Hershael York, professor of Christian preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said he loves to “talk shop” with other preachers. the act of preaching is never “mystical” or “instantaneous.”
“I always have an overwhelming sense of failure after I preach, and my sermons never equal what I aspire to,” he said. “I encourage myself to know I’m still learning, and next week I have another shot at it!”
York spoke at the fourth in a series of “Intentional Leader” events at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions facility in Prattville on July 27. He also serves as pastor of the Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky.
York said preaching has three major components: the text, the sermon and the delivery.
“We Southern Baptists have a high view of Scripture, and we believe Paul’s word about it being profitable,” he said. “We study to understand the text and get it right, using proper tools to understand the historical, cultural, religious and geographical context. We also seek to understand the genre of Scripture since there is narrative, poetry and drama in the Bible. We must learn what the authors meant.”
York said sometimes pastors choose a “nifty, lifty” Bible text and use it as a departure point.
“I’m not against this and I’ve done it,” he said with a laugh.
“My father had a great sermon about Christian parenting. He took Jacob’s word from Genesis 33 when he said, ‘the children are tender, and I must lead them gently.’ The original context had nothing to do with parenting; it was Jacob’s excuse not to go with Esau since he was still uneasy about this. Dad used the text and always did a great job with the idea that our children need gentle guidance. However, I think we should tell the main point even if we dwell on a minor point.”
Components
York mentioned two research tools he especially appreciates: “Explore The Book” by J. Sidlow Baxter and Logos Bible Software.
York said the sermon must show not only the meaning of Scripture, but also the application.
“The sermon must have a proposition,” he explained. “This is the main thing you want people to do based on the text. Then you can have two points — or eight points — depending on the text, but I think every point should have an application, such as the writer of Hebrews does with his frequent use of ‘Let us.’”
York said the sermon is much more than a “data dump;” it must touch people in their everyday lives.
“Application is one way we claim our listeners’ attention,” he said. “I don’t think people reject our message. In most cases, they just don’t hear it. We compete with so many distractions, but we are the delivery system for God’s Word.”
Since people must trust the messenger, York cited research confirming that the “trust factor” is influenced in three ways: verbal, vocal and visual.
“Of these three, visual is the most important factor, so I teach nine areas of delivery that make a difference,” he said.
The first area is eye contact.
“Locking eyes with individuals for three to five seconds is what we do,” he said. “This is one of the reasons I don’t think a preacher should use a (full) manuscript. Some do it well, but I think a manuscript hinders our eye contact with our audience.”
York said gestures and facial expressions are likewise important.
“Gestures should be natural, and facial expressions should match the mood of the moment,” he said.
Delivery
York counseled attendees not to pace, but to recognize that some movement away from the pulpit commands the audience’s attention.
He also said vocal variety combats the “sameness” of one’s delivery, and that occasional silence “can be your friend.”
“Avoid filler words and weak words such as ‘um,’ ‘like’ and ‘you know,’” he said. “Strong action verbs are best.”
York said he received criticism for an article published in a preaching magazine in which he counseled preachers not to tell jokes.
“I think people misunderstood me,” he said. “I use a lot of humor, and a lot of self-deprecating humor that offends no one else. But most people can’t get jokes right. We’re bad at it. Jokes require a sense of timing and the proper phrasing of the punch line. What if you spend three minutes setting it up and then blow the punch line? Johnny Carson was a professional, but he found half of his jokes fell flat, and he made a joke about this!”
York said listener involvement is a good tactic, too, such as having people respond with a nod or calling someone by name (without embarrassing them).
His final delivery tip was to be one’s “natural self” rather than a different personality in the pulpit.
York said there’s not one way to do it, but what he believes and teaches is a “really solid way to preach.” He encouraged attendees to keep working to honor Christ and Scripture on Sundays.
Learn more from York at pastorwell.com.
Ken Allen, SBOM director of LeaderCare, served as host and announced the final event in the 2023 “Intentional Leader” series will be Sept. 25 and feature Sam Rainer, president of Church Answers (churchanswers.com).
Allen can be reached at 800.264.1225, extension 2210, or by email at kallen@alsbom.org.
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