Four Rules of Preaching

I'm looking forward to i61 Conference in January 09, the youth conference hosted by Empire Youth of Kings.  The keynote speaker for the conference has just been confirmed - Kevin Caldwell, Youth Pastor at The Potters House in Dallas with Bishop TD Jakes. 

About two years ago I heard Chris Hill share TD Jakes' four rules of preaching - here's an excerpt...

1. Study Yourself Full

> Know absolutely everything you can about the text you’re speaking on

- when was this text written

  - why was it written

  - who wrote it

  - who was it written to

> Look at the text from the perspective of every person and object.  For example: If preaching on Job, don’t just be Job, be his wife, be his friends, be the boil!

> When approaching a text, don’t speak from what you’ve heard others say about that text.

> Know the text so well that you can live it

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

> It only takes one person to stand up and ask a question at the end of your sermon; if you don’t know the answer your credibility is gone. 

> Study one hour for every five minutes you plan to speak

  - i.e. 30 minute sermon, 6 hours study text

2. Think Yourself Clear

> Once you have gathered your information/revelation of the text, you must think your way through it logically

> Points are the skeleton of your sermon upon which you layer the muscle (revelation)

> A sermon with no points is pointless; a sermon with too many points is a porcupine and nobody can handle it

> It’s often difficult to communicate with your mouth what you hear in your heart, therefore say your sermon out loud before you come to preach it

 

3. Pray Yourself Hot

> Prayer burns you hot with passion

> Prayer gets the sermon from your head to your heart

> Prayer gives you a burden for the people

> If I’m not red hot about it before I speak, I have not prayed enough

> Pray for one hour for every five minutes you plan to speak

 

4. Let Yourself Go 

> We have a generation that is looking for people to keep it real.  One of the characteristics of a postmodern generation is that they want things real.  

> "Preacher, don’t cover up, smile, and pretend that your life is perfect.  If you’re perfect, I don’t want to listen to you because my life is not perfect and I cannot relate to you." 

> Any speaker you enjoy shows you that they are a real person

> Only when you’re transparent will the light of Jesus shine through you.

> Preaching is the process of unzipping yourself and letting people see your guts.  Let people see your raw emotions, let them see that you have highs and lows.

> When you get up to speak, let everything that’s burning inside of you come out and don’t worry about how you look or what people are thinking.

> When you have diligently studied your text, given your sermon structure, and prayed yourself hot, only then can you let yourself go