ISSUE BULLETIN OF 01 AFRICAN CHRISTIAN PREACHING JANUARY 2022 On’waasu It does not matter what patterns of preaching we study in literature, watch as we observe, or practice on our pulpits. The only pattern that Christ would approve and that can change our world is the sound teaching and preaching of God’s Word… Kingdom Preaching Patterns Ezekiel A.Ajibade holds a PhD in Christian Preaching and lectures at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso. He is a Fellow of the Institute for Biblical Preaching, Memphis, TN, United States of America and the Education Gateway Leader, Internatonal Orality Network, Africa. He has authored several books and academic journals. Among them is Expository Preaching in Africa: Engaging Orality for Effective Proclamation. He is happily married. Preaching goes on every day and every hour, especially in a very religious society like Africa. In churches, fellowship meetings, mountains, gardens, on radio, television, on the internet and social media, in newspapers, almost round the clock, there is one sermon or the other being preached by a Christian preacher. Assessing the patterns of preaching in such a “word-busy” atmosphere is a herculean task. How does one even define the concept of pattern? That is a wide concept in homiletics – a concept that sometimes, is not distinguished from style or methods in preaching. Ronald J. Allen, in his book, A Patterns of Preaching: A Sermon Sampler, classified sermons into traditional patterns, contemporary patterns, patterns for subjects, and patterns for theology. Under the four patterns, he discussed thirty-four different models with sample sermons from different preachers worldwide. Richard Eslinger, in his book, Web of Preaching: New Options in Homiletic Method discussed six modern methods, which he listed as Inductive and Narrative Homiletics Plots: The Narrative Centre; Narrative Preaching in the African American Tradition; Moves and American Tradition; Moves and Structures: The Homiletics of David Buttrick; The Sermon in Four Pages: The Homiletic Method of Paul Scott Wilson, and A homiletic of Imagery: Rhetoric and the Imagination. On and on, the models and patterns could be catalogued. What many preachers around have been used to is the traditional classification of sermons into topical, textual, and expository (others suggesting such categories as biographical, historical incidence, or testimonial sermon which may fall under any of the three basic categories). How these patterns came about is another question. Were they created or developed by any or some particular preachers? Is it that some homileticians observed people preaching and decided to categorise or name the sermons in certain ways? Any of these is a possibility. Beyond the books and looking at what goes on around the Nigerian/African environment, cataloguing and classifying the patterns of preaching will need specific research to investigate and come up with articulated results. Not much of this has been done. What is popular on s this has been done. What is popular on the pulpits are preaching patterns and traditions that people either learn from the seminary, copied, or imbibed from their mentors, disciplers, General Overseers, or possibly developed by themselves. Some take a text of the Scripture, read it and set it aside to say what they want to say. Some do not see the difference between a motivational talk, a lecture and a sermon to be preached in the church. So many preachers are known for their multi-text methods where they saddle their listeners with the responsibility of checking out as many as twenty Scriptural references (sometimes unrelated to the main text) and almost boring the listeners off. The arrival of the projector age has aggravated the situation as many more now project these multiple texts and references that make one wonder if the church is listening to a sermon or engaging in a Bible Study on Sunday mornings. Some read the Scripture and never come back to the pulpit, not to talk of the Bible, throughout the sermon. They walk up and down the podium and the church aisle. (This is not bad in itself if it does not lead to distraction). Some use half of the sermon time for interjected prayer points and “prophetic releases.” Some preach with an expectation that people will come and drop money at their feet as an expression of connection to the “prophetic words” from the sermon or the preacher. On and on, the pattern is unending, and the categories go unlabelled. In the midst of this, the body of Christ should ask the question; while there are several types or patterns of preaching, what should be the biblical pattern? How would Jesus and the apostles want the church to do it? Let us examine this together. The Scriptural Model The Scripture reveals that the best way to preach God’s Word is to expose or expound it. We see this insight as we study Nehemiah 8. Verses 7-8 say, “The Levites-Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah — instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” They read the text of the word of God, made it clear and gave meaning to it. In other words, they explained it or expounded it. People’s hearts were touched that they wept and took actions that indicated a revival of their love for God (verses 9-18). The same pattern is seen with Jesus, the Master and the model for the Church. Luke 4:17-22 reads: “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.” Jesus read the text, explained it, applied it to people’s lives and all marvelled at his teaching. On the road to Emmaus, again the Scripture revealed what Jesus did: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning ” 2 “ was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27). And what was the testimony of the disciples after he disappeared from their midst? Verse 32 says, “They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" The Greek word translated “opened” also means to explain or to interpret. So, Jesus exposed or expounded the Word and the hearts of these disciples burned for the life that flowed from this Word into them. This is the model pattern of preaching – “opening the scriptures.