To Gain Their Attention It Is Important to Preach to the MIND, to the WILL, and to the EMOTIONS

HOMILETICS EXAM # 4 STUDY GUIDE

Lecture 34 Most healthy teenagers and adults are unable to sustain attention on one thing for more than about 20 minutes at a time, although they can choose repeatedly to re-focus on the same thing.

To gain their attention it is important to preach to the MIND, to the WILL, and to the EMOTIONS.

It seems that people’s wills move incrementally; they don’t usually make huge jumps all at once. You will thus need to be capturing their attention Sunday after Sunday…consistantly…permanently!

Haddon Robinson stated: “An added benefit of homor: while it’s hard to engage the emotions of a congregation, once you engage any emotion (humor, suspense, grief), it’s relatively easy to enlist the others.” People’s minds need a break now and then, and humor can supply it in a way that enhances the sermon. After momentary laughter, people are ready for more content.

In order of spiritual significance, the ingredients making up the sermon are thought, arrangement, language, voice, and gesture. In order of impression made on the hearers, the order is reversed.

In a famous study, psychologist Albert Mehrabian broke down how people are most likely to receive information from speaker: Only 7% of a speaker’s message comes through his words; 38% springs from his vocal quality and style, 55% comes from his facial expressions ! How to get people’s attention? It’s less thru words and a lot more than we think thru what we do with our body. (don’t need to know exact numbers here)

Lecture 35 Preacher, you don’t really need to try and get them to listen; they should come there ready and on the edge of their pews to listen…to listen to the words coming from Almighty God! But, what if they don’t?

Thus, it is important to be aware of the people that you are speaking to; look at them; discern whether or not they are paying attention; what level of attention are they showing (bored, respectful but indifferent, locked on)?

How to perk them up a bit So, what do you do when it looks as though some, or a lot are losing interest? Here are some bulleted ideas: 1. Get markedly louder 2. Ask some questions 4. Get down off the platform and walk amongst them 5. Tell something humorous 6. Pause with silence for a while 7. Totally change gears with an illustration or example 8. Say something very provacative or controversial

Thus, it is paramount for your preaching/teaching to first be very interesting and profound to you personally. It needs to be content that intrigues you, motivates you, convicts you, leads you… It has to have some punch to it, so much so that the sermon you are preparing ‘preaches to you’ before it ever is going to have a chance to preach to them.

It may be very helpful if you ‘coach’ them through the sermon with giving helpful ‘time alerts’, such as: “we are more than half-way through”, “getting near the end now”, “just a few more minutes”, “in conclusion”, “and my last point…”, “finally”, “let’s all stand…”. Be sure to be a keeper of your promise in this regard, or they will soon learn not to trust you and your words will mean nothing.

Don’t dive too deep without coming up for air now and then; some will drown in a sea of information and complexity.

1 Attention might not be much of a problem if there weren’t something called ‘distractions’. Do your best to limit distractions: The further back one sits, the more distractions that they will encounter.

Lecture 36 Does it matter if they pay close attention or not? Of course it does! It isn’t about you just getting what you have to get done, and to be done with it. It’s all about getting the listener to hear, understand, and be motivated to comply with what you are saying.

Get them to move from looking at the Bible, to looking at the speaker, back and forth, throughout much of the sermon. This is an exercise that keeps resetting their focus of attention. It might be wise also to have them read a verse aloud with you every so often; this really stimulates their brain activity. The more ‘real’ it is to them, the more attentive they will be. Thus, the more applicable it is, the better. Make frequent applications of your points. Don’t exist in the ‘familiar’ too long. The ‘unfamiliar’ ilicits interest, naturally.

We don't hold one-way conversations with people. We enter into dialogue with them. We ask questions. Do the same as you preach. When you speak it, it sounds like conversation rather than a lecture. Keep sentences short. Break them down into phrases as you write, and it will be easier to express and closer to the way you would express it if you were speaking.

Lecture 37 “Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.” This saying, commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, brings a chuckle. We know its truth in our bones.

Gestures and voice emerge as the most obvious and determinative part of preaching. Here is the basic principle for movement and gestures: content should motivate movement. Gestures maintain interest and hold attention. A moving object captures the eye more than one at rest. . In fact, when we speak in public, we need to make our gestures larger, more forceful, and deliberate. It is going to take effort and discipline in order to appear natural before an audience.

