HOMILETICS – the science and art of preparing

delivering sermons. The art of Preaching. (study-prepare-deliver) This is how people come to know of Christ.

NECESSITY OF PREACHING:

1. PREACHING- a unique method to make

known God's will and His Word as revealed through Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 1:20-21)

2. Ministers are called to preach (Rom. 10:15)

Why is there a decline in effective Preaching?

1. Ministers of God have removed the preaching of the Word from a place of primacy or importance and have
put less important things before it. (Acts 6:4)

2. Ministers have become too limited in their preaching. (Acts 20:26-27)

3. Ministers have stopped believing in the powerful value of preaching. (1 Cor. 1:17-25)

4. Ministers have lost confidence in the message of the Gospel and the power of God's Word.

(Heb. 4:12; Rom. 1:16)

What Preaching involves?

1. Procurement of the truth from the Word

2. Personal adjustment to the truth

3. Preparation of the truth to be presented from the Word

4. Proclamation of the truth

5. Proper application from the Word to the life of the hearer

THE PREACHER AND HIS PREACHING

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER

I. HE MUST BE REGENERATED.

A. The possibility of self-deception.

B. The description of such mere professor.

C. The necessity for the preacher's own assurance of salvation.

II. HE MUST LOVE THE LORD JESUS.P

A. The love of Christ, the constraining motive, 2 Cor. 5:14,15

B. The example of Christ in love. John 14:31

C. The commission to His disciples. John 21:1-19

III. HE MUST LOVE SOULS.

A. It is possible to love to preach, without loving those to whom we preach.

B. Consider Christ's passion for souls.

C. The need for a right estimate of the soul's value. Mark 8:36, Rom. 9:3

IV. HE MUST BE A STUDENT OF THE BIBLE.

A. He must know it by reading it. Psa. 119:97

B. He must be able to quote it from memory.

C. He must study it by diligent application. 1 Cor. 2:13

The 5 "D"s of Bible Study:

Diligently - Devotionally - Discerningly - Doctrinally - Dispensationally,

V. HE MUST BE A MAN OF PRAYER.

"He who would speak much to man for God. must speak much to God for man."

A. Our example in prayer: 1. By His own testimony -John 5:19,30

2. By a life of prayer - Luke 18:1-8.

B. Our encouragement in prayer. Matt. 6:5-13 1. Regarding every detail of his life. Matt. 6:32,33; Phil. 4:19.

2. Regarding every aspect of his service for the Lord. Matt. 9:37,38

C. The prominence of prayer in the life of Paul. Eph. 1:16-23; 3:14-19; Phil 1:4

VI. HE MUST BE CLEAN IN LIFE.

A. The absolute necessity for it. Isa. 52:11; 1 Tim. 3:6,7; Phil. 2:15,16

"Unless there is WITHIN us that which is ABOVE us, we shall soon yield to that which is AROUND us." "take care of
your character and the Lord will take care of your reputation."

B. The menace of inconsistency. Rom. 2:21-24; 2 Sam. 12:14

C. The peril of prominence. Eph. 5:15,16 "A pocket watch and a public clock both serve the same purpose: to tell
the time. If a watch gets out of order, only the owner is affected; but if a public clock goes wrong, hundreds of people
are misled."

VII. HE MUST BE FIT FOR THE WORK.

A. He should be spiritually fit.

1. He must be gifted of the Lord to preach or teach publicly. Eph. 4:7-26

2. He must seek to develop this gift.

a. Should be earnestly coveted. 1 Cor. 12:3

b. When received, must be "stirred up". 2 Tim. 1:6

c. Must be developed by exercise. 1 Pet. 4:10,11

d. May be lost through neglect. 1 Tim. 4:4; Col. 4:17

3. This gift must be developed in the atmosphere of spirituality.

B. He should be physically fit.

2. Our bodies are the Lord's. 1 Cor. 6:13,

19-20; Rom. 6:13, 12:1; 1 Cor. 9:27

3. The value of good health. Dr. A. T. Scofield, a distinguished nerve specialist, points out that the words:
"health", "whole" and "holy", are from the same root, and then likens man to a three-story building. The ground floor
is the BODY which, as far as possible, should be kept in a healthy condition. The second floor is the SOUL, which should
be kept whole, or in a wholesome state. The third floor is the SPIRIT, which should be kept holy. Spiritual health
consists of the proper care and functioning of each story of this wonderful house.

