The Body of a Textual Sermon, Part 2

The point: Earnestly pray for the present assistance of the Holy Spirit when preparing a discourse.

Martin quotes Professor Murray on the continuous function of the Holy Spirit in understanding Scripture, emphasizing dependence on Him for light and understanding in sermon preparation.

We may not suppress the distinctive way in which the disciples were partakers of the Holy Spirit, but there is a continuous function of the Holy Spirit for our appropriation. The greatest task of a teacher of the Word of God is to understand the Scriptures. There can be no communication without understanding. There will be in the discharge of your tasks blood, sweat, toil, and tears.

1:57 - 2:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in attentive and repeated reading of the text in its native setting to gain a general acquaintance with its overall pattern of thought.

Martin quotes Shedd on the power of solitude, prayer, and self-discipline to quicken religious affections and awaken reflection, arguing that these are essential for a preacher's preparation.

Amen. Probably therefore page 115 of his book on pastoral theology and homiletics, no better advice can be given to the preacher in respect of which we are speaking than that very same advice which he gives to the common Christian when he asks for the best means and methods of quickening his religious affections. It has been said by one of the most profound and devout minds of English literature that, quote, quote, quote, the power of solitude passed in sincere and earnest prayer or the conflict with and conquest over a single passion or a subtle bosom sin will teach us more of thought and mor...

4:51 - 6:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Use an exegesis sheet, a homiletical sheet, and a miscellaneous thoughts/application sheet to organize your studies and capture insights.

Martin recounts his own experience of being struck by the preoccupation with the donkey in the triumphal entry passage, illustrating how repeated reading can reveal the burden of a text.

Some of you who were here a few weeks ago remember how I confessed in my own setting forth of the exposition of the entry into Jerusalem, how I was struck with the paragraph in its preoccupation with the donkey. Well, that was just by repeated reading of the passage and saying Lord, help me to feel the weight of what's here in the passage, and everything centered in a donkey. And that question began to haunt me at my desk. Why everything centering in a donkey?

9:15 - 9:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Reduce the sermon materials to their natural divisions, letting the text determine the structure rather than imposing artificial divisions.

Martin uses the analogy of building materials dumped in a backyard to explain the need to sort foundational, framing, and finishing materials when reducing sermon content to natural divisions.

If I may use the analogy, all the building materials are dumped in the backyard. You've got to sort out the foundational materials, the framing materials, and the finishing materials.

14:42 - 14:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Reduce the sermon materials to their natural divisions, letting the text determine the structure rather than imposing artificial divisions.

Martin retells Dr. Lloyd-Jones' humorous anecdote about a preacher who forced three headings onto the text 'Balaam rose early and saddled his ass,' illustrating the danger of imposing artificial divisions.

And, if you're preaching textually in a biblical way, you're going to let the text determine the divisions. You're not going to impose artificial divisions upon the text. You're going to let the text determine those divisions. And I remind you of that humorous incident recorded by Dr. Lloyd-Jones on pages 207 and 208 of Preaching and Preachers. You who were here the last semester will remember it about that preacher who always had to have his three heads, and he was preaching on Balaam rose early and saddled his ass, and his first heading was that here was a good trait in a bad man. He rose ea...

14:55 - 15:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek to expose yourself to a variety of good models of textual preaching to develop effective skills.

Martin uses the example of opera singer Placido Domingo, who constantly observes and absorbs from masters of his craft, to illustrate that preaching is an 'acquired imitated spiritual art form' requiring observation and learning.

And as with any other art one must observe the masters of the art or the craft as they work. I'm reading a biography now of Placido Domingo. Now he'll mean nothing to some of you. But if you had a little culture he'd mean something to you.

29:11 - 29:28 Read in full sermon