PREA5300 9/18/08

I. Perspectives on Preaching
A. Why Preach
1. Need for God's revelation(to know him)
2. The word brings transformation (can change your life Rom 12;2)
B. Biblical Perspective
1. Keryssein - to proclaim or to herald, literally to publish.
2. Evangelizethai - Preach the good news, glad tidings, or God's message
3. Didaskein - to teach. Depart divine truth (this is the meat)
4. Dialegesthai - Dialogue. To discourse or reason with others with a view to pursuasion
5. Lalein
C. Rhetorical Perspective
1. Five Canons of rhetoric (or standards of rehetoric)
a) Invention -invent the topic and put together what you say
b) Arrangement - Developing the outline, put it together
c) Memory - commit things to memory
d) Delivery - verbal, non verbal, presentation of communication
2. In Communication(modern theory)
a) Sender Must encode information
b) Channel is the way of communication (speech or words)
c) Receiver decodes the lanquage and sends feedback
d) Noise - Is going on constantly, sound, activity
e) Your field of experience that dictates how you relate to your surroundings
f) Context - the setting in which the communication happens
3. Rhetoric - Original The ability write or speak well. Ability to see and utilize all available means of persuasion
4. Styles
D. Theological Perspective
1. Why would you need one - What we do, how we do preaching will be determined by what we believe about preaching.
2. My theology
a) The Call
(1) Should someone be specifically called to preach
b) The Nature of Biblical Calling
(1) What do I believe the communication aspect should be.
c) The Source
(1) The Bible
(2) The Holy Spirit
(3) God
d) Qualifications
(1) Prophets, Pastoral Epistles
e) Role of Holy Spirit
(1) Illumens
(2) Convicts
(3) Subtopic
3. John Piper's Approach (Trinitarian)
a) Goal = The Glory of God
b) Ground =The Cross
c) Gift = Holy Spirit
4. Peter Adams Speaking Gods words
a) God Has Spoken
b) It is Written
c) Preach the Word
E. Historical
1. 3 Streams of Origins of Christian Preaching
a) Hebrew Prophecy
(1) Priest represent people to God
(2) Prophets represented God to the people
(3) Prophets were fore and forthtellers - Spoke the truth of God's word
b) Ancient Oratory
(1) Korax 466bc Proem(into), then presentation of facts(points), the argument(explanation), secondary remarks, and peroration(conclusion) Helped, with Aristotle, organoze ancient oratory
c) Christian Gospel
(1) Beginning with John the Baptist transition from old testimate prophet to the new testament proclaimer
(2) Jesus Came. Without this we would have nothing to preach
2. History of Christian Preaching
a) Apostolic Period(AD30-70)
(1) Spirit led and Christ focused
(2) Preaching like the prophets with power and authority.
(3) Paul used more ancient rhetoric in his ministry
b) Ancient Period or Patristic Period (70-430AD) 70 were the destruction of the Temple and the falll of Jerusalem. Also the expansion of the Roman Empire and persecution of Christians. Also Peter and Palu died
(1) From 70-170 traces of Christian preaching are rare
(a) By the end of the second century, the power of preaching is seen. Very informal
(b) Persecution and many preached orally from the TO
(c) Three Classes of Preachers
(i) Apostolic Fathers - Polycarp, Clement of Rome
(ii) Apologist - Defenders of the faith
(iii) Ante Nicen Theologians - In the East was Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Gregory
(2) 300-430
(a) Rise in the power of preaching
(b) Edict of Milan that made Christianity "legal"
(c) There was a love of rhetoric
(d) There was a closed cannon
(e) More Orderly worship
(f) Biblical preaching
(g) Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Chrysoston(Golden Mouth), Augustine
(h) Dangers of conforming to society
(i) Infatuation with oratory (performance)
(ii) Entanglement with politics
(iii) People become dogmatic, narrow, and cruel in regards to theological discussions.
