THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OF MISSIONS

THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OF MISSIONS HOMILETICS

HOMILETICS • CONTENTS • MEANING AND PURPOSE • PREACHER’S GUIDE TO HOMILETICS • THE CHOICE OF A TEXT • THE THEME AND TITLE • GATHERING OF SERMON MATERIALS • SERMON PREPARATION I • SERMON PREPARATION II • PRINCIPAL TYPES OF BIBLICAL SERMONS

HOMILETICS • WHAT IS HOMILETICS? • Definition: The word Homiletics is derived from the Greek word - homelia, and signified either a mutual talk and conversation, or a set discourse. From the word homelia has come the English word homiletics, which has reference to the art and science of preaching, embracing all that pertains to the preparation and delivery of Sermons and Bible Addresses. It shows us how, scientifically, to prepare a sermon or a gospel address and how effectively to deliver it.

HOMILETICS • PREACHER’S GUIDE TO HOMILETICS • Who is a preacher! • He is one who is separated by God for the specific work of preaching of the gospel and is a man who from one side of his nature takes in the truth from God, and from the other gives out that truth to men. He deals with God on behalf of men. He deals with men on behalf of God. A preacher is one who is regenerated and lives to that experience of life Jn. 3:3-7. Before one can preach the gospel, he must have been saved.

HOMILETICS • An unregenerate preacher will never satisfy God in his life nor can he lead successfully. It is expedient to have the experience of new birth before one can preach to others. He who wants to preach or pastor the flock of Christ needs to convert himself before he or she can preach the gospel to others.

HOMILETICS • The personality of the preacher has very much to do with the effectiveness of the message. The preacher must not be a mere machine, an automation, he must be a real man, a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and the effect of such a life and such preaching will be that many people will be added to the Lord (Acts. 11:24). The root of the matter must be in the preacher himself before he can proclaim it with convincing force in and through the sermon. Men and women will flock to hear the gospel, preached by a consecrated personality.

HOMILETICS • Preparation: • It is advisable that the preacher should always be prepared to preach without question. Some good Pastors in Canada, America prepare their messages every following Monday after last sermon has been delivered. This is good because it gives certainty and confidence. Prepare your message immediately you deliver the last sermon. A good preacher must always have a selection of sermons clipped in his Bible.

HOMILETICS • Before you prepare your sermon, you need to ask from the Father the message to give your church members. Not all your members are (saved) regenerated therefore you have to ask the Lord in prayer what to give. • Prayerlessness leads to unsuccessful sermons and the final result is an unsuccessful ministry. Some scholars say “Much prayer before preparation and delivery of sermon results in conversion of souls and steadfastness of the hearers”.

HOMILETICS • A pastor should not have any additional business besides his profession otherwise his ministry would not be a successful one. This reason has given room to laziness in preparation of “spirit filled” sermons. When a pastor has over-laboured himself with business whereby he is unable to pray successfully. As a result the church is dying because of lack of sound doctrines.

HOMILETICS • Appearance • Appearance is a good letter of recommendation. A preacher must appear appreciably before his audience. He must comb his hair and must be neat and fair looking. He must not put on too expensive clothing lest his audience get distracted by his appearance. He must be seen as a godly man. As a preacher, he must know that he represents Christ and Christ is speaking through him therefore the glory must be his and nobody else. He is an ambassador of Christ speaking to the people. In this respect, a preacher must humble himself and give credit to Christ the giver of all wisdom.

HOMILETICS • Pulpit • The pulpit is an honourable place representing the mercy seat from where God speaks to the Israelites in the wilderness, when the tabernacle was erected (Ex. 25.22). A preacher must give due respect and honour to the pulpit. He must not lean on it all. There must be a gap between the preacher and the pulpit. He must at the same time know that the spirit in him can be controlled.

HOMILETICS • In addressing the audience, he must not always shout. Let all things be normal. Some shout Halleluyah when it is not necessary. A preacher needs not “Halleluyah” when he is urging a sinner to repent. When he speaks about the utter depravity of human nature, when he proclaims the doom of unregenerate souls. Hallelluyah is good when we speak of the love of God to us, His victory, power over nature and His majesty even His love to redeem and set captives free.

