what
open to His still small voice within derfully a human being can brush and paint are to the artist. A
you. become a channel for the wisdom preacher can paint vivid pictures
This can make all the difference and counsel of God to be brought with words. As he describes a
between a very ordinary church to men. scene, his audience can almost see
service and a dynamic encounter Truly, preaching is a high and what he describes. Words are so
with God through His Word. holy task. A person called to this important to an effective communi-
The Holy Spirit can create work must feel honored indeed. cator. A preacher without words is
many different kinds of moods in Anyone called to fulfill this role a tradesman without tools.
meetings. Sometimes they will be should surely dedicate himself As a preacher, you must be
joyful and lively; at other times wholeheartedly to ensure the high- interested in words. Try to read
they will be quiet and reverent. est possible level of effectiveness. widely, for reading good literature
The skill to recognize this, and take will enrich your vocabulary.
advantage of the unique situation C. VITAL EQUIPMENT Whenever you encounter a word
created by the Spirit, can enable I would like to speak to you now you are not familiar with, investi-
you to reap the results desired by about three things which are vital to gate it. Find out what it means.
God. effective preaching: VISION, Add it to your collection. Begin to
The key to success in Christian VOCABULARY AND VOICE! use it in its right context and'appli-
service is to "discern the way in cation.
which God is moving, and move 1. Vision Build up your vocabulary; you
with Him." Every preacher needs a vision. will become more fluent as you do.
By this I mean a concept of what People will listen to you with much
7. Dynamic his ministry can achieve in God. more interest, if you can adequate-
There is a mysterious dynamic Our vision is that concept of the ly communicate your topic.
in preaching which is quite unique ultimate achievement towards
to this particular function — a which we move through life. You 3. Voice
dynamic expression of authority could say it is a dream of what you Surely the voice is a preacher's
which can be quite awesome to can ultimately be for God and the greatest natural asset. Therefore,
witness. function you can fulfill to His glory. you should endeavor to take good
Peter illustrates this awesome Every preacher needs such a care of it. You should always be
dynamic on the Day of Pentecost vision to motivate him. He needs a aware of your voice and seek to
(Acts 2). Up until this time, he had definite, ultimate goal to move improve your use of it.
shown himself to be fearful and towards — something to strive
afraid. His cowardly denial of for, something to achieve; some- D. PRINCIPLES OF
Christ had proven this. His refusal thing for which it is worth sacrific- PUBLIC SPEAKING
to acknowledge Christ even before ing; a goal which will bring out the Here are a few principles about
a mere serving-maid reveals his best in him. which a public speaker should be
timidity and insecurity. Most preachers encounter plen- mindful:
But he was transformed on the ty of discouragement one way or
Day of Pentecost. We see a very another. They need something 1. Breathing
different Peter as he stood to which will counterbalance this and Correct breathing is extremely
preach that morning. There is eventually make everything important for a speaker.
something glorious to behold worthwhile. Unless you have an • Practice breathing through
about this man as he fearlessly inner awareness of God's ultimate your nose.
proclaims the Word of God to a purpose for you, you could be • Breathe deeply right to the
vast crowd. overcome with discouragement bottom of your lungs.
There is a majesty which thrills and fail to achieve your divinely- • Practice filling your chest and
the soul as we witness such a appointed goal. lungs with air.

