Homiletics E-Book

Rev. Norman Holmes

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Through his many years of experience of preaching and teaching the gospel in Asia and around the world, Rev. Norman Holmes shares some excellent keys to effectively proclaiming the message of the Gospel. Some of these keys are:The importance of preachingThe preparations for a preacherHow to choose what to preachHow to prepare a messageThe use of illustrationsGrace and anointing place a great role in our sermons

Leseprobe

HOMILETICS

Preparing and Delivering Sermons

Norman Holmes

Version 1.4

“Homiletics—Preparing and Delivering Sermons”

 © 1996 Norman Holmes

Design of Front Cover

© 2009 Zion Fellowship Inc.

Revised May 2011

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published as an e-book on June 2019

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-682-4

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Toll free: 1-877-768-7466

Fax: [phone]

www.zcpublishers.com

CHAPTER 1

The Importance of Preaching

The Great Commission that Christ has entrusted to His disciples is the command to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” according to Mark 16:15.  Angels have not been appointed to preach to all the world, but men and women who are chosen of God. This is the central task that has been given to the Church. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus prophesied that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” The Church will have finished its great work upon the earth, and Christ will come again, when the preaching of the gospel has covered the whole world!

Preaching is the method by which God has chosen to bring His Word to mankind. Titus 1:3 tells us that God has “manifested His word through preaching.” Christ said to the seventy preachers that He sent out in Luke 10:16, “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me...” As a modern definition, preaching has been described as “revealing the incarnate word (Christ) from the written word (the Bible) by the spoken word (preaching).” The study of preparing and preaching biblical messages is called homiletics from the word homily, which is a moral talk or a sermon.

Preaching not only brings God’s Words to man, but it can also prepare the way for God to move by His Spirit. Acts 10:44 declares that while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.” In First Corinthians 2:4, the Apostle Paul declared, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Preaching can cause salvation, miracles, healing and many of the wonderful works of God to be accomplished (study 1 Cor. 1:21, Mk. 16:20, and Acts 14:7-10). This is because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

Because of the importance of preaching, God is seeking to prepare and send out multitudes of preachers. The Lord wants to raise up an army of preachers around the world so that it can be said again as in the days of David’s mighty kingdom, “The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it” (Ps. 68:11).

God has always longed to send out preachers to declare His word. The cry of God’s heart was expressed when Isaiah heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isa. 6:8).

Our Lord Jesus also spoke about this in Matthew 9:37-38: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The Apostle Paul also wrote, “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:13-14).

Has this desire from the heart of God also become your desire? Do you want to be a messenger or ambassador of God to speak His word to the people? Do you desire to be a vessel through whom the blessings of heaven can be brought to earth? It is a high and holy calling, but one that also involves great responsibility.

PREACHING IS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

The commission that was given to Ezekiel helps show the responsibility given to everyone who would proclaim God’s word. The Lord told the prophet in Ezekiel 3:17-21:

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

A preacher is called to be like a watchman or a soldier on guard duty. Just as the solemn duty of a soldier on guard duty is to stay awake and attentive, so we must ever be ready to hear from the Lord and speak His words. In some armies the death penalty has been given to soldiers who fell asleep on guard duty! In a similar way, Jonah was a preacher who almost lost his life because he refused to speak the message that God had given him for Nineveh.

Not only must a preacher learn to obediently speak what God wants him to say, but a preacher also has to put into practice what he preaches. We must live up to the godly standards to which we call others to live.

We see an example of this when Moses was beginning his ministry. In Exodus chapter three we can read how God commissioned Moses to go and declare His word. Moses had a mighty encounter with the Lord and was given power to work great signs and wonders. After this meeting with God, Moses began the journey back to Egypt. We then read in Exodus 4:24, “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met Moses and sought to kill him.” Why is this? How can this be? First God meets with Moses and gives him power to set a nation free. Then He seeks to kill him before he can begin?

