LOOK FOR THESE THREE THINGS IN YOUR PASTOR’S SERMON

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15 NIV).

Talking is different from presenting a sermon. A pastor can talk about different things, but presenting a sermon is first about God, His Word and His mission of saving humankind. There are many pastors who offer various talks that excite people. People jump and clap their hands sometimes because they feel the excitement of what the pastor is saying. However, if you ask them to recall the points of the talks later or after some days, they may hardly do so effectively.

It is very important for pastors, to understand the various levels of sermon delivery which is anchored on the word of God.

Experts in theology have identified three stages. The article is about the three stages and how you can take advantage of them. As a listener or viewer, you need to check these important areas to know if your pastor is doing it correctly or just talking. This will help in your understanding of the Word of God and your spiritual development.

“WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS”
When you preach, it has to be from the Word of God. At this point, the reading of the Bible alone is what the Bible says. You don’t need to add anything outside what the Bible is saying. Your role is simply just to read it and read it alone. If a pastor starts his sermon outside what the Bible says, then the sermon is not foundationally on the Word of God. The opinion of a mentor or another pastor on the sermon topic is different from reading from the Bible.

Any preacher who does not start with the Bible has already missed the first step in the sermon presentation. It has to start with the Word of God—the Word of God only. Any other illustration or quote is only a conversation before the beginning of the sermon.

“WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS”
This is where many pastors are getting it wrong. They often jump over this level. They read from the Bible but often neglect this part. They jump to the third which I will discuss later.
The Bible is not a fictional book. It is not only a spiritual book (even though all activities lead to spiritual lessons). It deals with contexts, themes, characters, geography, wars, kingdoms, kings, soldiers, battles, tribes, cultures, weather, animals, families, prophets, engineering etc. It covers every aspect of life.

If you don’t understand the original contexts and other important biblical interpretational models, you will find it difficult to interpret and explain what they mean. This is where training in theology or other biblical interpretation courses is necessary. Those who are not properly trained will find it difficult to understand the background of the Bible and provide realistic interpretations based on the original events.

Sadly, that is why a pastor easily skips this part to the third. Any pastor who skips this part of preaching is leaving behind an important part of the interpretation. You will not be able to have the whole picture without this part. For instance, Nicodemus visited Jesus at night. Why did he visit him at night? Who was he? What was his understanding of God’s love at that time? Why did Jesus refer to being born again? Why did Jesus mention God’s love for the world not only Jews? Don’t forget that Jesus spoke directly to Nicodemus. These are some of the things you need to explain in what the Bible means. The right backgrounds will give clarity to the message at this point.

“WHAT IT MEANS TO US”
This is the part that many pastors dwell in. This part deals with the application of the first and second parts of your preaching: what the Bible says and what it means. As I mentioned earlier, many pastors skip the second and dwell only on what the Bible says and what it means to us. This is where they often offer motivational talks about different topics. This is where they excite their congregations.

The application is the zone for applying the truth of God’s Word. For instance, just as Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, similarly, you too must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. You are now applying the truth Jesus told Nicodemus to the present people listening to your sermon.

Your application must be from the Word of God to our present-day experiences. You are free at this level to share your thoughts and understanding about the lessons from what the Bible says and what the Bible means. The first and second parts do not have spaces for your opinion.

Please, next time you preach as a pastor, remember and apply the three steps:
– Read what the Bible says.
– Explain what the Bible means (using the right contexts or backgrounds).
– Apply correctly what the Bible says and means to the current listeners or viewers.

Pusonnam Yiri

(Theologian-Entrepreneur- Journalist)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: You will also find the video on the future of Pentecostal and Mainline pastors useful. Click on the link and watch https://youtu.be/ah5lX7dhtVo?si=ja2r57aGbLNdl2ZR

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