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Do the hard book work (2 Tim. 2:15). Including exegesis, hermeneutics, word studies, commentary helps, prayer for illumination (Psalm 119:18) and for wisdom to be kept from error. See Walt Kaiser's Toward an Exegetical Theology, Roy Zuck's, Basic Bible Interpretation, and Don Carson's, Exegetical Fallacies.
2) Plan like a Shepherd (put your pastor hat on).
After the careful exegesis of the Text (scholar work) evaluate your congregants in light of it's truth (pastor work). Think specifically about the types of people to whom you will be preaching (eg: the cynics, the moralist. the rebel, the immature babe in Christ, the new believer, the seasoned saint, the overwhelmed, the grieving, the retired, the eager, the singles, the gullible, the apathetic, the know it alls, the non-Christians, and the transgressors). Pull out your church directory when reviewing a rough draft of your sermon. Think about Joel Beeke's lectures on well-placed arrows.
The better you know your flock the more intentional you can be in the pulpit as you "reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:1-5; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). You should not start with the needs of the people when writing a sermon but you also must not ignore them in the process of sermon writing and preaching. We must do more than lecture about the Bible. We are pastor-teachers not seminary professors. We must holy jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2) for our people's spiritual well being. We should pray Colossians 1:9-10 for our congregation. Spurgeon noted that too many preachers ignore, "the sins of the businessmen, the temptations of the times,and the needs of the age he scarcely ever touches upon. Such preaching reminds me of a lion engaged in mouse-hunting." We are striving for preaching that changes lives.
We should ask the following questions when preparing your sermons: A) What would happen if they never apply this? B) What makes it difficult to believe? C) What makes this truth a challenge to live out? D) Why is this truth so important for this generation of Christians? E) How will doers of this truth improve our church? (this can be a great appeal during your message if the flock buys into this or that). F) How will doers of this truth impact our world?
3) Prepare like a Preacher.
Utilize your best homiletic skill, create accurate and memorable outlines, insert appropriate illustrations, employ the right rhetoric. In this process we should pray for the right words (Eph. 6:19).
Dr. Beeke notes, "Today, much of what is preached on Sunday mornings falls short of biblical preaching. We hear academic lectures, colorful storytelling, or moralistic lessons, but not true, biblical preaching." We God's people need most is Text-driven expository preaching.
Conclusion: Mike's definition of expository preaching-
1) ....clearly derives its CONTENT from a specific text.
2) .... accurately explains the MEANING of that text.
3) ...persuasively affects the CHANGES intended by that text.
This outline was presented by Pastor Michael Fabarez during a D. Min lecture at The Master's Seminary.
