A course of lectures on preaching by RL Dabney (Available from Amazon or free here)
Today Dabney begins to outline the cardinal requisites of the sermon.
Next week we will hear the rest, but this week Dabney teaches that all sermons should have:
(i) textual fidelity;
(ii) unity;
(iii) evangelical tone;
(iv) instructiveness.
I appreciated Dabney's encouragement to be practical in my preaching: 'He must, second, propose to himself one definite impression on the hearer s soul, to the making of which everything in the sermon is bent. You will remember that the distinguishing trait of the oration is that it is always practical, that it concludes by saying to the hearer, " Do this," that its terminus is in a volition, and that its aim is to pass through the understanding into the motives of the soul. Unity of discourse requires, then, not only singleness of a dominant subject, but also singleness of practical impression. To secure the former, see to it that the whole discussion may admit of reduction to a single proposition. To secure the latter, let the preacher hold before him, through the whole preparation of the sermon, the one practical effect intended to be produced upon the hearer s will.'
A sermon that doesn't have any practical effect in mind is pretty much useless.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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