Organizing (Outlining) the Sermon I
A Kentucky mountaineer was renowned for his shooting
prowess. All over the hills trees exhibited his
marksmanship – bullet holes in the dead center of small
white circles drawn on the tree. An admirer of his
persistent precision asked how he was always able not only
to hit the bullseye, but always able to hit it dead center.
The sharpshooter replied, “I just shoot the tree and then
draw the circle around it.” Many a sermon has been
organized in the same manner – “I just shoot at the hearers
and then draw a circle around wherever it hits.”
Like the mountaineer marksman, an unorganized sermon fires
without aim or purpose and then draws a circle around
whatever it hits. Even superior sermon content does not
guarantee a good sermon; it takes proper organization to
accomplish its purpose. It is the purpose of organization
(the outline) to provide the best possible method of
getting the thesis of the sermon to come alive in the minds
of the hearers. Without proper organization, the sermon
becomes at best a lecture. Biblical facts become blinders
instead of lenses helping us to see the glory of God.
People can starve to death while we read the list of
ingredients on a loaf of bread!
Organization is the aspect of sermon preparation that is
the real measure of the preacher’s devotion to the duty of
preaching. Sermon ideas fall like rain upon those who are
students of God’s word, observers of God’s world, and
lovers of God’s people. More material for each idea can be
gathered in a short time than can be used in even a long
sermon. It is then that the hardest work begins –
organizing the sermon. Put differently, after the carpenter
has gathered his materials, the time-consuming task of
building begins. The materials can be thrown together
without regard to plumb or square, and without aim or
purpose, or they can be carefully assembled according to
the blueprint to produce a beautiful edifice.
Proper organization keeps the preacher from being a slave
to his notes. It is far easier to remember thoughts that
are related in a logical and orderly fashion. If the
preacher cannot remember what he wants to say long enough
to say it, how can he expect his hearers to remember it
longer than it takes to hear it?
Proper organization helps the sermon by bringing clarity to
it. If the subject matter is unclear in the preacher’s mind
and disorganized in presentation, how can the preacher
expect his hearers to get a clear understanding?
Proper organization helps the hearers to remember what has
been said and to carry away the sermon’s idea from which
they derive sustenance for their souls and support in their
struggles.
Lack of organization robs the preacher of credibility. “He
is disorganized” is the preacher’s kiss of death. His
hearers have concluded that he is either unable to organize
his thoughts or is too busy – or worse yet, too lazy – to
do so. In the former case they are frustrated; in the
latter case they are angry. In either case they have lost
their willingness to listen.