22 / ACTS
 • Hold it and then breathe out 5. Volume your point and fix it in the minds of
slowly. Control the expiration. This is another factor of impor- your listeners. This is the kind of
• Let the air come right up from tance. Varying the volume of your emphasis which you purposely
the bottom of your lungs, through voice can give added emphasis to a give. You are aware that you are
your larynx (voice box) and hit the point you wish to make. doing it, and have a good reason for
roof of your mouth. The roof of your The major part of your message doing so.
mouth should act as a sounding should be delivered at a conversa- Try to present the same point
board. When you bounce your voice tional volume. This ensures that it in a variety of ways. You want the
off your palate, it will gain extra res- is loud enough for all to hear, yet truth you are sharing to become
onance. Learning to do this correctly not so loud that it assaults the ears part of the thinking and action of
will strengthen your vocal chords. of your audience. the people. In order to accomplish
Some preachers seem to feel it this, the mind needs an adequate
2. Articulation necessary to preach so loudly that exposure of truth and must be
Articulation is the art of uttering they hurt the ears of their hearers. convinced.
speech clearly. An articulate person Try to avoid this.
speaks very clearly. He is easy to If the whole of your message is E. SIMPLE TIPS FOR
understand. He pronounces his delivered with loud volume, it is PREACHERS
words well. difficult to give special emphasis to 1. Be Yourself!
Every preacher should aim to those sections which are the most Don't try to project some image
become adept in this skill. He ought important. that is insincere. Being yourself is
to be easy to listen to. It should not Endeavor to begin your mes- the only way to be completely
impose strain to listen to him; it sage at conversational volume. relaxed. If you try to imitate some
should be a pleasure. Even in every- Only turn the volume right up other preacher, this will be commu-
day conversation, he should prac- when you have a special point to nicated to your audience. They will
tice speaking clearly. emphasize strongly. sense the artificiality of your
If you occasionally drop the vol- preaching. Be the very best that you
3. Inflection ume, this will also serve to give spe- can be, but always be natural and be
Inflection in speech has to do cial emphasis. Your congregation yourself.
with the pitch of your voice. will give special attention when you
The human voice has a very drop the volume. They will endeav- 2. Forget Yourself!
wide range of tones. If you speak at or to hang on to every word. Self-consciousness can be a real
the same pitch and on the same tone hindrance in public speaking. It
all the time, your voice can sound 6. Pausing may produce hesitancy and
very boring. You must develop the Don't be afraid to pause once in uncertainty.
ability to modulate your voice. a while. This can also give added Chronic self-consciousness can
As a singer can go up and down emphasis to some point you make. even make a person "tongue-tied."
the scale — giving forth a good Some preachers are frightened It can severely restrict your flow of
variety of tones — so can the pub- of quiet spots. Their delivery speech. Your actions and demeanor
lic speaker. pours forth like a river, without will also be restricted. You should
If your voice tends to be natural- any pause. This can be difficult for prepare yourself as thoroughly as
ly rather high-pitched, practice people to absorb. possible in every necessary way.
speaking in the lower registers. Don't race through your mes- • Let your study of the subject
Develop a variety of pitch in your sage, keeping up a fast tempo and be adequate.
voice. hardly pausing for breath. • Let your notes be comprehen-
Your congregation needs time sive and clear.
4. Speed Of Delivery to think and consider what you • Be "prayed up" and filled with
Some people tend to speak at the have said. This helps to really the Spirit.
same rate all the time. This, too, can absorb the truth of your message. • Be filled with the word of
become rather boring. You need to inform the mind as truth you intend to share.
You should endeavor to vary the well as stir the emotions. The mind Pay attention to every area of
speed at which you speak. Most of can absorb things only at a steady preparation you are aware of; but
your message will be delivered at a rate. If you preach too quickly when you stand to speak, forget
moderate rate which is easy to listen without suitable pauses, you will about yourself. Be completely
to. leave your hearers behind. absorbed in what you have to share.
From time to time, however, you Be aware of your audience rather
should quicken or slow down the 7. Repetition than of yourself.
pace to give variety and added A certain amount of repetition You are a channel for God's
emphasis to your presentation. can be good. It helps to emphasize Word to flow through. Just seek to
ACTS / 23
be utterly yielded to Him, aware 8. Dress Appropriately Let such descriptions come nat-
only of God and the people to Your appearance should never urally and spontaneously. You can
whom you are speaking on His detract from your ability to com- emphasize a point very forcibly
behalf. municate with your audience. with your hands. All hand move-
Ideally, you should dress rather ments should be appropriate to
3. Don't Develop A 'Religious modestly, in a manner which is not what you are emphasizing.
Voice' When You Are Preaching likely to offend anyone.
Some preachers do this, and it is What is the point of antagoniz- 11.Establish And Maintain Eye
most disconcerting. Their pulpit ing your audience by your manner Contact With Your Audience
voice is so different from their nor- of dress? Your aim is to win and Your eyes convey a message
mal one. influence your listeners, not to too! Don't stare into space or above
This conveys a sense of insinceri- antagonize them. the heads of the listeners. Look
ty. It is almost as though this person Your clothing should not draw directly at the people you are
is "acting out a part." It also sets undue attention to you. If possible, addressing.
him apart from his congregation; you should be neatly, suitably and Let your glance rove around
they tend to see him as a different modestly attired. the congregation, so that everyone
breed or species. Certainly, your dress should feels that you are speaking to
It almost seems as though he not be offensive to the culture of THEM. By this means, you will
belongs to a different world than your audience. establish a good contact and rap-
they. This makes it difficult for them port with the people.
to identify with him. 9. Learn To Stand Properly
Practice preaching in a normal On most occasions it is proper 12.Remember That
voice — the same voice, accent and to stand when addressing an audi- Facial Expressions
tone that you use every day in the ence. You should stand firmly on Are Important, Too!
normal communications of life. both feet, giving yourself a good The look on your face conveys
This conveys a sense of reality and solid stance. a message very eloquently. Avoid
sincerity. any extreme facial expressions
unless you are emphasizing some
4. Do Not Speak Too Softly Ultimately, only particular point. Above all, let
Make sure that everyone in your God can accomplish your facial expressions be natural,
audience can hear you clearly. and let them be appropriate to
Don't make them strain to hear what you are seeking your theme and topic. Be happy
your every word. If necessary, ask to attain through and confident, unless your subject
the crowd; "Can everybody hear is a sad or serious one.
me clearly?" It is pointless to pro- your preaching. These suggestions are made
ceed with your message if part of with respect to the natural art of
your audience cannot hear well public speaking.
enough to follow you. This would Stand upright, facing your audi- Obviously, the factor of greatest
be wasting your time and theirs. ence. Avoid leaning on anything. If importance in preaching is the
there is a pulpit or rostrum, by all presence and anointing of God
5. Do Not Shout means use this to place your Bible upon your life. However, God can
Endeavor to speak with a nor- and notes on, but don't use it to bless and anoint a person who is
mal conversational tone and vol- lean on. Standing upright will well-prepared and has some
ume, which may have to be help your breathing. It will also understanding of the principles of
increased somewhat according to engender a feeling of quiet confi- communication.
the size of the crowd and whether dence as you face your audience. Never despise such skills. But,
or not you have the use of an ampli- on the other hand, do not depend
fying system. 10.Learn To Move Naturally on them either.
Your body conveys a message Ultimately, only God can
6. Remember To Vary The as well as your voice. It is impor- accomplish what you are seeking
Speed And Pitch Of Your tant how you conduct yourself to attain through your preaching.
Delivery To Avoid Monotony while speaking. Let your confidence be placed
The key to proper movement is firmly in Him. Understand that the
7. Get The Audience to let it be natural. Avoid unneces- only really worthwhile develop-
To Accept You sary physical gesticulations. If you ment in your preaching abilities is
Win their confidence. If they do are verbally describing something, that which God accomplishes.
not accept you, they probably will it is natural to also convey the idea
not accept your message either! with your hands.
24 / ACTS
 110W TO PREPARE
SERMONS
AND LESSONS by Jack Dunigan
A few days ago, a delivery truck brought a package taught it. So, at the beginning of each section, I have
to my door. I had ordered some cassette tapes and was listed for you what you learn there.
very glad to get them. Although the important thing
was to get the tapes, the truck was important because SOME PRACTICAL HINTS
it brought the tapes to me. Here are four practical steps that will help you get
The sermons and lessons we preach and teach are the most out of this article.
like delivery trucks. They deliver the goods. The Word 1. Find a quiet place to read and go there to read
is of course the most important thing, but there must this.
be some way to deliver it to the people. Sermons and 2. Follow the steps I recommend and WORK ON A
lessons must be given to people, but you deliver them. SERMON OR LESSON OF YOUR OWN while you
In this article, you will learn how to build a sermon read.
or a lesson plan. You will learn how to preach and 3. Take a five- to ten- minute break every hour. You
teach that the people in your church or class receive will understand more of what you're reading if you
the Word without noticing the one who does the don't read too long at one time.
preaching and teaching. 4. Make a plan to work on your sermons and
I have found that people learn best when they lessons every week and do it.
know what they are going to learn before they are

Chapter
SHOULD
YOU PLAN AHEAD?
What You Will Learn 2. You will discover how to no notes, no outline, no helps of
In This Chapter make sure your sermon and lesson any kind.
1. You will learn what it means ideas are good ones. He climbed into the pulpit to
to be "instant in season and out" 3. You will be able to list the begin. However, he could not
(1Tim 4:2). four ingredients that go together to remember anything he wanted to
make an effective message. say except for the verse that was
About the author: Jack
3. You will know why the Word his text. He hoped that quoting
Dunigan has ministered for more alone is ineffective in changing the verse would help him
than 17 years, teaching and
lives. remember the rest of what he
training leaders on four A young Bible college graduate wanted to say, so he quoted the
continents. He is a powerful and was about to preach his first ser- verse from Revelations "Behold, I
popular speaker who knows how mon before a congregation. It was am coming!"
to prepare well, using many his first church and he wanted to He still couldn't remember any-
illustrations from life. Jack has show the people that he knew the thing more, so he decided to try
coordinated Spiritual Renewal Word and was able to preach. He saying the verse again.
Seminars for World MAP in Latin didn't want to read his message or "Behold, I am coming," he
America. use any notes. He wanted to speak shouted.
entirely from his heart. So he had It was no use. He still couldn't
ACTS / 25
remember anything more. He
decided to try saying the text one God's Spirit
more time, hoping and praying
some other thoughts would return
to his memory. Life God's Word
"Behold, I am coming," he Experiences
repeated desperately, leaning into
the pulpit for effect.
Right at that moment, the pul-
pit gave way and he fell into the
lap of a lady sitting in the front
row. He was very embarrassed.
"I am so sorry," he said, look-
ing up at the woman.
"That's ok, preacher," she said.
"I should have been ready — you
warned me three times you were
coming!"

