Basic Homiletics

CHRISTIAN RESTORATION CENTER

 This manual was not created to teach preaching but to IMPROVE what is good.
that he already has in the calling he has received from the Lord to preach His Word.

HOMILETICS AND PREACHING

Homiletics is the art and science of preaching. Preaching is the communication of the
truth of the good news by a man to men. In preaching, there are two elements: the
truth or the message, and the personality or character of the preacher. Neither can be dispensed with.
of these two factors and still be preaching. So that man can understand the message of
True, this must be covered by the human personality of the preacher. Without personality
humanity would become a theoretical and abstract thing. On the other hand, a discourse that is pronounced
with eloquence, that does not contain the element of truth is also not preaching.

This truth must not be expressed mechanically, not simply by the mouth and the intellect,
but also by the character and personality of the preacher. It is essential that the truth dominates the
moral and spiritual nature of the preacher. He must not be a machine, but a true
man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and the effect of such a life and such preaching will be that the souls
many people will be moved.

This leads us to the purpose of preaching, which must always be to persuade and move
the souls of the listeners. The message can be directed to believers or to the unbelievers, but the
The purpose must not change. We must always persuade and move the people who hear us.

THE PREACHER AND HIS PERSONALITY

The personality of the preacher has a lot to do with the effect of his message. A painter
he can be a scoundrel, and yet, he makes a painting that will be greatly admired; a writer
It can be immoral and yet produce a book that brings it great fame.

It is not the same with the preacher and his sermon. The two are intimately united; in fact, the sermon
it must be the expression of his own life and experience. If not, what is called his sermon is not
it will be if not

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, and do not have love, I become like a metal that
"I am a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1).

The truth must fill the preacher before he can proclaim it with a convincing power.
Although it is true that an unknown preacher can deceive people, there may still be souls.
converted to Christ, however if that same preacher remains in the same place until
they know him, their preachings will become useless. Therefore, it is seen that preparation does not consist of
not only in certain rules for making sermons or the way to deliver them, but also in the development of it.
preacher.

IT MUST NOT BE A COPYCAT

Each sermon he preaches must be marked with his own personality and expressed in his own
way. Many men have failed in their ministry because they were not ready to be like God
they had done it. They wanted to imitate others.

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He must be a man of deep piety

In the letters of the Apostle Paul, now elderly, to the young Timothy, he frequently urges him to the
purity and the piety of life. What we are speaks louder than what we say, and certainly of
an effective way.

"Purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord" (Isaiah 52:12).

The preacher must be clean in the habits of his life. He should have no impure habits.
in secret vice. He who sins secretly, God will shame him publicly. The life of David is
an illustration of that truth. The preacher will lack power in the pulpit if he is not pure in his
private life. He cannot present himself with confidence if he knows that his life is not as pure as it should be.

So, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to
Lord, and ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).

HE MUST BE A MAN WHO TALKS THE TRUTH: Exaggeration is a form of lying.

Changing the truth is a lie. The preacher must not lie even to make an illustration.
The life of the preacher is a lie if he pretends to be what he is not. Piety at home must
accompany mercy in the pulpit. We must tell the truth to God and before men. If
We have made vows to Him, let us pay the vows. If we have promised to fulfill certain obligations before the
men on such a day, let us fulfill our obligation. If we cannot fulfill it, let us be men and
let's confess that we cannot do it.

GOOD SUCCESS IN PREACHING DEPENDS ON SEVERAL THINGS

1. The preacher must have a broad knowledge of the Word. To know it and understand it.
apply it to daily life.

2. The Preacher must study human nature. If we study ourselves

we will meet others for good.

3. The Preacher must have a genuine interest in the well-being of the people he is serving.

4. The Preacher must be kind and polite to all people.

5. The Preacher must use common sense, whether in the pulpit or outside of it.

6. The Preacher must preach from a full heart, directly to the hearts and the
consciences of the people, with holy devotion.

7. The Preacher must know how to end before tiring the audience.

8. The Preacher must remember that it is better to please than to offend, it is easier to attract with honey than
with vinegar – but it is not good to try to please only to gain the favor of the people.

