Featured Learning to preach.

I am still learning to preach even after 30 years. But it has been a number of factors:
1. Learned through listening and watching preachers. I learned what worked and what didn't.
2. But, more importantly, I learned how to interpret the bible through Bible College and reading everything I could about understanding the Bible.
3. My style of preaching was developed as I learned that God could use my personality to communicate His truth.

My preaching has changed in that it has gotten more text driven rather than topic driven. Most of my preaching is to take a book and work through it. But I still sometimes preach topical sermons but they are based on a text. For example, right now, I'm dealing with the topic of spiritual growth, but each sermon comes from a passage of Scripture.

I think everyone's preaching changes as we grow more experienced in preaching regularly. It may change even more the longer you are in a church. At least it has with me.

 

I would love to learn to preach as George Whitefield did.....I could listen to him forever....he had a gift. That guy changed my life.

 

You actually listened to him? You must be older than I thot you were. :laugh:

There's an old preacher story (which means it may not be true) that after listening to an older preacher preach, a younger preacher said to him, "I'd give everything I have to preach like that." The older preacher replied, "I did".

 

Err, no but I read his sermons after reading his fantastic history & his great accomplishments. Then my brother just so happened to gift me a packet of Christian sermons narrated by Max McLean (Augustine, Luther, Bunyan, Edwards & of course Whitefield) GW's Sermon on it "The Method of Grace" is what turned me around. He spoke to me in that sermon.

I have since heard about schools that attempt to evoke his style but I do not know how successful they are....again, I contend that Whitefield had a gift (not easily reproduced) designed to save people. That is indeed a lofty goal & one that the man succeeded in. If I was to be a preacher, that is what I would aspire to be & aim for.

 

As Paul said:

But we are to do as Paul charged Timothy:

I contend that all true called ministers of the gospel have a gift.

 

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

How does someone/anyone learn to preach? You can't. It is not by the enticing words of man's wisdom, but by/through the demonistration of the Spirit(1 Cor. 2:4). When we preach, it is the Spirit preaching through us. He gives us what He wants us to say, and we say it. We are "vessels" through which He preaches.

Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

 

Yes brother, the gift of putting you to sleep...LOL .... I know this 1st hand since some of my best naps have been during these gifted mens sermons! If there are any gifts, they aren't evident in the preaching.:laugh:

 

So I guess no one ever improves their preaching over time. I am not debating the impact of the Holy Spirit on preachers and preachng, but I would hope that anyone who has been gifted to preach can improve on how that message is preached.

 

Yes I totally understand!!! Notice I said true called men

 

There's a growth in the ministry like a growth in our christian walk. None of us took the stand the first time, and preached like others who have preached for twenty years, and kept up the pace. Sometimes we must take our seat after we have been called on by the pastor(this has happened to me). We have to grow in the ministry.

 

Correct. Not everyone who has taken the stand, has been called of God.

 

As in anything we do for the Lord, we must be gifted by Him. But I also believe we must sharpen that sword through training from experienced men of God, as many Scriptures teach (the pastoral epistles in particular). So I thank God for the godly men who trained me in homiletics in both college and grad school.

Last furlough I preached for my college homiletics teacher, starting out by saying, "I never could get above a B from Dr. E. After the message, Dr. E. got up and said, "John, I'll give you a B plus on that." :laugh:

 

A little bit by training. Seminary was good at explaining some of the foundational things about preaching. A little but from workshops and books. Even more from listening to a wide breadth of excellent communicators.

But ultimately the most by the seat of my pants.

One of the great benefits from listening to a lot of guys is a listened for what I liked and didn't like. Also, and this was painful, I video taped all my early sermons and went over them like a football player watching game tape. I figured what worked and what didn't.

For me I took time to learn how I naturally communicated the best and emphasized that. I didn't import style from other preachers (but take plenty of illustrations.) Then I asked people I trusted to give me honest feedback.

Yep. It has gotten more specific and more concise.

 

How John Piper Learned to Preach is at http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastor...n=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20120321

 

Remember this Brother; preaching isn't something you can learn to do. It is a gift that God bestows on those who He chooses to proclaim His everlasting Gospel. We grow in the ministry by much prayer, studying, listening to other preachers, but there is no way you can be taught to preach. Remember, you grow in the ministry. If God has called you to preach His Gospel, my prayers are with you, Brother. raying:raying:raying:raying:

 

John, your story triggered a story one of my pastors told me. he taught homiletics at the nearby Bible College. He was a strong proponent of expository preaching, and didn't care too much for that "topical trash," as he called it.

Each student had to preach a sermon near the end of the semester--an expository sermon. One young man who was already an active evangelist preached a topical sermon when his turn came. My pastor gave him an F.

When he got his grade,the young evangelist stormed into the office. "Why did you give me an F?"

"Because you preached a topical sermon instead of an expository message."

"But the Lord told me to preach that sermon."

My pastor replied, "The Lord told me to give you an F."

 

Thanks Tom. Great story! :laugh::laugh: