The preaching triangle and four sermon types

A few weeks ago, I posted about the preaching triangle. Today, my thoughts are pulled back to it as I think about the focus of our preaching.

Every sermon is concerned in some way with the preacher, the hearer, and the Bible (or topic). But we can think of sermons as falling into different types based on the center of focus or primary emphasis of the sermon.

For instance, the sermon that takes as its center point the preacher and his or her own feelings, thoughts, and testimonies could be called an expressive sermon. What are often called “testimonies” might fall into this category. Getting something on the heart or mind of the preacher out into the open is the goal of this sermon.

The sermon that keeps very close to the text of the Bible, that takes as it primary goal fidelity to what the Bible says, we might call a referential sermon. It’s primary movement is to explain. The expository verse-by-verse sermon may end up in this category at times. On the other hand, the topical sermon that barely touches the Bible may also be referential as it attempts to fully explain the nuances of its topic or insights.

The sermon that narrows in on the hearer with the explicit goal of changing his or her ideas, attitudes, and actions we can call a persuasive sermon. All preachers probably hope their preaching will change people, but there is a difference between hoping and organizing with great intent to achieve that end. Andy Stanley’s aptly named Communicating for a Change embraces the persuasive sermon.

A fourth type of sermon not plotted on my triangle would be the literary or artistic sermon. Such sermons find their center of gravity in the use of language and images themselves. They aspire to be poetry and dip low into the common arts of entertainment and humor. In either case, it is the use of the medium of communication itself that forms the heart of this sermon.

There are no pure types, of course. The most persuasive sermon ever spoken has its referential, expressive, and literary elements and aspirations. But just as some football teams run to set up the pass and others pass to set up the run, preachers tend to bend the other elements toward their primary goal.

In my own preaching, I tend to lean toward referential sermons with some nods toward persuasion. The center of my sermons tends to be around some statement about God that the text illuminates. I do not always stay close to the text, but I would say my sermons lean more toward explanation and reference than anything else.