Lesson Goal
Learn some elements of a complete sermon.
Lesson Intro
We have discussed many varieties of sermon types so far, but what makes for a complete sermon? Are there elements which make for a balanced approach to preaching?
Lesson Plan
This chapter introduces a number of counselors with practical advice on what makes for complete or well-rounded oratory. Some of our technical advisors will be pagan Greeks and the modern, equally pagan media. However, some of our advisors will be Christian teachers of rhetoric such as Augustine, Cassiodorus, Blair and Campbell who adapted the good principles found in ancient schools of rhetoric for use in preaching today.
Lesson Body
1. Rhetoric (Language)
Rhetoric today is often used as a negative term to describe the abuse of public speaking in matters like exaggeration or pretentious posturing. However, in scholarship, the term rhetoric applies to the effective use of language. That can pertain as equally to positive use as negative use. In classical studies, rhetoric was the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience. Certainly that is something that every preacher believes is part of his responsibility. Language can certainly be used for evil, such as Hitler's incredible ability to sway an audience for his vile purposes, or a heretical preacher's extraordinary abilities to have audiences swooning over a false gospel. Rhetoric is also used for good by thousands of faithful, orthodox preachers in every continent on earth to persuade people concerning the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
2. Oratory (Public Speaking)
Oratory is simply the art of public speaking, particularly in a formal sense. For generations, Christian preachers have studied the Greek philosophers and their remarkable insights into rhetoric and public speaking and adapted many of their ideas for godly purposes in the arts of preaching and hermeneutics.
Some of you may object to my seeking the advice of pagan orators for the mechanics of preaching, but may not see any problem asking a pagan automotive technician for mechanical advice, or a pagan grammar teacher advice on the use of verbs. We are not asking for their guidance on the gospel content of the sermon, but on its structure and mechanism. As we will see, Augustine adapted the arts of language and public speaking for gospel use and this has served us well ever since.
3. "The Art of Rhetoric"
Aristotle in his classic book on public speaking The Art of Rhetoric concludes that there are three appeals in rhetoric: ethos, logos and pathos. A complete sermon would contain all three.
a. Ethos (Reputation)
Ethos is an appeal based on the character or reputation of the preacher. Example: Preacher XYZ is a well respected evangelist with an unquestionable reputation. A preacher must establish ethos with his audience or eventually lose them entirely.
When a preacher is new, the congregation will graciously give him the benefit of the doubt. However, this must not be taken for granted. It takes years to prove yourself as a preacher. For a number of years you may be referred to as "the" pastor. You will know you have crossed a certain threshold of acceptance when they start calling you "our" pastor. But even then you may not be the leader, until you have been in a local church for a decade. As a pastor or priest, they will not care what you know until they know that you care.
Ethos is established or ruined in other ways as well. If the congregation knows that we are politically manipulative, have ulterior motives, or don't really know the Bible very well, we will lose credibility.
The use of personal testimony can also build ethos, but there we need to be careful. A preacher that is always talking about himself can seem self-righteous or self-centered. So, personal testimony needs to be focused on God and not self, as we discussed in the very first lesson.
b. Logos (Intellect)
Logos means something slightly different in rhetoric than in theology. In rhetoric it is an appeal based on logic or reason. Theology is usually logos-driven. For example: We believe this to be orthodox teaching because it is biblically and theologically sound. Ethos will give you a hearing, but if you are illogical, you can quickly lose an audience. We've all heard the supposedly fabulous preacher who unfortunately gave us his dud sermon the day we were there. So ethos without logos is useless. Logos is similar to mathematics in that it uses hard facts that are harder to dispute. It can convince even cynics that a point of view is accurate. Logos adds to ethos by confirming or enhancing an already good reputation. However, to some people logos can seem uninteresting and didactic, boring. An extra ingredient is needed as well.
c. Pathos (Emotions)
Pathos is an appeal based on emotion. For example: Let's get behind the building program because our children need a safe place to learn about God. Another example is advertising. It uses a hook. This is pathos. Preachers can also find a hook, a metaphor, or a story to add pathos to their sermons. Generally, preachers need to be more passionate about their topics. I'm not talking about fake theatrics that becomes a mere exercise in emotional manipulation, but about a genuine sense of urgency and gusto about the most significant item of communication on the planet, the gospel.
