Lesson 3: Introduction to Preaching

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Define preaching and the primary biblical words that refer to preaching.

(2) Appreciate the power of the preached gospel to transform lives.

(3) Understand the differences between evangelistic and pastoral preaching.

(4) Recognize characteristics of the major types of sermons.

(5) Prepare sermon outlines for each of the major types of sermons.

The Bible says that God has chosen to save the world by the foolishness of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21). Preaching is the means chosen by God to communicate his truth both to unbelievers and to believers. Christianity has primarily been spread through preaching.

Preaching has been part of Christianity from the very beginning. John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Matthew 3:1). After Jesus’ temptation, we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach” (Matthew 4:17). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood and preached (Acts 2:14). Nine times the book of Acts refers to Paul preaching. Preaching continues to be one of the most important responsibilities of Christian leaders.

Definitions of Preaching

Preaching is the spoken communication of the truths of Christianity in a public forum with the purpose of achieving change in the listeners.

John Stott said, “To preach is to open up the inspired text with such faithfulness and sensitivity that God’s voice is heard and God’s people obey him.”[1]

When we preach, we must allow God to speak through us (1 Peter 4:11). His message must be communicated to the audience. Because of this, God’s Word, not our opinions, must be the text for our preaching.

Key Words Associated with Preaching

In the New Testament, there are two families of Greek words that refer to preaching. The first family of words can refer to the proclamation of any kind of message, good or bad, judgment or hope. But the second family of words focuses on speaking a positive message, declaring the good news.

Words from these two families of Greek words are used together several times. For example, Matthew 4:23 says that Jesus… “went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming (G2784)[2] the gospel (G2098) of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

The First Family of Words Referring to Preaching

1. (Verb) Officially proclaiming truth (G2784). “To officiate as a herald or to proclaim after the manner of a herald.”[3] This word is used to describe the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1), Jesus (Matthew 4:17), the disciples (Matthew 10:7), Philip (Acts 8:5), and Paul (Acts 9:20).

Peter used this word when he described his sermon to Cornelius; Jesus commanded his disciples to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

2. (Noun) The message announced (G2782) “by a herald or public crier, a proclamation by a herald.”[4] This word is used eight times in the Greek New Testament. It has been used to refer to the core teachings of early Christianity:

• Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures that promised a coming Messiah.

• Jesus went about doing good works and performing miracles.

• Jesus was crucified on a cross, died, rose again, and ascended to heaven.

• Jesus will return to the earth someday.

• Repent, believe, and be baptized, and you will receive forgiveness for your sins and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

These doctrines were at the center of the apostles’ message. This was the preaching of the early church.

3. (Noun) The person who delivers the message (G2783). This word was used to describe a town crier or a public messenger. He was the one who gave official messages from royal or government officials. He was like a presidential spokesman today.

This word is found only three times in the New Testament. In 1 Timothy 2:7 and 2 Timothy 1:11, Paul used this word when he said that he was appointed as a preacher. In 2 Peter 2:5, this word describes Noah as a preacher of righteousness.

The Second Family of Words Referring to Preaching

There is a second family of Greek words used in the New Testament to refer to preaching. These words all relate to one word (G2097) that means to bring good news or announce good things.

The first time that word is used in the New Testament is a good example of the word: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Matthew 11:5). The blind, lame, sick, deaf, and poor are the ones who especially recognize that they need good news.

The family of words:

1. (Noun) The good message that is presented (G2098). It is not just any message that is preached, but the positive message of Jesus Christ that offers forgiveness of sin and a wholesome life. The Gospel of Mark begins this way: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). Mark wanted his readers to know that the coming of Jesus was something very good.

2. (Noun) The person who declares the good news (G2099). This word is translated “evangelist.” Philip is described as an evangelist (Acts 21:8) and Timothy is urged to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5).

A Family of Words Referring to Teaching

There is one other family of words that needs explanation, words associated with teaching. The most common word for teach (G1321) means to “hold discourse with others in order to instruct them.”[5] This word is used dozens of times in the New Testament, in different forms. Jesus is often described as a teacher (Matthew 8:19, and at least 40 other times). One of the offices in the early church was the position of teacher (Acts 13:1, 1 Corinthians 12:28).

