The Preacher's Physical Action, Part 2

Driving home: People should always sense that we are in control, that we always have more thought, more voice, and more action than we are giving them at any given point of the sermon.

Martin quotes Spurgeon, who quotes Dr. Johnson's commendation of Dr. Watts for not using gesticulations, to illustrate an extreme view against physical action, which Spurgeon dismisses as 'nonsense' but preferable to 'overwrought posturing'.

283. It is very easy to overdo physical action so as to make yourself appear ridiculous. Perhaps it was a keen perception of this danger which led Dr. Johnson to forbid action altogether and to commend Dr. Watts very highly because, and now he quotes his commendation, he did not endeavor to assist his eloquence by any gesticulations. For as no corporal actions have any correspondence with theological truth, he did not see how they could enforce it, end quote. The great lexicographer's remark is nonsense. But if it should be thought weighty enough to reduce a preacher to absolute inaction, it w...

4:53 - 5:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Decently violent, and as a general rule, we may here note that it is the tendency of deep feeling rather to subdue the manner than to render it too energetic. He who beats the air and balls and raves and stamps means not…

Spurgeon's example of Nathan addressing David, contrasting a quiet, earnest delivery with an imagined overly dramatic one, illustrates the principle that deep feeling often subdues manner rather than making it overly energetic, and that excessive action can distract from the message.

When Nathan addressed David, I suppose he delivered his parable very quietly, and that when the time came to say, Thou art the man, he gave the king a deeply earnest look, but younger ministers obeyed. Imagine the prophet strode into the middle of the room, and setting his right foot forward, pointed his finger like a pistol between the royal eyes, and giving a loud stamp of the foot, shouted, Thou art the man. Had it been so done, it is to be feared that the royal culprit would have had his thoughts turned from himself to the insane prophet, and would have called for his guard to clear the ha...

5:42 - 6:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Earnestly pray for the more complete liberation of your entire redeemed humanity.

Martin shares a story about an individual his wife had known for years who, after a period of spiritual growth, was dramatically more open and direct in communication, illustrating how grace can liberate one's communicating faculties.

My wife has known this individual for over ten years. And before I even had a chance to tell her about the interview, she said to me, because the person came ten minutes earlier and she had opportunity to interact with this individual, she said, Honey, he's a different man. Instead of looking at the ground, looking around, she looked me straight in the eye for the first time in my life. Followed me into the family room.

17:20 - 17:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously yield your entire redeemed humanity to the Lord as the vehicle of conveying His truth, including all your faculties.

Martin recounts his dear black brother Ashiel Blaze's prayer before preaching, where he systematically yielded every part of his body to the Lord as an instrument for conveying truth, serving as an example of consciously yielding one's entire redeemed humanity.

We sing, Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love. And one of the most sacred moments that I can remember of all my interaction with my dear black brother in England, Ashiel Blaze, and Pastor Christman remembers this very vividly. He's commented about it. When we were praying together one time before our brother was to preach, remember him praying something along this line that I won't seek to imitate his voice.

18:47 - 19:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously yield your entire redeemed humanity to the Lord as the vehicle of conveying His truth, including all your faculties.

Martin quotes Ryle's description of Henry Venn's ministry, noting how Venn's stern look for the law's terrors and smiling, tear-filled entreaties for grace demonstrated his countenance serving God to enforce truth.

I never heard a minister like him. This is what someone commenting on Henry Venn's ministry. He was most powerful in unfolding the terrors of the law. When doing so, he had a stern look that would make you tremble.

20:10 - 20:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for more felt earnestness in preaching, as it is the natural regulator of animation.

Martin uses the analogy of a mother pleading for her child's life to illustrate that genuine earnestness naturally produces appropriate physical action, without needing to be taught specific gestures.

Pray for more felt earnestness in preaching. As with the use of the voice, the natural and primary regulator is the felt earnestness of the speaker. You don't need to tell a mother pleading for the life of her child, use your hands in such a way as to convince the pleader that you're in earnest. It's the engagement of her heart with the well-being of her child that causes her to wring her hands, to stretch them out in ploring, no one needs to teach her the art of the use of the hands in pleading for the life of your child.

