Preaching - Keep it simple!

I recently came across an excellent little article by JC Ryle all about what he considered of utmost importance for the preacher - Keeping it simple. I have found this article deeply challenging as I start out in my preaching experience and thought it would be worthwhile sharing with all you other preachers out there and those that listen to preachers each Sunday!

Some quotes from the article follow, to whet your appetite:

I ask all my readers to remember that to attain simplicity in preaching is of the utmost importance to every minister who wishes to be useful to souls. Unless you are simple in your sermons you will never be understood, and unless you are understood you cannot do good to those who hear you. It was a true saying of Quintilian, "If you do not wish to be understood, you deserve to be neglected." Of course the first object of a minister should be to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but "the truth as it is in Jesus." But the next thing he ought to aim at is, that his sermon may be understood; and it will not be understood by most of his hearers if it is not simple.

JC has 5 hints in attaining Simplicity in Preaching:

1. Take care that you have a clear view of the subject upon which you are going to preach.
2. Try to use in all your sermons, as far as you can—simple WORDS.
3. Take care to aim at a SIMPLE style of composition.
4. If you wish to preach simply—use a DIRECT style.
5. If you would attain simplicity in preaching, you must use plenty of anecdotes and illustrations.

If I could encourage you all to read one thing in it's entirety that I blog about on here, then please let it be this, your feedback would be much appreciated.

The whole article can be viewed online here.