9 traits of expository preaching in Acts

2 Timothy 4:1-4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Offering a definition of Expository Preaching

Expository preaching is characterized by proclamation, followed by explanation, clarified by illustration, strengthened w/ exhortation and connecting with application. 

Can we biblically demonstrate this definition? In today's post we will contend that such preaching is Biblical preaching and consider why it is by noting the following nine traits of such preaching in the Book of Acts:

9 Traits that define a pattern for Biblical Expository Preaching
A quick survey reveals actual sermons, or portions of sermons, preached by the Apostles in the early church, as showcased in the Book of Acts:

a. 5 sermons by Peter Acts 2:1-36; 3:11-26; 4:8-31; 10:34-48; 15:6-12                             

b. 1 each by Stephen, Phillip & James Acts 7:1-60; 8:25-40; 15:13-35

c. 11 sermons by Paul Acts 9:1-31; 13:15-43; 13:44-52 ;14:14-15:5; 17:22-34; 20:7-12 ;20:17-38; 21:40-23:11; 24:10-27; 26:1-32; 28:32-31

Whenever we study some of those sermons, the following common traits are found among them:

Trait                        Peter     Stephen    Paul
1. Power                                  2:1-13         6:10,15          13:9 
of the Spirit


2. Proclamation                        2:14             7:1-2            13:16

3. Progression                         2:14,22     Abraham       Smooth
                                                                  to David     Transitions
4. Priority of                              2:22-24    History         13:27-34 
    Doctrine                                2:31-33 

   of SalvationNote: Almost half the messages center on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

5. Exposition                            2:17-36     Exposition   13:17-25                                                                                        of Acts 7 

6. Illustration                       2:15,22,23        Whole 

                                                                  Illustration 
                                                               message within 
                                                                  Exposition

7. Preach                                2:37-40          7:51-56       13:26 
       For a                                  40-41 
   Decision 
(Exhortation) 

8. Pointed                               2:37-40          His            13:40-41 
Conclusion                                               Martyrdom

9. People                                2:41-47       Negative        13:44  Changed                                                      fruit at         

 or affected                                                   first         

                                                                    yet the           nearly
                                                                   the church     whole 
                                                                     grows            city 
                                                                                         came 
                                                                                         to hear

Conclusion:

We proposed the following definition of expository preaching: Expository preaching is characterized by proclamation, followed by explanation, clarified by illustration, strengthened w/ exhortation and connecting with application. From studying some of the those sermons in the Book of Acts, we glean the above definition from them based upon the nine traits discovered in those sermons:

1. Power of the Spirit 
2. Proclamation 
3. Progression 
4. Priority of Doctrine 
5. Exposition 
6. Illustration 
7. Preach for a Decision 
8. Pointed Conclusion 
9. People Changed/Affected

Part 2 - How to Present Biblical/Expository Sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Review
Yesterday we began consider the different ways one can deliver and present God's Word in a preaching (or teaching) situation. This current series of blogs should not be thought of as just for preachers. Anyone who listens to sermons can learn what to look for when hearing a Biblical sermon from God's Word. Many of the principles outlined in this current series of blogs are useful in personal study and application of God's Word. We looked yesterday at different types of expository or Biblical sermons: namely theme sermons and pyramid sermons. Today we continue looking at more different ways in which to present God's Word.
1. “Logic Building Sermons”

In a logic building sermon the material of the message is presented to show the listener the given logic of the passage. Often preachers will employ what is called a "syllogism", which is a logical argument that begins with a general statement (a major Premise), a specific related statement (a minor premise) and then a logical conclusion that proves the logic of both. Below is a sample sermon:

-Example: Help people see the logic of the Gospel-Title: “Why Jesus alone is the sinner’s substitute
-Text: Various Scriptures, mostly 1 Corinthians 15
Major Premise: Anyone who dies in their sins awaits judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

Minor Premise: Jesus was born, died and raised from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Therefore: Jesus proves He is a sinless man and capable of representing you

Thus the major and minor premises could be the first two points of the sermon, followed by the "therefore" being the final point and conclusion.

