Stage 7 – Message Outline

Does Passage Determine Sermon Shape?

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Tim asked the following question:

Do you think it is ok to preach inductively when the passage is clearly worked out in a deductive way? For example, (sweeping statement coming up!!!) a lot of Paul’s epistles seem to be fairly deductive in the way he makes points and then goes on to prove or explain them. Does this tie you into preaching deductively every week as you go through Paul’s epistles?

Another way of saying this question is ‘do you have to stick to the order that the Biblical writer sticks to?’ If Paul makes his big point in verse one, and then proves or explains it subsequently, do you also have to move in this same order?

Peter responds:

1. The passage outline is the place to start – I think the Biblical order is a great place to start, and often it makes sense to preach a passage according to its order.  If it is a deductive passage, probably preach it deductively.  If it is a narrative passage, usually preach it narratively.  And so on.  The stages of sermon preparation require the study of the passage before the preparation of the sermon, so the shape of the text should be clear before designing the sermon.  Often there is no reason to do something different than preach the text in its order.

2. There are good reasons to shape your sermon on the text – If you were to use no notes and just be looking at the text, it is easier to preach the text as it stands.  Even if you have notes, the text is all the listener has.  Generally it is better to give people the impression that they can also follow through a text as it was written and learn its lesson.

3. There may be good reason to change the shape – As a preacher you have a foot in both worlds: the Bible and the listeners’ world.  So the purpose you have for the sermon may differ from the purpose of the writer, which then implies an alternative strategy or outline may be worth considering.  For example, Peter preached to an antagonistic crowd in Acts 2 and so preached a very inductive sermon.  Likewise, you may be preaching a passage in the epistles that is up front with its main idea, but you know your listeners are more antagonistic than the original readers were, so perhaps it would be worth changing the sermon shape accordingly.  Our goal is to present and explain the passage and communicate the main idea in order to achieve the intended purpose in our situation.  Strategize accordingly.

4. A sentence and a sermon are different – Don Sunukjian teaches a helpful point.  He argues that a sentence has an immediacy to it that allows a certain order, but in preaching that order may need to be changed to reflect the order of thought.  For example, he uses a sentence like, “I am going to town, to buy some food, because my dog is hungry.”  Now, if that sentence were to be preached, it would be better to reverse the three elements.  “Going to town” and “buy some food” are dependent on the final element “my dog is hungry” for their meaning.  In preaching we may take an element of a thought and expand it.  What expanded exposition of “Going to town” might result without the underlying issue of the hungry dog?  Consequently, in order to help people know where they are in the thought of a sermon, the order of thought is an important issue to bear in mind.

Why Bother With an Outline?

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

I was recently chatting with a pastor who told me he never writes down an outline in preparation; rather, he just studies hard and then preaches. If it is possible to study a passage and then preach from it without doing an outline, then why bother?

Haddon Robinson teaches that the outline is for the preacher, not the congregation. The benefits of diligently outlining a message are at least four:

1. The unity of the message. You can view your sermon as a whole, and therefore, get a clear picture of its unity. Since an outline is essentially a hierarchical structure, any disconnected elements will not fit comfortably under the headings where they are placed.

2. The logic of the message. An outline clarifies in your mind the logical connection between the parts of your sermon. How does movement one flow into movement two, and why in that order? The outline will demonstrate this (or fail to do so if there is a problem).

3. The order of the message. An outline crystallizes the order of the ideas so that you can give them to your listeners in the appropriate sequence.

4. The flesh of the message. You will be able to recognize places in your sermon that require additional supporting material. Or you may see that your supporting material is all clumped together in one section, while other cupboards are bare.

Preaching First-Person: 5 Essential Questions

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I am no expert on first-person (in character) preaching. However, when I have preached in this way I have had very positive feedback. Here are some basic questions I ask myself before preaching in this way.

1. Which character? It can be a character explicitly involved in a passage, or an implied character (an observer of the events).

2. Who is traveling through time? Is the character coming to today to speak to the congregation, or is the congregation going back in time to the historical context of the character?

3. Will I use costume or props? There is no benefit to looking like a child in a Christmas play, but a carefully thought out costume or prop may help the presentation. On the other hand, it may serve as a distraction.

4. Will I conclude in character? Transitioning between character and self is not easy, but applying the message in character is also not easy . . . so who will drive the message home? The character, me, or someone else?

5. Is this a true sermon? Preaching in character is no excuse for sloppy preaching. The message still needs solid exegesis, a definite main idea, clearly defined purpose and relevance to my listeners. Preaching first-person must never be less work than a normal sermon. It takes the normal preparation, plus a lot of extra work.