HOMILETICS • Conclusion • Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth rot be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2.15). With the fear of Lord and by living a prayerful life, a preacher should be able to make himself as an empty vessel ready for the master’s use. We live in Christ and His spirit dwelling in us. Christ dwells in the Father therefore let us come boldly to the mercy seat and receive health and help from Him and since He has promised us all things we can pray and receive. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4.13).

HOMILETICS • Lecture 2 • THE CHOICE OF A TEXT • Definition:The word “Text” is from the Latin word textus or textum which signifies something woven or spun. It is therefore that out of which the sermon is woven, the basis of the sermon or discourse. The text is not to be chosen at the end of the sermon. • The Choice • The preacher should not underestimate the importance of the right choice of the text upon which the sermon is based. Don’t just choose any text. Be careful and prayerful about it.

HOMILETICS • The Advantages of having a text: • Textless preachers are great losers in the matter of effective preaching. • a. It awakens the interest of the audience, • b. It gains the confidence of the audience. • c. It gives the preacher authority and boldness in the proclamation of his message. • d. It will keep the preacher from mind wandering. • e. It will keep the preacher biblical.

HOMILETICS • The Principle which Govern the Choice of a Text • The case and facility with which a text is chosen depends on two things: • a. The preacher’s own mind, and • b. The idea of a sermon • If the preacher’s own mind is barren and sterile, if it is not fertile by being rooted and grounded in the Word of God, if the mind is dry and unspiritual, then the choosing of a text will be a difficult task. If on the other hand, the mind and soul of the preacher is being continually cleansed and soaked in the Word the Truth, and there is daily walk and fellowship with God, then it will be an easy matter finding a text from which to proclaim God’s message to the hungry world.

HOMILETICS • Again if the minister has the idea that a bombastic affair, a great oration, and extraordinary deliverance to heart of men, a message straight from the preacher’s heart to the hearer’s soul then it will be a difficult task to choose the proper text. The great or strong sermon is the one that accomplishes it’s desired result. • A careful consideration of spiritual needs of dying people to whom one is ministering • 1. Study your people, considers their needs, physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. Ask yourself what you have found out about their needs as the result of your visitation amongst them. Let the people’s need be the nature of your text and sermon.

HOMILETICS • 2. There should be a careful consideration of the Cycle Truth preached. • 3. One’s ability to deal with text and the subject derived from it must be taken into consideration. • 4. The constant reading of the word of God. • 5. The use of notebook. • 6. Read suggestive books. • 7. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

HOMILETICS • Lecture 3 • THE THEME AND TITLE • The attractiveness of the title of a book is sometimes the greatest factor in its sale. This should not be so in the case of a sermon, yet it must be admitted that a wisely chosen theme has much to do with interest in a sermon. The wise choice and proper wording of a theme of a sermon is a matter of no small moment. A few general suggestions may be made here pertaining to the subject.

HOMILETICS • 1. Know your theme thoroughly • This does not mean that you must know absolutely everything connected with subject. It does mean, however, that the preacher must have a clear, definite, intelligent, masterly grasp of the subject. One will preach better if he allows the matter to resolve more and more in his mind. Live in theme, let it be the atmosphere around which you breathe, let it master and take complete possession of you, then preach about it. • Knowledge is the power in this as well as in other respects. From this, it may be said ... Preach familiar things, at least to begin with. This is good advice to young preachers, the older ones do not need it. They know it from experience.

HOMILETICS • 2. Be sure that your theme is such that the people you preach to can readily understand: • Do not preach over people’s heads. The people are soul hungry, they want bread and not stones. They have not studied the Bible as you did. The preacher is an educator of course and so there are times when he will find it necessary to deal with a theme which may be new and strange to the hearers. But even in such cases, let the arguments, illustrations, analogies be such as the congregation may reasonably be expected to understand.

HOMILETICS • 3. Do not let your theme be a trivial one: • Choose a theme that has weight and dignity. Read the headlines in the dailies and learn as lesson from them in this direction. Preach on the great doctrines, the fundamentals, the stupendous truth of the Bible and our redemption, preach sermons on important themes.