First of all, we understand that if God really wanted to kill Moses, He could have done it in an instant. That would have been the end of the story! Yet while Moses’ life was certainly in great danger, his wife had enough time to do something that turned away the anger of God. We further read in the next two verses, “Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and circumcised her son... So God let Moses go.” This shows us the real situation that God was trying to correct.

Moses had not obeyed the command of God, that all the male descendants of Abraham were to be circumcised. After all, circumcision was essential in order to possess the land of Canaan and Moses was going to bring Israel into the land of promise with uncircumcision in his own family. How could Moses preach God’s standards to all the people when his own family was not obeying those same standards? This was important enough in the eyes of God for Moses to be killed if he was not ready to practice what he was going to preach!

If the preacher will not honor and obey the word of God, everyone else will be encouraged to despise and disobey the word of God also. The disobedient preacher can become a religious hypocrite who will warrant God’s judgment. In Matthew 23:13-33 we can read how Christ strongly rebuked the scribes and Pharisees who were the Bible preachers of that time. The Lord called them hypocrites, blind guides, and fools; and ended by saying to them, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?”

In visions of hell that some have seen, perhaps the most fearful judgment of all awaits the false preachers who are condemned to hell. The words of Christ will certainly be fulfilled, where He warned, “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes … For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Lk. 12:47-48). To balance this, it is encouraging to know that visions have also been given which show the great rewards in heaven that await the faithful preacher. Every soul that they help lead to heaven will be added to their eternal joy, reward, and glory. For example, the Apostle Paul said about his converts in Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thes. 2:19-20). The angel told Daniel, “Those who turn many to righteousness [shall shine] like the stars forever” (Dan. 12:3).

Our Lord Jesus emphasized the great eternal blessing or judgment upon those who teach or preach the Word of God in His most famous message, the Sermon on the Mount. He declared, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:19).

To be an ambassador of Christ and preach His unsearchable riches is a great privilege. However, let us also remember it is a great responsibility. (See James 3:1 for the seriousness of teaching wrong concepts.)

CHAPTER 2

The Preparations for a Preacher

There are preparations that must be completed before someone can become a good preacher. First of all, important foundations need to be built within the life of everyone who would aspire to be a preacher.

CALLED OF GOD

The first requirement is that a preacher must be called and sent by God. Just as an ambassador must be appointed and given the authority to represent his nation, even so a preacher must be appointed and given authority by God to speak His Word (2 Cor. 5:20; Heb. 5:4; Rom. 10:15).

There are many different ways in which one can sense that he has been called of God to declare His word. The Lord may speak directly to the person. If he has a mighty visitation of God, and perhaps sees a vision or hears the Lord speak to him that he is called to the ministry, that is wonderful. Yet sometimes a person will quietly hear the voice of God when he is praying or reading the Bible. The aspiration to be a preacher may even start as a simple desire in your heart, which God will deepen and confirm as you continue to follow the Lord and prepare yourself.

Sometimes a person’s calling to preach will first be discerned by a sensitive man or woman of God. Perhaps your pastor or a church leader will see that the hand of God is upon your life. They may encourage you to prepare for the ministry, or give you the opportunity to begin to preach. Yet if God has called you to preach His Word, then God will also start to personally speak to you and place His burden within your heart as you continue to follow Him.

FOUR STEPS TO BECOME PREPARED

After a person starts to become aware of God’s call to become a preacher, he needs to make adequate preparations. One’s entire life must undergo preparation, much like a soldier that joins an army, or like a young athlete who wants to prepare for the Olympics. Heaven’s resources are available to the person preparing to become a preacher. Notwithstanding, the world, the flesh, and the devil will do all they can to oppose him.

In Exodus chapter 5 we can read about the difficulties Moses faced when he went to Egypt and began to preach. Pharaoh (a type of Satan) was certainly against him. Then Pharaoh made life more difficult for the Israelites, and commanded that they make the same number of bricks without being given the straw to help make them, as before. The result was that the Israelites then blamed Moses and his preaching for making their lives even more miserable! As Moses grew discouraged he also complained to the Lord and said that his preaching had only brought evil, not good. Moreover, these obstacles were only the first of a multitude that would later confront him!