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9. The Preacher must live in such a way that everyone knows that he practices what he preaches.

10. The Preacher must dedicate his entire being, spirit, soul, and body to the sacred work.

THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE PREACHER

Like any good craftsman, the preacher must have certain tools at their disposal. These
instruments will help you become a better preacher and prepare better messages. The instruments
What we present in this lesson are basics, and the preacher must learn to use them well.

THE BIBLE

This is the most important instrument of all, and that is why the preacher must have a good
knowledge of the Word. It must understand the proper handling of the Bible, it must study it with
carefully and with an open heart to present the message of the Bible clearly.

We recommend using the Reina Valera revision 1960 for preaching, as it is the most
common in evangelical churches. But the preacher must also have all the other versions
available for study, since many times other versions give us some clarification of
some biblical passages. Some versions are: NIV, Simple Language, Valera 95, of the
Americas, etc.

2. A CONCORDANCE: The concordance is like a dictionary that contains the words

from the Bible in alphabetical order. Through the concordance, the preacher can search for some
word from a text and find the quote where it is located in the Bible. It is a great help in the
sermon preparation.

3. THE BIBLICAL DICTIONARY: The biblical dictionary is a book that contains many data.
historical, the definition of terms, and biographical data that help the preacher to have a better
background for preaching.

4. COMMENTS: Comments help the preacher in the interpretation of the Bible.

The preacher must have at least one comment, and if possible, several comments in order to
compare the different interpretations of the Bible. However, the comments are not
inspired and should be used only as a reference source.

PREPARING THE MESSAGE

How does one start preparing a message? Where does the message come from?

These are important questions, and at the same time difficult to answer, because there are many methods that
they can be used for the beginning of a message. Almost every preacher has their own system of
prepare messages and the student must develop their own method.

In this lesson we will look at some ideas and suggestions that can help the preacher in preparation.
your messages.

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1. Have a goal. Every message must have a purpose. Without a goal, the preacher does not
You can start preparing a message. Know your needs well.
The congregation will help the preacher establish the objective of their message.

2. Look for a biblical passage that corresponds to the goal you want to achieve. The Bible is a
inexhaustible source of resources for messages that speak to the needs of men.

3. Have an open heart to the direction of the Holy Spirit. This is the most important factor.
in the preparation of a message. The Holy Spirit helps us discover the truths
eternal truths of the Bible and teaches us how to apply them to the lives of our listeners.

THE SENTENCE

We must remember that we are representatives of God before the people. They expect to hear a
message from God. We cannot present this message without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and only
through prayer we can have that anointing.

2. THE STUDY

Together with prayer comes study. The two things complete each other. He who only prays
and if he does not study he will not be able to present a clear and understandable message, and he who only studies and does not pray will give a
empty message and without power.

3. THE OUTLINE

To remember the thoughts and to be able to present the message in a more easily understandable way,
It is necessary to make an outline. The outline is like the skeleton of the message.
the responsibility of the preacher is to clothe it with the 'flesh' that will provide spiritual nourishment to their listeners.

THE THEME OF THE MESSAGE

1. It is very important to have a topic that one knows well. The preacher who seeks
Preaching on a topic that he himself does not understand will be a failure.

2. A topic that the congregation will understand should be chosen. We must always strive to
preaching at the level of our listeners, using words they understand, and on a subject
that they will be able to appreciate.

3. The theme should be of spiritual value. Other interesting topics can be developed such as
the history, science or other matters. But that is not preaching Christ or the Bible.
We must preach about the things that build up our listeners in their spiritual life, such
how the great doctrines and their practical application to daily life.

4. The subject must align with the white or objective of the message. We should not preach just for
preach. Every preaching should aim to move the listeners and encourage them to
some spiritual action.

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5. Do not choose a theme that does not agree with your own experience. If one is not
Living saintly, one should not preach about holiness. One cannot preach about victory.
complete if one lives in defeat by oneself.

6. The topic must be appropriate to the time, the place, and the listeners. It is not appropriate to preach
evangelistic message to a group of believers, nor is it advisable to preach about it.
growth in Christian life to an audience of non-believers.

THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A TEXT

The text is the portion or part of the Word of God on which the message is based. There are several
advantages of having a text.

1. Keep the preacher near the Bible.

2. Awaken interest in the congregation. If the text is chosen well, it serves as an encouragement to the
listeners.

3. Gain the trust of the congregation. The listeners know that the preacher is going to proclaim
the Word of God and not their own opinions.

4. Give authority and courage to the preacher in proclaiming his message. He already knows that 'thus says the Lord'
There is no need to fear. At the same time, the people are eager to hear a message with authority.
divine.

HOW TO CHOOSE TEXTS

In this lesson, we want to give some guidelines about the text and how to choose it.

1.- Seek the direction of the Holy Spirit. If we live continually under the influence and power
With the Holy Spirit, it will not be difficult to obtain this direction.

2.- Read the Bible consistently. The Bible is the preacher's mine. When a thought...
If an illustration or argument impresses you, you should write it down in a notebook. Sometimes while reading the...
Scriptures, a certain text or passage catches your attention and even an outline presents itself. One must
to write down such thoughts and someday they will be useful.

3.- Be aware of the needs of your congregation; their physical, mental, moral needs and
spiritual. The preacher who takes into account the needs of his congregation will help them with
your messages.

4.- Read other good books. One must read them, not to copy, but to gain inspiration. These
Books serve as a tonic for the mind and the heart. The study of the biographies of great
preachers, missionaries, and reformers are a great inspiration to the preacher.

PRECAUTIONS ABOUT CHOOSING A TEXT

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 There are certain precautions that the preacher must take when choosing the text for their message.

1. One should not choose texts that are too difficult. There are some texts that are obscure, deep.
and hard to interpret. The preacher should not dive into deep waters if he is not sure that
knows how to swim well. It is preferable to use texts that are clear and understandable.

2. Controversy should be avoided. It is not advisable to use the pulpit for controversy. Never.
we must use it as a stronghold from which to attack the enemies.

3. One must be careful if using texts from the book of Job, Songs, or Ecclesiastes. It should be
consider the subject of the book and the character of the person speaking.

4. A part of a passage that only expresses a part of the

truth. Example: "There is no God", Psalm 14:1 "All men are liars", Psalm 116:11

INTERPRETING THE TEXT

We now want to consider some rules for the correct interpretation of the text.

1. It is necessary to find out whether the language of the text is literal or figurative.

John 2:19, 21, 22. In this passage, the words 'temple' and 'body' literally referred to the
physical body of Christ.

Matthew 26:26. In this passage, the word 'body' is used not in a literal form but figuratively.
The words 'washing' and 'to wash' are used literally. In the story of Naaman

2 Kings 5 is used in a literal sense, while in 1 Corinthians 6:11 the word 'washed' is used.
use figuratively.

We should always take the Bible literally unless the context, parallel passages or...
the same text shows that the language is figurative. We believe that the Bible says what it wants
Saying. Finding out what the Bible says requires diligent study.

2. We must ascertain the meaning of the words given by the different writers of the Bible.
Not everyone gives the same meaning to the same word.

Example: The word 'faith' – in Galatians 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:9; 4:1 and Acts 24:24 means the
The Gospel of which faith in Christ is the great doctrine. In Acts 17:31 and Hebrews 11:1 it means
test or evidence.

3. One must consider the circumstances of the writer and the people to whom it was written.
Under what conditions were the words written? What was the character of the people to whom they were addressed?
written?

Example: In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul addresses the situation that existed in the Church of Corinth.
We cannot apply these verses universally to all churches or to all people in
this time. By the way, they apply to certain cases today, but we recognize that there are also churches
spiritual.

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5. We must consider the teaching of all Scripture as a whole. No text should be
interpreted apart from what the entire Bible teaches. Scripture is better understood by comparing it.
with myself. Pious men of all ages have felt the need to read
reverently the word of God comparing Scripture with Scripture.

Example: If based on Romans 5:1-11 one teaches that justification by faith frees us from the
the need for holiness is not well interpreted because it contradicts the other teachings of the
Bible, such as 1 Thessalonians 4:3 and Hebrews 12:14.

