GSC MODULE 48: PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD

The priest follows the Son of God, Jesus Christ

PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD

The priest of God is called to preach the mystery of faith as taught by Jesus Christ. 

  Within the four gospels lies the kernel of Divine Wisdom and the map directions to our true home; Heaven.

  In a world which has suffered a coup by satan, the adversary of God, the person of godly character requires wise counsel, steady guidance and divine support.

The priest imparts wise counsel by means of pastoral visits, pastoral counselling, confession and preaching. 

  Steady guidance is given through godly example and balanced advice based on gospel values and preaching.

  Divine support is given by God through the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten minds and hearts, inspire work, give courage and enable believers to bear dissent and persecution.

  God also gives His Life through the Holy Eucharist and the sacraments, strengthens faith and heals infirmities through sacramentals.

  Divine support and comfort are also imparted through the reading and preaching of the Word of God.

The priestly privilege of enlightening others about God’s Word is known as preaching, or homiletics.

  The sermon, or preached word, or homily, is the means by which the priest inspires wisdom, gives words of comfort, and imparts the luminous teachings of Christ.

  The ordinee preaches a sermon for the reason that Jesus Christ did. 

  The Saviour observed all the trials, joys and sorrows of daily earthly life, and used this knowledge – illumined with the Divine Wisdom of God – to give us a blueprint of life that brings earthly peace, patience and joy. 

  The Word of God does more – it points the way to the goal of eternal happiness with God in Heaven.

Jesus used six preaching methods. The priest does well to follow the example of the greatest Preacher ever to walk the face of the earth.

& Jesus used parables. He told stories that captured the imagination. These seemingly simple stories held within morals, great spiritual truths. Instead of merely proclaiming “God loves you go much that no matter how far you have wandered from Him, He will welcome you back with joy”, Jesus told the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The Master storyteller recounted the story of a wayward youth who rebelled against his family, wasted his inheritance and became destitute. Thereafter he decided to beg his wronged father for mercy. The father unconditionally welcomed his son back with open arms. It turned out he had waited daily for the son’s return. If you want to preach like Jesus, tell stories.

& Jesus caught the attention of His audience. He used hyperbole, exaggerated examples that caught people’s attention. His statements were often not meant to be taken literally, but were used effectively to get His point across. For example, Jesus did not mean that people literally had logs in their eyes [Matthew 7:3-5]. He was making the point that many times we are aware of the minor faults of others, not realizing our own faults are often so much larger. The competent preacher is able to use large statements to catch the congregational attention and direct it to the point being made.

& Jesus crafted memorable sayings. He used language with ease and precision. He distilled a full sermon into an easily memorable phrase. One such example is “Love your neighbour as yourself.” [Mark 12:31] Another, “Judge not, and you will not be judged.” [Matthew 7:1] Like Jesus, make the main point easy to remember.

& Jesus interacted with the crowds. Jesus led His audience to conclusions by asking questions. He used this method in Mark Chapter 8, verse 29. Questions are a powerful teaching tool, and encourage critical thinking. When preaching, ask questions as Jesus did; encourage your audience to think and come to conclusions.

& Jesus used object lessons. Jesus used object lessons to communicate vital points to His audience. He washed the feet of the disciples in order to teach servant leadership. [John 13:1-17] He noted selfless giving after watching a widow donate two small coins into the temple offering. [Mark 12;41-44] Visually communicated truth is more powerful than mere stated truth. The good preacher uses object lessons within the sermon.

&Jesus used repetition. Jesus helped the crowds learn His lessons by means of frequent repetition. He returned to important themes repeatedly, such as the teachings on His death and resurrection [Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34]. Teachings which are repeated are remembered.

PREPARATION FOR PREACHING

There are a number of steps which are of inestimable value to both novice and experienced preachers alike.

& Prayer. In order to prepare for a sermon, first kneel at the Feet of the Lord to ask pardon for personal failings and for the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The priest asks the Holy Spirit as ultimate Teacher for insight into what the preached message should be about.

& Bible-based. The priest needs to know the Bible thoroughly. God often enlightens the mind and heart of the priest with fresh insight into Bible chapters and verses. Although the particular passage may have been read on many occasions, suddenly new enlightenment is experienced regarding a certain verse or word. The meaning of the verse with relevance to a particular situation also becomes clear.

& Preparatory invocation. The preacher needs thus to invoke the aid of the Holy Spirit for understanding of the Bible passage. The priest prays that the true message that God wants the congregation to hear be successfully passed on.

& Different Bible translations. The preacher needs to choose the topic of the sermon. If the decision is made to give a sermon on the Resurrection, the priest – if possible – needs to read the same Bible passage regarding the Resurrection in different Biblical translations. It is often helpful to see how the passages are written in the different translations. A study Bible may be helpful in order to read the scholarly commentary about the verses to be preached on. It is helpful to have some knowledge of Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. This knowledge enables the priest authentically to check back to the original sense of the gospel.

& Draw up a sermon outline. Write out or make a copy of the section of the Bible chosen for the sermon – such as the Resurrection. [Luke Chapter 24] Put in the original Hebrew or Aramaic words in order to clarify points about the passage theme. Make the sermon outline with different headings. Give a brief word or two about sections of the theme. The prism the preacher is inspired by the Holy Spirit to choose will lead the congregation into deeper understanding of the gospel message. The members will be inspired to develop godly values, deepen in character and become more devoted in their service to God. The good preacher is aware that the priest is called on to give the message; to God falls the ultimate task of helping the hearer to enlightenment and personal enrichment of spiritual life. The preacher plants the sermon seed: God nurtures it, and the Holy Spirit brings the seed to life within the hearer. It must also be remembered that a sermon seed may remain dormant within the hearer for many years: and may only come to fruition much later. The good priest need not worry about this. The success of the preached word is not as important as the duty to preach the Word. God, indeed, will do the rest.

& Practise the sermon. The able preacher reviews the sermon, sometimes reads it out aloud or reads it to someone else. It is helpful for giving parts of the sermon in front of a mirror, or to tape the sermon and play it back. Sometimes a close friend or family member will come to sit in and give constructive critique.

& Keep the sermon short and simple. It is helpful to keep the sermon understandable with about three main points. Often the congregation will remember the last point so make this the most important one. Some congregation members like to make notes on the sermon as it is being preached, for reflection later.

& Unleash the power of God’s Word. When the priest gives the sermon, ensure the congregation knows what book, chapter and verse is being used. The preacher has the option to inform the congreganists that the sermon to be preached is based upon a Biblical text; e.g. Luke 24:1-12 which witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus. The preacher then gives the congregation time to find the text if they so wish. Pew Bibles for congreganists are helpful. It is beneficial for the congregation to read along with the preacher because the real power is not in the preacher but in the Word; it is always in the message and never in the messenger. Unleash the power of the Word.

& The good priest must keep in mind that each ordinee is only an under-shepherd to the Great Shepherd and it is His church, not theirs. Each priest is ultimately responsible to God for the messages given and for the ones that should have been given.

   Rev Catherine

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