A well-rounded, complete sermon cannot continue without the good reputation of the preacher. Nor can it be illogical and dorky. It must also contain elements of emotional appeal. Even the most intellectual of us is an emotional being. The complete sermon then, appeals to its audience in three dimensions of ethos, logos and pathos (reputation, intellect and emotion).
d. Balance
Be careful with ethos. The over-use of personal testimony can be more detrimental than helpful. Most of your reputation will be built outside of preaching time. So, the greatest amounts of time in most sermons will be in the use of logos and pathos, intellect and emotion, mind and heart. Personal testimony is like salt, to be used sparingly.
4. "Institutes of Oratory"
Quintilian in the classic book on public speaking Institutes of Oratory suggested five rules of rhetoric:
Invention: the development and refinement of an argument.
Disposition: how an argument is arranged.
Style and Presentation: how a speech is structured.
Memory: how a speaker remembers things during his speech.
Delivery: how to speak with grace and captivate an audience - i.e. preaching in grand style, which we will discuss more thoroughly in a future lesson.
5. "On Christian Doctrine"
Augustine was educated in classical rhetoric before becoming a Christian. Once converted, he wanted to use his training in public speaking to spread the gospel. He wrote the four volume classic On Christian Doctrine to encourage the use of hermeneutics, the rhetoric of the sermon. In book four Augustine explains the importance of a preacher learning rhetoric, and mentions a number of important basics such as:
Plain speaking for clarity
Three styles: subdued (for teaching), elegant (for praise) and majestic (for exhortation)
Preachers ought to live a life in harmony with their teachings
6. "Introduction to Divine and Human Readings"
Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus was a Christian historian and founder of monasteries who wrote Introduction to Divine and Human Readings in the 500's. It formed a basis for early university standards, which were largely Christian institutions. Cassiodorus described rhetoric as one of the seven liberal arts to be taught at universities throughout the Middle Ages. These were arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, music, grammar, logic and rhetoric. He encouraged respect for the antiquity and authority of the Fathers in exegeting the scriptures.
7. "Lectures on Rhetoric"
An important book Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres was written by Scottish clergyman Hugh Blair in the late 1700's. Some highlights are:
Taste: derived from a deep appreciation of God's creation, vital for preaching
Perspicuity: the art of making our meaning clear
Good style: clear ideas, practice, personalized imitation, style ought not mask the message
Persuasion: every sermon ought to be a persuasive oration
Pulpit eloquence: gravity and warmth.
Basis of preaching: truth and good sense
8. "Philosophy of Rhetoric"
The Philosophy of Rhetoric by Scottish theologian George Campbell was life's his passion. He studied rhetoric to help his students become better preachers. Campbell is famous for the quote, "That we may reflect light on others, we must ourselves be previously enlightened." In his philosophy Campbell makes several observations of his own on the need for both pleasant and painful passion in a successful sermon:
Two classes of simple passion: pleasant and painful
Passions are associated with memories
Pain usually makes a deeper impression on the memory than pleasure. History recalls wars more than good times, newspapers report tragedies more than happy events.
An experience that includes both pain and pleasure, will be more pleasurable and enduring than one which includes only pleasure.
Tragedy excites pity, a participation in the woes of others, and the desire for solution.
Pity is a group of passions, which result in love. Love often starts in pain and results when we gladly promote the interests of another even when it opposes our own interests.
9. Modern Media
The modern media continue to use rhetoric to bring about cultural, social and political changes. The largest differences are in regard to audio/visual technologies and the scope of communication. Every preacher is well aware of presentation software and other visual aids. Preachers who still use an overhead are somehow seen as out of date, and those who use no visual aids at all are seen as prehistoric. Yet, these audio/visual aids can often contain so much glitz and glamour that they actually mask the real message. There is still a valuable place for the skilled orator and even though the art is lost in many churches, a naked preacher (clothed but unaided by gadgets) who is an exhilarating speaker can have a magnificent effect in spreading God's message. However, that is not my greatest challenge to you. The scope of modern media is worldwide and virtually instantaneous, but we need to grab the opportunity, and not let it rest.
I challenge you to take the media back from the heretical preachers and their empty-headed fluff. I dare you to be a part of an army of biblically well-educated preachers with healthy theology who will form a worldwide brigade to take the media back for Jesus. The church has lost its patronage of the arts, literature, universities and political influence that it enjoyed for centuries. We need to recapture territory lost to the devil and his deceptions. We will never win this war completely until Christ declares victory at his return, but we have allowed too many shysters, hucksters, and poorly educated religious charlatans to hijack the gospel. It is time that those who know their Bibles, who have studied Greek and Hebrew, who have read the writings of the church Fathers, those who know how to rightly divide the word of truth, to step forward and say that enough is enough. If not us, then who! If those of us who are actually educated in what Jesus taught don't take over the media, then it will continue to be left to the cults and the scripture twisters to spread their heresies, urban legends and counterfeits. It's time that the mainstream churches stood up for the gospel and took the mass media by storm.
10. A Complete Sermon
A complete sermon, according to according to Aristotle would contain ethos (an ethical preacher), logos (intellect) and pathos (emotions). According to Quintilian it would contain grace. According to Augustine it would be plain and in harmony with the preacher's example. According to Cassiodorus it would show respect for historic Christianity. According to Blair, it would be tasteful. According to Campbell it would contain both pleasant and painful passions. And today we face two challenges, one technical and the other, another round of the age-old battle against heretics ? today's preachers ought to be state-of-the-art media-wise and more importantly fight to take the media back from modern phonies.
Example Sermon
Title: "How a Terrorist Changed"
Goal
To discover the metanoia experience.
Intro
The phrase road to Damascus is often used for a sudden turning point in a person's life, a dramatic life-changing experience. It was probably 36 AD when a religious terrorist and murderer was changed by a remarkable incident and became a Christian.
Plan
Let's look at Paul's road to Damascus experience in Acts 9, 22 and 26 and see what lessons from it can apply to us.
Body:
Saul's Reluctance and Acceptance (Acts 9:3-9 // 26:12-14 // 22:11-13)
Saul (Paul) was a Jewish fanatic. The Old Testament punishment for false prophets was the death penalty, so he thought he was doing the right thing by his complicity in the murder of Christians. What he didn't understand was that Jesus was the long awaited Jewish Messiah and that his followers were true believers. Suddenly, while underway for yet another mission to persecute these Christians, Saul saw the light. He had what many today are calling a metanoia experience or life-changing encounter, which simply uses the Greek word for repentance.
Ethos (Reputation)
This would be a good place for a small testimonial regarding how the preacher first saw the light.
Logos (Intellect)
This would be the appropriate place to teach about conversion and calling for mission, that our mission field is our work place, school, community organization or neighborhood.
Pathos (Emotions)
This would be a good time to exhort the congregation to remember when they first saw the light and never to go backwards.
Ananias' Reluctance and Acceptance (Acts 9:10-19 // 26:17 // 22:12-16)
Ananias was a believer who had heard of Saul's persecutions. He was alarmed because he had heard all about this terrorist. Ananias' initial reluctance to accept Saul's conversion was to be expected. He was naturally suspicious. But in a dream Jesus reassured him that Saul would become a great Christian missionary.
After a few days Saul began preaching in the Synagogues that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. People were amazed that a terrorist, who had massacred Christians, was now preaching the Christian message. Saul's preaching was growing stronger, and Jews in Damascus could not disprove his evidence that Jesus was in actual fact their Messiah. So, some Jewish leaders decided to murder him. But, Saul was warned and escaped in a basket let down through a hole in the city wall.
Logos (Intellect)
This would be the appropriate place to teach about how important reputation is and how long it takes to build a good one and that it took Paul over a decade before he was completely ready for his calling.
