Jump Start # 3426

 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.”

I read somewhere where the genius song writing team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney were wanting to have a song for Ringo to sing the lead on. Each of the Beatles had swarms of fans and that included Ringo. So, according to the story, Paul and John sat down and wrote, “Yellow Submarine,” in eight minutes. That song was a classic and one that Ringo continues to sing in concerts. Eight minutes. Amazing.

And, that thought leads to the writing of sermons. How long does it take to write a sermon? I’ve been asked that. Most of us who preach have been asked that. The congregation sees the finished product, but what’s the process of getting it there? And, every preacher has his own style and way of working up a sermon. For some, it’s just a few thoughts handwritten on a small card. That works for them. For others, it’s hours of research, getting out books, looking up words, chasing ideas. Just today I was working on a sermon. The floor was covered with paper. Ideas written on this page. Words circled on that page. And, as they were being added, the note pages were tossed on the floor. Some can sit down and in one setting write a great sermon. For others, it is an off and on process that fills the whole week.

In the televised series, “The Chosen,” there is a scene in which Jesus is practicing the sermon on the mount. I rather doubt He did that. I don’t think Jesus needed to practice.

There is an old saying, “Nothing inspires the preacher more than seeing the rising sun on Sunday morning.” Deadline. Time to wrap it up and take it to the pulpit. And, that itself is another characteristic of the style of the preacher. Some preach with no notes. Some take a manuscript to the pulpit. Some use the Powerpoint as their outline. Some don’t use Powerpoint. Unique. Different. And, very individual, the art of sermon writing is built upon the study of God’s word and the heart of the preacher. Combined, they become very effective and useful.

On my office walls, are framed several original sermons from various preachers from the past. Those sermons represent hours of work and a commitment to the Lord. There is a balance in preaching that one must understand. Spend too long in the books and you really don’t know much of what is going on in the hearts of the people. Your sermon may be true to the point, but not what is most needful at the moment. However, spend too much time with the people, and your study suffers and you’ll be preaching shallow lessons that don’t bring the help that people need. Study and people—it’s a balance and like walking across a fallen log, one has to make careful adjustments as they move along.

Here are some things about sermons:

First, there are statements that the preacher will make that some will remember for decades. The preacher may not remember saying those things, but someone will. Someone will write down that statement. Someone will tell others about that statement. It is important to be clear, concise and Biblical. What you say can make a difference.

Second, my personal favorite sermons that I have preached are often not what the congregation liked. And, that is typically a true feeling throughout the audience. Someone will think the sermon was just “ok” and someone else will say, “It’s one of the best I have ever heard.” Yet, they both heard the same sermon. Where one is in life, what he is going through, all impacts a person on how he hears a sermon.

Third, the goal and purpose of a sermon is not to have someone bragging on it. The goal is to bring someone closer to the Lord. It may be a simple sermon that opens eyes and hearts to the saving grace of Jesus. It may be a lesson in which we evaluate our walk and realize that we could do more and do better. Sermons explain. Sermons encourage. Sermons teach. Sermons warn. Sermons challenge. There are lots of great purposes of sermons. But one thing they should not do is just lie flat without any moment on the audience’s standpoint.

Timothy was told to preach the word. Did he write out sermons? Did he stand before people with notes? We’ll likely never know, but one thing we do know is that he was to preach God’s word.

A hit song in eight minutes. That’s remarkable. But remember, that wasn’t the first for that writing team. They had been working and working and writing and writing and they learned what worked. And, for the preacher, years of studying God’s word shapes his heart and helps him to know just what works.

The writing of sermons—it is an art. It is something that one learns. It is something that gets better through the years.

Roger