Scott Freeman

My Week in Preaching

My Master’s Degree is in “Expository Preaching and Pulpit Communication.”

Yeah, I know. But at least I got a pretty nifty diploma.

When it comes down to it, although I have read and studied a bit about homiletics, my preaching style is still roughly my own.

I have a process that works for me and I invest a lot of time each week into sermon preparation. I know that in the minds of some there is a devaluation of preaching that is taking place. However, I still consider it to be a very sacred time where great truths are communicated.

My style is relatively straight-forward. I engage the text. I’m not a good topical guy. I prefer to work through a book (as I am now through Matthew) I’ve only tried dialogical preaching one time but will probably try it again in the near future.

For those of you who have ever wondered what a preacher does this week I thought I would take some time in the coming weeks and try to break that down for you. This week I want to look at putting together a sermon.

Since the number of preachers I talk to on a regular basis is a grand total of 1, I am only speaking for myself.

I don’t do a whole lot on my sermon on Monday’s. I use this day primarily to focus on other things: classes, web upkeep, office work, etc.

However, one of the first things I will do each week is to read my coming text. This week my text is Matthew 5:21–26. This is the first of the six “You have heard…but I say” passages in the Sermon on the Mount. This one is on anger:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny

Typically all that I will do on Monday is kick this passage around in my head and see if there is a “thread” that appears that I want to begin pulling at. In this read-thru, for instance, I take note of the fact that there are three “scenarios” in this passage. That of insults, that of assembly, and that of a court setting.

Whether I will do anything with that in the later stages of sermon prep, I don’t know. Since I have been preaching through Matthew in general and The Sermon in particular for the past 4 months I am well versed on the context which I will focus more on tomorrow. In the meantime, one thing is readily apparent to me: since we are called to be an alternative community, a recapitulation of Israel and the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God how we operate within ourselves becomes more important.

The church has no witness if she is perceived as a bunch of angry, bitter people given to infighting and backstabbing.

Now, that will preach.

What jumps out at you about this passage? Fellow preachers, if any, what are your thoughts?