Critical Evaluation Essay
A Description of the Sermon by Paul Artino
The sermon under consideration in this case was a topical one. This conclusion spurns from the manner in which the man who is preaching introduces his sermon. He states to the congregation that this is one of several sermons that the church is being taught as a series on Authentic Christianity. Furthermore, this sermon is based on the key topic which in his case is “God’s love for man.” He begins by addressing several issues that illustrate his key points in such a manner that they bring out the meaning of the sermon’s topic in a manner understandable to the audience. The scriptures which he uses are also highly dependent on the topic being discussed during this worship session. The interpretation of scriptures used in the sermon are skewed towards the main topic and it can be said that the Bible passages being read are viewed through a ‘God’s love for man’ lens. The main scripture that he focuses on is 1st John 3.
The big idea of the sermon was apparent throughout the sermon. This is because of the manner that he incorporates the key theme of God’s love to ‘every second sentence.’ Whether he is describing and explaining the Bible reading or elaborating on this relationship through the use of everyday examples. The examples that he uses are the love between spouses, a father and a child and also his own love for his child. This is because these are all illustrations of love which people can relate to. At the same time, he manages to bring out the big idea without making the concept monotonous. This is accomplished through the use of various angles and descriptive characteristics of God’s love which he calls the ‘perfect father-child relationship.’
This sermon is a deductive one. Deductive preaching is characterized by the act of the preacher coming up with a key point or conclusion whose contributory points are elaborated upon in such a manner that the congregation will have a better understanding of the conclusion by the end of the sermon. As a matter of fact, the entire series of ‘Authentic Christianity’ being taught to this church. The sermons being taught by the various preachers contribute to the congregation’s understanding of authentic Christianity. Within this sermon, the various examples and scriptures he uses contribute ideas that help those in attendance to understand the concept of God’s love for man.
The media that was used to enhance this sermon was a projector which illustrated the key Biblical readings as well as the key points that make up this sermon that he is preaching. They help the congregation to keep up with the subtopics as well as the preaching concurrently rather than being in a constant state of catch-up.
A topical and deductive sermon was ideal in the presentation of the message of God’s love for mankind since it better explains the concept from a Biblical perspective using real-life examples. The role of believers in God’s love for mankind is clearly illustrated as well.
The fact that this sermon had an introduction adequately prepared the congregation for what was about to be preached. The introduction tied in what was about to be preached to the classes that had been given by other preachers and also reminds the congregation that the key aim of the series is to add on to their knowledge of what authentic Christianity really means. Basically, an understanding of God’s love for mankind is introduced as something crucial for all those who want to live authentic Christian lives. At the same time, the audience’s curiosity about what God’s love for mankind really means is aroused making them eager to know more.
The Bible is seen as the ‘prime mover’ of this sermon’s message; however being a topical preaching, many of the issues presented are not per-se sourced from the Bible. They seem to be more of personal experiences whose mode of narration has been tailored to suit the intentions of the preacher. The message was largely in context since the preacher made use of illustrations that the congregation could easily relate to. This is why they managed to laugh at the jokes he cracked from time to time during his sermon. These indicate the presence of an intellectual common ground between the pastor and the congregation.
The purpose of the sermon was obvious in the first half of the sermon. At some point however his focus drifted when he went to talk about the experiences he has at the golf-course. This did not really tie in clearly with the main aim of the sermon. The conclusive part of the sermon however reiterates the aim of the preaching. This aim’s state of being obvious can however be attributed to the introduction of the sermon.
The application of concepts from Robinson’s textbook
Idea Explained: This refers to the preacher’s action of elaborating upon a concept that he or she intends to preach to a congregation (Robinson, 12). The idea in this context is the spiritual concept or theme of the sermon. This is clearly seen in the sermon since Paul Artino uses various illustrations and examples to help the audience to understand the meaning of God’s love for man which is the topic of this preaching. An example of this is when he compares the action of loving to the action of liking.
Proposition proved on the other hand refers to the state of convincing evidence being given of a premise that a preacher introduced in the course of the sermon (Robinson, 12). This can be done through the use of scripture as well as the use of an illustration relatable to the experiences of the congregation members. In his instance, he uses two examples and the illustration of an ‘oasis vs. a mirage.’
Principle applied is the explanation of a concept by using an example that shows how it manifests itself (Robinson, 12). The story of the young girl who obeys the father by sitting while she is ‘standing on the inside’ as an illustration of sin’s lawlessness.
Story told is the act of a preacher narrating a tale based on a true event or a fictious one that will ultimately help in illustrating points and driving it home (Robinson, 12). Paul Artino does this with ease through tonal variation to explain his points.
Subject completed is the connection of a sermon’s selected scriptures to explanations, illustrations and applications by the preacher in a seamless manner thus adequately and efficiently delivering the intended message to all those who attended the sermon (Robinson, 12). Basically, all aspects of a concept the preacher is presenting get to reach the congregation.
References
Paul Artino’s Sermon http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/min670_pastor02.php
Robinson, H. W. (2001). Biblical preaching: The development and delivery of expository messages (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
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