What is a Sermon?
Rev Charlie (September 2026)
There are millions of sermons online and the number is growing daily. However, a great many of these are misleading, spurious, and antithetical to the Gospel. It is therefore imperative that Christians have a good understanding of what a sermon is, so they know what to look for.
Sermons are usually a combination of preaching and teaching. The two often go together, but they are not the same thing. The New Testament word for preaching is, in the original Greek, kēryssō, which means to herald or proclaim, much like a town crier would have done in the days before modern means of rapid communication. In the New Testament, preaching (kēryssō) is the public proclamation of Biblical truth, with a view to bringing people to repentance and faith in Jesus. A good example of preaching would be John the Baptist’s message in the wilderness, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 3: 2). Teaching on the other hand, or didaskō in New Testament Greek, means to impart, explain, or guide by means of systematic teaching. An example of teaching in the New Testament would be Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ which occupies Matthew chapters 5-7.
The words kēryssō (preaching) and didaskō (teaching), are used together to describe Jesus’ own ministry. For example, ‘Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching (didaskō) in their synagogues, proclaiming (kēryssō) the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.’
In the pastoral epistles, church leaders such as Timothy and Titus are exhorted to follow this model of preaching and teaching. For example, 1 Timothy 4: 13, ‘Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.’
In the book of Acts, we see that the early Church ‘devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ The Apostles shared the same teaching they had received from Jesus, now recorded in the New Testament.
Preaching and teaching are inextricably linked to the Good News of Jesus. A sermon, which usually includes a mixture of both, should not be a matter of personal opinion, cut adrift from the moorings of Scripture, but rather it is delivering from the pulpit that which has already been delivered in the Scriptures. Oftentimes, those who deliver sermons decide what they want to say and then go hunting for random verses to support their preconceived message. This kind of fragmented approach is prone to error. A more faithful approach, is to look at a verse or passage in the context of that which comes before and after, thus allowing the Bible to speak for itself.
Teaching, in the context of a sermon, is the art of explaining facts and doctrine, and giving clear knowledge, often through step-by-step breakdown of the passage. The ultimate aim of teaching is to help Christians understand what God wants for them and from them. Teaching is a key part of discipling people to live out their faith. The goal of preaching is to urge a direct response to God by moving the heart and the will. Preaching aims to increase faith, change hearts and transform lives. However, whilst God may speak through the preacher, it should be noted that any change will always be a work of the Holy Spirit. A good sermon should therefore enlighten us, challenge us, and move us to make changes to our lives.
In the words of John Stott, ‘To preach is to open up the inspired text with such faithfulness and sensitivity that God’s voice is heard and God’s people obey him.’
