The Jack Hyles Home Page - Teaching on Preaching

Teaching on Preaching

by Dr. Jack Hyles

First Printing 1986 by Hyles-Anderson Publishers
First Electronic Printing March 1998 by FFEP

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. One Great Truth a Sermon

2. The Outline

3. Preparing to Preach

4. Keeping a Warm Heart as You Preach

5. Choosing a Sermon

6. The Pastor Holding His Own Attention

7. The Introduction

8. Subjects on Which to Preach

9. Preaching to Everybody

10. Compassion in Preaching

11. Preachers, Let's Lengthen the Cords and
Strengthen the Stakes

12. The Invitation

13. The Preacher Must Be Stable

14. Preaching Between the Living and the Dead

15. The Preacher and Language

16. The Care and the Use of the Preacher's Voice

17. The Importance of Preaching

DEDICATION

To my Saviour, Whose message I preach.

Introduction

In Anchorage, Alaska; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Atlanta,
Georgia; Atlanta, Texas; Abilene, Texas; Akron, Ohio; Altoona,
Pennsylvania; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Amarillo, Texas; Ashe-
ville, North Carolina; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Augusta, Maine;
and Austin, Texas.

In Baltimore, Maryland; Bangor, Maine; Barbados, West Indies;
Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Beaumont, Texas; Bemidji, Minnesota;
Benton Harbor, Michigan; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Billings,
Montana; Binghamton, New York; Birmingham, Alabama;
Bloomington, Illinois; Bloomington, Indiana; Boise, Idaho;
Boston, Massachusetts; Bradenton, Florida; Bridgeport, Connecti-
cut; Brownsville, Texas; Buffalo, New York; Burlington, North
Carolina

.
In Casper; Wyoming; Carbondale, Illinois; Canton, Ohio; Cedar
Rapids, Iowa; Champaign, Illinois; Charleston, South Carolina;
Charleston, West Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanoo-
ga, Tennessee; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati,
Ohio; Cedar Lake, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Colorado Springs,
Colorado; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Georgia; Co-
lumbus, Ohio; and Corpus Christi, Texas.

In Dallas, Texas; Danville, Virginia; Danville, Illinois; Dayton,
Ohio; Daytona Beach, Florida; Decatur; Illinois; Decatur; Georgia;
Denver; Colorado; Des Moines, Iowa; Detroit, Michigan; Dothan,
Alabama; Dubuque, Iowa; Durham, North Carolina; and Durango,
Colorado.

In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Elkhart, Indiana; Elmira, New
York; El Paso, Texas; Erie, Pennsylvania; Eugene, Oregon; Evans-
ville, Indiana; and Evanston, Illinois.

In Fairbanks, Alaska; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Fayetteville, North
Carolina; Flagstaff, Arizona; Flint, Michigan; Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida; Ft. Worth, Texas; Ft. Smith, Arkansas; Ft. Sill, Oklahoma;
Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada; and
Fresno, California.

In Gainesville, Florida; Gainesville, Texas; Goose Creek, Texas;
Grand Bahamas; Grand Junction, Colorado; Grand Rapids, Michi-
gan; Greensboro, North Carolina; Greenville, Texas; Greenville,
Mississippi; Greenville, South Carolina; and Gulfport, Mississip-
pi.

In Hammond, Indiana; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Ham-
ilton, Ontario, Canada; Harlingen, Texas; Harrisburg, Pennsyl-
vania; Hartford, Connecticut; Honolulu, Hawaii; Hollywood,
Florida; Houston, Texas; Huntsville, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama;
and Huntington, West Virginia.

In Indianapolis, Indiana; Islamorada, Florida; Iowa City, Iowa;
Irving, Texas; Ingram, Texas; Italy, Texas; and Itasca, Texas.
In Jackson, Mississippi; Jackson, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Flor-
ida; Jacksonville, Texas; Johnson City; Tennessee; Johnstown,
Pennsylvania; Joplin, Missouri; Jacksonville, North Carolina; Jas-
per; Alabama; Jacksboro, Texas; Jacinto City, Texas; Jasper; Texas;
Jefferson, Texas; Jasper; Indiana; and Jeffersonville, Indiana.
In Kahului, Hawaii, Kalamazoo, Michigan; Kansas City,
Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Kinston, North Carolina; Knox-
ville, Tennessee; Kokomo, Indiana; Karnack, Texas; Kaufman,
Texas; Knox, Indiana; Kilgore, Texas; Kernersville, North Car-
olina; and Kankakee, Illinois.

In La Crosse, Wisconsin; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Lansing,
Michigan; Lancaster; Pennsylvania; Laramie, Wyoming; Laredo,
Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Lincoln, Nebraska; Little Rock, Arkan-
sas; London, Ontario, Canada; Long Beach, California; Long
Island, New York; Longview, Texas; Los Angeles, California;
Louisville, Kentucky; Lewisville, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; and
Lynchburg, Virginia.

In Macon, Georgia; Marion, Ohio; McAllen, Texas; Medford,
Oregon; Melbourne, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee; Monterrey,
Mexico; Miami, Florida; Midland, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Moline, Illinois; Montego Bay, Jamaica;
Monterey, California; Montgomery, Alabama; Montreal, Quebec,
Canada; Morgantown, West Virginia; Muscle Shoals, Alabama;
Marietta, Ohio; and Muskegon, Michigan.

In Nashville, Tennessee; Naples, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas;
Newark, New Jersey; New London, Texas; New Orleans, Louis-
iana; New York, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; Newport News,
Virginia; North Chicago, Illinois; North Aurora, Illinois; New
Boston, Texas; Nederland, Texas; Niagara Falls, New York.

In Oakland, California; Odessa, Texas; Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; Omaha, Nebraska; Ontario, California; Ontario, Cana-
da; Orange County, California; Orlando, Florida; Oak Forest, Illi-
nois; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Ottawa, Kansas; Oshkosh, Wiscon-
sin; Oxnard, California; Ottawa, Canada; Olney, Illinois; Olney,
Texas; Orange, Texas; Oak Park, Illinois; Oak Lawn, Illinois; and
Ottawa, Illinois.

In Paducah, Kentucky; Palm Beach, Florida; Panama City, Flor-
ida; Pensacola, Florida; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Pasco, Wash-
ington; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Peoria, Illinois; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Philipsburg, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; Pitts-
burg, Texas; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Port Arthur; Texas; Port-
land, Maine; Portland, Oregon; Poughkeepsie, New York; Powell,
Tennessee; Pueblo, Colorado; and Port Huron, Michigan.

In Raleigh, North Carolina; Rapid City, South Dakota; Redding,
California; Reno, Nevada; Richmond, Indiana; Richmond, Texas;
Roanoke, Virginia; Rochester; New York; Rockford, Illinois; Rock
Island, Illinois; Rock Springs, Wyoming; and Rowlett, Texas;
Rockwall, Texas; Rockaway Beach, Missoun.

In Sacramento, California; Saginaw, Michigan; St. John, New
Brunswick, Canada; St. Joseph, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; St.
Paul, Minnesota; St. Petersburg, Florida; Salisbury, Maryland; Salt
Lake City, Utah; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; San
Francisco, California; San Jose, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico;
Sarasota, Florida; Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; Savannah, Georgia;
Seattle, Washington; Sheridan, Wyoming; Shreveport, Louisiana;
Sioux City, Iowa; South Bend, Indiana; Springfield, Illinois;
Springfield, Missouri; Springfield, Massachusetts; State College,
Pennsylvania; Stockton, California; and Syracuse, New York.

In Tacoma, Washington; Tallahassee, Florida; Tampa, Florida;
Temple, Texas; Terre Haute, Indiana; Texarkana, Texas; Texarkana,
Arkansas; Texas City, Texas; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Tucson,
Arizona; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Tyler; Texas.

In Urbana, Illinois; Utica, New York; University Park, Texas;
and Uvalde, Texas.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Vale, Colorado;
Vicksburg, Mississippi; Victoria, Texas; Visalia, California; Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania; and Vincennes, Indiana.

In Washington, D.C.; Waco, Texas; Watertown, Wisconsin; Wa-
terloo, Iowa; West Palm Beach, Florida; White Plains, New York;
Wichita, Kansas; Wichita Falls, Texas; Williamsport, Pennsyl-
vania; Wilmington, North Carolina; Windsor; Ontario, Canada;
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Winston-Salem, North Carolina;
Winona Lake, Indiana; and West Hollywood, Florida.

In Youngstown, Ohio; York, Pennsylvania; and Yuma, Arizona,
and in many other cities, villages, towns, hamlets, neighborhoods
and countrysides across the United States I have preached the
blessed truths of God's Word. In addition, I have opened His Word
and preached from it in many foreign countries.

In December of 1985 I preached my 43,000th sermon. It seems
that with the passing of each year I feel I know less about preaching.
This is because perhaps I have learned more. With the opening of
every door; there are many more doors to open; with the exploring
of every cave, there are many more caves to explore; with the
climbing of each height, there are many more heights to climb; and
with the plunging into each depth, there are many more depths in
which to plunge.

The first little church that I pastored had 19 members. The
church which I now pastor has tens of thousands of members. The
smallest crowd to which I have ever preached was seven. Now each
Sunday I have the responsibility of preaching to thousands at the
First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. During these 43,000
times I have represented my Saviour before His people and before
those who know Him not. I have observed some things. Some of
these I have remembered. Some of the remembered ones I share
with the reader in this sincere effort to be a help to God's servants
and those who speak for Him.