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” If all scriptures are written with God’s inspiration or are “Godbreathed,” then the text of God’s Word is God’s Word. That is why Paul strongly admonished Timothy immediately following this affirmation, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word…” (6:1-2). A pattern of preaching that makes someone read the Bible text, throw it aside and say whatever he or she likes is alien to the Scripture. The pattern of preaching where the preacher’s words, stories, and jokes are more important than the text is alien to the Scripture. The pattern of preaching where several disjointed Bible verses are quoted from various books of the Bible in a thirtyminute sermon is alien to Biblical exposition. Isolation of Scriptures out of context has bred the greatest errors and heresies in the church over the years. Jesus was an excellent preacher because wasting people’s time or boring them he knew how to concentrate on one message at a time without digressing, wasting people’s time or boring them out. If he picks on a parable, he narrates it, explains it, applies it and he is through. If it is a story or an object lesson, he hits the point, the people get his message and it sticks for life. What then, are the implications of these for us as contemporary preachers? Implications for Contemporary Preachers One, we must preach the Word. The Word is the text of God’s Word, not ourselves, not our self-made doctrines, not our human philosophies, clichés, quotable quotes and experiences. If any of these can serve the purpose of illustration, fine. But what we are to preach is the Word. Two, we must expose and expound the Word. When we take a passage in its context, let us research it. Look at its literal, historical, grammatical, and theological background and contexts, explain it, illustrate it and apply it. Good preaching is not for those who wake up on Sunday morning and start flipping through the Bible, searching for the sermon to preach. It is not for openyour-mouth-and-I-will-fill-it preachers. Next Sunday’s sermon starts as soon as you finish this Sunday. So, spend money on resources like Study Bibles, Commentaries, Lexicons, Atlases, Bible Encyclopedia, and Online study tools. But most importantly, spend time in God’s presence. Three, we must make the Word come alive. Stop boring people and making them sleep. Put passion into your message. Bring in life events, stories, illustrations and even humour – but remember, all these must be servants to the text. The text is the king in biblical preaching. Four, live the word. One of the Four, we must live the word. One of the greatest deceptions we can give people is to live a different life from what we preach. That was Jesus’ bone of contention with the Pharisees. In biblical preaching, doing precedes teaching, and being precedes preaching. Your life comes before your message. It is time to get into the riches of the knowledge of Christ and feed the people thoroughly. When we come down from the pulpit, discipleship is our next task. A preaching ministry without discipleship is almost energy– dissipating ministry. There will be no harvest. Five, we must get the anointing. God’s Word is still quick and alive, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word of God does not say what it cannot do. But remember that the rod of Elisha was useless in the hands of Gehazi. It could not raise the dead boy back to life. If you do not want to carry a living Word and preach a dead message, get the anointing. It comes by yielding to the Spirit, fasting, prayer and a life of holiness and complete consecration. Conclusion Six, we must get rid of the human “drama.” When we say the pulpit must be alive, we do not mean carnal manipulations, noise and gimmicks. The passion of the preacher must correspond with the passion of the text. And please, do the assignment you are told to do. If you are invited for a revival, allow the Holy Spirit to use you to revive the church and restore them to God in salvation, righteousness and holiness. Do not go and raise funds when you are not invited for a fundraising. And never take God's glory for yourself. The new pattern of preaching, where people drop money at a preacher's feet during a sermon, is very questionable. The question is, who is taking the glory? Seven, feed the flock of Christ to satisfaction. Jesus told Peter in John 21:15-17, “feed my lambs…feed my sheep.” The greatest error of today’s ministry is that we have a starving church that cannot confront the darkness of the world and the assault of Satan. Yet, churches and preachers are everywhere. It is time to get into the 3 It does not matter what patterns of preaching we study in literature, watch as we observe, or practice on our pulpits. The only pattern that Christ would approve and that can change our world is the sound teaching and preaching of God’s Word, rightly interpreted, rightly explained, rightly illustrated and rightly applied. Whether we are inductive or deductive, whether we want to use such expression as music, drama, teaching, parables, object lessons and any other inspiration we receive as our methodology, our ultimate goal is to produce men and women that would look like Christ. One of our golden texts as preachers should be 2 Cor. 3:17-18 (NKJV): Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. References Ajibade, Ezekiel Adewale. Common Pulpit Errors and Solutions. Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.) Ltd, 2016. This article is also available in: Ezekiel A. Ajibade, “Kingdom Preaching Pattern: Lessons for Today’s Gospel Preachers” in Kingdom Ajibade, Ezekiel A. Contextualisation of Expository Preaching: Engaging Orality for Effective Proclamation in Africa. Ogbomoso: The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary Publishing Unit, 2018 Allen, Ronald J., ed. Patterns of Preaching: A Sermon Sampler. St Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1998. Allen, Robert A. "The Expository Sermon—Cultural or Biblical?"." Journal of Ministry and Theology JMAT 02, no. 2 (Fall 1998): 213-228. Eslinger, Richard L. The Web of Preaching: New Options in Homiletic Method. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002. Lifestyle for Kingdom People: Papers in Honour of Mrs Stitzinger, James F. "The History of Expository Preaching." Masters Esther Sidi Issong. Kaduna: Seminary Journal TMSJ 03:1 (Spring 1992): 6-32. Soltel Enterprises, 2019. Pp 126-132 On’waasu Issue 01 January, 2022