Tell the Story, but Preach the Text

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

I believe in vivid description during preaching. It takes time for an idea to form in the minds and hearts of listeners. It takes specific detail for listeners to “see” a Biblical story and to feel its tension. But the solution is not simply to add and embellish freely.

1. Preach the text, not the event. The writer made choices. He chose to selectively include limited detail and was inspired in the choice of each word. So while it is tempting to fill out the details, be careful not to lose the point the writer is making. For example, in the gospels, each writer is writing historically accurate accounts, but is doing so theologically. A writer may include or omit specific details in order to make his point. If we simply harmonize all four gospels and preach the resulting composite story, we will be preaching the event rather than the text. It is a good idea to consult a harmony of the gospels to make sure your description is historically accurate, but preach your specific text. The event is historically true, but the text is inspired.

2. Preach the text, not added detail. There is a constant danger that in telling a story well, we might preach an idea born out of the added (uninspired) detail. Therefore, it is critical to do solid exegetical work in the text before working on how to tell the story. Work on the passage must come before work on the message. Then if you decide to add some detail, you can do so carefully, seeking to honor the emphasis and detail of the text.

Let a Story be a Story

/ Peter Mead / 4 Comments

If God inspired a story, why don’t we preach it as a story? Simple question. Sometimes we think stories are for the flannel-graph in the children’s Sunday School room. But in church, to adults, we don’t tell stories. Perhaps we summarize the story and then get down to preaching our points – lessons derived from and illustrated by the text. Or we dissect the story and preach a protruding skeletal outline that makes our points as we work through the text.

Maybe we should tell the story? When faced with a Biblical story, in very basic terms, the default approach might be a simple three steps. 1. Tell the story. 2. State the main idea of the story. 3. Apply the main idea. There are many other approaches that might be worth considering, but consider this one first. Story – Principle – Application.

Allow the dynamics of a story to work, even for adults. After all, God inspired it as a story . . . and it was written for adults.

Peter has responded to comments on this post.

Protruding Outlines

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The outline of a message is often compared to the skeleton in the body.  The most transformational and life changing encounters with a person are never focused on their skeleton.  I stayed awake through an anatomy lecture as I learned the difference between a clavicle and a scapula, but my life was forever transformed by meeting the beautiful lady who would become my wife.  Her beauty required the presence of a skeleton, but my heart was captured and my life transformed by the smile, the character, the life, but not the lower mandible’s connection to the cranium.  As we preach the Word of God, may the goal be the transforming life and beauty of His Word, rather than an unnecessary display of the skeleton of our thoughts.

Reflections on a six-sermon weekend

/ Peter Mead / 5 Comments

Last weekend I spoke six times in two days at a Bible retreat. The texts for the retreat were Nahum and Habakkuk. Four reflections:

1. First-person preaching is not used in many churches. The majority of people present had never heard an “in-character” sermon. Judging by the feedback received, they will remember Nahum’s message more than the rest of the preaching last weekend.

2. Variation and repetition are both helpful. Certain themes were repeated and reinforced throughout the weekend, but people appreciated variety in sermon style. A first person message, an interactive session, Q&A, inductive and deductive forms.

3. People value relevance very highly. The most consistent feedback revealed a high value of the people. “These books are so relevant to today!”

4. Consecutive messages are not easy, but possible. Focus on one message, preach it and then only have an hour before the next message. It is possible if there has been sufficient work put in ahead of time. It is important to take some time to review the outline or manuscript. As a preacher you rarely feel fully prepared, but God understands and is faithful!

Peter has responded to questions on this post – see comments.

What do you want them to remember – the outline?

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

Before preaching, it is important to have the end in sight. Is our goal really to have people remember the details of the sermon? It seems that both preachers and listeners alike assume that the listener is supposed to remember the outline of the message. So preachers lament the lack of note-taking, or actively encourage it, perhaps by giving “fill in the blank” outlines. Another approach is to use powerpoint projection with the outline visually presented to the listener. And, of course, there’s the common approach of preaching with memorable, sometimes alliterated, points that function as “hooks to hang thoughts on.” None of these things are wrong (or right), but they all point toward the goal of having listeners remember the outline of the sermon (or at least have a written record of it for future consultation).

Perhaps it is time to question the value of remembering or recording a sermon’s outline. Of course, the listener can think through the message later using the outline the preacher used (if a paper record of the sermon’s content is necessary, perhaps give out a handout after the service is over?) Would it not be a better goal for people to think through the text later, rather than through the preacher’s outline?

