Video Transcript: The Beginning of a Sermon (Henry Reyenga)

Video Transcript: The Beginning of a Sermon (Henry Reyenga)

In this topic, we're going to look at the beginning of a sermon. Like how does a sermon get born? What are those things that those characteristics that make a sermon, come out of your walk with God and take to the next step to actually begin a sermon? What are the seeds of a sermon? Well, before anything, understand that the foundation of a sermon is the Bible, the Word of God, that's it. In fact, you could just open up the Bible itself in the Bible is itself a sermon. It's the Word of God, to humans, it's God's book, God's communication tool, the redemption tool, but in Christ, who is the foundation of all history tool, that culture changing means of grace, that God wrote for humans, that we might be saved in that we might walk with God, that we might transform the whole world. So the scene of a sermon is not our own wishful thinking. It's not some humanistic endeavor. It's not a philosopher who lived and died. And now we're trying to save the world through some human philosophy. a sermon is about the Word of God. It is it branches out, inspired by Holy Spirit lead. That's what a sermon is. And that's the seed the seed is the Bible. Now, let's talk about that.

Does this message come out of the truth of your own walk? Yes, it does. But it's your walk in the word. It's not an impression you get and you call it spiritual, it is grounded in the Bible. Your walk makes your presentation authentic. But your walk in the word is how sermon comes out. And, you know, as you're thinking about, just reflect upon this, if your walk in the Word of God is true, sincere, real. You have the word, the seed, and you have a life, you a testifier, a prophet, a king. You together in a walk with God, founded in the Word of God, is the seed of a sermon. So where are the soil of a sermon? What's the soil? Well, it's the people. Now, first of all, it's you yourself, I mean, you preach ultimately to yourself. It's your own walk with God and the Word affecting you. That's the beginning. 

But as it expands out, the people who hear your sermon, that's where the soil is. And there will be different soils, and different receptivity. One thing to know about as a preacher is it truly isn't about you. I have constructed what I believe to be the best sermons I have ever preached. And in that day, I got very little feedback, very little response. That very same thing can happen on another day where I'm preaching, it's not the best sermon that I've ever put together, in my opinion. And I sort of I mean, I did my study, I did my crafting and my work for the Lord. And, and things went off kilter that week. And I was struggling, and I was kind of hoping that somebody would like the message or be moved by the message, and but I didn't expect very much and yet the receptivity was different. Now, what explains that? Well, what makes your sermons effective Is that you? I mean, this class is going to give you a lot of techniques and a lot of encouragement and a lot of stuff and a lot of examples of preaching. But at the end of the day, what makes your sermons effective is the Holy Spirit of God. sermons are, I believe, a work of the Holy Spirit. 

Just like scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit. preachers are inspired to construct their message by the Holy Spirit. And as a sermon is preached, listeners are inspired by the Holy Spirit as the hearers and the work of Acts the Book of Acts and the Holy Spirit, were the Word of God reaching more and more people to bring praise and glory to God. That is what makes your sermons effective. So as you write a sermon, you will basically take a few roles. One role will be the role of a prophet. And what in laughing we think about that, you know, we, you preach, and you're sharing prophetic truth, God is gonna judge God is gonna save. This country needs the Lord. There's various prophetic ways that preachers have always preached. What are the one or two things God is saying today about our lives? Every single message has that edge, that prophetic edge, what is God, saying critiquing, challenging, helping to see something more in our walk with God, that's preaching as prophetic truth, and every preacher is that, but now, be very careful here. If all you do is take that profit hat.

There's something not quite complete about that, oh, it's a powerful hat, and we must wear it. But in the Bible, you'll also see that the spiritual leaders wore the priest hat. And this priest hat was that spiritual leader who walked in the shoes of the people you're ministering to. So as you walk with God, you also are walking with your people, those that God put in your life, you're compassionate, because you know, in your own walk, that you struggle with sin, and that as you are being transformed by God, you bring the prophetic message through the priestly heart, knowing that grace and compassion that already not yet God has saved us in Christ Jesus already, or not quite there yet, that priestly role is going to be part of the beginning of writing messages. But also, there's one more role in the Bible, they you see of a leader is the king roll. 

Every message in a sense has that to what are the companions of God? What is he challenging us to do next? What are we told to take that next step into? So the prophetic may point out where God is working and and where change needs to occur in the priestly role is where we understand our people in we're with them. We're walking as they walk in, we're struggling to like Paul, the things I want to do this, I don't do the things I don't do this I do. But yet, there's that last the kingly role, where the commands and lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ, over every single area of life, every inch of life, sermons also have that loyalty, that commands of God aspects to them. So, Prophet, priest, King, the beginning of a sermon has that sort that goes underneath it, as we open up the Word of God. So as we look at the beginnings of a sermon, in this class, in this topic, now, we are going to look at various insights. One insight is, as you begin the message, always look for that angle, or metaphor. What as you studied the text in you're going to get tools in this section about studying and beginning a message through internet resources and links. But as you're beginning, a sermon, asked the Lord to help you with an angle or a metaphor, or something that sort of brings it all together. 