Only a person with the proper preparations will be able to persevere through the oppositions he will face. Thorough preparation is a necessary ingredient to become a successful preacher. Yet a person who is called of God and fully consecrated will also find that nothing can stop him!

We have the example of a Korean brother who as a young man felt called of God to preach. He went to Bible school to prepare, but because of a speech difficulty everyone felt that he would never become a preacher. Even some of his teachers advised him to leave the school. Yet he persevered to graduate and was able to gather a small group of people to hear him preach. He continued to prepare and persevere until the congregation grew to 50 and then 100 people. As the years went on, his church grew to 1,000 people... then 10,000 members... and then 100,000 members; until today, Pastor Yong-gi Cho preaches to the largest congregation in the world with 750,000 members! He also travels on a regular basis around the world speaking to large conferences; and has certainly proven that the God who calls people to become preachers is the same God who can equip them for a successful ministry.

We can see in the life of Ezra the steps of preparation that are needed for a successful ministry of the Word of God. We read, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10 NAS). The four steps that we can see from this verse are: 1.) A consecrated heart; 2.) A study of the Bible; 3.) Obedience to the Bible; and then finally, 4.) Preaching the Bible. Let us have a look at these four steps!

1. A CONSECRATED HEART

The first area of our life that must be prepared is the consecration of our heart. Studying the Bible or preaching it will never hit the mark if our heart is not correctly prepared. There are several reasons for this. One is that we will never understand all the truths of the Word of God if our heart is not established in the truth. Many people do not want to understand the Bible correctly because it would reprove the evil in their lives that they enjoy and want to follow! In warning us about deception, Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” God will hand a person over to mental blindness so that he cannot understand the truth if the desire of his heart is for unrighteousness.

A preacher who wants to cling to sin in his life will not understand what the Bible says about that subject, and will even preach error to justify himself. Therefore, the first thing we must understand is that learning the truth of the Bible does not primarily come from our mind, but from our heart. Some theologians think they are experts in preaching the Bible because they know the original Greek and Hebrew. Yet we must remember that the Pharisees and leaders of Jesus’ time all were educated men who spoke the original Bible languages—yet they crucified the Lord of glory!

Our Lord taught in John 7:17, “If anyone wants to do [God’s] will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” If our heart is consecrated to follow the will of God, then He will be pleased to show us His will and teach us pure doctrine.

The Lord Jesus told us another reason in Matthew 12:34-35 why we cannot become a good preacher without a consecrated heart. Christ said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Even if we know the truth, evil words will spring from our lips if our heart is filled with a mixture of evil and good.

Thus, we must seek for a consecrated heart that becomes saturated with the Word of God. Jesus told us in the Parable of the Soils that our heart is like a garden. The soil can be stony, thorny, or good soil. Only the good soil will produce a fruitful harvest. Therefore we must prepare our hearts to become like good, fruitful soil.

To prepare the ground of our heart, Hosea 10:11-12 tells us that “Judah will plow” as we break up the fallow ground. Judah means praise, and truly it is a heart that learns to praise God that will soften and be prepared to receive the seed of God’s word planted deep within. An unthankful, bitter preacher will always have self-induced difficulties and severely limit the movings of the Spirit in his ministry.

When a farmer plows his ground old roots and stones are turned over and brought to the surface and exposed to the light. If the seed is planted in shallow, stony ground, it will soon wither and die. An industrious farmer will spend the weeks, months, or even years that are necessary to remove the stones and prepare a productive field (Isa. 5:2). In a similar way, when we seek to have a life of praise, the hard and stony areas of our heart will surface. We need to cry out to God that He will take the stones out of our heart (Ezek. 11:19). Then we must daily guard our heart that it will not become hardened again by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13).