I make no attempt at being original. I have often said that the
definition of leadership is, "One who goes from follower to fol-
lower collecting ideas, compiles them, puts them in a book and
sells a copy to each follower." It has been my privilege for many
years to travel the length and breadth of my country. I have met
many men of God who have influenced me in my preaching. I have
collected from them ideas and methods, and now I have compiled
them. I share them with you, my readers.

Someone has said that preaching is pouring back in a flood what
you receive from the audience in a vapor. Thank you for the vapor. I
trust that you are refreshed, and blessed and helped by the flood.

Chapter 1

One Great Truth a Sermon

A preacher lives with his sermons all the time. After the Sunday
evening service ends, I spend 15-30 minutes in my office alone
reflecting on the day I relive the services and try to figure the needs
of my people for the next week. Usually before I leave the study on
Sunday night I know the general direction of my sermons for the
next Sunday From that moment forward, I am planning next
Sunday's messages. They are constantly on my mind as I prepare
my mind and heart to meet the needs of my people on the next
Lord's Day

I must remember; however; that my people do not live with the
sermon. They spend only 30 minutes to an hour a week on each
message; whereas it is in my mind constantly Because of this, I
will remember the sermon for many days to come.

A preacher has no choice during the delivery of the message but
to think about it; the people do not have to listen. The preacher's
mind is totally occupied with what he is saying; whereas the minds
of those who hear him range from being totally aware of what he is
saying to being totally unaware of what is being said. During the
course of a sermon most of the people will no doubt at least
partially listen, but their occupation with the sermon can in no way
compare to that of the preacher.

These things mean that the preacher may never forget the sermon
whereas most of the people will soon forget it. Therefore, I believe
that the fondest hope that a preacher can have concerning retention
of his sermons is to attempt to leave one great truth a sermon in the
minds of his people. The average person will not remember much
of what the preacher has said. Most people will not remember his
outline. The preacher has done well who leaves one great truth in
the minds of his people as they leave the service for their dwelling
places. This is my goal when I preach.

How may this be done? This chapter is totally devoted to meth-
ods and means that will cause the people, the congregation, to carry
with them from each message one great truth which they will never
forget.

1. Picture the invitation and the one thing you want to happen.
Decide on the one thing that you want the members of the congre-
gation to do or to begin to do because of the message. In other
words, plan first the destination. Then plan the best way to arrive at
that destination. It may be a message on stewardship, the purpose of
which is to inspire the people to be good stewards of their lives,
their time, their talent and their money Maybe it will be a message
on faithfulness, the goal of which is to inspire the members to
attend faithfully the services of the church. It may be a message on
prayer during which the pastor wants to impress his people to make
definite decisions concerning their prayer lives. The wise pastor
will decide early the one thing he wants his people to do, the one
decision he wants them to make, and the one destination to which
he hopes to take them. This, I think, is necessary to the delivery of a
good sermon. The purpose of preaching is not that of delivering a
good sermon. The purpose of preaching is that of delivering a great
truth that will inspire the parishioners to perform a great service.

2. Decide what truth will make it happen. You have already
decided the destination. Now choose the vehicle and the route that
will properly take you to that destination. This is the truth that must
be emphasized over and over again during the message so as to
imprint indelibly in the minds of the hearers the one great truth that
will convey them to the destination you have chosen for them.

3. Write it down and look at it. Confirm to yourself that the
decision that you want the hearers to make can be inspired by the
truth that you plan to deliver. Be convinced that the truth will be the
proper vehicle to deliver the congregation to the desired destina-
tion.

4. Decide what you think that truth will make happen. First you
have chosen the desired goal and from that choice you have chosen
the truth that will lead the congregation to the desired goal. Now
forget the goal-- look only at the truth. Decide to what destination
that truth will lead. If this destination coincides with your original
destination, you have no doubt chosen the proper truth.

This is like checking mathematics. When a person multiplies 3
times 9, he gets 27. When he divides 3 into 27 and gets 9, this
proves that his multiplication was proper. When the pastor starts
with the destination and determines what truth will lead him to that
destination, then takes the truth and determines to what destination
it will lead, and finds that they coincide, he no doubt has found the
one great truth that he should emphasize throughout his sermon.

5. When convinced both ways, decide on the truth to be deliv-
ered.

6. Use the time between this decision and the time of the
preaching of the sermon to convince yourself of the importance of
the truth that you have chosen. By the time the sermon is delivered
the pastor must be totally sold on the fact that he has the answer. He
must be totally convinced that the truth he is going to deliver is
desperately needed by his people and that their lives will not be
complete without the absorption of this great truth. This is perhaps
the key to the delivering of a message. The pastor must be con-
sumed with the idea that this is the answer and without it his people
will flounder in at least one area of their Christian lives. It must be
life or death to him! He must feel that the delivering of this truth is
the most important thing going on in the world at the time of its
deliverance. He must magnify this truth in his own mind all week
so that when he stands to speak he will be consumed with its
importance.

The person who sees a burning house has no problem or thought
of his delivery when he warns the inhabitants of the danger they are
facing. No preacher has preached well until his message becomes
in his own mind life-changing and life-transforming to his people.
Hence, he must utilize wisely the time between the choosing of the
truth that he will soon deliver and the delivering of that truth. He
must be totally consumed with the importance of the message.

7. Write the truth and place it at several well-traveled places. If,
for example, the truth is "Total surrender to God brings happiness
to the individual," he should write those words, make copies of
them and have them at well-traveled places. Put a copy on the door
of the refrigerator; at the telephone, on the mirror in the bathroom,
on the windshield of the car; near the dial of your watch and other
places that are a part of your daily schedule.

8. Set times to do nothing but think of the importance of the
truth to be delivered on the Lord's Day Perhaps at least 15 minutes
several times a day should be given to such meditation. At this time
sell yourself on the importance of the truth you have chosen to
deliver; dwell on it, convince yourself that it is vital to the spiritual
well-being of your people.

9. Place the truth at the top of your prayer list. Every time you
go to the throne of grace you will be reminded of your sermon for
Sunday and you will pray fervently for God to help you to convey
properly to your people the truth that He has led you to choose in
order for them to arrive at the destination which He has chosen for
them.

10. As you pray, picture in your own mind the invitation on
Sunday Picture one person kneeling at the altar to make the
decision that you feel he needs to make. Fervently ask God to lead
you to present the truth in such a way that this picture in your mind
of the invitation can become a reality.

All of the things that are being listed now are parts of a recipe that
is to convince the preacher of the importance of the sermon he is
going to deliver. He must be consumed with the desire to help his
people. He must be carried away with the awareness that the truth
that he has chosen is the vehicle that God can use to give this help.
He must be lifted out of himself and above himself and be swept up
by this great truth caused by a burning desire to see his people
make the decision in their hearts that he feels is so necessary to
their lives and spiritual growth.

11. Choose a song that conveys the chosen truth, and sing it
often throughout the week. It could be a familiar song. For exam-
ple, if the destination chosen is that of leading your people "to
decide to be unselfish" and the truth chosen to lead them to that
destination is "living for others," the pastor could have as his theme
song for the week that beautiful little song, "Others." He could sing
throughout the week those beautiful words, "Lord, help me live
from day to day in such a self-forgetful way, that even when I kneel
to pray, my prayer shall be for others. Others, Lord, yes others. Let
this my motto be: Lord, help me live for others that I may live like
Thee." This song can be used of God to help His man to lose
himself in the message he is to deliver to His people the next Lord's
Day

It has been my policy for many years now to choose a song for
the day Early in the morning I choose a song that I plan to sing all
day I hum it, whistle it and sing it throughout the day until it
becomes sometimes even a subconscious activity. Usually this
song will be one that deals with the truth of my message for the next
Sunday For example, if my message for the next Sunday is on total
commitment, I may sing all day one day, "Jesus I my cross have
taken, all to leave and follow Thee." The next day I may sing, "All
to Jesus I surrender." These songs lead me to dwell on the truth that
I have chosen as the vehicle to lead my people to the destination
that I feel is best for them.

Sometimes I will make up a little song that will help me to think
about the truth I am to deliver. Recently I was going to preach on
Proverbs 3:6, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct thy paths." I wrote a little chorus using the words of this
great verse. Once I was going to preach on coming boldly to the
throne of grace. I wrote a little song entitled, "Come Boldly" This
helped to keep my mind on the truth that I want to transfer into the
minds of my people on the Lord's Day

12. Read all you can about this truth. Acquaint yourself with
every tool possible that will enable you to convey better this chosen
truth to your people in order that they may arrive at the chosen
destination.

13. Think of its greatness. Many years ago I had an assistant
pastor who came to me and said, "Preacher; you play up your
sermons too much. You make them appear to be more important
than they are." Months later he returned to me and said, "Preacher; I
was wrong. You don't play up your sermons too much. You simply
don't play them down."

The Bible has the answer! The truths of the Bible are ingredients
of that answer. They are life and death. The preacher does not have
to build them up; he has to dwell on them in such a manner so he
can build himself up to realize the magnitude of his preaching and
the importance of Bible truths being conveyed to his people. There
are no live preachers and dead preachers; there are preachers who
convince themselves of the urgency and greatness of their calling
and there are preachers who do not!

14. Repeat the truth over and over again. You have meditated
upon it, you have placed it at well-traveled places, you have sung
about it, you have prayed about it, and you have read about it; now
repeat it over and over and over and over. Let it have the front seat in
your mind so that by the time you walk into the pulpit to deliver it, it
will be the most important event going on in the world at that time.

