What should we Preach?

[Hobie]

My father was a minister, so I grew up listening to innumerable sermons and series, and my mother did the various church and health messages, think '5 day plan to stop smoking', and I knew what was coming for each night. But, come to the present and I sometimes seem to struggle in what sermon to bring before the brethren, as I volunteer for the sermon as a elder.

I thought I was the only one that some weeks I had no idea what to preach about, till almost the day of the sermon. But I have become aware that others also struggle to find what they should preach especially after hitting all the major points and beliefs. It might be that some are between ideas for what the brethren need or just struggling for ideas.

If we who preach as lay preachers were all honest, we’ve come across this, or come to the point of asking ”What do the people need?”

So how do you find a message from God’s Word that your church needs and you are excited about?

 

[Josheb]

What should we preach?

Christ crucified and resurrected. Jesus defeated death, has provided salvation from sin, and is King of all kings over all of creation.

If we who preach as lay preachers were all honest, we’ve come across this, or come to the point of asking ”What do the people need?”

If I do not sense a specific inspiration from God, I simply preach the Owner's manual . Just about any passage in the Bible can be exegeted to show its Christological significance. For example, one sermon could be this HERE (adding relevant scripture and associated facts to inform the topic and the congregation and fit the sermon to the expected amount of time). Once that has been established it becomes a lesson plan because selected passages from the Bible (from Genesis 1 on) have Christological significance.

So how do you find a message from God’s Word that your church needs and you are excited about?

People take from a sermon a variety of things and those take-aways are often not what a preacher intended because the recipient filters everything through their own experience, knowledge, and biases. Doesn't matter what the subject is. People assign meaning to the pastor and his (her) sermon. As inconvenient as that may be, it is reality, so we're always on firm ground preaching the gospel. A more mature congregation will benefit from Hebrews 6:1-2, so adjust the teaching accordingly.

I was once introduced to someone who'd just gotten into a minor car accident in a rental car. He was quite angst-ridden. I wanted to impress him but hadn't a clue what to say so I glibly said, "It's a good thing you know Jesus." We continued to chat and much later he sought me out to tell me how much my words had meant to him. Turns out that guy had a PhD in mechanical engineering, had been the guy in charge of some government research program on then state-of-the-art technology, the author of 6 or 8 books, and a bunch of other impressive stuff.

No one knows how their words affect another.

One way of understanding the epistolary is that it is simply a retelling of the Old Testament, accentuating its gospel content .

 

[Arial]

My father was a minister, so I grew up listening to innumerable sermons and series, and my mother did the various church and health messages, think '5 day plan to stop smoking', and I knew what was coming for each night. But, come to the present and I sometimes seem to struggle in what sermon to bring before the brethren, as I volunteer for the sermon as a elder.

I thought I was the only one that some weeks I had no idea what to preach about, till almost the day of the sermon. But I have become aware that others also struggle to find what they should preach especially after hitting all the major points and beliefs. It might be that some are between ideas for what the brethren need or just struggling for ideas.

If we who preach as lay preachers were all honest, we’ve come across this, or come to the point of asking ”What do the people need?”

So how do you find a message from God’s Word that your church needs and you are excited about?

What is your purpose for the sermon. To entertain the congregation. hold their interest, make them feel good or teach them? What the church is in need of today more than ever is sound doctrine. So, make sure the doctrine is sound before you teach it. Preach on the atonement, substitution, justification, grace, God's holiness and the depths of our fallenness compared to that holiness. Preach on God. His simplity and aseity. Teach on the Trinity. Teach on Christ and him crucified.

Enough bottle feeding on milk. Grow the people up and give them meat. They are starving.

Watch You Tube videos of Voddie Bachum and/or R C Sproul and see how those giants of the faith preached. Pay attention to the writings in the epistles and see how they preached whether in person or by letter. Listen to Peter in Acts. See from those what needs to be done and pray for the strength and courage to do it.

 

[Hobie]

Christ crucified and resurrected. Jesus defeated death, has provided salvation from sin, and is King of all kings over all of creation.

If I do not sense a specific inspiration from God, I simply preach the Owner's manual . Just about any passage in the Bible can be exegeted to show its Christological significance. For example, one sermon could be this HERE (adding relevant scripture and associated facts to inform the topic and the congregation and fit the sermon to the expected amount of time). Once that has been established it becomes a lesson plan because selected passages from the Bible (from Genesis 1 on) have Christological significance.