Saturday Night 1Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 4:2.) good one. Not every thought we
Panic It is the one thing we do that can so think is from the Lord. Some ideas
You know what it's like. You've powerfully bring people to the and thoughts are good ones; they
been busy all week counseling, Lord. bear fruit in time. But some are
working, teaching, doing all those If you follow the method I pro- weeds. We need to allow them to
things a minister has to do. You pose, you will always have good grow long enough to be able to see
meant to spend more time getting things to preach about. You will the difference and then be experi-
ready for Sunday, but so many always have a storehouse of mate- enced enough to know which ones
needs came up and you just had to rial, thoughts, insights, challenges to pull and which ones to leave to
meet them. Now, it's Saturday and illustrations to build into a ser- grow longer.
night and you still don't have a mon or lesson. If you wait until the last
sermon ready for tomorrow. minute to put together a sermon
You open your Bible, flip Vegetables Or Weeds? or lesson, you will inevitably
through the pages, look hopefully When I was a little boy, grow- serve up both weeds and vegeta-
towards Heaven and pray: "Oh ing up on a farm town, my parents bles to your congregation. If you
God, oh God! Let me hear Your planted a garden behind our begin preparing your sermons
voice!" However, it is almost house. After carefully plowing the and lessons weeks and months in
impossible to prepare a great ser- soil, putting fertizer on it and mak- advance you'll have the time and
mon on Saturday night or to get a ing the rows, we planted seeds experience to know the differ-
lesson ready at the last minute. We along the furrows. A few weeks ence. You'll offer up only healthy
have all suffered listening to later, my parents were out in the meals to the people.
preachers who obviously put their garden pulling weeds.
message together at the last Even though I was only about GOING TO WORK
minute. We have made people suf- six or seven years old, I went out to Begin now to build sermons or
fer listening when we didn't know help them. When I asked what I lessons. On a piece of paper, write
exactly what we wanted to say, could do, my mother told me to out at least seven ideas or topics
when our sermon wandered from pull the weeds so the vegetables for sermons you would like to
thought to thought without any could grow. As I remember it now, preach or lessons you would like to
purpose. we were growing onions in the teach. If you are having a hard
There are many activities in a row I worked in. time getting started, use these
preacher's ministry, but there is no After several minutes, my questions to help you begin.
one activity people see more than mother, who was working in front 1. What do you feel strongly
his preaching. People tend to judge of me, turned around to see how I about right now? What gets you
you as a minister by your ability to was doing. "Oh no," she said, most excited? Angry? What moves
preach and teach. They expect you "You're pulling up the onions, not you to action?
to deliver great messages week the weeds!" I didn't know the dif- 2. What do the people in your
after week. And rightly so. The ference between a weed and an church or class want to know?
Bible exhorts us to give attention to onion plant. What do they ask you about the
the preaching of the Word. (See Not every idea that we get is a most?

26 / ACTS
 3. Can you preach a message or one, you'll see how they fit togeth- Jesus' day knew the Law, but their
teach a class on one of those things er. The principle is illustrated in a lives were dry and lifeless because
they are asking for? Can you teach drawing of a teapot. they had no personal fellowship
or preach more than one time on it? The first part is the Word. An with the Author of the Word. They
4. List seven thoughts you have effective teacher must have some knew the Bible, but they did not
about one of those subjects. knowledge of the subject he is have the second ingredient that is
teaching. If he is to be really effec- necessary in effective preaching.
How Great Sermons tive, he will spend more time There was no freshness, so no one
Are Made studying and meditating than he listened to what they had to say.
Outside, it was hot and very will ministering. That's why you Maybe you've heard someone min-
humid; inside, the air conditioners must spend time in personal study, ister who said the right things, but
made it quite comfortable. Outside, devotions and meditation. The he was so dry you could hardly
the noise of the car horns and noisy effective church leader spends stay awake.
mufflers made it very difficult to quality time studying the Bible. If What is the second ingredient?
talk; inside, people were singing he can get them, he reads books It is the Spirit.
praises so you didn't want to talk. that give him insight into life as it The Bible contains everything
After an hour of worship and was in Bible times. He also learns man needs to know to please God
prayer, the interpreter stood to to apply the Bible's message to life and live a happy life. The direc-
introduce the speaker. Speaking in in practical ways. tions are old, but they can be
Indonesian, he told us about the life Some of us were taught that to applied to life today. The secret of
of this man from Holland who now be really "anointed," you shouldn't freshness is simple: be fresh your-
lived in Hong Kong with an use any notes when you teach, you self. Paul the apostle says that we
Indonesian wife and two adopted shouldn't write anything down should "be filled with the Spirit"
Japanese children. When the speak- while you study, nor should you (Eph 5:18). That is not something
er began to share the Word, every- use an outline to speak from. that happens just a once in a life-
body listened. We forgot the "Open your mouth and the Lord time. Instead, we should be before
humidity and the noise. We were will fill it," they said. However, if the Lord every day receiving from
listening to every word the speaker there is no life inside of us, no life Him the freshness of Himself. The
had to say. He was powerful. will come out of our mouths. In our Spirit flows through our lives from
He possessed something special diagram, we would compare the God and out to others. One of the
as a minister that made him so tea with the Word. Tea must be most effective tools of the enemy is
powerful. Yes, he knew the Word. made from tea leaves. Good ser- to lock up the answers of the Bible
His skill as a preacher was finely mons must be made from the Word in dry, religious terms. Preaching
sharpened. You could feel his love of God. But the Word alone is not and teaching alone cannot change
for the people. But I sat there in that nearly enough to make a sermon lives. The Pharisees of Jesus' day
Indonesian church, listening and worth listening to. Information tried to change people by telling
trying to analyze what it was that alone, no matter how good that them the Word. It didn't work then
made him different. information is, will not bring life to and it won't work now. Good doc-
After nearly an hour of listen- people. "The letter kills, but the Spirit trine will not deliver people. It
ing, I realized what it was. I had give life" (2 Cor 3:6). takes the Word and the power of
taught the principle in my own The second ingredient in our God to change lives. If you don't
leadership seminars, and now I rec- diagram is water. Tea leaves alone have it in your life, you can't make
ognized it in hint are not enough. The Pharisees of it work for others by just talking
HE HAD THE ABILITY TO about it.
Vessel.Us Tea=Word of God
COMBINE THE WORD, EXPERI- The third part of effective teach-
ENCES FROM HIS OWN LIFE, AND ing is a useful, willing vessel. The
THE SPIRIT TOGETHER TO CRE- tea and the water are mixed togeth-
ATE A FORCEFUL, WELL-PRE- er in a teapot. Once, a few years
SENTED SERMON OR LESSON. ago, I conducted a teacher training
There are four parts to effective class for the teachers in our
messages: Christian school. As part of their
Water
1. A knowledge of the subject training, I asked the teachers to
you are preaching about. answer these questions:
2. The freshness of the Spirit in 1. Write the title of every book
your life. you used in school.
3. A vessel. 2. Write the name of as many
4. Experiences from life. subjects you took that you can
Heat=Life Experiences remember.
As we examine these one by
ACTS / 27
 3. Describe special experiences three parts of good sermons and well. You may be alive with the
that you remember. lessons: Spirit. You may be a willing vessel.
' 4. Name every teacher you had • The Word But you will never be completely
and why you remember them. • The Spirit effective unless and until those
Of the six people who took that • A vessel ingredients have brewed awhile. If
training course, only one person you're feeling the heat now, relax.
could remember the name of a text- In our diagram they would The Word and the Spirit are com-
book. Two more people could compare to the tea, the water, and bining to make something very
remember a few subject titles. Most the teapot. However, those ingre- good.
could remember several special dients are not yet tea. They need A minister will not be effective
experiences and activities. Every- one more thing. Do you know simply because he learns a work-
one could remember at least six what it is? able method of sermon and lesson
teachers. Why? The fourth ingredient is heat or preparation. Good tools help you
Because it is teachers who fire. The fires of life must be minister better. There just isn't any
have the most impact on stu- applied before tea leaves and substitute for an anointed, know-
dents, not the things they teach or water become something to drink. ledgeable, Spirit-led preacher.
the books they use. The teachers The one thing that made that
told stories about their lives, they preacher in Indonesia so dynamic GOING TO WORK
used words and expressions that was that he had lived through hard You have already written out
were colorful and power-packed. times so that the truth in the Book ideas you have for sermons or
Their classes were not just dry had become truth in his life. It is lessons. You have listed some of
lessons; they were powerful experi- the heating that completes the pro- the things your people are asking
ences between themselves and cess. Fired on the burner of God's questions about. Look at your list
their students. stove, baked in the oven of trial again. Which one(s) of the items on
That little activity proved to me and experience, knowledge your list are you experiencing?
that it is people who affect people. becomes wisdom. How is God working truth into
We are touched by the lives of oth- You may remember the life of your life? Now write out some of
ers as much as we are touched by Joshua. For 40 years he served the experiences you are having that
the things they say. An effective Moses and the people in the illustrate and demonstrate God's
teacher imparts himself to others. wilderness. It was those 40 years Word in YOUR life. Try to use per-
"The disciple, after he is fully taught, that prepared him to lead the peo- sonal experiences.
will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). ple into the promised land.
So, we have now examined You may know the Word fairly

Chapter

TO PLAN AHEAD
What You Will Learn 2. You will be able to know if that will allow you to easily keep
In This Chapter what you are studying will help track of the great ideas you get.
1. You will see how to get great you minister to your people. 4. You will make a sermon or
ideas and illustrations everywhere. 3. You will learn to use a system lesson plan.

