Gospel-Centered Preaching (part 2}

4. Sermon Preparation Toolkit: The 7 Step Guide to Preparing Sermons [Ramesh Richard, Preparing Expository Sermons: A 7 Step Method for Biblical Preaching]

How then do we prepare our sermons? We start first by getting things right then getting them across. We have a responsibility to be faithful to the Bible and to the people we are preaching to. Communication is a gift we all have to different degrees and we can only communicate as our personality, audience and culture helps us to do so. And as such, we have some good communicators, preachers who can really get the crowd on their feet but at the end of the day, the question is, was it faithful to the text? We’ll use the 7 step guide;

A. Step 1: Studying the Text – The Flesh of the Text

Provides keys to finding the meaning of the text. It lays down groundwork for ‘seeing’ and ‘seeking’ what the Bible wants to communicate to the people. Read, read and read again.

1.  Observation 

a.     Words

b.     Relationships – grammar

c.      Context

d.     Genre

e.     Geography 

2.  Asking questions – FFQs
3. Surprises 

B. Step 2: Structuring the Text – The Skeleton of the Text

How does the author put his text together? What are the sections (discourse units)? How is his flow of thought arranged? The structure here will help in getting the structure of the  sermon.

1. Structural keys – conjunctions
2. Repetitions – words and ideas
3. Break into sections or discourse units
4. What does each section say?
5. Summarize the main sections

C. Step 3: The Central Proposition of the Text – The Heart of the Text

As the heart is to a human, so the central proposition is to the text (and the sermon). Discover what the dominant theme of the text is. Think of;

            Theme: what is the author talking about?

            Thrust: what is the author saying about what he is talking about?

Combining this two, others have called it simply the Big Idea or the Big Point of the passage

Remember where you are at in the Bible Story line. The Bible is one unified story of God’s redemption: Creation, Fall, Redemption (in OT & NT) and New Creation. Ask yourself how the message of the passage relates to Christ. Remember to give people Christ!

Reaching here is the biggest task, once you get this, then you are ready to go. Ensure you write the CPT in one short sentence (10-15 words). 

D. Step 4: The Purpose of the Sermon – The Brain of the Sermon

From this point forward, you now have the audience in mind and now thinking how you are going to communicate what you have to them. The purpose of the sermon is the key link between the text and the sermon. This is the bridge. Use commentaries and other resources.

To find the purpose, ask on the basis of the central proposition of this text, what does God want my people to understand and obey? This is the aim of the sermon.

C¹. Step 5: The Central Proposition of the Sermon – The Heart of the Sermon

As we saw, the text has a singular theme/thrust, in the same way, your sermon should have a singular theme/thrust. “The sermon is not a container to contain everything you have discovered about the text” (Mike Bullmore).

You take the central proposition of the text, cross the bridge then communicate it to the contemporary audience. Write what you are saying and what you are saying about what you are saying.

B¹. Step 6: Structuring the Sermon – The Skeleton of the Sermon

Think of your structure and develop your sermon with unity, order and progress. Let your points be connected and build one to another. Having no structure is like having a human body without the skeleton – all flesh! I normally have:

1. Hook – more than just an introduction    
2. Context – literary, historical etc.            
3. Content – main body with a number of points            
4. Conclusion – summary and also a call to action

A¹. Step 7: Preaching the Sermon – The Flesh of the Sermon

Having done all, now flesh up your sermon by including illustrations, careful choice of words, and your own physical delivery – tonal variation, clear voice projection etc. Use SPEG

S – state your point clearly

P – point it, show where it’s from in the text

E – explain, interpretation of the text

G – ground it in real life using illustrations and apply it. Ask yourself, so what? How does the message change our thinking, feeling and behaviour? Remember, Jesus!

5. Some Preaching Tips 

1. Stay in your passage – it’s a sermon, not a vocalised commentary!
2. Use simple language – avoid jargon, Greek & Hebrew as much as possible
3. Avoid misunderstanding – “when I say x I don’t mean”. As we preach/teach, we must keep asking ourselves how the Christian key words and phrases are understood by our African listeners. We should bring into confrontation the authentic Biblical meaning and the possible local re-interpretation. This will help our listeners filter out pagan and animistic concepts which many Africans sitting in our pews still hold very firmly. (Steven Musa-Kormayea, Servants of the Word, The Gambia).
4. Write your hook and conclusion after writing your sermon. Let them serve the sermon.
5. Scripture interprets scripture.
6. You are encouraged to do a full script.
7. Don’t work alone.