Creativity and Preaching

I enjoy listening to the guy who is creative in how he packages and presents his messages. I also enjoy the guy who really knows how to do "exegesis," i.e., can get into a passage, walk me through it, unpack it carefully, and make me feel, when he's done, like I really understand that passage much better than I did before.

Unfortunately those two guys are rarely the same person.

Some preachers astound me with their creative ability to perceive spiritual questions people are really interested in, apply biblical principles to their lives, and package their teaching in ways that capture the  attention. Often, however, I feel like they are not letting the Bible drive their content--their messages are more driven by their experiences and creative genius. I also feel like if I sat under their preaching for a while that I would not really be getting the full scope of what God has left for me to know in the Bible. And rarely do I feel like I understand passages of Scripture much better as a result of their preaching.

Other guys astound me with their ability to perceive what a text is saying and unpack it. However, quite often they bore me, and fail to make me see how a particular passage is absolutely essential for my life. Yet, often they don't package in a way that captures my attention; they are usually only decent in application, and they almost always suck in introduction and approach. Quite often they ramble on way too long in too many scattered directions (usually, they excuse this by saying they are just going wherever the text itself goes).

I think both elements, careful exegesis and creativity, are absolutely necessary.

I think the key is knowing what order to employ each of those elements in your sermon preparation. I think you must know how to discipline and harness your creativity so that it serves the text and not trumps the text.

Though both are essential, I think that exegesis must precede creativity.

When I let my creativity precede my exegetical work, then I end up cramming what I want to say into a text. The text serves as I kind of playground in which I find ways to use it to say what I already want to say. That kind of preaching is interesting but, at the end of the day, unfaithful to my calling and unsatisfying to those wanting to know God. The Summit Church does not need my word, it needs God's word.

But when I force myself to do the exegesis FIRST, trying to strip my mind of all creative elements, I can let the Holy Spirit teach me what He was trying to say in a passage first. THEN, AFTER I'm done with that, I can look back at what I've gleaned and allow my creativity to go to work, packaging that content in a way that captures people's attention.

If you stop with the exegesis, you will be right in what you preach, but unfortunately a lot of people will miss what you are saying. Our message is too urgent to be satisfied that we have simply presented the material accurately. No true fisherman consoles himself for catching no fish by pointing out the excellency of his bait.

Weighting yourself too heavily toward exegesis or creativity are both lazy approaches. The first fails to connect; the second fails to be faithful to God's calling. As a teacher of God's word, I am called to do both: to be faithful and connect. I am not called to simply expound a book; I am called to expound it to people.

Sure, if I had to choose one or the other, I'd much rather choose to be faithful to the text... but I do not have to choose.

Comments

[Rob Taylor]

My hermeneutics prof in college used to say that ingenuity in an exegete is a sin. Albeit exegesis is only one step in sermon preparation.

[Anne]

I thank the Lord that he gifted you in both areas. We are all blessed by your gifts. Thanks for sharing them with us.

[Jeff Fisher]

I think good application and good illustration help fuel good creativity.

It can be so forced when we try to do a series like "God in the Movies" (which many try to do) where they take the Summer blockbusters and try to make exciting sermons about them.

Give me a sermon that applies to my life and helps me understand scriptue better. Not one that makes me want to go see Transformers!

[Matt Cummings]

JD,

Could you give us an idea of how you prepare for your sermons?

[Bill G.]

I'll be excited if I can ever find a preacher who is able to do 2 things well.

a) Read Scripture straight-up in public without stuttering, and
b) Never, ever ask me to donate to his building fund.

I'd even be fine if he called me at 7am every day asking me for money as long as it was truly for the poor. And if I could ever find one with the chutzpah to preach Ecclesiastes 7:28, that would be the icing on the cake.

I love that you emphasize exegesis primarily, JD. Not to be a stick in the mud, but Jesus' men seem to have fished with nets, not bait. :-) Miraculously, Jesus individually led each fish into the nets until they all overflowed (Luke ch. 4). The way I see it, anyone that can be baited into a net can just as easily be baited out of it and into another one by a later fisherman.

Really, not to be a stick in the mud. Just some thoughts I had. Finding applications to give is natural and wonderful, but I've found (if He is calling and saving them) the Holy Spirit is often giving individual people in the audience their own personal application regardless of which one I come up with anyway. On the other hand, I can never be accurate enough to what God is saying through a passage. He speaks infinitely.

Ignore anything I say. Thanks for doing a great job.

[Scott Newton Smith]

Spot stinkin' on, JD. Spot. On.

This is exactly what needs to be understood about EFFECTIVE expository preaching. When I say to people that I'm committed to expository preaching I can almost see their preconceived notions appear in cartoon clouds over their heads of some crusty professor droning on some root word of a root word that they can't pronounce and will immediately forget. Expository preaching is a must, but lack of creativity is what gives it a bad rap.

You're right. We don't have to choose between the two... and shouldn't.

Let's revel in the safety of "running on the rails" of the text while enjoying the thrill of souping up the train that gets their understanding from point A to point B.

The fact is, we shouldn't just exegete the text, we should exegete the listener. We must be faithful to the text while leveraging the "engagement" process through which the mind & heart catch ideas -- a process which REQUIRES that I be creative if the text is going to really connect at delivery time.

Thanks for all you do for the Kingdom.

Scott N. Smith
SNSministries.org
Sermonators.com

[1corinthians11v1]

The most eloquent explanations combined with the most creative word pictures can't hold a candle to when a preacher comes across as sincere while speaking the Word of God. The best way to come across as sincere is to preach for free. That is when everyone says, "Whoa, is this dude from God or what!"

Paul came across that way, and said, "unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." (2 Corinthians 2:17)

"So many" cite 1 Cor 9 to justify their profit, saying "those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel" (verse 14). They are right. However, they are also ripping that verse entirely out of its context. The whole chapter (or even just the next 5 verses) shows that Paul's entire point is why *not* to use that right.

Elsewhere Paul says he desires for preachers to follow his example in this matter. "We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow." (2 Thessalonians 3)

Don't get me wrong. A preacher is due double honor and is worthy of great pay. However, if he wants to win as many as possible, he will ask for none. In 1 Cor. 9 Paul said he worked for no pay "to win as many as possible." The way Paul spelled effective was f-r-e-e.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for the reassurance that the creativity in approach is needed, too. I'm pursuing a Master's in Art Therapy, in hopes of using art to create relationships to ultimately minister to people.. yet I've been worrying that it's too much art and not enough God and started to wonder if I should totally switch and pursue Biblical Counseling instead. Perhaps this is stretching it a bit far, but this is restoring my hope that the integration of the two is what is most effective in reaching people.. which is what my original goal has been! Your reminder of letting the Holy Spirit teach me first, then letting my creativity to go work, is just what I needed to hear. Thank you.

[Jamie Limato]

Thank you JD. A friend and mentor of mine pointed me to this blog entry and it has been very insightful. I am a young pastor of a church-plant and this is the one thing that constantly bothers me of my own teaching. I feel as though I tend to bend towards the creative side. As I think of why...I know the answer is my background has been topical teaching and I firmly believe in expository teaching but in an effort to not be boring...sometimes I am not completely faithful to the passage. Thank you for your thoughts. Anymore that you could expound on this it would be much appreciated.
Blessings,
Jamie Limato
www.aletheianorfolk.com