Homeletics: Lesson 1

Homiletics lesson 1

Whereas hermenutics deals with the art and science of interpreting scripture, homoletics deals with the building and the delivery of the lesson or the sermon

Step 1: Choosing what to preach

1. Assigned a text or title to teach

It is not unusual when we are starting out for a leader to assign us a topic or text to teach/preach on.

2. We might be given an already existing lesson that we are asked to teach.

Generally, this is relegated to teaching, though there are times when not enough time has been given in preparation for preaching that we might search the internet for a sermon that we can preach.

Teaching pre-prepared content, by someone else, is my least favorite form, and to do it effectively, actually takes the longest to prepare.

You have to deconstruct, then reconstruct without getting stuck in the already prepared thought process.

3. Preaching or teaching a book of the bible from a verse by verse, or paragraph by paragraph approach.

This is what we are doing presently on Wednesday nights with the book of Acts.

There are many that would identify themselves as expository preachers that would argue this is the only reasonable approach to preaching and or teaching the Word of God. They would argue, and rightfully so, that we are called to deliver the whole counsel of the scripture (Acts 20:27) and unless we commit to preaching through the books of the bible we can get focused on topics that we are more passionate about.

4. Awareness of a need

Most of the Epistle’s were written from an awareness of an issue within a church body or a need that should be addressed.

Often a pastor will preach out of a certain need that is manifest within the body or certain direction that is necessary to be given to the church.

5. Inspiration

Each of these various ways that will ultimately determine the topic that we will teach/or preach upon should include inspiration. Inspiration of both the spirit and the word.

Regardless of how the topic or text is decided upon, we should pray for the unction and the anointing of the spirit of God to move upon us. We should also pray for the inspired Word of God to speak to and through us.

However, what I am dealing with here, is that we come upon the passage or the though that we will preach entirely by inspiration.

Many times when prayerfully seeking God for what to preach, he will impress upon me a story within the scripture or a passage.

usually that proves to be the starting point. I might start by feeling impressed to read about the widow that made a cake first for the prophet, and through reading and studying, end up preaching about the widows that were being neglected in Acts chapter 6.

Its almost like the Holy Ghost tells me that the treasure is somewhere on this island and then he hands me the shovel and says start digging.

What do I do once the topic or text is decided upon?

Pray

Read the chapter before, the chapter containing the passage and the chapter after.

Repeat

This is to gain greater context of the text that you will be preaching from.

Pray

Read the chapter that you are going to be preaching from multiple times .

There are several workflows that provide options for how you would go forward from here.

Here are a few that I will mention and then we are going to actually work through one tonight.

The John Piper Ask questions method

Power in the Pulpit sermon prep

Ralph West’s building the Biblical text

Each of these workflows are very involved, but provide a step by step template for effectively preparing to teach and/or preach.

The method that we are going to work through tonight is one that I have started using recently, that I love because it very visual.