The ability to teach was one of the qualifications of church leadership (1 Timothy 3:2). A teacher was responsible to transfer wisdom and knowledge from himself to another person. Since the early church was a new movement, it needed good teachers who could pass along the new teachings. One of the most important things that Jesus did during his three years on earth was to prepare his disciples to teach the good news.

What is the difference between preaching and teaching? Though it is a bit oversimplified, one of the best distinctions between the two is this: Teaching appeals primarily to the mind whereas preaching appeals primarily to the will.

The goal of teaching is to communicate information. The goal of preaching is to encourage the listener to make some kind of decision. Evangelistic preaching attempts to get the person to make a decision to accept Christ. Pastoral preaching attempts to get a person to make a decision about the subject contained in the sermon. For example, a pastor preached a sermon entitled, “To Whom Much is Given, Much is Demanded.” He asked people to realize that God had given them great assets and that they should use those for the glory of God. This is pastoral preaching.

People in a congregation may think a preacher is like a teacher if he has a less dynamic style than they expect from a preacher. However, speaking style is not a good way to distinguish preaching from teaching.

Every good sermon should contain instruction, and most teaching has some kind of practical application that demands a response. The distinction between preaching and teaching is not significant.

There are two general categories of preaching.

Evangelistic Preaching

The purpose of an evangelistic sermon is to inspire the hearer to make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Evangelistic preaching is normally directed to unbelievers. Unfortunately, many pastors preach only evangelistic sermons to their church members. While it is appropriate to preach an occasional evangelistic sermon to the church, pastors who only preach evangelistic sermons will seldom see their people grow beyond spiritual childhood. The writer to the Hebrews states, “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance…” (Hebrews 6:1).

Most of the sermons in the Book of Acts are evangelistic in nature. These include sermons to both Jewish and Gentile unbelievers. The first of these was the sermon Peter gave immediately after Pentecost (Acts 2:14-39). An example of a typical sermon to a Jewish audience was given at a synagogue in Psidian Antioch (Acts 13:16-41). An example of a sermon given to a Gentile audience is the sermon Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:22-31).

► Each member of the class should choose one of the sermons from Acts to study. Read the sermon and make a list of the things preached in the sermon. How many of the core teachings of Christianity listed above are contained in the sermon? Discuss and compare the sermons in your class.

Pastoral Preaching

The purpose of pastoral preaching is to build up and strengthen believers. This is the primary responsibility of a pastor. Pastoral preaching is the most common kind of preaching for Christian congregations.

After persecution started in Jerusalem, the church spread northward to Antioch in Syria. Many Gentiles became believers. The church at Jerusalem heard about this. The following is the account of their response.

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord (Acts 11:22-24).

Barnabas’ ministry in Syria was a ministry to the believers. This verse shows the power of pastoral preaching. Although Barnabas preached to believers, “a great many people were added to the Lord.” Good pastoral preaching strengthens believers and enables them to do God’s work, including evangelism.

There are many examples in Acts of preaching to unbelievers. However, there is only one example in Acts of a sermon delivered to believers (Acts 20:18-35). This was preached when Paul had invited the Ephesian elders to the seashore to say goodbye. These were all Christians and Paul spoke to them as Christians. Just as this sermon to these Ephesian elders was different than Paul’s typical evangelistic sermon, our preaching to believers will normally be different from preaching to unbelievers.

There are as many different types of sermons as there are different personalities of preachers. However, sermons tend to fall into several general categories. Any of the methods discussed below can be used for either evangelistic or pastoral preaching.

Topical Sermons

Definition of Topical Sermons

A topical sermon is built around one topic or theme. The goal of the sermon is to make one basic point. The outline of the sermon is developed in a logical way rather than from one particular text. The preacher supports the points of the sermon using texts from several parts of the Bible that relate to the topic.