C. He should be mentally fit.

1. The danger of fanaticism.

Fanaticism has its origin in an unbalanced mind, for it seeks to distort, out of all proportion, one truth to the ignoring
of all other truths. A fanatic has been defined as: "one who majors on a minor".

He takes one aspect of truth from the Word of God and then pushes it to the extreme, to the entire exclusion of all the
other Scriptures which would have given him a correct balance of the truth as a whole.

2. The need for sane and sound thinking. Titus 1:9,13; 2:1,2,8.

D. He should be educationally fit.

1. The need for it. God places no premium, or value on ignorance. The Christian is enjoined to show himself
"approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. "

2. The advantage of knowledge. Act. 7.22 3. The provision of it.

a. The Bible

b. A good library (Prov. 2:1-12; 3:13-26)

c. Correspondence courses

d. Writing

e. Criticism

The Preacher Call

I. IT IS INDIVIDUAL, OR PERSONAL.

A. It involves personal heart-dealing alone with God. Isa. 13:1; 14:28, 1 Cor. 9:16; Josh. 5:13-15.

B. It is born in the atmosphere of spirituality. Rom 12:1,2

C. It comes usually in the midst of Christian activity. Acts 13:2

II. IT IS DEFINITE. Exodus 33:14; Judges 6:12.

III. IT IS VARIED IN CIRCUMSTANCES.

A. Abraham .................. Gen. 12:1-3

B. Moses ....................... Exodus 34

C. Joshua ............. Josh. 1:1-9; 5:13-15

E. Elisha .. 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 3:11

F. Isaiah ....................... Isa. 6:1-13

G. Peter ...................... Luke 5:1-11

IV. IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY INVOLVE FULL TIME SERVICE.

A. There is no distinction made in the N. T. between so-called "clergy" and 'laity."

B. Evils of professionalism in the Lord's work. The only difference between the whole-time preacher and the part-
time preacher, is merely the amount of time which each spends in preparation and preaching and the matter of his
financial support. The N.T. clearly teaches the priesthood of all believers. 1 Peter 2:5-9; Rev. 1:5; 5-10.

V. THE ELEMENTS THAT COMBINE TO CONSTITUTE A GOD-GIVEN CALL.

A. There is the inward urge of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 8:26,27.

B. Some definite word from the Scriptures will serve to deepen this conviction. 1 Samuel 3:10

C. The compassions of the heart. John 4:35 Prov. 24:11,12; Ezek. 33:1-6

D. D. The advice of godly Christians. Gal. 2:2

E. The word and action of some gifted and Spirit-led servant of the Lord. Acts 16:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:11

F. The Divine ordering of God's providences, by which He makes His will clear through the circumstances of one's
life. God opens up a door of utterance at the right time, or perhaps closes a door of secular employment. Rev. 3:8; 1
Cor. 16:9

G. The commendation of one's brethren in assembly fellowship. 1 Cor. 14:29,32.

THE NECESSITY FOR PREACHING

I. PREACHING IS THE GOD-ORDAINED MEANS OF SPREADING THE GOSPEL

A. The Divine order outlined (Romans 10:9-17).

B. The Divine commission given (Matt. 28:18-20).

C. The Divine program being carried out. (Acts 8:1; 11:19)

The Divine terms examined. Following are four words which are translated "preach" in the Authorized Version:

1. Kerusso, to proclaim as a herald Matt. 11:1- Mark 1:4; 3:14; 16:20.

2. Euaggelizo, to tell good news Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18; 7:22; 1 Cor. 1:17.

3. Katangello, to tell thoroughly Acts 4:2; 13:38; 15:36; Col. 1:28.

4. Laleo, to talk Mark 2:2; Acts 11:19; 14:25.

II. PREACHING IS A WITNESS TO THEFACTS OF THE GOSPEL (Acts 1:8; 10:39-42, 22:15).

A. Definition of a witness: One who testifies to what he has seen, what he has heard and what he knows to be
the facts of the case.