HOMILETICS • 4. Have a definite aim in the treatment of your theme: • Do not go into the pulpit simply because you are called upon to preach and you are expected to deliver just a message. It is not so much the question of preaching something, as preaching with a definite aim in view. Aim to hit it, hit it, stop and see where the shot struck, and then fire another shot straight from the shoulder. Letters that are not addressed or wrongly addressed are usually returned or sent to the sender. They are of no use to anybody. Preach for conversions, for decisions, for spiritual awakenings and for healing or other deliverance.

HOMILETICS • 5. Do not choose a theme that is not in accord with your experience and with which you have no mental sympathy: • Do not preach holiness if you are not living a holy life. If you are constantly sad, do not preach on the joy of the Lord. Be joyful then preach about it. Be holy then preach the message of holiness. Do not proclaim in loud pulpit tones the blessedness of a life of victory over sin if you are not enjoying a victorious life yourself. “Physician heal thyself. No preacher can afford to falsely impersonate. An actor may play a role, a preacher should not. Hear the words of the Apostle “thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonoureth thou God?

HOMILETICS • Let your theme be suitable to time, place and occasion: • If it is Christmas, preach on the birth of Christ, if passion week on the death of Christ. If Easter, preach on the resurrection of Christ, if Pentecost, on the Holy Spirit. In doing so, you are able to take advantage of the sentiment already existing in the minds of the people in favour of your theme.

HOMILETICS • Lecture 4 • THE GATHERING OF SERMON MATERIAL • What are the questions to be asked as one proceeds.- • 1. What have I ever read on this subject? • 2. What have I observed that will shed light on this subject? • 3. What have I ever thought on this subject? • 4. What have I gathered on this subject?

HOMILETICS • Arranging Sermon Materials: • There should be no question as to the great importance of a proper arrangement of the sermon materials. Very often the only difference between a sermon great in power and one lacking in power is a difference in the arrangement.

HOMILETICS • Lack of, and carelessness in the matter of arrangement is one of the most common faults of preaching today. “Without form and void”. It ought to be considered inexcusable because it implies a lack of labour, and an unwillingness to spend time on the sermon. Laziness is a sin that many preachers repent of and forsake. When some untrained preachers begin a sermon, they cannot tell what the theme is neither do they know where to end. The preacher is somewhat of an architect, it is his business to erect a structure out of the materials he has on hand, out of the same material can be used to build a prison, a suitable mansion, or a palace. Which shall be built depends altogether on the arrangement of materials.

HOMILETICS • The preacher may also be likened to an army general who distributes his regiments in different places but with one objective point. The preacher ought to arrange materials so that it will give coverage to the one main purpose of the sermon. • Certain Advantages in the Arrangement of the Sermon Material: • 1. One theme:One of the first lessons the preacher should learn is the importance of concentrating upon one theme in his sermon. Have one theme in your sermon and concentrate all your argument, proof, testimony, illustration etc., towards the enforcing of that theme. If you find yourself wandering from the path of the stated theme, bring yourself back to it. Disobedience to this law is practically death to effectiveness in preaching.

HOMILETICS • 2. The division of a sermonshould have a logical connection and sequence, the one with the other. Make your argument to the intellect before you appeal to the emotions and through them to the will. Let there be first the negative, the positive, then the abstract, then the concrete.

HOMILETICS • Lecture 5 • SERMON PREPARATION I • (i) Steps in sermon preparation: • (a) Collect sermons materials: With a red pencil, you can draw a heavy line under every good point or idea that you read in any religious magazine. Copy or cut out later. • (b) Carry a scratch pad and write down sermon and notes. Make notes from reading matter, or from sermons and write down good thoughts as they come to you. • (c) Always be on the look out for a good thought, to be well prepared for every sermon you preach. • (d) Make notes anytime — day or night - also while listening to a speaker. Make notes at once.

HOMILETICS • (ii) How to train your mind to think • 1. The quickest way to obtain knowledge is to record every good thought and idea no matter who says it. • 2. Study and work hard everyday. Train your mind as an athlete trains his muscles. • 3. Control and rule your brain. Force it to work when it almost refuses to work. • 4. Tackle long, hard routine and set a plan of study. • 5. Read spiritual literature that might contain sermon materials whether you Like it or not.

