Pastor Liu, who has been serving full-time in a church in a southern city for many years, voiced out that pastors need to relearn how to prepare a sermon.
In a recent interview with the Chinese online Christian newspaper, the Gospel Times, Pastor Liu stated that preaching is a significant issue in the Chinese church today, perhaps even one of the biggest challenges. He believes that in order to deliver God's word effectively, the first step is for pastors to establish their own relationship with God and build their own spiritual lives. Next is the preparation a pastor undertakes for a sermon, which includes both long-term strategic planning and short-term and specific actions.
Although homiletics courses are offered in seminaries, Liu believes that most of these courses do not provide substantial practical help to pastors.
The current situation is that many grassroots pastors have limited cultural and theological foundations, making it difficult for them to prepare high-quality sermons, especially for those in third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas.
For these reasons, Pastor Liu believes that it is necessary for many pastors to start relearning how to give sermons.
He shared that when he was in seminary, he often learned many things superficially, without much in-depth thinking. However, after serving for a long time and then going back to study, he was able to think and understand more deeply.
Liu gave an example of how to prepare a sermon, which involves many methods that can be relearned one by one. This includes how to write the introduction, outline, and main points of a sermon, as well as the examples and testimonies used during the sermon, and how to apply the message to real life.
"In reality, we see many pastors whose sermons are often a mess. With a weak introduction or without an introduction, they jump straight into the sermon. Then, during the sermon, there is no clear outline, and the audience has no idea what is being preached. When it comes to the conclusion, many ministers do not know how to end the sermon."
Pastor Liu continued, "But a good sermon is different, as it can deeply move believers who hear it. They will repent, cry, and desire to follow God's Word."
In his view, many sermons by some pastors "have bones but no flesh." This indicates that not only are the beginnings and endings of the sermons weak, but the middle part is also a failure.
For these reasons, Liu believes that pastors must relearn how to preach. By studying again, they can flesh out their sermons, preach the truth with spiritual maturity, and make their preaching full of vitality, influence, and transformative power.
- Edited and translated by Abigail Wu
前段时间，在接受采访中，一名长期在南方一所城市教会全职服事刘牧师说牧者需要重新学习讲道。
在接受中国一网络基督教报纸基督时报的采访中，刘牧师认为讲道是现在中国教会里面的一个大问题，甚至可以说是最大的问题之一。他认为想要把上帝的道讲好的话，第一个就是牧者自己跟上帝的关系的建立，和自己属灵生命的预备。然后就是牧者为着一篇讲道所作的准备，包括长期的、战略性的预备和临时的、具体的、战术性的预备。
神学院里面都有讲道学的课程，但是，刘牧师个人认为绝大多数神学院的讲道学课程对牧者的实际性的帮助并不大。
现在的情况是很多基层牧者他们自身文化和神学功底都比较有限，也预备不出来有深度有质量的讲道，特别是对于三四线城市和乡村的传道人。
正因为以上的一些原因，刘牧师认为，对于很多牧者和传道人来说，有必要重新开始学习如何讲道。
他分享说，他以前在神学院的时候，学习很多东西都是囫囵吞枣的，没有什么深入性的思考。但是服事了很长时间以后再去学，可以更深入地思考和认知。
刘牧师举例说，比如说怎么预备一篇讲章，这个里面涉及到很多的方式方法，这也可以一个一个的重新去学习。包括怎么写讲章的引言、提纲、要点以及讲道当中所涉及到的事例和见证，及引出话语在现实生活中应用。
“在现实当中我们就看到很多牧者和传道人讲道常常讲得一塌糊涂。前面的引言一塌糊涂，甚至就没有引言，直接进入到讲道环节。然后讲道过程中没有清晰的讲道提纲，听众根本就不太清楚究竟在讲什么。讲道进行到最后，很多讲道人又不知道怎么结束一篇讲道。”
刘牧师接着说：“可是好的讲道就不一样了，好的讲道弟兄姊妹听了以后会受到很大的触动。他们会悔改，会流泪，会很想要跟着上帝的话语去行。”
在刘牧师看来，很多讲道人的讲道“只有骨头却没有肉”。这说明不仅是讲道的开始和结束，中间部分其实也是失败的。
正因为如此，刘牧师认为牧者和传道人必须要重新学习讲道。通过再次学习让自己的讲道在骨头上面加上肉，在真理上面加上丰盛的生命；让讲道能够带出生命力、感染力和改变力。
话题：牧者需要重新学习如何讲道
Pastor Liu, who has been serving full-time in a church in a southern city for many years, voiced out that pastors need to relearn how to prepare a sermon.
In a recent interview with the Chinese online Christian newspaper, the Gospel Times, Pastor Liu stated that preaching is a significant issue in the Chinese church today, perhaps even one of the biggest challenges. He believes that in order to deliver God's word effectively, the first step is for pastors to establish their own relationship with God and build their own spiritual lives. Next is the preparation a pastor undertakes for a sermon, which includes both long-term strategic planning and short-term and specific actions.
Although homiletics courses are offered in seminaries, Liu believes that most of these courses do not provide substantial practical help to pastors.
The current situation is that many grassroots pastors have limited cultural and theological foundations, making it difficult for them to prepare high-quality sermons, especially for those in third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas.
For these reasons, Pastor Liu believes that it is necessary for many pastors to start relearning how to give sermons.
He shared that when he was in seminary, he often learned many things superficially, without much in-depth thinking. However, after serving for a long time and then going back to study, he was able to think and understand more deeply.
Liu gave an example of how to prepare a sermon, which involves many methods that can be relearned one by one. This includes how to write the introduction, outline, and main points of a sermon, as well as the examples and testimonies used during the sermon, and how to apply the message to real life.
"In reality, we see many pastors whose sermons are often a mess. With a weak introduction or without an introduction, they jump straight into the sermon. Then, during the sermon, there is no clear outline, and the audience has no idea what is being preached. When it comes to the conclusion, many ministers do not know how to end the sermon."
Pastor Liu continued, "But a good sermon is different, as it can deeply move believers who hear it. They will repent, cry, and desire to follow God's Word."
In his view, many sermons by some pastors "have bones but no flesh." This indicates that not only are the beginnings and endings of the sermons weak, but the middle part is also a failure.
For these reasons, Liu believes that pastors must relearn how to preach. By studying again, they can flesh out their sermons, preach the truth with spiritual maturity, and make their preaching full of vitality, influence, and transformative power.
- Edited and translated by Abigail Wu
Pastors Need to Relearn How to Preach