22:53 - 23:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for more felt earnestness in preaching, as it is the natural regulator of animation.

Martin quotes McElvain, who states that 'earnestness purges the delivery from the expression of irrelevant thoughts and feelings and gives to the signs employed... their characteristic excellence,' emphasizing that earnestness is the most important thing for effective delivery.

McElvain, on page 88, with his usual incisiveness, writes, here's his major axioms, they're all printed in dark print and then he has his breakdown of them. He says, earnestness purges the delivery from the expression of irrelevant thoughts and feelings and gives to the signs employed, that's physical action, their characteristic excellence.

24:12 - 24:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Work at developing animation and proper physical action in congenial, non-preaching situations, such as telling stories to children.

Martin suggests that fathers practice animation by throwing themselves into reading stories to their children, as children are a 'congenial, non-critical audience' who will respond naturally to enthusiasm.

congenial, non-preaching, non-critical, non-critical, non-critical audience, that's your children. Learn to throw yourselves into the children's stories. I've sat with some fathers while they've read stories to their children in a dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee. I marvel the kid kept awake.

26:02 - 26:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Whenever possible, seek to arrange the physical surroundings in which you preach to allow full liberty for action and animation.

Martin recounts an incident from Lloyd-Jones' book where deacons measured his height to adjust the pulpit, illustrating the importance of arranging physical surroundings to allow full liberty for action.

Lloyd-Jones has an interesting incident Lloyd-Jones has an interesting incident he records in his book Preaching and Preachers about the place he went and the first thing one of the deacons came or the preacher came and measured his height and they were going to adjust the pulpit accordingly so that he'd be unimpeded in his own physical action. I have preached in situations where the only place he could keep a glass of water was at a place where during the whole sermon I was constantly reminded if I'm not careful I'm going to knock the pulpit out. I'm going to knock the water over and more tha...

29:49 - 30:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Whenever possible, seek to arrange the physical surroundings in which you preach to allow full liberty for action and animation.

Martin shares his own experience of preaching in situations where a glass of water was precariously placed, leading him to accidentally water flowers on the communion table, highlighting the distraction of poorly arranged surroundings.

Lloyd-Jones has an interesting incident Lloyd-Jones has an interesting incident he records in his book Preaching and Preachers about the place he went and the first thing one of the deacons came or the preacher came and measured his height and they were going to adjust the pulpit accordingly so that he'd be unimpeded in his own physical action. I have preached in situations where the only place he could keep a glass of water was at a place where during the whole sermon I was constantly reminded if I'm not careful I'm going to knock the pulpit out. I'm going to knock the water over and more tha...

29:49 - 30:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Actively seek the judicious evaluation of discerning people with reference to your physical action in preaching, especially from an intelligent wife.

Martin quotes Broadus, who advises not to repress or force nature, but to correct faults, suggesting asking a 'true and judicious friend' or an 'intelligent wife' for evaluation.

Spurgeon, page 294 of Lectures to My Students has a very helpful suggestion along these lines and Broadus similarly I'll give you Broadus' quote briefly, page 508 Do not repress nature though it must be governed and do not force nature. Amen. That positive improvement in action but negative the correction of faults as they appear. Look out for such faults.

31:43 - 32:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Actively seek the judicious evaluation of discerning people with reference to your physical action in preaching, especially from an intelligent wife.

Martin shares a humorous personal story of his wife curing his habit of constantly buttoning and unbuttoning his jacket while preaching by making a gesture that made him realize he had unbuttoned his fly, illustrating the value of a discerning spouse's feedback.

Now and then ask some true and judicious friend to apprise you of such as may have struck him and no one can in this respect be so helpful as an intelligent wife. So, there are many benefits of having a godly and an intelligent wife. One of them is she'll tell you I might as well tell you now most of you heard by way of the grapevine of the classic gesture from which I got cured with the help of my wife. I used to have a habit of constantly buttoning and unbuttoning my jacket while preaching.

32:10 - 32:48 Read in full sermon