How to Preach Like Andy Stanley

15 Pages·2012·0.58 MB·English

A COMPILATION OF ARTICLES ON PREACHING
Article #1(of six)
How to Preach Like Andy Stanley
by Michael Lukaszewski

Michael Lukaszewski offers six compelling reasons why Andy Stanley is one of the top
communicators of our time.
Here are six reasons why Andy Stanley is one of the top communicators of our time.
1. He Understands the People.
I get the sense Andy truly understands the people sitting in the rows. I've heard him reference
"your first marriage" many times. Recently, one of his application questions was about child
support. This kind of understanding and the real-life examples he works into his messages build
credibility.
2. He Is a Master of the Content.
Andy doesn't use notes, and if you pay attention you'll see him reference a slide on the screen
just before it appears. That's because he's prepared. He knows his material, and he's not reading it
from a sheet of paper.
3. He Will Get You to Agree With Him in the First Five
Minutes.
I've listened to thousands of sermons from dozens of preachers in my life, and I've never heard
anyone create tension like Andy Stanley. In the first five minutes of a message, you'll find
yourself agreeing with something. He might say, "You've thought this ..." and you'll agree in
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your heart. Even if you disagree with the truth, you'll agree with the emotion. This is incredible,
because if you can get someone to agree with you about something early on, you'll be far more
likely to get them to agree to take an action step in the end.
4. He Speaks to a Broader Audience.
If you were to watch a video of Andy speaking, you probably wouldn't know when and where he
was when speaking. That's because he's not just preaching to the people in the room—he's
preaching to people in other rooms. He knows his audience is larger than the people looking at
him. You may think, "I don't have the need to do that because we don't have other campuses and
this message isn't on the Internet," but the process of speaking "evergreen" will make you a
better communicator.
5. He Tackles Tough Topics With Grace.
Last year, I heard Andy talk about the tough subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage. He
handled the topic with grace, but also spoke the truth. He was courteous and recognized that
everyone wouldn't agree with his message, but that didn't keep him away from explaining what
the Bible said on the subject. People don't feel beat up, but they know they need to make
changes.
6. He Speaks With Vision.
Andy often uses the word "imagine" and paints a picture for people of what life would be like if
they applied the principle he is teaching. He causes you to think about the future, whether he's
talking about marriage, faith or finances.
End of article one; beginning of article two:
10 Ways to Authenticate Your Preaching
by Jarod Moore