28 / ACTS
 5. You will be able to name the was there, the host pastor took me woman, "Wait a minute, I want to
three purposes of any sermon or to dinner at a hotel. After our meal, get a paper."
lesson. we walked through the lobby on She stood there while he walked
our way outside. On a platform in over to the newsstand and picked
Learning To Hear The Lord one corner of this very large room up a newspaper. He looked it over
Everywhere stood a newsstand. Since it was a and put it down, picking up anoth-
The people lined the streets to major hotel, the operator of the er. He looked it over for a few sec-
shout praises to Jesus as He rode newsstand had a dozen different onds, then put it down and picked
into Jerusalem on a donkey. Waving up yet another edition. He did the
palm branches and crying same thing several times. Picking
"Hosannah! Blessed is He who up, looking, replacing. The woman
comes in the name of the Lord," they The people lined the became more exasperated each
exalted Him. After a time of teaching time he did it. Finally she blurted
by Jesus, God spoke from heaven.
streets to shout out, "For goodness' sakes, Harold,
The remarkable detail in this praises to Jesus as He buy something!" She became frus-
story isn't the fact that God spoke. trated when her husband could not
The amazing point is that most peo- rode into Jerusalem make a decision.
ple didn't recognize Him when He on a donkey. Waving There was an excellent illustra-
did speak. Some thought it was tion for a sermon I would preach
thunder, a few others thought it was palm branches and sometime in the future. Some may
an angel. They didn't recognize have seen it and thought it was
God's voice because it came from the crying "Hosannah! only something interesting to
sky and the only thing they had Blessed is He who watch. It was God speaking in life.
heard from the sky before was thun- We may not hear Him because we
der. They, like us, are accustomed to comes in the name of aren't accustomed to hearing His
hearing from God in only a few voice there. He's speaking but we
places. The problem is that we're not
the Lord," they aren't listening.
hearing Him when He does speak. If exalted Him. After a Here's an exercise you may
you are waiting for God to speak to find useful. Leave your house and
you in some inner voice, or only time of teaching by go out for a walk. Get away from
through a Scripture that seems to your normal surroundings. While
jump from the page of your Bible,
Jesus, God spoke you're out walking, find one object
you will not hear God as often as He from heaven. or observe one event in which you
speaks. can find some spiritual truth or
The remarkable detail principle.
On one occasion, God sent Then develop a message
Jeremiah to the potter's house where in this story isn't the from what you saw, or use what
He said He would announce His you saw as an illustration in it.
words to him. (Read Jeremiah 18:1- fact that God spoke. When a friend of mine did this, he
6.) How? By letting Jeremiah observe found a rusty nail. As he thought
a life experience that directly related The amazing point is about it, he understood how some-
to a spiritual principle. Some of the that most people thing that was shiny and new
best ideas and illustrations for mes- could become rusty and worn. He
sages don't come from books, but didn't recognize Him then developed a message on how
from life as you watch it and live it.
When you can find truth in life as we
when He did speak. sin corrupts people.
Learn from other good commu-
live it today, your people will be able nicators. Listen and read what
to apply it to their own lives. Jesus other good speakers say. Nothing is
used life as He lived it to explain original, so don't feel guilty about
truth. newspapers from around the U.S. borrowing their ideas. If and when
For example, a few years ago I for sale. We stood for a few you do borrow, the ethical thing to
was preparing a sermon on leader- moments on the edge of the plat- do is to tell your congregation who
ship in the home. I wanted to show form watching the movement of said it. If a man is a good commu-
husbands that wives find it nearly the crowd through the lobby. Just nicator, study his method, listen to
impossible to follow a man who can- before we left, a couple walked the words he uses, and remember
not make a decision. Some months past us toward the restaurant. As his choice of illustrations. Maybe
before I preached this message, I was they got near the newsstand, the there's a more forceful way to say
ministering in another city. While I man stopped and said to the what you need to say. Too many