2. “Twin Sermons”
Twin sermons are so-named because of their simple two-point structure.  Normally in a twin sermon the amount of time spent in each part is about the same, thus lending further to the name "twin sermon".  Personally this type of expository sermon is among my favorite types to preach because of its simplicity and relative ease to deliver.  Below are suggestions for how you may deliver such a sermon:

-(Point 1) First part of sermon may present a problem 
-(Point 2) Second part may bring a solution 

Example: “Healing an Unhealthy Christian Faith”

3 John 9-11; 2 Peter 1:4-11
1.Marks of an unhealthy Christian Faith. 3 John 9-11
- Resists vs 9
- Rebels vs 10
- Rotten vs 11
2.Healing by maintaining a healthy Christian faith. 2 Peter 1:4-11

Note: If you start out negative, try to end positive. But only do so if you can find a corresponding text

3. “Question Sermons” This type of sermon begins with a question. Question sermons have the advantage of placing the listener in the position to respond directly to the preaching in their minds or with their responses. Questions open up dialogue and/or a two way street between the preacher's voice and the listener's mind. Below is a sample of what such a sermon would look like:

Example: “What did Christ Accomplish?” 1 Peter 3:18 

Point #1 - What did He do? He died for sins 

Point #2 - Whom did he die for? Sinners

Point #3 - Why did He die? To bring us to God

Point #4 - How was it successful? He raised 

Point #5 - When do you receive what He did? 

There are several other suggested ways we could consider in presenting a Biblical, expository sermon.  However let me close with some suggestions for you and I to improve in our presentation of God's Word as preachers and teachers.

Suggestions for growing in our Sermon presentation

1.Listen to other preachers
2.Listen to or watch your sermons
3.Note nervous habits
4.If using humor, utilize your illustrations, not the text

Part 1 - How to present Biblical/expository sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Introduction
Last week I had written some posts on the subject of sermon preparation. For the convenience of the reader I have listed their links in case anyone wants to reference them for review:
1.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/introductory-thoughts-on-preaching.html
2.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-method-for.html
3.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-illustrations.html

The Lord blessed me to have the opportunity to participate and deliver a session at a recent Baptist association Pastor's conference on the subject of "The Preacher's Preparation, Presentation and Invitation". Having looked at sermon preparation last week, we will now look this week at some ways in which to present or preach the scriptures to an audience.

Some thoughts on what expository preaching is all about
Let me say from the get-go that all true Biblical preaching is "expository" preaching.  When I say "expository", I am simply referring to the responsibility of preaching to "expose" the people to the text or to "explain" the text well enough to convey the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit through the original author. If someone is not making it their aim to explain the text as originally communicated by the Holy Spirit through the Biblical author - then it is not exposition and certainly not Biblical preaching. 

As one preacher of the past once said: "A lecture or talk can be given next week, next month or next year, but a sermon must be delivered now." What the quote is expressing is the urgency that attends the preaching task.  Hearers of sermons also have the urgency of preaching placed upon them in the sense of needing to apply what has been preached.   

Different methods for presenting expository sermons
With that introduction, I want us now to consider different ways in which Biblical sermons or "expository sermons" can be delivered.  Though "verse by verse" exposition is the most common way, yet there are various methods by which the delivery of God's words can be "packaged" or "delivered" by the preacher or the hearer.  We will look at a couple today and some more tomorrow.  May these tips prove helpful to those who aim to preach or teach God's word.  

1.“Theme” Sermons
The preacher may use a major Biblical theme from which to work off of in His sermon.  These types of sermons are great for introducing a congregation to a teaching of scripture. Below is a sample of how such a sermon would be structured.

-Sermon Subject – Ex: Christ-Theme of Subject- Ex:Christ’s Eternal Deity
-Divide theme by its “characteristics” or “facets” or “advantages” or “practical applications” 

-Example Passage: Col 1:15-19
Point #1 Christ is Eternal Creator Col 1:15-17
Point #2 Christ is Eternally the Savior Col 1:18Point #3 Christ is Eternal with the Father Col 1:19

2. “Pyramid Sermons” 
In a pyramid sermon, the preacher starts off with an idea or heading, adding onto that idea or heading in the next point.  In the subsequent points that follow, the preacher keeps on adding on more and more ideas until the sermon arrives at the fully stated idea.  The reason why such a sermon is called "a pyramid sermon" is because when you look at the points and the structure of the sermon, the shape of it resembles a "pyramid".  John L. Benson in his 1967 book: "Homiletics", is the author from whence I gleaned this particular sermon structure. Below is a sample sermon I preached a while ago utilizing this method:

-Main theme: Overview of New Testament 
-Title: “Christ, the focus of the N.T” 
-Purpose of the sermon: to demonstrate how Jesus Christ is the focal point of the New Testament, and how He should be the focal point of our lives. 

                     Point #1 Christ portrayed = Gospels 
                Point #2 He is Portrayed, preached = Acts
         Point #3 Portrayed, preached, explained = Epistles
Point #4 Portrayed,preached,explained,prominent = Revelation

More tomorrow....

