Books on Preaching
Recently I received a letter from our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, warning of a significant deficiency of qualified men available to serve as pastors. One reason for this is because the majority of current pastors in the PCA are older and will be retiring in the coming years, raising concern as to whether there will be enough new pastors to fill all the vacant pulpits.
For me personally, one of the means God used to get me to consider pastoral ministry was by reading a book on preaching. Of course the pastorate requires much more than just preaching, but if you’ve ever had the inkling to consider giving your life to ministry, perhaps a next step would be to read one or more of the following books, all on the topic of preaching:
Preaching and Preachers, Martin Lloyd-Jones - This was the one. I read it and thought, “I think I might want to be a preacher.” And that has been the testimony of countless other pastors in the reformed tradition over the years. This is a classic work that some regard as the best modern book written on the subject. It is here that MLJ made the grand claim that as preaching is the “most urgent need” of the church, it is “obviously the greatest need of the world also."
Between Two Worlds, John Stott - This wouldn’t be the first book I’d recommend to a prospective preacher, as it is a bit lengthy, and gets into the mechanics of preaching, but it also covers about everything one needs to consider regarding the challenging task of connecting the Biblical world to our current world through the means of preaching.
On Preaching, H.B. Charles - Charles begins this book by declaring, “I am never satisfied with my preaching.” That kind of frank honesty is what you get in this slim volume, which is actually the most recent book I've read on preaching (it’s good to keep reading about preaching, even when you’re deep into your ministry). This book is super practical, not as philosophical as Stott’s book, and a perfect introduction to the task of proclaiming God’s word.
The Heart is the Target, Murray Capill - This one reads more like Stott’s book; that is, more technical and fairly lengthy, kind of like a textbook, but it “targets” the issue that distinguishes preaching from being a mere lecture, which is that it must touch the human heart. Someone once said that there is a difference between loving to preach, and preaching to people you love. This book explains how to do more than just pontificate, but how to speak to people’s hearts, which can be the most challenging aspect of preaching.
Why Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon - This might strike some as a cranky cultural critique, but it offers much food for thought regarding the way our very distracted electronic age has made it hard for preachers not only to write sermons but also for people to listen to them. Preachers need to be intentional about resisting the spirit of the age by writing sermons that are not just a rambling assortment of ideas. “People may very well have a reduced attention span, but they have no difficulty giving attention to a discourse they deem important and well-organized."
