The Work and Whimsy of Biblical Preaching
By Steve Igarta, a Church Planting Coordinator, and pastor of the Vineyard in Red Bluff, California. Email - Vineyard@snowcrest.net
Introduction: The value of relevant, responsible and revelatory preaching in the pulpits is paramount in today's environment of fluid and diverse social and spiritual opinion. The
single most obvious component for healthy and vibrant discipleship is the clear and clarion voice of the prophet who speaks weekly the "word of the Lord."
1. The first aspect of Biblical Preaching involves the necessary work of study and
scholarship with which the preacher becomes an expositor of the Bible.
A. The need and definition of expository preaching.
1. Expository versus Topical preaching.
2. The text governs the sermon
3. The text is applied to the expositor
4. The text is applied to the audience
B. The tools and templates needing for expository preaching.
a. A comfortable translation for preacher and audience
b. A lexicon, if familiar with Greek and Hebrew texts
c. A concordance to aid in interpretations of words and their
usage
d. Grammars to assist in knowing the syntax of words and
phrases that are joined to communicate thought and idea
e. Word-Study books that assist in specific and unique
exegesis
f. Bible Dictionaries that aid in background and biography of
settings and contexts included within the text
g. Commentaries that provide a cohesive connection of the
text to other pertinent texts, contexts, or ideas
2. Templates for sermons building
a. An exposition of the entire text that results in the expositors
paraphrase.
b. An explanation of the context surrounding the text
c. An interpretation of the text to the expositor
d. A preliminary sense of the application of the text
II. The whimsy of Biblical preaching involves the preacher's unique style and
approach to proclaiming the "word of the Lord"
A. Essentials in good homiletics
1. A clear explanation of the text
2. An accurate validation of the ideas or propositions made
3. A relevant application of the text for the audience
B. Determination of the particular form chosen for the sermon
(ie.outline)
1. A narrative form
2. An inductive form
3. A propositional form
C. Creative and Stylistic forms of communicating
1. Personal illustrations and analogies
2. Audio, visual, and other sensatory uses
3. Quotations and stories
D. Final reinforcement of the single most significant point of the
sermon
1. Corporate prayer to receive the "word of the Lord."
2. Opening for ministry time to respondents
Epilogue: The use of series sermons particularly during the calendar year has proven advantageous towards discipleship. It is imperative also that one not ignore the obvious issues and events that are a part of the audience's experience.
To assist the audience in recognizing their own personal story in the meta narrative of the Scriptures is paramount.
The sermon should always evoke on the part of the audience an experience with God,
cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually.