1 Point Preacher
Episode 26
Show Notes:
Context—too much.
Not a matter of placement, but volume.
The common slip-up for expository preachers is to give too much information.
It can turn into a break in the preaching of the text; a lecture in the midst of the sermon.
The question: do I need all this?
I may like it, but it doesn't all belong in the sermon.
Too much information will be an obstacle to the congregation, rather than a help.
What is the problem with taking such a large amount of time on context?
In preaching: time = emphasis
The purpose: you said you would teach this, and cover this text. But you just talked about water, that wasn't in the text.
Did I need that in order to understand the text?
A sermon is supposed to move, there should be progression from introduction to conclusion.
When you include 10–15 minutes of context in the body of the sermon, it's like a detour.
Was that context necessary, or just interesting?
We we cut out that time from the sermon recording, would the sermon be comprehensible without it?
Let's be positive: how to use context properly.
How much context is needful?
What is context?
What's going on? The surrounding words, phrases, and verse; before and after.
Consider proportion, given your sermon text and preaching time.
Spend time on what the text spends time on.
What do you need to get through the text?
For preaching in the middle of a book (occasional sermon), give a very brief overview of what came before. It can be as quick as 45 seconds.
Too much context amounts to trivia.
We don't need all the extra-biblical historical information to understand the Bible.
We need to remember that God inspired his Word. He gave it, and it doesn't lack anything.
Explanation depends in large part on how you say it, your phraseology, your education and experience.
If you want to teach a discipleship class / Sunday school and give a 1 hour introduction to the book, then do it.
Because a sermon is not a lecture, nor a seminary class.
Whatever is the point of the text is your point too.
But a lot of times when you're doing a lot of background and context, you lose sight of that.
The purpose of context is to make the point more clear, draw it out.
Not conceal it, drown it out.
Diagnostic question for context: does it align with the exegetical point, or not?
It may be fun and interesting information, but does it draw attention away from the point of the text?
Proper placement of context:
Don't put it all in the front of your sermon.
Context as you go, as needed.
When the text talks about it, talk about it. Don't go back and forth. That takes even more time.
Fit context in the flow of your sermon.
Whatever verse you are at, that's when you include any necessary context to explain that part.
Deliver context in a way that is comprehensible.
How can they understand this, without the hours of study you did that week?
If you are a responsible pastor/elder, you are having regular conversations with your people.
You have so much to teach, but don't forget there are other days and times throughout the week.
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Bumper Music:
???? Murder On The Bayou
Written by Bryan Teoh
https://freepd.com/music/Murder%20On%20The%20Bayou.mp3
Ecclesiology Series, Sermon 2:
Public Worship
Delivered by Nate Sonner
Acts 2:41–42
"Devote yourselves to public worship, because that is where the means of grace are."
Ecclesiology Series, Sermon 3:
Preaching
Delivered by Nate Sonner
2 Timothy 4:1–5
"The Word of God must be preached in public worship, and you must hear it."
1 Point Preacher
Episode 15
Show Notes:
What distinguishes 1 point preaching: a sermon with 1 point. One big idea, one primary truth that is applied to the congregation.
Follows from basic hermeneutics: a text has one meaning. A text, no matter the size, can be summarized with a statement—one idea.
Consistently, we should preach it that way.
There are many applications. Choose one for applying the text to the congregation.
1 Point Preaching is simply that method of preaching that is consistent with sound hermeneutics (biblical interpretation).
Sermon point: the big idea of the text is what is applied to the listeners.
The exegetical point, the truth of the text.
And an application (contextualization).
There is no preaching without application, so you can't just have the point of the text—or a sermon title.
The sermon point itself is preaching—the truth of the text *applied* to people.
This is foreign to most people.
What's common is a sermon title.
But look for the application—call to obedience, call to action.
Preaching is applying the biblical text to people.
A common difficulty: preachers reading an *essay*, even with a single sermon point. It's the structure—many main points and subpoints.
Talking about 5 or 7 topics.
Typical outline compared to a sequential outline:
Denny Prutow, "My Approach to Sermon Preparation, Part Eleven, Oral Presentations vs. Written Presentations"
https://youtu.be/yj1_BsOkTSs
The difference is movement. Progressive steps toward the sermon point.
The sermon point is announced in the introduction. The congregation knows the destination.
Not all texts are the same. Sometimes, the point of the text comes early. What do you do? Teach the text as is, whether narrative or epistle. Teach God's point.
The point of the text must be taught by the one preaching.
Teaching is explaining, preaching is proclamation.
In proving the point, the reasoning must come from God's Word.
The point of the text can be lengthy. In the sermon point, it's either the exact phrasing, or reflecting the point of the text. Because the sermon point needs to be concise, to be remembered by the listeners.
As much as possible, use the language of the text itself. That anchors it in the sermon text.
This is the most effective way of preaching, because it is accurately delivering the meaning of the text of Scripture and applying it to people.
Please FOLLOW this channel and LIKE / SHARE / REPOST
COMMENT / DISCUSS
Visit us:
Facebook.com/WorldviewDiscipleship
DiscipleshipPhilippines.org
Bumper Music:
???? Murder On The Bayou
Written by Bryan Teoh
https://freepd.com/music/Murder%20On%20The%20Bayou.mp3