There are certain elements that must be included in every single sermon we ever preach.
They are non-negotiable.
To put it another way, every sermon you preach has three key components:
The God Component
The “God component” is what sets preaching apart from other kinds of public speaking.
We are God’s spokespeople. We preach His word, not ours.
And as we consider the role of God in the sermon, we have to ask some pretty pertinent questions:
- Have I recognized that God is the ultimate authority on the meaning of His word?
- Have I consulted with the Author of the word in prayer?
- Have I trusted the results of my preaching to the Spirit who moves among his people?
- Have I made Jesus the central character of the sermon?
The Communicator Component
The component has to do with me, the preacher. I need to ask certain important questions about my own role in the preaching experience:
- Have I lived and embodied the word in my life? That is to say, have I been the incarnation of the message I hope to convey on Sunday morning?
- Can I honestly say I’ve spent adequate time in preparation, so my mind, heart and soul are all immersed in the text and its meaning?
- Am I humbled by the weight of the responsibility of being God’s spokesperson to people whose lives and eternities hang in the balance?
- Have I been the same person at home and in my private life and in my various relationships that I plan on being in the pulpit when I am teaching on Sunday?
- Am I prayed up?
- Am I fired up?
