A few years ago, I discovered a great resource for sermon forms. About 90% of the sermon forms I use come directly from this resource. I’m talking about the Bible! I have long contended that preachers committed to biblical preaching will take their cues for sermon shape from the biblical text. So I was delighted to discover a new book on this topic by Jeffrey D. Arthurs. His book, Preaching With Variety (Kregel, 2007), explains how to re-create the dynamics of biblical genres (literary forms) in your sermon. I picked it up because I’m starting a series on Proverbs in June.
Arthurs argues that we should preach with variety “because God himself is the Great Communicator, and part of that greatness is seen in his freshness and creativity.” For proof, Arthurs points to the variety of literary forms in the Bible. Then, he offers chapters on how to preach from them in a way that capitalizes on their unique ways of communicating. His book covers psalms, narrative, parables, proverbs, epistles, and apocalyptic literature.
Let me be blunt: you need to buy this book! To whet your appetite, here are a few bits of wisdom for preaching Proverbs (pun intended). You’ll need to read the book to get a context or a fuller discussion!
· Proverbs are inspired general observations, but they are not promises.
· Don’t preach self-help, human-centered, wealthistic sermons; instead preach the skill for living in the fear of God.
· Use the “dueling proverbs” form by putting Proverbs 26:4 up against 26:5, or 10:19 (the wisdom of holding your tongue) against 27:5-6 (the wisdom of speaking out). Do not imply that the Bible contradicts itself. It doesn’t. Rather, point out the need for balance. You can also pit biblical proverbs against worldly proverbs.
· Base your sermon outline on the kind of parallelism utilized by the proverb(s) you intend to preach. Craft your sermon’s central idea in proverbial form.
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 9:37 AM on May 4, 2007
