Three articles have greatly influenced the way I preach.
The first one is by Charles Spurgeon:
My good ministering brother, have you got an empty church? Do you want to fill it?
I will give you a good recipe, and if you will follow it, you will, in all probability, have your chapel full to the doors.
• Burn all your manuscripts, that is number one.
• Give up your notes, that is number two.
• Read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language.
• And give up all your latinized English.
• Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal.
Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men. Tell them what you have felt and what you know, and tell them heartily with a good, bold face; and, my dear friend, I do not care who you are, you will get a congregation.
But if you say, “Now, to get a congregation, I must buy [an electric guitar.]” That will not serve you a bit.
“But we must have [an awesome worship team!]” I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good [worship team.]
“No,” says another, “but, really, I must alter my style of preaching a little.”
My dear friend, it is not the style of preaching, it is the style of feeling. People sometimes begin to mimic other preachers, because they are successful. Why, the worst preachers are those who mimic others, whom they look upon as standards.
Preach naturally. Preach out of your hearts just what you feel to be true, and the old soul-stirring words of the gospel will soon draw a congregation.
The second is a quote by John MacArthur:
I started an exposition of the New Testament and it lasted for 43 years. I only had one objective, it wasn’t homiletical, I don’t think I ever spent more than 15 minutes on an outline. It wasn’t practical. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to think up practical ways to apply something since everybody’s different. It wasn’t cultural. I don’t think I spent ten minutes on a sermon trying to figure out how I could make it say what I thought people might like to think it says because it fits their cultural perspectives. I never thought about relevance. I never thought about how can I move their emotions. Never thought about how can I motivate them. All I thought about was how can I explain what this means.
The third is an article by Pastor Tim Challies. Click here.
