Thoughts on the worldliness and irrelevance of sermons...

[FSSL]

Yep! Are you preparing sermons and find yourself unable to keep from posting on forums... Then YOU have become irrelevant, useless and worldly. How do I know this? Because it takes MANY hours to prepare one sermon. I have prepared sermons week after week when I was in paid ministry.

When I began ministry, I thought a good day on a sermon was enough. By the time I left paid ministry, I found that it took a few days to do a good job understanding the passage and making it relevant.

Today, I am not involved in any teaching or preaching ministry. Were I to develop a sermon, my practice would look like John MacArthur's. I am no John MacArthur, but the point is he is passionate about preaching and has a ministry we won't have.

Here is what he does:

4 days to prepare:

Day 1 (First 8 hours):

* Reads, re-reads, and re-reads the text.
* Takes out a legal pad a jots down some notes.
* Turns to the Greek text.
* Peruses some 20 commentaries on the text.
* Goes through cross-references.

Day 2 (2nd 8 hours):

* Mediates on what he learned on Day 1.

Day 3 (3rd 8 hours):

* Puts together his rough draft.
* Finds Biblical illustrations.
* Writes his introduction and conclusion.

Day 4 (4th 8 Hours):

* Writes his final draft, all of which is hand-written.

I am surprised that his are "hand-written," but that was a few years ago. It may be different now.

So... how much study and preparation do you do? Is the forum distracting you?











Alayman?

 

[jimmudcatgrant]

Yep! Are you preparing sermons and find yourself unable to keep from posting on forums... Then YOU have become irrelevant, useless and worldly. How do I know this? Because it takes MANY hours to prepare one sermon. I have prepared sermons week after week when I was in paid ministry.

When I began ministry, I thought a good day on a sermon was enough. By the time I left paid ministry, I found that it took a few days to do a good job understanding the passage and making it relevant.

Today, I am not involved in any teaching or preaching ministry. Were I to develop a sermon, my practice would look like John MacArthur's. I am no John MacArthur, but the point is he is passionate about preaching and has a ministry we won't have.

Here is what he does:

4 days to prepare:

Day 1 (First 8 hours):

* Reads, re-reads, and re-reads the text.
* Takes out a legal pad a jots down some notes.
* Turns to the Greek text.
* Peruses some 20 commentaries on the text.
* Goes through cross-references.

Day 2 (2nd 8 hours):

* Mediates on what he learned on Day 1.

Day 3 (3rd 8 hours):

* Puts together his rough draft.
* Finds Biblical illustrations.
* Writes his introduction and conclusion.

Day 4 (4th 8 Hours):

* Writes his final draft, all of which is hand-written.

I am surprised that his are "hand-written," but that was a few years ago. It may be different now.

So... how much study and preparation do you do? Is the forum distracting you?



I hope Aman spends a lot of time, but let me ask you this:  Where does Mac find the time for the Sunday Night sermon and the Wednesday night sermon preparation.  Seems like he doesn't have enough days.

 

[ALAYMAN]

And where are such stipulations or "models" required from Scriptures???  To quote FSSLs lil buddy...


... in Second Hesitations or the book of Bloviations

 

[FSSL]

I hope Aman spends a lot of time, but let me ask you this:  Where does Mac find the time for the Sunday Night sermon and the Wednesday night sermon preparation.  Seems like he doesn't have enough days.

I am sure that his elder form of church government allows him to study and write.

 

[FSSL]

And where are such stipulations or "models" required from Scriptures???  To quote FSSLs lil buddy...


... in Second Hesitations or the book of Bloviations

Since education comes by devoting time to learning, why do we need a biblical model? I never suggested it was a biblical model. Learning requires discipline. It is the natural order of things.

Breathe in and out, Alayman... or, you can stop until you find a biblical model.

 

[ALAYMAN]

And where are such stipulations or "models" required from Scriptures???  To quote FSSLs lil buddy...


... in Second Hesitations or the book of Bloviations

Since education comes by devoting time to learning, why do we need a biblical model? I never suggested it was a biblical model. Learning requires discipline. It is the natural order of things.