Advantages of Topical Sermons

In providing biblical support for a topical sermon, one can use the best verses on that particular topic rather than building the point from a single passage of scripture. In a topical sermon one can develop the theme in such a way that when a person leaves the service, he knows very clearly what was talked about. In many ways, a topical sermon is the easiest kind of sermon to understand. Topical sermons are easier and quicker to prepare than most other kinds of sermons.

Two Dangers Related to Topical Sermons

1. Misusing scripture. It is dangerous to create a sermon and then look for scriptures to support the points. It is wrong to use a verse to support a point, when that verse does not actually relate to the point or does not mean what you claim it does.

2. Becoming unbalanced in preaching. When preaching topical sermons, preachers are likely to preach what they feel strongly about. This usually means that they are neglecting other important scriptural teachings. On the other hand, when a person does expositional preaching (which is discussed later), the scripture text itself helps to determine the topics and themes.

Textual Sermons

Characteristics of Textual Sermons

A textual sermon is based on a single text or phrase from the Bible. For example, one might preach a sermon on the text, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In a textual sermon on this scripture, one might talk about “wages,” “sin,” and “death.” The theme and main points of the sermon usually come from the text. The characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of a textual sermon are very similar to that of a topical sermon, because the preacher may give many ideas that do not come from the text itself.

Africans and African Americans preach textual sermons more than other forms, and they do so very effectively. One of the traditional forms of learning in Africa has been the proverb, a short memorable statement that teaches some point of wisdom. A biblical text is also a short memorable statement that teaches some point of wisdom. Textual sermons take advantage of that traditional form of teaching; this makes textual sermons attractive.

Biographical Sermons

Characteristics of Biographical Sermons

A biographical sermon is a character study based on someone in the Bible. The sermon explains the person’s good or bad qualities and makes application based upon those qualities.[1]

Because people are more interesting than principles, the biographical sermon often holds attention better than other forms of sermons. There are hundreds of people in the Bible from which one can preach biographical sermons. Nearly all of them reflect either some positive or negative quality.

This is a very effective form of preaching in cultures that are accustomed to stories. It is a very natural form of preaching and teaching the Bible.

Reasons for Biographical Sermons

Most Bible characters are familiar to people who attend church. We identify more easily with the people in the Bible than with general teachings in the Bible. It is easier to see principles in the lives of people than in general teachings. People are interested in people; therefore, biographical sermons may be more interesting than other kinds of sermons.

Method for Preparing Biographical Sermons

1. Quickly read through the scriptures that cover the person, and make notes about their qualities and deficiencies.

2. Select three to eight qualities which are easy to explain.

3. Organize these into an outline that is uniform and consistent.

4. Continue to take notes on the story’s details as you reread and study the passage.

5. Once you have selected the main points, find two or three other scriptures that illustrate these same principles.

6. Make specific applications of the principles illustrated in the character you are studying. Make sure that the application is based upon the text. Explain how your listeners can follow a good biblical example or avoid following a bad example.

Things to Avoid in Biographical Sermons

(1) Do not turn the sermon into an allegory.

An allegory uses the details of the story as symbols of other things. This lesson comes from the speaker’s imagination rather than from the scripture itself. Biographical sermons should draw applications from scripture itself rather than from allegorical interpretations.

In the story of David and Goliath, we should not try to present Goliath as Satan, David as Jesus, and the stone as the Word of God. Instead, we should attempt to find positive character qualities in the story. The story of David and Goliath will teach lessons such as courage, faith in God, commitment to a cause, and the principle that God uses weak things to do mighty works.

(2) Do not make points that are not obvious in the story.

The points drawn out of a story should be natural. When the audience hears them, they should immediately be able to see the point. The more naturally the points arise from the story, the more easily the audience will understand and apply the sermon.

Expository Sermons

Description of Expository Preaching

Expository preaching is demonstrated in an incident in Nehemiah. Seven months after the walls of the city were built, the people gathered for a special celebration. One of the most important parts of the celebration was the reading of the Law of Moses. Nehemiah describes the incident this way:

…the Levites helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:7-8).

The Levites gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. The goal of expository preaching is to make the scripture clear, so that people can understand what is being read.

