5 Features of an Outstanding Sermon
Many individuals want to be reminded of God’s magnificence but lack the means to do so.
This is the first phrase in the introduction of John Piper’s 1990 classic, The Supremacy of God in Preaching. Even if the world has changed much in the last thirty years, a pervasive, soul-crushing hunger still exists. And there is still a global need for honest preaching.
Sermons that do more than give momentary amusement or intellectual stimulation are badly needed by the next generation of Christian leaders and laypeople. We need sermons that can reach down into the darkest corners of our souls. Sermons need to “barge into our souls and shake awake a hopeful response” in order to motivate people. When we are rocked by opposition, persecution, temptation, and unfathomable suffering, we need sermons strong enough to hold us steady.
To waste time on Christianized Ted Talks, motivational speeches, lofty monologues, or sermons that resemble standup comedy more than genuine encounters with God is futile. Preaching that nourishes the soul, heals the heart, instructs the mind, gives hope, points the way forward, gives eternal life, and exalts Christ is desperately needed. We need sermons that point people to Jesus and the salvation and security he offers.
Pastor, if you want to present sermons that do more than just entertain for 30 minutes, consider these five characteristics of an effective sermon: they honor God, provide real hope, move people to genuine conversion, and have an everlasting influence.
I want to preface this by saying that the substance of sermons is the primary emphasis of this piece. Preaching effectively relies on a number of factors, including the preacher’s prayer life, exegetical study, personal piety, acquaintance with the text and manuscript, participation in church life, and trust on the Holy Spirit.
1. The focus is on Jesus, not the preacher.
I like socializing immensely. Having coffee with a pastor and hearing about his life, interests, and ministry wisdom is one of my favorite ways to spend time. However, I don’t attend services with the hope of striking up a conversation with the pastor. Church is where I get to know Jesus better. Why? Because I need Jesus to fill the void in my spirit and because He is the only source of lasting nutrition (John 6:55). Jesus is the only one who can breathe life into my dying soul (John 14:6). Jesus alone can provide peace to my restless spirit (Matthew 11:28-30).
Every week, I bring my sins to church with me, and Jesus is the only one who can forgive them. My heart is crushed and my burden of sadness is too big for anybody except Jesus to bear. I am a tired, dirty, scraped up, confused, wayward wanderer, and only Jesus can support me, clean me, repair me, lead me, and shepherd me.
A sermon without Jesus is like a pill bottle with no medicine inside; it may seem like it will help, but it won’t. For another memorable take on this idea, consider Charles Spurgeon’s analogy: “A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it.” Where was Jesus in your sermon, sir? Then, return to your house and stop preaching until you have anything to say.
Preacher, Several of your congregation members, including myself, would benefit much from getting to know you better. But if you really care about us, keep your ego out of your preaching. All we want is Jesus.
Relevance: Before giving a sermon, consider these questions.
To what extent does this sermon describe who Jesus is and what he has done? That is, does this sermon make the gospel easy to understand?
Will the sermon I deliver today make the listeners think more highly of me or of Jesus? When they go, will they want more of me or more of Jesus?
Whom will the listeners of this speech praise more: the speaker or the Savior?
American Bible Society provides free copies of the Holy Bible.
2. Bible is the primary source of information.
Imagine your ill and tormented buddy Sally. She is in such dire need of assistance that she has called you and asked you to take her to the doctor. You immediately stop what you’re doing and hurry over, feeling humbled that she would come to you for help. She expresses her gratitude in great detail as you drive her to the clinic, and you can sense her optimism growing the closer you get to the clinic. It is well-known that this doctor helps individuals in her situation. Her cheeks gradually began to flush again as her excitement level increased in preparation for his arrival.
But let’s say you arrive at the office just as the doctor is about to talk to Sally, and you interrupt him every time. If the doctor starts to give Sally some instructions, you interrupt him and offer her the most helpful advise you can think of. It goes on like this for nearly twenty minutes until the doctor exits to see another patient.
Is there any other tragedy that might compare to this? Sally was right there in the room with the doctor who might cure her, but you wouldn’t let him talk.
What a sermon without words sounds like. People in need have flocked to the church. They have arrived at the clinic or hospital and are waiting to see or chat with the doctor. How sad it would be if we pastors took up their whole appointment giving them our expert counsel instead of letting them hear from the doctor himself.
As a preacher, you will be tempted to use your platform to promote your pet causes, share your newest doctrinal obsessions, brag about your accomplishments, or express your political views. You need to hold back. The Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to “Preach the word!” Always be ready, in and out of season. Persuade, reprimand, and exhort with all patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Preaching without words is preaching without force. Inspiring some listeners with our own knowledge or creativity is possible; in fact, it’s likely. Only the Holy Spirit, via the preaching of God’s Word, can alter someone’s heart. According to Bryan Chapell, “the preacher is not responsible for the spiritual results of his sermons” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5), but rather, “the force of the Scripture preached.”
Relevance: Before giving a sermon, consider these questions.
Ask yourself: Have I captured and conveyed the author’s meaning in this passage?
