Erskine Seminary God’s People & God’s Message By Dr. Kyle Sims P
reaching God’s Word is the practical end of any theological education for pastors. The sacred act of proclaiming the truth of scriptures with clarity, passion, and application is at the heart of what seminaries train pastors to
do. Yes, there is a need for classes on polity and leadership, but a church is led by the pulpit and not in a session room or small groups. I am humbled to have been asked to teach the introductory preaching course at Erskine Theological Seminary this semester. As someone who has preached every week for 25 years, it is challenging to think about how to teach others to preach. Over the last few weeks, I have wrestled with the question, ‘What do I want to instill in my students this semester?” Here are a few thoughts on how I want to answer this question. Preaching must be rooted in the Scriptures. The preacher is not to give his personal message or ideas. Instead, he is a herald of the living God. He is given the message of the Scriptures to proclaim to the Church and the World, and the focus of that message is the Lord Jesus Christ. The preacher enters the pulpit and must speak as God’s man to God’s people with God’s message. There is a difference between teaching and preaching. Teaching imparts knowledge, but preaching goes further. That knowledge is then applied to the said. Preaching, while imparting knowledge, also transforms the person. Thus, preaching should be persuasive. The Scriptures should be applied to change the hearer. A logical argument from the Word should call on the hearer to believe and be transformed. Preaching needs to be passionate. The preacher is declaring a message from
the Lord. He is calling people to believe the gospel. This must be done with pas- - ercise but a spiritual battle for the souls and lives of men. It is a spiritual means to feed the people of God, protecting and blessing them through the Word of God rightly expounded and applied. Preaching needs to be relevant. Preaching is an event in time and space. It
is proclaiming the Word of God to a particular people in a particular place. This is why the preaching con- text is so important. The shepherd pastor must live among and care for his people so his preaching will be di- rected to them. We do not preach to pews but to people. He must preach as one known by the congregation and who knows the congregation. What about you who are hear- ing the sermon? What would I instill in you about preaching? Have you thought much about listening to a sermon? Know that preaching is hard work. Your pastor prepares for hours to preach God’s Word to you. Appre- ciate that work and prepare yourself to hear the word.
Do you pray for your pastor dur- ing the week for his sermon? Are you regular in your attendance at wor- ship? Do you have some routine of preparing to hear the Word preached? A sermon can’t be approached like watching a sitcom, nor is it like at- tending a concert. You are to be an active participant in the worship ser- vice. This includes engaging the ser- mon and seeking to understand and apply the passage being preached. Preaching is a means of grace giv- en by God to bless his people. Under- stand how vital sermons are for your Christian life. If you are in the pulpit, feed God’s sheep with God’s Word, and do it with persuasion, passion, and relevance. If you are in the pew, pray for your pastor and encourage him as he preaches. Make sure you passionately engage every sermon to know and follow the Scriptures.
Dr. Kyle Sims (BA,‘93; DMin,‘10) is an Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Director of Seminary Admissions & Church Relations at Erskine Seminary. He has 25 years of pastoral experience, has previously served as Vice-Moderator for the ARP Synod, and currently serves as Principal Clerk.
March/April 2024
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