Pathos (Emotions)
This would be a good time to encourage the congregation to be patient with God's working in their lives.
Jerusalem's Reluctance and Acceptance (Acts 9:26-30)
Acceptance by the whole church was also important for Paul's mission. He needed the backing and prayers of church leaders before he could embark upon his calling. In Jerusalem, Saul tried to assemble with the believes, but naturally they were afraid that it was a trick. However, Barnabas introduced them to the Apostles and told them about Saul's conversion and preaching. So Saul continued with them for some time and again preached boldly. Once more, some Jews plotted his murder, but the believers sent him to his hometown of Tarsus. So the local churches enjoyed peace for a time.
Logos (Intellect)
This would be the appropriate place to teach about cooperating with the church in any spiritual endeavors such as small group leadership.
Pathos (Emotions)
This would be a good time to stir people to action regarding the necessity of God's confirmation of our conversion and calling, the importance of prayer, fasting and Bible reading.
Lessons in Paul's Conversion Story
What are some of the main lessons from this account?
Logos (Intellect)
God can use anybody for a might purpose, even a former terrorist. Devoted and sincere religious people sometimes get it terribly wrong. Saul did not come to conversion because of someone's preaching or a missionary venture, but because of direct encounter with Jesus. Saul did not avoid church leaders or create an independent ministry, but sought them out so as to cooperate with the authorities in the church.
Pathos (Emotions)
Not every conversion is as dramatic as Paul's. Everyone's conversion is unique and most often less dramatic than this one. Every one of us ought to seek a personal encounter with the risen Christ. This is one of the main purposes of prayer and worship. Every one of us is or has been a terrorist and a murderer when it comes to the hatred in our hearts. Jesus said that if we are unjustifiably angry, or call people awful names, we are the same as a terrorist, a murderer.
Jesus said that is we are unjustly angry or verbally abuse people we have murdered in our hearts. The simple moral fact is that words kill, and our words are too often words of hatred, terror, murder. We murder the reputation of others with our words. We terrorize them with our criticisms. We murder people's hopes and dreams with our verbal abuse. We bully and ridicule and discourage and oppress.
So a Damascus road experience has two essential ingredients, whether that takes place in an instant or is a journey of decades:
An encounter with and getting to know the living Christ. Without such experience in our lives, we are in danger of being told by him, "I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23)
The conviction that indulging in verbal murder is a grievous offense.
Outro
We need the light from heaven to cross our paths, be struck blind to the shortcomings of others, and hear the voice of Jesus asking us why we are murdering him, when we murder each other with bitter and spiteful words and the defamation of character that Jesus hates. Only the light from heaven can help us see how utterly incapable we are of rightly judging others and how desperately we too need Jesus to save our own lives. Only the light of heaven can deliver us from all hatred and bitterness in our hearts and bring us healing.
We don't have to look far to find Jesus, because he is all around us — in others. When we capture that vision, we will no longer desire to murder fellow Christians with our words, because we know that Jesus is in them.
Suggested Reading
The counselors we chose above were teachers of rhetoric. Another group of individuals we could call mentors. The serious preacher would well want to read records of some of the best sermon material of Christian history. Much of this material is also free of any copyright. The only difficulty is that some of the English is dated and a little challenging to read. I highly recommend some of the sermons delivered by men such as Chrysostom, Luther, Calvin, Thomas Manton, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Fulton Sheen and others. We may not agree with some of the views of these men of God, but that is not the point. We read their sermons to learn how to become better preachers. When a protégé imitates any mentor he transforms what he learns to suit his own personality, style and conscience.
Suggested Assignment
Choose a sermon that you can build a balance of ethos, logos and pathos into.
Lesson Outro
We looked into a number of counselors for practical advice on what makes for complete or well-rounded oratory. Some of our technical advisors were pagan Greeks and the equally pagan modern media. However, some of our advisors were Christian teachers of rhetoric such as Augustine, Cassiodorus, Blair and Campbell who adapted the good principles found in the ancient schools of rhetoric for our use in preaching today. Never be afraid to improve our preaching, even on advice from a non-Christian.
