J. C. Ryle: Simplicity in Preaching

J. C. Ryle's book Holiness is among the best one can read on the subject. I'have assigned it to students in the Seminary and more times than not the students have spoken of being greatly blessed in their reading. The reasons Ryle so succeeded in writing on the subject are many, and include content, style, and much Biblical support. You can't read his book without agreeing with much of what he says, and finding many sermon ideas. But there is another reason for his success, which is highlighted in his essay on sermon preparation: his choosing to write with simplicity. He was a master of making simple that which other authors would greatly complicate. I  urge you to carefully read Simplicity in Preaching and incorporate his ideas into your sermon preparation.

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Spener's Pia Desideria is one of the "must reads" of Christian History. One of  the Pietists who sought to reform the Lutheran Church, Spener wrote Pia Desideria in 1675 as a preface to a new edition of Johann Arndt's True Christianity. In it, Spener proposed changes that would restore practical godliness to his church, including reading the Scriptures more broadly at church and in small group settings in private homes, broadening the priesthood of believers to include more lay members, assuring that pastors were converted when they graduated from the seminary, making sure students were properly mentored and prepared for ministry, practicing one's religious convictions such as showing love to one's neighbors, and being more careful to give no offense when debating theological differences.

 

Here are some concepts drawn from his book:

In spite of all the sermons being preached, much is lacking in those sermons. Some pastors embellish their sermons with ideas and information that is intended to highlight their own learning and oratory skills, even though the people listening don't understand what is being said. Sometimes foreign languages are quoted in spite of the fact that not even one person understands the foreign language. There is also more concern about writing eloquent introductions, effective transitions and clever outlines, to say nothing of impressive wordsmithing and following the rules of oratory, than developing sermons to help people make right choices when they are choosing between death and life. This is a mistake. The pulpit is not the place to demonstrate one's learning or oratory skill, rather it is the place to preach the word in simple, but powerful ways.

Always make preaching to the "ordinary" people your primary focus, rather than preaching to the few well educated people who may or may not be present."

Don't be shy about constantly reminding your hearers of what they know.

Because the Christian religion primarily has to do with the "inner" man, preaching should be accordingly directed. In so doing, the preacher should not only encourage and strengthen the inner man, but also encourage the spiritual works that proceed out of the inner man--and thus help the hearers to not only refrain from outward vices and practicing merely outward virtues, but to help the people become accustomed to working on that which is inward and thus awakening a love towards God and man that is truly godly."

Down through the centuries God has raised up champion pastors who greatly impacted their parishes. Among the factors contributing to their success were, personal godliness, a personal knowledge and experience in the transforming power of the gospel, serious prayer, jealousy for God, effective simple communication, and MUCH visitation. We would do well to follow their example.
 

William Grimshaw (1708-1766)

He was a “plain” preacher. His first aim was to preach the whole truth as it is in Jesus. His second aim was to preach so as to be understood. To accomplish this he was willing to make many sacrifices, including preaching with words that were below his education, but words, none-the-less, that communicated with his parishioners. John Newton, speaking of him, said: “The desire of usefulness to persons of the weakest capacity, or most destitute of the advantages of education, influenced his phraseology in preaching. Though his abilities as a speaker, and his fund of general knowledge, rendered him very competent to stand before great men, yet, as his stated hearers were chiefly of the poorer and more unlettered classes, he condescended to accommodate himself, in the most familiar manner, to their ideas, and to their modes of expression. Like the apostles, he disdained that elegance and excellence of speech which is admired by those who seek entertainment perhaps not less than instruction from the pulpit. He rather chose to deliver his sentiments in what he used to term ‘market language.’ (Read more about Grimshaw...)