6. Knowledge of the customs of the people to whom the Bible was written is a great
help in interpreting it correctly.

Example: In John 13:14 Jesus said to his disciples, "you also must wash each other's feet"
one another.” To understand this verse, we must know something about the circumstances and the
culture of the Jews. The Jews always sent their servants to wash the feet of their guests.
It was a servant's job. Jesus did it and instructed his disciples to do it. Here is the interpretation
The lesson of humility and service is important.

THE SOURCES OF INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT

There are sources of interpretation that can help the preacher in the preparation of their
message. In this lesson, we are going to see some of these.

1. The context of the passage: The context is simply what goes with the text; what comes before.
before and it follows afterwards. That is why it is very important to study the whole passage to see in what
Circumstances were said the words of the text, and what is their true meaning.

2. The use of parallel passages. Care must be taken to compare parallel texts, passages.
in which the matter is the same, equivalent or similar. Compare:

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Many times we discover new details in the story when reading the same tale in different ways.
gospels.

3. The text itself. We must find out exactly what the Bible means in the text.
For this, you need to read carefully several times, paying attention to punctuation, accents, etc.

4. Other study books such as the available means for good interpretation of
text, but let's not forget that the Bible itself is its best commentary.

THE VOICE IN PREACHING

It is very clear that without the voice it is materially impossible to preach. It is necessary, therefore, to use this
precious instrument in the best possible way when we preach the message of the Lord. In
In a very simple way, we will provide some guidance here.

The voice must be audible, meaning it can be heard in all areas of the establishment. Given that
we preach so that people hear, we must avoid speaking so softly that many are left behind
guessing what we said.

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The pronunciation of the words must be clear. This is achieved by paying special attention to it,
so that there are no half-spoken words. Many times, poor pronunciation results from a
excessive speed in speaking.

Shouting should be avoided, especially if the audience is small, as it is unpleasant.

to the listeners, and in addition, the throat is mistreated in such a way that by the end, almost always, one will be
aphonic.

THE ATTITUDE OF THE PREACHER IN THE PULPIT

Much of the success of the message depends on the attitude the preacher presents when facing their audience.
auditorium. There are some incorrect and inconvenient attitudes that it will be good to point out in order to avoid them.

A pretentious attitude. It can be manifested through gestures and expressions or words with the
one gets the impression that one is too capable for the job they are doing. If they use
a language or expressions that he knows are incomprehensible to his audience, shows thereby a
pretentious attitude.

An attitude of superiority. If you start by saying that you hope your listeners can
understanding the 'difficult' matter you are going to address will make them feel inferior to you and surely will not
they will listen with pleasure.

An indifferent attitude. This is often demonstrated by never lifting one's face to look.
to his audience, as if he were only preaching to himself.

A selfish attitude. It can be seen when the preacher makes too many references to themselves.
person, to their successes, to their education, etc.

A careless attitude. Don't start by apologizing for the poverty of your sermon that is going to...
preaching, or starting to talk about trivial generalities. The neglect in their
preparation will jump to the eye and the audience never excuses the careless preacher

POSITION ON THE PULPIT

When preaching, adopt a natural position, trying to control yourself in such a way that you are not stiff.
on one hand, neither excessively movable on the other. Do not be constantly wandering from one
extreme to the other side of the platform, and when standing firm, avoid bending one or both legs at the same time
or singing with the feet as if they didn't want to stand on the soles. Never move the body over the
steady feet, swaying forward, backward or sideways like a pendulum of a
wall clock.

Besides the necessary gestures, try to cultivate rest. Do not crack your fingers, clean yourself.
the nails, nor did he caress one of the buttons of his jacket as if trying to tear it off. Nor does he adjust.
often his glasses (if he wears them). Do not play with your handkerchief, nor put your hands in the
pockets, nor much less play with objects that you carry in them, such as keys, money, etc.

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 Also avoid leaning on the pulpit, and never put your hands on your hips leaving your
arms shaped like jug ears. Do not fasten and unfasten the jacket, nor be constantly
pulling up his pants, giving the impression that they are loose.

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