Expository preaching is explaining the meaning of a passage of scripture and making appropriate application. It explains the most important themes in that passage in the order in which they are found. It does not omit anything from the text, and it does not add anything to it. Expository preaching must have been common in the early church. When churches received correspondence from the apostles, they must have read it publicly and then briefly explained what the various parts of the letters meant.

Expository preaching is the most natural and simple form of preaching.

Types of Expository Preaching

There are many different types of expository preaching. We will divide expository preaching into three categories.

(1) Brief Exposition

In brief exposition, the preacher makes a few comments about each verse in an entire chapter or lengthy portion of scripture. It is basically reading a passage and then making comments about it. In this method, the preacher addresses only the key points of the passage.

In previous generations, African Americans used this form of preaching very effectively. In those days, many preachers were illiterate, so they would have someone stand beside them while they were preaching. The preacher would have the reader read a verse or a phrase in a verse. The preacher would then explain and make applications from the verse. He would then say, “Read,” and the reader would continue with another phrase. The preacher and reader would alternate throughout the sermon. This form of preaching became so popular that later preachers who could read continued to use this style of preaching.

You can use this brief exposition style of preaching very effectively at times, particularly with passages like Psalm 73. In this passage, Asaph tells the story of his doubts. He questions the fairness of God who allows the wicked to prosper while the righteous suffer. Asaph starts with doubts, but in the middle of the chapter, he begins to see things from God’s perspective. The chapter ends with a great declaration of faith: “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (Psalm 73:28).

One does not need a fancy outline in preaching from this chapter. The “read and comment” technique works very well.

The brief exposition method works well for explaining the responsibilities of the weak and the strong in Romans 14.

(2) Thorough Exposition

In thorough exposition, the preacher explains nearly every word, doctrine, and thought in a text. Because every chapter of the Bible is filled with many truths, this kind of exposition is very detailed. It takes good exegetical skills and tools to preach a passage in such a complete manner.

Think about Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

In this passage, there are many truths we can uncover with careful analysis. Knowing the history and theology of “glory” from the Old Testament, particularly the incident when Moses had to veil his face after being with God on Mount Sinai, helps us understand what Paul is saying. Word studies of the key words such as “glory,” “transformed,” and “image” will yield rich truths. If you do the exegesis properly, there will be more in this one verse than you could preach in a single sermon.

(3) Thematic Exposition

In thematic exposition, the preacher selects a short section of scripture such as a paragraph and explains the key themes in that section. It addresses many more details than the brief exposition but does not explain every word or thought in the passage. In this kind of exposition, the sermon is built around the most important theme of the section. Details that support the theme are used. Details that do not contribute to that theme are omitted or briefly mentioned.

In a sermon on three or four verses, it is difficult to treat every possible thought, but you can explain and apply the main thoughts. Some people believe that thematic exposition is the most natural form of preaching. It enables one to keep a sermon focused, but also to explain the most important truths in the order they come in the passage.

Serial Expository Preaching

A preacher may give a series of sermons from a book or section of scripture, one verse or paragraph at a time. For example, the first sermon of a series on the Gospel of Mark would start with chapter 1:1 and perhaps deal with the introduction to the book. The next sermon might come from 1:2-5 and the next one would come from 1:6-11. The preacher would then develop sermons from the book one paragraph at a time.

This is the kind of pastoral preaching that the author of this course has done throughout most of his pastoral ministry. For example, when he served as a senior pastor of a church, he preached through the following books:

• James in 15 sermons

• 1 and 2 Thessalonians in 25 sermons

• Galatians in 62 sermons

• Philippians in 32 sermons

• Gospel of Mark in 102 sermons

Reasons for Doing Exposition

(1) Expository preaching helps you teach the truth of the Bible.

Expository preaching takes its main points from the text itself in the most natural way. This enables the passage to communicate simply and plainly. Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). One of the best ways to present the truth of the Bible is to go through it one verse at a time and explain what it means.

(2) Expository preaching helps you emphasize what the scripture emphasizes.

If while preaching through Romans, Paul mentions a certain doctrine only once, then you will only preach on it one time. However, if he mentions a doctrine 10 times, then you have the opportunity to mention it 10 times. When you preach through the Gospel of Mark, every time Jesus mentioned prayer, you are able to preach about prayer. Every time Jesus encouraged people to repent, you can encourage people to repent.

