One
of my favorite childhood books was "How do they do that?" The Discovery Channel
took the same idea and made it into a TV program called "How do they do it?"
The Internet has its own howstuffworks.com. These and other similar
books, programs, and websites tap into our natural human curiosity. We want to
know what lies behind the surface, what led up to the discovery, what makes
what.
This e-book is a "How do they do that?"
about preaching. If it was a website, we would call it howsermonswork.com.
I've written for four audiences. First, it's for seminary students
who want a short practical guide on how to prepare and preach a sermon. They
will read the classic books on preaching theory and practice as they continue
their studies, but their "practice preaching" class is looming and they
desperately need a helping hand to get started. Here it is.
Second,
the book is for elders. The material was originally prepared to help the elders
in my last congregation. There were a number of churches without pastors in the
area, resulting in many preaching requests coming to these men. I wanted to
give them a simple step-by-step guide to help them prepare sermons in an
efficient, enjoyable, and edifying way. I've expanded the material since then,
but I hope this short book will help other elders in similar positions become
more "apt to teach" (1 Tim. 3:2).
Third,
I hope that even experienced preachers might pick up a crumb or two by reading
this brief "refresher."
But,
perhaps above all, I want non-preachers to read the book. Given that the most
important hours in a Christian's week are the 1-2 hours they spend listening to
their pastor's sermons, I find it surprising how few Christians are interested
in "how do they do that?"
Some
people seem to think that pastors "receive" their messages direct from God.
They imagine some mysterious process by which the pastor just "gets" a sermon.
That is too high a view of preaching. It makes preaching more for angels than
for ordinary mortals. I want to show that, just like any other work, there is a
reasonable and logical method and system to follow.
Others
think that a pastor just spends the week relaxing, gets up on a Sunday, and
says the first thing that comes into his mind with little or no forethought or
planning. That is too low a view of preaching. Anyone with a bit of verbal
fluency could do it. I want to demonstrate that behind the 30-45 minutes you
see and hear on a Sunday morning are many hours of mental, spiritual, and
practical labor. Like all pastoral labor, it involves head, heart and hand.
If you want to increase
respect for your pastor and his preaching, ask "How do they do that?" Then read this ebook and find out the answer.