Both research and experience agree that if nonverbal messages contradict the verbal, listeners will more likely believe the silent language. It seems more difficult to lie with the whole body than with the lips alone.

Wireless mikes are a blessing in that they free up the preacher to be at liberty to use more body language, and more of the platform.

Lecture 38 Your gestures should be spontaneous. Gesture, but don’t ‘make gestures’. Your gestures should develop from within you as the outgrowth of conviction and feeling. While you can practice gestures, do not plan them.

Your gestures should also be definite. When you make a gesture, make it. A halfhearted gesture communicates nothing positive. Put your body behind it.

Your gestures should be varied. Repetition of a single gesture, even a spontaneous and forceful one, calls attention to itself and irritates the audience.

Finally, your gestures should be properly timed. A good gesture either accompanies or precedes the word or phrase that carries most of your meaning.

Make sure gestures are living from the inside—and from the chest and stomach. A gesture’s full meaning comes with breath. That’s why you need to use the chest. In French mime, the chest is the exterior expression of your emotion.

All the focus is on the mouth area, so animate the head-neck-face-eyes as much as you can.

2 Make sure your facial expression is correctly and fully portraying what the content and intent of the words that you are speaking are. The face needs to back up what the words say.

Eye contact probably ranks as the single most effective means of nonverbal communication at your disposal.

What I suggest is when you are ready to begin the sermon, let your hands fall down at your side, at neutral. When you begin to talk, if you give yourself the license to move, you'll find the hands instantly moving away from the body, being descriptive.

Lecture 39 . John the Baptist was called a voice. Because of the importance of the preacher's voice, he should watch it carefully and care for it properly

Oh how laborious it is to listen to a preacher who is monotonous, always loud, always the same note, always slow, always, always, always! What good is the content if half of the audience loses interest in it after one long paragraph of monotony!?!

A manly voice is required in the pulpit; not some singing, droning, female-like voice. It ought to have a certain roughness to it, not some soft sing-songiness.

Don’t ‘put on your preacher’s voice’ when you step behind the pulpit.

Make it your real voice, just more amplified, powerful, emotional, intreatable…. if you are saying something harsh, then end the last syllable on a more sing song higher note…it is more pleasant to the ears, and lets the hearers know that you are trying to be nice and polite, despite the harsh content.

It is even needful to say, open your mouths when you speak, for much of inarticulate mumbling is the result of keeping the mouth half closed.

. Distinct utterance is far more important than wind-power Now it is all very well to "Cry aloud and spare not," but "Do thyself no harm" is apostolical advice. : Men do not hear in proportion to the noise created; Observe carefully the rule to vary the force of your voice. Do not start at the highest pitch as a rule,

Lecture 40 If everything is emphasized, nothing is emphasized. For proper care of the voice, there should be some loud speaking, some soft speaking, some conversational tone and a variety of volume.

Some preachers that yell a lot, and in one general tonal category, will develop vocal chord polyps, and will then forevermore have a kind of gravely, garbled, weakened tone to their voice, that is a wearisome to listen to.

If ministers would speak oftener, their throats and lungs would be less liable to disease.

Take great care of the consonants, enunciate every one of them clearly; they are the features and expression of the words.

Try to avoid tension while preaching. The more relaxed the preacher can be, the less likely he is to strain his voice. Enjoy preaching.

Lecture 41

3 We must therefore be Pentecostals; that is, preachers who rely on that baptismal empowerment with the Holy Ghost. Mere flesh won’t be able to minister to the souls of men; you need the Pentecostal experience (the Spirit’s empowerment)!

We need to be absolutely dependent upon the Spirit of God for every word, every statement, every facial expression, every body gesture, every thought in our mind, every tone of our voice…totally and utterly dependent upon Him.

Lecture 42

Ninety-seven percent of the population of England, according to a recent survey find church boring. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his Preaching and Preachers, says: " If the people are not attending places of worship I hold the pulpit to be primarily responsible" (p. 52). Is boring the people the preacher's greatest sin? Yes and no. The preacher's greatest sin, I suggest, is not proclaiming the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. Of course, if you are not doing that you will be boring the people.

