Constructing Sermons With Impact Ministers Alliance Constructing Sermons With Impact Dr. Noah L. Nicholson II – Pastor

A sermon is meant to be a proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher

Two Main Divisions Salvation – Evangelistic preaching Edification – Building those who already believe.

Sermon Must be Theological Must have a good grasp of the whole biblical message. (Biblical Theology) Systematic Theology is a background and a controlling influence in your sermon. Scripture text is never something in isolation.

Message Should Arise Out of Scriptures Be careful of preaching on subjects, doctrine and theology. You are giving the message of the bible rather than the dogma of a particular church.

Dealing With the Meaning of the Text Honesty – always in their context Discover the meaning of the words and of the whole statement. Accuracy of your understanding (scholarship vs spiritual meaning) I Jn 2:20,27 Ask questions of your text; Why did he say that? Why did he say it like this? What is he getting at? What was his object and purpose?

Don’t manipulate or force the text to make it fit. Show its original context and application, then the statement of a general principle that is always valid.

Developmental nature of the homiletical process The sermon is perceived as a plot, formed shaped by the interaction of problem and theme. The sermon always begins with an itch and moves to the scratch from - the human predicament to the solution born of the gospel.

Creating the suspense of ambiguity or tension, the not knowing what or why or how - is the key to the attention of the audience. The sermon must catch people in the depths of the awful discrepancies of their world, social and personal. It is to these very real discrepancies that the gospel of Jesus Christ is address. Explore the discrepancies in the context of your own personal involvement in the situation.

Perpetrator or Guilty Victim Celebration

Freedom of the Spirit & Preparation Work through a book of the bible Work systematically through a section of the book Work on a portion of a chapter A preacher should be always growing, advancing and developing.

Heretics People who have gotten a hold of an idea from a particular statement which they have misinterpreted and have not checked it with other portions of scripture.

Build An Outline Outline vs writing out sermons in full Form must not triumph over substance Beware of over preparation Beware of quotations Congregation of professors and unlearned.

AFTER SALVATIION Consecration-Rom 12:1 Indoctrination – Eph 4:14 Inspiration – Neh 8:10 Comfort- Is 40:1 * Strengthening- Col 1:11 Conviction- Acts 4:20 Action – James 1:22 Communicate - the whole counsel of God Acts 20:27

THE ACT OF PREACHING Truth mediated through personality. Sense of authority and control over the congregation. Preacher should never be apologetic, tentatively putting forward certain suggestions & ideas. Element of freedom (must not be too tied to your preparation and by it).

Power & Spirit Serious – “I preached as never sure to preach again & as a dying man to dying men.” Never dull & boring (you must be gripped by what you are saying.) Witness not an advocate. Urgency – Message of the gospel cannot be postponed. Love to preach & love the people to whom you preach.

TOOLS Commentary W. E. Vines Bible Dictionary “Strongs” Concordance Bible Dictionary Preaching and Preachers(Jones) Homiletical Plot (Eugene Lowry) Commentary W. E. Vines Bible Dictionary “Story of Christianity” Gonzalez “Lectures in Systematic Theology” (Thiessen)