Preparing a Biblical sermon - illustrations and putting the sermon together

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Introduction and review

Over the past couple of days I have been introducing the reader to a few tips and methods that can be used in preparing a sermon.  Even if you are not a preacher, the tools and tips being shared in this blog can still be used for studying God's Word and applying it to your own life.  In yesterday's post we considered a step-by-step method for extracting the meaning out of scripture so as to prepare a message for preaching or a lesson for teaching to an audience.  Today we will be considering some further thoughts about sermon illustrations, introductions, sermon construction and finally, a listing of helpful resources that can help all of us who desire to improve in our teaching and preaching of the Word. 

Some thoughts on sermon illustrations

Whenever anyone communicates God's word, it is important to cloth the truth in the garments of illustration. Preachers can fall into two ditches: either illustrations can be over used or under used.  The best sermon illustrations come from scripture itself.  Why? Because scripture is perfect. Who can forget how Samson's loss of strength due to his disobedience, and not knowing that the Spirit left Him? That episode in his life can be used to highlight what it is like when we as Christians get in the flesh.  Or how about the slaying of Goliath by David as illustrating God's power in keeping His promises and enabling His people to overcome insurmountable odds?  Certainly modern-day illustrations are appropriate for clothing Biblical truth.  Whenever you are using any illustration, ask yourself: "how does this illustration highlight God's character, salvation?" Secondly ask: "does this illustration fit within the context of the scripture from whence I am preaching?"

Some thoughts on sermon introductions

A.What scripture will you read before You preach?

B. How will you plan on starting your Sermon? A story that fits your message?

Interestingly enough, the introduction of the sermon is one of the last things you do before concluding your sermon preparation.  Why? Because in sermon preparation, you begin with where you intend to end - namely your conclusion.  Just as you plan a trip with the destination among the first parts of the planning, sermon preparation is no different.  

Some thoughts on putting together your sermon, typical time frames involved for each part and identifying the main parts of a Biblical sermon

For this part I will simply list the parts of a Biblical sermon with a range of suggested times for each one:

A. Selected Preaching Text:

B. Suggested time for each part of your sermon- 

-Introduction: (5-10 minutes) 
-Propositional statement or one sentence summary of your sermon: (1 minute) 

-Point 1: (5-10 minutes) 
-Point 2: (5-10 minutes) 
-Point 3? (5-10 minutes) 
-Point 4? (5-10 minutes) 
-Point 5? (5-10 minutes) 

-Conclusion: 1 minute or less.

Suggested resources for Biblical Preaching

1. John L. Benson. “A “System of Homiletics” 

2. Bryan Chapell. Christ Centered Preaching.

3. Charles Ryrie. Ryrie’s Practical Guide to Communicating Bible Doctrine.

4. Mark Dever, Greg Gilbert Preach – Theology Meets Practice.

5. Steven J. Lawson. Famine In the Land.

6. John MacArthur. Preaching-How to Preach Biblically

Conclusion:

Today's blog and the past couple of posts have featured a suggested method for preparing Biblical sermons. My hope and prayer is that the readers of this post will find anything in these posts useful for expanding God's Kingdom work in both His church and in this world. Sometime in the near future we will look at another important aspect of Biblical preaching: namely the sermon's presentation.

Preparing a Biblical Sermon - A method for studying the Bible

Ezra 8:2- "Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month."

In yesterday's post we began considering some opening thoughts on preaching and the key ideas involved when beginning to think about what makes up a good, Biblical sermon. In today's post we will begin considering the sermon's preparation.

The main point of sermon preparation 

So what is the main point of sermon preparation? To put together sermons that can meaningfully link words from the scripture through the preacher to the audience for the glory of Christ.

A suggested step-by-step method in preparing a Biblical sermon

As I had mentioned yesterday, by God's grace I will be presenting a session at an annual Baptist association conference on this subject of sermon preparation, presentation and invitation. In that session we will be looking at a suggested step-by-step method of preparing a Biblical sermon. Each preacher is different and I am sure (and know) there are better methods out there than what I am presenting here. Nevertheless it's good to start somewhere. So what steps does one go through in preparing a sermon?

1. Key Words, ideas

Underline or circle the repeating words, ideas of phrases in whatever Biblical text you are preaching.  I always suggest starting with a well known chapter like John 3 or 1 Corinthians 15, since those chapters represent the heart of scripture's main work: the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ. Perhaps if not a chapter, start with a portion of a chapter or even one verse, such as Romans 11:36 or John 3:16. 