Who would argue that to preach the Bible you need not be a novice, or you need not study?  Both are contradiction to the revealed word.  How that get defined is obviously more subjective.

Breathe in and out, Alayman... or, you can stop until you find a biblical model.

I'm perfectly calm, jackass. 

You intimated "a model"  through crafty and subtle means that the king, erm, MacArthur, and a queen, you, do it a certain way, and by implication, that is the minimum.  There's a hissssss in your words, but they're definitely sophist-icated.

 

[FSSL]

I am not suggesting you are not calm. I just think, given your need to demand a biblical model for common sense issues, you may want a biblical model to support your desire to breathe.

It is fine with me if you don't breathe.

How's your sermon prep coming?

 

[ALAYMAN]

It is fine with me if you don't breathe.

Are you suggesting that I die?

How's your sermon prep coming?

Been done, just like I told you, jackass. 

Unfortunately, the opportunity for it will have to come on another day, as my job responsibilities have taken precedence this evening.

 

[FSSL]

It is fine with me if you don't breathe.

Are you suggesting that I die?

Can you hold your breath that long?

 

[ALAYMAN]

It is fine with me if you don't breathe.

Are you suggesting that I die?

Can you hold your breath that long?

Well, again, your sophistry is epic.  First you say you're okay with me not breathing, then you ask if I can hold my breath til I die.  These two things, they are not the same.  But, that's par for the course for the way you roll.

 

[FSSL]

It is fine with me if you don't breathe.

Are you suggesting that I die?

Can you hold your breath that long?

Well, again, your sophistry is epic.  First you say you're okay with me not breathing, then you ask if I can hold my breath til I die.  These two things, they are not the same.  But, that's par for the course for the way you roll.

...alayman's breathing heavily! Where's your biblical model for doing so, Alayman?

 

[jimmudcatgrant]

I'd say there is no model given other than prayer and study.  I didn't see where Mac gave himself over to prayer before picking a text, but I'll just take for granted that he does.  At least, he should.  I know some preachers who pray a couple of days seeking God's will for their sermon.  I have heard other preachers say they studied all week for the sermon, only to have it changed the night before by God.  I always wondered about that.  Did they pray enough to start with in picking a text? 

 

[FSSL]

I'd say there is no model given other than prayer and study.  I didn't see where Mac gave himself over to prayer before picking a text, but I'll just take for granted that he does.  At least, he should.  I know some preachers who pray a couple of days seeking God's will for their sermon.  I have heard other preachers say they studied all week for the sermon, only to have it changed the night before by God.  I always wondered about that.  Did they pray enough to start with in picking a text?

When you preach "verse-by-verse" there is no need to pray over it, it is there for you. Just study the passage. Notice, that day 2, he meditates for 8 hours.

I am sure that when considering a book or passage, much thought and prayer goes into the choice.

 

[jimmudcatgrant]

I'd say there is no model given other than prayer and study.  I didn't see where Mac gave himself over to prayer before picking a text, but I'll just take for granted that he does.  At least, he should.  I know some preachers who pray a couple of days seeking God's will for their sermon.  I have heard other preachers say they studied all week for the sermon, only to have it changed the night before by God.  I always wondered about that.  Did they pray enough to start with in picking a text?

When you preach "verse-by-verse" there is no need to pray over it, it is there for you. Just study the passage. Notice, that day 2, he meditates for 8 hours.

I disagree.  I know preachers that pray every week and don't just take for granted that the verse by verse text is the one God wants that week.  Sometimes they interupt their book study to preach something else.  I like listening to Mac sometimes, but he can be dogmatic on some things I don't necessarily agree with. Imagine that.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

I hope Aman spends a lot of time, but let me ask you this:  Where does Mac find the time for the Sunday Night sermon and the Wednesday night sermon preparation.  Seems like he doesn't have enough days.

I am sure that his elder form of church government allows him to study and write.

It's more likely that his well paid staff allow him such time for study...nothing at all wrong with that.
However, anyone who has ever spent any time at MacArthur's church knows that in the equal elder rule, he is 'more equal' than the other elders.....nothing at all wrong with that, either.