15. Think of the ways it can help your people. Picture the ways it
will transform their lives. Think of what they can be and do if they
absorb this great truth. This will enable you to realize more and
more the importance of the sermon and its delivery. It will put an
excitement in the voice, an urgency in the message, an electricity in
the delivery and an attractiveness to the audience!

16. Remember that you have only one chance. This will be
perhaps the only time you will preach this sermon to this congrega-
tion. They must get it now or perhaps they will never get it. Many of
them will be hearing this truth for the one and only time in their
lives. This realization should lead you to do your best and give your
best as you preach it.

17. Avoid complicated outlines. For example, avoid outlines
that would have Roman numeral one, four subheads; then Roman
numeral two, and under that, four subheads; and Roman numeral
three and four subheads. Such outlining may help to deliver a good
sermon but it gives the people too many truths to retain, and there is
too little emphasis on any one truth in order to force its retention. If,
however; such an outline is chosen, each point should be connected
to the main truth being conveyed. If you have several points, repeat
the great truth as you give them. For example, suppose the sermon
for the day is taken from Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his
delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he
meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper." The truth could be "how to prosper always." Now there
are five things listed in these verses that are necessary for our
prosperity: (I) not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, (2) not
standing in the way of sinners, (3) not sitting in the seat of the
scornful, (4) delighting oneself in the law of the Lord (the Bible),
and (5) meditating in the Bible day and night. As each of these
points is delivered, the congregation should be reminded of the
truth that we are trying to present; that is, how to prosper. The
preacher could say something like this, "I am preaching this
morning on the subject, 'How to Prosper.' There are five things
listed in these verses that are essential for prosperity. (1) Not
walking in the counsel of the ungodly If you want to be prosperous,
you cannot walk in the counsel of the ungodly If you walk in the
counsel of the ungodly, you will not be prosperous." Notice the
constant mention of the word "prosperous" or some form of it.
Always in every point come back to the truth that has been chosen
as the vehicle to take us to the destination.

18. Have the truth that is being emphasized written boldly
somewhere in the outline. Have it underlined or encircled so that
one glance at the outline will allow you to see the truth upon the
slightest glance at the outline. This will keep the main truth before
you while delivering the message.

19. If for any reason, there is no central truth given in the
sermon, have something very memorable to present. If there is no
reemphasis of the same truth over and over and over again, driving
that truth like a hammer on the head of a nail in the minds of the
people, there should be something in the sermon that the people
will never forget. This could be a startling illustration. I have
accepted the fact that the people will not carry much home with
them. One central truth would be a worthy goal. If there is no such
truth emphasized in the message, there should be something some-
where in the delivery of the sermon that is startling enough to
remain in the minds of the hearers as they leave. It could be one
statement of truth. It could be one illustration that is very memora-
ble.

In my sermon, "The Dignity of Man," I build the message
around a man dressed in rags who came to my office the first day
that I was Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond. I tell in
that message the thoughts that went through my mind and the
lessons that God taught me through the old man. As I begin each
point, I describe again the old man. He was a man who had long,
shaggy hair that was dirty and matted. His face was dirty and ill-
shaven. His neck was caked with filth. His shirt that once had been
white had become yellow. His trousers were too big and were held
up by a rope inserted through the belt loops. The trousers had
patches at the knees. His shoes were worn and old, and there was a
slit across each toe to widen them. His odor was obnoxious!

In this sermon on "The Dignity of Man" from the eighth Psalm, I
list probably a half dozen things that God taught me through that
man. Before each of those points, I describe the old man again as
mentioned before. People who heard that sermon 25 years ago still
remember the old man. It was not a sermon that left one truth, but
they never forgot it because of this one illustration repeated
throughout the sermon.

20. If you have a sermon with points, repeat all when the new
one is given. In my sermon, "God's Calls to Soul Winning," the
outline is as follows:

1. The call from within.

2. A call from without.

3. A call from above.

4. A call from beneath.

As I give each point, I remind the listener that each is a call to us
beckoning us to soul winning. When I mention point 1, I simply
say, "There is a call from within." When I mention point 2, I say,
"There is a call from within and a call from without." When I
mention point 3, I say, "There is a call from within, a call from
without and a call from above." When I mention point 4, I say,
"There is a call from within, a call from without, a call from above
and a call from beneath." People who heard that sermon a quarter
of a century ago always remember the outline.
In my sermon entitled, "Others," the outline is:

1. Jesus died loving others.

2. Jesus died caring for others.

3. Jesus died saving others.

When this outline is used, not only do I repeat the previous point or
points when I introduce another one, but I also use the song,
"Others," as mentioned earlier in this chapter.

Repetition is one of the most important things in preaching, or
for that matter; in any public speaking. A famous preacher from
Scotland said that the curse of the Scottish ministry is its un-
willingness to be repetitious. Brother Bill Harvey, who was my
music director for two years, in describing my preaching once said,
"Jack Hyles is willing to be repetitious of the obvious." This is why
I think that one-point sermons are so effective. The same point is
hit over and over and over again. Each time it is hit, it drives itself
deeper into the heart and mind of the hearer.

21. It is often advisable to have the people repeat the points
aloud. This will help them remember the outline if there is more
than one point in a sermon. For example, I have a motivational
message I preach called, "Seven Steps to Success." The outline is
as follows:

1. A dream.

2. A desire.

3. A decision.

4. A dare.

5. A direction.

6. A dedication.

7. A devotion.

When I bring this message I ask the people to repeat the outline
with me as it unfolds. For example, if I am on point 5, "a direction,"
I will have them repeat the first four points along with the fifth
point. Not only do they remember the points, but they remember
their order.

22. Do not change your direction while preaching a sermon if
you are feeling like it is a failure. You may be equating failure with
cloudiness of mind. Sometimes you're not following yourself well,
but the people are following you well. A few months ago I was
preaching in a southern state. For the first 15 or 20 minutes of my
message I felt that I was not succeeding. My mind was not clear. I
was tempted to change directions but did not. Soon something
happened that got my attention and something I said excited me
and pulled me into the sermon. After the service the pastor of the
church, who is a dear friend, said to me, "Dr. Hyles, I have heard
you preach hundreds of times, but that is the greatest message you
have ever preached in my presence!" Little did he realize that I
almost ditched the sermon in order to flee to another.

One Sunday morning several years ago I was preaching in my
own pulpit. About ten minutes into the sermon I went totally blank.
I simply could not think! For some reason or other I was just
unaware of what I was saying. I became frantic but kept right on
plodding through the outline. To be quite frank, I was afraid I was
having a mental problem. When the invitation came, I was barely
aware of where I was. After the service I fled to my study, threw
myself on the floor and begged God to give me a clear mind. By the
time the evening service rolled around I had returned to normalcy.
Several months passed. I was preaching in Atlanta, Georgia. Our
oldest daughter; Becky, and her family were living there at the time.
They asked me to go out to eat with them after the service. While
we were fellowshipping, Becky said, "Dad, I recently heard a
sermon of yours on tape that was the best sermon I ever heard you
preach on tape."

I said, "Well, thank you, Puddin'."

She said, "Dad, it was not only the best sermon I ever heard you
preach on tape; it was the best sermon I ever heard anybody preach
on tape."

Well, I increased my expression of gratitude to her.

Again she said, "Dad, it was not only the best sermon I ever
heard anybody preach on tape, but it was the best sermon I have
ever heard anybody preach on tape or in person."

"Well," I said, "Puddin', I guess I better know what sermon that
is so I can preach it again." She gave me the title. Was I ever
stunned! It was the sermon I preached a few months before when I
lost my coherence. I could not believe it. I returned to my room that
night and praised God well into the night that He can use simple
things to confound the wise and that it is still true that when we are
weak, then we are strong.

Of course, every preacher has his own style of outlining and his
own style of preaching. To be sure, each of us will, on occasion,
preach sermons of different types, but it is the opinion of this
preacher that the most effective preaching is that of determining
before you choose a topic or a truth where you want to go. Picture
the invitation. Decide what you want the people to do. Then find
the truth that can be used as a vehicle to take the hearers to the desired
goal. Then over and over again in the sermon emphasize the
same truth, driving it deeper and deeper and deeper into the hearts
and minds of the hearer until it is so indelibly and firmly positioned
in his mind that he not only will respond as you had planned, but he
will never forget the truth and the sermon.

Chapter 2

The Outline

There are two things that the preacher sees as he delivers his
message. He sees first his people and second, his outline. Only one
of these can he control-the outline. Sometimes the people Will
inspire him as he speaks; sometimes they will not. So the only
predictable thing that catches his eye as he speaks is his Outline.
Hence, it is vital that the outline do the purpose that it is intended to
do. Different preachers use different types of outlines.

One day I was sitting talking to Mrs. Billy Sunday, whom we
affectionately called 'Ma" Sunday. She was telling me about Billy
Sunday. I asked her what kind of outlines he had. She told me that
each letter in his outline was an inch tall. I asked her why, thinking
perhaps that he had poor vision. She told me that his letters were so
big because: (1) He seldom came near the pulpit, and as he would
run by he glanced at his outline. The letters had to be big in order
for him to read them while running by (2) The big letters made him
speak louder. In other words, the fact that the letters were written an
inch high put him in the shouting mood, and he liked to preach With
enthusiasm and a loud voice.

