What Is a Sermon and What Should It Do?
Mark Scott reflects on the meaning, biblical vocabulary, and intended impact of preaching. Drawing from homileticians and Scripture, he argues that sermons should do more than occupy time; they should faithfully speak the message of the text and produce spiritual response.
- A sermon can be understood in many ways, but biblical preaching centers on faithfully communicating God’s Word.
- The Bible uses a broad vocabulary for preaching, teaching, exhorting, witnessing, and reasoning.
- Good sermons should stir response, from faith and understanding to repentance, study, baptism, and life change.
By Mark Scott
A preacher mounted the pulpit and began, “I have so much to say, where should I begin?” A young boy from the back said, “How about somewhere toward the end?” Most churchgoers like sermons, especially “toward the end.”
Defining the Word
What is a sermon? That depends on whom you ask.
John Stott said it is a bridge from the biblical world to the modern world.
Fred Craddock said it is a short interpretative story.
Haddon Robinson said it is a big idea extrapolated from a text.
Bryan Chapell said it is Christ addressing our fallen condition.
Eugene Lowry said it is a homiletical plot.
Clyde Fant said it is an exercise in incarnation.
Wayne Shaw said it is a subject reduced to a topic from a text.
Our friend Webster’s third definition is: “An annoying harangue.”1 Hopefully we can do better than this last one!
The Middle English word sermon comes from the Latin, sermo, and referred to a discourse or speech. While sermon is not a Bible word per se, God has chosen the content of oral discourse to save the planet (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).
It is certainly more popular to say teach today than the words preach or sermon. But the Bible possesses a kaleidoscope of words for its preaching vocabulary. Major terms would include preach, teach, evangelize, exhort, admonish, witness, and reason. (Some would also include the word prophesy).
Minor terms would include tell, speak, strengthen, reprove, rebuke, reveal, persuade, explain, address, instruct, feed, open, acknowledge, spread, and counsel. The stiff distinction between preaching and teaching probably cannot be sustained, though some nuance of difference between the terms must be admitted when the terms occur together.2
Preaching can be defined etymologically (what the terms mean), negatively (what it is not), doctrinally (what it declares), metaphorically (to what it is compared), rhetorically or methodologically (how one does it), and effectually (what it accomplishes). My Old Testament definition of preaching, based on Nehemiah 8:8, is “explaining the Law in the context of the redeemed covenant community of Israel.” My New Testament definition of preaching, based on 2 Timothy 3:15–4:2, is “announcing the good news, derived from the Scriptures, that God is now exercising his cosmic reign in the person of Jesus and his covenant community.” Regardless of the testament, the preacher’s goal is to do homiletics (i.e. speak the same thing as the text).
Assessing the Impact
What should a sermon accomplish? More than just occupying 30 minutes of time or providing a needed rest, good sermons should create heartburn (Luke 24:27, 32), brokenness (Nehemiah 8:9; Acts 2:37; Daniel 9:2), renewal (Nehemiah 8:17; Psalm 1), amazement (Matthew 7:28, 29; John 7:46), faith (Romans 10:17), understanding beyond what mortals could know (1 Corinthians 1:25), baptism (Acts 8:34-38), further discussion and study (Acts 13:42; 17:11), anger and jealousy (Luke 4:28, 29; Acts 7:54; 13:45; 22:22), and encouragement (the entire book of Hebrews).
Other reactions to a sermon might be the desire of the church member to reread the text for the day, to mark some significant new path, to respond with some kind of exegetical comment, or to evidence some kind of life change. If the sermon is on task (the Word was accurately preached), then the preacher might rest well and the church member might not.
1 Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1971), 792.
2 See Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 11:1; Luke 20:1; Acts 4:1, 2; 5:42; 15:35; 28:30, 31.
Mark Scott is academic dean at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri.
Author: Mark Scott
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. He also serves as minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin.