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Adding the context of your life to pulpit ministry means adding authenticity to your pulpit
ministry.
1 Cor. 9:24-27 – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it
to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box
as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to
others I myself should be disqualified.
When I speak of adding context to your pulpit ministry, I mean adding authenticity to your pulpit
ministry. If your church does not know you outside of your pulpit, it will be difficult to validate
your message. Granted, if the Bible is the Word of God, it shouldn’t matter who preaches it, so
long as they’re preaching what the Bible says, but your hearers often hear you before they hear
the Scriptures. Also, if you’re preaching to lost people or immature Christians, they will often
read you more than they read Scripture. If your people know you, the man behind the pulpit, then
they’ll have a better basis for understanding your sermons, biblical interpretation, hobby horses,
illustrations, etc. Furthermore, they’ll have a better basis for believing your sermons as opposed
to the TV preacher who tells them something different. In other words, it adds context to your
message when you preach on the family and your church knows that you’re a God-fearing
husband and father. On the other hand, if an unknown person preaches, and the “context” isn’t
provided outside the pulpit, then the audience will either assume the best or the worst. These
assumptions will largely depend on how grounded they are in Scripture, their own personalities,
and whether or not they’ve witnessed hypocrisy in previous pulpits.
Moreover, if you read the qualifications for a pastor, many of them just describe who the pastor
is to be in his daily life. If none of our church members witness our daily lives, how will they
know if we’re continually qualified to be their pastor(s)? Here are the qualifications Paul lists in
1 Timothy 3:1-7:
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-
controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity
keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own
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household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may
become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be
well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Here are 10 suggestions to help add context to your pulpit ministry:
1. Drive the church van. Driving the church van helps you build relationships with those
onboard. Furthermore, it helps you gain more appreciation for a ministry that receives few
thankyou’s and many complaints. Take one week every month or two to drive the church van. (I
drive the church van every worship service. I love those children!)
2. Help clean up after dinner. When we meet we must eat. For the purpose of showing a Christ-
like example of servant-leader, you should do service type work that may not normally be your
responsibility (John 13:1-11). The ratio between time spent serving and the context it will add to
your ministry are minuscule. (I help clean up after almost every meal at church.)
3. Help the sick and forgotten. This is pure and undefiled religion (James 1:27). When you visit
the sick, don’t treat them like they have the plague. When you visit the nursing home, a place
which often feels like death is in the air, show these people you care for them. How much
physical brotherly-love type affection do these people receive on a daily basis compared to the
amount you receive? It must be noted that you shouldn’t get too touchy-feely with these people.
Use your brain to help discern the personality of the person you’re visiting. Some people are
huggers and some aren’t, but almost everyone likes a handshake (We’re Baptists after all).
4. Alternate attending each adult Sunday school class and/or Discipleship Training class.
Doctrinal fidelity in your church is your responsibility as pastor/elder (2 Tim. 4:1-5). (It’s also
the responsibility of the congregation: See Galatians). Thus, you should try to visit various
Sunday school classes occasionally to examine what is being taught. Furthermore, from a
practical standpoint, you will necessarily build relationships with the students in the class and the
teacher(s). It must be noted here that you should be careful not to take over the class. Try your
best to learn from who you’re listening to. Regardless how many theology degrees I earn, or how
many hours a week I study, God the Holy Spirit still uses the average lay Sunday school teacher
to teach me His truth (The Priesthood of the Believer). Furthermore, these Sunday school
teachers have context as well that adds to their lessons. One lady that teaches Sunday school in
my church has been married for 68 years, been a faithful Christian for over 50 years, and
probably knows more Scripture than I do. She’s an excellent teacher. Finally, when you publicly
thank your Sunday school or Discipleship Training teachers, you won’t be speaking about
something you know little about.
5. Teach a Sunday school class or Discipleship Training class. If you only preach from the
pulpit, and your church is never allowed to ask you questions for the benefit of all listening, then
you may be doing a disservice to your congregation. If you take the pastor-theologian emphasis
in Scripture seriously, then you should share your Scriptural knowledge and experience with
your congregation (2 Tim. 2:15). Your congregation has questions concerning Scripture, God,
life, etc., and, depending on their personality, they may or may not come to you personally. They
also may forget their question between the sermon and the door due to being forced to stand in
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line behind others in order to ask you a question. All pastors/elders should have some time when
their congregation is allowed to ask them theological questions.
6. Fellowship with both the children and youth during their fellowship time. Most churches have
some form of fellowship for the youth and children. Occasionally, participate in this time. Play a
few games with the children, lead their devotion, etc. Show these children the love of Christ!
7. Attend the occasional seniors’ meeting. Most churches have some sort of seniors’ meeting. It
may be called the Just Older Youth (JOY) Ministry. Enjoy God through enjoying the ministry of
these people. Let them know that you support them.
8. Attend the occasional WMU meeting. Even though these meetings are largely women-only
meetings, it’s an excellent ministry that you can be a part of. Pastors should show their interest
and support for the various missions ministries of the church, even if they’re for women only. It
must be noted here that you should speak with the leader of the WMU before you show up
unannounced. Sometimes, since these meetings are women-only, the content is necessarily
geared toward women. The presence of a man may hinder the desired discussion.
9. Periodically, fellowship with your church members outside your church building. You could
organize this by inviting various age groups, Sunday school classes, or Discipleship Training
classes to some form of fellowship in the community. You could catch a high school sports game
with several folks, attend a local play at the community theater, go out to eat, go to the park, etc.
10. Invite the occasional Sunday school class, Discipleship Training class, youth group,
children’s group, seniors group, WMU, etc. over to your home for games, food, and fellowship.
Now, if you struggle financially, you could provide snacks, and have the event sometime after
lunch, but before dinner. One of the qualifications of being a pastor is hospitality (2 Tim. 3:2).
How hospitable are you?
What are your thoughts?

End of article two; beginning of article three
Preach Our Story, Not Your Story
by Joy Moore
Provided by

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"What do your listeners do with the sermons you preach?" asks Joy Moore.
Many sermons begin with a funny story or captivating movie image told right after the reading of
Scripture.
This is the hook -- in homiletic technical speech -- a way to capture the attention of listeners who
have gathered from various quadrants of the community with a multiplicity of concerns ranging
from loss of faith to loss of employment.

Our knowledge of the latest breaking news, international and local political unrest, and
impending weather seem to provide the best commentary for acknowledging the shared existence
of the community of faith.

We know that there is a lack of religious literacy even among those who regularly hear sermons.
From mainline denominations to independent communities, Christians today lack the capacity to
express the biblical revelation of God's activity in human history as demonstrated in the life of
Jesus Christ. The sermon's task is to counteract the amnesia that has undermined so much of
Christian expression.