John Piper says: " All genuine preaching is rooted in a feeling of desperation". It is an impossible task by human standards…

Sermons with good content may fall flat for many reasons. Perhaps the most common is that they are delivered with an absence of feeling". When the Spirit is upon you, there is feeling, emotion, passion.

A famous statement about preaching in the Spirit is: proclaim " truth on fire."

Preaching is suppose to be a dynamic encounter with God, and when people hear real preaching, they want it more and more, and they want God more and more.

God made it clear to Zerubbabel that the task of rebuilding the temple would be accomplished " not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" (Zech. 4:6).

Also, interpret carefully. Your sermon should be " logic on fire." " What drew the crowds [to Lloyd-Jones] was that his message was both reasonable - 'logic,' and urgent - 'on fire.'

People, not ideas, should get first attention from the preacher. Yet we find many talented men who are cold toward people but fervent in their love for ideas.

Lecture 43 Preach the truth in anger? Many of our independent Baptist brethren seem all angry about the truth; every time they talk about it, preach on it, they are shaking their fists, pounding the pulpits, pointing fingers, scowling, and yelling like a mad-man!

Well, the truth hurts…and not telling the truth hurts even more. But the fact remains-true love will manifest itself in speaking the truth, not withholding it!

. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth ?

There are a few who are truly seeking the truth; they have a longing to find it; they may go looking for truth in all the wrong places, but they are on a mission. And, if they are listening to God, they will eventually find the truth. These will not be easily offended by the truth; no…they have been longing for it for so long, that when they find it, they will rejoice and receive it wholeheartedly!

A church is to be the holder of the truth; the protector of the truth; the propagator of the truth. The holder of the truth is not some famous Baptist college; and not some popular, large Mission Board or Fellowship. It is your church…it is my church!

4 Independent Baptist churches are somewhat known for being purists in regards to the truth; they want to analyze every jot and tittle to make sure they have got the whole truth and nothing but the truth! But, they have forgotten other ‘weighty’ matters, like love!

We show our love by telling them the truth. Love is all about truth; it is all about telling others the truth. If you truly love someone, you will tell them the truth.

Pastors are suppose to be ‘lovers of good men’. I am attracted to certain types of men….specifically, those that are ‘good men’…godly men. I love these men! I love them in and because of the truth

Speaking the truth in love necessitates the use of both the positive and negative. Modern man in his education has often come to believe that preaching must be positive.

Lecture 44 Speaking the truth in love necessitates the use of both the positive and negative. Modern man in his education has often come to believe that preaching must be positive.

The truth often gets watered down by new evangelicals and charismatics who emphasize love. Fundamentalists sometimes are thought to be heavy on truth but light on love. Which is the worst? Heavy on truth, light on love vice light on truth and heavy on love? Hard to say; though, without truth, they are damned to Hell, no matter how much love you show them. But, without love, they may not care to listen to the truth.

Preach the word (truth)….whether it is popular or despised. Whether the church folk are ready for it, or not. Whether they start grumbling or not… But do so with longsuffering and lots of doctrinal explanations…show them that you understand and love them.

You are going to make enemies if you keep telling the truth. If you don’t do it in love, you will make a lot of enemies; but even if you show lots of love, you still will have some enemies. do your best to share the truth with lots of love; carefully present it to them; don’t shove it down their throats; use tact and wisdom. Because of your love for them, don’t shun the truth.

The truth of the Bible displays God’s unmeasurable love. His truths are all there to warn you of the dangers ahead in life and to guide you towards peace and happiness. Oh, John 3:16 is so true; what greater truth is there than this; what greater display of love is there than this truth?! If they continually reject this great loving truth, then God will send them a strong delusion….that they all might be damned who believed not the truth. It is a very dangerous thing to reject the truth.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend… Open rebuke is better than secret love… Jesus needed to tell them the truth even though it would make them sad. Tell them the truth that they may not want to hear, but be a gentleman about it.

Lecture 45 The Preacher can be his own worst enemy. Inferiority complex; focused on any and all imperfections; lack of confidence; just plain scared of what God has called him

Taking over a pastorate of a large church can give you unimaginable stresses; you could be in way over your head. It’s wise to ‘grow in to the pastorate’…slowly.

