The P's of Preaching/Teaching
Getting to present God's Word to others is an amazing privilege. I love every opportunity to do so whether it's preaching on Sundays, teaching a small group, or doing one-on-one discipleship. It's a source of great joy for me, but it's also a heavy responsibility. Not only must I be a good steward of God's Word, not only will I one day be held accountable for my preaching/teaching, but on top of that, I always feel the need to improve as a preacher and teacher.
Learning to preach and to teach can be overwhelming, and growing in those disciplines can feel a bit daunting. I have a long way to go, but God is teaching me along the way. He is providing me with more and more insight, sharpening me as a communicator of His truth. Below are nine P's (excuse the old school alliteration) of preaching/teaching which God is keeping at the forefront of my preparation. This isn't an exhaustive list, but I hope thinking through these nine P's will help you as you prepare to present God's Word to others.
1) Proclamation - It's not a sermon or a Bible lesson if you don't proclaim the gospel. Our goal in preaching and teaching isn't behavior modification but true heart transformation. That can only take place through knowledge of the gospel. Therefore, it's important to have a gospel hermeneutic. Jesus taught in Luke 24 that all Scripture is about Him. It all points to who He is, to His example, to His atoning death, to His resurrection, to His ascension, to His mediating ministry in heaven, and to His eventual return. Preaching and teaching includes understanding the historical context of the passage and the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek. However, the point of the passage is Jesus. So if we miss to teach what the text teaches about Jesus (and the gospel), then we miss the point, and if we miss the point we can't point others to Christ. Spend time discovering Jesus in the text so that you may reveal Jesus as you preach/teach.
2) Penitence - It's not preaching or teaching if you don't call people to repentance. Scripture reveals an impossible standard. In every page of the Bible God calls us to perfect obedience and holiness, and that reality begs a response. Because we all fall short of the glory of God we must repent. When we preach/teach we are presenting God's standard. Therefore, we must invite people to respond to God in humble repentance. As you prepare your sermon or lesson think about what areas of life you will be calling people to repent in, and think through how you will verbalize that invitation.
3) Persuasiveness - In 2 Corinthians 5:11Paul says we should be persuaders of men. Preaching and teaching is making a case. It requires being logical with your argument and thoughtful with your logic. It's reasoning with another using Scripture as your authoritative source. It's making a defense of the hope that is in you. God said in Isaiah 1:18, "Let us reason together." As as preacher/teacher you are God's messenger called by God to reason with people that they be persuaded to embrace His truth and love. As you prepare think about how to persuade your audience to accept and live out what is revealed in the text.
4) Precision - It's of utmost important to be theologically precise and biblically accurate. That means we must be learners. We must continually grow in the knowledge of God's Word, honing our understanding, and refining our doctrinal positions. We must be canonically precise, letting Scripture interpret Scripture. But preaching/teaching precision isn't simply matter of our understanding, it's also a matter our word choice. We may understand a doctrine perfectly but if can't communicate it well, then we may actually harm our audience. Word-smithing matters. Our words must be precise in communicating God's truth. This is why I recommend writing out sermons and lessons because the exercise helps us to think through our theology and to craft how we'll communicate it with others.
5) Personal - As preachers/teachers we do not simply convey facts as if we're simply robotic information brokers. We convey God's truth through the prism of our lives. Good sermons and good Bible lessons are those in which the text of Scripture has first personally affect the preacher/teacher. They have internalized it and been convicted, comforted, or challenged. So as you prepare, what is it that God is personally teaching you? Bring that to your message or Bible study. Preach and teach out of the overflow of what God teaches you. Also, bring your personal illustrations and make it relatable. Help to make the text personal to your audience.
6) Practical - Preaching and teaching isn't simply presenting biblical content, but it's helping people to apply that content to their lives. In teaching we must provide examples and suggestions for what to do and how to do it. Our job is to show the practical side of theology. This is what discipleship is. It's preaching/teaching that guides individuals to live as followers of Jesus. But as said earlier, our goal isn't behavior modification but gospel transformation. Our goal isn't to white wash sinners. That's why we must preach/teach with a gospel hermeneutic. Aways, always, always present the "why" (the gospel). Then, invite people to apply the "what" to their lives.
7) Pastoral - We don't have to be a pastor to preach/teach in a pastoral way. Think of a sermon or a lesson as one way that God shepherds His people. Shepherding is pastoral work. God uses us shepherd people's hearts and minds by comforting the broken, properly aligning flawed thinking, admonishing the backslidden, etc. In your sermons and Bible lessons you are teaching Scripture; but just as true is the fact that you are teaching people - people who need help, guidance, training, encouragement, correction, and edification. As you prepare to preach/teach think about how God will use you to shepherd the people you're speaking to.
8) Passion - Many sermons and Bible lessons fall short because the preacher/teacher lacks passion. Passion doesn't mean yelling and hollering and being demonstrative. Passion means sincerity, genuineness, and authenticity. It's possessing a real zeal for God, His truth, His people, and His mission. It's truly caring about what truly matters. It's being enthusiastic about God and things of God. It's cliche but it's true: enthusiasm sells. Teach with conviction and boldness. Be passionate and let it shine through in your preaching and teaching. Our messages and Bible studies should be inspiring and compelling.
9) Prayerful - Preaching/teaching is a spiritual endeavor that falls flat and fails miserably if we're relying on our own ability, strength, creativity, and resourcefulness. Every time we present God's Word we have to do so in God's Spirit so we must come humbly before the Lord and pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we must pray for those in our audience that they may have ears to hear and for God to open their hearts to His truth. Are you praying during your preparation, praying for God's help, and praying for those you're preaching to and teaching?
