How I Prepare My Sermons

00:00 - Speaker 1 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. 00:09 - Speaker 2 Hey you guys. I'm often asked how do I study the Bible? Well, listen, this time that we have won't allow for all of us to get into all of it, but let's try, let's see about studying the Bible. 00:23 - Speaker 1 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com/podcast today. If this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. 00:52 - Speaker 2 Hey everybody, this is going to be a quick podcast for a lot of reasons and, by the way, if you start to hear some strange sounds, it's because we're expanding here and there's a company working behind this wall. It's not my stomach, it's contractors working. So I have been asked many times and I'm grateful for the question. But this has really got me going because I've heard more recently how do you prepare your sermons? Do you download them somewhere? Do you buy them from like pastorcom or sermoncom? Okay, that is so offensive. I have to address it, but I have to do it quickly because I have a limited time. So first of all, friends, listen up. In 2 Timothy 2, verse 15, it says Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed. Here's the reason why Rightly dividing the word of truth, bible study, in this particular sense, sermon preparation. I know that I'm going to be speaking to a lot of people who could care less, but there might be one or two of you who would want to know these things and I got to tell you up front right now. Of course, I'm 60, almost 68 years old. That makes me a dinosaur, I get it, but I'm not dumb. I have read the ancients, I have read the moderns and regarding all of that, we need to understand something. Regarding sermon preparation, delivering of a message, how does this happen? So, number one, watch this I'm going to put they don't know what I'm about to do. You guys, we're doing this together right now. This is not rehearsed. So, hey, you guys, somebody give me a verse, just a Bible verse John 3.16. Okay, unrehearsed, john 3.16. So watch this. How would we preach a sermon out of John 3.16? Do I have an extensive library? Yes, I do. I do not go there first For sermon preparation. I do not go to my commentaries first, if you're taking notes. I go to my commentaries. Last, number one John 3, 16. Okay, so for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever would believe on him would not perish but have everlasting life. 03:22 What would I do regarding a sermon prep? On this? Listen, I'm going to tell you what I do regarding a sermon prep. On this. Listen, I'm going to tell you what I would do by first telling you what I cannot do In this modern age. This is what I cannot do. 03:34 God does not allow me to read a commentary first. Even though that commentary might be 600 years old, I can't read it first. He will not let me read it first. I can't read it first. He will not let me read it first. Number two I will not. I cannot use AI. God forbids it in my life. I will never use it. I cannot use it and there's reasons why, and maybe I can hit on that on this podcast or maybe in a follow-up podcast. 04:04 But let's look at it this way how would you preach a sermon on John 3, 16? For God so loved, right there, I would start to look at first of all John 3, 16. Where does it come out of John chapter 3.? I would make sure that I read John chapter 3, verse 1, all the way up to verse 15. And then I would pick it up again in verse 17 and read all the way to the end of the chapter and I would see the context of where John 3, 16 is, what is being said in the volume of the chapter. Very important when I look at this. For God so loved the world. I know this. 04:49 I'm going to look at the meaning in the original Greek language and for this you can look at, you can use Greek lexicons. You can use concordances. That will many, many concordances will have the definition of the Greek and or Hebrew or Aramaic words. I would possibly use technology for that Meaning what. You can go to great Bible programs like Logos or Accordance and you could look up the Strong's Greek word or Hebrew word for right, the word for F-O-R, and I find out. For example, it can also mean the word because. 05:34 So I'm beginning to dissect this word. I'm going to learn about the word for For God, god. I get. I understand who God is. I don't need to. I'm not focused on that right now. For God so loved the world. Interesting Is the word so in the original language? Is it something that is an elaboration in the English, because the English lacks technicolor compared to the Greek and the Hebrew? Is the word, what does the word so mean? Is it a word that is meaningful to the Bible study? 06:03 In unpacking this verse, I'm going to look up the word, so if it applies or not, I have to discover this. For God so loved, loved. Which word for loved is God using here? And so you see what I'm doing. The first thing that I do is I unpack the original, actual meaning of the words and I get them written down on a piece of paper. This is what the meaning for God so loved the world, the world, wait a minute. 06:33 Some people have told me that for God so loved the elect, and only the elect, that he gave his only begotten son for them. Well, guess what? They're wrong, because when I go to look up the word world, it is the fact that Jesus Christ died for the entire world, all those who have ever lived, from Adam to the last person that can be redeemed. Jesus died for them, if they accept the gospel message or not. He died for them, in fact. That's why hell is punishable by forever. He died for them, in fact. That's why hell is punishable by forever is because what he paid the price for them to be in heaven. They reject the penalty of such a rejection of such a perfect offering warrants and is justifiable for them to be in hell forever. Wow. 07:28 So as I begin to unpack the words, I start looking at the meaning of these words that stand out to me. Now, somebody else might be preparing a sermon and they're looking at John 3, 16, and words might appear to them to be more meaningful than I viewed them, or not at all. They really double down on this particular word. It doesn't matter. Why doesn't it matter? Listen? Because I, you, in sermon preparation, we are yielded to the Holy Spirit. Why? Because he's the author of the Bible. