That'll Preach! by Reeb Charley;

Author:Reeb, Charley;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2017-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Step 2: Grace

Offer Hope and Guidance with Scripture

You have created enough tension at the beginning of your sermon that your listeners are eager to find relief. You then turn to the Bible and, by God’s grace, guide them to the answer. Grace is defined as God’s unmerited favor and blessing. John Wesley also understood grace as God’s influence and guidance in our lives. For Wesley, grace was not just a noun but a verb. God “graces” us. The nature of God is defined by what God does. Grace describes those loving acts of God that bring redemption and wholeness. The sermon is a vehicle for God’s grace. Step 2 makes way for that grace as we open the scriptures. This means preaching can be a sacramental event. Surely we believe God is especially active during the sermon. I am mindful of John Wesley’s pivotal experience of having his heart “strangely warmed” by the grace of God. It was not communion or baptism that penetrated his heart that special evening on Aldersgate street. It was the exposition of scripture. After all, Wesley did list “searching the scriptures” and preaching as “means of grace.”1

You might be wondering why we didn’t begin with scripture. There is a good reason for that. Many people in our culture today don’t feel the Bible is relevant to their lives. They may see it as a nice piece of literature with wise lessons, but they certainly don’t see the Bible as inspired by God. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the culture we live in. You cannot assume all of your listeners are waiting expectantly to hear scripture. You have to work harder than that. You must persuade them to want to read the Bible. And that is what you have just done in step 1. Your listeners are now eager to hear scripture. You’ve got them right where you want them!

During this step, consult all of your notes on your biblical text that helped you arrive at your point (chapter 2). Look over your notes carefully. What impressed you about the text? What did you find fascinating, intriguing, or interesting? Where was the tension in the text? Where did you feel the weight of the text? What did you feel at the “bottom” of the text? How did the text address your topic? What did you find challenging? What did you find funny or amusing? These are the things you want to bring out at this stage of your sermon. Remember, your purpose is to engage your listeners so you want to keep them engaged while explaining scripture. You do that by relating the text to your listeners.

When doing research for this book I posted a question on my Facebook page asking my friends what they looked for in a sermon. I was fascinated that the vast majority of responses included the word relatable. They appreciated when preachers made the lesson or text relatable to their lives. So when explaining the text be sure to relate it to the lives of your listeners.

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