c) Medieval Preaching(430-1360)
(1) The Dark Ages(430-1095)
(a) Preaching suffered because people were not progressing
(b) Liturgy(prescribed method) was developed and stopped power of preaching
(c) Latin became language of pulpit
(d) The preacher became the priest
(e) Priest became morally corrup
(f) Doctrinal controversies took place
(g) Overall corruption in church
(h) Influx of Barbarians into church
(i) Superstition, fanaticism, worship of angel worship of saints, relics, Mariolity(bringing Mary to the level diety) Accommodating Culture
(j) Preaching was allegory overwhelming
(k) "The lowest, darkest and most corrupt time in the history of preaching"
(l) Leo the Great, Gregory the Great(bishop of Rome), St. Patrick (planted churches in Ireland) were great preachers
(m) 4 Ms of the Dark Ages (downfalls of the church)
(i) Mass becomes central to worship (not the word or God)
(ii) Mariolatry
(iii) Monasticisms - people pulled out of society
(iv) Muslim faith begins to rise
(2) Scholastic Age (1095-1361)
(a) 4 forces awaken the Europe, the church and stimulation of preaching
(i) Scholasticism - A Thirst for learning
(ii) Crusades - wanted to take back the Holy Land. Started for a good reason, but ended wrong
(a) Bernard of Clairvaux was a great preacher during crusades worked to rally the troops for a cause
(iii) Mysticism - return back to a personal walk with God. Sought God
(iv) Missionary Preaching
(a) Dominicans f
(b) Thomas Aquanis and John Toller
(c) Franciscans - St. Francis of Assisi, wealthy and went off with the crusades and came back very ill and had a time with God. Motivated him to have a vow of poverty and was a great preacher
d) Reformatory Age(1361-1572)
(1) Pre-reformers(1361-1500)
(a) John Wycliffe to British Isles; translated Bible into the language of the people
(b) John Huss was the Bohemian Reformer (Czech Republic), but was killed and there is a national holiday on the day he was martyred
(c) Savanarolo, Erasmus
(2) Reformers (1500-1572)
(a) Revival of preaching and breaking the shackels that have held back the
(b) A return to the word of God as central, Justification through faith by Grace
(c) Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Latamer, John Nox were biblical preachers
e) 1572-1700(17th Century)
(1) Key was the translation and printing of the King James version. Printed in England in 1611
(2) Preaching declined following reformation, except for in France and England (Known as classic age of preaching)
(3) God used puritan preachers
(a) Richard Baxter, John Bunyan(Pilgrims Progress), Jeremy Taylor, John Donne, John Owen, Mathew Henry, John Newton(amazing grace)
(b) Preached believing in conversion and that preaching was a means to salvation; sermon was the climax of worship
(c) Living the purity
f) 18th Century (17 to 1800)
(1) Great Awakening (England)
(a) John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield (he and Wesley were preaching outside b/c the churches would not allow George Whitefield in and started attracting large crowds)
(i) Wesley was Armenian and George Whitefield was Calvanist
(2) In America
(a) Some low morals in the church, poor doctrie and bad preaching, but God begins to move
(i) Jonathon Edwards (sinners in the hands of an Angry God)
(ii) Whitefield came to America (friend with Ben Franklin)
(iii) Theodore Frelinhousing, Gilbert Tennett
(b) Pastor position became respected
(c) Preaching became evangelistic
g) 20th Century
(1) Issues
(a) Modernists vs Fundamentalism Controversy
(i) Social Gospel Movement(Rasenbush) -Through ministry show Christ love by meeting the needs of people_People drifted from share the gospel while meeting the needs to share the gospel by meeting the needs
(ii) Scopes Monkey Trial Culture and Christianity at odds
(iii) Affected preaching through a shift from Christ Centered(Christocentric) to Man Centered(Anthroprocentric)
(b) Also
(i) Changing role of the pastor (becomes administrator, counselor)_struggle with time in study and prayer.
(ii) Rise of Pentecostal Movement
(iii) rise of revival preaching (particularly in 50s); more evangelistic, but less discipleship and shied a way from the holy spirit
(iv) New Homiletic - cause narrative inductive teaching - through German liberalism (begins with people and is a more of inductive approach)
(v) Media has affected our preaching (people have short attention span - can have a worldwide audience)
(vi) Seeker services ( Nix believes more in seeker sensitive instead of driven)
(vii) Urbanization - Lead the way to larger congregation and mega church
(viii) Worship became a huge issue
(ix) Communism, wars etc
(c) Basic Principles Learned from history
(i) Christianity flourishes when preaching flourishes
(ii) Preaching flourished when there was a strong authority based on the word of God
(iii) When morality is high, generally ritual is low. When ritual ish high, morality is low. (Roman Church)
(d) Books
(i) Haddon Robinson - Biblical Preaching
(ii) Blackwood - The preparation of sermons
(iii) Sangster - the Craft of sermon construction
(iv) Eugene Lowery - the homiletic plots
(e) By the middle of the century 50s, preaching took a dive
(i) Affected preaching through a shift from Christ Centered(Christocentric) to Man Centered(Anthroprocentric)
II. Glossary
A. Brooks Definition of Preaching = The communication of truth by man to men (Yale Lectures)
B. Rhetoric - Original The ability write or speak well. (Aristotle) Ability to see and utilize all available means of persuasion
C. Agrerian culture - ?those who live from the land?
D. Homily = Running Commentary
III. Assignment
A. Read power in the pulpit 1-87
B. Complete 9-9 and 9-16 responses
C. Read Times article
IV. Key Thoughts
A. Preaching has a higher purpose to get someone to respond to the father, not just us.
B. It is important that our people understand what "belief" means in the original. It was more of investment, faith, commitment in faith. It was an active word in the Greek culture. This is more than head knowledge.