HOMILETIC • 6. Practice systematised reading i.e. keep changing from one subject to another. Knowledge and facts are the materials of the thinker. You must store facts in your mind before you can fix them in the minds of others. To become a thinker, one must do the things that cause him to think. A thinker is a creator of great things. • To think more deeply and to express your thoughts more effectively then, exercise your thinking powers by the daily practice of hard study. When you get a bit tired, then change and do something else. Learn to reflect about those things you have read and observed.

HOMILETICS • 7. Writing our thoughts helps to think. Write out your thoughts but preach from your sermon outlines only. Read over the writing a few times and destroy or file them. Store up facts and the Holy Spirit will bring them to your remembrance. Learn to read faster by reading each line in a quick glance. A rapid reader is a rapid thinker. • 8. Comparing scriptures helps you to think. To study the scriptures in the very best way, then, study all translations. Compare each one with the King James Version. Go through one at a time, until you have read every one of them.

HOMILETICS • (iii) Seven steps to collect sermon materials. • 1. Fix up study table with good lights close to it and your bookcase full of books on the Bible subject. • 2. Always carry a scratch pad with you. Get up in the night and jot down some ideas. Listen to other preachers. • 3. Read literature of spiritual nature for hours everyday. • 4. Copy or cut out those thing you read from magazines or paper.

HOMILETICS • 5. File the materials. • 6. Separate the materials into subjects. • 7. Open the files and take any subject for teaching or sermons, • (iv) How to arrange sermon materials • In preparing for your sermons, you have jive main points to think about in an orderly arrangements: • 1. The “THEME” This is the topic you want to speak about. • 2. The “SCRIPTURE TEXT” of the theme message • 3. The “INTRODUCTION” of the theme message. • 4. “BODY” of the sermon, which must be more like a building or package in it’s arrangement. • 5. The “CONCLUSION” of your message which must be more dynamic. In your conclusion, try to summarize your whole sermon and bring it to sudden close.

HOMILETICS • An example or frame of a sermon outline: • 1. “Theme” • 2. Scripture text • 3. Introduction • 4. Body: (a) what? (b) why? (c) how? (d) result • 5. Conclusion

HOMILETICS • Lecture 6 • THE ARRANGEMENT ITSELF • It is conceded that a sermon needs an outline just as man needs a skeleton. Generally speaking, the plan of a sermon should be easy to follow: • The Sermon Itself: • a. The Introduction • Every good and finished sermon or address divided itself into three parts: • i. Introduction • ii. The body or Argument • iii. The Conclusion

HOMILETICS • b. The Purpose of an Introduction • 1. To awaken interest in the theme • 2. To prepare the audience for what is to follow • c. Sources of an Introduction • What are the real sources of an introduction and of what material may it be composed? • 1. The Text • 2. The Historical Setting • 3. The Geography of the Bible • 4. The Customs and Antiquities of the Bible • 5. Circumstances peculiar to writer and those addressed • 6. The Occasion • 7. The subject

HOMILETICS • d. The Properties of a Good Introduction • a) Negative Qualities: • i. It must not boast too much, • ii. It must not be too long, • iii. It must not be too loud. • b) Positive Qualities: • i. It should show vital relation to the theme, • ii. It should contain but one theme. • iii. There should be a natural transition. The transition from the introduction into the body of the sermon should be a natural one. It must not be forced, abrupt or strained.

HOMILETICS • iv. It should be prepared carefully. It should not be left to the spur of the moment, or to the inspiration of the occasion. It is well to write it out carefully. • v. First impression are the more lasting, therefore prepared your introduction well. It is not sufficient to write the “introduction” at the head of the sermon, and do nothing further by way of preparation.

HOMILETICS • Lecture 7 • PRINCIPAL TYPES OF BIBLICAL SERMONS • The three principal types of biblical sermons are: • 1. Topical Sermon • 2. Textual Sermon • 3. Expository or Contextual Sermon • Emphasis in this lecture will be laid on expository sermon: • THE EXPOSITORY SERMON • 1. Definition of Expository Sermon • What is meant by an expository sermon and in what respect does it differ from other sermons? Mainly, it is occupied more fully with the expository of the scripture itself than is case with the textual sermon occupies itself chiefly with some certain thought or topics suggested by the text; whereas’ the sermon occupies itself with the expository of the entire scripture chosen.