For 22 years I traveled extensively with Dr. John R. Rice and
shared pulpits across America with him. Over 2200 times he and I
have sat on the same platform together and preached on the same
program. Dr. Rice did not use old outlines. He would use sermons
that were old, but right before each sermon he would outline his
message again! It would be the same outline that he had used many
times and the same sermon that he often preached, but he always
outlined it again just before preaching it. We were in Ohio together.
I was noticing just before the service that he was outlining his
sermon. I asked him why he did that. He replied that it helped him
to keep his mind on the sermon and to remember the outline if he
wrote it down right before preaching it. It made it fresher in his
mind.

Some great preachers use simple outlines of less than one page.
Some use many pages of outline. I am thinking of one of America's
greatest preachers whose sermons sometimes have thirty pages of
outline. My sermons are usually from two to four pages of outlines.
They are not usually typewritten but rather are written in longhand.

This is the most important paragraph in this chapter. It deals with
the purpose of an outline. AN OUTLINE IS PRIMARILY TO PUT
THE SPEAKER IN THE SAME FRAME OF MIND WHILE
PREACHING AS HE WAS WHILE PREPARING AND STUDY-
ING. A preacher goes to his study. He prepares his message. The
Bible begins to burn in his heart. His message baptizes him with its
truth. He is lifted to the heavenly places. He cannot wait until the
time comes for its delivery so he can share with the congregation
the great truths and great experiences he enjoyed while walking
with God in his study Then the sermon time comes. He stands to
speak. The truth does not seem nearly as sweet; the Scripture no
longer burns in his soul; he is disappointed and that sermon that he
had so anticipated preaching becomes drudgery instead of delight.
What has happened? He has failed to transfer the spirit of his study
to the pulpit. He has failed to realize that the only tool he has while
he is in the pulpit to remind him of the ecstasy of the study is his
outline. Because of this, the outline and its purpose is not only to
capture the truths that the preacher learned in study but the spirit
and joy with which he learned them. The outline is to remind him
not only of what he learned but how he learned it. It is to carry him
back to the same joy and thrill of preparation and transfer it to the
delivery. His failure was caused by his unawareness of the purpose
of his outline. He thought that the outline was simply to remind him
of what he learned. This it did. He did not realize that the outline
was supposed to remind him of the spirit he felt while he was
learning it. So the outline fulfilled the purpose that the preacher
had for it, but its purpose was not large enough.

When the preacher looks at his outline from behind the pulpit, it
should remind him of the great truths he has learned, but it also
should remind him of the heavenly places in which he walked while
he learned those truths so that he may not only transfer the truths he
learned alone to the people but he may transfer the heavenly places
in which he walked while he learned those truths.

With that in mind we will examine the outline.

1. The first thing at the top of the outline should "grab" the
preacher. It must get his attention. The first part of the sermon is
not primarily for the preacher to get the people's attention but for
the preacher to get his own attention. If the pastor can get his own
attention, the people will listen. People love to listen to someone
who is listening to himself, someone who is caught up in his
message and is totally involved in the truth he is presenting. If he
can get his own attention, the attention of the people will come.
This is the reason I rarely use humor in the introduction of a
sermon. Now I may use it in the introductory remarks before I begin
the sermon, but once the sermon is begun I rarely use humor in the
introduction. I want to use something that will lift me out of myself
and totally involve me in the sermon. It is important that my mind
not be on two things. It should not be on the sermon and also
wondering how I am doing. It should not be on the sermon and
wondering if the lady in the middle section is going to carry her
baby out or sit there with him during the entire service. I must be
totally lost and involved in the message. If I get involved and the
people know it, they will get involved.

In my sermon "Is There Not a Cause?" I begin as follows:
"Several years ago I was on an airplane flying to the south. It was a
flight with a stopover in Lexington, Kentucky On the one-hour
flight between Chicago and Lexington, I looked across the aisle
and saw a familiar face. I turned and spoke to him and asked, 'Sir,
aren't you Adolph Rupp?' He replied in a beautiful southern drawl,
'Yes, suh, I am Mr. Rupp.' (Adolph Rupp was for many years the
coach of the University of Kentucky basketball team. During his
career his teams won more basketball games than those of any
other college coach in history.) I said, 'Mr. Rupp, I have been for a
long time a fan of yours. My name is Jack Hyles.' He replied, "Yes,
suh. I have read of you. You pastor that large Baptist church near
Chicago.' For almost an hour we talked together in a delightful and
stimulating exchange of ideas. We landed in Lexington and said
goodbye. I got off the plane to take a walk and go to the washroom.
I was washing my hands at the lavatory when I looked over and saw
that Mr. Rupp was washing his hands at the lavatory next to mine. I
said, 'Mr. Rupp, could I ask you a question? I understand that you
will soon retire because of the mandatory retirement at the age of
70.' A tear invaded his eye as he said, 'Yes, sub. Soon I will have to
retire.' I asked, 'Mr. Rupp, what do you plan to do when you
retire?' A tear escaped his eye as he replied, 'Sub, I guess I'll just
die.' Several months later Mr. Rupp retired. Not long after his
retirement I picked up the sports page of the Chicago Tribune to see
the big headlines which read, 'ADOLPH RUPP IS DEAD!' Why
did he die? He died because he had lost his cause-that thing for
which he got up in the morning, that thing that lifted him above
himself that made him forget himself, that pulled him out of
himself in which he lost himself-it had been removed. He had
lost his cause!"

That is the introduction to my sermon, "Is There Not a Cause?"
Now it may or may not be a good introduction as the reader sees it,
but it is the kind of introduction that gets my attention. By the time I
finish that introduction, I am ready to preach on the subject, "Is
There Not a Cause?"

In my sermon, "Others," I get my attention as follows: "Many
years ago in the city of London, England, the Salvation Army was
conducting its annual convention. The giant auditorium was filled
with delegates, but for the first time in the history of the Army its
founder and leader, General Booth, was unable to attend. He was
old, nearly blind and in poor health. Gloom spread across the floor
of the convention as the delegates realized that for the first time
they would conduct their annual convention without the presence
of their leader and founder. Someone suggested that General Booth
send a message to be read at the opening session. This he agreed to
do. When the moderator engaged his gavel to the podium he said,
'Ladies and Gentlemen, as I call to order the annual convention of
the Salvation Army, I regret to inform you that our leader and
founder, General Booth, is for the first time unable to attend. He
has, however, agreed to send a message to be read at this time, as
follows: Dear Delegates of the Salvation Army Convention:
Others. Signed, General Booth."

Now, this may not get the attention of my congregation, but this
illustration always gets my attention. When I use it, I am ready to
preach. It puts me in the right frame of mind, captures me and loses
me in my sermon.

In my sermon, "The Lust of the Holy Spirit," I begin as follows:
"Months ago in the city of Seattle, Washington, I was enjoying a
time of Fellowship at a luncheon of Christian workers. After the
luncheon there was a question-answer session where the pastors
and full-time workers were allowed to interrogate me. One pastor
asked this question, 'Dr. Hyles, what in your opinion are the four
spiritual highlights of your life?' Now normally I would not answer
a question that involved such a lengthy answer, but for some reason
that day I did answer that question. I said, 'The first spiritual
highlight in my life took place in August of 1937 when I, as a little
lad nearly 11 years of age with bare feet and ragged clothes,
received Christ as my Saviour. The second great highlight of my
life took place on New Year's Eve just before the dawn of 1944
when as a timid, introverted teenager I felt the call of God to preach
the Gospel, and now for these many years I have been proclaiming
the message around the nation and around the world and, yes,
around the block. The third great highlight of my life took place on
the grave of my father after he had died a drunkard's death. I
returned to the grave and threw myself face down upon the dirt that
covered it and stayed there until God did a work in me. I believed
then and believe now that that was the first time in my life I was
filled with the Holy Spirit. The fourth great event of my life took
place when I was a young preacher. I was pastoring a little country
church in east Texas. It was 6:05 in the morning. I was standing in
an empty auditorium preaching from behind the pulpit on my
morning broadcast called, 'The Old-Time Religion Broadcast.' I
was speaking that morning on the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit. Up until that moment, however, I had never spoken to the
Holy Spirit. I had never told Him I loved Him; I had never asked
Him to guide me. I knew He lived in me. I knew Romans 8:9; I
Corinthians 6:19, 20, etc., so theoretically I knew the truth, but
practically I had never experienced fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
That morning, suddenly for the first time in my life, the Holy Spirit
became more than an influence; He became a Person to me! I began
to tremble while I was speaking. When I finished the broadcast I
knelt behind the microphone and apologized to the Holy Spirit for
neglecting Him through the years and told Him that I would never
do so again. I got on my knees beside my little car that morning and
told the Holy Spirit to guide me what route to take home for
breakfast. After breakfast I begged Him to lead me to know what
route to take back to the office and from that happy day until this, I
have never neglected the Holy Spirit in my life, even for one entire
day I always talk to Him, tell Him I love Him and seek His
guidance."

Now this introduction may or may not capture the attention of the
audience, but it captures my attention, and once my attention is
captured, the audience will listen.

2. Do not worry about how many points there are in the outline.
I am basically a one-point outliner, but I know some great
preachers who are not. Dr. John Rice had many points. An example
of this is his famous sermon, "The Sevenfold Sin of Not Winning
Souls." My good friend Dr. Bob Gray uses points and sub-points.
That wonderful soul winner, Dr. Jim Vineyard, often has as many as
25 points. The important thing is that you fit it to yourself with
whatever you are comfortable.

