True Preaching: Secondary Characteristics

The point: Strive to be understood by all hearers, even the poor, by simplifying style and sacrificing reputation for learning.

Martin quotes Bishop Ryle's description of 18th-century evangelical leaders, highlighting their commitment to simplicity, clarity, and willingness to 'crucify their style' to be understood by common people, even using 'childish and vulgar' language.

And so the kind of preaching that God has owned with power in the history of His church is preaching that has been marked by simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind. In that choice work that the banner has recently reproduced, and if you do not have it, may I urge you to obtain it and read it as soon as possible on the leaders of the 18th century evangelical life and ministry. Speaking of some of the common denominators of the preaching of these men whose lives are sketched out by Bishop Ryle, he says, they preached simply. They rightly concluded that the very first qualification to...

7:38 - 9:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Strive to be understood by all hearers, even the poor, by simplifying style and sacrificing reputation for learning.

Ryle's analogy of a wooden key being more useful than a golden one if it can open the door, illustrates that utility and clarity in preaching are more valuable than eloquence or academic reputation.

To attain this, they used illustrations and anecdotes in abundance, and like their divine master borrowed lessons from every object in nature. They carried out the maximum of God's and the greatest of all things. They were not only the best in the world, but also the best in the world. A wooden key is not so beautiful as a golden one, but if it can open the door when the golden one cannot, it is far more useful.

9:01 - 9:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a constant commitment to labor at simplicity and clarity of presentation to the minds of hearers.

Martin uses the metaphor of an arm attached to a body, and the 'hand in the book of Daniel,' to describe poorly structured sermons where points are disconnected and lack overall symmetry, hindering clarity.

You may see how one heading of truth is connected to another because you've lived with that for half a century. Perhaps I trust for days and in some cases for weeks and in a sense your general and constant interaction with the scriptures and theology and preaching means that you are living with the connecting elements of truth continually but many of your people are not. And I have sat and listened to many a sermon and scratched my head and wondered how in the world that arm was attached to the body. Now the arm was substantial flesh and bone in terms of biblical materials but it hung out ther...

10:38 - 12:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a constant commitment to labor at simplicity and clarity of presentation to the minds of hearers.

The analogy of a 'greased pig' describes sermons that, despite being exegetically accurate or profound, lack 'grip,' 'penetration,' or 'stickability' due to a lack of simplicity and clarity, making them impossible for hearers to grasp.

The substance of our sermons though at times exegetically accurate and in many senses perhaps profound in their insight are like a greased pig. A person could not take hold of that if his life depended upon it. There is no glue there are no burrs there are no there is no stickability and it's to be found at this point there is not that simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind. Now we forget often that Whitefield and Spurgeon were vilified as much for how they spoke the truth of God as for what they spoke as the truth of God.

12:28 - 13:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a constant commitment to labor at simplicity and clarity of presentation to the minds of hearers.

An anecdote about Spurgeon being vilified for speaking 'high Calvinism in the language of the costermonger' illustrates the resistance to simplicity in preaching, even when it makes profound truth accessible to ordinary people.

When you look at some of the caricaturing that was done in terms of the cartooning in Spurgeon's early days it pointed to the fact that this man dared to speak of high Calvinism in the language of the costermonger and the man in the street. Who is this young Tyro to come taking these lofty high things and speak of them in such a way that a man with a second grade education sits riveted to his seat by the sheer power of its clarity and its simplicity.

13:12 - 13:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Labor to attain simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind at any cost, joining with prayers for the Spirit's outpouring and a felt Christ.

The story of a brilliant young man with a master's degree in computer technology who could teach complex subjects simply to children illustrates that true mastery of a subject enables clear and simple communication.

Until a man perceives an issue in bold relief and sees it in all of its angles and dimensions with twenty twenty vision he cannot speak with clarity and simplicity concerning that subject. How often we were reminded of this some years ago when we had a brilliant young man who had his master's degree in computer technology and he just had more learning in his head than he ought to have had and still be seeing. And he had none of the kookishness of the typical academic egghead and one of his delights was to go off every summer to a children's camp at that time a boys camp and the class that ever...

15:01 - 16:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Labor to attain simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind at any cost, joining with prayers for the Spirit's outpouring and a felt Christ.

Martin quotes Ryle again, lamenting that 'a vast proportion of what we preach is not understood by our hearers any more than if it were Greek,' reinforcing the need for simplicity.

careful about his subject was the fact that he was so careful about his subject that he was so careful about his subject that he was so patient in reading his essay Simplicity in Preaching found now in the collection of his essays entitled The Upper Room. Please obtain that book read that essay and re-read it periodically. I quote just a part of the book of C. He was so careful about his subject that he was so patient in reading his essay and seeing his subject as a simple thing that was a

16:31 - 17:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Labor to attain simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind at any cost, joining with prayers for the Spirit's outpouring and a felt Christ.

Bridges' quote of an Arabian proverb, 'He is the most effective speaker who can turn men's ears into eyes,' introduces the concept of vividness of exhibition to the imagination.

part of preachers shoot over the heads of their people. This is true also in 1882 when Ryle was writing, I fear a vast proportion of what we preach is not understood by our hearers any more than if it were Greek. Now our brother Theo would have no problem if we spoke in modern Greek, but most of our people would. So I urge upon you, my brethren, to join with all of your prayers and entreaties for the outpouring of the Spirit, for greater dimensions of a felt Christ in preaching. I urge and exhort you to labor to attain simplicity and clarity of presentation to the mind and to attain it at any ...

