What is a good process for preparing a sermon?

Far be it from us to encourage anyone in a random, haphazard way of speaking on Scripture. We believe such a habit to be ruinous to the soul of the speaker and worse than wearisome to the souls of the hearers. The apostle's advice to his son Timothy is important for us all, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed to thyself and to the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:15-16). The “profiting” is sure to “appear” if the habit of meditation is diligently cultivated, but if one goes to a meeting with a sermon already prepared, it may not be the thing which the Lord would have spoken at all. No doubt, the Lord can and does guide His servants in study and preparation beforehand. He can fix their minds upon the right subject and teach the right method of handling it. He is so good that we can count on Him with fullest confidence in all things. But we have to watch against the habit of making ourselves up for an occasion on the one hand, and against idleness and indifference on the other. May the Lord bless you and help you in your work!

And then as to arrangement for speaking. God forbid that I should say one word against the diligent searching of the Scriptures, meditation, and prayer! Would that we all knew more of these blessed exercises! But to give ourselves to these, that we may, as the Lord enables us, attain to the knowledge of all that he has revealed, and so be furnished unto every good work, is one thing. The sitting down to prepare a discourse for a certain occasion is another. The former course honours God, and makes any brother who is wont to minister, “a scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, and like unto a man which is an householder which brings forth out of hid treasure things new and old”. The treasure is there, and it is through prayer, and meditation, and reading of the word, that it has been acquired; but it is left to Him who alone (fully) knows the necessities of the saints to guide at the time as to what portion of the treasure shall be brought forth. In the other case, a knowledge of the state and necessities of the saints is assumed, which none but God can have; and a line of action is based on that assumption which may serve to shew the ability of the Minister, but can hardly be expected to be owned of God in supplying the real necessities of the saints. How often have we known it that when there has been the least of direct immediate preparation—when a brother has gone to meeting more sensible than usual of his utter emptiness—when he has been led to speak on a subject he has not meditated on for months, perhaps for years—he has spoken with special power, and many have witnessed that it has been as though the word was sent specially to them? Oh yes, amid all our shameful failure and sad weakness, God, the living God, is still amongst us, and where he is owned and trusted in, he fails not to make manifest his blessed presence.

It is not — need we say it? — that there should not be holy diligence and earnestness in the study of God's word, and in the study too, of exercises, the trials, the conflicts, and the varied difficulties of souls. Quite the reverse. We feel persuaded that the more absolutely we lean, in self-emptiness, upon the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, the more diligently and earnestly we shall study both the Book and the soul. It would be a fatal mistake for a man to use professed dependence upon the Spirit as a plea for neglecting prayerful study and meditation. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." 1 Timothy 4:15.

"It is not-need we say it?-that there should not be holy diligence and earnestness in the study of God's Word, and in the study, too, of the exercises, the trials, the conflicts, and the varied difficulties of souls. Quite the reverse. We feel persuaded that the more absolutely we lean, in self-emptiness, upon the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, the more diligently and earnestly we shall study both the Book and the soul. It would be a fatal mistake for a man to use professed dependence upon the Spirit as a plea for neglecting prayerful study and meditation. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (I Timothy 4:15).

For a holy walk, then, there must be entire dependence on the Holy Spirit: not less so in preaching the word to others. Having been actively engaged in business, I have often had to go from a hard day’s work of commercial travelling, or manufacturing cares and difficulties, with only just time to look to the Lord in prayer, sometimes not knowing, up to the last moment, what portion of scripture to take. Yet I can say, for the encouragement of others, those have often been my happiest times of freshness of soul, and sense of His presence, without which all preaching is utterly in vain. I can say, with one now gone to his rest, “It is far the happiest way never to allow the thought, that you are going to preach from such a passage of scripture. Study the scripture for your own soul’s need and profit, but in no bondage of preparation for preaching. Then either speak from that or any other portion, as the Spirit may direct you.”

Brethren who take part must be prepared beforehand in heart and soul. Certainly they must not memorize the words they want to speak, but must depend on the Lord to put the words into their mouths at the time, by the power of the Spirit of God. But if they have not spent time in reading, meditation or study of the word of God, they will not be prepared to speak.

It is in contrast to all this that Paul proceeds: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." v. 15. There are two things in this exhortation. First, Timothy is to use diligence to commend himself, not to his hearers, but to God. This principle is the safeguard of all who are engaged in public service. As the Apostle says elsewhere, "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10). And again, "As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." 1 Thess. 2:4. Nothing else will keep the servants of God but to have Him before their souls, for then they will remember in all their service that it is His verdict of approval alone they have to seek. (Compare 2 Cor. 2:17.)

Second, Timothy is to approve himself to God by being a good workman. It would be possible for a servant to really strive to commend himself to God, and yet, through ignorance of the truth, to be a bad workman. How many godly, devoted men, for example, have had their eyes opened to perceive (and with what sorrow has the discovery been made!) that they had been misleading souls for years! It is not only necessary therefore to be godly, to have a single eye, but there must be also that knowledge of the Lord's mind, as revealed in the Scriptures, which will enable those who are in the place of teachers to rightly divide, to cut in a straight line, the word of truth. Diligence is requisite for this — diligence in the prayerful study of the Word — and it is this which is really enjoined upon Timothy. Ability to teach is a divine gift; to be a good workman is the result of study, training, and practice, in dependence upon the power of the Holy Ghost.

"There are two ways of reading Scripture - devotional and systematic study. In the former I listen to what the Lord communicates, and look to Him to produce in me the suited effect of His truth by the working of His Spirit. Thus I become formed by the truth, and worship and holiness of life result. In the latter I search, compare, and examine to discover His mind, and what is taught on any given subject; and I look to Him to give me understanding by the Spirit, to preserve me from error, and to enable me to form His own judgment - to discover and to hold the truth in a divine way. Dependence is, therefore, of all importance, combined with an ungrieved Spirit."

These are both personal and relative. The evangelist is a private Christian as well as a public preacher, and this brings him under the public eye. If therefore any one should zealously guard his conduct it is he. He holds his Master’s credit in his life and ways. He is an ambassador of the Courts of Heaven. No angel, thence, ever held such an honour. He is a sinner rescued at infinite cost, gifted and sent into a God-hating world, to make known the nature of God and the joys and glories of his celestial home. He should be, in very deed, a light in darkness, and a son of God, shining amid a crooked and perverse generation. A Nazarite of old would be his type. And thus Paul laid stress on his own “manner of life,” as the first and chief part of his testimony. “Ye know,” he said to the elders, “what manner of men we have been among you at all seasons” (Acts 20). A preacher whose “manner of life” is unworthy of Christ is not fit to be His servant. How few preachers would remain if this test were generally applied. The private life is the great criterion. The preacher must give himself to prayer ere he attempts to minister the Word, and that continually. By the study of the Word he will become efficient, helpful and instructive, but if he desires to be a successful fisher of men, he must be most prayerful. This will produce the charm of real humility, sobriety, and self-concealment, as opposed to the accursed pride and vanity which, so frequently, degrade the popular preacher. Before the Lord, and in His holy presence, there is no place for pride. Moses was the meekest man on earth, and Paul served the Lord with all humility of mind and many tears. His “manner of life” is his duty. Let it speak more loudly than his tongue, and let him aim at nothing but the true presentation of Christ by both, whether to the many or the few, in his home circle or amid strangers. A keen lynx eye is upon him, and a tongue of unsparing criticism likewise. Moody is reported to have said: “I will take care of my conduct and God will take care of my character,” a saying worthy of publication. His duty is just to be a “man of God,” like Timothy of old.

Preach with the fear of God. A little bread, with God's blessing, may make a meal for a multitude; and great provision may soon shrink to nothing, if God help not in the breaking of it. It is not thy sermon in thy head, or notes in thy book, that will enable thee to preach, except God open thy mouth; acknowledge, therefore, God in all thy ways, and lean not to thy own understanding: the swelling of the heart, as well as of the wall, goes before a fall. How much may it provoke God, when thou goest to the pulpit, and passest by his door in the way, without calling for His assistance? … Not only the preparation of the heart, but the answer of the tongue, both are from the Lord (Prov. 16:1). God keeps the key of the mouth as well of the heart; not a word can be uttered, until God opens the door of the lips to give it a free egress. He opened the mouth of the ass, and stopped the mouth of that wicked prophet, its master (Num. 22:28-31): hear him confess as much to Balak: "Lo, I am come to thee: have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak" (verse 38).