3. Use different type outlines as far as writing is concerned. For
example, if I preach on Heaven, I make the Outline orderly and
beautiful. I may type it or print it very carefully or write it with the
best of script. This is because Heaven is orderly and beautiful. If I
preach on Hell, I will scribble the outline and make it messy If I
preach a hard sermon, I will often use a bold magic marker to
remind me that I am to be bold.

If I preach a soft sermon, I will use a fine-line pen.

If I preach a commencement address, I will make an immaculate
outline.

If I preach a sermon in which I want to become excited, and in
order to remind myself that I was excited in my study, I will
underline the main points or capitalize them. Bear in mind, the
purpose of this outline is to carry the spirit that I had in the study to
the pulpit. If I was excited in the study, something in the outline
should remind me of that excitement. If I was tender in the study,
something of the outline should remind me of the tenderness. If I
wept in the study, something in the outline Should remind me of
how I felt at the time I prepared my message and my heart.

When I have an illustration in my outline, I write the abbrevia-
tion, "Ill." to remind me that this is an illustration.

If I have an especially good idea that I want to set apart in my
outline, I will put a circle around it.

I always put a bold line between points. This line is very bold to
let me know that one part of the sermon is ending and another part
is beginning.

When listing things, I always number them. This makes it easier
for me to keep my place in the list.

When I want to whisper in my message, I use tiny writing. When
I want to shout, I use bold print. Bear in mind that the purpose for
the outline is to transfer the spirit of the study to the pulpit. It is so
much easier to get excited when alone with God and His Word than
it is when standing in front of hundreds or maybe thousands of
people. This is not being hypocritical or mechanical; it is being
honest. You prepared the contents of your message in the study;
your outline is to remind you of what you learned. You prepared
your heart in the study; the outline should remind you of what you
felt, and it should help you to feel that same sweet fervency that you
felt when you were alone with God in the study

When using familiar illustrations, I just put a word or two that
remind me of them and circle them in my outline. For example, I
have mentioned so many times in my sermons the death of my
drunken father, I will just write the words, "Dad's death," and put a
circle around them in the outline. I often use the illustration of the
Sunday school departmental superintendent who told me when I
was five years of age that Jesus loved me. Her name was Mrs.
Bethel. When I put that in my outline, I simply write the words,
"Mrs. Bethel," and encircle them.

I also write out my text at the top of my outline and encircle it.
This is not just the reference but the very words of the text so I can
refer to them easily and remember them readily

If I am using a one-point sermon, I will write down that point
several times throughout the outline so as to remind me to keep
emphasizing and repeating that single point that I am trying to
stress.

4. I use an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper for my outline. I fold it and
place it in my Bible. This covers two pages. In other words, when
the Bible is open, the page to the left and to the right are covered
with outline. Then I draw a bold magic marker line down the center
to be sure that the pages are divided in my mind.

5. Let your outline tell you how you felt as you prepared it. If
while I was studying, I wept over a certain truth, I may preface that
truth in my outline with a statement like this, "Nothing moves me
to tears faster."

If I was unusually excited about a truth in my study, I may put in
my outline a preface to that truth like this-"Thank God I can still
get excited about If something irritated me in my study, such
as some sin that is so prevalent, I may preface that statement with,
"Nothing upsets me more than.

If I get happy in my study and want to laugh because of the
goodness of God, I may remind myself in the outline that I laughed
at that particular point.

If at a certain time in my study I was overcome with thanksgiv-
ing, I may put in the outline something like this: "Thank
God...."

I simply want to deliver to my people from the pulpit what God
delivered to me in the study I want them to feel what I felt. I want
them to be thrilled as I was thrilled, to be moved as I was moved, to
weep as I wept, to rejoice as I rejoiced, and to share with me the
ecstasy of the experience that I had of walking with God as He gave
me His message for my people.

6. Wait until you are moved and have entered into the heavenly
places before you make your outline. No outline should be made
coldly, but only after God has moved the heart of the preacher. If
you make your outline on the mountaintop, you will identify it from
the pulpit with the mountaintop.

Hypocrisy is twofold: If you express something you do not feel,
that is hypocrisy Likewise, if you feel something you do not
express, that is hypocrisy Not only should the sermon transfer the
facts learned in the study but the emotions enjoyed in the study The
outline can remind you of both; it should call to your mind what
you learned and to your heart how you felt so that you may
accurately transfer the feeling of your heart when you became
acquainted with the truth to the people so that they may have the
same feeling when they become acquainted with the same truth.

7. Outline your sermon no earlier than 48 hours before it is
preached. If you do this, it will be fresher and it will be easier for
the outline to fulfill its purpose.

8. If using an old outline, read and reread it right before
preaching. As mentioned elsewhere in this manuscript, Dr. John
Rice always re-outlined his messages right before preaching. This
is a good idea. However, if this is not done, it certainly is wise for
the preacher to read and reread his outline so that it may be fresh in
his mind when he walks in the pulpit.

9. Use ditto marks in a list. Suppose, for example, that in the
outline you are listing some things for which you are thanking God.
Do not write for each thing the words, "I thank God." Write the
words, "I thank God," for the first one and put ditto marks under
those three words down through the outline. This will make the
outline a little bit less messy and less confusing while you are
preaching.

10. Write yourself instructions on your outline. Suppose you
have a certain Scripture in your outline that you feel the people
should read with you. Then beside the Scripture write some words,
like, "Read in unison," or "Entire congregation to read."

Suppose that there is a Scripture that you want the congregation
to quote with you. You may forget that while you are preaching.
Write it down in the outline.

There may be a Scripture that you want to look up and read to the
people. Make yourself a note like this: "Look it up." In other
words, if there are certain things that in the study you feel the Lord
is leading you to do while you preach, make a note of them. To be
sure, while a person is preaching the Lord may lead him to do
certain things, but it is my feeling that the Lord can lead better
while you are on your face before God in the study than while you
are on your feet before your people in the pulpit. This is not to say
that God does not lead in the pulpit. It is simply to say that God also
leads in the study

11. It is often good to use verses that outline themselves. There
are some verses that just form an outline, such as these:
II Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, which are called by My
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heav-
en, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
John 14:12, "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth
on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."
John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, bath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life."
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of
the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And
he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to His purpose."

Each of these verses outlines itself. For example, look at the
outline in II Chronicles 7:14.

I. The people's part.

1. Humble themselves.

2. Pray

3. Seek God's face.

4. Turn from their wicked ways.

II. God's promises.

1. He will forgive their sins.

2. He will heal their land.

The same is true with Psalm 1:1-3. Notice the natural outline.

I. Man's part.

1. Walk not in the counsel of the ungodly

2. Do not stand in the way of sinners.

3. Do not sit in the seat of the scornful.

4. Delight in the law of the Lord.

5. Meditate in the Bible day and night.

II. God's promises to that man.

I. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters.

2. His leaf also shall not wither.

3. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Now go through John 5:24; John 3:16; and Romans 8:28 and let
them outline themselves. Before doing so please note that the
purpose of these Scriptures is to try to get God to act. That means
the outline should emphasize what man can do in order to propel
God's action.

Years ago a very old man was a member of our church, and he
passed away I was called to his bedside. The last words the old man
said before his spirit was taken to the presence of his Saviour were
these: "Thank you, Preacher, for walking with God all these years
and telling me on Sunday what God said." This cannot be done
unless the walking with God while we are alone is transferred to the
pulpit while we stand in front of the people. The only things we
have that will transfer the spirit of the study to the pulpit are the
memory and the outline. The memory is often clouded by circum-
stances in the service, but the outline can be and should be a
reminder of the heavenly walk that we enjoyed with God during our
hours of preparation and research. for the outline to remind us of
that walk is not critical; but to deliver with a cold heart and dry eyes
the message that was received through tears and a burning may be!

Chapter 3
Preparing to Preach

It is time to preach. In a few minutes I will be representing God
as His man before His people. I am to deliver His message. I am
about to walk to the platform. I must remember to walk correctly I
must remember to stand correctly I must remember to sit properly
I am now walking through the door. I am praying a simple prayer.
"Lord, help me to preach today as if it were the last sermon I would
ever preach."

I must take time to remember how much I wanted this in days
gone by I must remember that I am where I wanted to be. I must
remember how I felt when I was sitting in the pew. I must remember
that I am God's man. I must realize that I may not have many more
times to do this. I must give my best. I must give my all. lam about
to do something that angels covet. I am appearing in Christ's stead.
I am His representative. I am His ambassador. I must not forget it.

I am now standing on the platform. The scene has begun. In just
a few minutes I will be doing~ the most important thing that a human
being can do on earth, ~so I must spend the time between now and
then to prepare.

1. I must examine the pulpit. I must see and decide where I can
place my hands or if I can place my hands on the pulpit. I must
decide what to do with my hands before I preach. If the pulpit is too
high for me, I would be wise just to stand behind it with my hands
beside me or clasp behind me; or' I could use my hands for
gestures, but it would not be a help to me to place my hands on the
pulpit if it is a tall pulpit and obviously built for a taller preacher
than I.

I am about to represent God. I must do it properly I must not be
intimidated by a pulpit.