A few years ago, one of my students prepared a sermon on Psalm 34 as capturing the fear and
turmoil of David hiding from Saul in 1 Samuel. The sermon captivated us as we listened because
we were invited by description to actually fear for our very lives. After the sermon, the other
students asked how the preacher had imagined so clearly the anxiety. The student acknowledged
that he described for us his own feelings experienced in a near-death incident in his own life.

What made his message so captivating was that during the sermon, he never injected his life
experience directly. While he had used a real-life incident, he didn't deviate from the biblical
narrative by inserting a personal illustration. Instead, he described distress, despair, and
disorientation, leaving the story of David central in our imaginations against these feelings of
anxiety. This seamless narration proved more memorable than raising our sympathy toward the
speaker as he recounted his own story. I marveled at the impact of this telling of the biblical
story as it must have been originally passed down through the generations of ancient Israel. Since
then, I have encouraged preachers to pause in writing their sermons to craft a biblical narrative
rather than merely a biblical idea.
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When one thinks of an illustration to insert or an idea to insert, consider if it truly belongs in the
scene from Scripture one is rehearsing. If so, can the point be made directly in the biblical
episode?

An example is to describe John's care for Mary, the mother of Jesus, after the crucifixion, as
ministry to a middle-aged Palestinian woman who has just attended her son's public execution. In
our current political reality, these words carry the weight of both the death of Jesus and the
massacre of young men today in ethnic wars. Who cares for their mothers?

Or maybe one could describe Eve's parsel-tongue encounter as leading to the first residential
foreclosure. While beckoning images of our movie-going imaginations, the context remains a
narrative of detrimental consequences resultant of a verbal exchange with a serpent. Suddenly J.
K. Rowling is not so original and the biblical narrative is recovered as humanity's foundational
story. One-liners and intentional turns of phrases register the force of the biblical image against
the realities our listeners experience today. God's people then, and now, can trust the comforting
intrusion of the Holy Spirit.

What do your listeners do with the sermons you preach?
Are their lives a continuation of the drama of God or do they leave the Sunday service as
consumers and commentators imitating and supplementing the world as presented by the
networks? Just how do we captivate the imaginations of a high-tech audience with instant global
news, and portable movie theaters on handheld devices?
Timeline, Redefined
Here we are, thousands of years later, reading an ancient equivalent to Facebook. Everything
from the transcripts of the spoken messages of Jeremiah to the Letter to the Hebrews are ancient
blog posts sent out through the progressive technological advancement in communication known
then as writing.

As the media continues to exploit negative images of religious practice, people of faith must
negotiate the question of how to speak of spiritual disciplines in a secular society. A final
example might be how to speak of sharing meals. From Adam and Eve's sin-filled snack in
Genesis and the wilderness-wandering worship community's servings of fast food to Jesus'
stories of banquets and practice of smoked-fish fellowships, gathering at the table to feast serves
as a constant metaphor for community formation. Describing the multiethnic, intergenerational,
bilingual fellowships in the Epistles with attention to the gatherings for refreshment rather than
merely a weekly ritual, may invite Christian dining with neighbors rather than religious spates
over Eucharist.

Such fluency with the language we call Christian requires a grasp of the entire biblical narrative;
an imagination informed of God's purpose and the speech to convey it in a world that can't
conceive the divine intention to restore the goodness of creation. This requires conveying
Scripture in order to expose the reality it is narrating.
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What we craft as a Christian sermon should expose our listeners to the drama suggested in the
storied testimony to God's justice, in such a way as to make discernible its demonstration in the
life of Jesus. Such a message will recover the witness to the God of Jesus Christ as the shared
knowledge of the community of faith called Christian.

I believe the most effective proclamation of the word of God ... the most effective way to tell this
story ... is to tell it in such a way that the drama it tells happens all over again -- first among the
listeners who call themselves followers of Jesus.
End of article three; beginning of article four:
The Essential Me-First of Biblical Preaching
by Ken Burge