ACTS/29
sermons and lessons are full of longer remember them? How will It makes a lot of noise and gets
stammering and stuttering. If a man you save them when you come attention, but it captures no game.
is a good communicator, learn from across them so that you can find The sermons of the Bible show pur-
him. them later? pose. So do its books and letters.
Here's a simple method to Read John 20:30-31, 1Thessalonians
Learn From My Mistake record and store all this material. 4:13-18, and 1Thessalonians 4:1.
It went like this. Church on If the most important part of
Sunday, counseling and classes Use A Sermon sermon and lesson preparation is a
three nights a week. I taught in our And Lesson Plan stated purpose, the most important
Christian school, and worked on Since a good message takes sev- parts of preaching and teaching are
our new building on Saturday. eral weeks or months to develop, the introduction and conclusion.
Church on Sunday, counseling and you will need some way of keeping Use an introduction that gets the
more ministering... all those messages you are working people's attention, sets the mood
I hope your schedule is less busy on in some kind of order. I use a for the message, and makes them
than mine was. Notice I said "was". sermon/lesson plan, but I didn't want to hear more. Create a conclu-
After several years of it, I made buy it anywhere. It's a form I sion that sums up your purpose,
some radical changes. I was so busy developed myself. I like to preach provides an action step, and brings
with church activities, I had no time series, taking several weeks on a your thoughts to a crisp end. List
to relax. I couldn't hear God speak topic before moving on to another. several ways to introduce and con-
anywhere else, because I could So I included a place to write in the clude your message on the sermon
never go anywhere else except at a series name. For instance, one sum- plan.
run. The pressure of my schedule mer I preached two months on On the rest of the page, write
kept me from enjoying the other "The Weapons of our Warfare." On down any major thoughts you
dimensions of my life. My wife, this form, the series name MIGHT include in your sermon or
children, myself as an individual, "Weapons of our Warfare" would lesson. Don't worry about any par-
my friends were blurred together. I go there. ticular order now, just write down
was so busy I couldn't enjoy them. Each sermon was given a title anything that comes up. You'll
The first revelation we have of that would help people remember choose the ones you'll use in your
God is in the book of Genesis. There what it was about. So I included a message later. Keep your stated
He reveals His creative nature. place for the title on my form. The purpose in mind. The sermon/les-
Good sermons and powerful most important part of sermon and son plan form is not your complet-
lessons require creativity. lesson preparation is to state its ed message. It is only a device to
Creativity means to make some- purpose. As you begin preparing a help you assemble all the parts into
thing new or to rearrange old sermon or lesson, define the reason the finished product.
things in a new way. Creativity behind it. Why are you going to
begins to work in a relaxed envi- preach it? What do you want to GO TO WORK
ronment. When you are not pres- happen as the result of your hav- Make a sermon plan right now.
sured, you can come up with some ing taught it? What do you want it Take a piece of paper and make a
very creative ideas. How many to accomplish for those who hear sermon plan like the one in the
times did Jesus teach His disciples it? illustration. Then, take the ideas
and then take them off into the hills There are three broad purposes you gathered earlier and begin to
for awhile? On more than one occa- for a sermon or lesson: plan a sermon or lesson. Be sure to:
sion, Jesus left a busy meeting and 1. to inform, 1. Define the purpose of the
retreated to the hills. He needed to 2. to persuade, message. I want to preach this mes-
hear from His Father. So do we. 3. to motivate. sage because...
Learn to relax. Every message will fall some- 2. List ideas, Scriptures and
When you begin to plan ahead, where in these three categories. illustrations that apply to the
when you listen everywhere, when Some sermons or lessons may message.
you learn to relax, it won't be long include more than one, but each 3. Plan a conclusion. How do
before you'll begin to gather a lot of will include at least one. Your you want the sermon to end? The
ideas, thoughts, illustrations and statement of purpose should read conclusion should be an action
principles. How will you keep track something like this: "I want to step. Get your listeners to do some-
of them all? What will you do with motivate each person in my con- thing. Don't let them just listen to
them until you can put them into a gregation to witness to at least two you. Blessed are they that hear the
sermon or lesson? You may be able people this next week." Word of God and do it.
to remember a few of them for a Preaching a sermon or teaching
few days, but what will you do a lesson without a stated purpose
when you get so many, you can no is like firing a gun without a target.
30 / ACTS
Chapter
A TIME AND
A PLACE TO STUDY
What You Will Learn
In This Chapter
1. You will see why it is neces-
sary to discipline yourself to study Have a place where you can
in order to be an effective preacher. study God's Word.
2. You will be able to describe a
good place to study.
3. You will learn different ways
to study the Bible.
4. "Jotham was mighty because he
ordered his ways before the Lord"
(2Chron 27:6). Don't fool yourself;
the people you speak to can tell
when you've taken time to prepare
and when you haven't. There are time praying and worshiping. It is Read each book. See the setting
many pressing needs, but study is the Spirit that will help you include of the book, when it was written,
always important. Schedule a cer- exactly what needs to be in your and what was happening in history
tain time every week to work on message. The Bible is God's revela- at the time it was written. Why was
sermons and lessons. Notice I said tion to us. It is not just a book of the book written? This is especially
"sermons and lessons," not just history. It is the account of God's true when you are studying the let-
that week's message. You will dealings with man and how He has ters of the New Testament.
work on the sermons and lessons revealed Himself to us. It is not the Let the Bible inspire you while
you will deliver that week. You account of man's search for God. you read it. Be challenged and lift-
will also work on messages you'll God was never lost. Man is lost, ed by its message. Read it and
deliver in the future, adding notes, and the Bible tells us how God apply it to yourself, not just for
Scriptures, illustrations, and pol- found him. your congregation. It is quite possi-
ishing the form. The test of an experience is its ble that a minister can study the
Let your family and your con- biblical foundation. Many times we Bible for others, but never let the
gregation know when and where try to prove the Bible by our experi- Book touch him where he lives. He
you'll be studying. Encourage ences. Instead, we must prove all must be concerned that his mes-
them to leave you alone during our experiences by the Bible. I have sage touches his congregation. He
this time. You may have to do read about people who claimed must always let it touch himself.
some adjusting until you find the they had died and gone to a place Study different subjects. For
best time for you, but don't be full of light and nice music. Some example, praise is a very exciting
afraid to set a time and enforce it. of these people said they were not subject to study through all the
There is a tendency to look at Christians. In spite of their experi- Bible.
preparation time as not being "real ence, the Bible does not say that the
ministry". But it is very important. unsaved go to a nice place after Study Words
If it's important to set aside they die. We should use illustra- Study the Bible carefully. Pay
time, it's also important to set aside tions from experience to illustrate attention to detail, names,
a place. This place may be a study our sermons and lessons, but be meanings and locations. Learn to
in your house or church. It may certain that those experiences are read with emphasis like someone
be a corner of a room, but it proven by the Scriptures. speaks.
should be secluded and quiet. It Study it prayerfully. Ask God to
should be a place that can be iso- Study The Bible speak to you.
lated from the activity of others. It In These Ways: Study it regularly. Be
should be comfortable. Read it all the way through. Get systematic.
Prepare your spirit to receive a look at the whole Bible. See how 44-ph
from the Holy Spirit. Spend some one book relates to another.
ACTS / 31
iiallieliPARING YOUR
SERMON OR LESSON
What You Will Learn body and conclusion of your mes- Limit yourself to a certain time, a
In This Chapter sage. Now you will assemble them certain subject, and your stated
1. You will learn how to keep together into its finished form. I purpose.
the attention of anyone who listens recommend you keep your sermon In the conclusion, tell the peo-
to you preach. and lesson outlines. They are ple what you have told them. Sum
2. You will be able to list the works of craftsmanship you have up your points. Bring your
three parts of every sermon/ invested a great deal of time and thoughts to a logical conclusion.
lesson. effort into. It's my belief that a I've sat through a number of mes-
3. You will be able to tell the message doesn't get really good sages that had conclusions which
difference between a lesson and a until it's been delivered two or had nothing to do with the mes-
sermon. three times. sage. Often we attempt an altar call
4. You will learn to make a sim- Often you will remember some based on the second coming of
ple outline. points you made in a sermon you Christ when we never mentioned
preached sometime in the past, so His coming in our message. Be
Keeping Their Attention you'll need some easy way to store consistent. Use an action step to
Two men were ice fishing. They them. prompt the people to do more than
stood over an hour on the ice and I use an outline to preach from, just listen. You may have the peo-
caught nothing. However, they but I don't get too concerned with ple come forward, lead them in
noticed that a man just a few feet following an exact outline form. some commitment to the Lord, or
away caught one fish after another. You may choose to list the points have them do something right
The two men decided to ask him down the page numerically. Or then. A powerful action step
his secret. They walked up to him you may want to use letters. Find a makes the difference between a
and asked, "We couldn't help but form you can work with that sermon and a lesson.
notice that you are catching quite a serves the purpose.
few fish. Could you tell us your In the introduction of your CONCLUSION
secret? We aren't catching any- message, bait the hook. Spend a So there you have it: a simple,
thing." few minutes grabbing the atten- easy-to-use method of sermon and
"Mmmmphph," the successful tion of the congregation. God once lesson preparation. Long-range
fisherman replied. used a burning bush to get Moses' planning, disciplined Spirit-led
"Pardon us," the two said. "We attention. In the introduction, tell study, and careful work add up to
couldn't understand you. What did the people what you're going to effective preaching and teaching.
you say?" tell them in the sermon. You'll approach Sunday morning
"Mmmmphph," he said again. In the body of the message, tell with more confidence. You'll find
"We're really sorry," they said. them. Build your message point by that you'll be able to apply theo-
"We really didn't understand that. point toward your stated purpose. logical truths in practical ways.
What was that you said?" Set forth your major points. Let Your people will be able to make
At that point, the man spit one point lead to the next or let Christianity work better for them.
something out of his mouth and each point support one major You have learned easy-to-use
stated, "You've gotta keep the emphasis. Illustrations are win- methods to organize your
worms warm." dows into the truth. They let in thoughts, build sermons and
Keeping the attention and light. While you have been plan- lessons, and store completed out-
respect of any one group of people ning the message, you've had the lines. Now you must put it into
week after week is not easy. You time to gather several good stories practice. If you have been working
can't afford to be careless in either and illustrations. Use them. on a sermon or lesson along with
what you preach or how you Limit yourself. Be careful not to this article, you are off to a great
preach it. You've "gotta keep the wander away from your topic. It's beginning.
worms warm." easy to be drawn away into talking
In your sermon/lesson plan, about something other than that
you worked on the introduction, which relates to your purpose. *AA
32 / ACTS
 SAMPLE SERMONS
YOU CAN PREACH by Gerald Rowlands
Editor's Note:
We have included two sermon outlines by Gerald Rowlands. They are good examples of the kind of sermons
that you should preach, because they are:
1. solidly Bible-based
2. carefully organized
3. clearly expressed

Please study these sermons carefully, paying close attention to:

1. The Biblical truths they are teaching
a. regarding prophecy
b. regarding the discerning of spirits
2. How the sermons are organized
a. use of outline format
b. use of definitions
c. use of Scripture references
3. How the sermons express the biblical
truths they are teaching
a. various points and principles emphasized
b. clarity of words and sentences

Please feel free to use these messages in your personal development and training as well as in your public
ministry as the Holy Spirit leads you.