2.1 must observe the platform. I hope it is about six inches high
for every ten feet of depth in the auditorium. If it is a low platform, I
must speak a bit louder, be a bit more dynamic and more assertive
because I will be in a position not conducive to leadership. If the
platform is too high, I must say something early in my message that
will identify me with the congregation so that I will not feel too far
removed from them. I am God's man. I must give my best. I must
be my best. I must do my best. I am representing God. I am His
ambassador. I must be prepared. In a few minutes I will be standing
between the living and the dead. "Oh, God, help me to prepare
myself."

3. I must check how far I am from the people. I wish that the
front row were within seven feet of me as I speak, for it is harder to
interact with the people if they are far from me. It is more difficult
for the pulpit and pew to communicate if the people are at a great
distance from me. If there are more than seven feet between me and
the audience, I must realize that I will not be as aware of their
response. I must not plan on a response, for distance has divided the
speaker from the people. I must remember that I may not be able to
hear their "Amens." I may not be able to hear their laughter as
easily as I could if they were closer to me. If they are ten feet or
more away from me, it might be more difficult for me to preach.
Maybe I should consider preaching a familiar sermon, one in which
I can totally lose myself and be more oblivious to the audience
response and participation. I am God's man. I must leave no stone
unturned. The time is getting closer when I am to preach. The choir
is singing. Soon will come the offering; then the special number;
then I will enter into the holy place and represent my God. "Oh,
God, may I give my best, be my best and do my best."

4. I must check the lighting. I wish it were a bright, cheerful
auditorium so I could easily see the people and feel apart of them,
for when I feel identified with the people, I can best represent my
Saviour, for He certainly identified Himself with the common man.
I must remember that if the lighting is subdued, I will not be able to
see the people as well. I will not know as quickly of their laughter. I
will not see them nodding their heads in agreement. I must remem-
ber that most of my inspiration must come from within because the
dim light has separated me from the congregation. "Oh, God, help
me to be Your man today This is the only Sunday morning sermon
that these people are going to hear today I am their only chance to
receive God's message. Please help me. I yield myself to Your Holy
Spirit and present my body a living sacrifice. Please use me."

5.1 must check the temperature. If it is too warm, I must realize
that the people could become a bit drowsy and they may fall asleep
more easily while I preach. They will not be as alert as they would
be if the building were not uncomfortably warm. No doubt it will
be a little more difficult for me to keep their attention. Perhaps I
should use a touch of appropriate humor. I must be a little more
dynamic in my presentation and delivery, and maybe I should
consider keeping my message a little more brief. "Oh, God, do not
let the warm building hinder me from delivering Your message, and
do not let the warm building hinder the people from receiving Your
message. You have given me a truth to give them that is vital. It
could revolutionize their lives. Give me wisdom as I seek to blend
and adjust to the various circumstances of the service."

6. I must check the shape of the auditorium. I must decide with
which people to make eye contact. I realize that if the auditorium is
big, there is no way that I can have eye contact with everybody If
the building is very long and narrow, I would be wise to preach
mainly to the front half of the congregation. This will keep my eyes
pointing toward the entire congregation, but I must be aware
mainly of the front half. However, I must be sure to project my
voice so that the last row can hear me.

If the building is fan-shaped, my body must not oscillate offen-
sively I must decide to keep eye contact basically with the two
center sections, with an occasional glance to the sides. I realize that
it would be unwise for me to constantly be oscillating from side to
side, but I must make everyone feel a part of the service. However,
for the sake of the message, my main contact will be with the two
center sections. If there is a center section and no center aisle, I
must then give most of my attention to the three center sections.

"Dear God, if I am placing too much emphasis on mechanics, it
is a sincere mistake. I want to be today what You want me to be, and
I want the people to hear and understand Your message. I have
spent hours preparing my message. I have spent hours preparing
my heart. Now I must not allow circumstances to prevent the
message from being transferred from my heart to the hearts of the
people."

7. I must check the crowd. I must watch during the announce-
ments to see if they are responsive. If they are, perhaps we can have
some interaction while I preach. I can ask them questions and
expect some "Amens" and laughter. I am trying to decide now
whether it is best for me to use them to help me in the presentation
of the sermon. It may be best for me to realize that they are not
responsive and not depend on them at all for help during the
message. At any rate, I pray, "Dear Lord, I want my inspiration
mainly to come from You. May Your Holy Spirit fill me. May Your
love engulf me. May Your grace sustain me, and may Your people
hear me!"

If the crowd is small, I must not be discouraged, for it is an honor
beyond measure for me to deliver a message even to one person. I
must be aware that all of Heaven is watching, that that cloud of
Heavenly witnesses is observing!

I must remind myself of what God has done in the past in a small
gathering. I must remember that little crowd that gathered in
Atlanta, Georgia, many years ago, but one person in that small
crowd was named Curtis Hutson, who has become one of Amer-
ica's greatest preachers.

I must remember that small gathering in Kankakee, Illinois,
where it would have been easy to be discouraged, but I must
remember that one of the few people there that night was a young
man named Wally Beebe, who has become one of America's great
preachers and has influenced millions to attend church and hun-
dreds of thousands to come to Christ.

I must remember that the great message in John 3 on the new
birth was preached to one man. I must remember that the great
message of John 4 on the living water was preached to one woman.
I must remember the small beginning of the Fulton Street prayer
meetings and of Moody's revival in England. I must remember that
only 120 prayed before Pentecost. I must remember that the entire
destiny of mankind was changed by a little group of disciples who
followed Jesus and heard Him speak.

I must not depend on the crowd for my inspiration. If they do
inspire me, I must let that be bonus, but I must be inspired by the
fact that I hold in my hand the eternal Word of God. There lives in
my body the eternal Spirit of God, and I have in my mind and in my
heart and in my soul a message from the eternal God, even the true
and the living God. I am about to stand between the living and the
dead. That is enough to inspire me. If the people choose to add to
that inspiration, well and good, but the inspiration of the God
Whom I represent, the message which I preach, and the fact that I
am standing between the living and the dead is all the inspiration I
really need. I must remember not to let the crowd lead me; I must
lead them. I must not let them discourage me. I must not let them
divide my mind and get it off of my message. "Oh, God, the
offering is being taken. The time is getting closer. It is becoming
difficult to wait. I long to present Your message. May I do it in Your
power, and, dear God, if I am being too finicky, forgive me, but I
just want to be sure that nothing distracts or hinders me from
conveying the truth that You have for these people to them through
Your servant."

8. I must fall in love with these people. I am looking around
now. I see down in the front some older ladies. "God, bless them." I
wonder what they have done this week. I imagine that this trip to
church is the highlight of their week. "May I be what they need."
Back in the back I see some teenagers. "Dear God, it will be
difficult for them to listen. Please help me to use every tool at my
disposal to keep their attention. Some of them may wreck their
lives this week if they do not hear Your message. Help me as I
present it.

"Dear God, I see numbers of men in this room who are
viously laboring men. They have worked hard this week. This is
their only day off They have chosen to use it to hear me preach. I
notice that some of them have greasy hands. They have toiled hard
all week. They need to hear from Heaven. May I be the vessel this
morning that will allow them to do so.

"Dear God, I see a little crowd of people back in the back who
are singing with their hands. They are deaf Tell them that I love
them. Near them I see some people who have canes, and they don't
seem to be facing me exactly They must be blind. Convey to them
my love. Dear God, there are some little children. A 45-minute
sermon seems like hours to them. Help me to so represent You that
it will be easy for them to listen. Let me be simple enough so that
the smallest child can understand me, and yet may my message be
profound enough so that it will challenge the most mature Chris-
tian. lor the next few minutes, God, I will be looking over the
audience and loving them. Oh, by the way, I thank You for them.
Please help me to be what they need today"

9. I must not be distracted from my message. I must keep on
course. I must use that part of the service that will help my message
and be oblivious to that part of the service that will not help. I must
not allow anything to offend me or upset me. I must not develop a
spirit of criticism about any part of the service.

10. I must be careful about my stance. Dear God, sometimes it
is easy for me to slouch a bit and oftentimes I shift my weight from
one foot to another. I must be careful to stand like Heaven's
representative should stand. I must not carelessly lean too much on
the pulpit. I am sure that I can better represent You if I stand up
straight and equally distribute my weight on both feet.

11. l must be careful with my eyes. I remember how Mother
used to tell me to be careful about people who had shifty eyes. I
believe that sincerity will care for this, but I must not look to the
ceiling while I preach or spend too much time looking to my
outline. I must have a straightforward look as I preach.

12. I must be careful about the use of my hands. I must not
fiddle with something on the pulpit. I must use my hands for
gesturing or keep them comfortably on a part of the pulpit, hold
them to my side, or clasp them behind my back. "Dear God, I hope
You're not thinking now that I am emphasizing little things too
much. I remember reading one time that someone said to
Michelangelo, 'You spend too much time on trifles.' Michelangelo
replied, 'Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!"'

13. I hope lam dressed properly "Of course, God, it is too late
now, for I cannot change clothes this late, but I hope that I am
dressed appropriately I am aware that young men who are God's
representatives must be a bit more conservative than the average
young man. Help me always to be appropriate in my dress. I have
not worn anything new today because I do not want to have my
mind on my clothing, nor do I want my apparel to detract from the
message that You have given me for my people today"

I must consider my voice, my speech and my pronounciation. I
must remember that the larger the crowd the slower the speech
should be. I notice that the song leader makes larger gestures as he
leads the singing when the crowd is larger.