17:59 - 19:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the ability to preach with vividness of exhibition to the imagination, reflecting the Holy Spirit's manner in Scripture.

Martin recounts Pastor Chantry's illustration of 'pulling out the muck from the wells' to describe clearing away error, demonstrating how vivid imagery makes abstract concepts concrete and impactful.

but shall be brought to the service of the sanctuary there is nothing nothing worse in the world than dull preaching unless it is the preaching of error and brethren we ask too much of our people to expect that they will come with that eagerness that was mentioned yesterday with that sense of thirst and anticipation if they cannot come with the expectation that the truth will come not only with simplicity and clarity of the mind but with vividness of exhibition to the imagination I know it will embarrass him to use the illustration but it's current so I'm going to use it I almost got sick to m...

25:57 - 27:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Obtain and read Bridges' classic work on preaching, especially the section on applicatory preaching.

The analogy of a 'one-size-fits-all' suit that 'fits none' illustrates the inadequacy of generic sermons without specific, custom-adjusted application to individual cases and struggles.

sins in his treatment of the young ruler and of the woman of Samaria he avoided general remarks to point his instructions to their besetting in the case of the young man as we do to each other's words Peter's hearers were pricked to the heart by his applicatory address even the hardest heart the most stubborn sinner is made to smart under the point of the two-edged sword preaching in order to be effective in every man's business and even to his bosom what would you think if upon returning home you opened up your local newspaper and there in the section where the various men's stores and depart...

33:18 - 34:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Obtain and read Bridges' classic work on preaching, especially the section on applicatory preaching.

Martin describes his experience reading Puritan writings, particularly Volume 6, feeling as though the author had 'gone through every nook and cranny of my heart with a flashlight,' illustrating the power of specific application.

of the richest of the Puritan writings of the Puritans and so disaffecting many young men who have never drunk of those wells when someone says in a cavalier way with pseudo scholarship that sacralism and defective views of the principles of the inwardness of religion permeates all the Puritan writings that's rubbish I have found my heart opened up and laid bare and I have found my savior set before me until I have been ravished with the sight of his glory that which makes that writing breathe with such unction over 300 years from the time it was written is that there is no more detail in the ...

36:15 - 37:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage week by week in the close discriminating application of the word to your own conscience in secret, for conviction and comfort, to avoid bland ministry.

The incident from Gilbert Tennant's life, where he observed God moving powerfully among the Dutch while his own English preaching was less effective, led him to preach with 'specific thrust at the consciences of men,' demonstrating the impact of direct application.

incident taken from the life of Gilbert Tennant some of you may be familiar with it but I believe it bears repeating by the name of was also ministering there in fact they would often use the same building preaching to the Dutch and Tennant preaching to the English speakers then an amazing thing happened the spirit of God began to move powerfully upon the Dutch God was sovereignly moving upon the Dutch and Tennant observed this preaching essentially the same doctrines as but in the same geographical area in the same building some coming under deep distress and through to glorious deliverance i...

39:13 - 40:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the art of holy pleading, preaching as if dying to have men converted, and feeling an inward death if there is no fruit in ministry.

A quote about McShane's preaching, 'he preached as if he were dying to have you converted,' illustrates the earnestness of solicitation that should characterize true preaching.

And so in the history of the church, someone was asked who had heard McShane regularly, what was the secret of his preaching? What was the great dominant characteristic? And this person answered, he preached as if he were dying to have you converted. He preached as if he were dying to have you converted.

49:09 - 49:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the art of holy pleading, preaching as if dying to have men converted, and feeling an inward death if there is no fruit in ministry.

Whitefield's tears during preaching are presented as an example of genuine compassion and earnestness, flowing naturally from his identification with Christ's mercy, not as an actor's manipulation.

as though he were dying that I should be converted. And of course, having read any of you the biography of Whitefield, tears were an integral part of his preaching. Not the tears of the actor, who by so identifying with his false person, his imaginary character, he can in that psychological manipulation open up his tear ducts at the right spot every night in the theater. But a man who in the midst of preaching was so imbued with something of the compassion of Christ that that compassion that was finding a vent in the free offers of the mercy, and in the entreaties and overtures of free unfette...

49:55 - 50:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Imbibe more and more of the self-conscious identity as heralds, marked by simplicity, clarity, vividness, directness, and earnestness.

Martin contrasts a 'good orthodox reformed preacher' who might sound like a computer (purely mechanical, flat delivery) with a true herald who engages his whole humanity, emphasizing that preaching is more than just information transfer.

I have heard good orthodox reformed preachers who I trust I am not over critical and I don't believe I am but I wondered if there was much difference between them and a computer. Feed the information into the computer push the right button and out comes the response but you know in all of the so-called language of the computer what is the predominant element? I the computer am talking to you and giving you an answer to the question which was programmed into me the answer is that on such and such a day you see there is a flatness that indicates it's a purely mechanical process. The computer has...

55:59 - 57:02 Read in full sermon