We want our hearts to become like fertile soil where the seed of the Word of God may be planted and bring forth a multiplied harvest. Isaiah 55:10-11 tells us that the word that goes forth from God’s mouth will give “seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” The seed that we sow in our hearts will grow and be harvested and processed to become bread that we can feed to the people when we preach. We will have a successful ministry that can feed multitudes the bread of the Word of God if we first prepare our hearts to become like good, fruitful soil.

2. STUDY THE BIBLE

As we seek a consecrated heart, the second way to prepare ourselves to be a proclaimer of the Word is by studying the Bible (Ezra 7:10). Ezra studied the law of the Lord, or the books of the Bible that were available in his time. Jewish history credits him with being the man responsible for gathering together and organizing all the books of the Old Testament.

A preacher must be diligent to study. Second Timothy 2:15 commands, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” If we do not properly study the Scriptures, we will be brought to shame. Inadequate knowledge of God’s Word will reveal our ignorance and imbalance. In addition to this, we will be unable to meet the needs of others and to answer the questions of our listeners.

We need to meditate on the Scriptures day and night to gain success, as Joshua was told in Joshua 1:8. Read through the Bible time after time, and do not neglect reading books like Leviticus or Ecclesiastes just because you find them difficult to understand.

Get cassettes of Bible readings to listen to when you cannot read, or record some cassettes for yourself. Obtain a study Bible and a concordance, and use them often. Enroll in a good Bible school or other forms of Bible training. Become skilled in knowing how to handle the Word of God, just as a soldier should spend much time learning how to use his weapons skillfully.

At the same time, we should be careful to not just study the Bible to find sermon material to help others. God warns the preacher to take heed to his own spiritual life first (1 Tim. 4:16; Acts 20:28).

Have a daily time of devotional Bible reading where you are asking God to speak to you, minister to you, and personally guide you. Your ability to minister to others will come from the overflow of what God is doing in your own life.

3. OBEY THE BIBLE

The third step of preparation to become a preacher is to obey the Bible (Ez. 7:10). The first step was to prepare our heart (or spirit). Secondly, our mind (or soul) will understand God’s truth as we study the Bible. This brings us to the third step of obeying the truth with our life (or our body). In this manner we will become fully sanctified in spirit, soul, and body (1Thess. 5:23). Then we will be prepared as a vessel of honor to preach God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:21; 4:2). When the Word of God dwells in us richly, it will joyfully flow out and be imparted to others when we preach (Col. 3:16).

The preacher who does not obey his knowledge of the Bible becomes of all men most miserable. Such was the case in the life of King Solomon. He was a preacher who violated everything he preached against in the Proverbs. Not only was he a preacher, he was also a king. Everything a king was not to do, he practiced (Deu. 17:14-20).

Solomon became one of the most backslidden, negative,  confused, and disenchanted men of all time. Ecclesiastes was his last written sermon. It begins like this: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Throughout the book we can feel the despair that was in Solomon’s heart, even while he was still trying to preach to the people. Let us learn from Solomon’s dreadful mistake of neglecting his own vineyard.

Instead, may we experience the joy that Solomon’s father had in preaching! We can read of this in Psalm 40:8-10, where David wrote, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart. I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your loving kindness and Your truth from the great assembly.”

If we do not practice what we preach, we will also face the shame of becoming a great reproach to the work of the gospel.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 2:21-24, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written.”

May the Lord help each and every one of us who preach to live a life that will demonstrate and confirm what we speak, to the glory of God. Otherwise we will end up being a castaway or reject (1 Cor. 9:27).

4. PREACH THE BIBLE

If we have the proper preparations, we can also become ready (like Ezra) to be a great preacher or teacher. Ezra is credited in Jewish history not only with arranging the Old Testament, but also with writing I-II Chronicles, as well as the Book of Ezra. He wrote a total of 75 chapters of the Bible! His life was so righteous and his doctrine so effective that King Artaxerxes gave him authority over nations (Ezra 7:11-26).

The nation of Israel was in a great measure restored and prepared for the coming of Christ by the influence of this one preacher: a man who “set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).