The Anatomy of a Sermon: How Recognizing Good Preaching can Help Identify a Good Pastor

This lecture is designed to help churches that are currently in the process of seeking a new pastor by providing criteria for evaluating the preaching of candidates. It should also be helpful for those desiring to improve their preaching and teaching. Since one of a pastor’s main responsibilities is preaching (Eph. 4:11–13; 1 Tim. 5:17) and since most of the congregation only gets to choose their pastor primarily based on hearing 2–3 sermons, then it is important to recognize good preaching to identify a good pastor. The evaluative criteria in this video will not only help the congregation at large, but will also help the search committee members to assess candidates and to develop interview questions related to preaching. Knowing the difference between a sermon, a speech, and a seminary lecture is the first step toward recognizing good preaching. The thesis of the lecture is that recognizing good preaching will help one to identify a good pastor. The presentation develops the thesis by dividing preaching into two main steps: preparation and presentation. It then covers the homiletic areas of sermon preparation including the structure, content, and delivery of sermons from the perspective of evaluating a candidate’s ability to preach and suitability for a particular church. It closes by considering how the preparation area of the candidate’s character (prayer and virtuous life, 1 Tim. 4:16) is reflected in the following sermon elements: the opening and closing prayer, the explanation of the passage (observation and interpretation), illustration, and application.