WHAT QUESTION CAN I ASK MYSELF OF THE SERMONS I PREACH?
Preaching is designed by God to speak His Word to the people of God.
Of course I have gone fishing in preaching a sermon, but not often, or is that chasing rabbits.
IS THE PREACHING BIBLICAL OR IS IT JUST MY THINKING WHAT PREACHING SHOULD SOUND LIKE?SO WITH THIS IN MIND
How skeletal is my preaching?
Think with awareness the verbal communication and tone used, as well as the sermon content.
1. INDIVIDUALISTIC.
- Look at the language. Is "you" always about the personal individual lives of hearers, and how often is "you" (plural) and "we" related to the community? Does the "kingdom of God feature in your language? Can a hearer walk away thinking that Christ's challenge is only about "my life, my purpose, my future"?
2. DESIGNED AT THE HEAD OR HEART BUT RARELY AT BOTH
- Note how much the pastor: taught with textual references, or did he just tell stories. Identify where head and heart were balanced, to call the church body to be totally, soul, mind, heart, head and spirit engaged?
3. WEAK-WILLED THEOLOGY
- Was there a theology of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, either explicit or implicit. Where else do you share theological truth to fix on the continuing Christian experience.
4. NONSPECIFIC APPLICATION
- Consider the illustrations and applications - did they seem to connect specifically with the context? In what ways did the personal relationship of the preacher with church body and surrounding context make the sermon particular rather than general?
5. AVOID CONFLICT
- Were there issues of anxiety within the congregation that were addressed directly? Were there assumptions that everything in church is bound to be blissful
6. LITTLE COMPLIANCE CALLED FOR.
- How much expectation of response came through this sermon? Did you identify particular outcomes were prayed over and planned for?
7. NONAPPEARANCE OF A BIGGER VIEW.
- Was there any connection with larger visions and strategic changes that involve the whole church congregation? Were there applications that revealed the message in God's bigger plan for the church body?
8. SOLE ROLE.
- Were other people involved in the sermon preparation and its delivery? Were other sources viewed.
9. FEARFULNESS.
- Were there points at which "punches seemed to be pulled" so that specific Scripture challenges were reduced and overlooked.
10. BIBLICAL HOLINESS DEFECTIVE.
- In what ways did the sermon challenge the church to live as holy people, expressing Christ's life and love in its witness before the world?
Of course I see a continued need to seek God's purpose in preaching
and I continued to need the prayers of the people in the Body of Christ