"And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes he pondered and
sought out and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written
was upright — words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of the masters of
assemblies are like well-driven rails, given by one Shepherd" — Ecclesiastes 12:9-11.

"TO ANOTHER, PROPHECY": 1 Corinthians 12:10

I. WHAT IS PROPHECY? The importance of this gift is emphasized by
A. A Brief Definition the prominence which it is given in those chapters
The meaning of the Greek word propheteia, which deal with spiritual gifts. For example, it is
translated in the New Testament as 'prophecy,' is a mentioned twenty-two times in Chapters 11
divinely inspired utterance. Prophecy is as through 14 of 1Corinthians.
supernatural as the gift of tongues, only it is
supernatural utterance in a known tongue. It is a B. The Gift Is Distinct From The Office
manifestation of the Spirit of God, not of the human The Scriptures reveal obvious difference
mind. between the office of prophet and the gift of
It its simplest form (that is without some other gift prophecy. The New Testament order of things is
working together with it), all who have received the different from the Old Testament. The prophet of
baptism of the Holy Spirit may exercise this gift: "For the Old Testament differs from that of the New
ye may all prophesy, one by one"(1Cor 14:31). Testament as the priest of the Old differs from

ACTSS / 33
 that of the New. In the Old Testament, only certain anointed preaching the gift of prophecy also may
men were chosen by God to be priests, but in the operate during the message.
New Testament we are all kings and priests unto
our God. Likewise, in the Old only a few were B. Prophecy Is Not To Be Confused
chosen and appointed to prophesy, but in the With Predicting The Future
New, Paul says, "Ye may all prophesy" (1Cor To prophesy is not to foretell but to speak for
14:31). another (in comfort). If some hidden truth is
There is, however, a New Testament office of revealed, this is the word of knowledge operating
prophet which is distinct from the gift of prophecy. within the prophecy. A word of wisdom also may
Although both are called gifts, one is a gift from be contained within a prophecy, giving a form of
Christ to the Church (Ephesians 4:8-12), while the prediction regarding some event in the future.
other is a gift from the Holy Spirit to an individual
member of the Church (1Cor 12:10). In Ephesians C. Prophecy Is Not For Personal Guidance
4, Christ gave some (to be — understood) 1Corinthians 14:3 says, "... he that prophesieth
prophets, but in 1Corinthians 14:31, all may speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation
prophesy. and comfort." There is no reason to believe that
We can see this distinction in Acts 21:8-22. prophecy characteristically foretells the future or
Philip had 4 daughters 'which did prophesy' (the attempts to direct the personal future of anyone,
gift), but Agabus was a prophet (the office). Using based upon this scripture. It is therefore not wise to
the gift of prophecy does not make one a seek out anyone to give you personal guidance
prophet, but the one holding the office of a through the gifts of the Spirit. Ask God and He will
prophet does use the gift. give you wisdom (James 1:5) then use your own
sanctified judgment and knowledge of the Word.
C. Four Tests Of A Genuine Prophet (The Office) Even the New Testament prophet made no effort
1. Christ has set them in the Church (the Body). to make people obey or follow his leadings. He left
(The New Testament does not allow for the conclusions and initiative to the judgment of
independent prophets who are not acceptable to those who heard his utterance. On one occasion a
other Spirit-filled believers. The prophet is a part prophet did predict a drought, but he did not offer
of and accountable to the church.) any advice or guidance about what should be done.
2. Other recognized prophets will endorse him. On another occasion a prophet foretold the arrest
3. His predictions will come to pass. of Paul in Jerusalem and while Paul apparently did
4. His ministry will be associated with founding not doubt the truth of the prediction, he went to
churches, equipping saints for ministry, etc. Jerusalem anyway, even against the expressed
desires of other disciples. Personal guidance
II. WHAT PROPHECY IS NOT: should be viewed as a confirmation of what God
SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS has already shown you, and if there is not God-
ABOUT PROPHECY given witness in your own spirit, then any proffered
A. Prophecy Is Not To Be Confused With personal guidance should be rejected.
Preaching
Many today insist that prophecy in the Bible III. WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH
refers to preaching. This robs the gift of its ABOUT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
supernatural character. Preaching and teaching is A. For Speaking Supernaturally To Men (1Cor 14:3)
most usually the result of prayerful meditation in Conveying the mind of the Spirit directly to the
the Word of God coupled with diligent preparation. Church, resulting in edification, exhortation and
In contrast, prophecy is often spontaneous and comfort.
has not been prepared beforehand by the person
giving the message. B. Prophecy Is Superior To Tongues And
Prophetic utterance is under the immediate Interpretation Because It Is Instantly Intelligible
and direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In In a public assembly, the gift of tongues requires
anointed preaching, the natural mind is assisted an interpreter, but prophecy does not. With
and inspired by the Spirit. In true prophesy the prophecy there is also no danger of a message in
mind of the Spirit is speaking through human tongues occurring without an accompanying
speech organs. However, in the course of interpretation, which is unscriptural.

34 / ACTS
 that of the New. In the Old Testament, only certain anointed preaching the gift of prophecy also may
men were chosen by God to be priests, but in the operate during the message.
New Testament we are all kings and priests unto
our God. Likewise, in the Old only a few were B. Prophecy Is Not To Be Confused
chosen and appointed to prophesy, but in the With Predicting The Future
New, Paul says, "Ye may all prophesy" (1Cor To prophesy is not to foretell but to speak for
14:31). another (in comfort). If some hidden truth is
There is, however, a New Testament office of revealed, this is the word of knowledge operating
prophet which is distinct from the gift of prophecy. within the prophecy. A word of wisdom also may
Although both are called gifts, one is a gift from be contained within a prophecy, giving a form of
Christ to the Church (Ephesians 4:8-12), while the prediction regarding some event in the future.
other is a gift from the Holy Spirit to an individual
member of the Church (1Cor 12:10). In Ephesians C. Prophecy Is Not For Personal Guidance
4, Christ gave some (to be — understood) 1Corinthians 14:3 says, "... he that prophesieth
prophets, but in 1Corinthians 14:31, all may speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation
prophesy. and comfort." There is no reason to believe that
We can see this distinction in Acts 21:8-22. prophecy characteristically foretells the future or
Philip had 4 daughters 'which did prophesy' (the attempts to direct the personal future of anyone,
gift), but Agabus was a prophet (the office). Using based upon this scripture. It is therefore not wise to
the gift of prophecy does not make one a seek out anyone to give you personal guidance
prophet, but the one holding the office of a through the gifts of the Spirit. Ask God and He will
prophet does use the gift. give you wisdom (James 1:5) then use your own
sanctified judgment and knowledge of the Word.
C. Four Tests Of A Genuine Prophet (The Office) Even the New Testament prophet made no effort
1. Christ has set them in the Church (the Body). to make people obey or follow his leadings. He left
(The New Testament does not allow for the conclusions and initiative to the judgment of
independent prophets who are not acceptable to those who heard his utterance. On one occasion a
other Spirit-filled believers. The prophet is a part prophet did predict a drought, but he did not offer
of and accountable to the church.) any advice or guidance about what should be done.
2. Other recognized prophets will endorse him. On another occasion a prophet foretold the arrest
3. His predictions will come to pass. of Paul in Jerusalem and while Paul apparently did
4. His ministry will be associated with founding not doubt the truth of the prediction, he went to
churches, equipping saints for ministry, etc. Jerusalem anyway, even against the expressed
desires of other disciples. Personal guidance
II. WHAT PROPHECY IS NOT: should be viewed as a confirmation of what God
SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS has already shown you, and if there is not God-
ABOUT PROPHECY given witness in your own spirit, then any proffered
A. Prophecy Is Not To Be Confused With personal guidance should be rejected.
Preaching
Many today insist that prophecy in the Bible III. WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH
refers to preaching. This robs the gift of its ABOUT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
supernatural character. Preaching and teaching is A. For Speaking Supernaturally To Men (1Cor 14:3)
most usually the result of prayerful meditation in Conveying the mind of the Spirit directly to the
the Word of God coupled with diligent preparation. Church, resulting in edification, exhortation and
In contrast, prophecy is often spontaneous and comfort.
has not been prepared beforehand by the person
giving the message. B. Prophecy Is Superior To Tongues And
Prophetic utterance is under the immediate Interpretation Because It Is Instantly Intelligible
and direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In In a public assembly, the gift of tongues requires
anointed preaching, the natural mind is assisted an interpreter, but prophecy does not. With
and inspired by the Spirit. In true prophesy the prophecy there is also no danger of a message in
mind of the Spirit is speaking through human tongues occurring without an accompanying
speech organs. However, in the course of interpretation, which is unscriptural.

