What is good preaching? – part 1
Posted by Clinton on July 11, 2008
One of the books I have been reading and throughly enjoying is D. Martyn Lloyd Jones classic Preaching and Preachers. More than just a 10-step process of developing a sermon, this book is a combination of lectures on the hows and whys of preaching. When I read it, I feel like I am having a conversation with an experienced preacher about the ministry ahead. It is a great read!
One of the underlying themes of this book is the definition of good preaching, or more aptly put, the definition of biblical preaching. I remember before I was called to ministry, I would hear a sermon and say, “That was a good sermon!” or “Rev. did a good job.” After being called and having the privilege of preaching, I began to wonder, what is a good sermon? I asked myself this question because there are varying definitions to good preaching. In this book, Dr. Lloyd-Jones covers some of what I would call essentials to preach good sermons. One that I will mention, which to me is primary, is being totally submitted to the Holy Spirit in the act of preaching. The Holy Spirit has the ministry of guiding believers (preachers and teachers included) in all matters of truth. Since sermons are to be based on the eternal truth of God’s word (another essential of biblical preaching), preachers NEED to have the Spirit lead in presentation of that truth. The preacher who is not fully submitted to the Spirit in the preaching act is not preaching a good sermon, even if a host of other elements are present. This is my opinion, you may agree or disagree.
