Until the biblical text has preached to me, I’m not ready to preach the biblical text to the congregation.
Haddon writes, “A commitment to expository preaching should develop the preacher into a mature Christian. As we study our Bible, the Holy Spirit studies us. As we prepare expository sermons, God prepares us.…Before we proclaim the message of the Bible to others, we should live with that message ourselves.”
Don’t retell a Bible story, relive it!
Concrete word pictures are vital for preaching. The most interesting pictures of life are those created inside our heads. Help the congregation experience the biblical story by using sensory verbs that relate to hearing, tasting, smelling, etc.
Manuscript your sermons
Producing a sermon manuscript forces me to move from general ideas to precise thinking and wording. It requires me to carefully consider my purpose and to think through each critical part of the sermon. It improves my sermon’s logical flow.
When you preach, leave your manuscript behind.
Careful review of your sermon manuscript will enable you to leave it behind when you enter the pulpit. Preaching without your manuscript improves eye contact and makes your delivery more natural and conversational.
Not only should we effectively preach the Bible, we should effectively read it.
The oral reading of Scripture in worship is an exegetical event. We should carefully prepare for it. Familiarize yourself with the text by reading it through at least eight times privately before you read it publicly. As in preaching, our delivery should be thoughtful and passionate.
Pursue a ministry strategy of multiplication.
Haddon shares that he came to a point in his ministry when he realized that his passion for expository preaching would never spread exponentially if he only trained preachers. He made a conscious decision to begin training teachers of preachers. This became a major focus in his Doctor of Ministry program. As a result, a number of his graduates now teach as full-time or adjunct faculty members at Bible colleges and seminaries throughout the United States and Canada. Other graduates now author books, articles, and blogs promoting effective, relevant expository preaching.
Speak the truth in love.
As a mentor, Haddon Robinson models what it means to speak the truth in love. At times, he has spoken to me and to my classmates on a personal level. We have heard advice ranging from “Preaching is not your primary gift…” to “The Holy Spirit has given you a gift and you need to step out in faith and use it…” to “I would think that you, of all people, should be thinking of someone other than yourself.” While not everything is easy to hear, it’s always spoken in love. And it’s helpful. In his example I am reminded that effective ministry requires earning the respect to be heard. Haddon Robinson has earned our respect. We know he lives what he teaches. We know he cares about us. Whether from the pulpit, in the classroom, or across a breakfast table—we listen when he speaks. There are no short-cuts to that kind of impact. It’s the kind of impact God intends for each of us to have in the midst of our own church families.