34 / ACTS
 F. We Are To Desire This Gift And Covet It (1 Cor.14:1,39).
C. Prophecy Convinces Unbelievers (the
unlearned or uninitiated) (1Cor 14:24, 25).
G. The Person Operating The Gift Is Responsible
The 'unlearned' are those who are ignorant of the
For Its Use Or Misuse (1 Cor 14:32)
truth and the teaching and worship of the Church.
Prophecy is not an uncontrolled utterance.
Through the operation of prophecy they
Rather it properly functions under the prophet's
1. Be convinced of all. authority. The prophet, not God, is responsible for
2. Be judged of all.
3. Have the secrets of their hearts made manifest.
any disorderly misuse of the gilt. All prophecy is
suspect unless it has been tested and approved by
4. Fall down before God and surrender in humility.
acknowledged prophets, otherwise it would not
5. Come to worship God.
have to be submitted to the test. Some persons
6. Acknowledge that God is among you of a truth.
prophesy in the first person ("I, the Lord, speak
unto you...") unconsciously trying to shift the
D. Prophecy Provides Threefold Ministry
To The Church (1Cor 14:3) responsibility of the utterance 100% to God. It is
1. Oikidome - "Edification" is a combination of two wise to avoid this practice, since prophetic
Greek words: Oikos (house), and dome (a form of utterance, like the other gifts, is a cooperative effort
the Greek word for 'to build'). Therefore, the first of between God and the prophet, but under the
the threefold ministry of this gift is "to help build the prophet's control.
Lord's house" (the Church). The use of this word H. Prophecy Is To Be
indicates prophecy aids spiritual growth. The Controlled (1Cor 14:29, 31, 32)
function of this, as with all spiritual gifts, is distinct The restrictions set forth in these verses seem to
but complementary to the written Word. imply that the prophets must speak one at a time,
2. Parakleesis, translated "exhortation", means a and not more than three utterances should take
'calling near'. Its use here has the sense of a place in any one meeting. The ideal seems to be
persuasive discourse, a stirring address, instructive, two — or at the most three. "All may prophesy
admonitory, consolatory, or powerful discourse. The [implied: '[over a period of time']" doesn't conflict
exhortation stimulates believers to achieve the with the above restrictions. Prophecy is not an
height of the theme of the prophecy. It is also uncontrolled utterance, but must function within
significant that the word "Comforter," referring to the biblical boundaries.
Holy Spirit, is parakleetos, based on exactly the
same verb as parakleesis. I. Prophecy May Be Received At One's Baptism
3. Paramuthia, translated "comfort", means to in the Spirit (Acts 19:6), But Does Not Take
speak kindly or soothingly to someone. Prophecy the Place of Tongues As An Initial Evidence
should have the element in it which speaks in order It may also be received later in one's experience
to soothe and pacify, by speaking persuasively and after having been filled with the Spirit.
tenderly.
4. Prophecy is usually all three of these functions J. Prophecy Must Be Exercised by Faith
expressed in one message. (Rom 12:6).
The Church today is desperately in need of God- This is not prophesying by faith, it is operating
given, properly controlled prophecy. Together with the gift of prophecy by faith. It Satan can destroy
the anointed preaching of the Word, it will probably your faith, then he will destroy your use of the gift. It
do more than anything else to bring revival blessing takes more faith to prophesy than to speak in
and power to the Church. tongues because prophecy is instantly intelligible
and understandable by the congregation, whereas
E. Prophecy Functions So That Believers tongues are not intelligible until interpreted.
May Learn (1Cor 14:31)
K. Prophecy Must Be Judged (1Cor 14:29)
This does not refer to doctrine which is
Sometimes the discerning of spirits comes into
ministered from the Word through a teacher rather
operation in connection with this. There are three
than a prophet. It functions rather that the believers
possible sources of inspiration for a prophecy:
may learn spiritual truths and things for their
1. The Holy Spirit.
edification, comfort and exhortation. Such truth
2. Evil, lying spirits.
must be tested by the written Word before being
Isaiah 8:19 and 20 speaks of people who have
digested.

ACTS / 35
 familiar spirits which speak through them. In Acts f. It will be acceptable to the majority of
16:17 we read of an evil spirit speaking through a spirit-filled believers present.
girl. What she said would probably have been g. There is also the test alluded to in Matthew 7:16.
accepted as true prophecy by some had Paul not ("Ye shall know them by their fruits'). It is safe to
discerned the evil spirit at its root. reject any so-called prophecy coming from one
3. The Human Spirit. whose life is a reproach to the cause of Christ.
A person may prophesy out of his own heart, or
allow his own ideas and personal thoughts or L. Prophecy Is Not To Be Despised (1 Thess 5:20)
opinions to influence his utterance. In Jeremiah The problems which may arise from time to time
23:16 we read of prophets who "prophesy out of with any supernatural manifestations in the Church
their own hearts." They "speak a vision of their own are no reason to quench the Spirit or despise His
hearts and not of the mouth of the Lord." See also manifestations. Nor is the fact that gifts are being
Ezekiel 13:2 and 3. The spiritual manifestations of operated by persons in whom believers do not have
the discerning of spirits will enable us to judge the wholehearted confidence grounds for rejecting all
source of an utterance. prophecy.
4. There are several things which will always be 1. It is unscriptural to deny the reality of these gifts.
true of a true prophetic utterance. 2. It is disobedient not to allow them to operate.
a. It will edify, exhort and comfort the Church. 3. It is cowardly not to regulate them because
b. It will not contradict the written Word of God. of fear.
c. It will exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, by name. According to Joel 2:28, prophecy would have a
d. It will speak to the Church. vital and prominent part in the outpouring of the
e. It will not break the spirit of the meeting in Holy Spirit in the Last Days.
which it occurs, although it may well change
the course of that meeting.