2. Transition words

Whenever you see the following words in the Biblical text, circle or underline them, since they signify certain meanings, transitions and emphases in the text:
A. “so that”, “in order that” = purpose

B. “because”, for this reason”, since”, “for” = cause of something

C. “if” and “then” = condition, something expected of someone in order for promise or blessing to be fulfilled

D. “let” or “must” = command or imperative

E. “before” or “while” or “when” or “after” or “as” = time emphasis in the writer’s mind

F. “but” or “rather” or “however” or 
“nevertheless” = contrast with what was just said 

G. “now” = explanation

H. “really”, “certainly” “even”, “indeed” = Emphasis

3. Six questions
Whenever you have noted the key words and key transitional words, the next thing to do is to ask the Biblical text the following questions:

A. Who wrote it? Who is the Audience? Believer, unbeliever, or both?

B. Why was it written?

C. What promise is there to claim, command to keep, sin to avoid, blessing to claim, Christ to see?

D. When was it written?

E. Where was it written?

F. How do I apply it? How will this enable me to see more of Christ?

4. The Context of the passage

Note: These are levels of context follow when finding meaning of a given scripture

A.What is the verse saying?
B.What is paragraph or surrounding verses saying? 
C. What is chapter saying? 
D. What are surrounding chapters saying? 
E. What is section of the Bible book saying? 
F. What is the whole Bible book saying? 
G. What is the section of the Bible saying? 
H. What does whole Bible say on the subject? 

5. Cross references

The greatest tool I can think of in studying the scripture is comparing other portions of scripture that speak on that same subject.  That practice is what we call cross referencing. 

Having considered a basic method for approaching a given text of scripture and extracting the meaning, we can then begin to consider some tips for using illustrations to help the listener connect to the truth that is being proclaimed from God's word.  

More tomorrow.......... 

Introductory thoughts on preaching & sermon preparation

2 Timothy 4:1-2 "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."

Introduction

This year our Baptist Association will be having its second annual Pastor's Conference. As one of the speakers in the event, I feel unworthy in comparison to the other pastors who will be speaking. I give all glory to God for any benefit derived from any sermons I preach or any piece that is written, since all things and affects come from Him. (Romans 11:36) I thought I would share both today and over the next couple of days the portions that I will be presenting in the realm of sermon preparation, presentation and invitation.
My prayer is that for any preachers out there who read this blog that perhaps you can glean something useful. Even if you are not a preacher, we all as Christians have a responsibility to know Jesus and make Him known to others. I know for myself, I'm always learning and read other's blogs to enrich my own understanding. So with those thoughts in mind, let us begin considering what typically goes into a sermon's preparation, presentation and Invitation.

Some important terms used in preaching

To begin, what is meant by the word "sermon?" According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, a sermon is a: “speech or conversation that links together words, thoughts and ideas” and comes from a Latin word meaning ”to link together”. When I was learning how to preach in Bible College, one of the finest preaching professors, Dr. Lloyd Perry, taught me about both the science and the art of preaching.  The field of study that one enters into when learning how to preach is what is called "homiletics". Dr. Lloyd Perry taught the following definition of preaching throughout his many books and courses: “Homiletics is the science of sermon construction. Preaching is the art of sermon presentation. The sermon is the product of preparation for presentation.”

Preaching is all at once an art, a science and a Spirit driven event

As you preach a sermon or hear a sermon preached, a good sermon will engage the mind, the heart and bring about change.  In going off of Dr. Perry's above definition, we could say that as an art - preaching captivates the heart and the imagination.  As a preacher develops and grows, his "artistry" or "sermon delivery" should improve over time.  Certainly too a good preacher will also aim at the mind, which would cover more of the science or technical side of things. Whenever you hear a sermon, can you trace the preacher's conclusions and remarks from the logic of the text? Does the preacher's sermon make sense or does it at least have a discernible flow? Can you follow what is being preached? Has the preacher adequately unpacked what is in the Biblical text? Has the preacher explained what the Biblical author is communicating? Questions such as these are covered in the "science" part of sermon preparation or homiletics. 

With a good sermon being a combination of artistry in motion and the scientific part of homiletics, unless the Holy Spirit attends the preaching - all the best intentions in the world will be in vain.  The most polished and honed sermons can fall flat if the preacher relies more on himself than the Holy Spirit. The chiefest of all attitudes when approaching the pulpit is humility.  One old preaching rule of thumb applies well: "if you go into the pulpit with your head low, then you will come out with your head high.  However if you go behind the sacred desk of God with your head high, you will come out with your head hanging low". The preacher must ever be in a state of reliance on the Holy Spirit, since the Bible He is preaching from is the Spirit's words and the power that he utilizes to preach the sermon derives from the Spirit indwelling his converted human heart. 

Having looked then at some introductory thoughts on preaching, as well as what initially marks a good sermon or what characterizes some traits necessary to preach (trust me we could spend several blogs just on those traits and characteristics), we will consider tomorrow what to do when preparing a Biblical sermon. 

More tomorrow..........