Below are some points I seek to practice in my preaching but, alas, I often fail.  

1) Preach Jesus

Don’t just give cool insights. Don’t preach morals. A Jew, Muslim, or Mormon should know they are in a Christian gathering because Jesus is worshipped. As Colossians 1:28 says, “Him we proclaim.” (Thankfully, we celebrate communion every Sunday so even if the preacher doesn’t do a super good job here, we have a safeguard built in. We will reflect on the good news of Jesus!)

2) Let Your Personality Come Through

Preaching is God’s truth passionately delivered through personality. When you preach you don’t have to, nor can you, nor should you, try to preach just like someone else. Just as each author in the Bible wrote differently because God’s truth was being communicated through a different person, in a similar way, in preaching God is using a unique person to communicate His truth. 

3) Make the Main Point of the Text the Main Point of the Message

The Bible is a light (Ps. 119:105,130), a sword (Eph. 6:17), a hammer (Jer. 23:29), and a surgeon (Heb. 4:12). The Bible is more essential than bread (Matt. 4:4), better than gold (Ps. 19:10; 119:72), and we need it to live (Ps. 119:144). Scripture is perfect (Ps. 19:7), true (Ps. 19:9), pure (Ps. 19:8), and eternal (1 Pet. 1:25). Scripture contains the words of life (Jn. 6:68) and the words that are breathed out by God (2 Tim. 3:16). Scripture gives joy (Ps. 119:111; Jer. 15:16), makes wise (Ps. 19:7), equips (2 Tim. 3:17), guards (Ps. 119:9), guides (Ps. 73:24; 119:105), saves (1 Pet. 1:23), sanctifies (Ps. 119:9,11; Jn. 17:17), and satisfies because by it we taste of the goodness of God (1 Pet. 2:3). So, we must understand God’s word, explain it, and apply it. As Nehemiah 8:7–8 says, we want to read from the Bible, make it clear, and give the meaning so that people understand what the Bible teaches. 

4) Keep it Simple

A simple structure that highlights the point of the passage is ideal. Jesus’ teaching was often very simple and concise. As my wife exhorts me, “The youngest child should be able to understand.” I think that’s a good principle. Or, as I have heard preaching professors say, “Put the cookies on the lowest shelf” and “Keep it simple, stupid.”

5) Have Humble Confidence

When we stand before the gathered church we have reason for humility and confidence, and both are important. We have reason for humility because we are fickle and fallen and can never convey God’s truth as well, or as passionately, as it deserves. We have reasons for confidence because the Spirit moves and works through inadequate jars of clay (2 Cor. 4:17) and God’s word is living and powerful, it will accomplish its work (Is. 55:11; Heb. 4:12). We should also be humbly aware that God has gifted us with the ability to communicate His truth (Eph. 2:10). We must pray and acknowledge our need for the Holy Spirit to bless and work through our words to accomplish His purpose. 

6) Open Well

A grabbing opening is helpful. If you want people to listen, help them out, and give them a reason to listen. We don’t need to be professional speakers or be super charismatic, but we do want to meet people where they are and love them well. In our desire to not be boring, we are fulfilling the Golden Rule: “Treat other people as you would like to be treated.” If you don’t mind being bored, remember most people do, and seek to love them well by not boring them to death. 

7) Illustrate

Illustrate, apply. repeat. Jesus did. He gave parables, pictures, and cogent poetry. If Jesus illustrated, it’s not immature or unspiritual to illustrate. It is true, however, that illustrations should work as windows to let in light, and not doors to let people escape from the point of the text and message. 

8) Apply

We must humbly apply God’s truth to our own hearts and lives and then we must lovingly apply it to our hearers. The Great Commission says, “Teach them to obey all I have commanded you.” It doesn’t just say, “Teach them to understand…” Jesus said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (Jn. 13:17). Application and obedience to God’s word is vital. 

9) Preach

As was said at the beginning, preaching is God’s truth passionately delivered through personality. A sermon is not a lecture or the regurgitation of a Wikipedia page. 

Don’t be a commentary. If a commentary is needed, there are libraries. You don’t have to say everything. You’re not an encyclopedia. 

10) And Remember these Other Random Points

Don’t tell us what you’re going to say and do, just say and do it.

Don’t talk for too long, it could kill a man. Ask Eutychus (I have a friend that always said, “You’d a cuss’d too”).  

Calm down and trust the work of the word through the Spirit. 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