"TO ANOTHER, THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS":

1 Corinthians 12:10
Discerning of spirits is a more important subject Bible. Throughout its contents, demons are named,
than we generally realize. If this spiritual gift were used described and taught about in both the Old and New
more frequently with its counterpart — casting out Testaments. There are many and varied views with
demons — many of the problems we face today would regard to their origin. The New Testament doesn't
be greatly minimized. teach about their origin; it only presents examples of
Discerning of spirits is the third of the revelation how to deal with them.
gifts: the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge 1. Demons are spirit beings without bodies
are the other two. It is a divine ability imparted by the of their own.
Holy Spirit so we can penetrate the spiritual realm and 2. Demons are limitless in their capacity to
distinguish between the spirit of Satan (evil spirits), the indwell other objects.
Spirit of God, and the human spirit. By it we can In the Scriptures, demons are said to dwell in the
discern the origin of certain actions, teachings, heavenly realms, the air, on the earth, in the sea, in
circumstances, etc., that have been inspired by humans, in animals and in inanimate idols. (Job 1:7;
spiritual beings. Matt 8:32; 12:43; Mark 5:13; Luke 11:24; Eph 2:2;
This gift is more limited than the other two revelation 6:12; Jude 6; Rev 16:14)
gifts. The revelation given in this instance is limited to 3. Demons are inherently evil.
the origin of the behavior in question. Nonetheless, the It is important we know this because it isn't always
discerning of spirits is just as supernatural in its obvious that demonic spirits are incapable of
operation as are any of the other eight gifts. It supplies anything good or constructive. Anything they inhabit
the Church with information available no other way. or influence is spiritually defiled.
4. They can produce serious physical and
I. DEMON ACTIVITY AND THE CHURCH mental derangement (Matt 9:32; 15:22;
A. The Nature of Demons 17:15; Mark 5:1-13; Luke 13:16)
To deny the existence of demons is to refute the 5. Demons often influence our thoughts and speech

36 / ACTS
 though wholly unsuspected and undetected by supernatural gift of discerning of spirits. If demon
us (1Timothy 4:1, 2). activity were always so obviously reeking with evil
and wicked intent as we tend to imagine, there
B. Demon Activity Among Christians would be no use for this gift of the Spirit.
And In The Assembly In the account of the girl with the spirit of
In certain of the grosser manifestations of divination in Acts 16, Paul challenged the spirit
demonization, little discernment is required to which might easily have deceived other servants of
identify the hellish source of the activity involved. God. The girl gave a perfectly true statement when
However, in the context of the Church it is quite a she said, "These men are servants of the most high
different thing. Here, demonic activity is veiled and God who show to you the way of salvation," but
subtle, insinuating evil into the life of the Church by the spirit speaking was an evil spirit.
counterfeiting God's activity. Entering the gathering Why would an evil spirit advertise the apostles in
place through either an unfortunate, unsuspecting that fashion? Because it was of no credit or help to
victim or a compliant agent of evil, demons seek the gospel or its ministers to have such a person
entrance into many Christian gatherings with the following them and no doubt causing many to think
aim to disrupt, hinder, confuse or render a meeting she was one of them.
powerless.
B. Incidents Of The Gift In The New Testament
C. The Problems With Demons 1. Acts 8:23 - The incident of Peter and the other
Among Christians And In The Church apostles dealing with Simon the Sorcerer. Peter's
Demons are intelligent, personal spirit-beings. ability to look at the source of Simon's desire to
They think, know, and remember. We err if we think have their power as evil was an example of
of them as "things." Although Jesus Christ has discerning of spirits.
given us the power and authority to trample demons 2. Acts 13:8-12 - Paul discerns and defeats
with out feet, they aren't to be trifled with or made Elymas' attempt to dissuade the governor from
fun of. They are responsible for countless incidents interest in the gospel.
of harm in the Church. 3. Acts 16:16-20 - Paul and the girl with the spirit of
The most serious difficulty with demonic activity divination.
is that it is impossible to see it by natural means. 4. 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 - To expose plausible error in
Since demons are unclean, evil spirits, only one the Church.
sensitive to the spiritual realm and
knowledgeable of spiritual things can deal C. The Operations And Need For The Gift Today
effectively with them. This is why God has The gift of discerning of spirits is experiencing its
equipped the Church with the Holy Spirit's gift own revival in much of the world today. It can be seen
of discerning of spirits. in action in the ministry of many men of God in the
present renewal. It is absolutely essential that this gift
II. THE GIFT OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS operate if the Church is going to accomplish her full
A. The Function Of The Gift mission and destroy the works of the devil. There are
The gift of discerning of spirits gives one a as many demons in the world today as there were
supernatural understanding of the nature and when Jesus walked the earth and in the days of the
activity of spirits. It enables him to distinguish early Church. Their purpose is as avowedly evil. This
between the divine, satanic and human origin of supernatural gift is especially necessary for
spiritual activity and reveals the nature of the spirits missionaries and workers in heathen lands where
themselves. spiritism, satansim and occultism abound.
It is easy to confuse the works of the spirit of
Satan with those of the Spirit of God: Satan always D. How The Gift Of Discerning Of Spirits Operates
tries to counterfeit the works of the Holy Spirit. The first and most obvious function of this gift is to
Satan is known as the deceiver, the father of lies, reveal the presence of evil spirits in the life of people
and the serpent. All these titles signify the subtle, or churches. However, it also functions to evaluate
crafty deceptiveness which he uses to bring about the source of a prophetic message, a particular
evil whenever he can. Many times his counterfeit is teaching, or some supernatural manifestation. The
so plausible that one will be entirely deceived person functioning with this gift will be able to tell
unless someone is present who functions with the whether the source of the message or act is

ACTS/37
 demonic, divine or merely human. If the source is Often, demons will give much information verbally
discerned to be demonic, the person functioning in themselves to one they know has supernaturally
this gift will also usually be able to reveal. discerned their presence and who has power to
1. The nature of the demon. cast them out. However, since demons can be
This is what his work is, whether lying, causing counted on to lie, it is a good idea to treat the
infirmity (such as cancer, blindness, dumbness, information they give with suspicion and count on
etc.), unclean behavior and the like. information supernaturally given by the Holy Spirit.
2. The name of the demon. E. Discerning Of Spirits Doesn't
This is usually revealed with the nature of the Always Involve Faith To Expel Demons
demon, although it isn't at all uncommon to reveal a Although the gift of discerning of spirits is
demon's proper name. essential for effective deliverance, it is not sufficient
3. The number of demons. by itself. It must work in concert with the gifts of
As in the case of "Legion", or Mary, out of whom faith and effective miracles. It is those who function
Jesus cast seven devils, it is not at all uncommon with those gifts that usually have the greatest
for a person to be demonized by more than one success in casting out demons.
spirit at a time. This is part of the information
revealed by the gift of the discerning of spirits. F. Other Means Of Discerning Of Spirits
4. The strength of particular demons. (Trying The Spirits)
Often during an encounter with an evil spirit, the Although without the gift of discerning of spirits
one who functions with the discerning of spirits will being in operation it is nearly impossible to assess
know by revelation which of several demons is the presence of demon spirits in their most subtle
strongest and has greatest authority. workings, there are other ways the Scriptures give
5. About getting information. us to judge whether the source of teaching or
behavior may be demonic.
1. Judging "by their fruits" (Matt 7:15-18).

Don't let your

"By their fruits... a good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit." Any form of behavior which is manifestly evil
is suspect and possibly rooted in demon activity.

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2. Conformity to the Word of God.
It is a basic rule of the Christian life that the Word
of God, the Bible, is the only norm of faith and
practice. If that conformity is conspicuously absent,

expire!
To continue receiving ACTS, you must:
the possibility of demonization exists.
3. Blasphemy.
1 Corinthians 12:3 says, "Wherefore I give you to
understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of
God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can
1.Check your address label on your say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost."
envelope. On the top line is printed your To say Jesus is Lord doesn't mean simply to
pronounce the words, but to give heartfelt
expiration date (month and year).
submission, obedience and allegiance to Jesus'
2.Send in the renewal form included in this
sovereignty.
magazine at least four months before your
4. Heretical Christology.
expiration date. Follow ALL the directions "Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is
on the renewal form. come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:3; 2 John
3.In order to follow the scriptural command 7). One of the chief attacks upon the Church by
to "teach others also" (see 2 Timothy 2:2), spiritual wickedness is upon our understanding of
please submit the name and address of a Who Jesus is. Most cults which claim Christian
fellow pastor or church leader on your origins deviated from truth in their belief about
renewal form. Then they can benefit from a Jesus.
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