Key Bible Passage(s):

Eph.4:29-32; I Thess.5:19-22; Matt.7:24-27 & 13:1-23

Tier 1:

When we think about preaching, we tend to think about the preacher, and not so much about the congregation. But what are the congregations’ responsiblities, and what is their relationship with the preacher and what is being preached? How can they help or hinder the event of preaching? And how can they benefit from it most fully?

Tier 2:

There is a lot we have to overcome if we are to benefit from preaching as God intends. We will likely have a combination of some culturally inspired prejudices, some previous bad experiences, some patterns of sin, and some distorted thinking about Church to navigate. We will have to re-think our approach to and our preparation for corporate worship, and take up our own responsiblity to ensure it is the spiritually significant encounter we want it to be. This session begins to explore these dynamics, and the dangers that accompnay them.

Tier 3:

It’s one thing to know the principles invovled, but what does it all look like in practise? How do I prepare for preaching? And what should I do during a sermon, and after I’ve heard a sermon? There are some very simple and practical measures I can put in place that will massively benefit my experience of hearing the Bible preached…

How a Pastor prays before preaching:

My Master God, I am desired to preach today, but go weak and needy to my task.

Yet I long for your people to be edified with divine truth, and that a true testimony be borne for Thee; give me assistance in preaching and prayer, with heart uplifted for unction.

Present to my view things pertinent for my subject, with fullness of matter and clarity of thought, proper expression, fluency, fervency and a feeling sense of things I preach, and the grace to apply them to our consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my defects, and let me not gloat in pride over my ‘performance’. Help me offer a testimony for Thyself, and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting Thy mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of your people, and to set before them comfort of the Gospel. Attend with power the truth preached, and awaken the attention of your people. May they be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted.

Help me use the strongest arguments from Christ's incarnation and sufferings that they may be made holy.

I myself need Thy support, comfort, strength, holiness, that I might be a pure channel for Thy grace, and be able to do something for Thee. Give me then refreshment among Thy people, and help me not to treat such excellent matter in a defective way, or bear broken testimony to so worthy a Redeemer, or to be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, it’s design and end, from any lack of warmth or fervency.

Keep me in tune with Thee as I do this work.

Amen.

…taken from the Valley of Vision

Be regular in church. We breathe the cultural air of anti-commitment. It’s so easy to drift in and out, sitting on the edge as spectators. But the commitment to consistently gather with your covenant family is important.

God doesn’t give us quick fixes that come from hearing one or two Sunday sermons; he shapes and molds our minds, our hearts, and our character over time by the steady drip, drip, drip of his Word.

Christopher Ash

Group Discussion:

How appealing is this vision for preaching?

How should a Church pray for their preachers?

What needs to be in place in a congregation, for the Spirit to work in the way we’ve been thinking about?

How can you prepare for an encounter with the Spirit of God through His Word?

and later in the session:

read: Matt.7:24-27 & 13:1-23

What hinders the work of the Spirit through the Word of God?

How can we identify these traits in ourselves? What can we do about them?

With these passages in mind, how should a congregation prepare themselves to hear a sermon? How could we build that into the life of our Church? What difference do you think it would make?

Homework:

Over this half-term we we will working to memorise Matthew 6:16-24. You will have to keep refreshing Matt.5:1-26, Matt.6:5-15 & 25-34 and Matt.7:7-28 whilst you do this.

(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the 3 years of DTP)

How is your ‘Rule of Life’ shaping up?

(Q&A 252-255) Especially in relation to you relation with and engagement with Bible? This should have new element after taking part in this session.

Invite someone (or several) from your DTP group for a meal, or a coffee. As part of your time together discuss:

How have you found this term? 

Have you ever experienced the reality of God speaking to you in a sermon?  What was going on?  Do you think this is a regular feature at MIE?  Why / Why not?

What would you do if on any given Sunday, that dynamic isn’t present?

What responsibilities do we have as preachers / congregation?  How can we fulfil them better?

What do you do when you agree / disagree with what the preacher says in a sermon?