Do Not Bring Your Slide Rule

Preaching Maxims, nos. 401-450

Introduction and Maxims 1-50 can be found here. Translated into French here and here.

Maxims 351-400 (and links to previous Maxims) can be found here.

(401)

If you have preached on Ecclesiastes 3 and resisted the urge to reference “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds you are either a better man than I, or are much younger and have no idea what I am talking about.

(402)

When you are young and new at preaching, it is natural that you will be a bit insecure – that’s a good sign! Find your security in Jesus – bring that to your people, not any kind of fake bluster. They will appreciate it, and in time you will grow in confidence.

(403)

As you get closer to retirement, your security in Christ may wane a bit as you lose some of your earlier luster. You may be tempted to speak more of your own contributions – to relive past glories, rolling ball bearings in the pulpit like a Captain Queeg. Rest. Remember grace.

(404)

When you step into the pulpit, you step into die. Your entire task is not to enrich your life, but to give life to others, that God may bless them through you, even as Christ poured Himself out for us.

(405)

Every preacher is like an elf, fading into the West. Leave behind a more spiritually prosperous, peaceful place.

(406)

If you have never explicitly applied James 3:13-18 to your preaching, you should. Stop what you are doing right now and read those verses.

(407)

Your congregation is not a voting block. To treat them like that is to miss the entire point of your divine calling.

(408)

When you give a wedding meditation, it is probably best not to reference R-rated movies about a violent kidnapping as part of your instruction to the couple. Yes, I have stories.

(409)

If you are doing a wedding meditation and the photographers completely ignore your instructions to stay off the stage, gut through it. Don’t say anything. Once, I had to dodge them as they forced their way between me and the couple.

(410)

If the text requires you to preach on an R-rated subject, such as Tamar’s rape, give the parents a heads up before the service. Tell them you will use chaste words, but it’s impossible to avoid the substance. Let them opt out.

(411)

You cannot beat the Scottish minister, William Still, for his utter sincerity in the pulpit. His Work of the Pastor is must-reading. But do not imitate his going on at length recalling various aspects of his own ministry over the years. I love him, but this sort of thing is much too self-referential.

(412)

For analyzing Greek grammar, few resources are more helpful than “Max & Mary” (Zerwick & Grosvenor) or “Little Kittel” (ed. G. Bromiley). If you don’t have much time, try to locate the main verb of each sentence. For instance, the Great Commission’s main verb is not “go.”

(413)

These days are we are blessed to have a plethora of resources at our keyboard. Use with discretion and moderation. No one needs to hear every last thing you discovered online.

(414)

Before I left seminary, I asked my pastors for opinions on the best commentaries on each book. Art Broadwick kindly sent me a handwritten list. Gordon Hugenberger took me through his extensive home library – I think he had too much fun doing that. I still use both those lists.

(415)

Because I graduated pre-internet, I have shelves full of massive commentaries, dictionaries, etc. As I have learned to hone my message, most I rarely use anymore. That feels a little bit sad, to be honest, but it also reminds me that no one is saved by how many books I read.

(416)

You should feel no need to footnote every last idea you take from a commentary – messes up the pacing of a sermon. If, however, I am highly indebted to one commentator in particular, I try to mention that in the prelude before I begin. That gets it out of the way, while staying honest.

(417)

If you’ve discovered complicated outlines in the text, include those in the bulletin as a handout. That way, folks have it, but you don’t have to keep explaining it. However, do not expect folks to laminate them and put them up on their refrigerators.

(418)

If the outline you’ve discovered is overly complicated (say a chiasm), or unique to you, call it a “suggestion.” The last thing you want to do is develop a culture around your preaching that implies you alone find the hidden things no one else has seen.

(419)

Most preaching profs insist that every sermon have just one “big idea.” For the most part, I agree with that - but do not let it bind you inflexibly. If a text has two or three ideas, preach them all. Your ultimate guide here is the Bible, not modern theories on public speaking.

(420)

For lay folks, a rule of thumb to assist you in your sanctification: when preachers say, “in conclusion,” they do not mean it.

(421)

In my former church, a young girl asked her father, “Daddy, what does it mean when the preacher looks down at his watch?” The father responded, “Not a thing.”

(422)

I do keep track of the time and often say something like, “Oh! For time’s sake I have to make this point quickly!” And then earnestly try to. I am on an urgent mission to get to the conclusion and drive the main point home. The main point is always Christ.

(423)

A reminder that when you find a complicated chiasm in the text, it’s probably not there. But it’s still always fun to look.

(424)

Do remember this - the Scriptures are more beautiful, complex and united than any of us know. There has been tremendous Biblical scholarship in every age, but as a rule, we find more gems each generation. Each gem is a part of the whole and confirms Scripture’s divine genius.

(425)

You should preach on the beginning and end of human history with an extra dose of humility (e.g. Genesis 1-11, Revelation). As my friend, Rev. Don Clements, used to say, “the things Christians most divide over are the very things we know the least about.”

