Goal of this lesson: To understand the essential components of a well- constructed sermon.
Introduction: Every good sermon must have:
1. Unity
2. Purpose
3. Application
I. Unity
Key Concept: How many things is a sermon about? Answer: One thing.
A. The Need for Sermonic Unity:
- Preachers need focus. (Helps him to follow exegetical possibilities).
- Listeners need focus.
B. The Nature of Sermonic Unity:
- In Expository preaching the meaning of the Passage is the message of the Sermon.
- The meaning of the passage that becomes the message of the sermon is the Big Idea (or, the unifying concept of the sermon) for the sermon.
- You determine the big idea by asking what the purpose of the writer is. Sermon unity gets us to the original intents of the author. (You want to say what the author intends to say)
In expository preaching, Unity occurs when the elements of a passage (or “Expository unit”) are legitimately shown to support a single major idea that is the theme of a sermon.
C. What is the Process by Which Unity is obtained?
1. Read and digest the passage to determine: a. What is the big idea of the writer? or b. What theme in the passage has sufficient material to support the main theme of the sermon?
2. Melt down the supporting ideas into a “Proposition” (One clear statement of the big idea)
D. Unity Strives for a single thrust versus multiple thoughts:
TMT/ITK/TMT/TMT: The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Theme The Main Thing.
II. Purpose: the “Fallen Condition Focus”
A. Introducing the F. C. F.
I Tim. 3:16, 17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine reproof correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect (artios=complete) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.)
Our fallen nature requires Scripture’s completion, and all Scripture has this purpose of completing us; thus, every passage has a Fallen Condition Focus. “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. (Romans. 15:4) NKJV.
Everything written in Scripture has the purpose of giving us hope in our fallen condition. In Other word, what is written here? Why is it written?
Definition: FCF is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those for or by whim the text was written that requires the grace of the passage to manifest in Gods people.
B. Implications of the F.C.F.
- We should never preach on a text until we determine why the Holy Spirit put them there.
- Until we have determined the FCF of a text we do not know what it is about.
C. How to Determine the F.C.F.
3-Step Process: (Ask these things…)
- What does the text says? ii.
- What concerns did the text address?
- What do we share in common with those for or by whom it was written?
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D. Examples of the F. C. F.
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:1- 2) NKJV. The FCF in the above Scripture is E. The Importance of the F.C.F.
- Shows the concern being addressed in the passage or text.
- Indication of what we might have in common with the audience to which the passage was originally intended for. Indication of what is the necessary behavioral change.
III. Application: The “So What” of all preaching.
A. The Need of Application
1. Biblical Instruction: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16) NKJV. “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: (Titus 2:1) NKJV.
2. Preaching Implications.
- Preach to transform the audience.
- Preaching will always include what is true and what to do about it.
B. Consequences of Non-application
1. A message is Pre-Sermon until its ideas and components are applied to an F.C.F.
Pre-sermon Applied to an F.C.F. SERMON
2. Pre-sermons only describe the text; Sermons applies the text to an F.C.F.