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit breathed through and into the prophets and that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is breathed out by God. That's why the Bible is without error. Folks, listen, people can say what they want. They still can't find a problem with the Bible. I mean, they've got lots of problems with the Bible. Sorry, they still can't find a flaw with the Bible and they're not gonna. This is what's fun. 08:35 So as you begin to look at this stuff, you start to build a foundation. Watch what happens to me. So as I'm looking at these words and the meaning of these words, what is black and white starts to take on. I used the word a moment ago technicolor. It begins to become very colorful. Wow, that word for means. Because on behalf of the reason is Salvation is. For this reason God loved you and gifted begotten, for God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten son, begotten. What's the big deal about begotten? Well, does that make Jesus less than God. No, the exact opposite. It makes him equal with God. God gifted his one and only. So. When you begin to get the meanings to the words, what happens is you begin to get. And to the words, what happens is you begin to get. And I'm scribbling right now because of time's sake, but it begins to look like this, and for those of you who happen to tune into our messages, you'll see how this structure happens. 09:46 So my first thought off the top of my head is for God, so loved the world. Okay, point number one ahead is for God, so love the world. Okay, point number one. Point number one the magnitude of God's love. That's point number one, the magnitude of God's love. That's what it's telling me and that the magnitude of God's love is seen. Argument magnitude of God's love. To substantiate that claim. I understand this. The magnitude of God's love is displayed that God is the originator of salvation. For God, because of God, on account of God. Are you tracking with me? This now is 1A to point number one. 1a to substantiate the point is the magnitude of God and that salvation originates with him. For salvation to originate with him, salvation number two would be salvation comes through his son. I would write that down here. So what I'm doing is I'm building a skeleton. Think of a human skeleton. 10:58 The title of the message is the head and for me, the title of the message the head. The title of the message happens to be the theme. It's always for me, in my particular sermon preparation, the title of the message is always the theme. In relation to the verses I'm going to be covering Now, I just asked these guys to give me a verse. I could have said give me four verses that are consecutive behind one another in the scriptures, there still would have been a theme. If it's one verse or a hundred verses, it's irrelevant. I've got the theme okay. 11:32 And now I begin to substantiate the claim of number one. Point one. And the third thing is for God so loved the world. The third thing would be the scope of his love. Okay, the scope of his love. Here's what gets to be fun In sermon prep for me and you guys. 11:59 Everyone's different, but I would recommend you to go to YouTube and look up Howard Hendricks a DTS Dallas Theological Seminary video series by Howard Hendricks. I found him several years ago. He's great, but he approaches it his way. I approach it my way. I have found, you have found that everybody who studies the Word of God approaches it their own way. That's why you can give two teachers Bible pastor teachers two pastors the exact same verse to teach on and you'll hear two completely different sermons that complement one another. Why? Because the Holy Spirit's the author of both sermons. 12:42 If the Word of God is consulted to be taught on, the exegesis is something that we can learn about some other day, but it ensures accuracy of the scripture, what is being said, what is being communicated. So I'm going to kind of like make my page a little zoomed in, so to speak, from here. For example, the magnitude of his love. I would now begin to look up verses in scripture about the magnitude of his love and off the top of my head. Remember, we're making this up right now, in real time, as we're sitting here. This is not rehearsed. So, the magnitude of his love. 13:29 I immediately go to the book of 1 John. So that means I'm going to read 1 John, chapters 1, 2, and 3, 4. I'm going to read maybe even 2 John We'll see but I'm going to read 1 John. I'm also absolutely under this particular subheading subpoint, I'm absolutely going to go to Jeremiah. I'm going to start in Jeremiah, around chapter 31, and I'm going to read to chapter 33. Why? Because I'm going to get the full understanding of I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn you. Isn't that wonderful. 