What and How to Preach
Every preacher needs to know what to preach and how to preach it.
There’s a sense in which the answer to that question is easy. Preach the Bible depending on the Spirit to explain and apply what it means. But on the other hand, it is a big book. And people have a million different opinions about how to preach it well.
In the preface to a book he wrote on the grace and duty of being spiritually minded, John Owen explains two guiding principles he used to determine the content of his preaching and then gives several helps regarding the manner.
First off, he recognizes that different godly pastors may do things a bit differently. “…leaving others unto the choice of their own methods and designs…" But still, he has thought about this and has decided to use the following two principles to help him know what to focus on.“I acknowledge that these are the two things whereby I regulate my work in the whole course of my ministry.”
What to Preach
Preach what God’s used to change you
"To impart those truths of whose power I have had in some measure a real experience…”
That is an interesting place to start, isn’t it? He looks at himself - what truths has God used to change me? He doesn't claim to have applied them as well as he possibly could, but at the same time, he knows that God has used these truths to change him and believes He will do the same through them in others.
Think about what the people in your church are experiencing, the trials and temptations they are facing, the environment they are living in, the situations they are facing and what the Scripture has to say about it.
“And to press those duties which present occasions, temptations and other circumstances do render necessary to be attended unto in a peculiar manner, are the things which I would principally apply myself unto the work of teaching others…”
I realize this may be a little shocking. Obviously, Owen thinks our job is to teach the Bible. But at the same time, he believes you are preaching the Bible to actual people and that it is important to pay attention to what is happening in their lives, where they are being tempted and what they need to know and understand in order to live lives honor God. He says, “for as in the work of the ministry in general, the whole counsel of God concerning the salvation of the church by Jesus Christ is to be declared…” But at the same time, he thinks we need to have an aim. “…so in particular we are not to fight uncertainly, as men beating the air, nor shoot our arrows at random, without a certain scope or design.”And to be able to do this, pastors need to know the Bible and their people. “Knowledge of the flock whereof we are overseers, with a due consideration of their wants, their graces, their temptations, their light, their strength and weakness, are required herein.”
How to Preach
It’s one thing to have something to say. It’s another to know how to say it. When we talk about homiletics, we often talk about outlines and illustrations and things like that. Owen talks about our motives and our attitude.
Our motive should be the glory of God and the good of the church:
“And when, in pursuance of that design, the preparation of the word to be dispensed proceeds from zeal for the glory of God and compassion unto the souls of men…”
We can’t see inside the hearts of others, but we certainly can ask God to help us evaluate what is motivating us. Are we preaching because we are driven by an intense desire to help people see how great and glorious God is? Do we care deeply about the people we are preaching to?
The manner should be characterized by a fear of God and appropriate sense of accountability to Him:
“When it is delivered with the demonstration of a due reverence unto God whose word it is, and of authority towards them unto whom it is dispensed, with a deep sense of that great account which both they that preach and they that hear the word preached must shortly give before the judgment seat of Christ, there may be a comfortable expectation of a blessed issue of the whole work.”
Here he talks about the actual delivery of the message. Instead of considering whether the preacher alliterated the main points or used good illustrations however, he calls on us to think about whether we are fearing God as we preach, recognizing that we are delivering His message, and sensing that both we as preachers and the congregation we are preaching to are accountable to God for the message that is being delivered.
While there are many different ideas out there about how to be a more effective preacher, I think heeding Owen’s counsel would be a great place to start. Look at yourself: what is God teaching me in this passage? Look at your church: what do my people need to hear from this passage? Think about why you are preaching - is it for God or is it for you? And consider how you are preaching - am I speaking like I’m talking for God about issues of eternal significance?
