What Is A Sermon? |
Posted: November 7, 2017 |
Every preacher, when asked, would say their sermon delivery is good. Maybe the best person to answer how good a sermon was would be the congregation being preached to. What exactly defines a good sermon? Today’s congregations, through exposure to various media sources, have been exposed to more sizzling delivery of communication, thus preachers of the current generation need to ensure their congregations not only hear them, but also listen to them. This calls for good sermon delivery. So, what is a good sermon? The best way to define a good sermon is by looking at the criteria used to determine a good sermon and the marks of a good sermon. Communication A good sermon can be defined by how it is delivered. It should be a sermon that the congregation follows and should be clear to the point. It has to be delivered in a well-organized manner with good use of imagery and stories to keep the sermon alive. Preachers can use the sermon notebook to keep tabs of what to add on to their next sermon. Faithfulness: The second criterion that defines a good sermon is in terms of its faithfulness to the bible, it has to be biblically rooted. The sermon should not be the preacher’s own opinion but should be anchored in a biblical text. The word belongs to God and only he has the authority over it, thus preaching is a proclamation of God’s scripture. Power: A good sermon should have a transformational effect on the congregation. It should stretch and challenge them to want to be closer to God and deepen their faith. The sermon should make them want to be better as citizens of the promised Kingdom. A good sermon should simultaneously call for and give guidance towards transformation. From the above three criteria, it is clear the major challenge preachers face today is how to apply all these 3 criteria in delivery of their sermons, which is where the sermon notebook comes in, as it ensures a preacher keeps tabs of his sermon, scriptures and any idea that might pop up. Marks of a good sermon: Engages biblical context The sermon should be a response to the read scriptures, it should act to respond to the word of God and be a witness, just as the word manifests itself as a witness that requires responding to. A sermon follows the reading text from the scripture, in such a way, the sermon itself acts as a response to whatever verse read, not just a response by the preacher as he/she reads the scripture, but also when delivering the sermon to the congregation. Thus delivery of the same should be done in an interesting manner that is both relevant to the listeners but also inspires them. Proclaims the gospel The preacher when delivering a sermon should find a way of relating what God, through his son Jesus Christ, is doing and has done continuously for his listeners, both as individuals and for the whole world. A preacher should give the scriptures an approach with an aim to cover the proclamation of faith contained in the read bible verse read and to try to connect it to what God is trying to do in the lives of his listeners. Creates connection between the scriptures and people’s lives God made a commitment to be accessible to humans, he did this by coming down in a human form through Jesus Christ, and this is the basis of the Christian incarnation doctrine, that God spoke the word in the form of a human. A sermon should therefore reinforce this act of commitment, that God is ready to meet man as sinful as he is. A good sermon should relate how God’s word is relevant to our daily lives. All current issues being preached about should be looked at from a gospel perspective or point of view. Conclusion A good sermon is one that encompasses all or at least one of the criteria, in combination with the listed marks of a good sermon, it should serve to bring anyone listening to the sermon closer to God, and make them want to make a transformational change in their lives. This can be easily achieved by using the sermon notebook to help the preacher plan out his sermon and add any useful notes for the sermon.
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