C. Be careful if you are developing a sermon outline be careful not to impose a structure that is not in the passage AND ALWAYS remember that the Spirit is doing the work independent of your preparation.
D. The thesis proposition brings unity to a sermon. The points of the outline give movement to the sermon.
E. Where do we pull from that there is no new revelation?
F. Either I believe the Bible or I don't.
G. Must be careful not to become a Pharisee in the midst of teaching.
H. Preaching vs Teaching Adrian Rogers from Preaching with power. We are to be helping people to action. Mathew 7:24 "hears the words" that we preach and "does"
I. Infiltrate, impact, live in, but never accomodate your culture in preaching. never sacrifice purpose and substance for acceptance
J. Do I need to know where people are as a starting point of what I preach or do I need to start with what the scripture says? Nix warns of starting with the needs and being drawn away from the word.
K. What is more important, the people or the study? How will I balance. God, show me the way.
V. Rhetorical Sermon Brief Outline
A. Examples
1. John 3:16
a) Example Nicks Introduction (Talk about the bad news and lead people to the point of wanting some good news and then giving the idea of best news) / Text = John 3:16 / Subject = The Gospel / ETS = Jesus shared with Nichodemus the good news of God and how to be right with him / ESS - God's gift of knowing Him and eternal life through trust in Christ / OSS Audience will accept and respond to the truth of Christ -what God want's done / Formal Elements - Intro (1 ) Body (I. The Love of God II. The Sacrifice of God III. The respons of Man/People / IV. The Promise of God / Title - The Best News
(1) It is important that our people understand what "belief" means in the original. It was more of investment, faith, commitment in faith. It was an active word in the Greek culture. This is more than head knowledge.
b) Important for your outline to be tied to the text and communicate the truth.
c) Parrallelism of Structure
2. John 3:1-16
a) Foundational Elements
(1) Title (Publicity) = Fresh Start Miracle
(2) Subject = New Birth
(3) ETS(Then) = Jesus told Nicodemus that he must experience new birth to enter the kingdom
(4) ESS(Now) Third person = A Person must experience a new birth to become right with God
(5) OSS =
b) Formal Elements
(1) Introduction
(a) Birth itself is a miracle
(2) Body
(a) The Mandate of the New Birth
(b) The Means of the New Birth
(i) Physical (Water) vs 6 interprets 5
(ii) Spirit = New Birth
(c) Mystery of the NB (vs 12-16)
(i) Forshadow of the cross in Moses lifting up the snake. Nicodemus would have understood that lifted up was a Roman crucifiction?
(ii) Spirit change by belief in JC
(iii) Heard Dr Nicks say that Nicodemus's problem was that he thought Jesus was a teacher sent from God when really he was God sent to teach.
(3) Conclusion
3. Romans 12:1-2
a) Foundational Elements
(1) Title (Think Publicity and Meaning) =Total Surrender_100% Jesus_Sold Out
(2) Subject = Transformation_Living Sacrifice
(3) ETS(Then) = Paul urged Roman believers to give their lives given to God.
(4) ESS(Now) Third person = A person should be totally committed to God
(5) OSS = Hearers will examine where they are and allow transformation through a total commitment to God. Decipleship with
b) Formal Elements
(1) Introduction
(a) Beseech is a very strong word in the Greek
(b) I can tell you God's will for your life
(2) Body
(a) God Expects the sacrifice of the body to himself - the word body is interpreted literally as the physical
(b) God rejects conformity to the world - Do not conform -Camelian Lizard is a good language -
(c) God required the transformation of the mind
(3) Conclusion
(a) This is to know the Will (good, acceptable, perfect) of God for your life
(b) Living this way proves his will
4. Passage
a) Foundational Elements
(1) Title (Think Publicity and Meaning) =
(2) Subject = Short as possible
(3) ETS(Then) = Essence of the Text stated in the past tense
(4) ESS(Now) Third person = Essence of the Sermon called the proposition, third person in the past tense
(5) OSS = Objective of the Sermon What will hearers will do as a result of this sermon) Hearers will...
b) Formal Elements
(1) Introduction
(2) Body
(3) Conclusion