Do my examples and arguments add to the paper rather than taking away from it?
Ask yourself, “Have I related the text’s major point(s) to my listeners’ experiences?” Have I made clear how this passage relates to the good news of Jesus Christ, toward whom the whole Bible points?
3. Clarity is valued just as highly as originality.
A creative approach is very beneficial (and sometimes even necessary) while delivering a sermon. Many of our parishioners have recently requested that we “preach a fresh sermon,” echoing God’s command in Psalm 96:1 to “sing a new song.” We should constantly be on the lookout for novel approaches to sharing the beautiful, unchanging gospel and the wonderful, unchanging Savior.
But originality without focus is just masked haziness. Creative, muddled sermons are like colorful maps in a foreign language; they’re nice to look at, but they’re not very useful.
Minister, are you feeling tired today? Believe this: God has not called you to cuteness, but to clarity. He hasn’t enlisted you to put in extra hours every week so that you may deliver a magnificent sermon or reveal some new piece of information that will make you seem like Gandalf. God has chosen you to share the Scriptures with the world (cf. 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2; Hebrews 4:12).
Sermons that are both creative and clearly proclaim the Word of God are effective in changing hearts. “While the distinction between a terrible speech and a good sermon is entirely the duty of the preacher, the difference between excellent preaching and outstanding preaching resides mainly in the activity of the Holy Spirit,” said pastor and author Timothy Keller.
Relevance: Before giving a sermon, consider these questions.
Is the gist of what I’ve written clear? Is it easy to understand what the text is trying to convey? How well do my sermons resonate with the congregation?
Consider if an unbeliever and/or a new believer might grasp my explanations.
Do my pictures make it apparent how the text works?
Bible, Scripture, Sacred Text
4. The sermon is based on the Word of God and makes direct, relevant, and persuasive applications to the present audience.
When it comes to practical application, preachers tend to fall into one of two camps. The first (and most prevalent) pitfall is to forgo the interpretation of Scripture and jump straight into making a personal application to the congregation. Preachers who engage in this (mal)practice are more likely to misread the text, downplay the significance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and reduce their sermons to nothing more than exhortations to improve the congregation’s behavior.
But there is another pitfall that might be even more irritating to the congregation: when the speaker spends the whole sermon in theoretical nirvana, never applying the text to the listeners’ lives. Many years ago, while listening to a sermon, the thought occurred to me: “Does the preacher even realize I’m here?” Rather than preaching to those in front of him, it seemed like he was speaking for the sake of hearing his own voice. Obviously, there wasn’t much of value to glean from this sermon.
In the meanwhile, one of the highest praises a preacher can get is the statement, “Pastor, it seemed like you were speaking directly to me – as if you understood precisely what I am going through!” What exactly makes listening to the sermon seem so intimately connected? The Holy Spirit usually speaks via a speaker who makes a direct, deliberate, and well-considered application of the text to his audience.
Relevance: Before giving a sermon, consider these questions.
Have I successfully communicated the text’s major point(s) to the congregation?
Ask yourself: Have I effectively communicated the gospel’s promise to my congregation?
Will the people in my congregation leave my speech knowing the answer to the question, “Why does this passage important for my life?”
5. The sermon outline “preaches” for itself.
I’ll be honest, this is more of a personal choice than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it has more significance than most preachers give it credit for. Check out these two alternate versions of a lecture on Acts 18:24–19:41 and see which one piques your attention more.
The title of the first sermon is “More Preaching and Ministry!”
The Outline of the First Sermon:
Apollos gives a sermon at Ephesus (18:24-18:28)
As evidence #2, Paul gives a sermon at Ephesus (19:1-10)
The third argument is that Jewish exorcists are ineffective (19:11-20)
Fourthly, the Ephesians are outraged by Paul’s work among them (19:21-41)
Title of Second Sermon: “Fear Not: Christ’s Word Will Triumph!”
Sermon Outline Number Two:
The Bible safeguards us against…
Ignorance, the first and most dangerous threat (18:24-19:7)
Danger Number Two: Being Put Off by Criticism (19:8-10)
Distracted by Material Gains, the Third Danger (19:11-20)
Idol Worship as a Threat Number Four (19:21-41)
The structure of the sermon is often the first (and only) thing that listeners recall. Nothing good can come from an outline that says nothing. A sermon outline that is easy to understand, sticks in the listener’s mind, is relevant to the text, and proclaims Christ will have an impact much beyond the 30-minute preaching session. (You get extra credit if the title of your sermon includes the word “preach”!)
Relevance: Before giving a sermon, consider these questions.
Is there a message (ideally the hope of the gospel) that my arguments convey?
How well do the people in my congregation understand the text, its relevance to their lives, and its relationship to Christ as a result of my outline?
Would my congregation be fed even if they merely recalled my outline?
Trust in God’s Guarantees
Preacher, you have been entrusted with the sacred responsibility of sharing God’s Word with his people. Be grateful to him for this wonderful chance, and find renewed peace in his assurance that his Word will accomplish his plan (Isaiah 55:11).
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