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A common preaching (and communication) quip you have all likely heard is:

• Tell them what you’re going to them

• Tell them

• Tell them what you told them

This often comes out when starting your sermon by telling the congregation the outline you are going to preach through. Something to the effect of, “Today we are going to look at X topic found in Bible passage and are the of four points we are going to see (and then proceed to share the points before diving into the sermon).

Let me that guy and tell you that I think this is a very poor way to preach.

Think of it this way. Could you imagine watching a movie and in the first minute of the movie you are told the plot, what will happen, and how it will end?

No one would want to watch that movie.

So why would we follow that formula when preaching?

Yes, preaching is different than movie-making, but the principle still holds. Tension helps hold people’s attention. And when there is no tension, you’ve not given people a reason to keep listening.

Yes, of course, since we are preaching from God’s Word, then that should be enough for people to care. But remember, if you want to reach non-Christians, new Christians, or those coming in with the heaviness of life weighing on them, you’ll want to meet people where they are and lead them to the grace only offered in Christ.

So here’s my point: don’t give away the sermon at the beginning. Build tension. Ask a question that encourages them to lean and see how Scripture answers it.

Give people a reason to keep listening, then tell them what you’re going to tell them.

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P.S. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?

Samson. He brought the house down.

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