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A Word from the Pastor
Dear Arcadia Friends and Family,
Sermon writing is probably the main work and the most time-consuming work a pastor undertakes. Pastors will sometime hear that congregants want “preaching from the Bible” and wonder what that means, since the Bible is the basis for every sermon. Maybe the following will provide some education and clear up some things about preaching.
Sermons are classified into three main types. Pastors should--and usually do preach a variety of types of sermons. But there is controversy among church goers all over about which type of sermon each prefers. At this point, I will tell you that I do have a reason for writing this article and ask that you please read all the way to the end.
Topical sermons are built around a specific theme or subject such as, love, faith, stewardship, relationships, grief, and so forth. These sermons address a subject using various supporting scriptures and not just one text. In other words, topical sermons focus on what the Bible says on a subject and are generally heavy on Christian living as the desired outcome.
Textual sermons concentrate on very short and specific verses of scripture as a "springboard" to discuss a particular theological point or truth. The development of those points typically comes from additional biblical texts and other sources.
Expository sermons explain a specific passage and focus on the original intended meaning of a passage in context, often moving verse-by-verse through a chapter or book of the Bible. Expository sermons focus on what the text says and are often simply conveying information instead of reinforcing the need for change in behavior.
The difference between “Biblical verse” of the textual sermons and “Biblical text” of the expository sermon is a bit confusing. Text refers to the overarching content, narrative, and context of the scriptures, whereas verses are small, numbered subdivision of scriptures. While text conveys complete thoughts, stories, or commands, verses break these into individual lines.
I suspect when a congregant says they want “preaching from the Bible”, expository sermons, which is only one of the 5 main types is what they mean. Expository sermons are like one-sided Bible study. It’s a study lacking discussion and instead of the student doing the work of “studying” the Bible to find the meaning for him or herself, the student depends on the preacher to tell them what they need to know.
The other common forms of sermons include Narrative sermons which present the biblical message through storytelling, guiding the listener through a Bible story's plot and characters. The sermon I preached on Palm Sunday was a narrative sermon (and can be heard on FB).
Biographical sermons study the life, character, and lessons from a specific biblical person or an important religious figure, such as John Wesley. My mom’s preacher has just finished a series on people in the Bible whose lives were changed because of Jesus. Before that his sermon series was on little know women of the Bible.
The last main type of sermons are Doctrinal sermons. These sermons focus on, guess what? Doctrine! They teach core tenets of religion and faith, using various Bible passages and writings of faith leaders, both past and present, to explain doctrines. Examples of this would be sermons on Grace, Baptism, and Spiritual Disciplines.
An effective sermon is generally defined as one that is biblically faithful and applicable to the hearer's life. Rather than just transmitting information, an effective sermon engages the heart and mind, and leads to both spiritual transformation and greater devotion to Christ. The job of a good sermon is --not to confirm what the hearer already knows or practices but to challenge the believer to change behavior.
In other words, sermons should not pat folks on the back making them feel good about themselves. The only “feel good” part of a sermon should be that God can save sinners such as us.
I hope you didn’t skip to the end without reading all of the above....and if you did read all of it, congratulations! You’ve earned my invitation to submit sermon requests from the above types of sermons. Feel free to include topics of interest or Biblical texts, verses, or any of the above. Please email me at sgolightly@bellsouth.net to offer your requests. Thanks, and have a blessed April!
Pastor Sherry
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