Perspicuity of Form and Structure

The point: Make perspicuity of form and structure a continuous, conscious endeavor in your preaching.

The sciences of anatomy (structure of animals) and morphology (structure of plants) are used to illustrate that form and structure are about the arrangement and relation of component parts, just as a body has parts in the right place for proper function.

This brings us into the realm of such materialism. It matters as division, progression, transitions of thought. All of these come under the general heading of form and of structure. Anatomy is the science of the structure of animals.

2:26 - 2:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Make perspicuity of form and structure a continuous, conscious endeavor in your preaching.

The metaphor of separating the 'tale from the ears' of a sermon is used to convey that listeners should easily discern the main points and structure.

is easy to be understood. And so I'm asserting in this axiom that in effective possible popular address, the order and arrangement should not only be good and latent, but it ought to be good and patent, that is, perspicuous to the average listener. He ought to know where you've begun, where you're going, and when you get there. He ought to be able to separate the tale from the ears of your sermon. He ought to be able to change the

3:49 - 4:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Make perspicuity of form and structure a continuous, conscious endeavor in your preaching.

This culinary metaphor illustrates that listeners should be able to distinguish different parts of the sermon (corn, meat, roll) rather than receiving a 'blob of homiletical hash.'

imagery to know when he's nibbling at his corn, when he's cutting up his meat, and when he's biting off a chunk of his roll. And if the poor man wonders if the roll and the corn and the meat have all been ground up and thrown in a blob of homiletical hash on the plate, woe be unto such listeners who must constantly come to such a diet. Now I've asserted in the axiom that such with perspicuity of form and structure must be our continuous conscious endeavor. And in the use of those words, I'm underscoring the fact that preaching and teaching marked

4:27 - 5:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Give yourselves to the matter of form and structure early in the actual development of the sermon to avoid failure in developing clean homiletics.

A builder arriving at a jumbled pile of materials (2x4s, wires, nails) is used to illustrate that the first task in building a house, or a sermon, is to sort and organize the raw materials.

before the sheer size of the pile of the raw materials. Let me illustrate this way. If a builder arrived at a building site and found a jumbled pile of 2x4s, 2x6s, coils of electrical wire, kegs of nails, and a host of other building materials, what would his first task be if he were to have any hope of building a house? Well, the answer is, he'd have to have a sorting out party.

8:30 - 9:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Give yourselves to the matter of form and structure early in the actual development of the sermon to avoid failure in developing clean homiletics.

A traveler unsure of his path constantly consulting a map and compass is contrasted with one on a familiar path who can enjoy the scenery. This illustrates how clarity of sermon structure allows the preacher freedom in delivery, rather than being bound to notes.

and do not simply add to this, in growing pile of jumbled thought. But then it's also important for the preacher because it will greatly assist freedom in the actual delivery of the sermon. It will greatly assist the preacher's freedom in the delivery of the sermon. A man, unsure of his path, must continually look at his map and at his compass as he makes his journey.

10:27 - 10:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Give yourselves to the matter of form and structure early in the actual development of the sermon to avoid failure in developing clean homiletics.

Overloaded sermons with complex subdivisions are compared to ornate Victorian filigree, where intricate carving obscures clean, simple lines, hindering freedom in delivery.

if the sermon is overloaded with a complex system of subdivisions and sub-sub-sub-divisions, very intricate as we find in some of the Puritan works where they are not good models of homiletics in certain areas, there can be very little freedom in the actual delivery of the sermon because there is simply too much. It's like some of the old ornate filigree that you see on some of these Victorian buildings where there is all of this intricate carving and the lines are not clean and simple. Likewise then in preaching,

13:07 - 13:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not expect the Holy Spirit to sort out and make compelling that which is disorganized, convoluted, and confusing in your preaching.

The natural expectation of a numerical sequence (1, 2, 3, then 4; or 2, 4, 6, then 8) is used to illustrate how the human mind naturally follows logical progression, and how violating this can shock or confuse.

Rather, in persuasion, we recognize from general revelation the way God has made us that as surely as I stand before you and start numbering one, two, three, you've already said four, and if I say seven, I'm either doing it for shock effect or I show that I'm violating the natural laws of the human mind. If I say two, four, six, you've already said eight. If I say two, four, six, thirteen, I've thrown a curve at you. I've either done something to shock your mind into listening more carefully or I have violated your sense of propriety in the progression of those numbers.

19:25 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to receive whatever the fruit of clear ministry will be, including both welcome and bucking against the truth, by settling in your heart to preach God's truth with perspicuity.

Martin recounts receiving two letters after a sermon: one of great encouragement from a 'confused sheep' who found clarity, and another of resignation from a 'bucking sheep' who felt unwelcome. This illustrates how clear preaching blesses some and offends others, confirming its perspicuity.

as an angel of God and on that very day there will be others who because of the activity of remaining sin will rise up and buck against the truth I had a classic example of this a few weeks ago I came here on Wednesday night went to my letter file in the church office to take out any letters that demanded that they be read last minute in the prayer meeting and there were two letters hand delivered obviously no stamp on them had my name on the outside and I opened them and one was a letter from one of the saints who's had a background in which there's been horrible abuse of pastoral authority a...

31:52 - 32:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared for the agony and toil of incessant mental labor in sermon preparation, as this is integral to laboring in the word and teaching.

Martin describes the mental struggle of organizing sermon materials, striking out on one course only to discard it, and coming to the verge of despair, illustrating the 'agony and toil of incessant mental labor' required for perspicuity.

you will know it peculiarly in this area there are times when exegesis is shown and you sit at your desk and say can it be that I'm getting paid for doing this rooting around in the word of God in the green pastures of God's truth and you say it's too good to be true I'm putting bread on my table doing this what a privilege so to labor but then you take those raw materials and the moment of truth comes and you say ah now the time has come to say firstly secondly and finally secondly thirdly here's the tail here's the body here's the head

35:34 - 36:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared for the agony and toil of incessant mental labor in sermon preparation, as this is integral to laboring in the word and teaching.

The example of Stephen Olford allowing his outlines to be sold as pre-made sermons is used to illustrate a dangerous shortcut that undermines the necessary mental labor of the preacher.

that tells us how to break down a passage and God have mercy if you buy that that you can purchase for so many dollars a year of 52 exegetical sermons all the outlines all done my respect for Stephen Olford tumbled when I saw that he allowed himself to enter into that kind of trafficking in the word of God I've had such esteem for him as a true man and a good preacher but when I see advertised in poop it helps that I can buy his expository outlines what a horrible thing one of the advertising letters

37:47 - 38:31 Read in full sermon