B. Purpose of a witness: It involves a revelation from God to the believer, and a proclamation by the believer to
man. John 3:11The gospel witness is the manifestation of the truth of God to men. Titus 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:2.
C. This gospel witness is abundantly evidenced in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2:14-36; 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 7:1-54;
10:34-43; 13:16-43.

III. THE PREACHING OF THE WORD IS

THE MEANS BY WHICH FAITH IS AWAKENED IN THE HEARER

A. Faith always presupposes a previous revelation. Rom. 10:17, 14.

B. Faith necessitates an object. This object is Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures of truth, and presented by
means of the preaching of the gospel.

C. Faith is the essential condition of salvation. Acts 16:30,31; 2 Tim. 4:2.

IV. THE PREACHING OF THE WORD, UNDER GOD, RESULTS IN THE REGENERATION OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

A. The Word of God is a living thing. Heb. 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25

B. The Word of God is life-imparting. John 6:63.

C. The Word of God is life-developing. 1 Peter 2:1,2

V. PREACHING IS THE MEANS BY WHICHTHE HEARER IS BUILT UP IN HIS MOST HOLY FAITH.

A. Paul's threefold desire -as described in Col. 1:28,29:

WARNING every man, and TEACHING every man, to PRESENT every man perfect in Christ. 1 Peter 5:1-3.

B. The sevenfold work of the Word of God 1 Tim 3:15-17.

1. To make wise unto salvation (v. 15).

2. For doctrine.

3. For reproof.

4. For correction.

5. For instruction in righteousness.

6 To develop Christian maturity.

7. To thoroughly furnish unto all good works. 2 Tim. 2:2

C. The threefold purpose of the ministry of the Word of God:

1. The maturing of the saints 1 Cor. 3:1; Gal 4:19.

2. The work of the ministry. (warning, 1 Thess. 5:14), (rebuke, 1 Tim. 5:20), (comfort, 1 Thess. 4:18).

3. The edification of the body of Christ -the building up of the people of God. 1 Cor. 14:6; 1 Cor. 14:31 shows the
acid test of ministry is the spiritual profit of the hearers.

VI. PREACHING IS THE SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL WHO HAVE BEEN THUS GIFTED.

A. It is a necessity laid upon each preacher. No preacher should have any cause for self-congratulation because
he has preached the gospel, for he has only done his duty. Luke 17:10.

B. It is a trust committed to each preacher. 1 Cor. 4:2; 2 Tim. 4:7.

C. It in a debt to be paid by each preacher. Rom. 1:14,15.

1. The fear of man. Prov. 29:25. A preacher should, most emphatically, not be a man-pleaser, nor a self-pleaser
(Rom. 15:1), but a God-pleaser (Col. 1:10).

2. Slothfulness. Prov. 24:30-34; John 9:4; Phil 3:8,13,14

3. Selfish ambition. Mark 8:36 4. Unjudged sin and worldliness of life.

VII. PREACHING, TO BE EFFECTIVE, MUST REACH THE WHOLE PERSONALITY OF THE HEARER.

A. All "high pressure" methods of forcing results must be resolutely shunned, for they are a deadly plague.

B. The test of true preaching. Three questions should be asked regarding a sermon preached. First, did it
enlighten the intellect? Second, was it calculated to stir the emotions? Third, did it demand a decision of the will? If
the answer to each of these questions is "yes" it was true preaching, for it prepared the hearer to think rightly, feel
rightly, and act rightly.

1. The Intellect, or the mind, the seat of our REASONING faculties. See Luke 1:51,66; 2:35; 5:22. "What reason ye
in your hearts"?

2. The Emotions, or the feelings, the seat of our REACTIONARY faculties See Luke 21:26, "Hearts failing for fear";

Luke 24:32, "Did not our heart burn ", 2 Cor. 2:4, "Anguish of heart"; Rom. 9:2, "Sorrow in my heart"; Rom. 5:5.

3. The Will. the seat of our RESOLVING faculties. Acts 4:32, "Of one heart"; Acts 11:23, "Purpose of heart"; Rom.
6:17, "Obeyed from the heart"; Eph. 6:6, "Doing the will of God from the heart"; Rom. 10:1, "Heart's desire."

4. Where the intellect, emotions and will seem to be combined in the Word. See 2 Cor. 4:6; Matt. 12:34; Rom.
10:9. May it be ours to preach from heart to heart.