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| Derek Thomas at TMS July 2016 |
During his lecture at TMS Derek Thomas offered 20+ practical helps related to preaching in no matter order:
A) Be a shepherd expositor. Preaching to the same people in the context of the local church is much different than being a circuit (conference) teacher. In some ways, shepherd-leaders will shape their expositions to the needs of their people; (see notes above with regards to Text-driven sermons).
B) Know your strengths and weaknesses and play to your strengths and work on improving your weaknesses. Preachers do not have the exact same strengths and weaknesses. For example, not every pastor can preach fresh sermons if they only exposit a few verses week after week. Honestly access your own gifts and your limitations. You are likely not Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
C) Preach sequentially. Over 40 years the primary diet Dr. Thomas has served his flock is verse-by-verse, book-by-book expository preaching. He has preached through approximately 40 books.
D) Preach different genres. Variety will grow you as a preacher and will likely help the congregation track with you over a lengthy ministry in the same place. On occasion it is helpful to break from your verse-by-verse series in order to preach a series on the vanishing conscience, or prayer, or Christian liberty, etc.
E) Text-driven preaching is not the same thing as theological expositions. In general, do not use the text as a launching pad to preach doctrinal messages.
F) Keep growing as an expositor. Do not become stale. Read a book on preaching every year. Educate your leadership team and congregation. Replenish your own well. Attend good conferences on preaching and develop close friendships with like-minded expositors. Ask God to keep you from becoming dull or complacent.
G) Seek input from those who understand what genuine expositor preaching is. Perhaps better, have a brother or two who you respect and trust and ask them to periodically evaluate your pulpit ministry.
H) Consider the current issues of the day as well as the history, the needs, the struggles, and the weaknesses of your church when prayerfully considering what biblical book to preach next.
All Scripture is profitable but certain books may be especially timely as you minister to your local church.
I) Be wise. Do not kick yourself out of a church.
Do not be so obnoxious that you lose the opportunity to reform a church over the long haul. You need to understand what hills are worth dying on. Ask God for wisdom lest you act like a fool. Their is certainly such a thing as "blessed subtractions" but be careful here.
Do not be so obnoxious that you lose the opportunity to reform a church over the long haul. You need to understand what hills are worth dying on. Ask God for wisdom lest you act like a fool. Their is certainly such a thing as "blessed subtractions" but be careful here.
J) Not everyone can be a "great" preacher but no one should be a "bad" preacher.
God is sovereign in the distribution of gifts. However, bad habits can be corrected. No called servant of the Lord's should be a "bad" preacher; (though not everyone will become a great preacher). We need to work hard as we seek to feed the flock of God.
K) We Need To Be Constantly Replenishing our Spiritual Wells and Engaging our Pastoral Minds. Pastors need time to read theological journals, well written blog articles about contemporary issues and theological debates, etc. This helps keep your preaching ministry fresh.
L) Be Careful About Sowing Seeds of Doubt in Your Congregation About Their English Bibles.
Be very careful about saying, "This is a wrong translation! " You want people to have confidence in the pure and perfect Word of God. Dr. Thomas rarely corrects translations unless a theological truth is being obscured or confused (eg. Son-ship in the first century was related to sons; the ESV misses this emphasis in Romans).
M) Know What You Know and Know What You Do Not Know.
N) Read the Passage You Are Preaching In English Before and After Your Original Language Study (and read it many, many times). Live with the text all week long. The passage should be in your blood. You want to know the passage inside and out. You wants it's truths to get inside you and change you before you discharge the King's message.
O) Do Not Over Cite Commentators and Other Preachers During a Sermon. Learn how to rephrase other people's thoughts. Do not turn your exposition into a seminary term paper.
P) Work Hard on Developing an Accurate and Memorable Sermon Outline to Help You in the Pulpit.
Q) Application Can Be Sprinkled Throughout the Exposition; (You Should NOT Always Wait Until the End of your Message To Exhort the Congregation).
R) Learn How to Be a Good Editor; (you Do Yot Need to Say Everything a Passage Says in Every Message). Know what to include and what to leave out. If a biblical book deals with the same theme at a later it is ok to wait until you reach that passage to unfold such and such a truth in greater depth.
S) Illustrations should be used as widows and windows let in light. If the passage or verse is self-explanatory you do not need to illustrate it unless it helps with application.
T) Do not summarize your last message at the very beginning of your sermon.
U) You Must Not Miss the Main Idea of the Passage. What is this sermon about? The outline should help people understand the preaching text. What's the big idea of your sermon text? Does your outline support the primary thrust of the passage.
V) Application fits into four general grids: 1) mind/ 2) affections-emotions 3) will/ 4) lifestyle.
Some people do not appreciate that doctrine is in itself applicational; (as thinking biblically is essential to godly living). What we think and believe influences how we live and speak. Some sermons speak more to one category but we should try and be balanced as we work our ways through books of the Bible.
Pastors should seek to counsel their people from the pulpit. Do you understand this text? Are you willing to do it? Are you ready to do this? Preach for a verdict.
God is sovereign in the distribution of gifts. However, bad habits can be corrected. No called servant of the Lord's should be a "bad" preacher; (though not everyone will become a great preacher). We need to work hard as we seek to feed the flock of God.
K) We Need To Be Constantly Replenishing our Spiritual Wells and Engaging our Pastoral Minds. Pastors need time to read theological journals, well written blog articles about contemporary issues and theological debates, etc. This helps keep your preaching ministry fresh.
L) Be Careful About Sowing Seeds of Doubt in Your Congregation About Their English Bibles.
Be very careful about saying, "This is a wrong translation! " You want people to have confidence in the pure and perfect Word of God. Dr. Thomas rarely corrects translations unless a theological truth is being obscured or confused (eg. Son-ship in the first century was related to sons; the ESV misses this emphasis in Romans).
M) Know What You Know and Know What You Do Not Know.
N) Read the Passage You Are Preaching In English Before and After Your Original Language Study (and read it many, many times). Live with the text all week long. The passage should be in your blood. You want to know the passage inside and out. You wants it's truths to get inside you and change you before you discharge the King's message.
O) Do Not Over Cite Commentators and Other Preachers During a Sermon. Learn how to rephrase other people's thoughts. Do not turn your exposition into a seminary term paper.
P) Work Hard on Developing an Accurate and Memorable Sermon Outline to Help You in the Pulpit.
Q) Application Can Be Sprinkled Throughout the Exposition; (You Should NOT Always Wait Until the End of your Message To Exhort the Congregation).
R) Learn How to Be a Good Editor; (you Do Yot Need to Say Everything a Passage Says in Every Message). Know what to include and what to leave out. If a biblical book deals with the same theme at a later it is ok to wait until you reach that passage to unfold such and such a truth in greater depth.
S) Illustrations should be used as widows and windows let in light. If the passage or verse is self-explanatory you do not need to illustrate it unless it helps with application.
T) Do not summarize your last message at the very beginning of your sermon.
U) You Must Not Miss the Main Idea of the Passage. What is this sermon about? The outline should help people understand the preaching text. What's the big idea of your sermon text? Does your outline support the primary thrust of the passage.
V) Application fits into four general grids: 1) mind/ 2) affections-emotions 3) will/ 4) lifestyle.
Some people do not appreciate that doctrine is in itself applicational; (as thinking biblically is essential to godly living). What we think and believe influences how we live and speak. Some sermons speak more to one category but we should try and be balanced as we work our ways through books of the Bible.
Pastors should seek to counsel their people from the pulpit. Do you understand this text? Are you willing to do it? Are you ready to do this? Preach for a verdict.