14:08 So, as I teach this sermon, I would be saying in the sermon regarding the magnitude of his love, that this is how steadfast his love is, this is how reliable it is. The magnitude of his love is so, so vast and powerful that he's the one who even says in jeremiah I have drawn you, I have pulled you to me, I won't break your arm, break your arm, I won't bend your knee, I'm not going to bend your neck, but I will pull you to me. I've loved you so much, I'm pulling you to me. See, where do you get all this from? Well, go, look at what Jeremiah has to say and you'll begin to discover the wealth and the power of God's love, the magnitude of his love, which is here's another thing. That word in Greek is the word seismos. Where we get the word seismology? We're here. 14:59 For us in Southern California, it's almost a daily routine where we have earthquakes happening from 2.0 to 4.0, and Californians don't even bat an eye. Why? Because we're used to it, and so we need to be used to it this way that the word of God has and should have a seismic effect upon your life. It should shake you, it should get your attention, because God has given his word that way. Now, listen, this is very, very important. I want to do all of this, and for me, this is just me, for me to do a Sunday I don't know why it's this way, you guys, I can't explain it. It's just the way it happened in my life. 15:49 For me to preach and teach one hour on Sunday, okay, one hour. One hour, a sermon, that's one hour in length. For me, that is anywhere from 15 to 20 hours of study. And what does that mean study? Well, study means prayer time, which I'll try to tell you this if we have the time Prayer time, bible time, structure time what we're doing right now structure time, build a skeleton and then what I just would term as meat. I've got my skeleton, now it's time to get meat on them. So, as I begin to develop this for Sunday, it takes me 15 to 20 hours for a Sunday one hour. 16:44 This sounds bizarre, but so for me on Wednesdays, because I teach another hour-long sermon on Wednesdays from a completely different book of the Bible. Because I actually work constantly all the time I'm doing all kinds of other things. I get up very early on Wednesdays and I study all day Wednesdays and then I usually end sometime around 4, 4.30. I try to have it all done and then I teach that message that night. So let's just say it can vary depending upon the day, but let's say six to eight hours or maybe even maybe eight to ten hours. We'll see how that goes for a Wednesday hours. Okay, we'll see how that goes for a Wednesday. 17:39 But for me, when I'm almost all done, then I read commentaries. See what are commentaries? Commentaries are written by great scholars. Well, they should be great. You have to be careful the commentaries you pick. It's not easy. I thank God that I've been spoiled, rotten growing up because I had the input that men of God told me. Look, I'm blessed man. I had Pastor Chuck Smith tell me to read these books and avoid those other books. I had Dr David Hawking tell me the same. Dr Tim LaHaye, dr Ed Heinsohn, thomas Ice these people have made a major impact in my life and they've told me what to study and what not to study. Look for this, look out for the other. Okay, that kind of stuff. 18:19 So, having said that, I read the commentators last, the commentaries last, because I want to listen. Please don't mess this up. What am I doing? I'm verifying that what I heard from the Lord is actually from the Lord. I get confirmation and what I'm about to say is going to sound arrogant, but it's anything but that. It's actually terrifying what I'm about to say. It's actually terrifying what I'm about to say. 18:52 When I have put together a message that I've prayed, read the Word of God and used the Bible to interpret the Bible and God speaks to my heart and I write down the thoughts that flow that now this is the sermon and it's 80% complete. I'll explain the 20% in a moment. I go to the commentaries and most, almost always of the time, what God has given me is richer and deeper than what the commentators have given. That sounds arrogant, but it's not. Here's the punch. It's the Lord, speaking to the 21st century generation of first service, second or third service on Sundays, that he wants to say to them in real time today. It's the same Holy Spirit, but I can have the confidence, because when I've read what they've written, it's awesome. It's just that what God has given me is on fire on my heart. I can't wait to get it out, because it's got me excited and it's got me changed. It's got me thrilled. 20:06 That's why I would never preach another man's sermon. That's why I would never preach another man's sermon. This is one reporter's opinion, but I believe it is absolutely wrong to download someone else's sermon and you attempt to preach it or teach it. I think that is a horrible thing. I don't mean to hurt your feelings or offend you, but I think if people are doing that, you need to go sell shoes in the mall. You need to quit now. You need to get out of the Bible teaching world, because if God doesn't give you the sermon to deliver to his people, then you're in the way. And if you think that you can go to pastorcom or sermoncom and print out the PDF and put it in your binder and teach it, oh my gosh, I think God would strike me dead. I think God would kill me. There's no way. Listen, the Lord won't even allow me to teach a sermon that I delivered three years ago. He won't even let me renew it. He won't even let me use it. Now. This is my conviction, this is how god works in my life, and so this has been a you know, 30 000 foot overview. But here's the thing, the last thing I do to finalize the message, and I'll give you this example real fast. 21:30 The day in the life of Jack on a Sunday morning, it starts anywhere between 2 to 3 am on a Sunday morning and I have 30 to 40 pages of notes that I've taken, and from 2 to 3 am to 5.30 am going through those notes and this is how here. This is what happens on point one. This is the verse. This that makes no sense to me. What was I thinking? This is. This was on friday. What was I thinking Friday? What was I thinking? Throw it away. That goes out. 22:19 All that to say by service time. I have 10 pages of notes. It's all reduced, so I throw away two thirds of it Off. I go and I let God do the teaching through me, and the fun part is, many times I'm learning as my mouth is moving. I'm actually learning from him at the exact same time. Listen, sorry, got to go right now Out of time. Maybe we can pick this up some other time. You could let me know if this was any way valuable to you, please. If you respond, then I'll follow up and do one later, okay, so God bless you guys. Until next time. 22:55 - Speaker 1 This Jack Hibbs podcast, as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities, are listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.