The real goal of preaching is lives transformed by God’s Word. Any transformation should come from the biblical passage’s main idea relevantly applied to the listener’s life. The goal is not memorization, but transformation. Yet if something should be remembered, surely it should be the main idea, clearly derived from the passage and relevantly applied. The outline of a message is there to order thought, to ensure progress and to serve the big idea and its purpose. The outline is not king. It is merely a discreet servant, usually serving behind the scenes.

Focus on the basics

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Great preaching always involves the “effective execution of elementary ideas.” (Attributed to Eugene Emerson Jennings)

It is tempting to give attention in preaching to the clever and intricate subtleties of the art and craft of preaching, but subtleties work best when built on a foundation of good solid basics. A clearly derived and cleanly defined Biblical idea. A definite and specific purpose. A logical and orderly structure. Good pastoral relevance. Effective introduction. A clean finish. Most, if not all preachers would preach their next sermon more effectively if they would focus on the basics.

Question: First person preaching from an epistle?

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Tim wrote the following:

Preaching in the first person – do you think this could ever be used for epistolary texts? I realise people use it to good effect on narrative texts. But what about a section of epistle?

What I’m thinking is, say, first part of Galatians 5. If you were first-person Paul then it might:
a) add variety (if you’ve been working through the book)
b) enable you to communicate the historical setting well
c) perhaps enable you to strongly communicate the passion Paul had for the Galatians and the sense of exasperation he felt.

What do you reckon?

Peter responds – Absolutely! First-person preaching is usually thought of as being ideal for narrative texts, but epistles are set up for this approach as well. Although epistles are didactic in form, they are also “story” or at least part of a story. You have characters (Paul and recipients, plus false teachers and other influences), in a specific setting, there is a “plot” (Paul preached, others came in, the locals shifted, now Paul is addressing the problem), which has its own tension (unresolved – we don’t know what happened in response to the letter). Paul wrote the letter, every letter, in response to specific circumstances. So I feel it is set up for a first-person sermon. This would definitely add variety to a series. It is often seen as a good option for overviewing a whole epistle either as an introduction or conclusion to a series (I know Mike has used first-person very effectively to conclude a series in James). But there is no reason why it cannot be used for a shorter section within an epistle. Jeffrey Arthurs, in Preaching with Variety, suggests the approach of dictating to a secretary, which allows for elaboration in a verse-by-verse manner.

First-person sermons allow you to, and often require you to include more background and historical information. And as you wrote, Tim, they allow you to communicate the passion of Paul in a section like this in a less threatening manner to your listeners. They will tolerate more passion and strong wording since “it isn’t really you” and the delivery is more intriguing than threatening. This approach will not be a short-cut though. You have to do all the normal exegetical work in studying the passage, then probably extra on culture and historical context, then think through various aspects of first-person presentation as well. You will need to practice, even if you don’t normally “practice” a sermon.

You will need to decide on preaching situation and viewpoint. Are you letting the audience secretly view Paul as he writes, or does he invite the group in as he is working on it and explain what he’s doing, or has Paul been transported through time to explain the passage to the congregation today. Or, perhaps, are they sitting in a Galatian church, with Paul giving them his perspective on the text as it is read, as he would if he had been there (this would be tricky, but possible) – perhaps using someone else to read the text out a verse at a time and Paul urging the listeners to get it and respond. You can be creative! Another option is to preach part of the message in first-person. You could set it up, then go back to Paul as he dictates and thinks out loud, then return to Tim for an explanation of how that text should influence us in our context.

You will need to decide on costumes and props (subtle is usually plenty!) You will need to think through the area you are to preach from and possible use of the space as an actor would a stage. Unless you transport Paul to today, you will need to think through how to make sure your congregation gets the point for their lives. Your ultimate goal is not just for them to understand the author’s idea in his historical context, you also still need applicational purpose for the present day. But you can’t put in direct references that are inconsistent with the historical situation of the “speaker.” So unless you revert to being Tim for some element of conclusion with contemporary application, you need to carefully plan subtle but effective points of contact between his intention for the Galatians and your intention for your congregation. I have found in bringing a Bible character through time to address my congregation that “clear but subtle” is usually effective. Somehow it strains the consistency of the presentation if an Old Testament prophet (or an NT apostle) has travelled through time and suddenly has full knowledge of contemporary life, culture, current affairs, recent history, etc.

So there is a lot to think about, but I think preaching first person on the first section of Galatians 5 could work very effectively! There are a couple of books available on the subject if you have time to read them before you have to preach this sermon – Haddon Robinson and his son Torrey have written It’s All in How You Tell It: Preaching First Person Expository Messages, and J.Kent Edwards wrote Effective First-Person Biblical Preaching. Tim, if you do this, please come back and comment on this post with your experiences, evaluation, lessons learned, etc.