An example of that, I mean, Jesus would do that so often, like he would be out there in the wilderness, preaching and in the countryside, and in and he'd see some sheep. And so his angle is metaphor, and we like sheep have gone astray. So he takes that metaphor from the Old Testament. And then, but it's so relevant because he's talking to a culture where sheep and goats and domestic animals are everywhere. So he takes the metaphor or an end he will take that metaphor like the lost sheep. I am the I am the gate to the sheep pen he will even use that metaphor many times in his ministry, or to illustrate the reaching people is looking for the 90 are looking for the one out of the 99. You see how Jesus takes an angle, imaginatively the whole message that he gives in what he shares relates to that angle or metaphor? So part of the beginning of preaches as you read the Word of God, what sort of that theme, that metaphor, that thing that sort of captures your spiritual imagination, as Prophet, priests and King. 

So that's one insight as you are beginning this class now in this section, is be aware of what's the angle? What's the metaphor, sometimes we preachers will get together. And in we'll talk about preaching. But really the most helpful thing that we preachers talk about is the angle, the metaphor, because we're all together reading the Word of God. And we're doing our best to proclaim the Word of God through who we are. But it's so helpful to hear a angle or a metaphor that somebody else stumbled upon. It's wonderful to be able to, to find those, you know, when you're reading scripture, even read with that way, too. It's like, because the words of the exegesis of Scripture are just filled with metaphors. Water, wow. Look at the metaphors of water, Thirsty, thirsty, I need a drink of water. In that has something to do with my spiritual life, my soul thirst, it longs after you Oh, God. So as you proclaim a message, everybody understands the need of water. So as water, the metaphor, that's how the scripture writers wrote in metaphors and images and pictures, word pictures, angles. 

So as a preacher, you want to keep taking that to maybe step two, or three in terms of contextualizing the Word of God for today's hearers. Now, along the way, one person that you're going to see in this week's session is Karen Freeman. And she's going to give an example of sort of angle or a way to say something that really helps you communicate what your message really is. One more thing, insights into the beginning of a sermon is sort of the technological world as it is now. happening before us. We now live in a new key word world. Yeah, say that five times really fast. A new key word world, no, no through Google and Bing, and what was happening more and more as people, they sent the need, and they'll type a keyword into the computer, and then they'll get a relevant result. Now, this has an effect on preaching as well. So as you find an angle, or a metaphor, and I'm going to put one more word there, a key word, a metaphor, slash key word, where pretend as if people in your congregation are those who are hearing you have certain things on their spiritual heart, their soul their mind, just like you do. Try to look at messages, like, Okay, if I typed in this keyword, when I get pings, what would people actually respond? Yeah, I'm thinking about that. In a lot of ways, that's more and more how people come to think about their spiritual growth. There's problems to solve, and they're looking for solutions. When someone comes to church. 

They're not saying to themselves, oh, I think I'm coming here because I just don't have anything to do on Sunday morning, or on Wednesday night or whenever they come to church. No, there's something inside of them that in a sense, their soul is asking the question about, that's why they're there every week. The inquisitive people are always wanting to come to church, because they're always wanting to solve more problems in their relationship with God in Christ transforming word in this world. So just keep that in mind as you're beginning a message. You know, another thing we're gonna do in this week is just read away survey, a historical preacher. And this is going to be a lot of fun. And we have Martin Lloyd Jones, who died many many many years ago. He is a great in the faith, but we found a link or he's gonna give a little biological sketch, George Whitfield. And then there's going to be a message, a written message from George Whitfield that you're going to read, and just see the passion and the fire of a preacher from, you know, many generations ago. But yet, you'll see how that preacher and the preachers of today have certain common themes. And you're going to enjoy that survey and just see how George Whitfield and the introduction about Martin Lloyd Jones, sort of is encouraging. 

Lastly, in this session, in this topic, you're going to see a preacher of today, Dr. Crawford Florets. He's preaching a message that we have put before you called dressed and ready to go. And it's a message on spiritual warfare. But as you observe Dr. Lauritz, you're going to find basic principles of communication and preaching that he brings before his congregation and before the world. And this is going to be a great exercise in each week. Now you're going to be looking at a different preacher and really analyzing what they do. Because what you're really doing is you're really saying, Who am I as a preacher in how are my gifts going to best be used for proclaiming the Word of God? You know, I just want to remind you again of the welcome preach the word, be prepared in the season out of season, correct, rebuke, encourage, with great patience and careful instruction. And as you begin as a preacher, you are going to get into the craft, you know, and a lot of ways we caught we call this class by construction and presentation class. But stay I want to go back to the thought it's the craft of preaching and communications. It's the it's the art of it. It's the fun of it. It's the passion to learn how to to take that next step. So in this particular session, I want to encourage you to dive right in. You are beginning the preaching class here today, and you are going to dig right in and I expect that God is going to do mighty things through you in your ministry.