HOMILETICS • 2. Advantage to be derived from Expository Preaching • a) It produces a biblical preacher and hearer. No preacher can adopt the expository method of proclaiming the truth without himself being very greatly indoctrinated and enriched by the study of the Word. No congregation can sit long under a ministry of this kind without being deeply instructed in the scriptures. Thus, the preacher and his audience will be kept biblical. • b) It conforms to the biblical idea of preaching. It is more in harmony with the spiritual plan of preaching as illustrated, for example in Acts.

HOMILETICS • c) It is wider in scope. It affords the preacher a wider scope for practical application of truth to lives of his hearers. Too often is the minister accused of being too personal in his application of certain truths, going astray from his text in order to make personal references. This criticism is often made in connection with the textual sermon. • 3. The Possible Disadvantages of Expository Preaching • Can there be dangers connected with such an advantageous form of preaching? Yes, and they are to be guarded against, otherwise they seriously hurt one’s ministry. Some of these possible disadvantages are.

HOMILETICS a) MONOTONY • There is the danger that comes from announcing the same book of the Bible from which your text is taken for many successive Sundays. This is likely to create monotony with subsequent loss of interest and probably attendance. Yet, one needs not continue to choose this text from the same book week after week. Expository preaching does not necessarily involve any such course of action. b) LAZINESS • If not carefully watched, it may lead to laziness in the way of preparation of one’s sermon. There is such a danger of reading verse after verse of the text chosen and passing a few remarks on them, so that the sermon becomes a little commentary on the passage rather than a proclamation of the great truth set forth therein.

HOMILETICS c) TOO LONG A TEXT • It is sometimes considered disadvantageous because the text chosen for consideration is so large that it cannot be reasonably expected that the audience can remember it. This is a decided disadvantage to the audience, and would tend to discourage the memorizing of the scripture. d) TOO CONFINING • It has been said that the expository method of preaching does not afford the opportunity for dealing with current topics. Yet, the wide awake preacher can make reference ministering to such needs.

HOMILETICS • 4. Suggestion for Expository Preaching • a. Choose a portion of scripture that contains one leading thought or theme for the text The expository sermon should be characterised by a unity of theme just as there are many verses in the text is no reason why there should be many different thoughts and themes, thus constitution a number of sermons in one sermon. It may be very difficult to find this unity of thought in expository rather than in textual sermons because of the differences in the length of the text chosen, but to be successful in this method of preaching, it must be done at all costs.

HOMILETICS • It is a slipshod method of preaching that it must be at one sermon, and calling it expository preaching, that has brought this splendid and biblical method of proclaiming the truth of God into disrepute in some quarters. See to it then that the expository sermon be characterised by unity of them, hi order to accomplish this desirable end, it can readily be seen that one cannot expatiate upon every detail in the text chosen.

HOMILETICS • b. Choose text from different parts of the scripture • To avoid the advantage of the monotony mentioned above, do not confine yourself to one in the Bible, not to successive chapters in the one book. At least do not begin that way, select certain important and well known passages containing, perhaps, not more than four or five verses to begin with. Then take an entire paragraph, then a whole chapter. After a while, when the congregation has become accustomed to the expository method of preaching, a whole book, like the Ephesians, or one shorter, may be chosen. Do not choose a book with too many chapters to begin with. It takes to long a time to finish the book, and the interest of the people is likely to lag in the mean time.

HOMILETICS • c. A thorough study of the entire text is an absolute condition of success. Not only must the entire section be studied but every paragraph, verse, sentence, phrase, and word must be carefully studied until the meaning is ascertained. Expository preaching is by no means as some , have erroneously supposed, a lazy way of preaching, if anything it requires far more work than any other method of sermonizing. But it yields larger results and so is worth the extra work. Sermonizing is a hard and laborious work anyway. The true preacher will have no easy time of it. Lazy man had better steer clear of the ministry.

THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OF MISSIONS