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 good bye. 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 thanksgiving, 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 mountain top, you will identify it from the pulpit with the mountain
top.
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 Heaven, 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.
1. 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 circumstances
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!