(3) Expository preaching helps you to be fresher and more creative.

It is easy for a preacher to get into a habit of preaching the same themes all the time. However, when one preaches through sections of the Bible, he is forced to develop new material. The process of developing new material will keep one learning and growing. It will enable him to go to the pulpit with freshness and enthusiasm.

(4) Expository preaching helps you give your people a varied spiritual diet.

If preachers allow their own personal interests to determine what they will preach, they are likely to preach repeatedly on the same themes. However, if they preach through sections of the Bible, they will be teaching many different topics, and that will give their people a more balanced spiritual diet. This forces preachers to preach about themes that they would not ordinarily feel comfortable speaking about. This will keep them learning and will aid them in their own spiritual growth.

(5) Expository preaching helps eliminate the problem of knowing what to preach.

Practically every pastor has come to Saturday night and wondered what he or she was going to preach about the following day. When pastors preach through a section of the Bible, they not only know what they are going to preach about the next Sunday but for many Sundays in the future. This is an advantage to the musicians and others who participate in the church service, because they can coordinate their parts of the service around what the pastor is going to preach.

(6) Expository preaching helps you deal with difficult subjects in a natural way.

If pastors know that there is a certain problem in their church, they are tempted to aim their preaching at certain individuals in the congregation. This will cause the minister to lose the respect of the congregation. Many people have left churches because they felt that the minister had singled them out to preach against something they were doing. However, when the minister preaches about the subject that is next in order in the scripture, people should not accuse him of preaching at a certain person. Expository preaching helps you deal with difficult or sensitive subjects in a natural and inoffensive way.

A pastor was amazed to see how God sovereignly worked it out for him to preach on certain subjects at the right time, even though the theme was simply next in order as he was going through a particular book. God knows who will be in our services, and he knows when we are going to preach a certain sermon. He often brings these things together in a way that can only be understood as the work of God.

(7) Expository preaching enables you to preach with greater authority.

When we preach regularly through the Bible, it gives us a level of authority that we do not have when we preach topical sermons. When all the points of a sermon come out of the text in such a way that the listener can easily see them, it helps to convince the hearer that this sermon is from God and not from man. It is easy to say, “Thus saith the Lord” when you are doing expository preaching.

(8) Expository preaching takes maximum advantage of your time and resources.

When you are preaching through one book, all the background information applies to all of that book. You can use commentaries to their maximum advantage. If you preach through a large book like one of the gospels, being able to use the same resources week after week will save time and resources.

Each preacher has a method with which he is most comfortable. Also, each preacher finds certain topics are easier to preach than others. Preparing a calendar for the entire year is one way to avoid falling into a routine of preaching repeatedly on just a few topics while ignoring other important themes.

Here is a sample calendar that can guide a pastor through important topics for the Christian life. By preaching from different parts of the Bible, it reminds believers that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16).

God can and does use all methods of preaching. When you preach, you should select the method of preaching that best fits the occasion, the audience, the message, and your own personal style. You should try different styles of preaching to find the style which is best suited to your personality and audience. Remember that the most important job of a preacher is to accurately communicate God’s Word and motivate listeners to obey God.

(1) At the beginning of the next lesson, you will take a test based on this lesson. Study the test questions carefully in preparation.

(2) To better understand the differences between each type, prepare a written outline for each type of sermon.

• A topical sermon

• A textual sermon

• A biographical sermon

• An expository sermon

(3) Choose one of the sermons you prepared in Assignment 2. Present this as an 8-10 minute sermon to the class. Each member of the class will complete an assessment form found at the back of this course guide. By studying your classmates’ assessments, you can evaluate your ability to communicate effectively.

(1) How are teaching and preaching different?

(2) What is the purpose of evangelistic preaching?

(3) What is the purpose of pastoral preaching?

(4) Name two dangers related to topical sermons.

(5) What is a textual sermon based on?

(6) What is a biographical sermon?

(7) What is the goal of expository preaching?