In the January 2010 issue of Watchman, I wrote an article titled, Projector Preaching. It was the first in a series of articles intended to benefit those who preach the gospel. The articles will contain suggestions and helps I have utilized in my 31 years of preaching the gospel.
Please understand that it is not my intent to set myself up as an authority on the matter of preaching. I have some experience, and have greatly appreciated the advice and examples of men who have influenced me through the years. I simply want to pass on some of what I have learned to those who may benefit.
It is my intent in this article to encourage preachers to write. I am convinced writing, (though among the most difficult of tasks for a preacher), is a wonderful discipline that will benefit both the preacher and his audience. In this I include not only those who read his words, but others who will benefit from his increased discipline, ability and scholarship.
When a man preaches from the pulpit, his words are heard by a few. Some of his audience is distracted, some apathetic, and only some listeners are genuinely interested, thus benefitting from his words. When his lesson is over, in many cases his words are lost forever to all except for the zealous ones who listened carefully and will carry them in their hearts.
To combat this, many record their sermons for posterity. This is wonderful and beneficial. Almost every lesson I have preached in my 20 plus years at the West Side congregation in Fort Worth is archived on cassette tape or CD. Copies are sent weekly to various Christians, some in far away locales, and we receive numerous requests for sermons to pass on to those who may benefit. However, I must admit that the numbers reached in this way are still relatively small. The internet has helped, as sermon audio is readily available in digital form. Having said all this, I contend that there is no substitute for the written word.
There are no audio copies of our Lord’s sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7), or Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2), or Paul’s address on Mars Hill (Acts 17). God chose to reserve them for posterity via the written word. Throughout history the words of the preacher come down to us through the pen.
I recently read a review comparing two debate books on the institutional issues. The first book is a transcription of the Roy Cogdill – Guy N. Woods debate, held in Birmingham, Alabama, November 18 – 23, 1957. The second book is titled The Cogdell-Turner Discussion … A Search for Truth. It is a written debate between Gaston D. Cogdell and Robert F. Turner, published in 1983. The reviewer noted that while the Cogdill – Woods debate is considered one of the most important debates on the issue, the more slender written debate between Cogdell and Turner is a much more beneficial study of the issue. The difference exists because of the nature of the discussion. A written discussion is often more scholarly, and devoid of the distractions and redundancies characteristic of oral argument. The exception is the first affirmative of brother Roy Cogdill, reprinted in the August 2001 issue of Watchman, which itself is a scripted speech, carefully planned to the last word. While some may disagree with the relative merits of the two books, the strengths and weaknesses of each form of debate is clear.
Watchman Magazine has been around since November of 1997. When putting the magazine in its new form, I purposefully left the previous links active because many of the links to the articles are found on websites around the world. Some of these websites do not even hold to truth. For example, the link to brother Cogdill’s first affirmative in the Birmingham debate is given as an example of non-institutional argumentation on a site that advocates the institutional viewpoint. Tom Roberts’ article, What Does it Mean to “Preach the Cross” appears on a website that propagates the “Core Gospel” concept. Other examples: Matt Miller’s excellent sermon on the subject of alcohol use, Alcohol and the Christian, is endorsed by one writer on his blog. Numerous Watchman articles appear on Truth Magazine’s website under an archive documenting the Creation Controversy. One lady who writes a blog on women’s issues depended heavily on Kevin Maxey’s explanation of the Hebrew term hesed in his article, God’s Faithful Lovingkindness, to describe the proper character of a godly woman. In addition to such links on other sites, Watchman records an average of about 1,500 page views each week. These are only a few examples of the far flung influence Watchman Magazine holds 13 years after its inception.
I mention the above simply to show that written words have lasting value. Even when quoted with derision by those who hold to error, the truth stands in stark relief to the false teaching of men. A well reasoned article, expounding upon a Bible topic or passage, has permanent value both to the Christian and the alien sinner.
The discipline of writing is especially beneficial to the preacher himself. A good article has been researched, studied, meditated upon, written, rewritten and edited. This takes patience, diligence, studiousness and more patience. All of these are needed by a preacher of the gospel. By writing he sharpens his sword, and learns to wield it with boldness and economy. He becomes more organized in thought and habit, and these personal improvements are reflected in the pulpit. Because of his concerted effort, the subject he writes about is embedded in his memory, and well understood. He is more knowledgeable about God’s word, and better able to explain his understanding to others. And, the fruit of his study is permanently available to the reader.
Now for some suggestions:
- Begin a teaching bulletin. Do not fall into the habit of copying and pasting the writing of others. Most weeks, try to write an article yourself. It need not be long, just well reasoned and studied.
- Establish a blog. It is now extremely easy to have a website online. It costs absolutely nothing, and allows you to make your writing available to a wider audience. You can upload your bulletin articles, or you can create content exclusive to the online community. It will be your writing that others will be copying and pasting into their bulletins! You can allow comments to your posts online if you wish, creating a dialogue between you and your readers. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest WordPress.com. You can have an attractive online presence in five minutes, and it costs absolutely nothing!
- Publish a book. I know, I just lost some of you. But, these days it is very simple. There are several websites that allow you to publish your own books, and the quality is every bit as good as those printed by major publishing houses. Both paperback and hardback bindings are available. One such site is fastpencil.com. If you have written a series of articles on a particular subject, or are interested in writing an entire book on the matter, or simply want to compile miscellaneous articles you have already written, you now have options that were simply unavailable in the recent past. Not everyone is comfortable reading online. Many are willing to pay to add a good book to their library.
One caveat. Don’t write for others unless you are serious about getting it right. Brethren need good reading material; material that is true, well written and understandable. If you are not willing to spend the time to do it right, then don’t do it at all. Writing is not for everybody, and certainly not for those lacking proper motivation. But, for those who are willing to put in the time and effort, it is a wonderful blessing to them and their readers. What about you? Pick up your pen (or your keyboard), and give it a try!
