When I first started preaching (16 years old), I was a very basic preacher. I had heart and I tried to use the Bible as much as possible. God blessed, and I remember the first time I preached, someone got saved. I remember how happy I was to be used by God. I remember that I began to grow as a preacher, and God continued to bless. I believe God wants to use His people, and if someone steps up, He’ll bless their efforts. Though I was used by God, I find that I have changed in my style of preaching. As God teaches me, I find the constant item that never changes, His Word. It is mainly because of His Word we find God blessing our efforts!
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
~ Isaiah 55:10-11
So, as we look at how to preach, we must understand that we must base our preaching entirely upon His Word. The Word of God never changes, yet God uses people who are different. Though we are different, we must hold the Word of God in it’s truth and never compromise it. Again, we as preachers are different. We have different personalities. We have different likes and dislikes. We have different styles of leadership. We are different. One of the worst things a young preacher can do is try to copy another preacher. God made each of us different. Rather than compare ourselves, we should glory in how God made us and use the gifts He gave us for His Glory and Honor.
Because each preacher is different, we may have different ways to preach God’s Word. Without making changes to it, we can have different styles. So what are the different types of preaching?
Topical Preaching
Of all the types of sermon delivery, topical is the easiest. As I mentioned before, God used me when I first preached, and it was a topical style. Basically, topical sermons are based on a specific topic or doctrine in the Bible. For instance, one can preach a sermon on the doctrine or topic of The Blood of Jesus. What one would do is find a verse where Jesus mentions His Blood. From there one would explain it and its importance. They would ask questions about it, and then use several more Bible verses on the Blood to support his answers. They would end the sermon with a plea for people to be saved by the Blood and encourage Christians to be thankful for the Blood by living for God.
Topical preaching is what one would consider very simple, but I remind you that the Gospel is simple for a sinner to receive as well. I found that topical sermons are best when dealing with young churches, new believers, and when we are trying to teach something to our people. They are needed, and if executed properly, all levels of Christians will be blessed by them.
Where are topical sermons best preached?
- Sunday School
- Children’s Church
- New Believers Classes
- Bible Study
- Teen Class
- In New & Young Churches
What are some topics to preach on:
- The Inspiration & Preservation Of The Bible
- The Fall Of Man
- The Blood Of Jesus Christ
- The Miracles Of Jesus Christ
- The Life Of Bible Characters
- The Fruit Of The Spirit
- The End Times
- The Trials & Hard Times Of Bible Characters
When preaching topical sermons, there are some dangers. One, as a person uses verses to prove their point, they may take a verse out of context. This in unscriptural and is taking away from what God is conveying in His Word. Also, another downfall to topical preaching is that a person may rely on illustrations to prove their point. I have seen many preachers get up, read a verse, and begin to tell story after story, while never getting back to the Bible. They may season a verse here or there to prove their point, but often, it’s slanted and out of context. The last downfall to topical preaching is that it hardly covers the meat of the Word.
Though topical preaching is very practical, it is often very elementary. Yet it is needed. Often, new believers learn the most from this type of preaching since it is very relative to everyday life and helps young Christians grow. Also, it is good for new preachers, since it is not as hard to create sermons this ways. Also, it is a lot easier to deliver for new preachers. Another benefit from topical preaching is that one can answer a lot of questions, making the Bible very relevant and easy to understand for seekers.
I hope that you ask the Lord to use you as you preach the Word of God. If you are just getting started as a preacher, please don’t be discouraged if this is how you preach. God is teaching you and will use you as you use His Word to proclaim His Message!
An Example Of Topical Preaching
The Caboose Comes Later by Pastor Mike Ray
This is a sermon that will help people to be faithful until God blesses. It has a lot of illustrations from Bible characters that are relevant to the topic. He uses a strong sense of humor that helps encourage the hearers. Note, some jokes are inside jokes from the a sermon preached the night before.
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