(426)

It is sometimes helpful to pick up the pew Bible and show the congregation how many pages Genesis 1-11 and Revelation take up compared to the rest of Redemptive History. And that God saw fit to give us four accounts of Jesus’ life, the heart of it all.

(427)

In your preaching, remember that the Incarnation changes everything. God Himself is now one of us, in our midst.

(428)

It is good to often return to II Corinthians 5:17-21 to remind us of the heart and motivation behind our preaching. God is in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. We are part of that New Creation – and you are an ambassador of this hope!

(429)

Likewise, it is good to remember that the Resurrection changes everything, especially when you preach at funerals. Death will not get the final word. It is defeated. Preach like that.

(430)

Preacher, the more you suffer, the more effective your preaching will be – as you embrace and share in the sufferings of Christ.

(431)

How honest should you be about your struggles? I think, honest, as long as it is in a way you decrease and Christ increase. I’ve had preachers who were always dignified, always together in the pulpit. That put a pressure on me to look like I had it all together. Be honest.

(432)

If you are in a low church without a set liturgy, it is good to bring in as much Scripture as possible to the whole service. All told, our church has approximately seven Scripture readings. That way, the richness of God’s Word is unfolded. Some worshipers may need to hear something other than the sermon text.

(433)

If you did not sleep well or don’t feel well, should you tell that to the congregation before you preach? I think usually not, as that may distract from God’s Word. For my part, I usually tell a few of the elders before worship and ask them for extra prayer. This happens frequently.

(434)

There are times when my chronic leg pain is bad enough that I’ve had to preach sitting. No way to avoid that – eye-contact is harder, but otherwise, it goes fine. I’ve even had people going through their own hardships tell me they got more out my example of perseverance than anything I said.

(435)

Preaching must be local. If we just wanted excellence, we’d pipe in Alistair Begg or read Augustine. No, preaching is God’s Word brought by someone known, called and loved by a congregation. It is a parable, the Spirit bringing the Scriptures to life - live.

(436)

Unpopular take - most big-conference speakers are not that much better than your local pastor. They might be objectively better in delivery or content but not $350 + gas better. Same thing applies to churches bringing in big names to preach. It’s fine but count the cost – literally.

(437)

There is a bigger cost than money in terms of promoting conferences as a major part of your ministry. It communicates that God mostly works through celebrities and big events rather than in the small and ordinary. Love your local church and teachers. They are the ones who know you best.

(438)

What kind of ecumenical openness should you have in terms of inviting other preachers? You must follow your church’s rules on this – don’t bend them. But by and large, you should be open. Most preachers know not to preach on areas of doctrine that differ. That’s just tacky.

(439)

Ligon Duncan tells story of a Scot Presbyterian invited to preach in an Anglican church. The Scot asks if he must wear an alb. The English priest says, “not at all!” The Presbyterian then says, “because it is not required, then I will.” Learn ways to accommodate yourself where you can. Love is not willful.

(440)

Humility should be at the heart of all your preaching. But it is better to demonstrate it than to talk about it.

(441)

Preaching is risky. Do not go cautious into the pulpit but rage against the dying of the light in this sad world. Hold out Christ, not tentatively with careful words calculated to neither offend nor arouse. Our God is a holy fire. Do not preach like an actuary in his cubicle (which is nothing against actuaries).

(442)

You should preach with a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. Do not bring your slide rule into the pulpit, carefully measuring what you might say and still make it home safely.

(443)

I once heard a preacher say, “We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – a little bit. So, we all need to repent – a little bit.” A small view of sin leads to a small view of God’s grace. In truth, the gulf is incalculable – which Jesus fills, every last bit.

(444)

If you preach Christ’s Lordship over every square inch of this world, you had better start with your own heart and home. Let Him fill those first before you try to put Him into the middle of complex economic and political solutions.

(445)

My first Presbyterian preacher, Rob Norris, would often announce that he had 7 or 8 points with about 3 sub-points each. Without fail, he’d get through two points and then proclaim, “Ahh, time’s up, so we have to stop there!” We’d never learn the other points. For some reason, I loved that.

(446)

If you ever wonder what good it does to preach on some text about personal faith and holiness while the world is crashing down around you, you may want to check out C.S. Lewis’s essay, “Learning in War Time.” Same principles apply.

(447)

There are times I’ve read a really hip author that everyone’s into, like Marilyn Robinson, and I’ve tried to figure out how work it into a sermon, and I just can’t make it work. I end up telling a Boy Scout story instead. That’s OK, too.

(448)

Some pastors are fascinated with demographic studies and cultural analysis. That’s fine, but I’m telling you, those have almost no power in the pulpit at all. You can bring the stats up, but don’t dwell on them – keep the sermon Bible-based and personal.

(449)

A lesser known fact are the limits placed on references to popular culture. Check with your churches, but last I checked for my denomination, it’s –

• Star Wars – 3x/year

• Lord of the Rings – 4x/year

• Narnia - no limit. 2x/year minimum is mandatory

(450)

If you are ever tempted to jingo up support for a particular war in the pulpit, you would do well to read the short story by Mark Twain, “The War Prayer.” I know Twain was an atheist, but trust me, read it.

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to be continued….