14.1 must be conscious of my facial expressions. I must remem-
ber that the smaller the crowd, the easier it is for me to use facial
expressions; but in a large crowd, facial expressions are less effec-
tive. I also must take into consideration the lighting and the
distance of the people from the pulpit. I also must take into
consideration the width of the center aisle. If it is too wide, my eye
contact will not be as good. I must be aware of this so as not to be
disappointed if the response is not what I want it to be.

"Dear God, it is almost time. The people are waiting. I have
prepared my heart and my message through the week. I am trying
now to prepare myself so that I may be the best representative for
You that I can possibly be."

15. 1 call on someone to pray, I must remember the size of the
audience. Can he be heard if he prays from the altar? Can he be
heard from the place where he is sitting? If not, I must remember to
call him to the platform and have him lead us in prayer behind the
microphone. The same is true with testimonies.

16. I must be proper in my pulpit behavior. I must remember to
participate in the singing. I must be careful not to talk to those on
the platform. It might show an indifference to the service and lack
of respect for others who are on the program and a part of the
service. I must stand when the congregation stands or I might cause
a distance to develop between us.

"Dear Lord, I understand that You can overcome any circum-
stance, interruption or inconvenience. I just want to be sure that I do
not cause a hindrance in the service."

I remember when I used to preach on the streets. We had no
pews; we had no piano; we had no organ; we had no public address
system; we had no pulpit, and I remember how You blessed. I
remember how I used to stand in the back of a little pickup truck
and preach to crowds. Ah, what sweet memories!

I remember that time when in an evening service all the lights
went out; I preached in total darkness, and over 20 people got saved
in a small church in south Texas!

I remember the brush arbors with the mosquitoes and the ex-
treme heat with people sitting in their cars around the edge of the
arbor listening to the sermon.

I remember the time when the PA. broke when I was preaching
to 5,000 people, yet what a good service God gave us.

I remember preaching at the Bill Rice Ranch years ago, back in
the days when their tabernacle was open on the sides. As I stood to
preach, a torrential rainstorm came. I remember how nobody could
hear, but dear Dr. John Rice simply walked outside and lifted his
hands up and the rain stopped. I remember how sweet the service
was, and then I remember when Dr. Rice came back in, he looked
at me and said, "I took care of it while you were preaching, now you
go outside and care for it while I'm preaching!" He had that impish,
little-boy type grin on his face. God bless him. I loved him so much,
and I have so many sweet memories that are built around him.

I remember that tabernacle in Ft. Worth, Texas, that was built
just for revival meetings. Dr. Harvey Springer preached one week,
and I preached the other. I remember that night when a cold front
came through. My, was it ever cold! The tabernacle had no heat, but
somebody borrowed a gas heater and placed it in the back in the
middle of the tabernacle. Only ten people showed up that night in
that 1000-seat tabernacle, and all ten of them were gathered around
the heater, holding their hands over the top in an effort to get some
warmth! Nothing went right! There was no piano; there was no
pianist; there was no organ; there was no organist! Only the pastor,
congregational song leader and I were on the platform, and I
remember that I was preaching that night on Hell. I thought
perhaps that would warm the service up somewhat. Nobody looked
at me! It appeared that no one was listening, but I went ahead and
preached the entire message as if the tabernacle were filled, while
the little crowd of 10 people gathered around the heater in the back.
I remember leaving the service thinking I had been a total failure
and that I had wasted my time.

Years passed. I was preaching in Birmingham, Michigan, in an
afternoon service. A tall, good-looking young man stood to intro-
duce me. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to
introduce you to Dr. Jack Hyles. He doesn't know it, but it was
through his preaching that I was saved. Years ago he preached a
week of meetings in a big tabernacle in Ft. Worth, Texas. One night
a cold front came through. Only ten people showed up, and they
gathered around a little heater in the back. I was one of the ten. Dr.
Hyles did not think that any of us were listening, because we were
all looking at the heater and trying to keep warm, but I'll never
forget his sermon! He preached on the subject, 'To Hell and Back.'
I got saved that night. I didn't go forward in the service to profess
publicly my faith, but I was saved that night. I would like for Dr.
Hyles to know that I love him and I would like to thank him for
being faithful in preaching in a 1000-seat tabernacle when only 10
were present, and they were gathered around a little heater in the
back."

I remember that time in Garland, Texas, when we had a big tent
service on a Sunday morning; 3,163 people were there and right in
the middle of the sermon the back row of the choir fell off. There
had been faulty construction of the risers for the choir!

Then I remember that time when I was preaching to several
thousand people at the First Baptist Church of Hammond. It was
Sunday night; the building was packed, and suddenly about a third
into the message a well-dressed man stood up in the back, ran about
halfway down the aisle and made the time-out signal. He called
time out! One of the security guards came and took him to the back
and asked him what he was doing. He said, "That fellow has
preached long enough." In spite of it, God blessed in that service.

Then I remember that tuberculosis sanatorium in Tyler, Texas,
where as a young preacher I used to go every Thursday night and
preach to the dying. I remember how some Thursday nights we
would have conversions and then find them missing the next
Thursday night when we returned. They had passed away during
the week.

"What I am saying, Lord, is that I know that You can overcome
circumstances and difficulties, but in spite of this, I don't want to
be a difficulty. I want to be my best. Lord, I have the idea that the
only difficulties You overcome are those that are beyond our
control. I have an idea that when we cause them You are not as
ready to overcome them."

17. I must be very wise concerning any child that might mis-
behave or baby that might cry. Of course, the best thing to do is to
have adequate nursery facilities and ask the people to please leave
the babies in the nursery, to have trained ladies in a clean, sanitary
place. I must remember not to let a baby destroy the service. I only
hope the pastor has trained the people to remove the child imme-
diately when he misbehaves.

I hope that the children have been trained not to walk in and out
of the service while the sermon is being delivered.

I trust that the ushers have been properly trained to sit down
during the sermon, for they, like all of us, need preaching too. I
hope that they will not disturb by moving around during the
sermon. I hope they will not be doing such unwise things as
counting the attendance while I'm speaking. I trust the pastor has
not been so unwise as to have someone out of the services counting
money "Oh, God, I want everybody to hear my message, or should
I say, Your message."

I hope there is not a telephone nearby that when it rings can be
heard in the auditorium.

I hope that the people are trained not to interrupt the service by
calling folks out of the auditorium. I hope that they realize the most
important thing in the world is the preaching of God's message and
that nothing should interfere with that preaching.

"Dear God, I hope that no one is carelessly using a tape recorder
that might interfere with the service. Now, Lord, if any of these
things do happen, I'm going to deliver Your message anyway, and I
believe that You can and will overcome obstacles unless we are the
obstacles. Don't let me be a hindrance in any way in the delivering
of Your message today, and dear Lord, please help the fellow who
has that video camera not to be interrupting during the sermon.
Help him to sit down and listen like everybody else. There are so
many folks behind him that will be distracted if he moves around
during the sermon.

18. I must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. "Help me
to use humor in good taste. Remind me to be proper in every way
and not to be presumptuous in my opinions of people in the
audience."

I remember that time in Mesquite, Texas, while I was preaching,
a lady was grimacing on the second or third row from the front. All
during the sermon she made faces and grimaced. I thought she was
angry. I told the pastor alter the service to watch her. I thought she
was a troublemaker. The pastor smiled understandingly and said,
"Brother Hyles, that woman is not a troublemaker. She has a
husband who beats her every time she comes to church. Tonight he
beat her across the back. While you were preaching, her back was
bleeding and her blouse was sticking to her back. The reason she
was grimacing was that she was in pain." To think I judged her as
being a troublemaker when she was simply suffering for her
Saviour!

"Now, Lord, if hindrances come, I will accept them. I will not be
offended. If I can correct them, I will. If I cannot, I will do my best
through them, but I just do not want slothfulness to cause hin-
drances. This is Your hour. These are Your people. This is Your
Word. I am Your man. This is Your message. I believe I have done
my best.

The special music is now over. I am approaching the pulpit. I am
now standing behind the pulpit. I am now preaching. What joy!
What total joy! What ecstasy! What total ecstasy! "Oh, God, use
me just now!"

Chapter 4
Keeping a Warm Heart as You Preach

A preacher must realize that crisis preaching will last only so
long. Issue-oriented preaching will take the church just so far.
Sooner or later, warmhearted preaching must take over. A preacher
must have his heart warm at all times especially those times when
he stands before his people to proclaim to them the truth that God
has given him for them. Perhaps we can discuss some things that
will enable the preacher to keep a warm heart. First we will explore
ways to keep a warm heart while preaching.

1. Use words that warm your heart. Each of us has a little special
vocabulary of words that are very dear to him and that move him to certain emotions. For
example, I like the word "Mama."

When I speak of my mother, it warms me if I call her Mama. When
I speak of the Bible, it warms my heart if I say, "the Book." While I
am preaching, the little statement, "Thank God!" moves me to
emotion. I can simply say, "Thank God for all He has done to me.
Thank God for all He has done through me. Thank God for all He
has done for me." Just the repetition of the little phrase, "Thank
God!" warms my heart. I also love the words, "our Lord." There is
something about the possessive pronoun before the name of Jesus
or before the words, "God, Lord," etc. that moves me. I especially
love to say "our Lord." I also love the word "wonderful." It has a
ring to it that warms my heart when I use it. When I speak of my
people I like to use the words, "precious people." When I pray for a
group of people I often say, "God bless these precious people."
Another statement that stirs me, especially to excitement, is the
phrase, "the army of people," or "an army of people." The wise
preacher will learn the words that are very sweet and dear to him.
He will use them often. They will help to warm his heart.

