I preached many sermons and I've heard many sermons. Often it can seem to be rather fuzzy on what its all about. Sermons involve a speaker and hearers. But, it is not, or should not be, a monologue. Many ideas move upon the hearer and the speaker.
v.15 says "How shall they preach except they be sent?" The message must be born in the heart of the preacher. The preacher should be "called by God." I heard that call 27 years ago. The preacher should feel deeply about what he preaches, it involves his own experiences.
The message must be the message of God. Preaching is not just a performance. It's not a book review or a play, but God's message. It is "glad tidings of good things", not the rantings of an angry God. The message must come through the heart and mind. I think the call of God compels one to prepare adequately to proclaim the message.
Now let's think about you - the listeners. The message goes from the heart, mind, mouth of the preacher to your ears. You need to be able to hear accurately and adequately. But, oftentimes we have problems in hearing - we hear what we want to hear; we have semantic problems. Again, it's not "I think" but "God says thus and so to me." When you hear the message, God is speaking to your mind. REPENT is God's message. It's the most difficult thing to do, but belief involves the mind.
Then through your ears, and mind, God tries to reach your heart. To feel and feel deeply; to love and love deeply. There is a truth - involvement goes before the heart is reached. To begin to study, pray, serve, often is drudgery until the heart responds. Then you have esoteric Christianity.
Finally, what you hear, believe, feel - you will practice. "God has shown thee, O man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Jesus prepared his disciples. Paul spent 3 years in preparation. Otherwise there is much isogesis and not exegesis.
But it must come from the mouth of the preacher. "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Again in speaking God's word there is a difference between "I think" and "God said." There must be congruity between what he says and the was he lives; it must be a demonstrated gospel. God's method is to send out his message from a believing, prepared, and humble person.
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