Preachers are notorious for not being the most healthy examples of human life on this planet. They often or more than just a little overweight Some of this has to do with food being used as a stress reliever The Lord may use health issues to keep you humbled so you will be a more effective preacher. You look at it as a curse, but God meant it for a blessing.

5 It was good that I have been afflicted, that I might learn the statutes. One of the most beneficial things for a Pastor to be trained in is ‘experience’; that is, experiencing what others will be experiencing; to have known what they are going through. Jesus was in all points tempted, yet without sin.

Should a preacher always have one day a week ‘off’ (i.e. Mondays)? Is he on call 24-7? Should he have a 2-day weekend like everyone else? It might be wise to have a ‘slow’ day…a day where you get some things accomplished for the Lord, but also spend time ‘at ease’. to do. I advise having one day a week to take it ‘easier’ on, but to still ‘work’ some; and then throughout the week, when possible, take a break here and take a break there. They are kind of like ‘power naps’; it helps revitalize your mind and spirit for the activities awaiting you. Your hardest days are typically Saturday and Sunday, so on Friday try to calm it down just a bit so you can finish the weeks marathon with a sprint!

Probably the most common stressor for the preacher is the slow but sure accumulation of little problems over the course of a week, or even a Sunday.

Lecture 46 If the preacher would prepare brand new sermons and lessons every week, it will surely help keep a steady growth in his preaching. However, many preachers get lazy, sloppy, backslidden;

Have the sermons/lessons not only be challenging for the church folk, but for yourself, too. Have every sermon cause you to grow, not just them.

Don’t let your preaching get into a rut. Always be experimenting with new ideas, new methods, new strategies. Don’t get complacent.

A growing preacher will produce a growing church. In your preaching always be pushing the church for growth; both individual and corporate. Never let them get comfortable;

Don’t employ ‘guest preachers’ too often. Some will use them every chance they get…even one per week. I recommend using them no more than once per month.

Don’t judge your preaching success on the size of your church or how many come forward to the altar. Rather, judge its effectiveness on truly changed lives for Christ…time will tell on this.

Lecture 47 My favourite sign in the office is ‘If you don’t strike oil in fifteen minutes, stop boring!’

Much preaching also suffer from the paralysis of analysis of biblical texts. They are strong on diagnosis but weak in prognosis in treating the symptoms. A sermon may contain a myriad of ideas that are too overwhelming for the average listeners to absorb in one go.

What do the listeners want from the preachers on Sunday morning? They want to listen to sermons that are biblical, practical and yet relevant. They want to listen to sermons that create a sense of wonder for them and are unpredictable. In other words, they want to be pleasantly surprised. They also want to listen to sermons that are inspirational rather than merely instructional. After a hard week at schools or offices, they come to Sunday service to be inspired, challenged, motivated and encouraged rather than to be rebuked and be pushed.

Lecture 48 Charge: preaching involves charging, commanding, seriously exhorting; it is intense; it is authoritative. Don’t be girlish with the preaching. Mean what you say. Say it with authority.

War: preaching is war; you do battle as a preacher; it is a good war(fare); fight hard preacher! 6 Reading: read lots of the Bible behind the pulpit; they need to hear Bible more than your words. Exhortation: the main style of preaching is to be ‘exhortative’; be a motivational speaker; be a coach cheering them on! Doctrine: always have plenty of doctrine in your sermon; preaching is full of teaching; teach when you preach!

Strive: don’t be an angry, mean-spirited, yelling preacher; don’t fight with the members. Gentle: be a perfect gentleman behind the pulpit; make sure that the hearers clearly know that you love them and have their best interests in mind. Patient: it is going to take some time to get them all growed up; be ready for the long haul; preach for little victories every week, and maybe a huge overall victory every year. Some need to hear it again and again before it ‘clicks’…

Instant: don’t let current religious idealogy intimidate your preaching; whether they will receive it well or not, still preach the word. Don’t be manipulated by your congregation on what to, and not to, preach. Reprove: set the rule, the standard, straight; make it painfully clear; get them thinking right again. Rebuke strongly correct their erred ways and beliefs.