Thoughts on Preaching From David Palmer

 A few years ago my friend, David Palmer, shared with me some of his thoughts on preaching. These foundational principles apply to preaching, teaching, and even to small groups and personal Bible reflection. While I realize that Divine wine is seasoned and aged in many different types of vessels, I find that I need interaction with others to grow, to learn, to be challenged in Christ. I hope there is something for you here.

David continues to refer to these principles and regularly uses them with his staff.

This is shared with David's permission.

A few initial thoughts on preaching

Pastor David Palmer

Kenwood Baptist Church [Cincinnati, OH]

1.       All preaching is a heralding of Christ.  You are not seeking to give people information but an actual encounter with Christ as the message is proclaimed.  Ask of the passage: “Who is the Lord revealing himself to be in this passage?”

2.       Only after Christ is seen in beauty, holiness, and power are we able to ask: “What does He require of me individually or of us as a church?”

3.       Discipline yourself to stay close to the passage before you.  My first step is to read the book of the Bible rapidly and then my passage several times.  I make a sentence flow of the text so that I am able to follow the thought of the author step by step.  During this phase, I have my phone and computer off as I am listening carefully to the thoughts of my heavenly Father.  I am allowing the Lord to teach me about Himself, His ways, and how He thinks. Give yourself space to be taught before trying to teach or impress others.  Try to understand the main point of the passage and then how the other elements support or contribute to that main point. If the biblical author walked into the room and heard you, would they say: “Yes, that’s what I was saying!” 

4.         Once I understand the passage, I ask: “What is the canonical contribution of this passage of Scripture?”  In other words, “What would I not be able to say or proclaim if this passage was not in the Bible?” I move to other passages only if there is a direct quotation or clear allusion.  When you shift around in a sermon to 5-6 passages, most people will have trouble following you.  People will end up with the impression that you are smart rather than that Christ is awesome.  You always want the latter.

5.       Your introduction always answers the lurking question in people’s minds: “Why do I need to pay attention right now?”  Even our best people come to church after a week of distraction and little theological reflection.  It doesn’t always have to be direct, but allow your introduction to create an urgency to hear.  You model this even in your body language.  The introduction secures attention.  It should not be longer than three minutes so that you can get into the sermon itself. John Piper and Tim Keller accomplish this in very different but effective ways.

To be continued....