In his book, Why Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon asks the question,

“How has the movement from language-based media to image-based and electronic media altered our sensibilities, and how, in turn, has this change in sensibility shaped today’s preachers?” (p. 16)

His answer is rather direct and gives no reason for celebration.  He confesses that,

“Less than 30 percent of those who are ordained to the Christian ministry can preach an even mediocre sermon.” (p. 11)

Gordon offers help by way of reference.  He points his readers to Robert Lewis Dabney’s book on homiletics, Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric.  There Dabney constructs “The Seven Cardinal Requisites of Preaching.”

For the purpose of brevity I’ll only list the seven requisites with Gordon’s test questions.  The questions are to be asked for the sake of determining whether a given sermon contains that requisite.  Very helpful stuff.

1. Textual Fidelity
   Test: Does the significant point of the sermon arise out of the significant point of the text?
2. Unity
   Test: If ten people are asked after the sermon what the sermon was about, will at least eight of them give the same (or a similar) answer?
3. Evangelical Tone
   Test: Does the sermon press the hearer to consider the hopelessness of his condition apart from Christ, and the utter competence of Christ to rescue the penitent sinner?
4. Instructiveness
   Test: Does the sermon significantly engage the mind, or  is the sermon full of commonplace cliches, slogans, and general truths?
5. Movement
   Test: Do the earlier parts of the sermon  contribute to the latter parts’ full effect?
6. Point
   Test: Is the effect of the sermon, on those who believe it, similar?
7. Order
   Test: Could the hearers compare notes and reproduce the outline of the sermon?

All of us preachers would do well to strive to contain each of these elements in our every sermon.  Gordon’s book was excellent.  I recommend every preacher get their own copy.  You can do so for only $10 or less through the link below.