So Pastor, What is Your Point?

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:

Howdy!

Back to preaching about preaching here on our Thursday morning confessional walk through the original Westminster Directory for Public Worship. It’s important that we spend time thinking about what we do on Sunday morning and evening. I’ve noted before that our time in worship is training for the marathon that is life, but even more than that it is a preparation for our heavenly blessing in the age to come. To use a phrase, it is a foretaste of glory divine as we sing to our God, are reminded of His grace and love, and live in the merciful presence of fellow believers in Jesus Christ.

We short sell what happens on Sunday sometimes. It is actually kind of a big deal, or at least it should be. As we enter into the next portion of the section of the DPW on the proclamation of the word from the pulpit our friends who wrote the document give some very practical advice both for the listener and the man delivering the sermon. Let’s see what they have to say:

In analyzing and dividing his text, he is to regard more the order of matter than of words; and neither to burden the memory of the hearers in the beginning with too many numbers of division, nor to trouble their minds with obscure terms of art.

In raising doctrines from the text, his care ought to be, First, That the matter be the truth of God. Secondly, That it be a truth contained in or grounded on that text, that the hearers may discern how God teaches it from thence. Thirdly, that he chiefly insist upon those doctrines which are principally intended; and make most for the edification of the hearers.

The doctrine is to be expressed in plain terms; or, if anything in it need explication, it is to be opened, and the consequence also from the text cleared. The parallel places of scripture, confirming the doctrine, are rather to be plain and pertinent, than many, and (it need be) somewhat insisted upon, and applied to the purpose in hand.

The arguments or reasons are to be solid, and, as much as may be, convincing. The illustrations, of what kind soever, ought to be full of light, and such as may convey the truth into the hearer’s heart with spiritual delight.

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