None of us do all of the above P's perfectly so I recommend taking one or two per week and emphasizing that P in your preparation that week. If you do so, over time you'll begin to experience growth as a preacher/teacher.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
Learning to preach and to teach can be overwhelming, and growing in those disciplines can feel a bit daunting. I have a long way to go, but God is teaching me along the way. He is providing me with more and more insight, sharpening me as a communicator of His truth. Below are nine P's (excuse the old school alliteration) of preaching/teaching which God is keeping at the forefront of my preparation. This isn't an exhaustive list, but I hope thinking through these nine P's will help you as you prepare to present God's Word to others.
1) Proclamation - It's not a sermon or a Bible lesson if you don't proclaim the gospel. Our goal in preaching and teaching isn't behavior modification but true heart transformation. That can only take place through knowledge of the gospel. Therefore, it's important to have a gospel hermeneutic. Jesus taught in Luke 24 that all Scripture is about Him. It all points to who He is, to His example, to His atoning death, to His resurrection, to His ascension, to His mediating ministry in heaven, and to His eventual return. Preaching and teaching includes understanding the historical context of the passage and the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek. However, the point of the passage is Jesus. So if we miss to teach what the text teaches about Jesus (and the gospel), then we miss the point, and if we miss the point we can't point others to Christ. Spend time discovering Jesus in the text so that you may reveal Jesus as you preach/teach.
2) Penitence - It's not preaching or teaching if you don't call people to repentance. Scripture reveals an impossible standard. In every page of the Bible God calls us to perfect obedience and holiness, and that reality begs a response. Because we all fall short of the glory of God we must repent. When we preach/teach we are presenting God's standard. Therefore, we must invite people to respond to God in humble repentance. As you prepare your sermon or lesson think about what areas of life you will be calling people to repent in, and think through how you will verbalize that invitation.
3) Persuasiveness - In 2 Corinthians 5:11Paul says we should be persuaders of men. Preaching and teaching is making a case. It requires being logical with your argument and thoughtful with your logic. It's reasoning with another using Scripture as your authoritative source. It's making a defense of the hope that is in you. God said in Isaiah 1:18, "Let us reason together." As as preacher/teacher you are God's messenger called by God to reason with people that they be persuaded to embrace His truth and love. As you prepare think about how to persuade your audience to accept and live out what is revealed in the text.
4) Precision - It's of utmost important to be theologically precise and biblically accurate. That means we must be learners. We must continually grow in the knowledge of God's Word, honing our understanding, and refining our doctrinal positions. We must be canonically precise, letting Scripture interpret Scripture. But preaching/teaching precision isn't simply matter of our understanding, it's also a matter our word choice. We may understand a doctrine perfectly but if can't communicate it well, then we may actually harm our audience. Word-smithing matters. Our words must be precise in communicating God's truth. This is why I recommend writing out sermons and lessons because the exercise helps us to think through our theology and to craft how we'll communicate it with others.
5) Personal - As preachers/teachers we do not simply convey facts as if we're simply robotic information brokers. We convey God's truth through the prism of our lives. Good sermons and good Bible lessons are those in which the text of Scripture has first personally affect the preacher/teacher. They have internalized it and been convicted, comforted, or challenged. So as you prepare, what is it that God is personally teaching you? Bring that to your message or Bible study. Preach and teach out of the overflow of what God teaches you. Also, bring your personal illustrations and make it relatable. Help to make the text personal to your audience.
6) Practical - Preaching and teaching isn't simply presenting biblical content, but it's helping people to apply that content to their lives. In teaching we must provide examples and suggestions for what to do and how to do it. Our job is to show the practical side of theology. This is what discipleship is. It's preaching/teaching that guides individuals to live as followers of Jesus. But as said earlier, our goal isn't behavior modification but gospel transformation. Our goal isn't to white wash sinners. That's why we must preach/teach with a gospel hermeneutic. Aways, always, always present the "why" (the gospel). Then, invite people to apply the "what" to their lives.
7) Pastoral - We don't have to be a pastor to preach/teach in a pastoral way. Think of a sermon or a lesson as one way that God shepherds His people. Shepherding is pastoral work. God uses us shepherd people's hearts and minds by comforting the broken, properly aligning flawed thinking, admonishing the backslidden, etc. In your sermons and Bible lessons you are teaching Scripture; but just as true is the fact that you are teaching people - people who need help, guidance, training, encouragement, correction, and edification. As you prepare to preach/teach think about how God will use you to shepherd the people you're speaking to.
8) Passion - Many sermons and Bible lessons fall short because the preacher/teacher lacks passion. Passion doesn't mean yelling and hollering and being demonstrative. Passion means sincerity, genuineness, and authenticity. It's possessing a real zeal for God, His truth, His people, and His mission. It's truly caring about what truly matters. It's being enthusiastic about God and things of God. It's cliche but it's true: enthusiasm sells. Teach with conviction and boldness. Be passionate and let it shine through in your preaching and teaching. Our messages and Bible studies should be inspiring and compelling.
9) Prayerful - Preaching/teaching is a spiritual endeavor that falls flat and fails miserably if we're relying on our own ability, strength, creativity, and resourcefulness. Every time we present God's Word we have to do so in God's Spirit so we must come humbly before the Lord and pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we must pray for those in our audience that they may have ears to hear and for God to open their hearts to His truth. Are you praying during your preparation, praying for God's help, and praying for those you're preaching to and teaching?
None of us do all of the above P's perfectly so I recommend taking one or two per week and emphasizing that P in your preparation that week. If you do so, over time you'll begin to experience growth as a preacher/teacher.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
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