Preparing Sermons 

By Davy Ellison

As both a preacher and teacher of preachers I like to refresh myself by reading a new preaching book each year. Many of them are largely similar. But Reeve’s Preaching is a hugely encouraging read. He casts a grand vision of what preaching is and what it accomplishes. Here are my favourite snippets from the book.

“In the triune God of the Bible, we meet a God who cannot be Word-less.” (pp. 21–22)

“Preaching, then, is not some burden we must shoulder while God sits back in heaven. Human preachers are not the hired hands of a lazy or reclusive CEO. God is the first and primary preacher, the one whose very identity is to make known his life-giving Word. When we preach that Word, we are taking no initiative, but sharing in the life of God: we preach because he first preached to us.” (p. 23)

“Scripture cannot be separated from Christ, the Word of God. When God speaks, he has one aim, which is not simply to disseminate facts about himself, but to communicate himself. … His intention in speaking is not simply that people might know about him, but that they might know and trust him, enjoy him—even be united to him.” (p. 29)

“The Word heard from the pulpit is authoritative only insofar as it is a faithful proclamation of the Word of God. However, insofar as it is faithful, the people hear the very Word of God.” (p. 33)

“For Scripture not only claims to be the Word of God: it proves itself to be what it is.” (p. 38)

“We too can preach in a way that looks impec­cably biblical yet produces only students of Scripture, not worshippers of Christ. But Scripture is not Christ, and we must not confuse biblical knowledge with trust in Christ.” (p. 51)

“Showing is not just a challenge for the sermon itself; it involves the inner life of the preacher. For while a spiritually dry preacher may speak of Christ, if he does not himself enjoy Christ, he will not be able to present him as enjoyable.” (p. 55)

“Preaching, then, must be more than sharing biblical knowledge. It can be no ordinary speaking. … Preaching is a proclamation or heralding of the good news with an appeal.” (p. 61)

“Preachers, then, must be concerned for both the heads and the hearts of their listeners.” (pp. 64–65)

“Preachers must use their words to exalt Christ, to reason and persuade, to capture the imagination and desires of their people. Dullness does not express the beauty of a heart-winning Saviour.” (p. 74)

“We cannot make a sharp distinction between evangelistic preaching and preaching for discipleship, for the gospel is the one means the Spirit uses both to convert and to build up in faith. It is not that the Spirit merely uses the gospel once to give us new birth before then leaving us to sweat out our sanctification by pure self-exertion. It is always the gospel that does the deepest plough-work in our hearts.” (p. 81)

“Prayerless preaching is loveless preaching.” (p. 87)

“We must aim to be clear, not clever.” (p. 90)