Are you afraid to use yourself as the example fo your sermon?
First-person application for the preacher can be an unnerving task. How can this generally
overworked individual possibly find the time or the occasion to apply what he has studied before
the delivery of the sermon?
Furthermore, the average preacher speaks several times a week. (For the first 15 years of my
ministry, I heralded God's Word four times a week.) As no preacher can assimilate everything he
has studied during the week, which text should he focus on to apply during this period of time?
This article will not only address the necessity for first-person application on the part of the
preacher, but will offer a systematic approach to accomplish this vital quest.
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Foundational Biblical Texts for Me-First Preaching
Ezra's paradigm to the study, application and proclamation of the sacred text is worthy of
emulation. Ezra 7:10 states, "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observation of the
Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel." Ezra began his exegesis by
scrutinizing the text to see what the biblical author was saying. Once he understood the concept
of the passage, he applied that message to his life. This circumspect scribe then pronounced the
message to his audience.
His modus operandi was interpreting the biblical text (to learn the proposition of the third-person
author), personal application (first-person implementation) and culminating with trumpeting the
message (to the second-person audience). Ezra clearly practiced me-first preaching, because he
first applied the text to himself before he taught others.
James 2:14-26 is the New Testament locus classicus on the necessity of first-person
application—demonstrating one's faith by virtue of his or her works—the concept of which is
easily transferred to preaching. James was apparently from Missouri (the Show-Me state)
because he wrote in James 2:18, "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my
faith by what I do." James cited Abraham and Rahab as examples of individuals who personally
applied saving faith to their lives (first-person application) that was then portrayed to others by
their deeds.
You have heard it said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Paul, the great missionary,
practiced what he preached. In 1 Thessalonians 1:6 he said, "You became imitators of us and of
the Lord." Did you notice the order of the text? First, the Thessalonians mimicked Paul, Silas and
Timothy and then the Lord. Moreover, Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:16 said, "Therefore I urge you to
imitate me." In Christian living, as well as biblical preaching, imitation is the highest form of
flattery.
Those who are called to proclaim the Word of God boldly are held to a high standard (see James
3:1). Paul illustrated this principle when he queried in Romans 2:21: "You, then, who teach
others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?" Spurgeon, the
prince of preachers, concurs with Paul's sentiments when he wrote to his preaching students, "It
is important that we be under the influence of the Holy Ghost, as He is the Spirit of Holiness; for
a very considerable and essential part of Christian ministry lies in example." Me-first application
in living and preaching are greatly endorsed by Old and New Testaments.
The General and Specifics of Me-First Preaching
General Application
The preacher is first and foremost a child of God. He is expected to cultivate a walk with God
that includes, but is not limited to, prayer, Bible reading and study, meditation on Scripture and
the employment of the principles he learns from his daily walk with God. He, as are all believers,
is to heed 2 Peter 3:18, which states, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ."
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Moreover, the master preacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, commanded His followers in John 15:4,
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you." Jesus practiced what He preached. Isaiah 50:4
predicted the ultimate Servant would have a me-first attitude toward applying Scripture: "The
Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.
He awakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." Jesus daily
walked obediently with God and then proclaimed His marvelous Word based on that
relationship. No wonder Jesus declared to His followers in John 15:5 (in the context of abiding)
that "apart from Me, you can do nothing."
Paul emulated Jesus' example of me-first preaching. He called the Ephesian elders together and
warned them in Acts 20:28 to "keep watch over yourselves and all the flock." He exhorted them
first to care for their own spiritual well-being before ministering to the flock. Paul emphasized to
these leaders their need first to adhere to God's precious Word in Acts 20:32 where he declared,
"Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up." The great
apostle then continued in the following verses (33-35) to share how he himself modeled Christ to
them and how they should follow his pattern of living.
The standard set by Jesus and demonstrated by Paul also was communicated to Timothy. Paul's younger
associate was exhorted by his spiritual father concerning his pulpit ministry in 1 Timothy 4:13: "Until I
come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."
What precedes this edict? The answer is found in 1 Timothy 4:12: "Don't let anyone look down
on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in
faith and in purity." That is, Timothy, first apply God's Word to your own life, then proclaim it to
others. This order of application will ensure a fruitful ministry as Paul assured Timothy: "Watch
your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save yourself and
your hearers" (1 Tim. 4:16).
Me-first preaching always begins with the general application of God's Word. In other words, the
preacher must walk with God and allow that life-changing Word to govern his life day by day (as
shown by Jesus and Paul) before he preaches to others. Now that the need for general application
is established, what plan should the preacher have for specific application?
Specific Application
As a result of studying homiletics for two decades, I have come upon many definitions of
biblical preaching. My favorite description is by Haddon Robinson. He defines expository
preaching as "the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a
historical, grammatical and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first
applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to
the hearers." The dean of expository preaching shows that once the student has grasped the
meaning of the passage, he is then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to apply that text personally
and experientially before communicating the message to others.
Robinson's definition is valuable. However, how is the preacher to apply the text personally and
experientially if the sermon preparation isn't completed until a few days (sometimes less!) before
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