There’s nothing worse than preaching which meanders. No direction, no unity, no thrust to our sermons, and soon our hearers will have no desire to listen to them! In vivid contrast, JI Packer comments on JC Ryle’s preaching:
“Ryle never just marked time, and again and again, to use his own phrases, he was able to focus his points in a few ‘picked and packed words’ that would ‘strike and stick’ His divisions were always clear (for one thing…for another thing), his headings stuck out, his down to earth illustrations and rhetorical emphasises gave a sense of the drama, the dangers, the challenges, glories, and joys of life under the hand of God.”
(In “Faithfulness and holiness”, p61 )
(HT: Colin Adams)
Already Not Yet 