2. Use superlatives that warm your heart. When used honestly,
superlatives are a great aid to a speaker. Such statements as "the
most amazing thing I ever saw," "the greatest day of my life," and
"the most wonderful thing in the world," if spoken in truth and not
through exaggeration, can be used to warm the heart of the speaker.

3. Use experiences that warm your heart. Each of us has stored
away in his mind some wonderful memories concerning events that
have transpired in our lives. Just the thought of some of them can
move us to excitement or move us to tears. There are about a dozen
things that have happened to me, the thought of which always
warms my heart and makes me a better preacher. I have a list of
those. When I find myself preaching with a heart less than warm, I
revert to one of them. Sometimes when I am preaching I feel so
ashamed, I often think while preaching, "How can my heart be less
than warm when I am preaching about such a marvelous truth?
How can I preach on Hell without tears? How can I preach on
Heaven without shouting? How can I preach on salvation without
weeping for joy Yet, there are times when I do. At such times I
pull out of my bank of memories an event that will warm my heart,
and I speak of it. For example, it doesn't matter where I am or what
I am doing, if I think about how good God has been to me through
the years, my heart warms and my eyes moisten. When I think of
my childhood when poverty was mingled with the love of my
mother, and add to that what God has done for me, through me and
with me through the years, I am always moved. When I remind
myself that I owned my first pair of new shoes bought for me at the
age of 14, I ate my first hamburger at the age of 14, I ate my first
egg when I was 14 years of age and remember how God has cared
for me through the years, I find it easy to weep and to shout at the
same time. If I am preaching a sermon and find my heart a little
cold, I simply begin to speak about one of these subjects. It always
gets me in the mood to preach, and then I can revert back to my
sermon and go at full speed.

4. While preaching, mention names that warm your heart. I
often mention the name, "Proctor Boyd," my Sunday school teach-
er while I was a teenager. He was the best Sunday school teacher I
ever had! Just the words, "Proctor Boyd," give me a warm heart. I
often mention the name, "Dr. Rutherford." He was my Sunday
school teacher when I was a junior high lad. I can see him now
standing in front of the class with tears streaming down his cheeks
saying, "Boys, I'm not going to let the Devil have a one of you"
Just the thought of that dear man standing before my class warms
my heart. I often mention the name, "Jesse Cobb," the Chairman of
the Board of Deacons at the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Dallas,
Texas, and the man who introduced me for the first time to soul
winning. Just the mention of his name warms my heart. I use their
names often. It gives me the kind of heart that my people deserve
for their pastor to have-the kind of heart that will help me to
preach with fervor and compassion.

5. While preaching, look at places that warm your heart.
Glance at the altar and think of all the marvelous things that God
has done there. Look down to the place where you are standing and
realize that that is the place where God has put you to proclaim His
truths. Let your mind think of the privilege of standing there to
preach. Every Sunday I look to the fourth row from the front near
the center aisle where my mother used to sit. My heart is warmed to
think of her and her faithfulness to church as she came when she
felt good and when she felt bad and sat there listening to and
praying for her boy. Let places become important to you Have
many little sacred shrines where you can go to remember. While
you are preaching you cannot go physically to those places, but in
your mind you can go anywhere you want to go that will warm your
heart.

6. Remember those who once were with you. The pastor who
wants to have a warm heart must remember those people with
whom he once served who are now in Heaven. A part of the pastor's
schedule should be a time to remember. As I preach, I often look
back to the spot where Bill Sallade used to sit, and I love him for
awhile. I then glance to the place where Henry Rose once sat, and I
love him for awhile. During the Lord's Supper, I always remember
George Huisenga, who was the deacon in charge of serving the
Lord's Supper. During the Lord's Supper, I always look at the place
where Blanford Duff used to sit; he was a loyal, faithful deacon.
Every month I take time to love him for a few minutes. When I walk
through the choir ready room behind the choir loft, I think of Mr.
Brueck, one of our men who had cancer. He became so weak that
he could not walk, stand or even sit. He would crawl on his hands
and knees into the choir ready room and lie there so he could hear
me preach just on the PA system. When I think of those with whom
I have served who are now in Heaven, it warms my heart and helps
me preach better.

7. Watch your people as you preach. Look at the widows who
need your encouragement, the elderly facing the sunset years of life
who need courage, the young people who need strength to resist
temptation, the bus kids who need love and others who need you
As you watch them, realize their need of you It will warm your
heart, give you a purpose in preaching and throw you at the mercy
of the Holy Spirit that He may help you to be what your people need
you to be.

8. Develop rituals that warm your heart. Every Saturday night
before I go to bed, I take a picture of my father, who died without
Christ in 1950, put the picture on the floor; make an altar of it and
kneel before it, asking God to help me to preach with the same
fervor that I wanted my pastor to have the first and last time that my
dad ever sat with me in church.

It was a Sunday afternoon. My father announced to me that he
was going to church with Mother, my sister, Earlyne, and me that
night. My little seven-year-old heart leaped with joy, and I made a
mad rush down to the only house in the neighborhood that had a
telephone. I asked the Wyatt family if I could borrow their tele-
phone. I called my pastor and excitedly told him that my daddy was
coming to church that night, and I asked him please to do his best to
get daddy saved. That night Daddy, Mother; Earlyne and I walked
for the only time in our lives into a church building. We walked two
miles down Fernwood Street to the Fernwood Baptist Church. We
sat on the second row from the back on the left side facing the
pulpit. My big 235-pound giant of a dad stood beside me as we
sang and sat beside me as we listened. I prayed that God would do
something to my dad to transform his life and save his soul.
Following the offering, the pastor stood and said, "Ladies and
gentlemen, there will be no preaching tonight. This is the night of
our annual cantata. The choir will present it to us at this time." My
heart broke! I sat during the entire cantata and wept as my daddy
slept. I could not believe that my daddy didn't mean more to my
preacher than that! That was the only time he ever sat in church with
me. I think of this every Saturday night and ask God to help me not
to disappoint the little seven-year-old boys whose daddies are in the
service.

There are other rituals that I have that warm my heart. As I walk
into the auditorium I always pray the same prayer.

Every Monday morning I leave the office to go to the airport to
fly somewhere across America to preach Monday night and Tues-
day night. Before I leave the office I go into the waiting room and
look at a big picture of Dr. John R. Rice on which he wrote, "To my
buddy, Jack Hyles. Signed, John R. Rice. Psalm 126:5,6." I look at
the picture and relive the 22 years that we traveled together and
shared pulpits across America. I tell him that I miss him. My heart
is always warmed as I think of this great giant with whom I traveled
and whom I loved.

Weekly I go to the mausoleum at Memory Lane Cemetery,
which is owned by First Baptist Church of Hammond. Just inside
the door on the left there is my mother's burial place. When I go
there, I have a ritual. I read her favorite chapter in the Bible, Psalm
103.1 take out her picture and tell her that I love her and then I sing
the song that she sang as she rocked me to sleep when I was a boy,
"Brighten the Corner Where You Are." Then I sing the last song
that we sang together before she went to Heaven, "The Unclouded
Day"

The preacher who has little rituals that help him to remember to
love, to appreciate and to think will have a warmer heart.

9. Think of the effort spent by the people who come to hear you.
Often on Sunday morning, about 8:00, I stop to realize all the time
and effort expended by the people of my congregation, the hun-
dreds of thousands of hours spent in preparation. This warms my
heart as I prepare to preach.

10. Think of the labor that went into the offering that is dropped
in the collection plate on the Lord's Day Think of the greasy
mechanic, the tired and weary steel worker; the lady that cleans
houses, and of all the others who earned their money by hard
laborious toil, and your heart will be warmed.

11. Think Whom you represent. II Corinthians 5:20, "Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did be-
seech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God." Pause to realize that you are there in the place of Jesus,
representing Him. I John 4:17, "Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as
He is, so are we in this world."

12. Be publicly expressive of your love and appreciation. Say, "I
love you," to your people. Be grateful to them. Express that
gratitude openly It will warm your heart and bring tears to your
eyes as you publicly express your love to the people whom God has
given to you and to whom you are a gift from God.

13. Think where you are. You are where you dreamed someday
you would be. You are where you will wish someday that you could
be again. This is it! This is the culmination of all your study and
preparation. This is the fulfillment of all your dreams and plans.
You are now there-- God's man, God's representative. Always
think of it! It will warm your heart!

14. Think of what "the Book" is. Realize as you preach that you
are preaching the very Word of God, the Word that is eternal, which
always was and always will be. It is the Book written by your
Creator; given by divine revelation, word-by-word. It is God's
eternal, never-dying Word, revealing Himself and His plan to man.
Think of it! Think of it! Think of it!

15. Think of those watching from Heaven. This will warm your
heart as you preach. I never preach on a Sunday morning or Sunday
night in my own church or somewhere else around the country on a
weeknight without realizing that my mother's eyes are fixed on me.
The eyes of my two little sisters join my mother's, there are many
other precious saints of God who are in Heaven who watch me in
that great cloud of witnesses. There is my pastor; I C. Sizemore.
There is my friend, fellow-worker and buddy, Dr. John R. Rice.
There are my deacons who preceded me to Heaven and others of
my people. They watch me. I must never forget it! It will warm my
heart as I preach.

16. Think of those pleading in Hell. In Luke 16 we have the story
of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man is in Hell, first crying for
water; then crying for someone to

Index of Sermons and Books by Dr. Jack Hyles