People take from a sermon a variety of things and those take-aways are often not what a preacher intended because the recipient filters everything through their own experience, knowledge, and biases. Doesn't matter what the subject is. People assign meaning to the pastor and his (her) sermon. As inconvenient as that may be, it is reality, so we're always on firm ground preaching the gospel. A more mature congregation will benefit from Hebrews 6:1-2, so adjust the teaching accordingly.

I was once introduced to someone who'd just gotten into a minor car accident in a rental car. He was quite angst-ridden. I wanted to impress him but hadn't a clue what to say so I glibly said, "It's a good thing you know Jesus." We continued to chat and much later he sought me out to tell me how much my words had meant to him. Turns out that guy had a PhD in mechanical engineering, had been the guy in charge of some government research program on then state-of-the-art technology, the author of 6 or 8 books, and a bunch of other impressive stuff.

No one knows how their words affect another.

One way of understanding the epistolary is that it is simply a retelling of the Old Testament, accentuating its gospel content .

I appreciate your input my brother, and very true, the Holy Spirit is the one doing the work..

 

[Hobie]

What is your purpose for the sermon. To entertain the congregation. hold their interest, make them feel good or teach them? What the church is in need of today more than ever is sound doctrine. So, make sure the doctrine is sound before you teach it. Preach on the atonement, substitution, justification, grace, God's holiness and the depths of our fallenness compared to that holiness. Preach on God. His simplity and aseity. Teach on the Trinity. Teach on Christ and him crucified.

Enough bottle feeding on milk. Grow the people up and give them meat. They are starving.

Watch You Tube videos of Voddie Bachum and/or R C Sproul and see how those giants of the faith preached. Pay attention to the writings in the epistles and see how they preached whether in person or by letter. Listen to Peter in Acts. See from those what needs to be done and pray for the strength and courage to do it.

Prepare them for Christ and His soon coming is what I can say drives me...

 

[Arial]

Prepare them for Christ and His soon coming is what I can say drives me...

Great and honorable and important. What does "soon" mean? And how would you do that?

 

[Josheb]

I appreciate your input my brother, and very true, the Holy Spirit is the one doing the work..

I am not ordained, but I have often been asked to preach (or teach) in many congregations (even denominational ones). I always ask 1) is there a particular subject on which you'd like me to preach/teach, 2) is there a particular need you perceive in the congregation to which you believe I can/should speak? If the answer is no then I pray. A lot. I also, usually, ask about the congregation (young, old, seasoned, immature, etc.). Why?


Because it is very presumptuous for me to think I tell a group of people what to believe and how to live their lives on my own without the inspiration of God and a reliance on His word.

Isn't this what the op is really asking?

Hear from God and stick to scripture, beginning with the gospel. Preach on the more mature aspects of the faith to a more mature congregation. I attended a "caroling" service last night and the pastor walked through the entire Bible in snippets. Brief readings beginning in the OT all the way through the gospels that spoke of the birth of Christ. I knew every one of those texts, but I'd never before compiled them in my head the way I heard them last night. I'm 66 and I've been a Christian for more than four decades. You can teach an old dog new tricks ......


.....humbling relying on God and His word .

 

[JesusFan]

Prepare them for Christ and His soon coming is what I can say drives me...

preach the true Gospel of Christ, the real jesus, very God very man, who duied upon the Cross and was resurrection for our justifcation, saved by grace alone thru faitjalone in him, no extra like water baptism Sabbath day, etc

 

[makesends]

My father was a minister, so I grew up listening to innumerable sermons and series, and my mother did the various church and health messages, think '5 day plan to stop smoking', and I knew what was coming for each night. But, come to the present and I sometimes seem to struggle in what sermon to bring before the brethren, as I volunteer for the sermon as a elder.

I thought I was the only one that some weeks I had no idea what to preach about, till almost the day of the sermon. But I have become aware that others also struggle to find what they should preach especially after hitting all the major points and beliefs. It might be that some are between ideas for what the brethren need or just struggling for ideas.

If we who preach as lay preachers were all honest, we’ve come across this, or come to the point of asking ”What do the people need?”

So how do you find a message from God’s Word that your church needs and you are excited about?

If nothing else seems more urgent, what excites me and is always relevant is the Doctrine [proper] of God. There's no end to the depth and applicability.

Everything else orients to that.